Difference between revisions of "Diablo 3 Basics"

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	==Introduction==		==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).	+	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 more welcoming to new players, to ramp up the difficulty more smoothly, and to create a "deep and engaging" combat system. The Diablo III developers took inspiration from previous games in the series, as well as [[World of Warcraft]], and other different games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''.
	Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo, you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''		Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo, you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
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	== Character Classes ==		== Character Classes ==
−	Blizzard has confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another, for all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.	+	Blizzard confirmed that the game would ship with five characters, then introduced them over the first three years of development. They are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities.
−	Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.	+	The classes are very distinct from one another in look and function. All items of armor have a different appearance on each class (there are even some inter-class gender differences, mainly in the chest armor for obvious reasons). The skills are even more different, with around 25 entirely unique [[active skills]] for each class. Many of the [[passive skills]] were shared between classes during development, but over time they all differentiated as well.
		+
		+	Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, additional classes will be added in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.
	{|		{|
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	| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]		| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
	| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]		| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
−	| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with the power of the [[ancient]]s.	+	| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The one returning class is still a mighty brawler, but he's gained countless new tricks, with only a few skills returning, and all of them modified in various ways.
	* [[Barbarian Skills]]		* [[Barbarian Skills]]
−	* [[Barbarian Traits]]	+	* [[Barbarian passive skills]]
	* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]		* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
	|-		|-
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	| [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|125px]]		| [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|125px]]
	| [[File:Demon-hunter-male.jpg|90px]]		| [[File:Demon-hunter-male.jpg|90px]]
−	| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, deadly traps, and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.	+	| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The game's ranged weapon specialist, Demon Hunters are fast-moving archers with devastating offensive capabilities and a wide variety of tactical traps and demonic gadgets.
	* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]		* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
−	* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]	+	* [[Demon Hunter passive skills]]
	* [[Resource]]: - [[Hatred]] & [[Discipline]]		* [[Resource]]: - [[Hatred]] & [[Discipline]]
	|-		|-
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	| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]		| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
	| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]		| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
−	| '''The [[Monk]]''' - 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.	+	| '''The [[Monk]]''' - The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from [[Ivgorod]] are holy warriors. Combining fast-hitting, melee-ranged martial arts with holy magics, auras, and defensive tactics.
	* [[Monk Skills]]		* [[Monk Skills]]
−	* [[Monk Traits]]	+	* [[Monk passive skills]]
	* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]		* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
	|-		|-
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	| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]		| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
	| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]		| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
−	| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.	+	| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A mysterious class from the jungles of [[Teganze]], the Witch Doctor wields a huge array of magical attacks, as well as the ability to mind control enemies and summon up pets to fight alongside him.
	* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]		* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
−	* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]	+	* [[Witch Doctor passive skills]]
	* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]		* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
	|-		|-
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	| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]		| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
	| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]		| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
−	| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previous Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.	+	| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - An evolutionary improvement from the Sorcerer and Sorceress seen in previous Diablo titles. Wizards boast an impressive array of offensive spells that are useful for every situation, as well as defensive spells and escape abilities that combine to create this murderous [[glass cannon]].
		+
	* [[Wizard Skills]]		* [[Wizard Skills]]
−	* [[Wizard Traits]]	+	* [[Wizard passive skills]]
	* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]		* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
	|-		|-
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	=== Skills ===		=== 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.	+	The [[skills]] and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development, with the largest change coming late in the beta test, shortly before release. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full history. Characters can use up to six skills at once, and may cycle between them with only minimal [[cooldown]]s.
		+
		+	The biggest change from Diablo 2 comes from the [[runestone]] system, which enables every skill to be modified into five different forms, most of which are radically different in function from the base skill. This creates a vast number of possible builds, and with the easy [[respec]] system, players can try out all of the skills and rune effects, and switch between them as needed.
		+
		+	Each class has around 25 unique skills, which are unlocked at the rate of about one per level, from level 1 until level 30. Each skill has five rune effects which are unlocked every 5 or 6 levels, thus granting at least one and often three of four new abilities to try out every level up until the maximum level 60.
−	[[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.	+	[[Passive skills]] are also unique to each class, and starting at level 10, they are unlocked one every few levels, all the way up to level 60. Characters can have up to 3 passive skills active, adding an additional [[passive skill slot]] at level 10, 20, and 30.
	==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====		==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
−	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]].	+	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 characters can change around their skills as desired, with only minimal cooldowns to prevent this being done exploitatively.
		+
−	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.	+	====Stats/Attributes====
		+	The biggest change to Diablo III [[attributes]] is their change to an automatically-allocated system. Players can not set their skill points, and instead gain 1 or 2 points in the four attributes with every level up. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players either experimented and "ruined' their character with sub-optimal choices, or else followed a [[cookie cutter]] style of [[build]]. (This is less of a problem after v1.13 added stat and skill respecs to Diablo II.)
