February's News

  • Gamestar Video in RealVideo... (2/28)

Wow, that's a lot of posts for one day, isn't it?  Anyway, the Gamestar Video is now available for RealVideo, in a smaller streaming mode.  I've been told that it's not the same quality as the 80 meg version, but it is a whole lot easier to download.  Check it out here, and remember that both versions are available in our Downloads section.

  • A Note on Battle.net Optimizers. (2/28)

The Helper, of Battle.net Tech Support fame, warns those who use Battle.net optimizers to stop.  These programs cause excessive traffics by pinging the various servers.  This causes servers splits and other lag-related problems. 

  • Spotlight on Blizzard Posts... (2/28)

On the Diablo II Suggestions Forum, a few posts by Erich Schaefer went up, shedding light on how armor might affect movement speeds and detailing a little bit on the Barbarian.  You can find the posts here and here, for those two topics respectively.  A few have said since the posts lack the official Blizzard tag, they're frauds, but the information inside them is mostly genuine, so I am more apt to believe it was a screw-up on the forum itself.

PCGamePro has released a preview for your viewing, but it appears the information in it is quite dated and may very well be erroneous.  I myself read the preview and found it somewhat lacking, so you might want to give this one a miss...

A new site devoted to weapons and armor  in Diablo II, The Armory, has just opened its doors to the public.  While it still has a few grand opening kinks to work out, I suggest you visit The Armory often, as more info about weapons and armor becomes available.  They have also been added to out Community section, where you can always find them.

  • Monthly Interview Winner. (2/25)

It looks as though the Diablo II Watchtower, a German Diablo II site, has won Blizzard's monthly random drawing for an interview.  We hope they get a lot of new info and the answers to their burning questions.  Congratulations everyone at the Diablo II Watchtower!

  • A Few New Pieces of Info... (2/25)

A couple new pieces of info have been garnered from the most recent translation of the French preview, which you can view here.  The info has been deposited in our Compendium, so head that way to see our newest findings.

  • Upcoming Diary and Blizzard News. (2/24)

We have news that the next Gamespot Designer Diary will be over cinematics, and should be up this week or next.  We all know how capricious Gamespot can be with the Diaries, so don't get your hopes up for a release this week.

In other news, Blizzard stated in the last WebMaster Chat that they were planning to institute a Screenshot of the Week on their Official Diablo II Site.  We have news that this will begin after the changes to the Diablo II Suggestions Forum take place.

  • French Preview Translated... (2/23)

A preview by a French site called Diablo II France was recently translated by Azrael of the Catacombs of Tristram.  Exercise caution, though, the article was translated by a program and is a little rough around the edges.  It's an interesting read nonetheless.

You'll notice some changes going around here in the next few weeks as we update nearly every section and change how things are laid out.  Our new layout developer has some new ideas for content and design as well, and we'll keep unveiling surprises whenever we can.  Keep your eyes peeled for the changes.

  • NGO Interview... (2/23)

Another interview with Bill Roper, this time with NGO, has taken place.  This interview doesn't offer anything in the way of new info, although it is an excellent way to keep up with the current state of affairs regarding Diablo II.

  • Compendium and Articles Update. (2/22)

We've updated both our Compendium section and our Articles section.  The Compendium has had a few skills added to the character sections for the Amazon and Sorceress, the Articles section has a new submission called Character Skills.  Be sure to check them both out.

  • Battle.net Problems Solved. (2/19)

Looks like the Battle.net problems are fixed.  This from its webpage:

    "The Internet is, once again, your friend... Blizzard's web sites and Battle.net hub servers are back on-line after temporarily experiencing intermittent loss of connectivity to the rest of the Internet. This interruption may have affected the reporting of some games that were in progress during the loss of connectivity. While these problems were not Battle.net specific, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our users. "

Well, now that's prompt service...

  • Major Info Uncovered. (2/18)

Looks like there has been a major uncovering of info, all of which has been stored in our Compendium.  Check out the six entries for 2/18 to see what I mean.  This is all thanks to the guys over at The Catacombs of Tristram, they've been hard at work translating the Gernan Gamestar article.  Hopefully they'll unearth more delights soon...

  • Experiencing Battle.net Problems? (2/18)

Have you been experiencing Battle.net problems today?  Blizzard has the answer, it appears that some Internet problems are causing all the bad connections and failures on Battle.net, not the Blizzard servers themselves.  This in from Blizzard:

    Blizzard's web sites and Battle.net hub servers are currently experiencing intermittent loss of connectivity to the rest of the Internet. Although these are problems with one of our Internet Service Providers and not with Battle.net, these problems may be manifested as connection difficulties, server disconnects, slow chat performance or slow page loading. We are working as quickly and as hard as possible with the Internet Service Provider to correct this problem and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our users. We will post updates to the Battle.net forums and this page as they become available.

Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

  • Gamestream Diablo II Preview. (2/17)

Gamestream has posted a fine Diablo II preview, which you can view here.  I wouldn't advise heading over there unless you have a 4.0 or higher browser, however, they have a script that just tells you to upgrade if you don't.

  • Adrenaline Vault Article. (2/16)

The Adrenaline Vault has released an interview with Blizzard's Bill Roper.  The interview is great and has lots of development details in it, be sure to check it out.

Woohoo!  We have 8 new screenshots for your perusal.  There are two pics for each of the Diablo II characters except the Barbarian.  Check them out here or in our Pics section:

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.  If you have someone special to be with today, then go to them and stop looking at the Diablo II news!  If not, I guess it's okay to stick around.  Since I'll be busy today, it's highly unlikely there will be any news posted today (unless it's a huge news break). 

  • News on the Diablo II Forum... (2/13)

Well, several people have complained that Blizzard's Diablo II Suggestions Forum has a very StarCraft look.  Not to worry, ever since the birth of Battle.net's new look Blizzard has been hard at work designing a new look for the Diablo-related forums. 

  • Necromancer Shots. (2/12)

We've gotten ahold of a few new shots of the Necromancer for your viewing pleasure.  Because of the small nature of the shots they've both been but into one file, which you can view here:

One must remember that these shots are prior to announcements that Blizzard was changing the Necromancer's looks.  But, they are Diablo II pics, so they will be archived as such.

  • Diablo II Forum on Battle.net... (2/11)

Well, not only has Blizzard's Battle.net got a new look, they've also added a Diablo II Suggestions forum.  This is something Diablo II fans have been waiting for a long time.  The forum for Diablo II comes complete with a message telling us that they are indeed reading the suggestions, but time constraints limit responses.  The redesign of Battle.net itself is also excellently done, with a very artful new interface.  Check it out.

  • Bill Roper Statement... (2/10)

Bill Roper of Blizzard made a brief statement about his aspirations for Diablo II to FGN Online.  Here is what he said:

    "Blizzard's Bill Roper has spoken about his aspirations for the eagerly-anticipated RPG-sequel, Diablo II. "The goal is to have Diablo II compare to Diablo as Warcraft II did to Warcraft," he revealed. "We want to have people play this game for months and still not have explored very nuance it has to offer. We want to continue our work on introducing new people to the RPG genre as well as multiplayer gaming through elements like Battle.net and a game that is easy to learn but difficult to master." Roper finished by explaining the fundamental aim of his title, as he informed: "Diablo II is going to have the most important feature any game can have - its going to be F-U-N." Diablo II is set for PC release in the second half of '99."
  • New Screenshots! (2/9)

Looks like our friends over at The Unofficial Diablo II Site have gotten some more pics from Gamestar.  They are of excellent quality and show some stuff that we've not yet seen.  Here they are, and, of course, they can also be found in our Pics section:

I simply don't get this, the Swedish version of PCGamer has released a small article, but this one doesn't carry any kind of  praise.  It is instead an insult, while not wholly demeaning, a kind of a sting in itself:

    Don't count on any major changes or progress in this sequel; they're primarily offering more of the same thing. The story is taking place in Fantasy Land. There are five new character classes, with four new areas - each one with different traps and dangers to avoid. The graphics is considerably improved and so is the multi-player game: up to eight people can play. However, it's doubtful if it's enough with eight players, considering the demand.

This is not the kind of article I think Diablo II merits, what do you think?  Diablo II, in my eyes, is very different from Diablo, more than enough so to not be called "more of the same thing."  There has already been major changes and progress as well, at least in my and every other Diablo II fan's point of view.  I can't see where this writer is coming from at all...

Well, I finally got off my keister and got the rest of the Pics section up and running.  Anyone can now look at all the pictures we have available, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I'm looking for a better way to setup this section, as at present there's a lot of coding involved when new pictures are posted.  If anyone has any ideas for a revamp, let me know.

  • Battle.net Reigns Supreme. (2/7)

In our rush to get the Movie Analysis up, seems I forgot to post this press release from Blizzard itself:

    Battle.net dominates on-line gaming industry with 2.1 million active users; Korea becomes world's No. 1 market

    IRVINE, Feb. 4, 1999 -Blizzard Entertainment's online game service, Battle.net, continues to gain momentum as the world's largest Internet playing venue. Since the beginning of the year, the number of active users has surged to more than 2.1 million and usage has increased by 50 percent.

