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    Diablo III

    Game » consists of 9 releases. Released May 15, 2012

    Diablo III returns to the world of Sanctuary twenty years after the events of Diablo II with a new generation of heroes that must defeat the demonic threat from Hell.

    Diablo III's Static Environments

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    Metzo_Paino

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    #1  Edited By Metzo_Paino

    The environments in Diablo III are completely static right?

    I realise that enemy placement changes, but I thought a big thing of Diablo and Diablo 2 was that the environments themselves would be different every time. Not amazingly different sure, but different enough to break the tedium of going through with a new character.

    Was this ever explained by Blizzard? Perhaps so that they could offer more impressive environments?

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    Ares42

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    #2  Edited By Ares42

    The environments aren't completely static. While a lot of them always has the same map outlay the contents change positions, and all dungeons etc have completely different outlay every time.

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    EXTomar

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    #3  Edited By EXTomar

    It isn't that they are static but they are kind of generic. You are walking through dark haunted woods. Or walking through a haunted desert. Or a haunted sewer. Or a littered snowy battlefield. It all starts to look the same even completely rearranged.

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    MrKlorox

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    #4  Edited By MrKlorox

    Not exactly. A bunch of the overworld and a few segments of dungeons (such as the paths that lead to bosses) are static, but the rest seem to follow a pattern of proceduralization. For example in parts of act 4 there are long and slightly curved hallways/floors no matter what, but the size and positions of the rooms that they go through can differ drastically. 
     
    Start a dungeon and go through the whole floor, but leave the game before going to the next level. Resume the game and explore the floor again. Depending on which dungeon you're in the layout could be very very different.
     
    I was really expecting it to be almost fully randomized like Diablo 2, but this way is pretty good too. I'd like FPS games to do more randomization in the levels so they don't become games of memory and camping the best spots.

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    kindgineer

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    #5  Edited By kindgineer

    @Metzo_Paino: They pretty much did it because certain elements need to be in certain places to guarantee story progression, events, and etc. They are generally in random places, however there are several pieces that are placed specifically for the things I mentioned before.

    You have to understand that the environments in Diablo III require that specific touch to really make them feel organic. While Diablo 2 was a fantastic game, the environments all felt like they were the same (even though they were not) because of the lack of artistic value each generated zone had. Regardless of where you were, everything was a corridor leading to a larger room, with the same textures, same tree formations, and etc. Diablo III isn't far from that formula, but they improved on it a bit and the result is what we have.

    There is only so far a game can go with random-proceduralization before artifacts appear, things are missing, and numerous bugs appear. I am happy with the way the game turned out, and while it may feel static at times, the game really deals out some impressive environments that many games just cannot accomplish.

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    murisan

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    #6  Edited By murisan

    @MrKlorox: That would be really great.. imagine Halo 4 with procedurally generated multiplayer maps. So cool.

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    Metzo_Paino

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    #7  Edited By Metzo_Paino

    So the environments become more unique the further you go through the game? I've only reached Act 2 so perhaps that's why, as Act 1 feels very similar.

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    Turambar

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    #8  Edited By Turambar
    @Metzo_Paino said:

    The environments in Diablo III are completely static right?

    I realise that enemy placement changes, but I thought a big thing of Diablo and Diablo 2 was that the environments themselves would be different every time. Not amazingly different sure, but different enough to break the tedium of going through with a new character.

    Was this ever explained by Blizzard? Perhaps so that they could offer more impressive environments?

    The actual physical boundaries and plot specific locations are static.  The location of most dungeons on the "overworld" will differ as will the layout of all dungeon interiors.

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