What thought of reasoning was conjured to allow this whole debacle to pass? What logic was behind the idea that 'players should contest with latency in a single player game'? Why, on any imaginable level, is this acceptable to the company, to ethical game design and to the players at large?

I would of been ok with the mild inconvenience of requiring an internet connection to play. It'd be fantastic if that wasn't there, but it's something I can abide in the face of everything else this game grants, but from which sordid dimension did this little flickering orange-and-red bar appear from?

Why should I - in fact anyone in the world - have to deal with any level of latency in a single player game? They forked over their money, they patiently awaited the release date, they patiently awaited the clusterflark of a release that Diablo 3 had, and now they're enjoying the benefits of a ping that jolts between 500 and 1000.

Why is it even there?