No ladder to the start

A single-player computer game is a computer game where input from just one player is anticipated throughout the program of the video gaming session. A single-player game is typically a game that can just be played by a single person, while single-player mode is typically a game setting developed to be played by a single gamer, though the game also contains multi-player modes.Most contemporary console video games as well as gallery games are created to make sure that they can be played by a single gamer; although most of these games have settings that allow 2 or more players to play (not necessarily at the same time), really few actually need more than one player for the game to be played. The Unreal Tournament series is one instance of such.

On the 23rd Setember 2021 Diablo 2: Resurrected. A good 21 years after the original release, Blizzard leaves the classic with modern graphics and some comfort adjustments. In collaboration with Vicarious Visions, it has been ensured that the old feeling of that time is not lost.

Shortly before release of the Remasters, Principal Designer Rob Gallerani and Project Lead Michael Bukowski were talking to us for an interview and answer. We talked about the challenges in the remasterer of an over 20 year old game, how long they are already working on resurrected and which features we can expect after the release.

The first motto for Diablo 2: Resurrected, however, is a smooth release. Concrete thoughts on ladder, balancing, console lobbies etc. The devs could not yet be done in this stressful phase.

Interview with Rob Gallerani and Michael Bukowski Before starting Diablo 2: Resurrected

Hi, first of all, I want to say that we have played at Michael Bukowski all the closed and open beta and we believe in collectively agree that you have given us with Diablo 2: RESURRECTED exactly what we hoped for Have: Namely Diablo 2 in better graphics and exactly the right number of comfort functions. So thanks for that.

Rob Gallerani: Wow, the best first question at all: D

Michael Bukowski : What were the biggest challenges to refine a 20 year old classic like Diablo 2?

Rob Gallerani: From the beginning it was clear that it can be the only right way to take this classic in its original form and with the original code and to build on it instead of making something new. One of the biggest challenges was to revise all the graphics, the light, etc. Generally the largest learning curve was on the beginning, to understand how big the game is (note d. Editorial in the sense of cult status in the gaming community), how many peculiarities and core elements there is in the game, the feeling of Diablo 2 turn off. No ladder to the start - Interview with the creators of Diablo 2 Resurrected (2) Source: Blizzard During production, we have taken care not to break exactly this feeling, because at least that was exactly the fundamental reason why we have built the game around the original source code. So during production, we always had to pay attention to, for example, to make the animations look new to destroy the feeling of Diablo 2. If I look back on the entire project, most discussions turned exactly about it: to maintain Diablo 2 in the core.

Michael Bukowski: Exactly. Another challenge was to bring Diablo 2 into an environment in which it has not previously existed. To maintain colors of monsters to take over the life points of MOBS, etc. is not a problem. When controlling the console, however, we could not simply hold ourselves to these 1: 1 comparisons in contrast to mouse and keyboard.

For console, for example, it would have been easy for inventory to be a list. But here, too, we decided not to do that so that Diablo 2 continues to feel like Diablo 2. That was the hardest during production.

Michael Bukowski : How long did you actually work on Resurrected?

Rob Gallerani: A few years. One could say that we started already after the release of the original (2000). Over the years, the community around the game has become getting bigger and players have found new ways to play the game, and the meta has changed.

This evolution must be kept in mind if you look at the Remaster today. Some play today Diablo 2, which were not born to the release, and others have not stopped playing Diablo 2. Parts of the project have become greater over the years and changed. With resur rat, we contribute to another milestone in this evolution.

Michael Bukowski : The play flow of act 1 and 2 is not exactly what some nowadays from a game would expect (the pacing is a bit too slow) and could scare new players. But did you play with the idea of ​​developing how to attract new players?

Rob Gallerani: There are several ways how to inspire a player for his game. One of them is the difficulty curve. In modern games, you will first be brought to the game with light tasks, it is shown how the game works and everything is easy. Only from the middle of the game is started to face challenges players.

