June's News

  • Some Shots We Missed... (6/30)

Thanks to Labaron, I was able to acquire some shots that I would have missed otherwise.  Also, expect a detailed analysis on all the data we were able to glean from the interview very soon. 

That interview with Bill Roper Gamesmania has been promising us has finally been delivered.  Stuffed full of info from the guys at Blizzard, this interview is definately worth the look.  The interview deals with lots of things, including giving some more detail on Guild Halls, as well as info on a Beta Test data (Roper stated August, but that is likely tentative). 

Rendered Shots:

Sketches:

It was announced today that Diablo 2 North, a Swedish Diablo II Fansite, has won the Monthy Interview for the month of July.  Congradulations, Roboth.

  • Screenshot of the Week... (6/29)

The latest Screenshot of the Week has been unveiled, this one is of the Amazon as she takes on several of the Fallen:

And, as usual, this SSOTW release was coincided by a release of a new rendered shot, and you can see it here: 

It seems as Blizzard has begun to maintain a better Suggestions Forum presence, as several posts by Blizzard employees have been sighted on the forum as of late.  This one is from GFrazier as he quells another forum-goer´s fears about games becoming to high-end:

    "Blizzard always trys to create games that can reach the widest audience, especially people with low end systems. I think what you will see more of is games that run fine on the minimum systems such as Diablo II while offereing more features to those with higher end systems. GFraizer Web Designer"

Read the post and its current thread here. 

  • FSGS Warning... (6/29)

Adrian Luff, Information Systems guru at Blizzard, issued this statement about the FSGS Gaming Service, a string of private servers set up to function exactly like Battle.net:

    "FSGS is not something you should be encouraging users to run. While there are many "legitimate" servers, the source code is freely available. This allows a malicious person to modify the source code to store CD Key numbers. You could try out an FSG server and wind up losing the ability to play on Battle.net!"

So those of you who are considering using this service should beware.  Even though it may be faster and a little more reliable than Battle.net, it is by no means a safe place. 

Qixaxe, an unknown employee at Blizzard, recently posted a message on the Suggestions Forum relating to the Amazon and a little of her factual history.  The post is well-written and intriguing, you can see it for yourself here. 

  • Analysis of the Picture... (6/28)

I have finished the analysis of the pieced-together picture, and my finding can be seen in the Articles section or directly by clicking here.  The pieced-together picture has a lot more in it than can be seen at a glance, and perhaps my analysis can be a guide to help everyone unearth more. 

  • In Case You Were Wondering... (6/28)

In case you were wondering, those delightful piece-together pics come from Computer Games Strategy Plus, whose August `99 issue has a small preview/bio on Diablo II.  Although the preview is small, mostly limited to a small listing of the game, it is fuel for any Diablo II fan´s addiction.  Thanks to Labaron for the lead. 

  • Beautiful Screenshots... (6/28)

A few new pieced-together shots of Act II´s Lut Gholein are now available, and I can only say that these are a must-see.  We will have them up on our server soon, and an analysis in under way.  In the meantime, you can see them here: 

Gamesmania recently held and interview with Blizzard´s Bill Roper, and the info gleaned from the interview should be available soon.  We all have high hopes for this interview, and I am quite sure that it will unearth some new information and perhaps a new screenshot or two. 

  • Magazine Preview... (6/27)

Well, in the wake of my absence I am grateful that little happened.  All that I have to report in the appearance of another Diablo II preview in the Computer Games Preview Guide.  Unfortunately, the preview is rehashed and a little dated, so I wouldn´t invest any money into the magazine if new Diablo II screenshots or info is what you want. 

  • ShadowSpiral News. (6/25)

Because of a necessary business trip, there won´t be any updates for the rest of today and tomorrow.  I am sorry if this inconveniances anyone, but rest assured that the posting of the news will resume on Sunday, June 27. 

