Changes

The '''multiplayer game''' While Diablo III is what the design team feels is the core of fully playable solo, without any "[[Diablo IIIraid]]. They are designing D3 " type content that requires multiple players to be most fun in [[cooperative play]] with a frienddefeat, the [[PvM]] [[partyD3 Team]]had cooperative multiplayer in mind all along. As frequently stated in interviews, and creating game features "Do no harm to function best in that settingco-op. [[Gold]] is shared" was one of their main considerations during all development decisions, [[items]] aren't fought over since each character only sees and whenever they speak of the items most fun way to play Diablo III, they can pick stress that a friendly party of up, party joining to four players (which is streamlined, the maximum game size in-Diablo III) is the best way to experience the game hostility is removed, and more.

==The Party System==There other major aspect of MP play in Diablo III is no more party system in D3PvP dueling, at least {{iw|Multiplayer not like there was which now takes place exclusively in D2}}. In D2 players who joined a game were neutral, neither friend nor enemy. They could become enemies by clicking the hostile button, or become friends by joining a party together. Once they were partied, they shared [[experienceBattle Arena]] and [[gold]]. Partying was optional though, and parties could be dissolved or abandoned.

==In-Game Notifications==D3 there is no more party system. All players in the same game are automatically in a party, and there is no way to leave a party or go hostile in the basic PvM game mode. Players in reasonably close proximity share experience, and all gain benefit when anyone in the party hits a [[health globe]], but gold and items are not shared. Instead, all players in Diablo III get their own gold and item drops that no other player can see or take. This makes [[ninja]] looting a thing of the past, but also forces a player to run to fetch all his own gold and items.

Blizzard intended While these features are definitely boosts to phase chat channels co-op, some fans have pointed out that they're more about the removal of B.net with their newer gamesanti-co-op features, starting with Starcraft 2. They did not include chat channels in rather than the design, and resisted adding them until continuous player requests wore them downof specific benefits to it. Chat channels were not supported during On that side of the beta or upon launch in Julycoin, but by October 2010 they Diablo 3 has some areas with fewer co-op bonuses than were said to be well under development and due to be added present in the future. There's no guarantee they'll be enabled for Diablo III, but if fans demand it they probably will.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/d3-will-have-chat-channels-on-battle2.net/]

::'''Bashiok:''' Regarding chat channels* The maximum players per game has been lowered from 8 to 4.* The [[experience]] gained no longer scales up with more players.** [[Monsters]] do still gain more hit points, they weren't though. ([[Beta]] testing indicates a launch feature but 75% increase per additional character in the game.)* There are indeed comingmany fewer [[shared skill]]s in Diablo III. (Many [[Auras]] and [[Warcries]] shared in Diablo 2, while most [[Necromancer]] [[Curses]] were of benefit to all characters in the vicinity.)* The [[difficulty]] is so much lower (at least on the beta content) that players have no need to play together in order to succeed.* The shared [[stash]], shared [[gold]], and shared [[artisans]] make self-[[muling]] and [[twinking]] ridiculously easy, which removes much of the tech will be there and waiting motivation to play with a friend for Diablo III, I'm surea rush or to transfer equipment to a new character.

<blue><font color==Easy Game Creation=="#FFFFFF">Part of me thinks it’s cool that I can play solo and never feel like I’m missing out on something. But another part of me thinks that since this is an online-only game that we should WANT to play Co-Op and that there should be added incentive for doing so.</font>

As Faster killing speed means more drops, more drops means more power or money. Since the goal of early 2010, there aren't any details about how the game joining/creation menu essentially boils down to either power or controls will work. The team has said they want it to be a very easywealth, intuitive process, but it's something they're still working onor both, the advantage (in our opinion) is pretty clear and much of it likely depends on Battle.net functions that aren't yet enabled. Jay Wilson did speak on their aspirational goals at Blizzcon 2009. [http://pc.igndoesn’t need any additional incentive.com/articles</101/1017305p1.html]blue>

