hardeyez: Argh... "The developers also tweaked the loot drop system. The console version will not include the PC version's Auction House, real money or otherwise. To compensate, there's a higher probability that you'll find relevant loot for your class."

So, yeah, how many times did they say the PC version was designed around and balanced for play w/o the auction house. And, yet, they tweak the loot drops on console to account for there being no auction house.

Yeah, the console version sounds like the d3 I wanted to play. If it plays w/o rubber-banding all the time even better...

But I just can't justify spending another $60 on that game. Maybe when it drops to $20...

Travis: Some of these features could come to PC

http://diablo.somepage.com/news/1567-d3-developers-pc-diablo-iii-may-get-console-features

jdodson: Thanks for sharing that Travis. I hope some of them do.

Also found it interesting the new Diablo III lead was the console lead who was allowed some free reign over the project. Seems like dropping auction house and a lot of other things they did might be good for the PC game proper.

Id take an increase in better loot drops for the auction house going away. I wonder if most other people would too.

Travis: I played the RMAH early on, when everyone was paying ridiculous amounts of money for crap gear. I sold some crap gear for real money early on and left it there until I came back to the game recently, at which point I was able to use that real money in my Blizzard account to buy gems, which I then sold for gold on the gold auction house. I turned a couple of pieces that were probably worth 100,000 gold into 350 million or so.

Then, a friend of mine gave me some gift cards to the RMAH-- his brother got them and had been banned for exploting, so he didn't want them. I gave one to my wife and kept another. So I had some gold to spend.

This was all to show where I am in terms of getting gear. I don't really have any problems. I have geared my level 60 Monk entirely with millions of gold on the Auction House (with the exception of some awesome-ish crafted bracers), but I would *still* take a game where I could get good drops for my character over one where the AH is practically mandatory for a good build.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the content, and I don't mind getting gear from the AH. It doesn't change the way I play at all, so I can still have tons of fun. But the thrill of getting a good piece of gear is almost entirely lost in the game as it currently stands, and I would love to have it back.

jdodson: Interesting. I didn't know they sold gift cards for the RMAH.

You are so the 1% in Diablo III.

Travis: Haha, you'd be surprised. People don't think twice about dropping 2 billion on an item.

jdodson: This is a great update, thanks Travis. Getting a Hellfire Ring looks epic. Do you have one yet? Also, do you fight those zones on MP10 to get the keywarden drops and organ drops everytime?

Travis: Nope, no hellfire ring yet, but we're working on it. We're so far only going as high as MP4, that's about as much as we feel comfortable with, and plus that should average out to a drop almost every other visit so it isn't a huge deal. MP10 would absolutely kill us at this point!

jdodson: That makes sense. How much have you collcted so far for the ring?

Travis: Just keys. No parts yet. We're working on it though!

jdodson: Sounds like fun and I want to get that ring. I just don't know about the time it would take to get it. Sounds like a hell of a fun time though.

Travis: I will tell you that it gets horribly frustrating at times. But those beautiful drops are worth it.

jdodson: I bet, then again I stopped at the molten armor in Terraria because going higher was much more work.

My goal with our upcoming server is to get a higher tier of armor this time. At least, last time I nabbed the molten armor... Or whatever you mine in hell... Obsidian?

This is horribly off-topic because I am jonesn for the 1.2 patch.

Travis: Yeah it's molten. Obsidian is one or two tiers below Molten.

With the new content to hardmode, the new ores, etc... I bet it's going to be much harder to max out. I CAN DO IT.

jdodson: Hahahahaha. I bet.

Did you get top tier in the last few games we played?

Travis: Not quite. I got it in the first world, but not the second. I stopped at half Adamantite, half ... whatever the green stuff is.

jdodson: Sure. I think we all stopped about then.

Travis: I just saw this earlier. It's impressive just how much people have done. I've been playing the hell out of it since 1.8 and it's far more fun than it once was.

jdodson: This is great, thanks for sharing Chowda!

hardeyez: I have to agree with this.

Over the weekend I decided to give D3 a spin again after having been away (since around 1.3 or 1.4, can't remember which). And, I was having the same frustrations -- tons of lag deaths, lots of dying before I even saw the champion pack monsters, etc. So I was annoyed all over, and put it away for the next several revisions.

