Nonsense, I agree with the people who want a darker (less cleaner) version of the game. Where is the gore when you need it.

It does look dark though, I understand what people mean but the game does look dark in the areas where it should. At least it did on the big screen

I very much like the new graphic design. First of all, people don't seem to understand that we're only seeing what are probably the first two zones in the game. You don't want all your zones to look the same... it gets pretty monotonous. Also, you don't want the easy starting areas to be super-gothic and spattered with blood... you kind of want to save that for later. One of the things that I thought was a total failure of the art direction of the Tim Burton "Sleepy Hollow" film was that everything was so dark and desaturated and ominous... and I mean everything, even the places that were supposed to be normal and safe. So when you finally enter the haunted forest that's supposed to be really scary, you're so desensitized to the color palette that there's nothing remarkable about it.

Fortunately, Blizzard's art direction is not done by committee. They know what they're doing.

As many have said before, which i completely agree with, "Add a darkness/hue/slider" and everybody wins. No more back and forth arguements over which is "better".

I am ok with the current graphics if they are meant to increase the constract between the relatively "friendly" area's and the baddies amoung the zones

It has been the same for Starcraft 2 really. People found the graphics to be "to colorful". While I agreed to some extend I also like the style.

People are crazy... the game has just been announced and all they can do is say what they dislike.. rather than express joy. This isn't Diablo 2. I'm sure they would have been pleased with 2D grainy low res characters on a black screen.

The length of Art and Design knowledge of these nay sayers could fit on the end of a pencil.

Over contrasted, sepia tone images done in Photo Shop do not make for a good argument.

Diablo 2 was very different from Diablo 1. It had lots of bright colors and bright environments. Art was totally different as well. It will be the same with Diablo 3. The game looks beautiful, and I am sure we will see more darker and gloomy areas as well. There is a lot they can do, with day and night cycle and weather effects, as well.

Aranock hit the nail on the head with the hue/saturation slider. That way, people who prefer the Gears of War-ish "fifty shades of gray & one of red" color scheme can appease themselves and everybody else can leave it as it was designed. Or you could amuse yourself by slaying purple or aqua hellspawn.

I was trying to think of a Bob Ross joke here but I couldn't manage it.

Lets not mention that the game hasn't even made it to the ALPHA stage of development...

Or the fact we saw a small part of the game or anything like that..

The green/blue hues, especially in the dungeons, are definitely over the top.

I think the main problem people are having with the outdoor environments (and this is obvious in several of the colourized shots) is that it is too soft-focus and mystical looking, instead of sharp and gritty like both D1 and D2 were. The colours are a little bright and cheery too, but I think that's a secondary problem to the soft focus look.

Any color aside from red (for blood and fire) is a clear slap in the face to any true Diablo fan...a desecration of the sacred trust we have placed in Blizzard to treat their -- nay, OUR! -- Diablo the way it deserves. If I so much as see a green or a blue in one more screenshot, Blizzard will not see one single American dollar from me, for ANY of their products.

BTW, that was a joke, because A) I am not insane, and B)...well, A) pretty much covers it. Seriously, you can make WoW's three-ring circus look like Fallout 3 if you tweak your driver settings right. People need to chill.

It's not that it's not literally dark enough, it's that the atmosphere of Diablo III is not dark, nor gritty enough. It's the overuse of the colors blue and green that is the problem.

I think many people have a terrible sense of aesthetic value.. maybe people are color blind...

It's not quite a simple as altering HSL, it's also a question of point lighting vs ambient lighting.

Its a ****ing joke that people are complaining before even seeing 1% of the game.

In my oppinion its ridicilus to cry about darker areas at this point. Of course there should be dark areas in dungeons and areas like that, but if we are out in the sun, why would it be dark? I think the gameplay looked very nice, but total verdict cant be given yet.

Well it may be a good point to darken it up a bit as you venture further in the game, as mentioned before. But they don't have to start out THAT colourful (if it's the start ofcourse).

We should make a petition about letting Blizzard do their job and not intefering with the game progress. It would be insane if Blizzard even used one minute of their time for this 20000 idiots petition...

