Diablo III

[Jomama]

To be released May 15...

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/03/diablo-iii-release-date/

[Jomama]

Free open beta weekend...
http://www.diablofans.com/news/1165-open-beta-weekend/

[Klaus]

Ok for someone that has done zero research on DIII. How does it work? Are there servers or is it 8 player? wtf ;)

[Klaus]

Lame....

Diablo 3 open beta temporarily capped


Diablo 3's open beta stress test has been temporarily capped due to some server stability issues.

"We've temporarily capped Diablo 3 open beta concurrency until we can address some stability issues," Blizzard community manager Bashiok said.
Users can expect Error 37 and login failure when attempting to log in to the Diablo 3 beta. With that being said, if you are seeing Error 3003, click on Options and change your region to "The Americas". Open Beta is limited to U.S. servers only.

"This is a stress test, and issues are expected. You may have trouble logging in due to the sheer number of other people attempting the same," Bashiok warned fans.
He did reassure fans, however, that they will get it sorted out since the test servers are expected to handle a lot more people then they currently have.
The Diablo 3 open beta weekend began today at 12:01 PDT and will be open until Monday, April 23 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. During this time anybody can access the game (once they lift the cap that is). You can learn more about the Diablo 3 open beta weekend here.
Tags: Diablo III, Diablo 3

[Klaus]

They finally let more players in. Game play is smooth and I enjoyed leveling to 7. Nice to play a simple click to attack game for a change. I also like the crafting system. When you pick up magically items your class can't use the blacksmith can break them down and craft them into something your class can use. Fun so far (lvl cap is 14 in the beta). Open Beta ends tomorrow at 10am.

[Eric]

Yeah I really enjoyed it. Got into the beta last week, played to level 10 and stopped (surprise!), but actually I stopped because I know I'm getting it (already got from WoW annual pass) and because it's so good I just want to play the release version.

[Klaus]

I think I made it to level 10 when I beat the skeleton king and it said I beat the beta. I pre-ordered it today on my battle.net account....

[Chadwick]

I actually got kelly to play Diablo II some with me maybe I can get her to play this one!

[Eric]

HA

[Ender]

I will definitely be getting this when it comes out so keep an eye out for my to group up with!

[Klaus]

Note for digital copy people:


If you downloaded the pre-sale client, you should have a folder called "Diablo-III-8370-enUS-Installer" where ever you specified the downloader should put it. Inside that folder is a file called "Diablo III Setup.exe". You just need to double click that file. The installer unlocks on May 14 at 8:01 AM PDT so you'll have 3/4 of a day to get an install issues worked out before the game servers open 16 hours later.

[Ender]

Make sure to read up on the real money AH here: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/services/auction-house/how-to

To use Paypal for receiving payments from selling an item, you need to link your paypal account as a payment option on battle.net. You also have to setup SMS alerts on battle.net if you haven't already.

Blizzard is charging transaction fees when an item sells. For equipment items, a flat fee of $1 is charged, and for trade items the fee is 15%.

After that, if you want the money deposited into your paypal account, a transfer fee of 15% is charged.

So, for example, say you sell a weapon for $20. The fee of $1 is charged by blizzard, leaving $19. Then if you deposit it to paypal, a 15% fee is charged, so you receive $16.15.

The fees are kinda steep, but you still get real money for fake shit without having to use any shady third-party transaction sites. I am sure some 14 yr old kid will steal his parents credit card to buy some badass peice of gear for a bunch of money.

[Klaus]

I logged in this morning and got my toon names. Everything seemed to work fine with no lag etc. I do see that a lot of people are getting "error 37" And are raging on twitter/G+.... lol good read

https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23Diablo3/posts

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XgRLpZiHKYQ/T7IMfuvzFNI/AAAAAAAAR_w/Gh4z13sXkY0/w497-h373/kvzVOk8q.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ygttk7XmzRc/T7INdRWpFwI/AAAAAAAAALk/2MqAbIVoVqE/w497-h373/1.jpg

https://twitpic.com/show/iphone/9l9nxc

[Klaus]

Also, anyone with a Battle.net account can download the "starter edition" Diablo 3 and play the first act for free (just like the beta).

Just login to your account and click download clients.

https://us.battle.net/account/management/index.xml

[Klaus]

So I assume everyone was booted last night at 10:30 or so? I saw 6 friends online when I was booted and got the error 37.... Otherwise, love the game so far. After the skeleton king it does get much harder compared to the demo.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U6PcCiWWLKY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Ender]

Yeah, I was booted on Tues at 10:30 as well. I played a couple of hours last night with no problems though.

