Information Thread [updated Sep. 19th, 2008]

[Jed K]

A resource of currently known/verified Diablo 3 information. You can either scroll down or click on one of the links below to open that section in a new window.

Official FAQ
Media
Locations
Bestiary
Story, Overview, Gameplay, User Interface

[Jed K]

Official FAQ
Taken from http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/faq/

What is Diablo III?
We’re developing Diablo III to be the definitive action role-playing game, and a true continuation of the Diablo series. Players will create a hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian or witch doctor, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. As these heroes adventure through rich and varied settings, unraveling an epic storyline and engaging in combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, they’ll grow in experience and ability and acquire items of incredible power.

The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced the armies of the Burning Hells -- and were fortunate enough to survive -- went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again.

Diablo III will be a fitting sequel to Diablo II, with the easy interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy. It will also include many new features that will take the Diablo action-RPG experience to the next level. We look forward to going into much more detail on our plans for Diablo III as development on the game progresses.


What’s new about Diablo III compared to the previous Diablo games?
Exciting new classes like the witch doctor bring new gameplay options to the table. Returning classes, like the barbarian, have been completely redone with new skills to give them a feel unique to Diablo III. New customization options will provide for an even greater level of character specialization than the previous Diablo games, allowing the player to create unique characters brimming with power.

Diablo III is powered by a new graphics engine that can display characters and hordes of monsters in lush, fully 3D environments. Powerful special-effects systems and Havok-powered physics allow the player to lay waste to the Hells' minions in spectacular ways.

Also, Diablo III builds on the random environments of the previous Diablo games by introducing a host of new ways to create random scripted events throughout the game. This creates a dense and exciting world alive with quests, NPCs, dynamic encounters, and viciously challenging new monsters and bosses. Diablo III's environments add a great deal of interactivity to the game, including destructible elements and environmental obstacles that can be turned against your enemies.

In addition, Diablo III will benefit from Battle.net upgrades that will provide some exciting new features for players. Cooperative online play remains a primary focus, with multiple enhancements being planned to make connecting with your friends easier and cooperative gameplay even more fun. We'll have more details on all these aspects as well as other exciting new features at a later date.


Can you give an overview of Diablo III's storyline?
It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.


Will there be any other familiar faces in Diablo III (other than Deckard Cain)?
Yes. Players will encounter several new characters as well as a number of characters from the previous games.


Will players be visiting any familiar locations in Diablo III, such as Tristram?
Yes, definitely. Players will return to Tristram and certain other locations from the previous games, and they'll be exploring new areas of Sanctuary as well.


How many character classes are included in Diablo III? What are they?
Five character classes will be included in the game, two of which, the barbarian and witch doctor, were revealed when the game was announced at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. The other classes will be announced at a later date.


Will players be able to choose the gender of their character, regardless of class?
Yes. Players will be able to create male and female characters for all five classes.


Will Diablo III be playable over Battle.net? What new features can we expect?
Yes, Diablo III will be playable over Battle.net, and Battle.net will offer some exciting new features to enhance players' Diablo III experience. We'll announce specifics and go into much more detail at a later date.


Will there be a single-player component in addition to multiplayer?
Yes. In addition to battling the hordes of the Burning Hells cooperatively with friends over Battle.net, players will be able to adventure through the world of Diablo III solo. More details on both the single-player and multiplayer experience will be revealed at a later date.


What will questing be like in Diablo III? Will it be similar to Diablo II?
Our plans for the story and quest mechanics are still under wraps. We'll go into detail on those elements of the game at a later date. We can say, however, that we expect to have class-based quests in addition to the main story-line quests.


What engine is Diablo III running on? What graphical enhancements are included?
Diablo III runs on a custom 3D game engine for rendering full-3D characters and environments. The 3D game engine not only simulates advanced animation sequences and sound effects, but also uses a custom physics engine that allows for realistic object dynamics and cloth simulation.


What are the system requirements for Diablo III?
We'll announce specific system requirements at a later date.


