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==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay, and randomized content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as make players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well-learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from [[Ivgorod]]are holy warriors. Combining martial arts of our Eastern cultures with a holy strike from the Western disciplines, he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of the Diablo III beta, skills are presented in categories (usually three). The categories separate the skills by function, for example, the [[Barbarian Skills]] are separated into Fury Spenders, Fury Generators, and Situational. The skills are unlocked at various [[character level]]s. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and there are no synergies. Characters can have a maximum of six active skills at any given time, once they've unlocked all six slots.
[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits have been replaced by Passives. There are unique passives for each class now, unlike Traits, which had some that were shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh (trait)|Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit). Passives are unlocked by level, like skills. Characters can have a maximum of three passive skills at any given time, once they've unlocked all three slots.
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].
The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation. Currently, as of the Diablo III [[beta]] test, a player can visit a [[Nephalem Altar]] that is normally situated in a safe town or in the beginning of a dungeon in order to change their skills.
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points in [[Attack_(Attribute)|attack]], [[Precision_(Attribute)|precision]], [[vitality]], [[defense]], and [[willpower]] when they level up, and these are automatically assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.
Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various two ways: by [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talismanpassives]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].
==== Skill Runes ====
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.
[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few All skill rune functions effects are known at available in the individual skill entries on this point, and all are subject to change as development continueswiki.
The first known complete skill permutation was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite noticeably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:
==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must wait a mere few seconds before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over. In addition, a player will lose a set percentage of their [[durability]] upon death (currently 10%) which will need to be repaired either at the [[Blacksmith]] or an appropriate vendor.
[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.
==Difficulty Levels==
There are going to be three four [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it, then 50 after Nightmare, and up to 60 (max level) after in Hell. Unlike the previous entries into the Diablo series, Diablo III will feature a new difficulty mode named [[Inferno]] that will have players pitting their skills against the most difficult monsters in the game, to get the greatest rewards. The monsters in Inferno difficulty are all two levels ahead of the character in a flattened difficulty curve. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft, it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.
The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, and Inferno even more so, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there are no plans to include [[raid]]-style content.
==End Game==
The focus of the [[end game]] will be much-changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game. Inferno difficulty is meant to be the development's team gateway into the end game, but it isn't the final development of the end game in Diablo III. Any further plans are currently unknown.
There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item-hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.
Another end-game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.
==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly dramatic-looking armor.
Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.
Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be now called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble. Many of them are crafted by the player after they have found the recipe.
A very popular type of item will be [[crafted]] items, magical , rare, or rare legendary items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].
*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[Chest Armor|chest armor]], [[Hands|gloves]], [[Feet|boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[Wrists|bracers]], and [[pants]].
** New class-specific armor types: [[Mighty Belts]] for the Barbarian; [[Cloaks]] for the Demon Hunter; [[Spirit Stones]] for the Monk; [[Voodoo Masks]] and [[Mojos]] for the Witch Doctor, and [[Orbs]] and [[Wizard Hats]] for the Wizard.
* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbsshort staves]], for casters only.** New class-specific weapons: [[Mighty Weapons]] for Barbarians; [[Pistol crossbowsHand Crossbows]]for the Demon Hunter, [[short stavesDaibos]] for casters onlythe Monk, and [[battle stavesCeremonial Knives]] for the Monk onlyWitch Doctor.
** Removed weapons: There are no [[Throwing Weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.
Wands now have a ranged attack associated with them for any Wizard or Witch Doctor that chooses to wield them. They are no longer used in melee.
===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] are no longer socketed into items, and [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations, it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improvedsupported, and there will be some sort of auction housean [[Auction House]] (AH), though details have not been revealedwhich can utilize either gold transactions or real-money transactions.* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically, potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cooldown, they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior. Players will now rely heavily upon [[leech]] and [[health globes]].
==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Cain]]</span>]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature importantly in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you to "listen."
[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the dungeons than in past games, followers will have their own skillset and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout inventory that the gameplayer can customize.
[[MercenariesArtisans]]: The developers have talked about wanting "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to make mercs better the standard item buying and more useful than selling, they were in Diablo IIcan [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, but nothing has yet been revealedgiving them better recipes.