Awesome game.

[Klaus]

Joe said last night at Old Chicago they were playing trivia and another team was named "error 37" lol

[Dath]

Old Chicago Apple Valley? I can almost guarantee that part of that team is a couple friends of mine..

[Klaus]

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I43GUnZN_s4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Chadwick]

Great game. Much better for a few beers and turn the brain off type of fun...maybe im too old for the true MMORPGs anymore...

[Klaus]

Definitely a fun click click click have a couple beers game. I like that you can re-spec on the fly and it's pretty easy except for the end of the Act boss fights. I played solo a bit last night and it's harder compared to coop (even with a geared companion). Hell mode I am sure will change this.

[Moradrim]

I'm playing. Have a 33 or 34 mage just starting act 4 and some alts backward through the acts.

Really gets easy when you have hand-me-down gear :)

Great game to turn off your brain and click for a while.

[Klaus]

http://cdn.teamcococdn.com/assets/file-v2/2-4fbc309108741.jpg

http://teamcoco.com/comedy/-diablo-iii-server-errors

[Chadwick]

The witch doctor is a fucking hoot. Betweeen the dogs straight outta avatar, jars of spiders, tossing a bunch-o-frogs, firebats starcraft style, dire bats...haunt....love it...

So, as pointed out by the large gentleman above, it seems the DRM tactics of requiring continuous online authentication are coming to the forfront of discussion finally. It's been around forever but usually it covered only games that were designed solely for online play. I can't recall but is SC2 playable single player without an internet connection? If i recall correctly it was but you wouldn't be able to save progress achievements etc? At least it was possible....

I guess i don't see the point, but at the same time, who does not have a decent internet connection these days? Personally i couldn't care less and i kinda agree with the arguments from the folks who call out the generation of "entitlement gamers". If you don't like the product or it's features, go play something else. Nobody owes you the product you "hoped" for...as Louie CK says, make your own then if you dont like it...

[Klaus]

We found the giant frog that you can shoot out that eats enemies to be cute but annoying after awhile :)


Here are the latest patch notes:

Diablo III - Massive Hotfix List
As reported last night, it looks like Blizzard has been actively hotfixing differnt parts of the game. You can view the full list below

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Below you'll find a list of hotfixes which address various gameplay and service issues affecting Diablo III. Hotfixes are updates we make on our end without requiring you to download a new patch. Some of the hotfixes below will go live the moment they are implemented, while others may require your realm to be restarted to go into effect. Please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch update. We will continue to update this thread in the days ahead as additional hotfixes are applied.
Spoiler Warning: If you have not yet completed Diablo III on Normal, some hotfixes described in this list may include spoilers.

// May 22 //
General
Players will now receive an error message when attempting to remove a gem from an item with no sockets (rather than disconnecting)
Players will now properly have their casting interrupted when attacked while performing resurrect on a fallen group member
Resolved over 30 game and service crashes affecting players
Classes
Demon Hunter
Active Skills
Smoke Screen
Duration reduced from 2 seconds to 1 second (tooltip will still show 2 seconds)
Skill Rune - Lingering Fog
Now increases the duration of Smoke Screen to 1.5 seconds (tooltip will still show 3 seconds)
Monk
Active Skills
Fists of Thunder
Skill Rune - Quickening
Fixed an issue that was causing spirit regeneration to incorrectly trigger off critical hits from other sources, such as Sweeping Wind
Mantra of Healing
Mantra of Healing will now correctly provide only two times the base healing effect for the first 3 seconds after activation, down from four times the base healing effect (tooltip will still show the old value)
Skill Rune - Boon of Protection
A maximum absorption amount has been set to 1000 Life. This skill will be redesigned in an upcoming patch.
Wizard
Active Skills
Arcane Torrent
Skill Rune - Cascade
Fixed an issue that was causing Arcane Torrent to fire 3 new missiles per kill instead of only 1 new missile per kill
Number of new missiles generated from this rune will now cap at 10 missiles
Energy Armor
Skill Rune - Force Armor
Amount of damage absorbed from a single attack will now cap at 100% of a player’s maximum Life
Items
The rare chest in the Town Cellar in Alcanus will now only spawn 50% of the time, down from 100%
Players can no longer dual-wield two-handed weapons
// May 18 //
Classes
Monk
Active Skills
Serenity
Skill Rune - Tranquility
Duration of immunity granted to nearby allies from crowd control effects reduced from 2 seconds to 1 second
Encounters
Players will no longer remain invulnerable to attacks after defeating Diablo.
Players can no longer become stuck during Diablo’s Shadow Grab ability if a player blinds Diablo while Shadow Grab is being cast.
Items
Equipping a shield on a follower as a demon hunter will no longer disconnect you from the game.
Quests
Act I
Players can now always interact with Karyna during the quest and quest step "Trailing the Coven : Talk to Karyna" when they resume from a save.
Act II
The Enchantress will now always appear during the quest and quest step "Shadows in the Desert : Disrupt the Hidden Conclave."
Act IV
Tyrael will now always be present for the in-game cutscene during the quest and quest step "Prime Evil : Climb to the Pinnacle of Heaven in the Silver Spire."