  • New Diablo II Site. (6/25)

I would like to announce a new Diablo II Fansite, tentatively named Diablo II World.  This site, operated by Landarth, is still in its infancy, but promises to be a great site worthy of everyone´s attention once it gets under way.  I would like to extend Landarth my best wishes and I hope that we will be seeing more of his talent in the future. 

  • Liber Fictionarum Update. (6/24)

The Liber Fictionarum has been updated with the next installment to the Magus Cycle, called "Emmisaries of Night".  It deals with our hero Tariel as his travels bring him to the city of Lut Gholein and face to face with an older cast member in these tales of Diablo II.  Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. 

  • Blizzard at MacWorld Expo. (6/24)

Blizzard will make an appearance at the MacWorld Expo that will be happening July 20 - 23.  Anyone with tickets to the Expo will find them at booth #1937.  Click here for more information about the MacWorld Expo. 

  • Analysis of the Cinematic... (6/24)

Our Editor-in-Chief, Ariochel, has supplied us with a brief but powerful analysis of the E3 Cinematic.  You can find the analysis here, as we have added it to the dialogue that is already posted in our Articles section. 

  • Community Updates. (6/23)

We here at ShadowSpiral Diablo II are looking to revamp our Community section with a brand new system of link submittal and listings.  We don´t have the CGI up for this yet, but while we are working on it you can send any links you would like to be placed into our Community section to us via e-mail, we would be happy to add you to our listing. 

  • Screenshot of the Week... (6/22)

Blizzard´s latest offering for the screenshot of the week gives us our first look at the mythical Thorned Beast and also a good look at the Paladin´s Charge skill in action.  See the shot here:

Thanks to Labaron for notifying me that the SSOTW was up at Blizzard´s Official Diablo II Site. 

  • Gameplay Movie Analysis. (6/22)

I have finished my analysis of the 52 MB Gameplay movie, and you can find it here or archived in our Articles section.  I hope you enjoy both the movie and my analysis, and perhaps my observations can help you to some of your own. 

  • RealPlayer Movies... (6/22)

You´ll find the RealVideo files for the three movies in our Downloads section.  These files make the downloads of the two gameplay movies and the cinematic a lot easier, as they are drastically reduced in size.  I hope you enjoy them. 

  • New Rendered Shot... (6/22)

Along with their listing of download spots for the E3 gameplay footage and cinematic, Blizzard also released a handsome rendered shot from the E3 poster, which you can see below:

We have also archived the latter half of June´s news, which you can find in our News Archive. 

  • Analysis Finished. (6/21)

I have finished the analysis on the 58 MB Gameplay movie that was released on the 18th, and you can find it in our Articles section or directly by clicking here.  It was an excellent movie, and I strongly suggest you download it to see it for yourself. 

  • Newsletter Sent... (6/20)

The eighth installment of the ShadowSpiral Newsletter has just been sent out and should be arriving in everyone´s in-boxes as we speak.  We hope you all enjoy the newsletter, and if you have any comments or criticisms please let us know. 

  • Cinematic Dialogue. (6/19)

I´ve managed to get down what the narrator says during the E3 Cinematic.  It is very cryptic, sounding almost like a prophecy of sorts.  You can see the dialouge here, and it is listed in our Articles section as well. 

  • Download Mirrors... (6/19)

Can´t get the movies because of server overcrowding?  Well, you´ll find a generous listing of mirrors for these three great moves in our Downloads section.  I had a good deal of difficulty getting the movies to download, but we should start the analyses today and be finished with two of them by tomorrow.  I recommend anyone who can download and see these movies, they are excellent. 

  • 3 New Movies! (6/18)

There are three new movies available for download in our Downloads section.  And yes, one of them is the E3 Cinematic trailer that Blizzard promised us.  Anyway, please enjoy them all, and I plan to have an analysis up for all of them this weekend. 

  • French Movie Analysis... (6/18)

Though it took some time, I finally finished the analysis to the French Gameplay Movie.  You can find this analysis in our Articles section, or access it directly by clicking here. 

