Diablo III refund.

I generally think that the randomly generated loot is fine, there are a lot of interesting modifiers (at least at the higher difficulties) although some could stand to be rebalanced. But I agree that it's the legendary/set items that I've really missed, they had a lot of flavor, and they need to be much more present in D3.

I can't even complain about legendaries being weak, because I've never even found one in the game. I'm guessing that they will drop more in inferno, but most people will never get to inferno. It's much more fun to find an item with a unique and flavorful name, graphic, and power set, then to find some random pile of stats with a randomly generated name that makes no sense.

I got my first legendary in normal difficulty *shrugs*

I bet that the drop rates will "magically" increase x-fold once the RMAH is in full swing. It should be worthy of stocking up on popcorn to hear their reasoning for the sudden increase in drops, too. Like "oops looks we messed up on a couple of decimal dots there". Or are they going to pretend innocence like "what increased drop rates?". If they do respond at all then it should be a good show…
But in true disappointing fashion they'll probably just stealth-ninja-patch it over night and keep silent. Anything else would be too embarrassing. It's usually always better to just shut up when things are a little bit too obvious to be a coincidence .

Originally Posted by Moriendor
I bet that the drop rates will "magically" increase x-fold once the RMAH is in full swing. It should be worthy of stocking up on popcorn to hear their reasoning for the sudden increase in drops, too. Like "oops looks we messed up on a couple of decimal dots there". Or are they going to pretend innocence like "what increased drop rates?". If they do respond at all then it should be a good show…
But in true disappointing fashion they'll probably just stealth-ninja-patch it over night and keep silent. Anything else would be too embarrassing. It's usually always better to just shut up when things are a little bit too obvious to be a coincidence .

Don't you mean the other way around? Rates should lower, then the existing items in the pool would become more valuable and RMAH would be the only way to get hold of them realistically

I don't think that's going to happen. Even if I shared your paranoia about Blizzard's motivations, which I don't, upping the drop rates on Legendaries wouldn't do what you think it would for the RMAH. Legendaries are, to the best of my knowledge, not usually exciting items to find. The items that are in high demand tend to be randomly generated rares.

At some point though, once legendaries are better implemented, I suspect that they will up the drop rate, just because finding legendaries is fun and it needs to happen more often then it currently does.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
I bet that the drop rates will "magically" increase x-fold once the RMAH is in full swing. It should be worthy of stocking up on popcorn to hear their reasoning for the sudden increase in drops, too. Like "oops looks we messed up on a couple of decimal dots there". Or are they going to pretend innocence like "what increased drop rates?". If they do respond at all then it should be a good show…
But in true disappointing fashion they'll probably just stealth-ninja-patch it over night and keep silent. Anything else would be too embarrassing. It's usually always better to just shut up when things are a little bit too obvious to be a coincidence .

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
But why are you assuming people don't have qualifications? People don't always have the disposition or capacity to express their reasons - but they tend to have them all the same. They may not be reasons you agree with - but they're usually there.

Because, as the reader, I shouldn't have to infer what the writer is thinking. It's the writer's job to explain themselves, not the reader's job to guess at where their coming from. Especially if you're a game reviewer. You know that as well as I do.

As for forums like these, they're a place for an exchange of ideas, not to post unsubstantiated feelings as if they were fact. If you want to post about how you feel, start a Facebook account and friend some folks that may actually care about your feelings. Post here when you're ready to make a good case and have a good argument. :-)

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Problem with Blizzard is that they don't have any visionary designers.

[snip]

Long-term and "brilliant" gameplay is not something you stumble upon during iterative testing. That's something you need a person (or persons) with a vision for.

Not sure I'd go so far as to say they don't have any vision. I think many aspects of the game are quite inspired. But I'll agree that it seems they fell prey to their own iterative mantra with the item system, got too focused on power curves and lost sight of what made it fun.

Originally Posted by chamr
Because, as the reader, I shouldn't have to infer what the writer is thinking. It's the writer's job to explain themselves, not the reader's job to guess at where their coming from. Especially if you're a game reviewer. You know that as well as I do.

It's not the writer's job to do anything at all - because he's not being paid. We're not talking about game reviewers - we're talking about people speaking their minds. They're not obligated to make you understand - what a silly suggestion.

As for forums like these, they're a place for an exchange of ideas, not to post unsubstantiated feelings as if they were fact. If you want to post about how you feel, start a Facebook account and friend some folks that may actually care about your feelings. Post here when you're ready to make a good case and have a good argument. :-)

Just as you don't get to decide what's acceptable for a game, you don't get to decide what this place is for.

I doubt you will be taken seriously, as you seem to be telling people what they should and shouldn't do. I find that exceedingly arrogant and something I would never support.

Not sure I'd go so far as to say they don't have any vision. I think many aspects of the game are quite inspired. But I'll agree that it seems they fell prey to their own iterative mantra with the item system, got too focused on power curves and lost sight of what made it fun.

Well, I'm a harsh critic - and it might have been unfair to say they have no vision at all. It's just that I think they're very narrow in what they're good at - but they ARE good at that. Only, they're not getting better as the years pass - they're getting worse.

Like so many people with an abundance of success, they're growing complacent - and they think they have this whole game design thing "down". But game design is not about blueprints or getting it down. If you want to create amazing games, you have to evolve yourself - which is not something you can systematize. It takes genuine drive and passion. I'm not seeing much of that in the modern Blizzard.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
It's not the writer's job to do anything at all - because he's not being paid. We're not talking about game reviewers - we're talking about people speaking their minds. They're not obligated to make you understand - what a silly suggestion.

