Control of the game is in the eye of the beholder, everything you “NEED” to do is available, and rarely have I played a cross platform game that is “twitchy”. I think the last game I saw a noticeable difference was Call of Duty Black Ops II.
I prefer a PC for that elitist layer of control you are referencing as well, but it is not mandatory, and does not mean the game is going to be limited on PC just because it is on console either…
The demo had the game run through one of the most intense graphical phases it will have, in a pre-alpha stage, and was able to clear all of it without dropping below 30fps (noted that some PC’s did struggle apparently, but it was few and far between) and yes, the goal is 60fps or higher, but I was extremely impressed by what they have pulled off in a pre-alpha build.
If otherwise not known, keep in mind that PC games are tuned and designed for 60fps and console games are designed for 30. All because D4 is being designed at the same time for all platforms, it does not mean they are going to be identical in terms of their graphical output. They will be identical in game script only as they are trying to keep the concept of completely cross platform open, even if they think it is unlikely.
blizzard don’t make games for target audiences anymore , they want everyone to be able to play their games (bad decision imo) this leads to over simplified systems and casual play, if you think d4 will be any different it wont, sadly
FPS has bugger all to do with control. By twitchy I’m referring for button presses to be time critical because a console controller is interfacing almost directly to the APU via the USB bus. Computers have a few more layers of hardware and code so the controls feel mushy as compared to a console. When you design for a PC and port to a console it feels unresponsive. When you code for a console and port to PC it feels twitchy. The Tomb Raider series is a prime example.
D3 and D4 only having 6 active abilities isn’t due to consoles. Other console games manage to have 16 abilities easily accessible on a controller (FFXIV).
I absolutely hate the radial menu of the console version, but complaining about inventory tetris being removed? Seriously?
I agree that it would be great if the game had crossplay between PC and consoles, but, I can see problems with it.
Not sure if you’ve played both versions of D3, but the console version has problems with targeting AoE abilities or placing stuff like the Demon Hunter sentries. You simply don’t have the degree of control you have with a mouse pointer. For PvE it isn’t that bad, but I imagine this would be a very big disadvantage in PvP.
D3 was made specifically for console, from day one there were limited abilities lined up with the allowable buttons on a controller. D3 on PC was nothing more than a beta test rolling out the AH to see if the customers would be easy to sucker out of more money after a full purchase price. After the backlash they adjusted the game and released the actual game on consoles, which continues to be the better of the two versions, sadly.
PC is being treated as a beta test, if we see what they did for D3. Sad to say they don’t want the PC customer anymore. Do we have cellphones? Do we have consoles? Great!!!
I am reading their explanation as they are developing PC and developing Console. No ports, these appear to be ground up for each. They did the same with Diablo 3, they built it ground up to be the best experience possible.
If Blizzard does one thing right, it is ensuring that their games are the most technically sound on the market for their respective genre.
It is kinda funny that people insult or making fun of D3 for made for console while the so-called D2 spiritual successor also made console version and they are safe from criticism for some reason. Is double standard is a thing here?
It’s hard to expect a company of Blizzards size to build a game for a specific hardcore audience rather than target a more lucrative wider audience. I think Indie developers have taken up that niche now of building games for select audiences (i.e. Crate Entertainment - Grim Dawn aka Awesome game). It’s a double-edged sword with Blizzard, they have the resources to make some of the most graphically impressive, technically sound and engaging games but at the potential cost of simplifying/streamlining complexity in favour of play-ability.
It’d be very interesting to know what their strategic pillars for game design are for D IV. (i.e. Engaging yet deep combat, Simple presentation of complex systems, etc?). If these pillars don’t align with the hardcore PC audience then I don’t think we’ll be getting the game that some players are hoping for. That said I’m not in the doom & gloom camp that many people here seem to be in. In fact I’m rather hopeful on some of what I saw presented at Blizzcon (dark bleak world, sinister artwork, more strategic combat). I do have concerns but I’ll reserve judgment for next Blizzcon.