::Somewhere a programmer's heart explodedThe trading system has been entirely overhauled in Diablo III. Trading is now automated and made much more convenient through the [[Auction House]]. Ironically, but that's our intentthis has removed almost all of the multiplayer aspect of trading, that you shouldn't have since players no longer need to have this really convoluted way speak to replay content. One of the other things that we'd really like players to focus on isexchange items. Whether these changes are good or bad for multiplayer can be debated, that but most players felt the endgame not actually force you…wellDiablo II system was hopelessly inefficient, it doesn't force you, itand that Diablo III's your choicewill result in much easier distribution and acquisition of desired item upgrades, but not make the most advantageous way to play which will be beneficial to do the same thing over and over againoverall play experience.

ThereDiablo III's Player vs. Player combat system has been entirely overhauled as well. Gone is any sort of in-game PvP, whether dueling or PKing. Players now have no technical reason not way to allow up to 8 (or more) players directly attack each other in a -game; the issue is fun , and playabilitythis even extends to sprite collision. Not how many ''Other players can''not block doorways or chokepoints themselves or with their [[pets]], but how many ''should''. The ideal, not the possibleand none of their spells or skills can hit you for any damaging or debuffing effects. Here are some quotes from Blizzard developers on the issue:

[[Jay Wilson]] quoted from PvP instead takes place in a randomly-selected team-format in special dueling games known as the Arena. Only in the gameArena can players attack and injure each other, and that's debut press conferencethe entire purpose of those games. There are no NPCs to access, June 2008no town to return to, or anything else along those lines. [http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/06/28/diabloPlayers in the Arena duel non-iii-design-panel/]::''Though stop, and the team hasn't decided how many people will be with the most total kills in the allotted time (10-15 minutes in a grouptesting), Wilson said to expect four to five playerswins.

[[Kevin Martens]] Jay Wilson spoke about the various in-game notifications and [[Julian Love]]conveniences in an interview from Blizzcon, August 2009: 2010. [http://wwwdiablo.giantbombincgamers.com/newsblog/hands-oncomments/blizzcon-with2010-diablointerview-iiisjay-streetwilson-fighter-inspired-monkdiablo-class/1658esp/]::'''Kevin Martens: '''For the maximum number of players in a game, we're going with 4 now. That's how many you can have on the games on the show floor. That's not final, and we'll keep looking at it during development. On PvP, we're going to do more on that, but we're not really showing any of our ideas yet. We're more focused on co-op at this point, and we want to make people play together more. The loot drop is one example. Now when loot drops the first pass on items is all for you, and only if you pick things up and put them in your inventory, then drop them, can your friends see them or pick them up. Also on multiplayer, the code's very good already and very smooth, and we will keep it that way all through development. The multiplayer is very fun and we're going to keep it at the highest possible polish.

::'''Julian Love: '''The important part about how many people can <blue>We’ve tried to put a lot of hints in, for cooperative play together is not technical limitations, so other players notice if you stop moving. It's about how many is fun. How many effects are going offEspecially if you open up a skill page or your inventory, how much chaos is we put an icon that displays over your character’s head and on your portrait so the screenother players will see it and know that you’re busy. That you’re doing something. ... Our testing is trying As developers, we’re looking at ways to make it easier for characters to communicate and we’re looking to find the sweet spot put more option in for those considerationsthat. We have fantastic programmers After all, and technology has come the game knows if a long way since Diablo 2player is looking at their skill page, so why don’t we're not limited on that frontjust provide some sort of in-game notification to other players? So the players in the game don’t have to wonder why someone in the game isn’t keeping up. When you know the other player is doing something specific, you’re a little more patient.</blue>