		+	In the early days of Diablo III, an inventory-like game system called the [[Talisman]] was stocked with items called [[charms]], which added large bonuses to stats, but that system was shelved during development. Another system to add specific attributes was the [[enchants]] provided by the [[Mystic]], but that system and the Mystic were also removed during development. As a result, players can only modify their stats with equipment bonuses, including those from [[socket]]ed [[gems]].
−	====Stats/Attributes====	+	The names and function of the stats changed several times during development as well. (See the [[attributes]] article for details.) Ironically, after experimentation with up to five attributes, including a system where each attribute granted more or less identical bonuses to each class, the developers returned to the classic four attributes of [[Strength]], [[Vitality]], [[Dexterity]], and [[Intelligence]]. The bonuses provided by these four differ considerably from their Diablo II form.
−	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 two ways: by [[passives]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].
	==== Skill Runes ====		==== Skill Runes ====
		+
	[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]		[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
−	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.	+	Another system that underwent numerous changes during development; skill runes were items for most of Diablo III's development. These runes were small objects that were placed in skills, each of which had one socket. Once seated, the runestones changed the function of the skills, always improving them, in five different ways. Those runestones were called [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]].
−	[[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.  All skill rune effects are available in the individual skill entries on this wiki.	+	Though the skill rune effects remained, the item-based runestone system was entirely removed during the beta, and replaced with a system where all of the rune effects are built into skills. They are thus part of the interface, and are "unlocked" one at a time, usually around 5-9 levels apart. Thus a base skill such as the [[Demon Hunter]]'s [[Vault]] is unlocked at level 12, and the rune effects become available one at a time at levels 23, 31, 40, 48, and 53. (Figures subject to yet further change.)
−	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:
−
−	* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
−	* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
−	* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
−	* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
−	* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison-damaging acid balls.
	==Monsters==		==Monsters==
−	[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].</span>]]	+	[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Siegebreaker]].]]
−	Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protect archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.	+	Diablo III has a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', which can employ more intelligent behaviour to force players to use strategy during combat. In addition to the random [[boss]] encounters the series has made great use of, Diablo III adds numerous "mini-boss" encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the scripted appearance of the [[Thousand Pounder]] as seen in the [[WWI 2008]] gameplay movie.
−	The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreaker isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.	+	The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series.
	* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.		* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
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	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.		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.	+	[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever. This will not be the case in the Arena, where Hardcore players will be able to duel as much as they like, without having to create softcore characters just to enjoy the arena fully.
−	Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.	+	One planned feature that didn't make it into the game were specially gruesome player fatalities, which some bosses were to have the ability to inflict when they killed players.
	==Difficulty Levels==		==Difficulty Levels==
−	There are going to be four [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III.  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) 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.	+	There are four [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, [[Normal]], [[Nightmare]], [[Hell]], and [[Inferno]]. Each difficulty level repeats the same game content, but with monsters, items, and everything else increased in level to keep scaling up the challenge. Normal is designed to be fairly easy, especially early on, to usher new players into the game and teach them the ropes without too much challenge. Difficulty starts to increase in Nightmare and Hell, and characters should max out at level 60 around the end of Hell. This controversial design choice removes the [[grinding]] to [[max level]] play system seen in Diablo and Diablo II.
−	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.	+	Inferno is where the developers are planning to make things really interesting, with the entire difficulty level vastly harder than Hell, and all balanced to a largely "flat" curve. This should allow players to find challenging and rewarding [[end game]] content anywhere in the game, rather than forcing players to [[run]] the same few end bosses over and over again, as was the case in Diablo II.
	==End Game==		==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.	+	Diablo III was designed with the [[end game]] in mind. The entire Inferno difficulty level is meant as one big PvE end game, with a flat difficulty curve opening up the entire game to high level play. The developers have also considered various systems to reward players for playing normal areas, rather than simply "running" the same few bosses over and over again.
−	There are [[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.	+	While Inferno is meant to be quite challenging, and best played in co-op parties, nothing in Diablo III is being designed to require parties, such as the raid content seen in [[WoW]].  Other end game goodies include special [[Achievements]], crafting recipes and items found only in Inferno, and the possible addition of additional high-end content via patches.
−	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.	+	As Diablo III will *not* launch with any form of PvP, the long-anticipated [[Arena]] will not serve as an end game activity.
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	[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]		[[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.	+	Armor and weapons function much as they did in previous games in the series. Players find low level gear early on, and one of the major goals/enjoyments of playing is to find better quality gear and thus improve your character's performance. One big change to the appearance of armor is the elimination of exception and elite versions of gear. Unlike in Diablo II, Diablo III characters will not find the exact same looking armor repeated on each difficulty level. Instead there are 18 "tiers" of armor, organized into something the developers call [[gear sets]].
		+
		+	Each gear set has a distinctive, organized look, and thus a character wearing all (or most) of say, gear set 14, would have a cohesive, coherent appearance as the items would match each other. The developers have released numerous screenshots of the classes in complete gear sets, and they are stylish indeed. It's less clear, in advance of playing the higher levels, just how often (if ever) a character will have most or all of the same gear set on, or if characters will always be clad in a mixture of different level equipment.
		+