I also question whether it is inherently bad that Diablo IV’s target audience is shared across platforms (PC, console)? There are many good games on console and having that player-base as a means to warrant future development content for D IV can’t be all bad for PC players.
This is where I’m at as well. I don’t want a remake of Diablo 2 at this point. I mean Diablo 2 could have been just a remake of Diablo 1 and we would have never had such a great game in D2. Iterative development can lead to improved gameplay moving forward and although D3 may have been a step backwards in some concepts compared to D2, ultimately I still sunk 1000+ hours in Diablo 3. I’m personally hoping for something quite different this next time from D3 and D2 that takes the good points from both and makes a new vision for D IV.
The PS3 had M+K support, and the PS4 probably supported M+K since the very start. When I played FFXIV on the PS3 and later the PS4, I used a M+K in addition to the controller.
Okay, i really don wana double standard things or critics the team of d4, i just point out that if you wana go in two platforms than do, upgrade and work on two different versions. The thing is that cost time, money, resources… etc. so they wana kill 2 rabbits with one bullet.
What is done is done, we move forward we need to get better products, new games with high details in every aspect. Just optimize the movement, casting, abilities and all that for M+K, dont try to full me or frame me in something, because i will feel it and notice it in the first 2 clicks with my character. This post wont even exist if people doesnt feel or notice some sort of lagging (delay in movement or rotating the character), linear movement and so on…
Untrue, check this interview, there is a reason why diablo 3 from 2008-2010 looks better and has more content deep showed than diablo 3 post 2011.
In January 2011 they added console to diablo 3 and they got priority, with the result they cutted much stuff.
Here is the quote:
" With the PC version of Diablo III released in May 2012 and work on the console versions fully underway, Mosqueira headed up the console sub-team inside of Team 3 , the Blizzard designation for the entire Diablo III group. The Game Director at the time was Jay Wilson, who oversaw both the PC and the console development, although Mosqueira notes that the console team was “a little bit more autonomous.” Throughout the console Diablo III development process, he was given freedom to make changes specifically for the console versions. “Jay said, ‘Look, whatever tweaks you need to make to translate Diablo so it feels like an awesome console game, feel free to make those decisions.’”"
They killed pc diablo 3 in January 2011 with the console team.
I do not want this happened again. Great, i didnt know this… thanks for posting. This proves me that what people talk about consoles it totally right and for reason. Do it but not with the PC and combining it… separate them please. Character movement need free movement and small steps movement even on very small space, mouse allow that, that gives feeling of free moving in millimeters… that precision is needed when you blink with your Sorceress in grift 110. Hardcore players can feel this differences and thats why Quin69 ask that question at first place.
Wait until the future announcement that Diablo IV is being developed simultaneously for PC, consoles and Mobile.
Cue fan outrage!
Seriously, we all want a great Diablo IV game (ideas vary on what that may be). Way too much speculation going on at this point of development to be convinced things will turn out badly just because of the console co-development. I blame the designers for some of the poor decisions made in Diablo 3, irrespective of the console initative. Its a factor of it being either correlated or causative effect. Personally I think its the former.
You can be pretty certain the release version will be nothing like this preview, including graphics, playability, skills, chars (the list goes on and on). A LOT could change between now and then.
Well from D3 experience and because of the early stage of D4, we gently suggest blizz to know that we can feel the difference in the gameplay. On time to give constructive feedback on what we saw already.
“Originally hired by Blizzard in early 2011 as the Diablo III console lead designer, Mosqueira and the two other initial hires for the console team were roped into helping the PC team during that summer. “They were coming down the pipe, and they really wanted to finally ship D3,” he recalls. So the console team ended up working on finishing the PC Diablo III game. “It wasn’t until we shipped on PC that the real focus on the console side of things really started in earnest.””
Earlier part of the video, add “tweaking” for console, and 18 months helping the main team for PC release.
Now watch diablo 3 videos 2008-2010, and than watch videos 2011+ until release mid 2012.
You see a big drop in quality during the time.
Of course they will not write:
“we mezzed diablo3 for console release.”
But the interview comes very close to a indirecz, “we mezzec diablo 3 for console release.”