The graphic style is a departure from D1 and D2. It's not the clean look of the textures; it's that it doesn't look grim enough for a game which main theme is Hell and Horror. One example would be the Witch Doctor's skill which uses a purple particle effect, which somehow out of place.

It's not just the graphics, but also the over-the-top ragdoll physics. I prefer the way zombies collapse into pieces than the crazy "one chop fly one yard" physics demonstrated. It reminds me of some Korean grindfest MMOs (Cabal Online) which is released in Singapore.

In short, it's not the colors, it's the choice of color and art style. IMHO, so far the zones shown lack a certain atmosphere (but the small sized videos on their size may not do it justice) and the spell effects are too flashy - plus the ragdoll physics. Looks D3 is overloaded with lots of flashy special effects and that got me worried.

While I agree that some of the altered shots that people have made do look better, I feel we have to see far more of the game before people can decide that the colours are too "light". I fear some people won't be happy with them trying to change anything, but that's the way it is with some people. You cannot please them even if you build a direct replica of their favourite game. They will find something wrong with it even if it's an apostrophe out of place.

Back to complaining. I don't think the current palette is terrible. Some of it could be better, yeah. But as long as I don't have to spend 2 hours running around the same level of jungle just because

I watched the video then immediately went to play d2 and ran in a dungeon.

There's no comparison.

You can see EVERYTHING around you and in front of you.

However, if he's in an old cathedral or something, or an old castle, you would expect some light.

But, if he's in a dungeon, as much as they want to show it off, it has to be darker than that. By a factor of 2.

Let us not forget the roots of D3 and shear off the leechvines of world of whatever. You will not get loyal fans of D1 and D2 to play a mod of world of whatever. Wheres the gritty atmosphere that had us in its grip? You don't need to invent a wheel when the one you already have works! Lose the rainbow colors in the atmosphere, it makes the world seem like theres a stained glass window over the entireworld. I keep expecting to see a circus wagon and tents.
OFF TOPIC:
Why only 2 player classes? (or did I miss something?) Thanks!

Sure you did thankfully Only 2 have been revealed. The only other number that has been bandied about is 5 but it's not set in stone.

• Check out the Palette Gallery that's just gone up.

Rainbows..BAH!
Ah, thank you Elly! Hopefully they won't handicap any classes like they did the Assassin in LOD. It didn't seem to matter how many pluses to magicfind I'd carry, as an Assassin, I'd never get anything anyone would want to rob me of. Sad, hopefully this too will be more balanced. Whats the point if everyone can't have a chance for a good drop?

The Titan Quest inspiration is striking in the comparison shots, especially if the stone circle on the Diablo 3 shot is in fact a waypoint/teleport. TQ on the other hand cloned Diablo 2's waypoint system straight of which is rather absurd. There's a very thin line between inspiration and theft imo. Anyone know how "inspired" one can get within laws?

Anywayz, the Diablo 3 shot although easier on the eye, is rather.. blurry compared to TQ no?

Well, let's just hope the transition to 3D enables the developers to create a truly spooky feeling in the in-doors area through use of lights, fog and destructible environments. If it's all going to be just particle effects and a "look, real 3D!', it's really a wasted opportunity.

Re: Titan Quest, the waypoint system is pretty much like Diablo II, except that you don't have it in monster-infested areas - that's pretty much the departure from Diablo II and there is no need for a scroll.

I think the best portal system in Diablo-inspired game is Divine Divinity's portal stone. You drop one stone to anchor that as your 'home' and you can always return there by using the other stone in your inventory.

Though I like the current look of the game, I'm glad you've, as a fansite, decided to report that there is general concern about it, rather than ignoring what could be a problem down the line. Keeping Blizzard up to date on community issues, and providing valuable feedback will serve us in the long run.

Mean while: getting back on topic...

Game options to change the graphic settings should be included. Sliders would be the easiest; a la brightness controls of old. Players could then tweak the colors/saturation/etc.. til they fall off their seat and turn shades of plaid. No one would give a hoot about this issue and Blizzard would be heroes. Yay!

