Novemberīs News

  • Accompanying Cinematic Shot. (11/30)

The newest SSOTW also came with a new Rendered Shot, see it here:

Blizzard has just released the newest Screenshot of the Week, an although it is a little blurred for unknown reasons it does have some added features.  You can see it below:

A person  known as Talkie Toaster caught this small bit of info at an Australian Gaming Conference with a represenative from 3dfx:

    "One of the talks there was by the 3DFX PR man, and he was talking about the Voodoo 4 and 5. I asked about drivers support for 2D/3D stuff like diablo 2 is doing, and he told me some interesting things...

    Diablo 2 has two modes. If it does not detect 3D stuff, then it runs a 2D engine.. if it detects a 3D card, it uses a hybrid 2D/3D engine. The terrain and dungeon bitmaps are used as textures on a 3D mesh, and the characters and spell effects are done that way as well. This is how the game is accelerated by 3D cards.. it's essentially running in 3D! :)"

Thanks to Skull Knight King for the lead. 

  • More on a Delay. (11/27)

A German site, Gamesweb, has said that it spoke to a German represenative of Havas (Blizzardīs controlling parent-company) and that Diablo II is still sleighted for an early 2000 release.  This is in direct contrast to what Gamesmania recently stated in their post here.  The news article is in German, so if you can read it you can see it here. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Diablo II Delayed... (11/25)

So Gamesmania has the inside track?  Perhaps they donīt, as this announcement does not seem very valid in the face of Blizzardīs earlier statements.  But one never knows, you can see what they said about possible further delays here. 

Itīs a good question, into which of those two genres does Diablo II fit?  I guess the people over at CombatWorld.com have it figured out.  A site devoted to Action titles like Quake III and Unreal, yet their Pic of the Week happens to be a Diablo II shot?  Passing strange, but you can see it here. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Accompanying Rendered Shot. (11/24)

And now the latest Rendered Shot that accompanies the SSOTWīs release.  I believe this one is Marius looking out of the door of the Opium Den, watching the Wanderer.  See it below: 

The newest Screenshot of the Week has been released, this one showing a shopping window in Diablo II.  The shot also gave us new info an a gem, which you can find in our Dueling Grounds section.  See the shot below: 

    Screenshot of the Week #38: A Shopping Window...

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Academy Awards and Blizzard. (11/23)

An industry first: Blizzard wins the Academy Award for their cinematic short Diablo: The Calling.  It could theoretically happen, as this article from Salon goes into depth on.  From what Iīve seen and heard, it sounds like it deserves such an acclaim. 

  • Vote for RPGīs... (11/23)

Over at GA-RPG there is a vote asking: "What PC RPG, due to release in early 2000 are you most eagerly anticipating?"  The choices are: Diablo II, Final Fantasy VIII, Dues Ex, and Anachronox.  Go vote for your millennial favorite. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Battle of the Online Giants. (11/22)

There is an article of at the Adrenaline Vault that compares the differences between two major models of online play, mainly the model used in Ultima Online (a monthly fee system) and EverQuest and the free system used by Blizzardīs Battle.net.  The article doesnīt come out and say which is better, but leaves you to make your own inference.  You can read that article here. 

  • Newsletter Sent... (11/21)

The latest edition of the ShadowSpiral Diablo II Newsletter has been sent out to all subscribers.  If youīve missed the newsletter or have a problem with it, e-mail us here at ShadowSpiral Diablo II and we will do our best to remedy the problem. 

  • News Archived. (11/21)

The older news for November has been placed in the News Archive.  If you feel youīve missed something from this monthīs past coverage, you can visit our Archive to catch up on events. 

  • The Movie Analysis. (11/20)

We have analyzed the 5-minute movie that Blizzard let fans see in a theatre in California.  This cinematic, one of the gameīs five, is the into cinematic explaining the events of Diablo II.  You can read our analysis in our Articles section or directly here. 

