D3 Beta Updates

[Tuftears]

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4325959/..._2012#blog

• Removing the Mystic artisan. Probably coming back in an expansion.
  
• No more Cauldron of Jordan or Nephalem Cube. You'll use the Stone of Recall, now called Town Portal, to go back to town and have the Blacksmith salvage your found loot.
  
• Stats changed. They will now have Strength (barbarian damage, armor), Dexterity (monk and demon hunter damage, dodge), Intellect (wizard and witch doctor damage, health from globes), and Vitality (increases your overall health).
  

Probably a bunch of other smaller things. They're adding a 5th quickslot dedicated just for potions but it doesn't actually work in Beta patch 10, evidently, and will in future patches. Yay beta?

[Sekel]

For me personally there is another huge change:

Scrolls of Identification are no longer in the game. Unidentified items and the act of identifying them is still very much part of the game, but now when obtaining an unidentified item you'll simply right click it, a short cast timer will occur as your character examines the item, and it will become identified. We love the double-discovery of finding a present and then unwrapping it, but we don't think it requires a physical item you have to find and keep in your bags to get the same effect. From now on you'll just be able to inherently identify all your items, no need to carry scrolls. Your character in Diablo III is just that badass now.

From all comments Ive read, players are really pleased with this change, but I have to shed a tear. ID in Cain or by scrolls was an important part of the gameplay in D1. Player have to check his inventory and plan visits in town and in IM oh my... good ID scrolls management was pillar of a success in IM game. Even in D2 player have to keep an eye on ID scrolls count in tome. Now its gone. Next step for increasing pace of the game is obviously drop of already identified items. The characters become that badass, that they can identify items from a distance. Cant you imagine that? Well, I can since NOW right click to ID items becomes really something superfluous. There is no real reason why to click on item to identify, when there is no magic around it ...
I never ever critised changes for Diablo 3. Never. And Im not going to start right now. But since I dont like D2 that much, every change which pushes D3 closer to D2 system (removing new features like Cauldron of Jordan or Nephalem Cube, putting back old stats) makes me little bit nervous.

BTW: If you did not visit official Battlenet D3 forum yet, do not even try. Its full of ehm ... members .... posting bullshits to pay Bashioks (community manager) attention or begging for Beta access. Sometimes I wonder, if their displayed intelligence is not some kind of character playing or something like that.

A week ago, I installed D1 again and went to see Ogden. Guess what he told me? "Much has changed since you lived here, my friend". Well, it does.

[RTM]

For me personally there is another huge change:

Scrolls of Identification are no longer in the game. Unidentified items and the act of identifying them is still very much part of the game, but now when obtaining an unidentified item you'll simply right click it, a short cast timer will occur as your character examines the item, and it will become identified. We love the double-discovery of finding a present and then unwrapping it, but we don't think it requires a physical item you have to find and keep in your bags to get the same effect. From now on you'll just be able to inherently identify all your items, no need to carry scrolls. Your character in Diablo III is just that badass now.

From all comments Ive read, players are really pleased with this change, but I have to shed a tear. ID in Cain or by scrolls was an important part of the gameplay in D1. Player have to check his inventory and plan visits in town and in IM oh my... good ID scrolls management was pillar of a success in IM game. Even in D2 player have to keep an eye on ID scrolls count in tome. Now its gone. Next step for increasing pace of the game is obviously drop of already identified items. The characters become that badass, that they can identify items from a distance. Cant you imagine that? Well, I can since NOW right click to ID items becomes really something superfluous. There is no real reason why to click on item to identify, when there is no magic around it ...
I never ever critised changes for Diablo 3. Never. And Im not going to start right now. But since I dont like D2 that much, every change which pushes D3 closer to D2 system (removing new features like Cauldron of Jordan or Nephalem Cube, putting back old stats) makes me little bit nervous.

I thought about this too. In D2 I always sold my Tome of Identify right after rescuing Cain, but looking back on it, running over to him and having him ID all my items was something I looked forward to when returning to town. His 'Stay awhile and listen!' comment even triggered a twinge of guilt when I would run up to him, ID my items, and run off all in one swift motion. Sure it's kind of a clunky mechanic but it made sense in the game world. Assuming Deckard Cain follows you around from act to act after rescuing him, I don't see why they can't just do the same thing.

Are they allowing unidentified items on the AH? That was the only reason to not ID an item that I can think of- in D2, an unID'd item would often be more valuable than a crappy ID'd one.