[Ender]

My only complaint about this game so far is that the AH sucks... I expected more from Blizzard since they perfected the AH system through WoW. But, this one for D3 is really bad... on par with SWTOR. There are few search options, which makes it nearly impossible to find anything worthwhile because the AH is flooded with items right now.

When you want to post an item, you want to figure out what similar items are selling for, which is impossible right now. You can't narrow down your search enough to see what buyout you need to undercut. If you sort by buyout, you will either get 46 pages of the highest buyouts, or 46 pages of N/A buyout where they posted the item for bid only.

Also, when you search for commodities, it only gives you an average buyout for the past 10 trades, rather than a list.

I am sure they will improve this, but right now it's barely usable.

One thing that I am noticing, especially with weapons, is that people are putting gems into items with sockets, then posting them. For the weapons, it is always a ruby, which increases the damage and, therefore, the item's listed DPS. I am guessing this is done because when people are searching for items, they are sorting by highest DPS first.

So, if you really want to make a lot of money, find a good rare weapon, socket it with a flawless or perfect ruby, then sell it for like 100k gold. Move the price down from there until you get a buyer.

[Jomama]

Guess I finished Act II last night. Was surprised that it seemed far easier than the final boss of Act I, which Scott and I had to try about 4-5 times before we got the right strat and specs to figure it out. The Act II boss only took me 2 tries, and I had even forgot to hire a companion so it was just me and my personal dead-pet army.. Hope III and IV are more challenging...

[Jomama]

Diablo = Loot pinata.. ;)

[Hauser]

I have a level 20 Demon hunter. Hauserbnet@gmail.com if you want to add me. I haven't played with anyone yet and don't hire companions. Fun game. I have a harder time with elite or champion packs than I do the bosses it seems.

[Ender]

I have a level 20 Demon hunter. Hauserbnet@gmail.com if you want to add me. I haven't played with anyone yet and don't hire companions. Fun game. I have a harder time with elite or champion packs than I do the bosses it seems.

This is normal. Any unique mobs, including bosses, are much easier than the elite or champ packs. The gap between the two gets larger as you progress to high difficulties. Starting in Hell difficulty, the elite and champ packs are VERY difficult.

[Ender]

Here are some comments about the next couple of upcoming patches:http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6018173/Game_Design_Update-5_28_2012#blog

Most notable:

- They will be changing jewelcrafting so you only need to combine 2 gems instead of 3 to upgrade them to the next tier of gem. So, DO NOT upgrade your gems yet until they change this... you will just be wasting gems.
- They will be making blacksmithing cheaper, so don't upgrade him at all until they do or you will be wasting gold.
- If you get past hell difficulty before patch 1.0.3, you might as well just save yourself some headache and stop right there with that character. It sounds like they will be doing some balancing to inferno difficulty in that patch so the damage isnt so spikey. Right now, people are getting 1 or 2 shot by elite and champ packs.

[Ender]

I have quite a few extra rare items in my stash and can hook anyone up if they need stuff. Most of my extra items are dex armor pieces or various weapons. I sold most of my lower level int items that I used on my Wizard in the past, and my strength items I am hanging onto for my Barb, but will be able to hand those down as he replaces them.

I bought all of my stash space and it is almost full already. :(

[Klaus]

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PEyk63UaBI4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Naya]

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OlGDkswzh7M#t=232s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Klaus]

Fixed for you. To Embed all you do is paste in the html with no tags....

[Ender]

lol, yeah someone posted that video of the kid running from the birds in the Wizard forums a couple days ago. Funny shit... and a very good depiction of D3 inferno (from what I hear, not there yet).

[Naya]

This is how I feel when I actually find an upgrade that drops (instead of buying it from the AH):

http://i.imgur.com/q6Fgi.gif

I've known this feeling only a few times since starting Hell. (We finished it over the weekend, Inferno is a bitch).

