Author:
Simulacrum
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Date:
6/21/2012 10:04:24 AM
Subject:
I wonder if it's possible for an entire company
to go
insane
.
1. Affixes are fine. Working as intended: "The variance in randomness and in the difficulty of the packs is completely intentional and we're happy with where things are right now." Okay, but one question: what does "variance in randomness" mean? I am unable to process this concept.
2. Leaving the game is acceptable, sort of. "Having to restart a game or skipping packs altogether is also totally fine. As you become more powerful, finesse your builds, and develop a variety of tactics to use in different situations, you'll be able to kill more monsters." If one leaves the game, won't the intentional "variance in randomness" occur? Maybe not. Anyway, having to quit and restart is an excellent design dynamic. More games should incorporate quitting and starting over for that compelling "sense of progression."
3. "We feel that making every affix combo equally difficult would take away the satisfaction of overcoming the more challenging combos later on." This statement is right up there with "variance in randomness" as proof that Blizzard employs the most advanced game designers in the world. I am unable to get my head around the apparent conflict between "variance in randomness" and this person's implied confidence that players will encounter predictable pack configurations "later on." Maybe Diablo 3 has a whole hidden Gothic world I'm not aware of. I will be on the lookout for it and report its location if I find it.
Now, I think here he's talking about Inferno. I'm only in Act 2 Hell. I had no intention of trying Inferno until I read this blue post. Now that I know how scientifically Blizzard has gone about the design of elite and champion packs and how I can find them at some predictable point in Blizzard's secret Gothic map when I become more powerful and learn finesse, I'm pretty excited about trying Inferno.
On the other hand, it may be that Blizzard has no idea what they're saying or doing, in which case I should end the game in Hell.
It's hard to decide. There's a definite "variance in randomness" here, which I'm sure is intentional and therefore ingenious.