		+	Item quality is similar to that of Diablo II, with item scarcity progressing [[normal]] > [[magical]] > [[rare]] > [[set]] > [[legendary]] (the new name for unique items). There should be more mixing and matching at the highest levels, with rare, set, and legendary items of approximately-equivalent quality, depending on the random mods they spawn with.
−	Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.	+	As there are no [[runes]] to socket into equipment, there are no [[runeword]] items, at least in [[D3v]].
−	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 now called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also returning, though they 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 legendary items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].	+	===Item Crafting===
		+
		+	[[Crafting]] returns in Diablo III, in a major game system that combines elements of the item crafting and item gambling systems from Diablo II. Players use the [[Blacksmith]] NPC [[Artisan]] to create semi-random weapons and armor, including (eventually) set items and legendary items. Each crafted item requires [[gold]] and [[materials]], and crafted items all have some pre-set and some random mods, making the item creation a gamble that player may wish to repeat many times, in hopes of spawning an item with better [[modifier]]s.
		+
		+	The Blacksmith must first know the [[recipe]] to create the item, and these are taught to the Artisans by [[training]] them to higher levels, as well as by finding crafting [[plans]], including rare ones, as drops from monsters and chests.
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	*[[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.		*[[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 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.	+	** New class-specific armor types: [[Mighty Belts]] for the Barbarian; [[Cloaks]] for the Demon Hunter; [[Spirit Stones]] (helms) for the Monk; [[Voodoo Masks]] for the Witch Doctor, and [[Wizard Hats]] for the Wizard.
−	* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Maces]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],	+	* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Maces]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[Shields]]. (There are no throwing weapons in D3v, and many of these weapon types have class limitations -- Monks can not use bows/xbows, only Wizards and Witch Doctors can use wands, etc. See the individual items pages for full details.)
−	** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword),[[short staves]] for casters only.	+	** New types of weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword).
−	** New class-specific weapons: [[Mighty Weapons]] for Barbarians; [[Hand Crossbows]] for the Demon Hunter, [[Daibos]] for the Monk, and [[Ceremonial Knives]] for the Witch Doctor.	+	** New class-specific weapons: [[Mighty Weapons]] for Barbarians; [[Hand Crossbows]] for the Demon Hunter, [[Daibos]] and [[Fist]]s for the Monk, and [[Ceremonial Knives]] for the Witch Doctor.
−	** Removed weapons: There are no [[Throwing Weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.	+	*** Class specific weapons, off-hand only: [[Mojos]] for the Witch Doctor, [[Orbs]] for the Wizard, [[Quiver]]s for the Demon Hunter.
−	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===		===Other Items Information===
−	* [[Runes]] are no longer socketed into items, and [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].	+	* [[Runes]] are no longer found in Diablo III. They were never item socketables, but were socketed into skills, until a major system overhaul in early 2012.
	* 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 [[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.	+	* The [[stash]] in town is large (though it shrunk from 5 to 3 pages during beta testing), and is shared between all characters on the same account. (But not HC and normal characters.)
−	* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.	+	* All gold and item drops from monsters, chests, quests, etc, are specific to your character. You only see items you can pick up, and do not see items for other characters, nor do they see yours.
−	* Trading will be supported, and there will be an [[Auction House]] (AH), which can utilize either gold transactions or real-money transactions.	+	** Items dropped by a character are seen by all.
−	* [[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]].	+	* Trading is supported, both between characters and in a much larger way through the Battle.net [[Auction House]], which has two version, the gold and the [[real money]] version.
		+	* [[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. Potions are intended for emergency use only, and players must learn to survive with life leech, hit point regeneration from equipment, and by using the [[health globes]] that monsters drop. Successful players must be a bit more cautious than they were in previous games of the series.
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	[[Followers]]: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.		[[Followers]]: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.
−	[[Artisans]]: "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 the standard item buying and selling, they can [[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, giving them better recipes.	+	[[Artisans]]: Are special NPCs who craft items and provide other essential services, as well as much dialogue and information about the game world and quests. They are the [[Blacksmith]] and [[Jeweler]], after the [[Mystic]] was removed during beta testing.
		+
	==Locations==		==Locations==
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	Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.</span>		Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.</span>
	</gallery>		</gallery>
		+
	==Transportation==		==Transportation==
−	As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. While [[Town Portal]]s are out of the game, the player will at some point in normal difficulty receive something called the [[Stone of Recall]] which functions in, essentially, the same way. The largest difference between the two would be that a stone of recall takes time to cast, and the cast can be interrupted by damage taken.	+	As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. Unlike Diablo II, there is only one movement speed, rather than a walk and run option. This speed can be increased with item mods and some skills, and there is no stamina drain while moving. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary, to ride about the world at a higher rate of speed.
		+
		+	The main method of speedy transportation in the game comes from [[waypoint]]s, of which there are dozens per act, many more than were found in Diablo II. Waypoints are tied to quests and there are multiple waypoints in connected areas, tied to each quest. For instance, a player can only use the waypoint to the start of an area, and then while clearing that area and deeper dungeons within it, additional waypoints will be encountered, for easy returns to town. This allows for more travel without cluttering up the waypoints menu with dozens of them, as well as preventing players from warping right to the end of a quest, Diablo 2 boss run style.
−	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.	+	The [[town portal]] system evolved repeatedly during Diablo III's development. TPs were in as [[scroll]]s, then out entirely, then back in via the [[Stone of Recall]] system, then changed back to a town portal activated directly from the [[belt interface]]. See those pages for more details.
−	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.	+	Another new travel option comes via the [[Banner]] system. Characters can drop their banner in the game at any location, and allow other players to warp directly to their banner, for easy party regrouping.
	==Easter Eggs==		==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.	+	There are numerous small [[Easter Eggs]] already seen in Diablo III during the beta testing. These include funny item and monster names, developer names carved on headstones, inside jokes via the [[Achievements]], and more. There are certain to be many other discovered in the full 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.
		+	==Secret Level?==
−	===Rainbow Level===	+	It seems quite likely that some sort of [[Secret Level]] will be found in Diablo II, as an homage to the [[Secret Cow Level]] of Diablo II. Numerous hints have been seen, with jokes about rainbows and unicorns abounding in the game and from the developers, much of it spurred by the early [[art controversy]].