[Naya]

Btw, did I mention Inferno is a bitch? As in die-six-times-to-a-champion-pack-before-skipping-them frustrating.

[Ender]

Here is a preview of the upcoming 1.0.3 patch: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6262208/Patch_103_Design_Preview-6_6_2012

The crafting cost changes are MAJOR. Again, DO NOT do anything with crafting until this patch comes out. The patch will severely reduce the costs of crafting. Right now, it is very cost prohibitive.

I want a fucking refund for the 50-100k gold that I probably spent on combining gems, not to mention wasting gems.

[Ender]

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5814311399?page=1

This is too funny, LOL.

[Moradrim]

I'm still having fun :)

I have altitis in these games though, I have a mix of toons on nightmare and still on normal.

Eventually I'll get to have fun like that video above :D

[Eric]

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5814311399?page=1

This is too funny, LOL.

Hauser is OP! ;)

[Klaus]

Resurrecting this old thread. Picked this up on Xbox One a couple weeks ago and I have enjoyed playing through the campaign as I sit on the couch...

Luke - Can you tell me with all the expansions installed what is the end game in Diablo 3? What is adventure mode etc? I see you guys playing all the time so I assume the game doesn't just end.

[Ender]

The end game is really just finding different gear and improving stats on gear.

Adventure mode allows you to do Bounties, which are like quests, without having to go through any of the story cuts. Also, you can do Rifts, which are timed random dungeons that have a greater chance of legendary drops. Greater Rifts also give legendary gems, which are very powerful and can be leveled up by doing higher levels of Greater Rifts. So, once you have gone through the campaign once, there is really no reason to go back to it and Adventure mode offers an alternative way of playing.

I haven't played the console versions so I don't know if there are any major differences from the PC version.

[Klaus]

Thanks that helps explain it. The console version is pretty much the same but some of the stuff is streamlined like unlimited health potions. No need to purchase them which is nice.

[Ender]

Thanks that helps explain it. The console version is pretty much the same but some of the stuff is streamlined like unlimited health potions. No need to purchase them which is nice.

They actually changed this somewhat recently on the PC version. You did need to buy them or pick them up in the past though, unless you had one of the bottomless legendary potions. It was a nice change, because once you got one of the bottomless potions, health potions became a totally unnecessary part of the game.

[Klaus]

Patch notes:

Greetings, nephalem!

Patch 2.4.0 is now live for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

This patch includes a variety of item and content updates, including (but not limited to):

New Zone: Greyhollow Island

The mysterious forested locale of Greyhollow Island is now open for exploration! Inhabited by new enemies and steeped in intrigue, brave the wilds and unravel the enigma behind the isle's mysterious inhabitants. Be forewarned, however; the land itself is hungry for blood.

To learn more about Greyhollow Island, click here (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/19987607/).

Expanded Areas: The Eternal Woods & Leoric's Manor

The Sanctuary you know grows larger. Two existing zones are receiving new, fully explorable additions, featuring new bounties and events. Survive the hunting grounds of the fierce yeti in the Eternal Woods, a new branch of The Ruins of Sescheron zone. Leoric's Manor becomes a bit grander beyond the collapsed stairwell in Act I, opening up the Royal Quarters for curious treasure hunters.

New Feature: Set Dungeons

Test your mettle against one of twenty-four custom designed set dungeons! Each dungeon features a pre-generated, static course designed entirely around a specific class set. Don all six pieces of your chosen set and visit Leoric's Library to obtain a clue on where these hidden trials are located. Hunt down your dungeon of choice and master it to unlock exclusive cosmetic rewards for one, more, or for the truly dedicated, all of these challenges!

New Feature: Empowered Rifts

Spend your gold to empower a Greater Rift, granting a fourth opportunity to upgrade a Legendary Gem. Gold costs vary based on the tier of Greater Rift level attempted, and bonus upgrades are granted only to those who successfully complete the rift, so spend wisely!

General


[*=left]Players may now purchase additional stash space, up to 350 slots total
[*=left]At level 70, +% Bonus Experience is reduced to 10% effectiveness
[*=left]Death's Breath now has a unique item color and have a beam effect for increased visibility



Item Updates


[*=left]Several existing sets have received power redesigns or significant updates

[*=left]Redesigned Sets

[*=left]The Legacy of Raekor
[*=left]Thorns of the Invoker
[*=left]The Shadow's Mantle
[*=left]Monkey King's Garb
[*=left]Delsere's Magnum Opus
[*=left]Tal Rasha's Elements


[*=left]Updated Sets

[*=left]Might of the Earth
[*=left]Armor of Akkhan
[*=left]Roland's Legacy
[*=left]Embodiment of the Marauder
[*=left]Natalya's Vengeance
[*=left]Unhallowed Essence
[*=left]Inna's Mantra
[*=left]Raiment of the Jade Harvester
[*=left]Spirit of Arachyr
[*=left]Firebird's Finery



[*=left]Added new Legendary items
[*=left]A number of existing Legendary items have also been redesigned

[*=left]Old versions of these Legendary items found previous to this patch will notbe automatically updated with redesigned powers, and will need to be found again to benefit from these changes.