I don't know what you're talking about, but since I started this line of conversation, we are talking about game reviewers. If you'll reread the thread, you'll see I use the GB review as my primary example.

And of course it's the writer's obligation to attempt to make the reader understand, paid or not. That's fundamental to writing, especially if you're posting on a public forum trying to make a point to hundreds of readers. If you don't attempt to make your point well enough that the reader can understand then you're wasting hundreds of people's time. Go to Facebook and put something on your wall instead where only your "friends" will waste their time reading it.

If you're suggesting that these forums are best served being so open as to become a dumping ground for any and all baseless conjecture and exhibitionist gut-spilling, I'd ask who's being silly now? I'd prefer The Watch not become just like the many useless fan forums that are 90% filler, BS and sad attempts at attention-getting, thank you.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Just as you don't get to decide what's acceptable for a game, you don't get to decide what this place is for.

I doubt you will be taken seriously, as you seem to be telling people what they should and shouldn't do. I find that exceedingly arrogant and something I would never support.

To each his own.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
But game design is not about blueprints or getting it down. If you want to create amazing games, you have to evolve yourself - which is not something you can systematize. It takes genuine drive and passion.

True dat.

Originally Posted by chamr
I don't know what you're talking about, but since I started this line of conversation, we are talking about game reviewers. If you'll reread the thread, you'll see I use the GB review as my primary example.

You may have had a primary example, but I must have missed this being specifically about professional reviews.

And of course it's the writer's obligation to attempt to make the reader understand, paid or not. That's fundamental to writing, especially if you're posting on a public forum trying to make a point to hundreds of readers. If you don't attempt to make your point well enough that the reader can understand then you're wasting hundreds of people's time. Go to Facebook and put something on your wall instead where only your "friends" will waste their time reading it.

I don't think of it as an obligation, but I agree that it's hard to communicate if both parties aren't doing what they can to reach an understanding. But the "obligation" is shared - in my view.

But I don't think it's a waste of time to speak your mind without necessarily going into detail - and I consider it futile to try and make everyone understand - because there are so many people who're unwilling to understand by default.

Also, any conversation or communication doesn't have to end with the first words. Explanations can be sought - and if one is truly interested in understanding, it's as much an obligation to ask as it is to provide answers.

If you're suggesting that these forums are best served being so open as to become a dumping ground for any and all baseless conjecture and exhibitionist gut-spilling, I'd ask who's being silly now? I'd prefer The Watch not become just like the many useless fan forums that are 90% filler, BS and sad attempts at attention-getting, thank you.

I'm not the one talking about what this place should be, that's on you. I'd like it to represent the people writing - and I don't particularly enjoy telling them what they should or shouldn't do. I tend to just not participate when I don't enjoy it, as I like to let people be who they are.

Originally Posted by chamr
As for forums like these, they're a place for an exchange of ideas, not to post unsubstantiated feelings as if they were fact. If you want to post about how you feel, start a Facebook account and friend some folks that may actually care about your feelings. Post here when you're ready to make a good case and have a good argument. :-)

Oh for christs' sake. You're so full of it I don't know how you can even breathe!

I've hi-lighted your nonsense in bold. Take a look at it and the BS you've posted in this thread and ask yourself if you should take your own advice.

Originally Posted by Merlock
Oh for christs' sake. You're so full of it I don't know how you can even breathe!

I've hi-lighted your nonsense in bold. Take a look at it and the BS you've posted in this thread and ask yourself if you should take your own advice.

About time someone said what I have been thinking for the last two pages. This is why I don't get serious and tend to joke around instead.

I agree with DArtagnan with his comment he sums it up perfectly-

Just as you don't get to decide what's acceptable for a game, you don't get to decide what this place is for.

I doubt you will be taken seriously, as you seem to be telling people what they should and shouldn't do. I find that exceedingly arrogant and something I would never support.

As for Diablo III I haven't bought it and never will but it's great Blizzard offers refunds to disappointed players.

Well I normally try to ignore it, but sometimes I can't help myself and I have to say something.

I havent played in 2 weeks. Decide to fire it up to give it another chance and…the servers are down until 1 pm Pacific time. I'm done. I've uninstalled it and will give the game away.

I'm amazed that Blizzard is still having those kind of server issues more than a month after release.

It wasn't a server issue. It was deployment of patch 1.0.3. Icefire just happened to choose a bad time to fire the game up. They usually do planned maintenance like patch deploys in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Pacific time.

Maybe a stupid question, but why does the server have to come down just for them to deploy a patch?

The same reason you can't be playing a game while applying a patch to it.

I guess what I'm trying to uderstand is.. Why can't they just upload the patch and then have the user's game updated when they log on, like the way Steam does it? Why would the entire server have to be down for a matter of hours?

*Edit* Er… nevermind. I was forgetting the fact that the majority of the game's files are on their server in this situation.

Yup

They also have a gigantic database infrastructure to support the zillions of items - and they will have to be updated for this patch.

Of course, they don't bother to insure availability by having tandem servers, so they can switch between active and inactive seamlessly when they patch or do other maintenance. You'd think after all these years of experience with WoW, and their mega millions, they could implement that basic availability capability on redundant/backup servers. Something is rotten in Den er… Irvine.