		+	* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?708777-The-secret-rainbow-level Rainbow Level forum thread from 2008]
−	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==		==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:	+	Diablo III uses more color, or at least uses color more obviously, than previous games in the series, and this spawned numerous fan debates shortly after the title was revealed in June 2008. The early screenshots and gameplay movies sparked the [[art controversy]] and angry online petitions, which Blizzard reacted to by defending their design choices.
−	* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''	+	* The [[Art controversy]] article goes into great detail on this topic.
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	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, but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as [[Leah]], who may on occasion follow the player into the fray during a quest.		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, but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as [[Leah]], who may on occasion follow the player into the fray during a quest.
		+
	==Quests==		==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.	+	[[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]] and adventures are spotted throughout the game, many of them randomly-generated each game, to add color and change up the gameplay.
	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.		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.
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	==Single Player and Multiplayer==		==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.	+	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 PvE game. (All PvP takes place in the Arena, a feature that will not be ready for use upon Diablo 3's launch.)
−	Game creation and group formation will be easier in Diablo III than in the past: it is mostly automated. Diablo III, being on "battle.net 2", is using a match-making system very similar to that which is seen in ladder play in [[StarCraft II]] or the dungeon finder in [[World of WarCraft]]. A player can choose a few options for their game, including whether or not they want it to be private, and which quest they would like to start on (if they don't wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing).	+	Game creation and group formation will be easier in Diablo III than in the past: it is mostly automated. Diablo III, being on "battle.net 2", is using a match-making system very similar to that which is seen in ladder play in [[StarCraft II]] or the dungeon finder in [[World of WarCraft]]. A player can choose a few options for their game, including whether or not they want it to be private, and which quest they would like to start on (if they don't wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing). Players can instantly join games in which people on their [[Friends List]] are playing.
−	Diablo III will take place over Battle.net. There is no offline mode: the game is online only. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will <u>not include LAN support</u>. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.	+	Diablo III will take place over Battle.net. There is no offline mode: the game is online only. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will <u>not include LAN support</u>. Though Blizzard always claims that this is a benefit, enabling greater player connectedness, most players regard it as an annoyance implemented as a security feature, since all Diablo III play requires players to possess a Battle.net account and valid cd-key.
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	[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]		[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
−	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.	+	All [[PvP]] in Diablo III takes place in the [[Arena]]. Unfortunately, this feature will not be included when Diablo III ships, as the developers could not get it ready in time for the launch.[http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3828550/Diablo_III_PvP_Update-09_03_2012#blog] Players loved the PvP demos at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011, so there are high hopes for this system once it's enabled.
−
−	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.
−	It has been stated by Blizzard however that the PvP Arena system will '''NOT''' be playable at launch, it is to be held back with plans to release it in a patch following the game's launch.[http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3828550/Diablo_III_PvP_Update-09_03_2012#blog]
	===Battle.net 2.0===		===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:	+	Battle.net 2.0 for Diablo III includes a [[Friends List]], numerous matchmaking and automatic game joining options, and limited [[chat channel]] support.
−	* [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.
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	=== Release Date ===		=== 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.	+	Diablo III will be released on May 15, 2012. This date was revealed on March 15, 2012, after several delays that pushed the initial release window back from the "second half of 2011" and then "early 2012."
−	More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.	+	* See the [[release date]] article for full details.
	=== System Requirements ===		=== System Requirements ===
−	* Windows XP compatible	+	See the [[System Requirements]] article for full details on minimum and recommended system specs for PC and Mac.
−	* Windows Vista compatible	+
−	* Mac OSX compatible	+	<center>
−	Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:	+	{|
−	* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.	+	| Windows Minimum Requirements:
−	* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.	+	* Windows® XP/Vista/7 (latest service packs) with DX 9.0c
−	* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.	+	* Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+
		+	* NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better
		+	* 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7)
		+	* 12 GB available HD space
		+	* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
		+	* Broadband* Internet connection
		+	* 1024x748 minimum resolution
		+
		+	| Mac Minimum Requirements
		+	* Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer
		+	* Intel® Core 2 Duo
		+	* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better
		+	* 2 GB RAM
		+	* 12 GB available HD space
		+	* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
		+	* Broadband* Internet connection1024x768 minimum resolution
		+	|}
		+	</center>
		+
		+
		+
		+	<center>
		+	{|
		+	|
		+	PC Recommended System Requirements
		+	* Windows® Vista/7 (latest service packs)
		+	* Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz
		+	* 2 GB RAM
		+	* NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better
		+
		+	|
		+	Mac Recommended System Requirements
		+	* Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer
		+	* Intel® Core 2 Duo
		+	* 2 GB RAM
		+	* NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better
		+
		+	|}
		+	</center>
		+
	===Diablo Beta Testing===		===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.	+	The [[Diablo 3 beta]] test began in early September, 2011, and continued through the end of the year and into 2012. The frequency of patches and number of beta testers increased dramatically in early 2012, as the game neared completion and balancing changes grew more frequent. The beta test is expected to continue until a week or two before the release on May 15, 2012.
−	General information on Blizzard beta tests and how to sign up for eligibility can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.	+	Prior to the start of the test, the developers had repeatedly said it would be a quick beta test, devoted largely to technical issues and Battle.net stress testing. That turned out to be very untrue.
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	Naturally, [[Blizzard Entertainment]] 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]].		Naturally, [[Blizzard Entertainment]] 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]].
		+	* See the [[D3 Team]] article for info on dozens of Diablo III's developers.

