I agree it's an annoyance, but the game really isn't just a single player game anymore, it's more of a social game now. I also think the online requirement is just as much about their AH experiment as it is about DRM. To have the AH work like they intend they really need to keep cheating under control, which means the best way to do it is under their control, thus online.

The old Ruins were faithful to Diablo 1's Tristram(and Adria's hut).... Cant say the same about the actual monastery though....
Well they have Path OF Exile at least :D (Just a slightly more friendly Abilities system)

Well i finished the beta and is quite fun expacily with other players. I dont care if it made easier I hated in 2 where you ended up a character with a poor choice of skills.

Still getting Error 37.
Good job, Blizzard.

That's maximum number of players reached. Just keep spamming and hope you get through at a time when the max is down a bit.

a) "Maximum number of players" for what is a Single player game? Again, good job Blizzard.
b) I managed to get in eventually and got 3003 and 3004.

Not impressed, and I haven't even played the game yet.

Servers are too busy to let you play singleplayer? OH THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT THEY WORKED FOR YEARS...

I thought a second about downloading 15 gigs of that beta, but I think I'll pass.

If I was an asshole narcissist I would post in here about how I hate these clicky-clicky loot games and worry about the sanity of those who like them.

I would also call you all assholes for supporting the "always online"-ification of video games.

But luckily I am not an asshole narcissist and will therefore not post at all.

Highlights of the OB

-4 skills per mouse button for a total of 8 for combat per class
-4 more skills for the 1-4 keys
-Constant achievement bubbles blocking screen
-Rubberbanding enemies and players in the world
-so many health orbs you'll never die
-The randomization is moving the enemy's spawns no more than 3 tiles from there origins but all scripted encounters remain and the world is linear/static
-Story is pretty good, enemy types are reused far to often and combat quikcly became boring.
-Change skills mid battle like before wont happen. The game doesnt pause and it takes about 3-6 clicks to pick your new skill on the fly


I'm not buying this... very happy i got a chance to play ever class to 13 and see how sad its become from the original dream of Diablo 3... maybe someday but not now

realistically it looks like a cloudy WOW. It looks good, seriously a beautiful game.. animations are spot on and are very fluid and the spell/skill effects are wonderfully done... but it feels empty and rushed. The world effects are great and the colors fit the mood, a little cartoony but that allowed for more on screen at the cost of detail. Sound is great and hits are rewarding. As for music it sounds like a cheap Diablo 2 knock off, the deep classical feeling has been lost. Music choice is the only negative I can think of, otherwise a beautiful game smooth visuals and wonderful sound effects.

its overly simple and dumbed down version of Torchlight IMO... This is designed and setup for consolization you can feel it from the very first fight to your last encounter in the open beta.

IM still going for Grim Dawn next year, Torchlight 2 till then and Path of Exile.

OK, just done a few more quests :
Rescued Cain, and killed Blacksmith's wife.

Level 5 or 6 now, and just unlocked runes.

There's a LOT of scenery that can be shot with your spells - tables, book piles, statues...
Not actually found a reason for this other than mindless violence - no loot drops that I ever saw :\

I can't seem to find any way of creating temporary portals back to town to sell loot...oversight? Or am I missing something?

Would be good if the only hour I could play it they didn't close it for f**king maintenance!
You get town portals a bit later.

You'll get town portal later.

For those who want to play it that way - I'm pretty sure there are plenty that don't give a hoot about multi - yes, it is. Just because you may not care doesn't mean others feel the same way.

In that same sense, just because you choose to play it that way, doesn't mean it is. I can play World of Warcraft as a single player game just fine for the most part. That doesn't make it a single player game.

I get that it doesn't add a value to you and just takes away if you're intending to play it like that, but to me, at least in the way they are doing it, there's some reasoning and structure behind it, which puts it miles ahead of the 'Always Online' DRM that's just there to check whether your copy is legit or not.

Naturally this is a matter of 'degrees'. It *is* Always online, and I can certainly admit that will be annoying for the people who were intending to play this as a single player game. But if you are, then at least admit that this game wasn't designed to be *just* that. It's designed to be a multiplayer experience as well, and sadly, some of that design requires them to keep a rather strict control on the game. (the AH mostly I imagine)