Diablo 3: Immortal or Short Lived?

It's not easy to create lasting appeal for a game. In a culture overflowing with short attention spans and an unquenchable thirst for new content, developers need to be constantly innovating to provide replay value. While Diablo 3 is a solid game that provides more than the average amount of fun, it is doomed to a short lived large following.

The game suffers from two main problems, balancing and endgame content. The imbalance in the character classes arises from the way the games damage is structured and perceived advantages to classes that don't truly exist in full.

All skill damage is based on the damage of your main weapon. This largely favors melee classes, as their weapons are almost always much more powerful. This mechanic also suffers from the fact that certain key class weapons (like Ceremonial Knives) cannot be found within many level ranges. This means that for a period of levels, you will be using underpowered weapons and thus doing underpowered damage. This almost exclusively hurts ranged classes as they are really the only ones who should stick to specific weapon types. The melee classes also have the benefit of higher armor than ranged classes, making them even better in contrast.

All of these factors are generally the case in most RPGs, but are balanced by the non-melee attribute of ranged attacks that allow you to stay out of harm’s way. While this works in most games, and should in theory work for Diablo 3, it does not. The truth is that even ranged classes like the Wizard or Witch Doctor are constantly surrounded by hoards of enemies.

The camera zoom also furthers this dilemma. Since you are not capable of seeing enemies more than a short distance away from your character, you often stumble into large groups without being able to initiate the battle from a safe ranged position.

I will grant that in the later difficulties (mainly Hell), kiting enemies is a little harder with melee classes. However, given that probably 90% of the game is played while not on Hell difficulty, this isn't enough to balance the classes out.

As mentioned earlier, the game also lacks enticing endgame content. There are no raids, no exceptionally hard dungeons, and no content that you haven’t completed in your previous playthroughs. Yes there are 5 classes, but as each might not appeal to every player, you are left twiddling your thumbs once they are all done.

The way that many RPGs, especially MMORPGs, solve this problem is with player verse player (PvP). PvP gives you a reason to go out and waste 5 days collecting all that super sweet best gear. In the PvP model, you get better gear to more effectively win ever-changing games against opponents who are also constantly upgrading their gear.

Without PvP, upgrading your character's gear once you have hit max level serves no true purpose. In essence, you are getting better gear just to get better gear. These upgrades will not allow you to do anything you haven't already done, and no one will notice but yourself. Once you have done everything, what's the point of being more powerful?

And now to anticipate the raging criticism all diehard Diablo fans have been wanting to scream at me by this point; yes, Diablo 2 possessed the same problems. And yes, it remained popular for years. But ask yourself who it remained popular with, and how many people really played it past it's glory days?

As with any game, there will always be a portion of the population that consider themselves to be extreme fans. Maybe they like the storyline, maybe the gameplay, or maybe they ration themselves to one game every  ten years. Either way, this select group dedicated individuals is not enough to declare a game without fault, but only to acknowledge that it possessed something special. Diablo 3 definitely has something special, but not for all of us, and I think not for long.

Battlefield 3: Close Quarters Pre-Release Thoughts

          We are now just a single day away from the release of the new Battlefield 3 Close Quarters DLC. I have tried to remain hopeful and postpone spreading the bad news, but I can wait no longer.
          Battlefield has a few great advantages over other more conventional shooters like those in the Call of Duty franchise. These advantages take the form of huge sandbox maps, vehicles, and more tactical gameplay centered around a loose class system. The release of DLC devoted entirely to close quarters combat (CQC or CQB), effectively neglects these advantages and attempts to provide gameplay that cannot rival other titles who are entirely dedicated towards it.
          No one plays Battlefield for room to room combat. That's not what the game is, and that's not what it will have success in being. The gunplay, weapon handling, and firing mechanics in games such as Modern Warfare 3 far exceed what Battlefield 3 is capable of and, more importantly, capable of impressing people with in this area. the simple fact is, when you take away vehicles and huge maps, you also take away the major components and benefits to each of the games classes, leaving you with a FPS that is no more than decent.
       With an already overwhelming amount of people using either the viciously powerful Assault class or just shooting rockets down hallways with Engineer all game, it is my hope that the new DLC won't further these trends. Had it been me in the conference room, I would have voted for more vehicles, more stuff to blow up, and more space to do it in.

Diablo 3 Imbalanced Classes

          Every game has its flaws, even the great ones. To me, Diablo 3's most obvious flaw lies within its class balancing. Every class is powerful, and perfectly capable of holding its own with the right build, but the melee classes are noticeably better, especially the Monk. Blizzard must have picked up this scent as well, having just nerfed the Monk, but the different it has made is minimal. Barbarians and Monks still dominate the field, while the ranged classes get rick-rolled when it hits the fan. The Wizard is probably the best of the ranged classes, owing to its heavy AoE focus, but still can't compare to melee. The Barbarian and Monk both do crazy damage, can knock enemies back constantly (basically becoming ranged fighters), and in many instances can constantly heal themselves. I'm not sure if you guys feel the same way, but it's pretty hard to miss for me.

The Easy Way Out

          In my opinion, gaming has quickly become less about fun and testing yourself, and more about leader boards and easy kills. From developers to players, we have created a gaming culture in which the easiest path is obvious and encouraged. This sentiment is seen in almost no other sport, however. You didn't see Barry Bonds get away with corking his bat, and you won't see steroids legitimized for pro football players. You do, however, see quick scoping work its way back into Call of Duty, and the ability to buy all Battlefield 3 vehicle upgrades from the live marketplace. Is it just me, or is the industry handing out god mode passes to anyone interested? Players have apparently lost touch with the good old philosophies of earning your keep, and taking the road less traveled.

