08-16-2011, 05:13 AM
At what point did I say Blizzard worked for free? It's fine that you don't understand my position, but please don't try to insinuate things that aren't there.
My "principles" with regard to Blizzard's games of late are that their design decisions do not mesh with what I have come to expect from Blizzard based upon their past games. In essence, they've been taking steps backwards in many key areas, rather than forwards. As such, I'm torn between the decision to support a company I largely disagree with in terms of design decisions, and striving to find enjoyment through gaming - regardless of the company behind it. I'm cynically optimistic about Diablo III - not that I think it will be the Holy Grail of the Diablo franchise, but that there will be enough good to outweigh the bad (at least enough for me to get my money's worth out of the game). I'd probably still be playing Diablo II if not for the (IMHO) detrimental changes they've made in "recent" patches. I suppose one of the best examples I can give is sacrificing D2 Classic in favor of Lord of Destruction. From that point on it was a series of negative changes, oftentimes interspersed with some positives. Butchering the functionality of Firewall and Blaze for the sake of "performance" on "legacy" systems, when the game itself was already in the "legacy" stage of its lifetime, is another great example.
If these sorts of design decisions (and, perhaps more importantly, the reasoning behind them) don't bother you then I cannot expect you to "understand the hate". That does not make the "hate" any less valid, just as I do not condemn you for being vehemently excited about Diablo III. To hear a lead designed of a game company say such things as "We couldn't balance skill attributes, so we're taking them out" with a straight face, and not even have a very convincing argument as to WHY they felt it was better to do so rather than pursue an alternate course, is galling to me. Ditto with regards to "no weapon switching, because D2 players found it too confusing". There are numerous other examples. Even the Rune system, which I am genuinely intrigued by and most looking forward to, is potentially going to be scrapped because they can't make up their minds on how best to implement it. In essence, they keep chirping the same Blizzard motto of "It's not done until it's done, and it's not done until we've made the best game we can," but the entire meaning behind that phrase is lost when they sacrifice quality gameplay for lack of ability to implement it.
My biggest problem with buying D3 (and this applies only to me) is that I would actively be supporting a gaming company I no longer feel has my best interests, as a gamer, in mind. I remember the prophetic words of Max Schaefer when asked if they (Blizzard) knew better than their players what makes a good game (or something to that effect), and his answer was an astounding "Yes." The arrogance, when backed by seeming laziness and/or incompetence, flies in the face of what ANY company should be striving for - whether it's in game design, automotive service, anything.
It may be said that I am being too critical (though there are far more people who share views similar to my own and you might think), but you should also keep in mind that I'm saying this about a company I once regarded with the utmost of respect. I just feel they've not grown in a positive way throughout the years. It's akin to watching a beloved friend start hanging with the "wrong crowd", making decisions that negatively impact their life despite them showing greater wisdom in the past than they are exercising in the present.
As I said, I'm still going to buy Diablo III, because I see potential for an enjoyable game, and I do not feel SO strongly against Blizzard that I'm going to sacrifice my own potential enjoyment just to state a principle. The Blizzard of today is an entirely different beast than it was when Diablo came out, and when Diablo II came out. Whether that's a good thing or not, overall, remains to be seen. I intend to give Diablo III a chance, because it's a franchise I love and some of the gameplay looks to be rather enjoyable. I don't have to be supportive of the company behind the game, however, especially when everything about them seems to indicate they value profit over integrity.
My "principles" with regard to Blizzard's games of late are that their design decisions do not mesh with what I have come to expect from Blizzard based upon their past games. In essence, they've been taking steps backwards in many key areas, rather than forwards. As such, I'm torn between the decision to support a company I largely disagree with in terms of design decisions, and striving to find enjoyment through gaming - regardless of the company behind it. I'm cynically optimistic about Diablo III - not that I think it will be the Holy Grail of the Diablo franchise, but that there will be enough good to outweigh the bad (at least enough for me to get my money's worth out of the game). I'd probably still be playing Diablo II if not for the (IMHO) detrimental changes they've made in "recent" patches. I suppose one of the best examples I can give is sacrificing D2 Classic in favor of Lord of Destruction. From that point on it was a series of negative changes, oftentimes interspersed with some positives. Butchering the functionality of Firewall and Blaze for the sake of "performance" on "legacy" systems, when the game itself was already in the "legacy" stage of its lifetime, is another great example.
If these sorts of design decisions (and, perhaps more importantly, the reasoning behind them) don't bother you then I cannot expect you to "understand the hate". That does not make the "hate" any less valid, just as I do not condemn you for being vehemently excited about Diablo III. To hear a lead designed of a game company say such things as "We couldn't balance skill attributes, so we're taking them out" with a straight face, and not even have a very convincing argument as to WHY they felt it was better to do so rather than pursue an alternate course, is galling to me. Ditto with regards to "no weapon switching, because D2 players found it too confusing". There are numerous other examples. Even the Rune system, which I am genuinely intrigued by and most looking forward to, is potentially going to be scrapped because they can't make up their minds on how best to implement it. In essence, they keep chirping the same Blizzard motto of "It's not done until it's done, and it's not done until we've made the best game we can," but the entire meaning behind that phrase is lost when they sacrifice quality gameplay for lack of ability to implement it.
My biggest problem with buying D3 (and this applies only to me) is that I would actively be supporting a gaming company I no longer feel has my best interests, as a gamer, in mind. I remember the prophetic words of Max Schaefer when asked if they (Blizzard) knew better than their players what makes a good game (or something to that effect), and his answer was an astounding "Yes." The arrogance, when backed by seeming laziness and/or incompetence, flies in the face of what ANY company should be striving for - whether it's in game design, automotive service, anything.
It may be said that I am being too critical (though there are far more people who share views similar to my own and you might think), but you should also keep in mind that I'm saying this about a company I once regarded with the utmost of respect. I just feel they've not grown in a positive way throughout the years. It's akin to watching a beloved friend start hanging with the "wrong crowd", making decisions that negatively impact their life despite them showing greater wisdom in the past than they are exercising in the present.
As I said, I'm still going to buy Diablo III, because I see potential for an enjoyable game, and I do not feel SO strongly against Blizzard that I'm going to sacrifice my own potential enjoyment just to state a principle. The Blizzard of today is an entirely different beast than it was when Diablo came out, and when Diablo II came out. Whether that's a good thing or not, overall, remains to be seen. I intend to give Diablo III a chance, because it's a franchise I love and some of the gameplay looks to be rather enjoyable. I don't have to be supportive of the company behind the game, however, especially when everything about them seems to indicate they value profit over integrity.
Roland *The Gunslinger*