  • The Voodoo that They Do... (11/18)

The 3dfx Company has released new info for their new line of graphics adapters.  This is only related to Diablo II in a loose sense, but I thought it meaningful is at reveals what the next generation of 3D cards will be like.  You can check here for the latest on these insanely powerful cards. 

  • Analyzing the Latest SSOTW. (11/17)

We took the time to analyze all the details on the latest Screenshot of the Week, the one everyone is talking about.  It was in this screenshot that the guildhallīs design was first shown to us in an actual game screen.  Itīs in our Articles section and you can access it directly here. 

  • Blizzard Q&A. (11/16)

Mike Huang has appeared on the Diablo II Suggestions Forum to field questions relating to the newest info weīve gleaned today.  Here is his first post on the new Durability icon:

    "If you notice, the greenwire frame character is now gone and replaced with a nicely rendered one. The durability indicator only appears when one of the items is getting low (just like in Diablo I) or if it is broken (durability = 0). Yellow means durability is getting low, Red means the durability is all used up."

His next post deals with the odd coloration of the Stamina guage from the recent screenshot accompanying the Sightless Eye Interview:

    "The stamina bar has not changed at all in several months. If you are referring to the blue color on the stamina bar in the screenshot from the Bill Roper interview on The Sightless Eye, the blue coloration is simply an indicator that the character's stamina is being affected in some way."

We would venture a guess that this blue coloration is a beneficial alteration of some kind, but thatīs just an educated guess. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Accompanying CSOTW... (11/16)

The new cinematic shot has been released on Blizzardīs Main Site and it features a rather troubled Marius looking up into the face of the camera.  You can see it below: 

The newest Screenshot of the Week has been unveiled, and it is spectacular indeed.  It features the guildhouse design thus far revealed by Blizzard.  We will examine and dissect this shot soon, but for now you can see it below: 

The Daily Radar is giving away a chance to fly to Califonia for a weekend full of Diablo II.  You can register for this contest here, but first youīll have to become a member by filling out a small form and giving an e-mail address.  Good luck! 

  • PvP Cartoon... (11/16)

Well, PvP has taken anpther stab at Diablo II, this time from a completely different angle.  We donīt want to spoil it, so go here to see the madness for yourself. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Fansite Interview Posted. (11/16)

The Sightless Eye has posted their interview with Bill Roper and I must say while it has few pieces of new info, what it does have is excellent.  You can see the newest info archived in our Compendium.  Also, it came bundled with a new screenshot detailing the new Durability model (gone is the wireframe) and it also has a colored Stamina bar.  See it below: 

Thereīs a new Rendered Shot taken from Chips and Bits magazine by DiabloII.com.  This strange picture features a never-before-seen creature amidst some floating, phantasmal skulls.  A lot of people are thinking that this may be the first ever look at Mephisto or Baal.  See the render below: 

Did the Diablo II delay ruin your Christmas spirit?  Well, youīre not alone, see the newest PvP cartoon here and youīll know how the staff at MPOG feels. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Bill Roper Interview. (11/13)

The December edition of PC Gamer has a small interciew with Bill Roper .  The interview is mostly personal and doesnīt really touch on Diablo II, but will no doubt be an excellent one.  Since it is printed press we wonīt copy the interview here, but if you want to read it pick up a copy of PC Gamer at your local store.  Thanks to Exodus1 for the lead.  

  • Diablo II on the Big Screen. (11/13)

A feature at the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theatre in Los Angeles, Blizzard is showing a 5-minute preview for Diablo II called Diablo: The Calling.  This movie features a man named Marius who is imprisoned in a medieval sanitarium.  Marius was once a member of the religious Horadrim sect.  Marius is visited by a msterious figure whom he believes to be the Archangel Tyrael, but who may actually be the Wanderer of Diablo II.  This should connect a few questions from the E3 Trailer that we have seen.  You can find more info, including date and time, here. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • An Important Vote... (11/12)

Over at the Adrenaline Vault is a vote we consider very relavent and important.  It asks: "Does it matter to you when Diablo II is released?"  So far 58.6% of the voters say "Doesn't matter, I'll buy a great game whenever it comes out," 19.5% say "Forget it! I'm tired of waiting. I'm not going to buy Diablo II," 12.4% quip "Give it to me before Christmas or I'll buy another copy of Darkstone!", and 9.5% admit "I'm glad they delayed it so I can play the other great holiday titles."  Go make your vote in this important poll. 

