A new Diablo 2 Resurrected Korean interview has been posted on Inven.kr which talks to Vicarious Visions' Chrisl Amaral and Rob Galerani.This interview was posted after the Diablo 2 Resurrected Technical Alpha test and tackles some of the issues that cropped up during the testing. Things such as loading screens are being looked at as well as some of the skills. Much of the interview covers things we know but it's worth a read to see what they thought of the Alpha test.
The interview was posted in Korean and I have done my best to tidy it up from Google translate. Sadly my Korean is non-existent.
Q. How did the Diablo2 Resurrected Technical Alpha go?
Chris Amaral: There were a lot of reactions and I'm happy. I was able to get a lot of feedback, some of which are ongoing and planned. In particular, it seems that the visual reactions such as zoom-in and legacy toggle was very positive. I think there are a lot of things we need to do in the future. It was a good weekend.
Rob Galerani: It seems that there were a lot of favorable reviews for the quality of life changes.
Q. There was a lot of talk about inventory. I wonder if there is a plan to expand it like the stash?
First of all, there is no plan to expand the inventory. In fact, I think that the inventory is something the user has to take into account to make decisions in the game which can affect gameplay. It was determined that expanding the inventory would rather reduce the user's choice. In the case of the stash, it was expanded because it did not directly affect the gameplay.
Q. Diablo 2: What is the goal of Resurrection? Is it to compete with the current generation of RPGs?
The most essential goal is to preserve the legitimacy of Diablo 2 Classic. Even users who haven't played the original or have a faint memory, want to be able to enjoy Diablo 2 through more modern systems, hardware, and convenience. Of course, you could compete with the latest games, but it wasn't the goal to make it completely new.
Q. Are there any plans to proceed with new content or balance adjustments after release?
The first goal is to be faithful to the basics. At this point, the focus is on the game's core, level, balance, and good quality audio. After that, the ladder system will start, but for now, it can be said that the biggest goal is to get the core elements right.
Q. In the Technical Alpha test, only Amazon, Sorceress, and Barbarian could play. Why?
The reason I chose the three jobs first is because I thought that it would cover a wide range of play styles. I also wanted to check out the gamepad play, but I decided that I could see several aspects of that through the ranged Sorceress, the Melee Barbarian, and the Amazon in between. Also, in terms of visuals, I was able to look at various parts of those.
Q. The audio improvements were impressive. How did you tackle that and what did you do to improve it?
I think I can talk about the planning aspect. The most important thing was to preserve the original sound. It maximizes the nostalgic feeling and at the same time pays attention to the sense of depth. In the desert, a more deserted sound can be heard, and the dripping sound is made more vivid in the sewer. Through these changes, I was able to recreate that nostalgia.
Q. It is unfortunate that some of the character's appearances are older compared to the original. Do you have any plans to change this?
When we worked on the characters, 70% aimed to bring the original work to life, and 30% aimed to bring more detail. The characters worked to reflect the appropriate for their place in the world of Sanctuary. Didn't they go through several battles? I can't say that there will be absolutely no corrections, but for now, I am working hard to reinforce storytelling through art and bring out realistic details.
Q. A bug in the original game, such as duping, has been confirmed. Are you aware of this?
Diablo 2 has accumulated lots of bugs over the past 20 years, and based on this, you can judge the importance of each and proceed with the fixes. In the case of duping, we are putting a lot of effort into the Battle.net side. When playing multiplayer on Battle.net, enhanced security will be applied to duping items and using bots. The local character stored with the computer is separate from the Battle.net character, so it is impossible to move items.
Q. Can I meet the butchers and wolves that existed only with data in the original work?
There is no plan. Since we are doing all the work based on the original version, you will not be able to meet a form that did not exist in the past.
Q. It seems that some skill effects were not perfect. What is the update plan for the skill effects?
Through the Technical Alpha, we have received several feedbacks and are watching closely. I know that there is a lot of feedback in skill effects. It's hard to say that it changes everything, but some of the Sorceress's Blizzard skills are scheduled to change.
