BlizzCon Coverage

Female Monk Update

February 8, 2010 11:14PM by Zhar
Well, there's no questions about it now; the Jace Hall Show did have the inside scoop concerning the female monk. The official Diablo III website has just been updated with two new pieces of artwork, and a 3D render of the female monk.

Bashiok was quick to update us on the official forums.

Official Blizzard Quote:



The monk class page has been updated with all-new art and the in-game model of the female monk. The monk class was announced at BlizzCon, but only the male version was shown at the time. The female option is now revealed on the monk class page.

Pictured to the right, is one of the two new pieces of artwork for the female monk. The second, is similar to the image we were salivating over several days ago, in the sense that it is a standing pose showing off the armored version of the monk.

Both images, as well as the 3D render, showcase the same armor style as the male monk (as would be expected), and personally, I think it flows very nicely with the current art style. It's simple, yet has a splash of color that will provide some extra eye candy in game. Something else I noticed that was similar between the two genders, was the beads they wear around their necks. Nothing has been said about it thus far, but perhaps background lore about the monks order will be tied into them in the near future.

On a sidenote, it seems that the pixie haircut is here to stay. I'm sure we'll warm up to it once we start eviscerating monsters in style, no other character got a haircut that rad.


(Also, props to Seniri and Shatterer for bringing this to our attention)

Comments (4)

Back to Hellfire with Diablo II

February 8, 2010 4:04PM by Seth


From The Hell with Diablo I we now move to Diablo II, but not without a look back to the basics of the franchise. Back to Hellfire, a mod for Diablo II that harkens back to the quests of its predecessor. Onyx, a top-cat at the Phrozen Keep and creator of Back to Hellfire, spared a few words for DiabloFans on his inspirations, the future of the mod, and his viewpoints on the two installments, Diablo I and Diablo II.

Back to Hellfire features a significant holdout from Diablo I: spell books. Whereas in Diablo II players advanced through diverse DiabloWiki.com - skill treesskill trees to obtain spells and abilities, Diablo I was much simpler. Spell books were obtained from stands other places, and then were right-clicked and added to a player's spell list; however, in Back to Hellfire there is a twist.

In keeping with the random spirit of the Diablo franchise, Onyx "didn't provide any way to get books in Back to Hellfire, aside from random monster drops." Though the complaints have rolled in, Onyx claims that this system requires a superior amount of skill later in the game, as opposed to regular Diablo II, and challenges the lazy and uncalculating to "beat the game with what you have, without planning the build in advance." The 105 individual skills spread over seven new character classes ensure that skill planning is an integral part of the Back to Hellfire experience.

The regression to spell books was personal taste, however. When asked if he believed Blizzard North lost a major element of the Diablo franchise when they did away with spell books and embraced skill trees in Diablo II, Onyx replied:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Onyx
No. Creating the so-called character builds draws more player attention then randomized books. My opinion on this is one thing, but Blizzard need to sell. So they do what's best for the franchise. Actually, getting to plan your skills from the start is the core element of the Diablo games, it just wasn't executed as good in Diablo 1, where you had to constantly reroll Adria's items in order to get the books you needed.
Back to Hellfire also feeds on the fear of the dark and mysterious, as Diablo II's predecessor did. Before Onyx began work on Back to Hellfire, he had beaten Diablo II a number of times but, when he first played the original, found a bit of the old lost in the new:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Interview
[...] after I completed Diablo II several times, I decided to check the first game. This is when I saw the difference. Diablo II simply lacks the atmosphere in most places, especially the overground areas. I have never been scared when I play D2, but I will never forget how I jumped out of my chair the first time I opened the Butcher's room in Diablo I. This is the core difference between the two games.

When work began on Back to Hellfire, Onyx wanted "to recreate the general feel of the first game." He did so to great acclaim, and the screenshots speak for themselves; however, this is a game you need to play to feel. Onyx did not toot his own horn when he told us that he "[...] did that quite well."


However, Onyx did not have only accolades for Diablo's roots, namely DiabloWiki.com - HellfireHellfire, the expansion by DiabloWiki.com - Sierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment that he derived his mod's name from:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Interview
DiabloFans: Blizzard has denied Hellfire as official game canon numerous times in the past, especially with the dawn of the Monk class in Diablo III, a character that shares a name with that of Hellfire. Do you believe there are things which Hellfire did that the development team for Diablo III could learn from?

onyx: The way Hellfire was created was wrong from the start. Sierra developed the expansion, but it wasn't supported on the Blizzard realms and Blizzard kept patching the original game, while the expansion was left behind. So it's only natural that Hellfire isn't considered cannon and it has many flaws. But, on the other hand, it offered 2 new sets of dungeons with numerous new monsters and items - that's what matters to me. More entertainment, more places to explore, new things to do.

