Richards Comments about Making people work for the info

The wiki's can still get their customers, because cluebooks don't have to tell you how to maximize your character's skills/stats. Go to a wiki for stuff like that. However a cluebook that you can access in game could have its advantages depending upon how they integrate it.

EDIT: It wouldn't have to cost too much. We will probably spend more money on the "prosperity" items in the long run than we do on the cluebook.

 

Another thought -

If you don't want people making wikis on all of your quests. Add elements of randomness to them. Locations can be randomized, dialogue that needs to be spoken to the NPCs can be randomized.

End of wiki problem - while keeping the questlog out.

 

Yes, however you have to make it completely random. Adding a few randomized spots merely slows them down. The problem with completely random locations for things is that you have more work to test; either in your level design, or in your algorithm, or (more likely) both.

For one of the scene jams, I created a version of Mastermind using four levers. The solution is completely solvable with logic, but you can also hide clues in the level. The idea is that the combination can be randomized for each person, and a wiki isn't going to give you the answer. At best, it'll give you strategies on how to solve, but you still have to do the work.

 

Random spots on the overhead map wouldn't be tough. In the level though, that is probably impossible at this point in development.

Major concern with this of course, is ensureing the story stays in it's category. IE mountains north of xyz. Dragons of abc, etc. Should be plenty ways to wrap a story though that allows random locations.

It would simply have to be addressed early in the quest development cycle of the product.

What to do about loot drop?

Maybe give loot for the journey, not for the kill? That would throw a loop in the wikis. - much easier to do in pen-and-paper games though.

 

Nope, he plans nothing of the sort. In fact, he touches on this very subject here: Richard Garriott interview

 

I also like the idea of a completely configurable in game map and hud system. But what i would love to take advantage of is the option to have my map and other functions up on a second monitor. This could help remove on screen clutter on your primary monitor.

 

This is one of the best ideas that I have heard in a long time.

 

Yea, good point. I could see the fun aspect in over time fine tuning a build and gearing up. I guess I just never had the patience to get that far. As soon as I saw the pattern I was no longer entertained. I am sort of curious how the changes will affect things, getting rid of the cash shop.

 

I think it will allow you to complete the game on the hardest levels by your skill and determination alone. Currently some clases can't even beat Diablo in Inferno with just items they've found alone. The game was set to make the AH/RMAH a nessesity but with that gone the loot tables will be adjusted so that it will be on-par with other ARPGs like TorchLight and TitanQuest...it will make the game better for people who want to play to win.

My thoughts on it anyways.

 

That's interesting. I recall playing it and only going with drops and finding the combat to get pretty difficult very quickly on my barbarian. But I hadn't bought anything off the auction with either gold or RL cash. I tried it again recently out of curiosity and found for a couple dollars I could replace my weapon and armor with rare items that were WAY better. Very cheap! After doing that and running around a bit, I was easily wiping everything out around me So it does seem like its either difficult with drops alone or almost too easy if you spend a few bucks in the store. Of course, they're not closing out the shop until March of next year. So I would think people would stock up like crazy before then. By the time they actually shut it down everyone will have rare gear. Unless you're thinking people will re-roll from the start to experience the new loot tables.

 

Beat me to it.

Yeah I have all the clue books for the Ultima Series of games...but I bought them long after the games themselves came out. I wanted to find out what I missed.
I usually played as a completionist looking into every corner of every map, but along the way my available time became more scarce. I may buy a clue book for a game nowwhen I get the game, but I still wait till later after I have completed the game once to really use it... Skyrim comes to mind.

The Multi-Monitor concpet just kind of hit me, it would be nice to put a full size map into a second screen or mobile device while I game, watching it update as I go along is kindof fun....so a popout map is on my wish list

 

You must not have been playing D3 past the easy level

 

It was that interview that prompted this thread

 

I played on whatever the default was. As I said, I really didn't find it enjoyable enough to go very far. The repetitive mindlessness of it just didn't do it for me

 

lol what? Well if thats the case the OP didn't listen very well! He said that he doesn't want to go back that far and that he know players wouldn't want that. He mentioned something about an in-game adventure log of sorts; one that you could use to revisit old conversations and find the quest data you're looking for.

 

I did listen well, I perhaps did not comprehend all that he intended. He mentioned the log, but made it sound like it would be less than useful, perhaps he downplayed it too much and as for the map, I didnt see/hear anything substantive on the issue.

 

They are going to re-do the drop system making current gear obsolete, the new system will drop class specific gear and you'll be able to re-roll the stats at a new vendor in town.
Everyone is going to do it differently, but I'm going to start over. My only current character is a low level HC demon hunter...he won't be around for the change.

I never liked the AH concept for this type of game where traditionaly the genre has been a loot fest, that's part of the draw...Blizz intentionally gimping the drops to make the AH a nessesity was kind of messed up as far as I am concerned. I'm glad they are un-doing this because D3 is a great game and really the best of it's kind, now it can be what it was supposed to be.
I apreciate the AH in other games like WoW, SWtOR and EQ2, but those games don't make it mandatory in order to progress.

 

March 2014 is quite a long ways off though. I'm sort of surprised they're waiting that long (esp considering that its been a bit since they annouced it) to do it. Seems by then most people might lose any remaining interest they had for the game. There's the initial release hype and following from that, but to announce this "fix" and yet push it out to March 2014? I just think people will have moved on to something else by then and forgotten about the game completely.

 

March is the new expansion, Reaper of souls... I played D3 a lot over a year ago. And I agree.. the gear was the worst part of the game, the rest of it was good... I still miss the diablo 2 stat/skill system, this new one does have advantages though. Looks like I'll be certainly be re-playing it when the expansion comes out... Looks like it took an expansion to fix the game... seems to happen a lot with big publishers anymore. I expected better from blizzard, huge company with focus on just a few quality games... Starcraft 2 on the other hand, I think was excellent.. top notch.. D3 just got botched. Makes me wonder about their designer (Jay wilson) that I understand was picked up from some other company(relic) that made D3... I know that after they moved him off D3 a lot of things got changed for the better in it. The screenshots from 2008 Diablo 3 looked really cool. Kind of sad we didn't get that style.

 

Ill have a hard time giving up my already established characters but I didn't finish the final insane level with any of them yet so...I may just keep them...if I find time to go back to D3 that is.