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[Zzoram]

Garnett supposedly was into Diablo 2 but didn't even know how it autosaves?

In Diablo 2, if you disconnect, you generally lost 0 progress. The game constantly autosaves, so even if you picked up some loot 2 seconds before disconnecting, 99% of the time it would be saved.

 

[PowderedToast]

What is the deal with resetting every game midway through the conversation as if someone just found the podcast on the radio dial?

"In case you just tuned in, we're talking about Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade..."

Is this the official Petros and Money influence, Garnett?

more podcasts need to do this, i don't always pay attention and can lose track of a discussion when i'm doing something else. really glad that garnett has introduced it.

 

[mik]

If only digital media offered the option of skipping back and forth.

 

[Zzoram]

While I do know their reasoning behind the real money auction house and it actually doesn't bother me too much personally, I completely understand Garnett's point of view.

I played D2 with a group of friends recently and was having a ton of fun. Then, one of my friends started buying items. The game felt cheapened and sour when he did that and it literally killed the interest of the game for everyone else.

It really kind of does fundamentally alter your perception of the game when something like that happens...well, at least it did for me. They have a few opportunities to differentiate players who bought items and people who didn't, like a 'Never equipped an auction house item' mark for your banner or tagging sold items when you inspect people. I think something like that could go a long way for the game.

The fact that it was happening anyways in Diablo 2, despite it not having the RMAH that Diablo 3 has, only proves the point that it doesn't matter that the RMAH exists. People would buy items/gold regardless of whether or not it's there, all it does is keep the activity in-game.

I also don't like the idea of people buying items, but if they're going to do it anyways, I'd rather it be in-game than on Ebay.

Personally, I think Blizzard should implement the RMAH into WoW. Gold sellers would be forced to do it in-game, cutting out the middle men and giving Blizzard the commision instead of Ebay/other sites.

If gold selling is going to happen regardless, it's always better to make them do it in-game.

 

[FStop7]

I'm still trying to figure out Garnett's meltdown.

At the beginning of the show he was talking about how he was invited down to Blizzard to check out Diablo 3 and was speaking nicely about them and the game.

Then, 45 minutes later, during the auction house pricing conversation he just blew the up and started yelling, and this is a quote "FUCK THEM!"

Is it possible he's on something? It's just bizarre to hear someone go completely schizo like that.

 

[Goldmund]

He feels passionate about the game. He overreacted. That's no big deal. Maybe he's worried about how this will affect games in general. He's seeing the bigger picture, guys & girls. And it's so big, the piggy bank is as good as filled.

 

[PowderedToast]

If only digital media offered the option of skipping back and forth.

but i don't wanna.

 

[Einchy]

I'm still trying to figure out Garnett's meltdown.

At the beginning of the show he was talking about how he was invited down to Blizzard to check out Diablo 3 and was speaking nicely about them and the game.

Then, 45 minutes later, during the auction house pricing conversation he just blew the up and started yelling, and this is a quote "FUCK THEM!"

Is it possible he's on something? It's just bizarre to hear someone go completely schizo like that.

Come on now.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Maybe he's worried about how this will affect games in general.

I think the general feeling is this won't affect games in general for the worse, and is actually better than what ended up happening in Diablo 2. Someone said earlier, albeit in an unsavory fashion, that Garnett's concerns are irrational, and he's more angry about how other people might play the game, even when it does not have to affect his enjoyment of the game in any way. If the fact that other people who you're not playing with are buying items and knowing that ruins your experience, then I feel bad for you that that bothers you so much.

 

[Zzoram]

He feels passionate about the game. He overreacted. That's no big deal. Maybe he's worried about how this will affect games in general. He's seeing the bigger picture, guys & girls. And it's so big, the piggy bank is as good as filled.

It doesn't affect them at all. People already sell gold and items, they just do it outside the game. Blizzard just moved them inside the game, since they couldn't stop it.

This whole thing is a non-issue, but people who don't understand that real money trading of loot was happening already are the only ones raging.



As for bad players having good loot due to paying for it, Torchlight 2 will be way worse because it's open online will be hacked to death, meaning bad players will have good loot by hacking for it instead of paying for it. I don't see how that'll be better.

 

[Goldmund]

I think the general feeling is this won't affect games in general for the worse, and is actually better than what ended up happening in Diablo 2. Someone said earlier, albeit in an unsavory fashion, that Garnett's concerns are irrational, and he's more angry about how other people might play the game, even when it does not have to affect his enjoyment of the game in any way. If the fact that other people who you're not playing with are buying items and knowing that ruins your experience, then I feel bad for you that that bothers you so much.

Then maybe it's the fear of a wasteful and thoughtless culture video games previously allowed us to escape from seeping in -- worse: usurping our clandestine glade, our last refuge. Damn common cuckoos.

