They dropped the ball. It was horrible. Blizzard released this.
It's such an utter disrespect of the game and the fans. So much so that if I pirate an older version it works better and has more features.
Don't worry I'm sure a lot of people are looking the other way for the D2:R hype train. I love Diablo 2 as well. The Blizzard that made D2 is long gone. Instead you got Bobby Kotick raking in millions while they fire people in record years of profit.
Hey D2:R a 20 year old remaster from the guys that did Spyro and it was good and this looks great.
Can't wait to fork over 40 bucks to the company that...
Don't you have phones? You think you do but you don't. Blitzchung. etc etc...
Yeah I did my research. I used to buy every Blizzard game day one and spent hundreds of hours playing these games.
You will have to excuse me if I am skeptical and unwilling to support them. Even if D2:R turns out to be amazing I still can't support a company that did what it did to WC:3. Among other things.
But this isn't Blizzard half assing it. It's Vicarious Visions and their legacy speaks for itself. Again, skepticism is good, but this borders on paranoia.
For an example of them not halfassing it, look at character models. VV are willing to change them and admit mistake. Blizz would probably laugh it off. Or try to sell you alternate models.
Meanwhile in Diablo 3 land... Blizzard just had to hotfix an item that was causing anyone the uses it to disconnect randomly and frequently.
Another item is causing horrible lag with the FOTD build, the new and improved Firebird set, but no fix in sight for that one. This one affected me.
And some people have needed to resort to a drastic workaround of replacing a game sound file with an edited version of it that disables all game sound as the only guaranteed way for them to not have frequent game freezes that can last for up to 10 seconds before it resumes... deadly in HC mode. Luckily I haven't needed to do that one.
That last Fmod.DLL problem has been going on for a full year.
Be scared of D2 Resurrected. Be very scared
AAA my ass.
But why? D3 is Blizz, D2:Remaster is Vicarious Visions. And VV has a good track record. Ofc, it's healthy to have a dose of skepticism. Just don't get consumed by paranoia.
So you're putting faith in another studio owned by Activision for 16 years and merged into Blizzard earlier this year? OK then, glass half-full guy
Because they aren't the same teams. You don't have to put faith in anything. I sure don't. Their results speak for the quality of their work potential. Tony Hawk fans have been very pleased at the recent remake. I don't need to be optimistic or pessimistic because I haven't given them any money. If it's at least decent enough I'll buy it. If not then I'll pass. For me, it's really that simple.
I hope you're right for the sake of those looking forward to this. I'm just salty because they have broken D3 with all kinds of weird performance glitches over the past year. It was fine before that.
Those damn unsupervised interns!
I haven't given them money, and won't, until I see the results so I'm not too worried. If I really wanted a copy of the game I could dig out my old discs or torrent new files for them.
My post kind of sounds like I don't have any issues with Blizzard and that isn't true. I just didn't want to digress, but I will here quickly. I have issues with the broken D3 and it makes me shake my head. I have some issues with WoW too, but mostly around some corner cutting designs in more recent expansions.
It isn't just Blizzard either that seems okay with mediocre performance/quality. I have had no small issues with ESOs network and client performance lately. I have insanely long loading screens that often result in my getting kicked back to login. Then, I was doing the anniversary event and crashed to desktop when interacting with it. Frustrating to say the least.
Maybe I'm selling out but everything seems fraught with some issue or another so I just take it as it comes and try and make better choices.
No you're right and I get where you're coming from. I mean... we used to do the same thing with Bioware and EA "It's not EA developing this it's Bioware"... until we couldn't do that any more.
I don't know how hands on or hands off Blizz is with VV in particular when entrusted to rework an iconic Blizz game. I'm not privy to inner corporate workings. I do wonder though why a company that has been under Activision but separate from Blizzard since 2005 was merged into Bizzard this past January. Surely that has to do with the inner reporting mechanisms for D2.
Like I said, some are really excited about this D2 remake (I'm not) so I don't want to rain on their parade (even though I kind of did with my post lol.) I'm just not so sure this is VV still doing their VV thing when at the very least they are now reporting directly to Rod Ferguson (formerly of Gears of War fame and head of the Diablo Franchise as of early 2020) at Blizz.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
The real thing I'm more worried about is them essentially forcing you to take the remaster even if you own the original just like they did with WC3. There's always going to be that group that will never like a remaster regardless how good it is and I'm honestly tired of this 'all-or-nothing' approach companies keep trying to shoehorn. But people's standards continue to plummet so choices get fewer and fewer.
The real thing I'm more worried about is them essentially forcing you to take the remaster even if you own the original just like they did with WC3. There's always going to be that group that will never like a remaster regardless how good it is and I'm honestly tired of this 'all-or-nothing' approach companies keep trying to shoehorn. But people's standards continue to plummet so choices get fewer and fewer.
They've already addressed this. The remaster installs in an entirely different location. Your classic mods and saves are perfectly safe. No one is forced to download a modern client for classic D2, as that was an idiotic thing the old classic team did for WC3:Refunded. Only D2R players need the new client. They each have their own ladders though as D2:Classic won't run on modern BNET.
Anyway, I managed to get into the alpha and it certainly looks great. Load times are a bit slower than I'd like. The underlying game engine is certainly dated but it's probably best that they didn't try to "improve" combat flow and such.