  • Chat Transcript Available. (6/17)

The transcript for today´s WebMaster chat is now available in our Articles section, or directly by clicking here.  You can find a listing of the new information in our Compendium.  Also, Blizzard gave word that the official E3 trailer should be released tomorrow, we will keep you posted.  Check the Paladin and Barbarian pages for more information on Zeal, Redemption, Track Monster, and Track Player skills.  To learn more about Gems and Wands visit the Dueling Grounds. 

  • WebMaster Chat Today... (6/17)

Just a small reminder that the Blizzard WebMaster´s Chat is today at 8:00 PM EST, so if you had anymore questions you would like us to ask then please email them to us or post them on our Message Board. 

  • French Translation. (6/17)

It looks like Chris and DiabloII.net were able to get a hold of a small translation for the French Gameplay movie.  There´s really not a lot of talking, and it is more of one person telling another what to do in the course of the game.  I´ll incorporate it into my analysis (which I am still working on), but right now you can see it here. 

  • Chinese Movie Analysis... (6/16)

I´ve completed the analysis of the Chinese Gameplay movie, which you can read here.  Remember that all articles I write or store here on ShadowSpiral Diablo II are always accessible through our Articles section.  Please let me know if you think I missed something, or if there was anything you would like to add. 

  • Screenshot of the Week. (6/15)

Blizzard´s newest offering for the Screenshot of the Week is the first ever of the Necromancer.  They also changed the look of the Official Diablo II Site, and added a completely new rendered shot in the process.  The Blizzard Main Site also got another rendered shot, and each are listed below: 

Too many movies?  Never!  Anyway, another new gameplay movie is now available in our Downloads section.  This one is from PC Soluces and is French in nature, and runs about 1:20 minutes of gameplay.  We will have an analysis of both the Chinese and French movies up as soon as possible. 

  • PCZone Preview... (6/15)

The preview featured in the UK magazine PCZone is now available from their website, or here.  The preview doesn´t have any new information or screenshots, but the hardcore fanatic will probably want to read it anyway. 

  • Download Mirrors... (6/15)

I´ve added some mirrors for the download of the Chinese Gamplay and Cinematic movie so everyone will have more options.  It´s a good movie, though it seems like it was shot in fast forward, everything moves very fast. 

  • Cinematic and Gameplay Video. (6/14)

A new Chinese movie showing some of the cinematic sequences from the E3 trailer as well as some gamplay footage is now available.  You´ll find it in our Downloads section, and you can expect an analysis on it as soon as I get to see them. 

  • New Preview... (6/14)

There´s a new Diablo II preview up at Thresh´s Firing Squad, a site that is mostly devoted to first-person shooters such as Quake and Unreal.  The preview contains a lot of wrong information, such as listing "Flame Thrower" as a Sorceress spell (it is probably taking about Inferno), and saying that only the Paladin can use a shield.  It´s still a good preview, and it can be read here. 

  • The Uber Report. (6/13)

Flux of DiabloII.net has finished his massive E3 report, called "The Uber Report".  It covers very nearly all of the points of the demo at E3 in a very good detail.  I suggest you read the Uber Report if you missed any of E3´s information. 

  • Analysis of the Interview... (6/12)

We analyzed the interview that DiabloII.net had with Blizzard, you can find it in our Articles section or access it directly here.  The interview contained a wealth of new information, which you can be sure will we analyze individually soon. 

  • The Fansite Chat. (6/12)

Blizzard has announced that the next Fansite chat will be held next Thursday, which is June 17.  If you would like us to ask any particular questions at the chat then please feel free to send them to us via email or post them on the Message Board. 

  • The Fansite Interview... (6/12)

DiabloII.net has posted their interview with Blizzard, which you can read from their site here.  We plan to analyze all the information in it and have it in a point by point form by tomorrow.  Until then, enjoy the nice, new explainations available from the interview. 