  • Words From Blizzard. (11/12)

Max Schaefer has responded to the massive amount of criticism for the further delay of Diablo IIīs release on many of the forums that deal with Diablo II.  Here are his words (taken from the DiabloII.net Forum): 

    Hello,

    About 2 months or so before this summer's E3 convention in Los Angeles, the Diablo II team at Blizzard North entered what we refer to as "Crunch Mode."

    Crunch Mode refers to the work schedule we use when work needs to be done at an accellerated pace. We enter Crunch Mode before gaming shows, magazine preview, etc. What we do, basically, is give up on any sort of life for as long as it takes to get something done. This means ALL of us work weekends, and well into the night. If you come to our office during Crunch Mode, you'll see many cars in the parking lot until well after midnight. It is now 8:00pm at Blizzard North. Nobody has left yet.

    So anyway, around March or so, we entered Crunch Mode for E3. We've never exited Crunch Mode. This means, since March, we've given up weekends, special occaisions, holidays, and all of our waking hours to making Diablo II. We've abandoned friends, family, and any recreation for this purpose. Not that we complain, after all, we choose to be in this profession. However, it does put a strain on our lives, and our relationships. For this reason, nobody wants the game to be done more than we do. We want desperately to share the product of all of our work with all of you, and we know that you want this as well.

    We're very, very good at making computer games. Since we made Diablo with an incredibly talented crew, we've been able attract the very best talent from all over the world to work here. I am confident in saying there is no better development group than ours.

    However, we pretty much suck at predicting release dates. If it were totally up to us, we'd never mention the product until it comes out. However, our wiser business people see it a little differently and we're forced to try to estimate dates. Obviously, we don't always nail it on the head. I realize this is frustrating to the gaming public, since there's all this hype about a game that doesn't ever seem to come out. I sympathize with that, and don't exactly know how to make it less painful.

    But we will never, NEVER, release a game before it's ready, or to make a fiscal quarter, or to make it easier on ourselves. The game will always come first for us.

    In the meantime, we'll work on our date-predicting skills.
  • Fansite Chat Report... (11/11)

The Fansite Chat has come and gone, a very interesting one if I may so, espicially following on the heels of the latest press announcement.  Thereīs new info for the Sorceress, Paladin, Necromancer, and Amazon skills, as well as a few new pieces archived in our Compendium.  The chat transcript is in our Articles section and can be accessed here. 

  • Expectations and High Hopes. (11/11)

This just in from Susan Wooley of the PR Department: 

    The release date of Diablo II has been the subject of great speculation in recent weeks as the result of delays in starting the beta test. After discussing the time needed to fully play-balance, polish, beta test and debug the game, we feel that it is important to let the gaming community know that we do not expect to release Diablo II before the end of the year.

    Diablo II is the most ambitious project we have undertaken to date. The game is many times larger than the original with a much more complex system of character development. Additionally, we have redesigned the Battle.net architecture using a client-server network to prevent cheating and to expand the multiplayer component. With the release of Diablo II, Battle.net will be a true global network with servers in Europe and Asia to support players around the world.

    While we appreciate that Diablo II is highly anticipated by many gamers, we also know that gamers have come to expect a high level of quality from Blizzard products. We have worked hard for many years building this trust, and, as we have promised before, will not take development shortcuts at the expense of disappointing our customers.

    The game is now slated for a worldwide release in early 2000. We plan to start beta testing before the year's end with a limited beta test of 1,000 players. We then will conduct an open beta program to stress test our new Battle.net servers. We will keep you updated on the game's progress once the beta test gets underway.

