Diablo III General Discussion - Page 667

Diii.net: Did you pay attention to the D3 announcement, or is Diablo in the past and you're concentrating fully on your future gaming projects?

Ben Boos: Oh heck yes, I paid attention. It was huge on several levels. Keeping a secret this big wears thin, for one! So to finally have the cat out of the bag is great. It was a milestone event to me. There are tons of strong emotions all wrapped into this franchise since the Diablo games were more than a mere hobby; they were my life for nearly 8 years.

Also, I?ll be honest: What really made me sit up and pay attention to the announcement was to see how beautiful D3 had become! I remember back at Blizzard North when Jason Regier was first designing a rough game engine, and how it was always so exciting to see the new features added, day by day. So imagine how I felt to see this stunning demo. I?ve been quietly writing and illustrating a book for the last few years since taking leave of Blizzard North (sometime back in 2004), and I haven?t seen the game in AGES? It?s come a loooong way since then, to say the least. It?s an entirely different beast! I mean, holy smokes, destructible environments for instance! I love it! By the way, after laboring on the environments for d2, and d2x, I would have LOVED to smash those up. It would have been cathartic.

Seriously though, the game looks great, and I not only paid close attention ? I wound up corresponding with old Blizzard friends throughout the day and into the night after that announcement. It had a huge impact on me.

What a rush of memories!


Diii.net: What do you think of the look of D3? Is it similar in tone/mood/theme to the game you envisioned and worked on at Blizzard North? There has been quite a bit of debate about the graphics, with many players complaining that it's too bright cartoon/rainbow-colored.

Ben Boos: I thought Diablo 3 looked fantastic.

As for the tone: A comparison of D1 to D2 comes to mind. I remember plowing ahead and making those green pastures and meadows in D2, and thinking after the fact? ?oops! The original Diablo was so dark and moody; did I screw up the atmosphere?? Then I went and made the bright desert wasteland, and the same potential problems cropped up. But it all worked out in my opinion, because we were able to take the player underground, and to various darker environments. Therefore, I think you can?t judge the atmosphere of D3 from a short demo. Who knows what incredible sights await the player of Diablo 3?


Diii.net: What do you think of the announced features and the design direction they're moving in? Set 20 years after D2X ended, some returning characters and others new, retaining basically the same item system, etc...

Ben Boos: I actually find the return of the characters very comforting. They are like old friends in a weird way, and I can?t imagine a Diablo game without Deckard Cain! Also, as someone who painted most of the user interface art for D2 and the expansion, I am really pleased with what I see of the new UI. It seems like they simplified things where it was needed, and spiced up other things that needed a face-lift. Cool beans.


Diii.net: Was your vision of D3 greatly different than D2, or more of an evolution?

Ben Boos: Personally, I wasn?t all hot and bothered to see revolution in the D3 design. Some folks at Blizzard North were quite eager to make radical changes, but I was pretty happy with the thought of subtle evolution. The play mechanic was so fun, I just wanted new loot; new environments; new monsters; and naturally, some seriously updated graphics. Call me simple, but for my Diablo fix, that seemed just right. I can understand how others would want to try new things though, but it can be tricky to deviate away from an addicting formula.


Diii.net: During the WWI presentations, the D3 team frequently commented that they love the story of the world and want to work to develop more of it in the game. Was that a priority in your D3 design?

Ben Boos: Yes, story had some serious priority because we were left wondering after the Lord of Destruction expansion, ?what the heck happens next??? We had to answer that for ourselves if nothing else. How much of the story gets infused into the game-play is another matter. My personal feeling is this: As long as I can skip through lots of dialog, and still find what I need to do in a quest log, I?m happy. I can be moody about too much blabbing, when all I want to do is go get LOOT! Hehe.


Diii.net: Any regrets that you're not creating the next game in your series?

Ben Boos: No. I absolutely treasure my years spent working on the Diablo universe, but I was ready for some new adventures when I took my leave. I had a head full of dreams about this nutty book, and I?ve never regretted my decision to pursue that. It?s all been a very blessed experience.

Those of us who have had the good fortune to participate in the Diablo series, experienced some incredible times together? wild and wonderful times. The people I worked with were essentially like family, and they are what I miss the most. If I have any regrets, they center on leaving my wonderful friends. But we stay in touch.

Now, I am now ready to enjoy Diablo 3 as a fan!


Diii.net: Any bittersweet feelings, now that another design team (no matter how talented) is moving forward with your baby?

Ben Boos: Yes, I feel MANY emotions ? some bitter and some sweet, but that is mostly my nostalgia at work, not any sort of resentment for the good people now making this game. Besides, I still have good friends who are working on it. But, I do sometimes wish all my old friends were still at it, like I remember from the pleasant days gone by. I can?t help but want to freeze time a bit, and have all those good people together, at work on something wonderful. But life doesn?t work like that, and that?s why the memories are all the more poignant.

Before I go, I?d like to say this: To those who once poured their hearts into this series, I salute you for paving the way! To those who are now bearing the torch, I wish you all the luck in the world -- and Godspeed! It looks amazing so far!