    The worldwide dominance of Battle.net was recently highlighted by a weekend of record-breaking activity during which more than 675,000 games of StarCraft: Brood War, the company's StarCraft expansion set, were logged. Over that weekend, nearly 500,000 gamers spent more than 2 million hours playing online. Since StarCraft: Brood War shipped in December, more than 4.7 million games have been played over Battle.net with peak hours topping more than 50,000 players competing simultaneously.

    The success of StarCraft in 1998 added to Battle.net's rising usage numbers. StarCraft was 1998's biggest selling PC game, according to PC Data figures released last month. Since the release of StarCraft, Battle.net has grown 800 percent, both domestically and internationally.

    Internationally, much of Battle.net's global popularity can be attributed to the influx of Korean gamers. With approximately 400,000 games of StarCraft played per day, Korea has become the fastest growing market on Battle.net and has overtaken the United States as the No. 1 market in the world. In all, Battle.net in Korea has grown by approximately 2,000 percent in the last six months, from 15,000 game hours per day to 300,000. Battle.net provides an arena for Blizzard customers to chat, challenge opponents and initiate multiplayer games. Battle.net is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Blizzard charges no hourly or monthly fees to connect to Battle.net. Users do need an Internet connection at their own cost to access Battle.net.  Best known for blockbuster hits including the Warcraft series, StarCraft and Diablo, Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com) is a premier publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes three consecutive number-one selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards.

Makes you wonder what will happen when Diablo II is released, doesn't it?

  • PCGamer Spot. (2/7)

A small spot for Diablo II appears to have occurred in this month's PCGamer magazine.  Thanks to FireStorm for bringing us this blurb...

    Ah, the anticipation.  For me, it often ends up being a better experience than the final game, reading the book, or seeing the movie.  But in the case of Diablo 2, I don't think that's gonna happen.  This game just looks too cool this far.  Far from being a rehash of the original, the sequel is shaping up to be an entirely new game with the same addictive aspects that kept us Diablo-lovers back  for more.
  • ShadowSpiral's Movie Analysis. (2/6)

I've finally finished my analysis of the Gamestar movie (which, if you haven't downloaded yet, you should).  The analysis is almost a frame by frame look at the action contained in it.  I also wanted to go over the abilities I saw used, and a few things that stuck out in the background.  Click here to read it, and it is also accessible through the Articles section.

  • The WebMaster's Chat... (2/4)

Well, the WebMaster chat was done today, thirty minutes of Q&A with Bill Roper and the Diablo II Development team.  Some interesting features were touched on in this chat, including a major release scheduled for E3 and the Screenshot of the Week at their official site.  New Diablo II data has been entered in the Diablo 2 Info section.  The chat's transcript is available in the Articles section for all you who want to read it.

  • The Blizzard WebMaster's Chat. (2/3)

The WebMaster's chat is tomorrow (2/4), and hopefully we'll get some more news and info to release.  I'm sure with the release of the Gamestar Video there will be a whole slew of questions flying about.  You can expect a transcript to be posted here soon after the chat.

  • Interview with Jason Haynes. (2/3)

Weslow.net has posted an interview with Jason Haynes, another one of Diablo II's sound artists.  It is an interesting and revealing article, but doesn't really have any new information about Diablo II.  Click here to read it.

  • An Update on our Pics Section... (2/2)

Well, we've gotten a few of the parts of our Pics section back up.  Anyone wanting to view the actual game screenshots or sketches is out of luck, but the rest of it is indeed ready.  If any pictures don't load (besides the screenshots or sketches), please email me and let us know.

  • The Graveyard's Interview... (2/1)

The Graveyard has finally gotten back the answers to their questions in the Interview that was awarded to them in Blizzard's random drawing.  This interview is well done and  informative.  So not to deny the Graveyard the hits for it, at this time we're only including the link to it.

Oh, our Pics section is down for the moment as we transfer the .jpg's to a new directory.  It should be back up by tomorrow, sorry for the wait.

  • We've Archived January's News. (2/1)

Well, all the news for January has been placed in our News Archive.  If you missed the GameStar Video you can find it the downloads section, and the screenshots have been dutifully placed in the Pics section, they are screenshots #60-72.  Thus, we kick off another month of Diablo II news, hopefully with another outouring of information like we recently had.

By the way, another Diablo II WebMaster chat is coming up soon, hopefully we'll have a lot more new info to give you after it happens.

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Skill of the Week

Iron Maiden
Harkening back to an inquisitional torture, the Iron Maiden curse causes all damage an enemy does to you to be returned to that enemy as well.  Part of the Necromancer´s Curses, it is a powerful addition to his arsenal.

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