---

Revision as of 11:23, 18 March 2012

This is the Diablo 3 Basics page, which is the main Fact Sheet of known Diablo III information. This much-anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at Blizzard's WWI 2008 in Paris, during 27-28 June, 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the Diablo 3 news, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the Basics Section of the wiki, you can find that in the Basics Category.

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 more welcoming to new players, to ramp up the difficulty more smoothly, and to create a "deep and engaging" combat system. The Diablo III developers took inspiration from previous games in the series, as well as World of Warcraft, and other different games such as Zelda and God of War.

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo, you can find more related articles in the Basics Category

Character Classes

Blizzard confirmed that the game would ship with five characters, then introduced them over the first three years of development. They are the Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, and Wizard. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities.

The classes are very distinct from one another in look and function. All items of armor have a different appearance on each class (there are even some inter-class gender differences, mainly in the chest armor for obvious reasons). The skills are even more different, with around 25 entirely unique active skills for each class. Many of the passive skills were shared between classes during development, but over time they all differentiated as well.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, additional classes will be added in the expansions. See the Other classes article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

Barbarian
		The Barbarian - The one returning class is still a mighty brawler, but he's gained countless new tricks, with only a few skills returning, and all of them modified in various ways. Barbarian Skills Barbarian passive skills Resource: - Fury
Demon Hunter
		The Demon Hunter - The game's ranged weapon specialist, Demon Hunters are fast-moving archers with devastating offensive capabilities and a wide variety of tactical traps and demonic gadgets. Demon Hunter Skills Demon Hunter passive skills Resource: - Hatred & Discipline
Monk
		The Monk - The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from Ivgorod are holy warriors. Combining fast-hitting, melee-ranged martial arts with holy magics, auras, and defensive tactics. Monk Skills Monk passive skills Resource: Spirit
Witch Doctor
		The Witch Doctor - A mysterious class from the jungles of Teganze, the Witch Doctor wields a huge array of magical attacks, as well as the ability to mind control enemies and summon up pets to fight alongside him. Witch Doctor Skills Witch Doctor passive skills Resource: Mana
Wizard
		The Wizard - An evolutionary improvement from the Sorcerer and Sorceress seen in previous Diablo titles. Wizards boast an impressive array of offensive spells that are useful for every situation, as well as defensive spells and escape abilities that combine to create this murderous glass cannon. Wizard Skills Wizard passive skills Resource: Arcane Power

Skills

The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development, with the largest change coming late in the beta test, shortly before release. See the skill tree article for a full history. Characters can use up to six skills at once, and may cycle between them with only minimal cooldowns.

