BLazeD
09-23-2008, 02:34 AM
All Barbarian fans should be stoked that it is the only class making the cut to Diablo III from Diablo 2... Here's the reasons why according to an interview (http://www.videogamer.com/pc/diablo_3/preview-1253-2.html) between D3 lead designer Jay Wilson and VideoGamer.com:
VideoGamer.com: Can you confirm that the Barbarian is the only class to return from Diablo II?
JW: Yes. Originally we were planning to have no classes return, but as we developed one of the classes essentially turned into the barbarian. We reached a point where we were going to call it some other name, and we realised that everyone else would just call it the barbarian anyway, so maybe we should just go with that.
VideoGamer.com: Can you tell us what the previous name was?
JW: I'd rather not, actually, as we held back a few ideas and might use them in a character further down the road.
VideoGamer.com: Fair enough!
JW: I think the barbarian was one of the classes we looked at and felt could be improved upon. One of the reasons we set this goal of not bringing back old classes was that we don't want to do a re-hash - we want to do a sequel with new gameplay and new experiences. I know a lot of people really love the classes in D2, and it's not my intention to deliberately hurt them! I love those classes too - the necromancer is my favourite - but our goal was to do new things.
VideoGamer.com: Have you copped a lot of flack over this?
JW: Yeah and we will! All the barbarian players are delighted and all the necromancers hate us. I understand, I don't begrudge them that. I would hate me too! But what I would say is that when we announce the next class, which is quite similar to a previous class, then all those players will hate us too. You can't make everybody happy, but I think when the game finally come out players will find there's a good class for them, one they will love as much as the ones that came before. And if they don't, I absolutely promise that in the expansions we'll consider bringing back old classes. We just don't want to do it with the first release. We want to establish our identity.
VideoGamer.com: Can you confirm that the Barbarian is the only class to return from Diablo II?
JW: Yes. Originally we were planning to have no classes return, but as we developed one of the classes essentially turned into the barbarian. We reached a point where we were going to call it some other name, and we realised that everyone else would just call it the barbarian anyway, so maybe we should just go with that.
VideoGamer.com: Can you tell us what the previous name was?
JW: I'd rather not, actually, as we held back a few ideas and might use them in a character further down the road.
VideoGamer.com: Fair enough!
JW: I think the barbarian was one of the classes we looked at and felt could be improved upon. One of the reasons we set this goal of not bringing back old classes was that we don't want to do a re-hash - we want to do a sequel with new gameplay and new experiences. I know a lot of people really love the classes in D2, and it's not my intention to deliberately hurt them! I love those classes too - the necromancer is my favourite - but our goal was to do new things.
VideoGamer.com: Have you copped a lot of flack over this?
JW: Yeah and we will! All the barbarian players are delighted and all the necromancers hate us. I understand, I don't begrudge them that. I would hate me too! But what I would say is that when we announce the next class, which is quite similar to a previous class, then all those players will hate us too. You can't make everybody happy, but I think when the game finally come out players will find there's a good class for them, one they will love as much as the ones that came before. And if they don't, I absolutely promise that in the expansions we'll consider bringing back old classes. We just don't want to do it with the first release. We want to establish our identity.