    Over the years, we have been praised by the industry for taking our time with games and never losing focus on the attention to detail we pay to every aspect of our titles. As the team continues to work extraordinary hours to deliver the best experience possible, we hope that this tradition of support continues.

The official press release is here. 

                - Darkk (WebMaster)
                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Upcoming Chat. (11/10)

The Official Fansite Chat is tomorrow at 8:00 PM EST (5:00 PM EST), and as an official Fansite we will be in attendance.  If anyone out rhere has any questions they would like to throw at the Diablo II Development Team please send them to us or post them on the Message Board.  Thanks. 

  • The Failure of Clans... (11/10)

Clans was going to be another of the "Diablo-Killers" on the level with Eidosīs Revenant or Gathering of Developerīs Darkstone.  The game was ambitious, truth be told, but seems to have failed utterly in the eyes of the Adrenaline Vault.  You can read their review of it here, but I warn you of the massive flood of criticism if you do, they really didnīt like this game. 

  • Poll at Gamerīs Domain... (11/9)

Thereīs a poll over at Gamerīs Domain asking "What New Game or Game Sequel are you waiting for the most?"  The the choices are for all the most popular gamesī upcoming sequels, including Diablo II.  Right now Diablo II is leading the pack with 367 votes to WarCraft IIIīs 18.  Itīs looking a little unbalanced to me, but I guess thatīs the fanīs response.  Thanks to DiabloII.net for the lead.  

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Never Before Seen Render. (11/9)

In the past, Blizzard has always accompanied the SSOTW with a rendered shot from one of the Diablo II trailers.  Since the announcement of WarCraft III that practice has slid a little.  But now it seems to be picking back up, with an all-new Rendered Shot this time.  See it below: 

Blizzard has released the latest Screenshot of the Week.  This one features the Barbarian making use of his Stun skill on a Skeletal Archer as some Mauraders draw near.  See it below: 

Thereīs a new render of the Amazon available from  PC Games magazine.  This render shows off the Amazon in an attack stance, complete with spear and shield.  See it below:

Thanks to the Diablo 2 Realm for the shot. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Release Date News. (11/8)

A post on the Technical Support forum by Pat N. gives us some news of the release.  Hereīs what he said in his post:

    We are working to have Diablo II some time later this year, but there is no release date for Diablo II. Release information when it becomes available will be placed on our web site.

Something to raise the hopes of everyone out there. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Newsletter Sent. (11/7)

The ShadowSpiral Diablo II Newsletter has been sent to all subscribers, and it should alread be arriving in everyoneīs in-boxes.  If anyone has any problems with the newsletter, please give us an e-mail and we will remedy it as best we can. 

  • Diablo II Stratrgy Guide. (11/7)

BradyGames has the official Diablo II strategy guide finished apparently, and it will retail for $19.95 and be rekeased simultaneously beside Diablo II.  Hmmm, to have the strategy guide already finished they must have some inside info. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Think WarCraft is funny? (11/7)

If you do, then the Burning Legions has the contest for you.  They are presently accepting humorous stories in the vein of WarCraft, with the grand prize being a copy of Diablo II.  Connect here for more information about the contest. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • New German Preview. (11/7)

There is a new preview up at Gamespot, but unfortunately it is in German.  We donīt know if it has any new information, and it has no new secreenshots.  If anyone out there can read German please send us some kind of translation of its contents, or at least the knowledge of whether it contains new info and what that info might be.  You can read this preview here. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Answers from Blizzard PR. (11/5)

Mordeth of the Diablo 2 Realm has e-mailed in to the Blizzard PR department some questions, which were in turn answered.  Hereīs what they got:

    1.) What happened to the monthly "Character Avi" feature? A new footage used to be released each month, but two of them are still missing (Sorceress and Necromancer). Are you still planning on releasing them in the near future?