When will Diablo III be released?
It's too early to estimate Diablo III's release date. As with all Blizzard Entertainment games, our goal is to create a game that is as fun, balanced, and polished as possible. We intend to take as much time developing Diablo III as is necessary to ensure the game meets our own high expectations and those of our players.


Will the game be released in multiple countries? Will the release be simultaneous? Which countries and what languages will Diablo III be localized in?
As with all of our games, our goal with Diablo III is to release the game simultaneously in as many regions as possible, and to localize the game in several languages. We'll have more details to share about countries, languages, and specific dates as we get closer to release.


Will Diablo III be available on Windows and Mac simultaneously?
Yes. As with all of Blizzard Entertainment's recent releases, Diablo III will ship for both Windows and Mac simultaneously.


How much will Diablo III cost? Where can I buy this game?
Pricing and availability for Diablo III will be determined and announced closer to the release of the game.

[Jed K]

SCREENSHOTS
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/media/screenshots.xml

ARTWORK
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/media/artwork.xml

WALLPAPERS
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/media/#wallpapers


1024x768 / 1152x864 / 1280x800
1280x960 / 1280x1024 / 1440x900
1600x1200 / 1680x1050 / 1920x1200

MOVIES
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/media/#movies

DECKARD CAIN'S JOURNAL
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/lore/journal.xml

WORLD MAP

[Jed K]

NEW TRISTRAM

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:We have all heard the tales associated with Tristram. The very mention of its name brings to mind images of undead monstrosities, demonic possession, monarchy driven to lunacy, and, of course, the greatest legend of all: the Lord of Terror unleashed. Although many now claim that a peculiar mold upon the bread or perhaps a fouling of the water drove the populace mad with visions, I have seen too much in my varied travels to dismiss such stories out of hand. It is within this context, then, that I have to say my journey to what is now called "New Tristram" was somewhat of a disappointment.

New Tristram has been in existence for several years, though the exact date of its founding is unclear. Originally simply a collection of merchants looking to profit on adventurers and travelers drawn by legends of riches within the old cathedral, it slowly set down roots and became an established town. As soon as the cathedral was looted bare, however, the adventurers and travelers stopped coming, and New Tristram found itself in decline. The town is now comprised mostly of depressing shacks; the inn is the only building that looks even the least bit habitable.

Before I took my leave of this dreary place, I was cornered by an eccentric old man who seemed to have an endless supply of anecdotes and folksy wisdom to impart. He went on about there still being much of value deep within the cathedral in the form of tomes of ancient origin and wisdom. I will have to take his word for it, for I must admit that while I did explore the burnt remains of the "old" Tristram, I lacked the intestinal fortitude to do much more than take a few hesitating steps within that infamous cathedral of legend.

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/en...istram.xml



CALDEUM

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:Caldeum was once the proudest city in all of Kehjistan, the trade capital of the entire world. Caldeum was never seen as the heart of the empire, even though it rivaled Viz-jun, and later Kurast, in size, and those who called Caldeum their home liked it that way. Even when the Mage Clan Wars erupted, the battles were never tolerated to affect trade in Caldeum, for while politics and magic may be important, trifling with trade is a serious matter. Let Kurast see itself as the center of the world, they would say. We'll keep our free exchange of goods, currency, and ideas, thank you very much.

But the pride I once held in this great city has become tarnished and dull. In looking back on it all, now, I would have to say that this rot infecting our city started when a good number of Kurast's nobles fled their homes and took up residence in Caldeum. I have heard all the horrific and unbelievable rumors as to why they fled their great city, but the reasons did not concern us. It was their attitude that held our concern. As relief at being safe from whatever drove them here faded, their mood changed to entitlement and then, ultimately, to arrogance. They had no trouble demanding their "rightful" place on the trade consortium council governing our city, and they were prepared to use their wealth to hire the mercenaries needed to see their ambitions through.