I'm not sure how much testing I'll do though. The game is an instant purchase once I know the top mods will work for non ladder play. I don't expect them to enable the /players command on the ladder and so I'm not really interested in ever returning to ladder without changes.
The biggest thing I miss from mods is the charm inventory space. The image below shows how the inventory can be expanded but only allow charms to work in the bottom rows.
What makes it an instant purchase for you over just playing the classic version? If the game play isn't improved and the engine feels dated and load times are little bit longish, that doesn't inspire me much to be honest.
Because the dated graphics have become a big turnoff
It seems to be getting rave reviews about changing the looks to what is 2021 standard without touching the soul/gameplay to such an extent that players are accepting it as the D2 they remember while looking totally different... that's voodoo!
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
It seems to be getting rave reviews about changing the looks to what is 2021 standard without touching the soul/gameplay to such an extent that players are accepting it as the D2 they remember while looking totally different... that's voodoo!
I think Blizz is doing the right thing aiming to keep the game as true to the original as possible.
Do you even know how dark the original World of Warcraft was suppose to be? Then the notion of stock holders and investors came about and more and more money and so they went beta soyboy approach for the most buck. With blood elves [which still remains the top population under humans on near every server] and bedazzled gemstones and later on giving you your own "unique" thing with legendaries and such.
I don't think you've ever even taken a moment to consider what the major game industry thinks about you lol. You're just chuggin' away on the choo choo train letting the calendar fly by.
It seems to be getting rave reviews about changing the looks to what is 2021 standard without touching the soul/gameplay to such an extent that players are accepting it as the D2 they remember while looking totally different... that's voodoo!
I think Blizz is doing the right thing aiming to keep the game as true to the original as possible.
Do you even know how dark the original World of Warcraft was suppose to be? Then the notion of stock holders and investors came about and more and more money and so they went beta soyboy approach for the most buck. With blood elves [which still remains the top population under humans on near every server] and bedazzled gemstones and later on giving you your own "unique" thing with legendaries and such.
I don't think you've ever even taken a moment to consider what the major game industry thinks about you lol. You're just chuggin' away on the choo choo train letting the calendar fly by.
Considering the fact that WoW is based on the RTS series which was pretty much the Cartoon Network version of Warhammer, even eventually starring emo boy Arthas to please the 15 year old “moody” kids I think it is safe to say ‘not very dark.’ This contrary to the Diablo series actually.
I don’t really know what to make of your second paragraph to be honest, it seems to be making little sense.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
Considering the fact that WoW is based on the RTS series which was pretty much the Cartoon Network version of Warhammer, even eventually starring emo boy Arthas to please the 15 year old “moody” kids I think it is safe to say ‘not very dark.’ This contrary to the Diablo series actually.
I don’t really know what to make of your second paragraph to be honest, it seems to be making little sense.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
You should read up and listen to the original developers' stories then. Hint: you know the demon you shapeshift into in that orc starting area on that blood whatever questline? The orc vs. human fight was suppose to get very dark, brutal, and magical.
They had storylines of literal r*pe and stuff (that would require reading inbetween the lines and such) and rogue assassinations that were meant to be witnessed by the player for the feels. *Cough* Mankirk's wife and the orc...nevermind.
There was a lot of dark meant/wanted in original wow and into TBC. Then wow turned into the emo edgelord fandom that it is now. Zealots on the good feels and edgelords on the bad feels/instigating.
Could you imagine the trash soyboys that are WoW streamers streaming such a game? No? I didn't think so. It's all one big fake plastic unicorn machine.
(I don't know...it just sounded like a good ending lol.)
I don't think you've ever even taken a moment to consider what the major game industry thinks about you lol. You're just chuggin' away on the choo choo train letting the calendar fly by.
I don’t really know what to make of your second paragraph to be honest, it seems to be making little sense.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
Basically I'm telling you they got you by both your pony tails and riding you however and wherever they see fit. They know you need to consume product and they know you willing to swipe instead of doing the work.
You are a literal living and breathing smorgus board for them lol.
This is basically the IT/Tech version of the U.S. military being able to be "selective" during times of crises.
Comments
I don't know how hands on or hands off Blizz is with VV in particular when entrusted to rework an iconic Blizz game. I'm not privy to inner corporate workings. I do wonder though why a company that has been under Activision but separate from Blizzard since 2005 was merged into Bizzard this past January. Surely that has to do with the inner reporting mechanisms for D2.
Like I said, some are really excited about this D2 remake (I'm not) so I don't want to rain on their parade (even though I kind of did with my post lol.) I'm just not so sure this is VV still doing their VV thing when at the very least they are now reporting directly to Rod Ferguson (formerly of Gears of War fame and head of the Diablo Franchise as of early 2020) at Blizz.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/Anyway, I managed to get into the alpha and it certainly looks great. Load times are a bit slower than I'd like. The underlying game engine is certainly dated but it's probably best that they didn't try to "improve" combat flow and such.
I'm not sure how much testing I'll do though. The game is an instant purchase once I know the top mods will work for non ladder play. I don't expect them to enable the /players command on the ladder and so I'm not really interested in ever returning to ladder without changes.
The biggest thing I miss from mods is the charm inventory space. The image below shows how the inventory can be expanded but only allow charms to work in the bottom rows.
Wonder Woman would like to see you in her office. NOW.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
I don’t really know what to make of your second paragraph to be honest, it seems to be making little sense.
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer