It's obviously been a while since I've played this...

So I just started a new character using the new .exe of the game and died in the first levels. I had to quit the game then and "restart". My character was reset to zero.

Is this normal? Like how it used to be? Is this game permadeath now?


I'm confused...

When you die, you reload your last save, or start from scratch if you didn't save your game. You're probably used to how it works in Diablo II. In the first game you can save at any point (you don't have to quit the game) and when you reload you are at the exact point where you saved and the location doesn't "reset" (like in D2).

it always had been "permadeath", you need to save often, get into the habboit of saving at least at the start of each level., and after a rare drop, huge fight etc. Multiplayer will let you do gather your things, but if no one on your party has space in their inventory to bring to you in town, you're runniing to the location naked basically.

In single player it is important to Save your game while you are alive. And always choose Load Game when you want to continue your character. Do not click "New Game" from the main game menu. You must click Load Game.

If you accidentally click New Game, exit back to the main menu and choose Load Game.

Just make a multiplayer character, it's better. When you die, you respawn naked with your inventory but not the items that you were wearing...you can then go back to get your equipment...if you manage not dying again before that :p
Much more fun...and the added bonus of being able to play with friends.

Plus your friends can resurrect you... without nicking your stuff if they're generous.

You don't need to use battle.net for LAN play.

Hmm true plus lan and bnet are the same chars, right ?

Yes, all forms of multiplayer (battle.net, LAN, modem, serial) use the same characters. Only SP is special.

Ipxwrapper is your friend:
http://www.solemnwarning.net/ipxwrapper/