In Diablo 2, however, it may be that, for example, if you do not know after Act 1, how your build works, you will die - often die. Duriel is, for example, one of the heaviest bosses - and already at the end of act 2. We will not change. Changing the balance, the pacing, what you address, how endurance works, etc ... if we would do that, it would not be Diablo 2.

However, what we have done for a better gaming experience are useful help windows and other trifles that let you understand the game a little better. In the original Diablo-2, for example, Single Player existed. Well, that was not really single player , but rather the offline mode, if you want. In Resurrected, we have shown better, which game mode is introduced, have introduced tooltips, let the player compare light items. This is the approach we choose for new players without changing Diablo 2.

Michael Bukowski: It would be desirable if new players with resur rat would recognize that they have the opportunity to be part of this gaming story to be able to play an iconic ARPG on new consoles. We hope that players will appreciate this old classic - even if he is not as liquid as modern games - thanks to the authentic gambling experience.

Michael Bukowski : The graphics of Diablo 2 is obviously more in the cartoon style, while resurrected uses more realistic graphics. Have you considered it during development to take on this style 1: 1, and if so, why have you opted for yourself and chosen the more modern approach? No ladder to the start - Interview with the creators of Diablo 2 Resurrected (3) Source: Michael Bukowski Rob Gallerani: If we look at the concepts of then, the developers have already tried to pursue a realistic style, but had limited possibilities for this. They already used Sprites, but sprites are limited to the number of colors and in the way they are composed. That s why everything looks something cartoonish . But the goal was, as I said, represent everything realistic.

We have runs through the concepts of the then developers, for which armor from the real life were chosen as a template. We ourselves have then traveled to the museums in which these are exactly these armor, which were used as an inspiration for the original Diablo 2. If you turn the more realistic light in the game world, everything looks much more realistic.

The goal for RESURRECTED was that people realize what they were earlier, at the same time we wanted to implement the realistic vision of the graphic artist of that time as if they had the tools of today. Michael, you can definitely say more about the whole render stuff etc.

Michael Bukowski: Yes, you have explained that quite well. The ART team was focused on a 70: 30 concept. It means: to put 70 percent on the oldschool feeling and introduce 30 percent modern. This ratio can be seen that the ART team maintains much of the nostalgia and adapted the rest to the graphics standards of today.

Michael Bukowski : Bloodrab looks very different in the modern game than in the original. Was the your concept or the oldschool template?

Rob Gallerani: That was the original template. For models like Bloodrab stood - how should one say - the usefulness idea in the foreground - so for example leather straps to put a more meaningful position. In these revisions, we always considered how the armor would look like if you would invest in real life.

Sometimes the nostalgia glasses also looks something at the sight of creatures. Had this and that MOB really a helmet, I can not remember that?! Some things are said. But if you get in touch and the sprites really look at exactly, this mob should actually have a helmet, even if it was barely visible at that time.

This zoomoom has realized us in the development really because we have realized that the mobs really looked like this. It was almost as if we had played the game again. But that was also a challenge: looking for frame for frame, whether and how mobs lose their armor for example, for example, etc.

Michael Bukowski : When we played the first time Diablo 3 with the controller, we were surprised how liquid it has played on the console. How hard was it to transfer this feeling to Diablo 2?

Rob Gallerani: It was a challenge, but one that has fun. Fundamentally considered the role of the player with the controller control. The mouse acts for you almost as someone who tells your character to go where to go. If you click on a remote treasure chest, you command your Alter ego to go there. With a controller, however, you go every step yourself.

What we have learned first is that the game world is divided into grid. So if you click somewhere somewhere, your character does not run directly to the pixel you have clicked, but in the nearest square raster field. This is ok with the freedom of the liquid mouse operation and hardly falls up. With a controller, however, this feels very hokely, so we have allowed it to move between the grid fields with the controller control. No ladder to the start - Interview with the creators of Diablo 2 Resurrected (1) Source: Blizzard In addition, the player now knows where there are collisions. For example, if you click a stone with the mouse, your character is around the stone. In the planned controller control, your character would simply stopped before the stone, we have naturally adapted. We had to praise the game that the player with a controller uses the same control as with the mouse.