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.</span>]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]], including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].
The scorching deserts of the [[Aranoch]] will be revisited by the player when they have the opportunity to visit one of the largest capital cities in Sanctuary: [[Caldeum]]. The player will also explore the depths of the [[Archives of Zoltun Kulle]], ex-horadric mage. We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting into the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs, or a film. [[Ureh]] is another area that has been shown off by the development team (and was showcased in the original cinematic trailer) which will not be in the release version of Diablo III.
Outdoor areas will be less randomized than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead, a lot of random scripted events will take place, and some will even be really advanced. They can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a moldy tome, or a big, bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps, obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations. These portions of the map that are randomised are called [[events]], and can even happen within randomised dungeons.
==Dungeons==
The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II. Perhaps more critically, the development team has also stated that there will be many more varieties of dungeons than what was seen in Diablo II.
<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].</span>
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|<span style="font-size:90%;">Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.</span>
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.</span>
</gallery>
==Transportation==
To replace town portals, there is the stone of recall, more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Cauldron of Jordan]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.
In addition to this, Blizzard has introduced the new [[Banner]] system, being a banner that players can customize, and it can be used in-game as a transportation tool. A player can hit their hotkey to drop the banner (default "g"), and a player in town can click on that banner to teleport directly to them.
==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.
===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.
===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement, which might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]
==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''
==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|<span style="font-size:90%;">Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].</span>]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has had any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.
Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]]) who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably , [[Belial]] and [[AsmodeanAzmodan]]) , have been building armies for a full-on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.
Players will see small-scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.
More information on the plot can be seen in amazing visual in the [[Black Soulstone Cinematic]].
Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.
The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs. The [[Followers]] such as the [[Templar]] and [[Enchantress]] each have a distinct personality with a fleshed-out background and will not only banter to the player character, though but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the only known examples came from camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as [[Captain RumfordLeah]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008, who may on occasion follow the player into the fray during a quest.
==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style, and to create a sense that they were being "played" and not "told about". Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests. Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game, which are called either [[adventures]] or [[events]], depending upon their magnitude. Quests can be repeated in Diablo III through the game creation menu.
==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.
Game creation and group formation should will be easier in Diablo IIIthan in the past: it is mostly automated. Though the details have not been revealedDiablo III, being on "battle.net 2", the developers hope it will be is using a match-making system very easy similar to join up and that which is seen in ladder playin [[StarCraft II]] or the dungeon finder in [[World of WarCraft]]. Their hope is that players in one A player can choose a few options for their game can simply click an option , including whether or not they want it to start another onebe private, and as everyone accepts it, which quest they would like to start on (if theydon'll immediately appear in a new game and continue t wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing, almost seamlessly).
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.
Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set. It became even more popular at BlizzCon 2011 with all of the characters available with a large suite of skills, the line for the arena demo easily outnumbering the line for the PVE demo.
Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules: you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character. Some of those critics happen to be on the development team, and current talk is that there should be a way for a hardcore player to PVP without dying.
===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard has promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists, and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]
Battle.net (bnet) is something every player to Diablo will quickly become familiar with, as they have no choice but to participate in the service, as the game is online-only.
==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and will vanish after a moment or twocertain criteria have been met. However, dead bodies can be affected by [[physics]].
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.
==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].
=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard product is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.
=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
===Diablo Beta Testing===
The beta test began in early September, 2011, and is currently ongoing until close to the release of the game. It will be running at least until the middle of December, as Blizzard is still handing out beta keys via a facebook promotion. General information on Blizzard beta tests and how to sign up for eligibility can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.
===Retail Price===
===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online There is no offline play , and the odds of Blizzard requiring a player to have the disc in the drive is exceedingly minimal. Blizzard hasn't bothered with much copy protection in the past, and will most likely not require bother with it at all in the future, in lieu of bringing their games completely onto battle.net. The only "piracy" that can occur in such a system is an emulation of the server, which makes for a DVD pale imitation of the actual game. Once a player ties a game to their battle.net account, they can then download the game to install on their local machine at any point in time as well, circumventing the driveneed for physical media, and offline play is unknownsuch as discs.
==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[BlizzardEntertainment]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].
==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard is confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means making it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there is lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...
==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]
