[NeutronstarNeko]

Related content from Digital Spy:

Digital Spy's review of Diablo 3

So with servers opening at 11pm 14th May in the UK it seems the only way to play on launch is to have a digital copy.

I've got a physical copy from Amazon on order (at £27.91) but prepared to pay a few pounds more for a digital version, providing the codes will be sent out appropriately.

Battle.net is charging £44.99 and frankly I think I'd rather save myself that best part of £20 and play in the morning.

Coolshop.co.uk are selling digital copies at £32.99 but not sure how reputable they are and when they will email out the keys...

Anyone got a good site to suggest getting a digital version from?

[Jay-Cee]

From their site

Code is sent via email to you. no physical game is sent. You use the cdkey you get via email to activate the game via Battlenet.

It is possible to pre-install Diablo 3 and then finish the installation before launch via the following link. You can then enter the cdkey you get just before launch to activate the game and be up and running right away. Diablo 3 installer

Yoc can always try it out. Shame i already bought from GAME, if not i would love to try that site.

What if retailers send out the game early, cant they play the game same time as digital copy owners? And is battle net like steam where you buy the disc, and you get to download the game and play without the disc?

[cat666]

I got my copy of Diablo 3 for free with the WoW Annual Pass, not going to play it either.

Sadly it is linked to the Battle Net account so I can't pass it to someone who will play it.

[Jay-Cee]

Originally Posted by cat666

I got my copy of Diablo 3 for free with the WoW Annual Pass, not going to play it either.

Sadly it is linked to the Battle Net account so I can't pass it to someone who will play it.

Doesn't games like that interest you?

[NeutronstarNeko]

Originally Posted by Jay-Cee

From their site

Yoc can always try it out. Shame i already bought from GAME, if not i would love to try that site.

What if retailers send out the game early, cant they play the game same time as digital copy owners? And is battle net like steam where you buy the disc, and you get to download the game and play without the disc?

Yes thats true, I dont have much hope for Amazon to post on friday/saturday in order to reach customers on Tuesday though but other sites do tend to be quicker so you cant be certain I guess.

Reading comments on coolshop.co.uk put me off taking a chance on them, if they are going to send codes out in the morning on the 15th it makes no difference, or at midnight on the 15th even is still an hour after the launch...

[cat666]

Originally Posted by Jay-Cee

Doesn't games like that interest you?

I played Diablo back in the day. We used to go on French servers, say "TP" so they'd bring us to them then slaughter them. Immature or what? I never really enjoyed it though so have had no desire to play 2, let alone 3.

[Cadiva]

Originally Posted by Jay-Cee

And is battle net like steam where you buy the disc, and you get to download the game and play without the disc?

No BattleNet isn't anything like Steam, it's not an application as such, it's simply Blizzard's name for their account management system. When you log in to register/play you log into a BattleNet account. Steam is a digital management system for games with a built in authenticator bought via their own Store. You can play any game through Steam, digital, retail whether you've bought it off them or not.

Originally Posted by NeutronstarNeko

Yes thats true, I dont have much hope for Amazon to post on friday/saturday in order to reach customers on Tuesday though but other sites do tend to be quicker so you cant be certain I guess.

Reading comments on coolshop.co.uk put me off taking a chance on them, if they are going to send codes out in the morning on the 15th it makes no difference, or at midnight on the 15th even is still an hour after the launch...

If you pay for first class postage on a pre-release Amazon will make sure it arrives for release day usually. I got my SW:tOR from them the day before release.
I usually, however, buy from Game as they have a guaranteed day of release and I've never yet had something arrive late from them.

[Cadiva]

Duplicate

[cat666]

I've pre-ordered 2 games with Amazon and they've both been to me on release day.

Was a bit hairy on the release day of Cataclysm as I'd booked a week off work to play (needed to use holiday by Dec 31st, and it was as good a reason as any) and was unsure if the first day was a waste or not. Turned out well.

Cadiva's explanation of Steam and BattleNet are spot on, however it is worth pointing out that you can buy a digital copy of most (if not all) of Blizzards games via BattleNet. Therefore you can download the game and play without the disc, which was your question. The only downside is this is usual a much more expensive way of buying it, hence the reason I bought a hard copy of Cataclysm, as opposed to the digital download.

BattleNet is becoming more and more like Steam from a community point of view, but it is only ever going to be for Blizzard games and highly doubtful it will ever be a program in it's own right. I can see you being able to chat to other BattleNet users, even in different games, in the very near future. It already allows cross faction chatting and chatting from outside of game (via the paid mobile app) so allowing chat between WoW, Starcraft and Diablo won't be far off. Who knows, the account wide achievement system could be taken totally out of individual games and made BattleNet specific, much like Steams also.