 

[perryfarrell]

He's seeing the bigger picture, guys & girls. And it's so big, the piggy bank is as good as filled.

Seeing the bigger picture requires understanding the game, and how different features affect gameplay and the user experience.

The discussion of Diablo 3's auction houses on Weekend Confirmed was sub-par because it consisted mostly of a knee-jerk reaction, and was ill informed. There was no 'seeing the big picture'. There were so many issues they didn't address. How did gold farming and item selling affect D2? How does it affect WoW? If you control the farming with an in-game auction house, will the Chinese farmers have less influence? Is it unrealistic to suppose one can stop buying of items? Etc. etc.

 

[The Bookerman]

I'm still trying to figure out Garnett's meltdown.

At the beginning of the show he was talking about how he was invited down to Blizzard to check out Diablo 3 and was speaking nicely about them and the game.

Then, 45 minutes later, during the auction house pricing conversation he just blew the up and started yelling, and this is a quote "FUCK THEM!"

Is it possible he's on something? It's just bizarre to hear someone go completely schizo like that.

ever been emotionally attached to a game?

I know I do. so stuff like that happens. don't try to see more into this.

 

[Goldmund]

Seeing the bigger picture requires understanding the game, and how different features affect gameplay and the user experience.

The discussion of Diablo 3's auction houses on Weekend Confirmed was sub-par because it consisted mostly of a knee-jerk reaction, and was ill informed. There was no 'seeing the big picture'. There were so many issues they didn't address. How did gold farming and item selling affect D2? How does it affect WoW? If you control the farming with an in-game auction house, will the Chinese farmers have less influence? Is it unrealistic to suppose one can stop buying of items? Etc. etc.

I was being facetious. I agree with you.

 

[Curufinwe]

The computer I'll be playing Diablo 3 on is always online anyway, so that DRM doesn't bother me.

I'm the same because I have 25/25 FIOS and it's very reliable. But if you have a slower or spottier connection, then the Diablo 3 DRM could cause you a lot of problems.

 

[eznark]

I'm still trying to figure out Garnett's meltdown.

At the beginning of the show he was talking about how he was invited down to Blizzard to check out Diablo 3 and was speaking nicely about them and the game.

Then, 45 minutes later, during the auction house pricing conversation he just blew the up and started yelling, and this is a quote "FUCK THEM!"

Is it possible he's on something? It's just bizarre to hear someone go completely schizo like that.

 

[FStop7]

ever been emotionally attached to a game?

I know I do. so stuff like that happens. don't try to see more into this.

Emotionally attached, sure. Saying "fuck them" toward the developers on a podcast, when they're likely to hear it, uhh no. Never that strongly about a video game.

I was being facetious when I wondered if he was on something. But to hear someone swing to the extreme so suddenly was amazing.

 

[krae_man]

Garnett, play Thongs of Virtue before The Baconing comes out. I still want to hear your thoughts of it comparred to the first one.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

Garnett's position on the auction house was excessively paternalistic and based on a flawed generalization about human nature. "People are weak; they will all use this feature to somehow ruin the game for themselves." First of all, who gives a fuck how people choose to play their own game? Second of all, isn't the grind and growth of your character like the whole hook of Diablo? Plenty of people will prefer to play the "normal" way without buying their way into greatness. Blizzard seem to merely be providing options for the player, and yes, they have monetized it because they are a for-profit company and noticed there was an entire economy going on around their game that they were not a part of.

The rage is so premature and based on such a vague understanding of the overall situation.

 

[Tobor]

I've got to listen to this rant. Sounds like it's Garnettastic!

 

[get2sammyb]

andrea rennee looks like my aunt

:|

Say 'Hi' to your aunt for me...

 

[JohngPR]

Someone should make a drinking game out of the Wekend Confirmed GAF thread. You would get equally as drunk:

-Complain about Garnett flirting with Andrea
-Make a "Shine" joke
-Ask when Billy will be on the show again
-Someone posts the Garnett "loud shirt" or "crazy tenchu shirt" picture

Thats just for starters.

 

[BocoDragon]

Someone should make a drinking game out of the Wekend Confirmed GAF thread. You would get equally as drunk:

-Complain about Garnett flirting with Andrea
-Make a "Shine" joke
-Ask when Billy will be on the show again
-Someone posts the Garnett "loud shirt" or "crazy tenchu shirt" picture

Thats just for starters.

Obviously:

-Someone complains about Weekend Confirmed because people on the internet will complain about anything. JeffCannata shows up and, against better judgement, takes it seriously and starts a futile argument with the trolls.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

Can someone give Garnett a job at Q games already? also i have no idea how Andrea got confused in ITSP; game is so incredibly linear.

 

[adamsapple]

Andrea is such a nice addition to the show, she's like the lady-version of Garnett. More video game podcasts should have informed and entertaining females in them on a regular basis.