I was initially dubious when the emperor of Kehjistan emerged to confront this quickly deteriorating situation. But the charm, leadership, and intelligence that he brought to bear as he quickly resolved the conflict between our council and the Kurast nobles were nothing less than masterful. When the people fully supported him in his role as our emperor, I saw this achievement as nothing short of a miracle. Though we had always been part of the empire of Kehjistan, and therefore under his rule, we had always behaved as if we were a free entity, beholden to no one but ourselves. It truly seemed at the time that catastrophe had been averted, but now it has become all too apparent that it was merely hidden beneath a thin veneer of civility.

This veneer began to shred when Emperor Hakan became ill. His influence started to wane, and the mood in Caldeum changed with his health. As he got worse, so did our once fair city.

When he died and his ineffectual child heir took the throne, Caldeum began to circle the abyss. Our list of ills seems never-ending: the state of our downtrodden and the slums they are forced to live in, our incompetent leadership, the reemergence of the intolerant Zakarum, and their quarrels with our mage class...I could go on for pages.

It is all too much for one to bear, really.

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/en...aldeum.xml



TRISTRAM CATHEDRAL

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:After seeing the remains of Tristram for myself, I felt the need to search out further information on what it was about the corridors and dungeons underneath its old cathedral that held such mystique.

Originally built as a Horadric monastery sometime around 912 (see my entries pertaining to ancient mystical traditions for more information on the secretive Horadric order), the building was later converted to a Zakarum cathedral. Legend has it that the original monastery was built over the vault where the mythical Diablo was imprisoned, and that his supposed release led to the horrors we all now associate with the name Tristram.

In order to shed light on the many mysteries of the old cathedral, I sought out an old adventurer who had braved its ancient passageways, which were said to lead to the Hells themselves.

"We'd all heard about the weird goings-on in Tristram, but we were drawn by the prospect of getting our hands on some of that loot we heard they were bringing up by the cartload." He paused thoughtfully for a moment and scratched the stub where his left arm had once been. "It ever strike you as strange that wherever monsters are stirring up trouble, that's where you'll find the most treasure? Why can't there ever be a big haul in a safe place?" Obviously he was attempting to ease his tension by making light of the whole event.

"When we got to Tristram, we took our time before we got down to the business of actually going into the cathedral. Town had a nice inn, if I recollect. Truth is, there was something evil coming out of that old church: you could feel it. Now, me and my mates, we didn't want to admit we were scared, so after we ran out of excuses to avoid it, we made our way inside. And let me tell you, I never smelled death like I did in that place. Once inside, we were set upon by the undead," and he paused to see if I would laugh in disbelief at this.

When I didn't, he continued, "That's right, undead. I've faced the undead several times, but you never get used to it. You think you're prepared, but there's just something that sticks in your gut, this horrible feeling. Your hands get slick with sweat, and your sword is hard to grasp correctly...you really doubt your sanity in being down there, facing something like that. And the stench is unimaginable. But we were pulling ourselves through – I had started to come out the other side, where you start to ease into that unsettled feeling and use it to drive yourself forward."

It was at this point that his mood noticeably darkened. I found myself easing a bit closer so as not to miss a single detail.

"Then it started to go wrong. We began encountering these, these dark...things...imps or demons...or fallen, I think they're called. There were so many of them, all horns and flashes of red, attacking us from all sides. I don't think you could ever really be prepared for something like that. We got disoriented, which was easy to do. It was so dark....

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/du...hedral.xml



A-Z LIST OF LOCATIONS
Caldeum
Forgotten Tombs
Kurast
Leoric Highland
New Tristram
Secret Cow Level
Tristram Cathedral
Ureh
Viz-jun

[Jed K]

UNDEAD

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:"A reanimated skeleton is constructed from bits and pieces of any number of different skeletons, not a single one. Their diverse composition gives them the ability to form and reform, and makes them easily summoned, permitted there is adequate raw material at hand."