I wouldn't say Blizzard have anything to learn from Sierra. The expansion was composed mainly from material that was left behind from Blizzard in the game release, including monsters and game mechanics. It's not widely known that most Hellfire monster graphics were originally created by Blizzard, but didn't make it in the final game. The code behind unlocking the Na-Krul room, the Celia quest, the Nest quest and others was also originally written by Blizzard to support planned quests that never made it in the final product. So what Sierra did was basically take the leftovers and use them.

Now, all this sounds like I don't like Hellfire. This isn't the case. Hellfire added a lot to the entertainment value of Diablo I and I still enjoy playing it from time to time.
Unfortunately, so ends the legacy of Back to Hellfire. Onyx stated in our interview that "[...] v1.02 turned out to be the last patch for Back to Hellfire. I haven't stated so explicitly, but this mod is completed and will no longer be developed." However, he noted that he has not abandoned the mod's players and followers, promising he still supports it and responds to feedback. Check out all that Back to Hellfire has to offer you at the official website.

Comments (10)

Site Down Time

February 8, 2010 12:28PM by Seth
DiabloFans will be going down between 8AM and 12PM PST, Monday February 8th (today), for server upgrades. The downtime should not last any more than an hour, and these upgrades hopefully will fix the lag and server outage problems we've been experiencing recently. The downtime will also affect the DiabloWiki. Thanks guys!

~A la Sixen

EDIT 2:00PM PST: Some server-side changes were made regarding the downtime. When the actual server is upgraded, the change will go unnoticeable. So as far as everyone is concerned, this can be safely ignored.

Comments (14)

Community Projects

February 7, 2010 10:46PM by Zhar
Normally, we'd be getting a community spotlight article this weekend.
However, due to the sudden surge of use of the "fan creations" forums as I call them, we thought that an article dedicated to them was in order.

Fan Fiction

An underrated, under-read part of the forums. Here is where all of our writers post their works. Some have been added to over the course of months, such as The Veiling by Seth, while others are relatively new, such as the Dfans Movie by Nekrodrac. You might also want to check out Kickin_It's Redemption of the Vizjerei.

At the heart of this forum, is the Diablofans Writing Guild. Here, reviews and critiques are given to the various works submitted. In addition, a story of the month is chosen, and put in the OP. If you wish to begin writing, or want some help with writing, this would be the place to seek it.

Also, for those of you who have no interest writing Diablo related stories, there is the Non-Diablo Fan Fiction forum. This forum is, as the name reveals, the place for any writings that are not based in the Diablo universe. Many have been submitted here, and are as good as, if not better, than some of the Diablo related works.

As for the stories themselves, here is an excerpt from The Veiling:

Quote:
"They say far east of the Marshland coasts is a forgotten continent, steeped in intrigue and mystery. Miscarcarand, it was called, when Sanctuary was yet young. They say it came from a world even older than ours. They say the Nephalem never knew of it. They say a lot of things, and then they disappear.

Far from the ravages of the Mage Wars, isolated from the morality of mankind, magick was practiced there: very old, very powerful magick, the kind forsaken by the Mage Clans long ago."

~Excerpt

Now, among the fan fiction forum, is a special type of fiction that revolves around the choices of the users. Scyberdragon has written a "choose your own adventure" story, in which you, the user, direct the actions of the main protagonist. A synopsis follows...

Quote:
Choose your own adventure is just that, you get to choose your own adventure. The story has been running Sept. 05, 2009 and is still going strong. Every update to the story ends with a decision, that you the reader, get to make. This decision will completely change what happens next time the story is updated.

The story began with our main character William, a young boy, bravely opening the door and saving his Mother's life. His town was in ruins and a Barbarian (Kaelan) saved William and his mother. William soon returned the favor and saved the life of an Assassin named Sara. The four traveled to Kaelan's home of Mt.Arreat. Here, they left William's Mother and continued their journey to find the source of Evil. They have run in to some other people only to have them unfortunately killed. Upon reaching Caldeum, they met up with a Sorcerer who goes by the name of Gaheed. Joining the group, they made their way to the Kurast docks. Here, they got a mission from the famous Assassin Natalya, to retrieve a ring. While fighting a giant spider, the readers decided to have William put on the ring they found. The ring magically turned William into an adult instantly. Not knowing what happened, the group decided to travel to Ureh to find Natalya and get answers. Along the way, through the jungles, they have met up with a crazy Witch Doctor named Kifu. They continued their journey until they saw a mysterious glowing ball. After tracking it down the ball has begun emitting a strange fog out of it.

This is where the story has lead up to. If this sounds interesting and you would like to be a part of this heroic tale, stop in and vote for the next series of events.
And a summary and excerpt of Kickin_It's Redemption of the Vizjerei:

Quote:
As a hypothetical backstory for Diablo 3's male Wizard, Redemption of the Vizjerei follows our hero-to-be as he begrudgingly embarks on a journey with a mysterious old man to confront his personal demons in the lands of his childhood and forestall the return of the Burning Hells to Sanctuary.