 

[eznark]

Andrea is such a nice addition to the show, she's like the lady-version of Garnett. More video game podcasts should have informed and entertaining females in them on a regular basis.

Check out Jumping the Shark. Danielle is solid.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Added one for Andrea (no White Knights here I assume, unlike the Shacknews thread).

It makes me weep a little bit every time that happens. I know people that are younger than her that have played both Diablo games.



@chandoog...you're fucking mad. Not Garnett mad. Hatter mad.

 

[Bigfoot]

Can someone give Garnett a job at Q games already? also i have no idea how Andrea got confused in ITSP; game is so incredibly linear.

Yeah, I noticed Garnett was really quick to jump on anybody who said negative comments about Pixeljunk Shooter. I kind of figured him visiting them a couple of weeks ago had a lot to do with it. I've heard video game pod-casters say on other podcasts that getting paid trips doesn't influence them, but I think subconsciousnessly it must just a little.

 

[Neuromancer]

Someone should make a drinking game out of the Wekend Confirmed GAF thread. You would get equally as drunk:

-Complain about Garnett flirting with Andrea
-Make a "Shine" joke
-Ask when Billy will be on the show again
-Someone posts the Garnett "loud shirt" or "crazy tenchu shirt" picture

Thats just for starters.

This is getting pretty meta

 

[John Rabbit]

holy shit @ garnett rage.

just don't play it, dude.

 

[megamerican]

I think it's nice that Garnett is still passionate enough to actually get worked up about things. I don't necessarily agree with him, but his rant was a refreshing change of pace from the usual PR rehashes, or burnt-out cynicism that I'm so used to hearing.

 

[Blazyr]

Yeah, I noticed Garnett was really quick to jump on anybody who said negative comments about Pixeljunk Shooter. I kind of figured him visiting them a couple of weeks ago had a lot to do with it. I've heard video game pod-casters say on other podcasts that getting paid trips doesn't influence them, but I think subconsciousnessly it must just a little.

To avoid misinformation, I was over in Japan on my own.

And, as has been the case for sometime now, I excuse myself from reviewing any of their games because I do have close personal relationships with people who work there.

 

[Lasthope106]

In all my years of listening to Garnett, I don't think he's ever been that angry at something like he was with the Diablo 3 auction house.

But my pc gamer side completely agrees with him.

 

[Massa]

Garnett is a fucking idiot. His entire Diablo argument boils down to "people should play the way I want them to play."

Fuck you dude. Guess what, there is zero reason you ever need to interact with the auction house or with people who use it. The fuck do you care how people enjoy their game?

If part of the appeal of the game is to collect loot and then play with other people and compare loot, maybe even trade items, then yes, the auction house changes the game significantly for him.

If all you do is play the game offline and have zero interaction with other people then... well, let's not even talk about that one.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

If part of the appeal of the game is to collect loot and then play with other people and compare loot, maybe even trade items, then yes, the auction house changes the game significantly for him.

If all you do is play the game offline and have zero interaction with other people then... well, let's not even talk about that one.

I get how if you're really into comparing loot and it doesn't indicate whether the loot was earned or bought, then that's something. Not something I can actually sympathize with, but it's something.

I don't see how it changes the trading of items, but I'm not that familiar with the Diablo series.

Also, I have an e-peen question. Are rare loot drops actually earned based on merit and skill? Or is the case that if a person plays the game long enough and levels up their character to be powerful enough will they eventually get whatever very rare item they are seeking?

 

[Owzers]

Emotionally attached, sure. Saying "fuck them" toward the developers on a podcast, when they're likely to hear it, uhh no. Never that strongly about a video game.

I was being facetious when I wondered if he was on something. But to hear someone swing to the extreme so suddenly was amazing.

Dragon Age 2. Fable 3.

 

[eznark]

If part of the appeal of the game is to collect loot and then play with other people and compare loot, maybe even trade items, then yes, the auction house changes the game significantly for him.

If all you do is play the game offline and have zero interaction with other people then... well, let's not even talk about that one.

Yes, but he controls who he compares that loot to. His worry seems to be that people will enjoy themselves in a way that he doesn't approve of and that has him in a seething rage. How dare people not experience Diablo III in the way Garnett Lee intended them to?

I love the "they don't even care about their game anymore!!!" comments. Yes Garnett, I'm sure that is the case. Only you care, you are the last guardian of the Diablo light. I'd love to go back and see his reaction to the "wow-like" art work. I'm guessing Garnett was shitting on the petition signors and telling people to calm down.

 

[pieatorium]

Also, I have an e-peen question. Are rare loot drops actually earned based on merit and skill? Or is the case that if a person plays the game long enough and levels up their character to be powerful enough will they eventually get whatever very rare item they are seeking?