          RTSs have always been a passion of mine. There is nothing quite like winning a game with pure tactics and battlefield creativity. It is strange to me that a simple board game such as chess has survived through the ages, while the RTS genre, its gaming equivalent, appears to be running on empty almost from the start. I enjoy getting multi kills in Halo as much as the next guy, but after a few hours of exerting my dominant reaction time, my mind craves a challenge as well.

          Let me be clear about this from the start; I’m not saying that FPSs don’t challenge you or require a certain set of skills to become proficient in. The fundamental difference between many modern FPSs and most other video game genres is the degree to which a person lacking experience or real skill can overcome their handicap by simply picking better gear. How else do you explain the rampant use of guns like Modern Warfare 3’s ACR and FMG9s? These guns are no frill, death machines, tailored to maximize kills, and minimize effort in doing so. To me, that's what it seems to be all about these days, minimizing effort. The ACR is pinpoint accurate, shoots fast,, has a large clip, and does decent damage. With this gun in your hand, good aim or the ability to control for recoil are not necessary to have an extremely successful game. Similarly, the FMG9 akimbo shoots incredibly fast (doubly so with akimbo), has a tiny hipfire reticle, and has a huge magazine. The FMG9 akimbo as a secondary is better than many of the primary weapons on smaller maps. Now I understand that certain players find themselves outmatched by more experienced players, and use these guns to gain an edge. This playstyle is fine to me. Where the problem arises is after the match ends and these same people talk trash about how much they pwned you. To talk trash with an ACR in your hand, is much like bringing a gun to a knife fight and bragging that you won. Oh, and one more thing: modded controllers…..enough said.

Full editorial written for TalkingAboutGames. See the rest at http://talkingaboutgames.com/?p=24486

Hater Blocking, Without Hater Blockers

          So I noticed you’ve been catching a lot of flak for doing so well on online. I’m sure you’re wondering how I noticed this. *Hides camera* Don’t worry, I have my sources. What’s more important here is your lack of adequate retorts. Well yes, it CAN be hard to come up with the perfect one liner to send them to the corner with a “Dunce” cap, but luckily I’m here to help. I may not be the best player out there (then again I might be), but I know how to handle myself in game chat, which can sometimes be more useful. Now let’s make one thing clear, I’m not advocating for trash talk…..I’m advocating for reverse trash talk. After all, they started it. Here’s a breakdown of how to deflect all that hate coming your way:

Insult about your mother (classic opener):

          The important thing here is to stay calm. Like Dorothy Mantooth, your mother is a saint so don’t believe their lies. What you want to do now is claim you have no mother; come up with a better childhood story (sorry mom). For example, you were raised by a pair of endangered white Bengal tigers. When these tigers came under poacher attach, you were separated forever and forced to join civilized society under the moderation of your court appointed guardian Roy Horn. To this day, you search for your furry parents. People won’t know how to handle this response. Maybe they say something mean about the tigers, whatever, you weren’t raised by tigers, stupid them. Keep the story going if you have to. Eventually you will probably get some laughs from the rest of the game lobby, dissuading the incoming hate even more.

Want to read the rest? Visit http://talkingaboutgames.com/?p=24232 for my full editorial.

Gamers Dating Gamers

          Today I want to talk about girls. Now I know this isn't really a gamer's area of expertise, but I'm going to put my best, and probably most futile, effort into warning you about something you may stumble upon if you leave the basement to get another six-pack of Mountain Dew.

          It's not girls in general that you need to be warned about, God knows your parents have probably tried awkwardly at that already, but young ladies who call themselves gamers. If you consider yourself to be a gamer, I'm sure you'd like to find a girlfriend who's a gamer as well. Am I right? WOAH there! That was a trick question, and see how easy I have caught you off guard? Let's examine this further.

          So you meet a girl, and she says she's a gamer. Ok, fair enough, but how much of a gamer? A girl once described herself to me as a gamer, and when asked what she played, she hit me with "Mario Kart." As I recall, I was drinking something and nearly choked. For the ladies reading this, that does not qualify you to even jokingly refer to yourself as a gamer. While Mario Kart is admittedly a fantastic game, it is more of a pastime. That's like saying you are an excellent pilot based on your computer flight sim. Moving on.

          So we have got those posers out of the way, but what if they aren't lying? This path could be even more detrimental to your potential future relationship.....with your console or PC. You ask her if she's a gamer, she says yes, and drops all the right names. You're love struck. You're booty blinded. She asks you out. Your mouth managers to spit out the word "yes" through your drool. Life seems great, until you realize you've created a monster. You play games a lot, right? So does she. You want to finish your campaign tonight, right? So does she. It's a matter of sheer physics. There's one Xbox, one copy of Skyrim, and two people that want to play it. Ladies and gentleman, we have reached an impasse. So let this be a warning, if you are going to date a gamer, make sure you've got the hardware to support the relationship, and I'm not just talking about the bedroom (unless you have a console there).

          Now that we have gotten to the real meat of the issue, it's time for the proverbial double rainbow "what does this mean?" It means that the secret lies, as it usually does, in moderation. If you plan on exhibiting none in your gaming life, you better find someone who does. Find the girls that get bored after two games, they won't tie up the Xbox all night. Or look for the ones that stick to handheld gaming, they make for nice company while you play real games. If none of this works for you, long distance may be a good fallback.

Like My Blog? Check This Out!

          If you like my blog, you will like some of the latest content from the awesome gaming website TalkingAboutGames.com (TAG). I have recently begun writing editorials for TAG, featuring many of the same topics you will find on this blog. The website is still in the beginning stages, but already has a good following that continues to grow. If you are looking for a great gaming website, check out TAG and don't forget to look for my editorials (look for "Written by Nick Krone").