"A skeleton's intelligence is limited by the power and scope of the spell used in the creature's creation. Theoretically one could have a single astute skeleton servant or a rather dense army of a hundred for the same expenditure of magical energy."

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/be...undead.xml



KHAZRA

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:"The khazra (colloquially known as "goatmen") were long thought to be natural inhabitants of our world, akin to the lacuni "panther-men" tribes of the desert and mountain regions, but I have recently discovered evidence revealing that nothing could be further from the truth. The history of the khazra is much more complex and disturbing than has been previously imagined.

According to ancient carvings that I have succeeded in translating, the khazra were originally human, part of the umbaru race found in the thick Torajan jungles in the Teganze region of the eastern continent."

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/be...khazra.xml



GNARLED WALKERS

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:"According to Master DeSoto, the Festering Wood derives its name from the fact that everything in it seethes and roils with evil intent: even the ground itself has been known to rise up and devour a person. When pushed further in regards to the gnarled walkers specifically, he pontificated at length as to their true nature. He maintained they are vile mystical creatures from another realm who can only sustain their existence in our world by sapping life energy from men or animals. These heinous beings have shifted their appearance to that of trees, thereby luring their prey close so as to consume it whole and enrich their reserves of dark power. These beastly things move ponderously, and some are known to exude a foul stench that poisons their victims."

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/be...walker.xml



DARK CULTISTS

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:"There is an absolute and oppressive darkness to be found only in the deep wilderness at night. Thus, when I saw the distant light of fire while making my way through the thick Tristram forest, I welcomed the company of fellow travelers. As I approached, however, something even darker than the unlit forest crept over me. So horrendous was this feeling that I thought to turn away until the sound of chanting reached my ears and drew me onward. I thank whatever gods blessed me with the presence of mind to stop short of entering that unholy place whence the sound originated. Instead, I sought out a well-hidden vantage point from which I could look upon the frigid clearing that seemed violently torn from the depths of the forest.

That was when I first saw them, the dark cultists, arrayed in a circle. Their torches lit the macabre proceedings in a pallid light that danced over their garish rune-covered robes. I had heard tales of these hooded cultists and their depraved rituals, and I must admit to some curiosity upon seeing them. As their chanting droned on, I thought to make my escape lest they see me, but my attention was riveted by a pale, vacant-eyed supplicant being led forward. I do not know if he was of limited mental capacity, lost in religious mania, or simply drugged, but he was definitely not sound of mind as he knelt in the center of the thrumming circle."

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/be...ltists.xml



DUNE THRESHER

Abd al-Hazir Wrote:Long ago driven away from settled locales to the deep desert wastes of the Borderlands, the dune thresher is rarely seen by city dwellers. Every so often, however, whether due to injury or old age, one of these unholy beasts ventures to the edge of civilization to feast on the frail human animal. When this happens, a professional like Franklin Burroughs, the famed guide and hunter, is called in to put an end to the threat.

Full entry available @ http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/be...resher.xml



A-Z LIST OF MONSTERS
Activated Vessel
Beast
Berserker
Crater Assault Troops
Crawling Torso
Cultist
Dark Demon
Dark Vessel
Dune Thresher
Fallen Shaman
Ghostly Orb
Ghoul
Gnarled Walker
Goatman
Goatman Shaman
Grotesque
Lamprey
Scavenger
Siegebreaker Assault Beast
Skeletal Archer
Skeletal Shieldman
Skeletal Summoner
Skeleton
Thousand Pounder
Walking Corpse
Wraith
Wretched Dead
Zombie

[Jed K]

The following information has been taken from GameFAQs and edited a bit:

STORY
"It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain."

"In the previous two games, Diablo and his two brothers, Mephisto and Baal, were the three Prime Evils of a world called Sanctuary. Where we start off in Diablo III, it's twenty years later and the brothers are gone, they've been vanquished. Essentially everyone was kind of geared for Hell to actually invade. At the end of Lord of Destruction, the Worldstone was destroyed, it left a giant crater and everyone was expecting the hordes to come pouring out of it and nothing happened. So, Deckard Cain is one of our main characters from the first two games, he's spent the last two decades trying to find out where the last two Evils are, what they're doing and why the invasion didn't happen. A lot of the rest of the story focuses on Tyrael, the Angel of Justice, and what's happened to him since that event as he was actually the angel who destroyed the world."