Speaking from d2 it is mostly luck, playing solo there is a good chance you might never get the item you really want but getting something good enough isn't that hard. You can increase your chances with magic find gear and running certian bosses/areas that have a higher chance to drop what you are after but it's no gaurantee.

 

[LiK]

Xav says: "Re: R2/MAG. No one said it was a 'precursor.' Simply stated that the persistent world gameplay in MAG was reminiscent of R2 co-op."

 

[eznark]

Last thing, don't listen to Cannata on Puerto Rico. The game is excellent on ipad and features a really good pass and play multiplayer. Is it a perfect recreation of the board game experience? No. Is it an awesome entry to the game for $10? Absolutely.

Board game snobs are the worst.

 

[TheShampion]

I personally really enjoyed Garnett getting passionate about Diablo 3. Though Jeff Cannata really showed that he is the Abott to Garnett's Costello.

 

[dyergram]

more podcasts need to do this, i don't always pay attention and can lose track of a discussion when i'm doing something else. really glad that garnett has introduced it.

Yea I love this I listen to podcasts while I drive, sometimes I space out so this is perfect for me.

 

[mik]

Xav says: "Re: R2/MAG. No one said it was a 'precursor.' Simply stated that the persistent world gameplay in MAG was reminiscent of R2 co-op."

If you're playing the role of his messenger, please let him know that what he actually said was that they removed the "MAG-like co-op" and that the R2 co-op is "essentially what MAG is now."

 

[Margalis]

This whole thing is a non-issue, but people who don't understand that real money trading of loot was happening already are the only ones raging.

Real money trading never happened in the games I played. Not everyone has the same experience.

I think it's nice that Garnett is still passionate enough to actually get worked up about things. I don't necessarily agree with him, but his rant was a refreshing change of pace from the usual PR rehashes, or burnt-out cynicism that I'm so used to hearing.

Agree 100%. A lot of people who work in the industry turn anti-consumer over time and it's nice to see someone who has been involved with the industry for years but still comes at things from a consumer mindset.

 

[Sneds]

Last thing, don't listen to Cannata on Puerto Rico. The game is excellent on ipad and features a really good pass and play multiplayer. Is it a perfect recreation of the board game experience? No. Is it an awesome entry to the game for $10? Absolutely.

Board game snobs are the worst.

Jeff said to play it on iPad and then if you like it try the board game. He just thought that the iPad version lacked the social element that he finds so fun. I don't think that's snobbery.

 

[Zzoram]

Real money trading never happened in the games I played. Not everyone has the same experience.



Agree 100%. A lot of people who work in the industry turn anti-consumer over time and it's nice to see someone who has been involved with the industry for years but still comes at things from a consumer mindset.

If you played Diablo 2 or WoW with strangers on occasion, you almost certainly played with someone who paid real money to buy gold or loot.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

Speaking from d2 it is mostly luck, playing solo there is a good chance you might never get the item you really want but getting something good enough isn't that hard. You can increase your chances with magic find gear and running certian bosses/areas that have a higher chance to drop what you are after but it's no gaurantee.

Would it be fair to say then that Garnett's concern about who legitimately earned their gear and who bought it is kind of wrongheaded? If good gear isn't necessarily a result of skill, then there's nothing to be proud of and it doesn't matter where it came from.

 

[BJK]

Yes, but he controls who he compares that loot to. His worry seems to be that people will enjoy themselves in a way that he doesn't approve of and that has him in a seething rage. How dare people not experience Diablo III in the way Garnett Lee intended them to?

I love the "they don't even care about their game anymore!!!" comments. Yes Garnett, I'm sure that is the case. Only you care, you are the last guardian of the Diablo light. I'd love to go back and see his reaction to the "wow-like" art work. I'm guessing Garnett was shitting on the petition signors and telling people to calm down.

That's the thing that I don't really get about the D3 AH story. If the game is about your experience grinding and getting loot, who the F cares if someone else gears up via Mastercard? Anyone who buys gear knows they didn't earn it.

Is Diablo 3 about your experience grinding and going through the dungeon, or an exercise in dick-waving?

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

Would it be fair to say then that Garnett's concern about who legitimately earned their gear and who bought it is kind of wrongheaded? If good gear isn't necessarily a result of skill, then there's nothing to be proud of and it doesn't matter where it came from.

It's kind of a moral issue and Garnett seemed to want to impose his own set of values on other people. Games as religion? :O

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Would it be fair to say then that Garnett's concern about who legitimately earned their gear and who bought it is kind of wrongheaded? If good gear isn't necessarily a result of skill, then there's nothing to be proud of and it doesn't matter where it came from.

At its core yes, the loot in Diablo games is purely based on % chance drop luck. Given enough time and grinding, anyone can get anything and someone can get lucky and get an extremely rare drop the first time they kill a boss. There isn't much skill in Diablo games, it's mostly spamming abilities, knowing when to run away, and clicking a lot.