Q. It is good to pay attention to the dark atmosphere, but it was a bit difficult to identify Pia. What do you think about this?
I think it's good feedback. Even within the team, we are aware that pia identification can be difficult. Adjusting the light effect of a character or item is not a big cost, so we look closely at the feedback and try to do various tasks based on it.
Q. In the original work, there was a mod for quality of life changes, but can it be used in Resurrection?
First of all, we don't plan to block all mods as users in all communities have shown affection for decades. Resurrection will also support mods, but it may be difficult to use mods that are outside the defined framework, such as hacking the code.
Q. I am curious if community elements such as the guild system and guild housing will be added. The
The Battle.net functions have been modernized, and chat through the launcher that was found in other games can be used. However, in the case of in-game, I want to utilize the authenticity of the original. There may be plans in the future, but for now, I want to focus on saving the original.
Q. You said that it is difficult to expand your inventory. What is true inventory separately?
This is a question I often hear. Many people say that the more they approach the final content, the more the inventory becomes full and it is difficult to carry items. If this is corrected, it seems that there should be changes in the end game content as well. Although we are aware of the opinions of users, there is no plan at this time because I think that the work to revive the original is outside the scope of the work.
Q. I can't collect a lot of gems and runes. Is the overlapping system difficult?
Recognized feedback, but now we are experimenting with the flexibility of the system. We are looking at how users are responding to the increased stashwarehouse.
Q. Will hybrid rune words be maintained?
Parts such as hybrid runewords are undergoing a lot of discussion internally. We are looking at whether it hurts the experience of the game, or whether long-time fans of the original are affectionately. In addition, item duplication is being discussed aggressively for a solution.
Q. Diablo 2: Is the Resurrection season the same as before?
The season period is planned to be taken shorter than before. In addition, if registered on the ladder board, we are going to introduce additional functions that can be inquired afterwards.
Q. As local loading occurred, it was difficult to attack Act 2 bosses. Do you have any plans to make up for it?
First, a lot of work is being done on the loading time. Optimization work is in progress to shorten it. Problems such as starting a battle or being killed while loading are considered separate issues and solutions are being prepared.
Q. What will happen to Uber Diablo content?
Contents such as Uber Diablo and Uber Tristrum are retained. There will be some changes as we are planning to become a global server, but basically, we will continue to see these events.
Q. Is there a possibility that skills with low preference such as Amazon's Evasion Bug, Necromancer's Poison Dagger, and Druid's Summon will be adjusted?
As the current biggest goal is to faithfully implement the original look, there are no plans to adjust the mentioned skills. If the balance is adjusted later, the meta will be able to diversify. I don't intend to make all the skills good. We are looking at Amazon's evasion bug.
Q. What's the difference between Vicarious Visions and Blizzard?
Vicarious Visions is pleased to be part of Blizzard. There may be cultural differences between the two companies, but in most cases, I think collaboration is working well. Since both companies are full of enthusiasm and have similar goals, the work is done organically.
Q. You said you would maintain the core features of Diablo 2, but is it that you focus on users who have enjoyed the game in the past rather than new users?
Priority was given to reviving memories of the old game. Diablo 2 has been a part of many people's daily lives for a very long time and is a game that has given me good memories. Our goal was to modernize this while allowing more users, including new ones, to experience it. When it is necessary to add a new element, the work has been carried out in the line that preserves the legitimacy of the past.
Q. What kind of greeting do you want to leave to your Korean fans?
Chris Amaral: Overall, I think the Technical Alpha went well, and I sincerely thank everyone who participated. I will listen and accept both praise and criticism. We look forward to playing the next version together.
Rob Galerani: We are pleased to be able to experience the game for all users around the world. If you haven't applied yet, I hope you can participate in the beta test and enjoy it together.
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