Diablo 3

Okay so Blizzard announced Diablo 3. I must say even though I said I'd be happy ether way I'm not as excited about it as I would have been previously. Now don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of the Diablo series. I remember playing the original Diablo on an overclocked (bear with me now) 486 DX2. I know, it's painful to read. I was also in the Diablo 2 beta along with a friend of mine. I own not one, not two, but three copies of Diablo 2 which I used to run on three separate machines at the house for myself and my friends.

Diablo is a solid series with rich lore and colorful characters. If anything it has continuity, you meet and even save one of the original characters from Diablo 1 in Diablo 2. Deckard of course. Honestly I am going to buy Diablo 3 because it looks good. The engine seems to be near to being finished if not finished already, I think they just need time to write the campaign and all that.

My point is that I would be much happier with an MMO announcement coupled with something akin to the 'station pass' that Sony has. Until then, I cheer for thee Starcraft Online!

WWI Predictions

So people are all about speculation where the Blizzard World Wide invitational is concerned. My money is on Starcraft Online. What's with the ice? I don't know maybe it's a 'blizzard' thing? I think the stars-and-eyes theme says a lot.

If not starcraft online, I must submit to the common fever of Diablo 3. Ether way I'll be happy!

Diablo MMO?

I had thought I touched on the subject previously but apparently I did not. A Diablo-based MMO? Well I can see it but there are several reasons why it wouldn't be as viable an option in its current state.

Factions: Currently there aren't really any factions in the Diablo Universe. The game is solely good versus evil. That would make a one-sided MMO which, in my opinion, would be counterproductive. Look at World of Warcraft, Alliance against the Horde. Humans against Orcs. That makes for a good conflict, what would PvP or hostilities be like in a Diablo MMO? Arenas. It would be a Massively Single Player game in it's current state.

Races: None. You are a human and that is it. I could see a half-demon half-human race springing up from years of raping and pillaging on the demonic side but in the current lore there is only one side that is playable. That eliminiates one form of customization.

Classes: Well the classes are defined and truely the Diablo 2 talent trees gave rise to World of Warcraft. I think of WoW as a hybrid between Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2. Barbarian, Sorcerer, Necromancer, Druid, Assassin, Amazon, and Paladin. Those classes would work but they're already defined (mostly) in WoW. Warrior=Barbarian, Sorcerer=Mage, Druid=Druid, Necromancer=Deathknight, Amazon=Hunter, Paladin=Paladin, Assassin=Rogue.

The World: The Diablo universe has not been fully defined. You have no world, no continents just cities (unless I missed something, which is possible). Without a larger world there is no MMO, there is just a Massively Single Player game.

Making a Diablo MMO would turn the world upside down in its current form. Expect Diablo 3 first, and if Diablo 3 changes the lore or updates it in a large way then expect a Diablo MMO soon after. Like I said it isn't that it's not possible it's just not feasable without a few changes.