Diablo 3 - Forum Tidbits @ GameBanshee

GameBanshee has been keeping a close eye on the Diablo 3 forums, putting together a post with nice snippets of info. Here's a sample on loot:

Currently - while in a party each player will see their own drops from each kill.

This could mean that after killing a zombie I see a sword drop, and you may see a shoulder slot item drop. Or I see nothing drop, while you got an axe.

Obviously while in a group you're killing faster, and this could translate to an exponentially increasing number of drops with each additional player in your party. However, it's balanced in such a way that the drop % is pulled back a bit with each additional player (I'm simplifying it, but that's what it boils down to). This keeps it from being almost detrimental to not play with a full party, while still giving a nice increase to the amount of drops if you do.

From this system it seems quite a few people got the impression that you'll never see items drop that you can't use. For instance, a Barbarian will never see a dagger that only a Witch Doctor can use. This isn't true. There is no effect, or at least no currently intended effect, to restrict which items which classes can or can't see for their respective drops. It's still intended that you could see an item that your class can't use. It's easy enough to drop the item, ask if anyone can use it, or just sell it off of course.

More information.

It is enough to keep me interested.
Started D2 a week ago and for the first time ever actually it got me really hooked.
I am surely interested in D3.
The globes seems weird because they remind me at games as god of war but on the other way, this could be a real improvent to the potion swallowing contest that diablo is too

Originally Posted by titus
The globes seems weird because they remind me at games as god of war but on the other way, this could be a real improvent to the potion swallowing contest that diablo is too

Some Blizzard devs said that they're fans of God of War, and that they're trying to make the combat as visceral as that in GoW.

I always thought the experience orbs in Fable were a good idea. I can see health orbs in D3 being a better idea. Potion hoarding needs to evolve.

Replayed both Diablo and Diablo2 after the annoucement of Diablo3. I have to agree also the potion hoarding got tiresome.

Dying with a full 4-row belt of potions and placing them all back in the belt again was a chore I could have lived without. That's the kind of micromanagement that could be substituted with some other form of gameplay be it health globes or something totally new.

On the side of potions, they still exist, but they're likely to be on a cooldown of some type. They'll also likely restore health based on a percentage that's relative to your character. They may heal an instant amount, they may be the old over time type system. They're probably going to be filling an emergency-heal role more than anything though.

I don't see the health globes ruining the game, since I guess players will find themselves once again sipping potions in boss battles / on harder difficulties. It doesn't sound like there's practically much difference between touching a health globe or just picking a potion from the ground and drinking it.