The biggest change from Diablo 2 comes from the runestone system, which enables every skill to be modified into five different forms, most of which are radically different in function from the base skill. This creates a vast number of possible builds, and with the easy respec system, players can try out all of the skills and rune effects, and switch between them as needed.

Each class has around 25 unique skills, which are unlocked at the rate of about one per level, from level 1 until level 30. Each skill has five rune effects which are unlocked every 5 or 6 levels, thus granting at least one and often three of four new abilities to try out every level up until the maximum level 60.

Passive skills are also unique to each class, and starting at level 10, they are unlocked one every few levels, all the way up to level 60. Characters can have up to 3 passive skills active, adding an additional passive skill slot at level 10, 20, and 30.

Skill Tree Respecs/Resets

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 characters can change around their skills as desired, with only minimal cooldowns to prevent this being done exploitatively.

Stats/Attributes

The biggest change to Diablo III attributes is their change to an automatically-allocated system. Players can not set their skill points, and instead gain 1 or 2 points in the four attributes with every level up. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players either experimented and "ruined' their character with sub-optimal choices, or else followed a cookie cutter style of build. (This is less of a problem after v1.13 added stat and skill respecs to Diablo II.)

In the early days of Diablo III, an inventory-like game system called the Talisman was stocked with items called charms, which added large bonuses to stats, but that system was shelved during development. Another system to add specific attributes was the enchants provided by the Mystic, but that system and the Mystic were also removed during development. As a result, players can only modify their stats with equipment bonuses, including those from socketed gems.

The names and function of the stats changed several times during development as well. (See the attributes article for details.) Ironically, after experimentation with up to five attributes, including a system where each attribute granted more or less identical bonuses to each class, the developers returned to the classic four attributes of Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, and Intelligence. The bonuses provided by these four differ considerably from their Diablo II form.

Skill Runes

Another system that underwent numerous changes during development; skill runes were items for most of Diablo III's development. These runes were small objects that were placed in skills, each of which had one socket. Once seated, the runestones changed the function of the skills, always improving them, in five different ways. Those runestones were called crimson, alabaster, indigo, golden, and obsidian.

Though the skill rune effects remained, the item-based runestone system was entirely removed during the beta, and replaced with a system where all of the rune effects are built into skills. They are thus part of the interface, and are "unlocked" one at a time, usually around 5-9 levels apart. Thus a base skill such as the Demon Hunter's Vault is unlocked at level 12, and the rune effects become available one at a time at levels 23, 31, 40, 48, and 53. (Figures subject to yet further change.)

Monsters

Diablo III has a great array of monsters, which can employ more intelligent behaviour to force players to use strategy during combat. In addition to the random boss encounters the series has made great use of, Diablo III adds numerous "mini-boss" encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the scripted appearance of the Thousand Pounder as seen in the WWI 2008 gameplay movie.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series.

• The Monsters Article has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
• Monster bosses are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
  • Boss modifiers are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

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. This will not be the case in the Arena, where Hardcore players will be able to duel as much as they like, without having to create softcore characters just to enjoy the arena fully.

One planned feature that didn't make it into the game were specially gruesome player fatalities, which some bosses were to have the ability to inflict when they killed players.

Difficulty Levels

There are four difficulty levels in Diablo III, Normal, Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno. Each difficulty level repeats the same game content, but with monsters, items, and everything else increased in level to keep scaling up the challenge. Normal is designed to be fairly easy, especially early on, to usher new players into the game and teach them the ropes without too much challenge. Difficulty starts to increase in Nightmare and Hell, and characters should max out at level 60 around the end of Hell. This controversial design choice removes the grinding to max level play system seen in Diablo and Diablo II.

Inferno is where the developers are planning to make things really interesting, with the entire difficulty level vastly harder than Hell, and all balanced to a largely "flat" curve. This should allow players to find challenging and rewarding end game content anywhere in the game, rather than forcing players to run the same few end bosses over and over again, as was the case in Diablo II.

End Game

Diablo III was designed with the end game in mind. The entire Inferno difficulty level is meant as one big PvE end game, with a flat difficulty curve opening up the entire game to high level play. The developers have also considered various systems to reward players for playing normal areas, rather than simply "running" the same few bosses over and over again.

While Inferno is meant to be quite challenging, and best played in co-op parties, nothing in Diablo III is being designed to require parties, such as the raid content seen in WoW. Other end game goodies include special Achievements, crafting recipes and items found only in Inferno, and the possible addition of additional high-end content via patches.

As Diablo III will *not* launch with any form of PvP, the long-anticipated Arena will not serve as an end game activity.

Items

Armor and weapons function much as they did in previous games in the series. Players find low level gear early on, and one of the major goals/enjoyments of playing is to find better quality gear and thus improve your character's performance. One big change to the appearance of armor is the elimination of exception and elite versions of gear. Unlike in Diablo II, Diablo III characters will not find the exact same looking armor repeated on each difficulty level. Instead there are 18 "tiers" of armor, organized into something the developers call gear sets.

Each gear set has a distinctive, organized look, and thus a character wearing all (or most) of say, gear set 14, would have a cohesive, coherent appearance as the items would match each other. The developers have released numerous screenshots of the classes in complete gear sets, and they are stylish indeed. It's less clear, in advance of playing the higher levels, just how often (if ever) a character will have most or all of the same gear set on, or if characters will always be clad in a mixture of different level equipment.

Item quality is similar to that of Diablo II, with item scarcity progressing normal > magical > rare > set > legendary (the new name for unique items). There should be more mixing and matching at the highest levels, with rare, set, and legendary items of approximately-equivalent quality, depending on the random mods they spawn with.

As there are no runes to socket into equipment, there are no runeword items, at least in D3v.

Item Crafting

Crafting returns in Diablo III, in a major game system that combines elements of the item crafting and item gambling systems from Diablo II. Players use the Blacksmith NPC Artisan to create semi-random weapons and armor, including (eventually) set items and legendary items. Each crafted item requires gold and materials, and crafted items all have some pre-set and some random mods, making the item creation a gamble that player may wish to repeat many times, in hopes of spawning an item with better modifiers.

The Blacksmith must first know the recipe to create the item, and these are taught to the Artisans by training them to higher levels, as well as by finding crafting plans, including rare ones, as drops from monsters and chests.

Armor and Weapon Types

• Armor: helms, shields, chest armor, gloves, 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, bracers, and pants.
  • New class-specific armor types: Mighty Belts for the Barbarian; Cloaks for the Demon Hunter; Spirit Stones (helms) for the Monk; Voodoo Masks for the Witch Doctor, and Wizard Hats for the Wizard.

• Weapons: Axes, Spears, Polearms, Swords, Maces, Bows, Crossbows, Wands, Shields. (There are no throwing weapons in D3v, and many of these weapon types have class limitations -- Monks can not use bows/xbows, only Wizards and Witch Doctors can use wands, etc. See the individual items pages for full details.)
  • New types of weapons: Fists, Daggers (no longer a type of sword).
  • New class-specific weapons: Mighty Weapons for Barbarians; Hand Crossbows for the Demon Hunter, Daibos and Fists for the Monk, and Ceremonial Knives for the Witch Doctor.
    • Class specific weapons, off-hand only: Mojos for the Witch Doctor, Orbs for the Wizard, Quivers for the Demon Hunter.

Other Items Information

• Runes are no longer found in Diablo III. They were never item socketables, but were socketed into skills, until a major system overhaul in early 2012.
• 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 large (though it shrunk from 5 to 3 pages during beta testing), and is shared between all characters on the same account. (But not HC and normal characters.)
• All gold and item drops from monsters, chests, quests, etc, are specific to your character. You only see items you can pick up, and do not see items for other characters, nor do they see yours.
  • Items dropped by a character are seen by all.
• Trading is supported, both between characters and in a much larger way through the Battle.net Auction House, which has two version, the gold and the real money version.
• Potions 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. Potions are intended for emergency use only, and players must learn to survive with life leech, hit point regeneration from equipment, and by using the health globes that monsters drop. Successful players must be a bit more cautious than they were in previous games of the series.

NPCs

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" to "listen."

Followers: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.

Artisans: Are special NPCs who craft items and provide other essential services, as well as much dialogue and information about the game world and quests. They are the Blacksmith and Jeweler, after the Mystic was removed during beta testing.

Locations

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 settlements. 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 Amazons), 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.

• 

  Dark Berserkers and a Grotesque in the Forgotten Tombs.

• 

  Several Walking Corpses.

• 

  Witch Doctor who's flameskulling some Walking Corpses.

Transportation

As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. Unlike Diablo II, there is only one movement speed, rather than a walk and run option. This speed can be increased with item mods and some skills, and there is no stamina drain while moving. There are no mounts in Sanctuary, to ride about the world at a higher rate of speed.

The main method of speedy transportation in the game comes from waypoints, of which there are dozens per act, many more than were found in Diablo II. Waypoints are tied to quests and there are multiple waypoints in connected areas, tied to each quest. For instance, a player can only use the waypoint to the start of an area, and then while clearing that area and deeper dungeons within it, additional waypoints will be encountered, for easy returns to town. This allows for more travel without cluttering up the waypoints menu with dozens of them, as well as preventing players from warping right to the end of a quest, Diablo 2 boss run style.

The town portal system evolved repeatedly during Diablo III's development. TPs were in as scrolls, then out entirely, then back in via the Stone of Recall system, then changed back to a town portal activated directly from the belt interface. See those pages for more details.

