==Overview==
[[File:Artisans-concept1.jpg|frame|right|Concept art of the three Artisans.]]
Artisans are basically super-NPC merchants, "vendors, buying 2.0" as the dev team calls them. They buy and selling sell items, as well as providing make item repairs, upgrade gems and runes, and provide all of the crafting services. They have other special features as well; they can be upgraded, which improves their skills, adds to the crafting [[recipes]] they offer, and even improves the appearance of their wagons.
[[Crafting]] is their biggest special skill. This form of item creation requires a recipe, [[materials]], and [[gold]], which the Artisan will takes and uses to craft into a new item with some pre-set and some [[random properties]]. This is essentially an upgrade over how crafting worked in Diablo II, and it varies from crafting in most RPGs since the outcome is not entirely predictable; the random properties can roll as a wide variety of [[modifermodifier]]s, potentially yielding a fantastic item, or a piece of junk, from the same recipe. Numerous attempts at most recipes are to be expected before a great item is fashioned.
When first encountered, the Artisans seem like any other [[NPCs]]. They have problems that must be solved as [[quests]]. Only once the Artisans have been impressed by the hero's skill will they join the [[Caravan]] and travel with you, offering quest and story information, as well as their talents and abilities, for a price.They have strong personalities and will offer information and input on most quests and other issues in the game. As Jay Wilson explained during the Blizzcon 2010 [[Crafting Sanctuary]] panel:
Artisans can also specialize in various types of crafting. The mechanics of this aren't yet known, but Jay Wilson described the [[blacksmith]] learning ::We tried to make all sorts of axes, or swords, if he specialized in those item typesthe artisans real people. Not generic. Strong opinions and ideas. This would show up They view you and your actions in the design of his shoppe, too, with more of that type of weapon on displayreal terms and talk about it.
Specializing doesn't take away from the Artisan's other recipe skills though. They can still make all types of items, and can learn to specialize in multiple types of items. Presumably this would just require a lot of crafting, as the Artisans learn through experience.
==The Three Artisans==
[[File:Recipes-all2.jpg|thumb|250px|Blacksmith [[Recipes]].]]
There are three Artisans in Diablo III. Each of these NPCs will be encountered during the course of the gameplay, and once their quest is completed they will join up with the [[Caravan]] and travel with the player for the rest of the game. See their individual pages for many more details.
*Special Abilities: Un-socketing Gems, Gem Upgrades
*Crafting Specialties: [[Rings]], [[Amulets]], and Gems.
==Training==
===Interface Design===
[[File:Artisan-interface-evolution1.jpg|thumb|400px|Artisan interface evolution, with the oldest on the left.]]
Their goal for the Artisan interface was something that was, "Quick to pick up, simple to use, and that let the player get about the business of killing things." They wanted to maintain a consistency of artisan interface design between the characters, and scrapped some early designs where the designs differed too much between the Artisans.
The image to the right shows their design process. The early designs had too much text information and not enough space for recipes. Only 4 items could be shown at once, which meant players had to scroll through multiple pages to see all of the options. Through multiple iterations the design was simplified with less information shown, until they got to a stage where ten items could be seen at once. That was still too cumbersome and presented too much information at once, and it got further simplified to the current design.
Not much has been revealed about their developmentAnother early complexity was the time requried to craft items. They had ideas they thought were great; "Let's make some top items take a full day to craft!" This was cool in theory, but lousy in practice since no one of the Blizzcon 2010 panels spent some time on the design and development of liked waiting that long to see how their interface. [[File:Artisan-interface-evolution1effort turned out.jpg|center|
===Wagon Design===
Mystic[[File: crafts, wands, staves and other magical itemsArtisan-wagon-concept1. She can enchant items and identify them. Blacksmith: crafts armor and weaponry, add gem sockets, repairs itemsjpg|frame|Concept art for the Artisans' wagons.]]Jeweler: greedy old manAnother design issue was wagons of the Artisans. Crafts jewelryThey dialed in the [[blacksmith]]'s wagon look fairly quickly, combines gems, de-socket gems for a feebut had more trouble with the other two Artisans. Preserves gems and items. Makes you want to use your gems, but
14 gem levelsThe [[Mystic]] was hard to design. Only They knew they wanted round shapes and lots of natural wood, but their early designs had her wagon looking too much like the first 5 levels ever dropBlacksmith's. Up They ultimately decided to Radiant. Higher than that is only made by the jewelermake her whole layout round and organic.
Interface designer. Quick The [[Jeweler]] was also hard to pick updesign, simple for a different reason. It's easy to useshow the progression through the levels for the Blacksmith and Mystic, lets you since their wagons get about your business of killing thingsmore ornate and they've got obviously higher level items lying around. But since the Jeweler only upgrades and crafts tiny objects like gems and jewelery, the artists couldn't show his higher level through those items. Want The ultimately decided to maintain consistency of artisan interface designshow his higher level largely through his wagon, by making it get much larger over time, with more intricate details, gold-plating on the sides, etc.
Too detailed early design. Could only show 4 items at once. 2nd try. Took off requirements listing. Now show 10 items at once. Too cumbersome. Too much info at once. Wanted to have time to craft something. Took days. Not fun As the developers said, "Everyone levels up in reality; testers didn't like to wait. Next version, took off the image. Took too much spaceDiablo. Removed the que from the bottom; progress bar behind Even the itemvendors. "
Caravan. We knew we wanted one early on. Npcs follow chars around on quests. We wanted them to look different. Wagon design.
Mystic was hard to design. We know we wanted nature themes and round stuff and wood. Early on she looked like the blacksmith. We decided to make her layout round.
Jeweler: hard to figure the low vs. high level. With blacksmith can have simple weapons and then level them up. Same with the mystic. Big flaming wands, etc. But with the jeweler his items are tiny trinkets. So we had to figure how to increase the visuals. So its' the wagon. Gets bigger, more intricate details, gold plating, etc.
Everyone levels up in Diablo. Even the vendors.
==Media==