Excerpt:

He lowered his hand from his face and ran it tenderly across the scarred and pitted surface of the old table. “This could be your chance for redemption, son. For setting right the ill deeds you have committed.” So he did know. But how? I slowly lifted my head and peered once more into his glimmering eyes. My lips parted to speak, but again he raised his faintly trembling hand and I was struck dumb. “There is more to your fate than even you know. This journey – if you like to think of it as such – is not one of adventure. Rather, it is one of erudition and deliverance. Your personal salvation, as well as that of the entire mortal realm of Sanctuary, rests in your hands...”

Fan Art

For those of you who can't use words as your artistic medium, there is the Fan Art forum. This is where all of our artists showcase their works. Atrumentis used to be the reigning champion of this forum with his web comic. However, he has been unseen lately, and thus, champion status is available to anyone who wants to take this forum by storm.

However, this doesn't mean we don't have strong submitters already. Holyknight3000 frequently posts up wallpapers (one of which I'm currently using), and Tepes has recently emerged as one of the best artists on this website. Kudos to everyone who takes the time to create, and post their artwork.

Also, somewhat related, is the Off-Topic Forum. This is where any non-Diablo artwork goes. So, even if you can't draw knights and demons, then you can put any artwork you make in this section and it will still gain recognition.

Personally, my favorite piece of artwork is the Doom Knight, by naj. It's an amazing piece of (unfinished) art, and is oddly disturbing. There's something about it that I love, I just can't put my finger on it.


Roleplaying

Yet another underrated forum section. This is where on-forum roleplaying games are hosted. From zombie survival, to demonic hordes, this forum has many roleplaying games that users can take part in. They are constantly evolving, being created, and dying off. All the games are the creations of users on this website, all it takes is a bit of creativity, and some spare time to get one off the ground and onto the screens of users. This section was much more active in previous years, with Elfen Lied and Jetrall running the show with several RP's suited for a multitude of players. However, this forum has recently surged upwards in activity.

At the moment, this section has two upcoming, and two running RP's. To participate in them, just ask the users who are running them if there is room. Most RP's on the forum revolve around the Diablo storyline, however in the past (and currently), we have had roleplays that take place during modern times, in outer space, even in the lore of games such as Zelda or Baldurs Gate.

Should you wish to create your own, then the Roleplaying Archive would be a fantastic place to look for inspiration. Here is where all the past RP's are stored. They're fairly good, yet extensive reads if you wish to fully immerse yourself in the story.


A Final Word...

Myself, and all of us here at Diablofans wish to thank everyone who takes the time to make, the time to display their creations, and the time to listen to the feedback of all who view their works. It brings us together as a community, and provides entertainment to many. Seriously, give yourselves a pat on the back, you deserve it.

Should you be reading this and feel left out of the "back pat club", then you know what to do, start planning some projects!

Comments (16)

The Lighter Side - Yogurt

February 6, 2010 9:05PM by ScyberDragon


Brain Freeze

On Twitter, fans were asked to help make a decision between two different flavors of frozen yogurt. Blizzard's cafeteria has had some mention before when select press members get to visit the elusive Blizzard HQ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zero from Starcraft Legacy
At the last press event, the Blizzard cafeteria made excellent pizzas and had them sent up to us, but today, the press group was escorted over to the Blizzard cafeteria for a buffet-style lunch, consisting of various hot sandwiches and sides.

Official Blizzard Quote:



Diablo: Choose which frozen yogurt I shall enjoy from our cafeteria. Mocha cappuccino or vanilla tart. Go! I'm hungry for frozen yogurt.




We can safely assume that the Mocha Cappuccino flavor resembled that of most coffee flavored treats. The interesting flavor choice in this line up is the Vanilla tart. While most vanilla's are seen as bland and plain, it appears that this version has added something else into the mix. Maybe a lemon flavor to give it that tart aspect? Well, people responded back with their opinions and Mocha won by a landslide.






Official Blizzard Quote:



Diablo: Mocha cap by a landslide. You didn't fail me, it's delicious. Although maybe a bit too mocha, and not enough cap.

While the recipient seemed pleased over the vote, it appears that they thought that the Mocha was a little too strong while the Cappuccino part was not bold enough.

Which flavor would you have chosen for and why?





Blizzard's Global Domination

The Diablo3.com website has been updated with a new language selection, Russian. This further proves Blizzard ultimate goal for global domination. World of Warcraft (WoW) has over 11 million subscribers world wide and with the launch of Starcraft 2 and Diablo III on the horizon, it appears that the World is Blizzard's oyster. Let us not forget their new MMO and new franchise they will also be coming out with.

Official Blizzard Quote:



Diablo: Diablo3.com is now available in Russian! It joins English, German, Spanish, French, and Korean as languages the site is available in.



Russia's population is currently at 141 million people and their official language is called Russian. They have joined the select groups of English, German, Spanish, French, and Korean. This slow spread covering the entire World's population is both exciting and scary. We can only hope in the near future other languages such as Swahili and Cantonese make it into the line up.





Disclaimer: DiabloFans' The Lighter Side of the Blues are not the officially recognized jokes of staff, management, and/or administration of DiabloFans.

Comments (9)
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