Another new travel option comes via the Banner system. Characters can drop their banner in the game at any location, and allow other players to warp directly to their banner, for easy party regrouping.

Easter Eggs

There are numerous small Easter Eggs already seen in Diablo III during the beta testing. These include funny item and monster names, developer names carved on headstones, inside jokes via the Achievements, and more. There are certain to be many other discovered in the full game.

Secret Level?

It seems quite likely that some sort of Secret Level will be found in Diablo II, as an homage to the Secret Cow Level of Diablo II. Numerous hints have been seen, with jokes about rainbows and unicorns abounding in the game and from the developers, much of it spurred by the early art controversy.

• Rainbow Level forum thread from 2008

Art Changes

Diablo III uses more color, or at least uses color more obviously, than previous games in the series, and this spawned numerous fan debates shortly after the title was revealed in June 2008. The early screenshots and gameplay movies sparked the art controversy and angry online petitions, which Blizzard reacted to by defending their design choices.

• The Art controversy article goes into great detail on this topic.

Story Line

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, Belial and Azmodan, 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.

Additional information on the story line can be seen within the Black Soulstone Cinematic.

Character Personalities

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, but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as Leah, 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 and adventures are spotted throughout the game, many of them randomly-generated each game, to add color and change up the gameplay.

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 PvE game. (All PvP takes place in the Arena, a feature that will not be ready for use upon Diablo 3's launch.)

Game creation and group formation will be easier in Diablo III than in the past: it is mostly automated. Diablo III, being on "battle.net 2", is using a match-making system very similar to that which is seen in ladder play in StarCraft II or the dungeon finder in World of WarCraft. A player can choose a few options for their game, including whether or not they want it to be private, and which quest they would like to start on (if they don't wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing). Players can instantly join games in which people on their Friends List are playing.

Diablo III will take place over Battle.net. There is no offline mode: the game is online only. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard always claims that this is a benefit, enabling greater player connectedness, most players regard it as an annoyance implemented as a security feature, since all Diablo III play requires players to possess a Battle.net account and valid cd-key.

Battle Arena

All PvP in Diablo III takes place in the Arena. Unfortunately, this feature will not be included when Diablo III ships, as the developers could not get it ready in time for the launch.[1] Players loved the PvP demos at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011, so there are high hopes for this system once it's enabled.

Battle.net 2.0

Battle.net 2.0 for Diablo III includes a Friends List, numerous matchmaking and automatic game joining options, and limited chat channel support.

Other Changes

Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:

• Chests 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 Corpse Explosion or Find Item, and bodies on the ground will vanish after certain 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 testing, price/payment methods and age rating.

Release Date

Diablo III will be released on May 15, 2012. This date was revealed on March 15, 2012, after several delays that pushed the initial release window back from the "second half of 2011" and then "early 2012."

• See the release date article for full details.

System Requirements

See the System Requirements article for full details on minimum and recommended system specs for PC and Mac.

Windows Minimum Requirements: Windows® XP/Vista/7 (latest service packs) with DX 9.0c Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7) 12 GB available HD space DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only) Broadband* Internet connection 1024x748 minimum resolution

Mac Minimum Requirements Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer Intel® Core 2 Duo NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better 2 GB RAM 12 GB available HD space DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only) Broadband* Internet connection1024x768 minimum resolution

PC Recommended System Requirements Windows® Vista/7 (latest service packs) Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz 2 GB RAM NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

Mac Recommended System Requirements Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer Intel® Core 2 Duo 2 GB RAM NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better

Diablo Beta Testing

The Diablo 3 beta test began in early September, 2011, and continued through the end of the year and into 2012. The frequency of patches and number of beta testers increased dramatically in early 2012, as the game neared completion and balancing changes grew more frequent. The beta test is expected to continue until a week or two before the release on May 15, 2012.

Prior to the start of the test, the developers had repeatedly said it would be a quick beta test, devoted largely to technical issues and Battle.net stress testing. That turned out to be very untrue.

Retail Price

The retail price for Diablo III is variable by region. It will be a "boxed" retail product (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60 USD, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route. Any pre-order for the game, currently, follows this trend.

The Collector's Edition of the game is retailing for $100 USD, plus any applicable taxes or service fees.

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 (ERSB) - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
• Europe (PEGI) - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
• Germany (USK) - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
• Read more in the ratings article.

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. 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 likely not 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 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 need for physical media, such as discs.

Who's in Charge?

Naturally, Blizzard Entertainment 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 quests & lore as well as designing the world of Sanctuary.

• See the D3 Team article for info on dozens of Diablo III's developers.

Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie

Whatever will come after Diablo III is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard is confident [2] 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...

Mike Morhaime said they would like to make Diablo III expansions annually[3], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

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:

• Diablo III news - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
• Media Coverage - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
• Diablo III Basics - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
• Diablo III FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
• Diablo 3 History - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

References

• Blizzard Press Release