==No More Hostility==One big change Blizzard intended to multiplayer phase chat channels out of B.net with their newer games , starting with Starcraft 2. They did not include chat channels in D3 is that there is '''no nonconsensual hostility'''the design, and resisted adding them until continuous player requests wore them down. There will be dueling and PvP Chat channels were not supported during the beta or upon launch in special games for that purpose (no details have yet been revealed)July, but there is no way by October 2010 they were said to "go hostile" in a regular PvM game.  The D3 Team is aware that some method will be required well under development and due to control or remove or avoid grief causing players (who could spam be added in the game, or lead monsters to trap [[waypoint]]future. There's, or other annoying behaviour, even if no guarantee they can't actually go hostile or ll be gone hostile against)enabled for Diablo III, but if fans demand it they've offered no suggestions about that yetprobably will.[http://diablo.incgamers. It might be possible to boot players from a game by majority vote, or the game creator might retain that right, but we'll com/blog/comments/d3-will-have to wait to see what solution the team offers up-chat-channels-on-battle.net/]

==Individual Item Drops==A major change/improvement to party play <blue>There was some poor matchmaking in Diablo III is the fact that items will no longer be fought over2, it was kind of esoteric and hard to use. Characters in D3 only see items We want a platform that they can pick up; thereputs you right next to someone else who's no more ninja looting teleporting [[Sorceress]]esinto the same thing as you, no more melee specialists grabbing all at the goodiessame level. We want you to be able to open up that friends list and say, oh, etc. In D3 when items are droppedmy friend Steve's killing Diablo, they can only be seen by the character who can pick join! And you're right there next to them up. Most normal [[monsters]] will only drop one (if any) items, and drop rates per player should We want players to be about the same as they were in D2able to play together very, although on the whole more items will fallvery easily. Boss monsters will drop multiple items each time, so that every player in the game gets somethingThat's going to be a lot of work.

...It's not yet determined how much item drops will be customized; in theory the game, so this is not a Barbarian might find a wand promise, but I can tell you that my desire for that is that you just be able to hit Escape, menu comes up, and an orbyou can say, while the Witch Doctor got an axe and heavy plate armorI want to redo what we just did. Or I want to replay this part of the D3 team might make drops more appropriate for game, restart my game essentially, with all the character who sees them; no class-specific items for other classes would drop for your charactersame people. And I just get a confirmation thing, hey, you want to? If they say yes, for instance. As of [[BlizzCon 2008]]we go, the D3 team talked about item drops being randomly distributedand if they say no, so there might not be any customization of appropriate drops at allthey stay in that same game.

Somewhere a programmer's heart exploded, but that's our intent, that you shouldn't have to have this really convoluted way to replay content. One key of the other things that we'd really like to this system focus on is , that while dropped items can only be seen by the character they are dropped forendgame not actually force you…well, any item dropped by a character can be seen by all other characters. [[Jay Wilson]] has often mentioned the phenomena of players reaching a certain point on a level when everyoneit doesn't force you, it's inventory is becoming full. By tacit agreementyour choice, all but not make the players pause for a moment and drop all of their unwanted stuff in a sort of free yard sale, allowing each other most advantageous way to play be to pick through do the stuff same thing over and take whatever they might wantover again. </blue>

==The Importance of MultiplayerDevelopment Priority==Here While the multiplayer aspects of Diablo III are essential, the game is basically developed from a quote on '''Multiplayer''' development by D3 Lead single player point of view, as [[Jay Wilson]]explained in a September 2008 interview:[http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2662371]

::'''<blue><font color="#FFFFFF">AG: I know that in StarCraft 2, a lot of the development was focused around multiplayer - a lot of the game design and the development being done was on multiplayer first. Is that something that you guys do with Diablo as well, or is a bit more focused on the single-player or a bit of a mix?'''</font>

::'''JayWilson:''' For us it's a little bit more focused on the [[singleplayer]], it's not quite the same as [[StarCraft]]. I've played [[RTS]] before and I've seen people do it both ways and I seem to prefer the method where you work on multiplayer first, because you're really establishing the core game mechanics.''

::For us, a lot of the core game has actually come out of singleplayer, but what we've done along the way, is we've always had cooperative play enabled. So people play cooperatively all the time. Any time anything does work for [[cooperative play]] we fix it right away. So any mechanics that don't work, any kind of balancing or tuning that needs to be done, we try to do it simultaneously for both – but we do focus on single-player more.''