OVERVIEW
- The game largely follows in the Style of the previous Diablo games.
- The development team consists of 50-55 employees.
- The game uses a new 3D engine which also has the Havok physics engine.
- Controls are simple so that you can play with just a mouse, but at the same time gameplay depth is enhanced.
- The camera is also simple and easy to use with no hassles. It can be zoomed in, but not too far out.
- The game has been in development for four to five years. It was restarted after Blizzard North shut down in March of 2005.
- Scripted events can occur at random, so as you go through the game multiple times you likely won't see the same thing.
- The length of Diablo 3 will be similar to Diablo 2, which had four acts.
- Blizzard stated that the game is "really far along," and that it is "really fun to play already."
- Diablo 3 will ship for the PC and MAC simultaneously. There are no current plans for a console version.
- It is not yet known whether Hardcore mode will be included in the game; however, seeing how popular it was in Diablo 2, it likely will.
- Loot is now generated per player. You only see the loot that you can pick up, which Blizzard hopes will create a spirit of cooperation.



GAMEPLAY
- The difficulty levels have been ramped up.
- There is now a heavy focus on cooperative play.
- Scripted events can occur at random so as you go through the game multiple times you don't see the same thing. Random items, random monsters and random adventures. It allows Blizzard to place random scripted events almost anywhere, and it keeps the game fresh every time you play.
- As stated by Blizzard, because of Diablo's random nature, it is difficult to support mods / map editors.
- The game will mix random and static maps, such as in Diablo 2. What is known now is that the overworld maps outside will be static, but dungeons, caves, etc. will be randomized.
- NPC helpers and bodyguards are back.
- Mounts will not be included.
- Booby traps return.
- New health globes will not replace potions, but instead be more useful. As you fight enemies they will drop instant health globes which will heal you. Potions are still in the game, but blizzard wants to emphasize skill over potions. When one player picks up a health globe, all players benefit from its restorative effects. This is in cooperative play.
- The trading system will be improved over Diablo 2; however, an "auction house" has yet to be confirmed.
- Destructible environments, that can either work for or against the player character.
- The town portal system will be kept, but upgraded even more to speed up the gameplay.



USER INTERFACE
- Gold will now be automatically picked up.
- Mana and Frenzy bars. No longer will we see only one type of bar for the classes. Mage type classes get the Mana bar, and fighter type classes get a Frenzy bar.
- A new hotbar acts like a smaller version of the World of Warcraft hotbar, with additional slots for scrolls.
- Blizzard stated that while they are upgrading it, the interface has been kept very similar to Diablo 2.
- Buffs in Diablo 3 will appear on the bottom-left side of the screen.
- Mini Combat Log, when you attack an enemy, the damage you do will appear above the enemy's head. Other information will also appear, such as when you block an enemy's moves.
- Players can quickswap between skills using the mouse wheel or tab key.
- When selecting a weapon, to make it easier to choose a new weapon for yourself, you will be able to see the weapon you currently have equipped next to the weapon you are looking at. Whether or not this will be the same with all equipment has yet to be confirmed; however, it looks as though this will be the case.
- Weapon speed will be shown as "Attack per Second." Also there will be a calculated result for "Damage per Second" based on the damage and speed.
- Inventory: there appears to be space for 30 items. The new inventory system will be a bit similar to World of Warcraft where you will be able to carry variable sizes of bags (there will be four grayed out slots for bags). Items will take one inventory slot regardless of their size, and some of the items will be stackable. This will allow you to carry a lot more of the same item. This, along with the ability to carry various bags, will allow you to carry many more items than in previous Diablo installments.