Michael Bukowski: For me, the most interesting moment was developed as hardcore advocates of mouse and keyboard for the first time Diablo 2 played with the controller and actually found it quite well. You could see the internal conflict of the persons to defend themselves, on the other hand, to find the control well.

Michael Bukowski : Why did not you activate Act 3 to 5 during the test phase? Do not you consider that there may be mistakes or even game crashes?

Rob Gallerani: Of course we wanted to give you a small preview - admitted, even if the game is already 20 years old. Nevertheless, we wanted to have a part of the game still available as a surprise. Of course, what the stability is concerned, we have a team that has played through all the file and all difficulty levels, hardcore, pandemonium events, etc. With the stress tests we simply wanted to play as many players as possible a specific act.

It was also more practical to restart players in Act 1 for server wipes. It would have been strange to say after the next wipe OK, everyone is starting in Act 3.

Michael Bukowski : In a post office of 7 September you mentioned that the original Diablo-Cient with resur rat is not overwritten. Was that the doctrine, which was pulled from the release of Warcraft 3: reforged, or was this from the beginning a nobrainer because of mods, TCP / IP support and the like?

Rob Gallerani: In the decision we kept ourselves to the premise that everyone should play the game as he wants to play it. An example is the automatic picking up of gold. During the tests we have seen that almost everyone found this change well. Who does not like this, this function can also turn off.

We have followed this philosophy with every feature and also with resur rat. Who resurrected does not like, should continue to return to his old scores, with all the mods, etc. We hope that we have found the right on and off switch and give players who want to experience a pure gaming experience as at that time the opportunity to exhibit all these things.

Michael Bukowski : In a survey you have asked the community what comfort functions you still want. Have you already evaluated the survey? Which Qol changes such as stackable runes, an automatic sorting function of the inventory etc. Can we expect after the launch?

Rob Gallerani: We looked at the survey results and are very grateful for all opinions on the possible content. That was very helpful. We have received a lot of questions about balancing skills or suggestions for new rune words. We would have fun with it to implement everything. However, our focus is primarily to publish the game in its original form. First, the foundation must vote before we tackle things like new rune words, etc.

Michael Bukowski : We know how Seasons appear in Diablo 3, what is planning for Season in Diablo 2?

Rob Gallerani: What many people do not know: in Diablo 2 hot Seasons ladder , basically both things are the same. Currently it is our plan to publish the game without a ladder. Everyone should first get the chance to put in the game to absorb everything before we unlock the ladder and give the starting signal for the race on stage 99 in the ladder mode.

When Ladder start, you will see that there are new rankings. You get the opportunity for a new normal and hardcore character for the ladder as well as the character-wide chest for your ladder characters. When exactly the ladder starts, we can not yet reveal. However, it will not be the same time intervals as with Diablo 3. This is because the Grind in Diablo 2 just takes much longer than in D3.

But to tension people too much to torture, we have already integrated some of the ladder-exclusive Rune words in the normal game. Thus, people can practice the metagame for the ladder before the ladder comes out.

Michael Bukowski : Again on the topic of ladder: Could not speed the ladder something, for example, for the drop chance for runes tenfold or something?

Rob Gallerani: That would not be unthinkable, but before we have to read the data for it. In the past, there was not really the data analysis that is available to us today. For example, if we see that players are slowed down significantly from some point, we may be able to adjust something later.

Michael Bukowski : For some players hell is no longer a challenge on Players 8 . Did you think beyond a degree of difficulty over hell?

Rob Gallerani: We had many conversations about how far we can go with higher levels of difficulty: changes to items, additional buffs, etc. but as before, we first focus on the launch and look what you can do afterwards .

Michael Bukowski : Why is there no physical box of resurrected? Especially no Collector s Edition? That would have to sell bread as sliced?

Michael Bukowski: I agree, that sounds awesome. But that s nothing we have planned.

Michael Bukowski : Thank you for the interview and your time! We wish you and us a supple launch.

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