  • Diablo II Preview. (6/11)

There is a small Diablo II preview over at GameDaily, but it is rather strange in focus.  Instead of concentrating of the game it is more about the industry and how it will be effected by the release of Diablo II.  Although it has no new information, it is quite a good read.  You can see it here. 

Since there is really no news on the Diablo II front today, I thought I would clue is anybody interested into some other noteworthy pieces of news.  Microsoft Windows 98 release 2 was shipped out today, you can learn more about that here.  Also, 3dfx has entered into negotiations to purchase S3, more on that from the Adrenaline Vault here.

In ShadowSpiral news, we are planning the addition of another new section to this site.  The name is presently still being decided on, but it will basically be place for a biweekly or monthly debate on controversial topics for Diablo II.  It will include commentary from the ShadowSpiral staff and will also be a conduit for Diablo II enthusiasts to give their opinions.  Tell us what you think about the idea, or offer up suggestions on what you would like to see.

  • Microsoft buys ShadowFactor... (6/9)

Microsoft has just finished a deal to purchase ShadowFactor, the makers of the Battlefield Communicator.  Microsoft plans to incorporate ShadowFactor´s design for the Communicator into DirectX 8.0, which will be released soon.  To learn more visit here on the Adrenaline Vault. 

  • Database Problems. (6/9)

You have probably already noticed that the news posts for the 8th of June have appeared very late this morning.  This was due to a database corruption, which made us go back and reload the site from an earlier build.  We have the problem in hand though, and this particular bug shouldn´t bother us again.  Sorry for the delay. 

  • Official Site Update... (6/8)

The character pages for the Diablo II Official Site have been updated with finalized rendered shots of the Necromancer and Barbarian.  You can see these new rendered shot on either their pages at the Official Site or on the character sections on our site, which are listed in the Compendium as well. 

  • Screenshot of the Week. (6/8)

Click the link below to see Blizzard´s latest offering for the Screenshot of the Week: 

Also, as normal, a new rendered shot proceeded the Screenshot of the Week, and we also have it here (in it´s original form) for your viewing pleasure: 

We would all like to take a moment to wish Darkk a happy 20th birthday.  Darkk is the site´s WebMaster, and without him around to keep brainstorming additions the site wouldn´t be what it is today.  So Happy Birthday, Darkk, this is revenge for posting our birthdays on the site!  :) 

The Liber Fictionarum has been updated with the third part of the Magus Cycle.  This story covers more of the Mage´s School, and of the foul betrayal that grips them as the plot unfolds.  Feel free to read "The Betrayal" and offer up your comments or criticisms. 

  • Newsletter has Shipped. (6/6)

The seventh edition of the ShadowSpiral Newsletter has just shipped and should be arriving in everyone´s inbox as we speak.  Thank you for staying with the newsletter, and we hope that it has continued to serve you well. 

  • French Diablo II Preview... (6/6)

A French magazine named Jouez has a small preview on Diablo II up on their site.  I don´t know French, nor does anyone else on the staff, so I can´t tell you what it might contain.  Zeph-X stated that it was nothing really new, just a normal Diablo II preview.  If you can read French and want to check it out, click here. 

Blizzard has updated its Official Diablo II Site with the expected ESRB rating for Diablo II, which is Mature.  You can see this message at the bottom of their page, along with a link to the ESRB. 

  • Newsletter Woes... (6/5)

If you´re a regular subscriber to our ShadowSpiral Newsletter you´re probably wondering right now where your bi-weekly newsletter is.  Well, we have decided to move the newsletter to every other Sunday instead of every other Friday.  There are two benefits to this: you get the coverage of both Friday and Saturday, and it is easier for us here to get it out on Sunday instead of Friday.  So don´t worry, I assure the newsletter will be delivered to you on Sunday. 

  • Movie Analysis Complete... (6/5)

I have completed the analysis of the PC Games movie released yesterday, which you can view in our Articles section or here.  This movie provided a lot of new details and info, all of which is covered in the analysis.  There is also an updated to the Dueling Grounds as we gleaned some new weapon info from the movie. 