Skill Updates


[*=left]Taunt now causes monsters to consistently attack you
[*=left]All classes have received several skill updates



Nephalem Rift Updates


[*=left]Medium and Large versions of most cave maps can no longer appear in Greater Rifts
[*=left]Density has been increased in many cave maps
[*=left]The amount of progression granted by progress orbs in Nephalem and Greater Rifts has been increased
[*=left]The number of progression orbs dropped by Rare monsters has been increased from 3 to 4
[*=left]The total amount of progress required to complete a rift has been increased
[*=left]Several new tile sets based on the new zones introduced in Patch 2.3.0 and 2.4.0 have been added for Nephalem Rifts
[*=left]New snow and forest themed monster population types have been added for Nephalem Rifts
[*=left]Some Pylons have been slightly tweaked for balance



Adventure Mode Updates


[*=left]A new recipe has been added to Kanai's Cube
[*=left]An arrow will now indicate the location of the Keywarden if you are in a zone where one is present
[*=left]The names and descriptions of the Keywardens and the items they drop have been changed to correspond to the respective realms their machines open and the organs dropped in those realms
[*=left]Bandit Shrines now have a unique appearance



Monsters


[*=left]Experience granted by all monsters at level 70 has been increased
[*=left]Monster health has been reduced in solo, 2, and 3-player Greater Rifts
[*=left]Elites in Set Dungeons can now occasionally drop pieces of Set Dungeon lore
[*=left]The tactics and animations of several enemies have been retuned
[*=left]The tactics and animations of several Rift Guardians have been retuned
[*=left]Rift Guardians will now teleport to a player if there is a very long walking distance between them
[*=left]Starting at Torment VII, Rift Guardians now drop a guaranteed Forgotten Soul and have a chance, increased by difficulty level, to drop a second Forgotten Soul



User Interface


[*=left]The user interface has received several quality of life updates

[*=left]Skill buttons with active skills now glow
[*=left]Skill buttons with time-limited buffs now show a timer bar
[*=left]Skill buttons with stacked buffs now show the stack count in green
[*=left]Revenge now plays an effect on the skill button when it is ready
[*=left]A second row has been added to the buff bar for each player with space for up to 14 total buff icons


[*=left]Very large floating numbers will now be abbreviated

[*=left]An option has been added to disable this abbreviation


[*=left]An effect has been added to the XP bar when players gain or lose bonus experience from Pools of Reflection



May all your adventures fare well, heroes. The armies of hell await you in the depths of Sanctuary and your bravery alone is all that holds them at bay.

To update your game, please make sure you are signed in to either your PlayStation Network or Xbox Live account. PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold subscriptions are not required to access this newest update.

[Klaus]

Finished the story this weekend at about level 50. Checked out the "bounties" and "boss kills" that became available on the map. Pretty cool little quests to do for really good gear rewards. Then I tried the standard rifts. Basically a dungeon that you do with a counter on the screen for number of kills - when the number of kills goal is reached the rift guardian spawns. I successfully did two rifts - one was easy one was pretty hard (tons of adds during the boss). Now I need to figure out how to open up the Greater Rifts... It looks like a currency drops in the normal rifts that is used to do greater rifts.... Not sure if you need to be max level to open the greater rifts.

433

[Klaus]

Tried an Online game last night. Went really well. Joined a quick match, got paired with another guy already in a rift. I teleported to him and we finished the rift together. He was lvl 56 and I was lvl 51 so it brought my level up to 56 just for the rift. Cool thing was all the gear I won was level 56 and I got to keep it after I left the game.

434

[Klaus]

Finally hit 70 a couple days ago and started the end game stuff. I still have no idea how to craft gems and such but I started the higher rifts and got a key to a greater rift. I did a couple more rifts but no additional keys dropped.... I guess they aren't guaranteed to drop which is annoying.

From what I have read the bounties are where you get the set pieces and rifts are for gems? I replace gear so quickly that I don't know if it's worth gemming anything.