I don't think you took my comment as intended. The point is you can only play online. The point is you are forced to socialize, as said by Blizzard themselves. The point is you cannot play traditional singleplayer.

lol Blizzard say there is no difference in a player and a gold farmer : Link

While I get the forced online part (and don't like it) where is the forced socialization?

The way I understand; it, the confusion seems to be between players and cows ( as in milking the cow" )

Read the thread through, I posted the quote.

I despise multiplayer but I played and loved Diablo 1 and I beat Diablo 2 (but didn't think it was all that).

Was going to buy Diablo 3 but I will not if there isn't a way to install and play it without requiring the internet. (If I can install and then crack it and back it up then that'll work)

but always online? F no. That's why I don't play SC2.

The only multiplayer I have ever enjoyed was years ago at LAN parties.

I largely stopped playing FPS during that period where iD and the other folks decided that it was more interesting to devote themselves to death matches than to work on the AI necessary to make for a compelling single player experience.

They did back off on that, but I wonder how many folks just stopped playing those games as a result. Some people just don't want the stress of competing with other folks that might be griefers or trolls.

Yeah, but that's not really dumbing down though, is it? Games like Oblivion were dumbed down as they removed a lot of content from their predecessors as well as streamlining and refining.

As you say, it's all still there, just in a way that doesn't require reading the manual to understand. It's the product of good design and that so often is mistaken for dumbing down when I really don't feel that's the case.

The problem is that a lot of the deeper games out there always used to be created by people who knew fuck all about design. Now things like interface design is a whole separate career path unto itself. The result of that should be games that are more easily understood.

Of course there are an ever increasing number of games focussing on mass market appeal as the foremost consideration. So these improvements have often gone hand in hand with actual dumbing down. I just think it's important to differentiate the two as even the most hardcore sim can learn a lot from modern big budget mainstream games.

No worries, none taken.. I do sound like a fanboy though... :(

I've not played a LAN game for 4-5 years now, maybe that's why I couldn't care less about it.

You'll be able to get everything in-game. It is like the WoW auction, but with real money. You never ever have to use it if you don't like. :p

I realize this, but it will make online multiplayer a lot less enjoyable for me. There was always a sense of competition.

That's true, I agree... Just saying that it is not mandatory, everything that would sell there would be drop-able in the game.

Oh, and rich, lazy gamers will use it, so you could make some money through it. :D

I agree with you, though. I also dislike microtransaction stuf, but the ability to sell doesn't seem bad at all.

Been a blizzard fan for 10+ years now, and even I feel they will abuse that system. Though we will never truly know, but for me the only reason for me playing the game would be for online play, sadly.

I guess the thought of using the game as a second job just doesn't appeal to me.

When I find a 9 page thread I usually read the first couple pages and then jump in. I trust you, though. I was just curious.