Today, I tried 1.8 because of this post. And, WOW, what a difference. The game feels *so* much better. I died a couple times against the champion packs, but it was from fighting (and packs that have bind and pull buffs -- I'm a ranged DH and hate getting close). It was fun again. I might actually pick it back up and finally hit level 60... Yeah, I have a fairly low tolerance for annoying gameplay so I never maxed out as I was stuck in act 1 of hell mode. I didn't want to grind for gold to buy AH items (or pay cash). I just want to play, have fun, get loot I want to use (instead of sell). So I really hate the AH and don't use it... which feels like a major disadvantage. But, if I can play again, make progress (reasonably quickly -- no grinding for hours with nothing to show for it and losing gold due to repair costs), and have fun, then that is awesome. In fact, I got about 25% of a level in a quick half to quarter hour of play which is much better than I'm used to (I'm level 53, almost 54).

So, yeah, I'd second the thought that you should try it again after this patch.

jdodson: I played this a bit tonight. Very fun as you said Travis but WOW the lag was incredible.

Travis: Interesting, I haven't had any lag problems in the past few days playing it. Luck of the draw I guess.

I just love the new monster density. Last night in Act 2 inferno at monster power 1 I had to walk through three screens to pick up the loot that I had left behind.

jdodson: Yeah the loot drops do seem better. I mean most of it is trash compared to what I have. In fact most of it is. I get tons of loot, but none of it is better than the stuff I've had for a few levels now.

Travis: That gets better once you hit level 60, but it is a little annoying when you're leveling a character yeah.

Travis: I want to play a demo first. It sounds awesome to be able to play the game with a controller, but I'm not sure how things translate.

I also have two level 60 characters in D3 on PC which I wouldn't want to lose by switching to another platform. Since I'm already established on PC I imagine that's where I'll stay. But I would like to see what it has to offer on PS3.

jdodson: Yep, I totally agree. I might pick it up at some point though on sale perhaps. Well see.

Travis: I never spent more than 10k on anything until I hit about level 56 or 57.

jdodson: I agree this is pretty bad and seems to be getting worse. I am hoping with enough community appeal, Blizzard takes this up and does something about it soon!

Travis: It's quite possible that the bans are legit, I suppose, but "we checked into it and the ban sticks, you have no recourse, case closed" is not a good way to do business. They need to communicate more.

jdodson: I think more communication would be good. I mean, is there some benefit Wine gets you for cheating? There may very well be and Blizzard would know if there was.

Travis: Bashiok, a community manager, said there was no problem with running in Wine, and specifically said Wine wasn't the problem. People have also been doing it in WoW for years with no problems.

That said, the community managers seem to contradict each other from time to time, and the lack of communication only adds to us not knowing what the heck is going on.

jdodson: Whoa: http://m.cinemablend.com/games/Blizzard-Admits-Linux-User-Was-Wrongly-Banned-Offers-Refund-49339.html

Travis: Whoa! That's awesome.

jdodson: Yup. Wonder how many more people ill get to play again now.

MoonWyrd: This is the sort of thing that worried me about the required online aspect, it even caused a friend to decide to pass on D3. It's good that Blizzard is on this, but the response seems a bit slow.

jdodson: I agree, the response was slow.

jdodson: I play D3 here and there, but I am only level 54 or something like that. Is that high enough to take down this guy?

Travis: I don't even think they spawn in non-Inferno.

jdodson: Well there we are.

Tungsten: They spawn in all difficulties but they only drop keys in inferno mp1+. So yes, you are 6 levels and 10 mil gold or so away.

jdodson: Ok so an hour of grinding an I'm all set :D

jdodson: That all said I am pretty happy with picking up and playing Diablo 3 from time to time. Haven't got to any of the end game stuff yet, but at some point I will.

Travis: I can wallop The Butcher in Inferno pretty easily now, but the first bit of Act II still slays me. I may have hit the point where you have to love the grind to keep going.

I'm OK with that, I suppose. It's definitely a pick-up-put-down game for me. I play it a couple of days and have loads of fun, then I'm done for a while. If I quit right now and never looked at it again, I would have still gotten my $60 worth.

jdodson: I got a pretty good value out of mine too I think. I got ze Collectors which I think is superb. Prob listened to the soundtrack more than I've played the game.

Chowda: Yes, keys drop in inferno acts 1-3 when you have 5 stacks of valor. Each monster power gives an additional 10% chance for the key to drop. So MP10 has a 100% drop chance. We usually farm them on MP5 or 6.

I just finally got all 3 organs the other day and made my first hellfire ring. It didn't roll very well but at least I get the bonus XP!

Tungsten: Easter Egg for you Borderlands fans in the image.

jdodson: That's a cool idea. They might do this when the PvP patch ships. Going outside what PvP is and doing more would be great, solidify the game and all.

BR: Hahaha, I get the easter egg.