  • Diablo II in Playboy? (6/5)

Yes, you heard right, Diablo II has appeared on a listing of Playboy´s Top Five RPG´s of all time, of which Diablo II takes third place.  You can see the listing here. 

I think this is more footage in any single span of time than we´ve ever had before.  Anyway, PC Games has released a 30 MB movie with more Diablo footage, most of it from the Giga TV Interview that Bill Roper had in April.  I´ve heard that this video isn´t quite as good as the PCPlayer video, but it is still worth downloading.  You´ll find it in our Downloads section, and it can be quickly accessed here. 

The Diablo II Info section has been updated with info on Act II, which can be accessed directly by clicking here.  Please write me or post on the Message Board your thoughts on the Diablo II Info section and how I can improve it.  Your advice is always valued. 

  • PCPlayer Movie Analysis... (6/3)

I have just finished our PCPlayer movie analysis, which covers the PCPlayer movie in depth,  Of course, you´re welcome to read the article and offer any suggestions, criticisms, or comments you may have.  You´ll find the article here or in our Articles section. 

  • PCPlayer Movie. (6/3)

Enough footage to make the heart stop, another Diablo II movie has just become available.  The movie features a lot of the Sorceress and a little of the Necromancer.  Unfortunately, at the time this movie was filmed, most of the Necromancer´s icons were placeholders, and the graphics for his Golems were missing.  The movie is in our Downloads section, and can also be quickly downloaded here. 

  • News on Resolutions... (6/2)

It appears that some digging has been going on... we know have an official statement regarding resolutions in Diablo II:

    "...according to Matt (Householder, a D2 Producer), DII displays in full-screen 640x480 resolution only. It auto-switches resolutions, of course... One doesn't have to adjust the monitor settings to play."

Apparently we won´t be seeing 800x600 or 1024x768 resolutions in Diablo II.  Although the 1024x768 was mere speculation, we were pretty sure that 800x600 was official.  Perhaps there was a reversal of their decision. 

This new, strange screenshot shows us the Necromancer´s Poison and Bone skill tree.  If it looks a little odd to you that´s alright, many of the skill icons there are merely placeholders.  You´ll notice a few new ones though... but at present it is unknown what the icons might connect to: 

Two movie downloads in one day!  Footage from Bill Roper´s Giga TV interview has been released in movie format, and while it´s not quite available for download yet, it will be soon.

We do have three new pictures from the Giga TV interview, and these are in better quality than those previously released.  In going with the theme of minipics, we´ve also organized these into a three-pic collage: 

Mordeth sends tidings of screenshots and a new movie featuring some Barbarian footage.  I haven´t got a chance to download the movie yet, but I´ve heard it´s not of the best quality, but still a good download.  The pics from the movie that turned out well are below, because of their small size and resolution we´ve put them into a collage: 

Blizzard has released another wonderful Screenshot of the Week for your viewing pleasure.  This screenshot features the Barbarian with two weapons equipped (the left mouse button has Double Swing selected) and Shout at the ready as he prepares to deal death to some of Act III´s creatures called Mosquitoes:

And, as usual, here is the render from Blizzard´s main site that usually coincides with the release of a new SSOTW.  It´s a beautiful shot: 

There is a new German Diablo II preview out, which you can view here.  Though it is only one page in length and contains no new info, it is a good read nonetheless.  Thanks to Mordeth for the lead. 

There are two new Diablo II previews available, one from Spin Magazine (which is a non-gaming magazine) and one from 3D Action Planet which you can view here.  It´s worth mention that both of these previews contain their fair share of errors and bad info, so take what is in them with a grain of salt. 

  • We´ve Archived May´s News. (6/1)

It´s the beginning of another month, and we´ve archived the old news in our News Archive.  May was filled with news, including tons of E3 coverage, so if you feel you´ve missed something just visit our archive to catch up.  Several additions to the site were also made on the last day of May, these include the new Diablo II Info section and various changes to other sections. 

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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.

Counter courtesy of
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