-Venomey

Here's a lengthier official comment that might be worth keeping in mind:

	Blizzard Quote:
	Colour. This is probably one of the most controversial things Blizzard are working on in D3 and as previously said when reviewing the previous title we used a lot more vibrant colours than memory recalls. We reserached horror movies and their use of colour to establish mood and felt that was something very important so carried it through into the art style for d3 and chose the paletts very carefully. When the colours used is seen outside of the shots they are extremely saturated, very vibrant but when you put them in context they can actually estabish a very powerful mood. We are using dark greens and dark blues to establish a horror vibe or a very ominous "big brother is watching" type of vibe. So you can get away with using very vibrant colours which is very pleasing but at the same time maintaining that core value of the Diablo fanchise which is maintaining that horror vibe. And when you aren't afraid to use colour any more you can start to use colour to your advantage to lead the gameplay where you want it to go. So, if you have an overall colourscheme of green and you put a torch in that scene, that bright orange torch now becomes a beacon for the player to follow, making gameplay easier to understand, making it more enjoyable to look at and everything comes together more seamlessly that way. ~ Brain Morrisroe - Art Director

That's a rather abstract respons to the color issue and I can't say it made me that much more enlightened. How is this varm green oil painting with rainbows inspired by horror movies? I like the graphics, I do, but I don't buy his explanations.

Plenty of horror movies use very saturated colour palettes. Just look at something like SUSPIRIA, which uses very vibrant primary colours in conjunction with areas of darkness to create a very specific mood of terror. I don't understand the notion that, in order to be scary or moody or whatever, you need to have a desaturated palette.

Personally, I think DIABLO III looks superb, although I can appreciate that it won't be to everyone's tastes. From the gameplay video, the dungeon scenes have a great, evocative mood, far more so than DIABLO II, which I felt was slightly limp in terms of atmosphere. For those who don't like the rich colour palette, there's always the saturation slider in your video card's control panel. I honestly don't understand why there's been such an outcry, and personally I hope Blizzard will have the sense to go with their gut instinct rather than listening to the armchair game designers and petition makers.

http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/7594/d3qq9.jpg

Pretty much summed it up.

I can't believe the moaning and groaning about this. Look at the style of the screenshots not just the colors The colors I'm sure will changes. What really has me jazzed is how the environments have that painted look, as if they were pages right off the concept storyboard.

Very cool Blizz. I cannot wait for this (but sadly will probably have to for a long time)
Please get SC2 out in the meantime to hold us over.

I can. It's a franchise with a dedicated fanbase. A whole bunch of people with a bunch of differing opinions, most of whom care about the game.

For me, the lighter stuff outside works, if it's used *well.* The "shiny happy OWMYARMDONTCHEWTHAT!" can work. I wouldn't expect, for instance, DII's desert areas to be dark and gloomy outside... yet throw in a heavily forested area, a bog, swamp, something like that, it should be dark, heavy feeling, visibility should be limited and the like.

And inside? Well, once you're past a top level or so - yes, dark, point lighting, hard to see makes sense (and is nicely atmospheric.) It certainly *shouldn't* look shiny and happy (unless it's, say, a currently-in-use palace or temple, where someone would be maintaining it, versus an ancient crypt.)

Do what's right *for the area.* If I see a well thought out mix, I'll be happy.

Diablo 3's new art style very much reminds me of the movie Pan's Labyrinth. I think the washed out water-style colours, along with the use of green/teal/blue hues to create an eerie sense to the images work perfectly.

Diablo 2 looks far more cartoony than anything we've seen of Diablo 3, and I have to wonder if you guys have had your heads buried in the sand for too long. Diablo 2 was very flat, very bold and very forgettable in terms of graphics.

Art is always going to be subjective, and there is no way Blizzard can please everyone. But these guys are professional game designers, and artists. I think they're on the right track, and should they be given the chance to do their job, I think there will be a level of satisfaction with the style taken for everyone.

Eh, I think it's just way too early too call anything yet. It's already been said that DIII is still in the middle of alpha testing. Anyone remember what Starcraft looked like in its alpha version compared to the final release?

i'm kinda sad for it, but i don't really care did you see that freakin' boss bite off the barbs head, that really made me go "oh snap!"