    I believe we are working on the Paladin AVI as we speak ...

    2.) I guess it's obvious that the Diablo II Beta Test has been postponed again. Can you give us a "rough estimate" when the sign up will takeplace?

    Can't really say ... but I know that it'll be soon ... don't you love that answer. As much as you do, I wish we had a date and time set in stone.

    3.) And lastly, I'd like to hear your personal opinion. Are you confident that the game will come out this year?

    Do my opinions really matter, now?? :)"

We suspect that in the first question, the represenative really meant the Necromancer AVI, as the Paladin AVI  has already been released.  Of course, they might be releasing the Paladin AVI again as that character has been changed a lot since then. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Diablo II Revenge Game... (11/5)

Diablo II Revenge has created a browser-based game that draws off of screenshots and animations that have been released for Diablo II.  The game is fun to watch and play, and itīs only a 1.7 MB download so we recommend trying it.  Thanls also to Dexter who mailed in about this. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Winning Sites. (11/4)

It looks like the Sightless Eye has won the next Fansite Interview with Bill Roper, so congratulations to them.  Also, the Diablo II Labyrinth has won this monthīs round of Diablo II prizes from Blizzard, and we hope they enjoy them. 

  • New Info from the Chat. (11/3)

The Game Dive talk carried a few new pieces of info, but not much.  It was, however, a blast to listen to, and was humorous on both Mr. Roperīs side and for some of the questions (downloaded the Hellfire patch yet?) that were asked.  New info follows: 

    1.)  Friendly Fire is an off again on again setup, but the present build of Diablo II has it implemented.

    2.)  The Beta Test will begin with 1,000 testers, but will add more over time.  Even people from the US are eligible although it will be centered internationally.  Still no firm timeline for the Beta though.
  • Live Chat Reminder. (11/3)

We just wanted to remind everyone that the Game Dive talk will be tonight at 7:00 PM PST (thatīs 10:00 PM EST).  Go to the link above to enter the chat or here to register yourself for the chat. 

  • Apologies for the Delay... (11/3)

I wanted to apologize to everyone on behalf of the whole ShadowSpiral Team for not having the site updated in a timely fashion yesterday.  I ran into some ISP problems and lost my connection to the Internet.  Fortunately the site stayed up, so as soon as the problem cleared itself I could get back to updating everything.  Sorry for the delay. 

  • Live Chat with Blizzard... (11/2)

This small piece of news from Battle.net: 

    The Game Guys are back on Game Dive and they are talking about DIABLO II. The interview with Bill Roper will be available on Talkspot.com or through Won.net. The show starts at 7 pm Pacific Time (10 pm EST; 3 am next day GMT) on Wednesday, November 3 and you'll need Real Player to hear the show.

    The Game Dive is the only fully interactive, fully caffeinated computer gaming webshow hosted by industry insiders Robert and Paul. Live audio, chat and pictures put you in touch with the world's top game designers.

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • Bill Roper Interview. (11/2)

The famed Blizzard guru, Bill Roper, has had yet another interview, this time with Voodoo Extreme.  This interview unfortunately doesnīt cover any new ground (except for Mr. Roperīs view of the smurfs), but it is still a good review.  You can read it from their site here. 

                - Landarth (Newstracker)
                 

  • New Screenshot of the Week. (11/2)

Blizzard has released the newest SSOTW, and itīs packed full of action in the old Tristram section of Act I.  You can see it below: 

We have had several people ask us about the Skill of the Week over on the sidebar and why it isnīt changing every week.  We wonīt be changing it till we have the new layout up (which should be this week), because the staff are occupied elsewhere.  Everything will be back to normal soon. 

  • Weīve Archived October. (11/1)

We have added October to our News Archive, so if you feel youīve missed something from last month give the archive a look.  We start out a new month today for Noverember, and weīre all fervently hoping to see the Beta Test in a few says. 

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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 Necromancerīs Curses, it is a powerful addition to his arsenal.

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