[Jay-Cee]

oh i know the battle net is only for their games. What i was asking was seeing as you bought hard copy of wow, is the disc if if you want to play the game

[NeutronstarNeko]

Originally Posted by Cadiva

If you pay for first class postage on a pre-release Amazon will make sure it arrives for release day usually. I got my SW:tOR from them the day before release.
I usually, however, buy from Game as they have a guaranteed day of release and I've never yet had something arrive late from them.

Yeah I have first class paid so I am expecting to get the game on tuesday with the post, 12 hrs or so after the launch (as post tends to come 10-11am here).

After the recent drama with GAME I wont pre-order from them, scrabbling round at the last minute to obtain stock or completely not stocking major titles (mass effect 3 etc) just makes them a joke.

Shopto.net are great by all accounts but Amazon cant really be beat on price it seems

[cat666]

Originally Posted by Jay-Cee

oh i know the battle net is only for their games. What i was asking was seeing as you bought hard copy of wow, is the disc if if you want to play the game

Wow plays from the PC, no disk required.

You don't ever even have to see a disk, you just pay for the code.

[Gazinuk]

Originally Posted by cat666

Wow plays from the PC, no disk required.

You don't ever even have to see a disk, you just pay for the code.

The disk just saves you downloading tonnes of data which some may not want to do, but will most likely require patching once you get online anyhow (which happened to WoW when it was first out)

If past bliz releases are anything to go buy, first week servers are gonna be ropey, but second theyll be better.

[cat666]

Originally Posted by Gazinuk

The disk just saves you downloading tonnes of data which some may not want to do, but will most likely require patching once you get online anyhow (which happened to WoW when it was first out)

If past bliz releases are anything to go buy, first week servers are gonna be ropey, but second theyll be better.

Totally different for Cataclysm. There was a pre-expansion patch about 2 weeks before release which turned out to be Cataclysm itself, just all the 80+ stuff was locked until you entered your code on release day. So if you'd waited for the disk, you'd have had 2 weeks without being able to play. I also vaugley recall the disk being out of date before it even shipped as a few of my guildies installed from disk (without ever needing too) and then moaned it took an age to update.

[Cadiva]

Cat666's right, even with a disc you usually still need to patch on release day, it's just usually a 1G type size instead of 8G plus

[koalak]

Originally Posted by cat666

I played Diablo back in the day. We used to go on French servers, say "TP" so they'd bring us to them then slaughter them. Immature or what? I never really enjoyed it though so have had no desire to play 2, let alone 3.

I played Diablo 3 in the Beta and it is a pretty awesome game. It has all the good RPG and Dungeon Crawling elements. If you didnt play the beta you can learn some more about the game by reading the walkthrough:

Diablo 3 Walkthrough

also all dungeons are randomized, adding to its replay value

[NeutronstarNeko]

Managed to preorder a CE from Shopto so hopefully there'll be no problems and I'll be able to play on tues morn, will try at 11pm Monday but dont think i'll hack the queues and stuff so will probably give up after a little while and then wake up at 4am or something lol

[Jay-Cee]

So uk servers open at 11pm?

[Pinkvelvet]

I've got a free copy with the WOW annual pass as well, but not that bothered about playing it. Is it a huge game to download?

[Jay-Cee]

Can i ask how does the difficulty in diablo 3 work? Few people have said, you start at normal, finish the game then to the next, finish the game till inferno. Others have said you start at normal, and as the game progresses through the story, the difficulty increases, till inferno.

Does anyone know which it is? Thanks

[dend]

Probably one of my most anticipated games, played the hell out of Diablo 2 back in the day, hope Diablo 3 will be just as good! Never played the beta but not long to go now!

[NeutronstarNeko]

Originally Posted by Jay-Cee

So uk servers open at 11pm?

yes the servers open 11.01pm Monday 14th for the UK

Originally Posted by Pinkvelvet

I've got a free copy with the WOW annual pass as well, but not that bothered about playing it. Is it a huge game to download?

its 7-8g (shows as 7.Xg on PC and 8.1g on Mac, dont ask me why) to download roughly, a small patch when the servers go live

Originally Posted by Jay-Cee

Can i ask how does the difficulty in diablo 3 work? Few people have said, you start at normal, finish the game then to the next, finish the game till inferno. Others have said you start at normal, and as the game progresses through the story, the difficulty increases, till inferno.

Does anyone know which it is? Thanks

Like you said, you start the game, finish it on normal and then start again on nightmare, then finish and start again on hell, finish and then start inferno.

But your character progresses through them all. I.e Normal should roughly take your character from lvl 1-30, nightmare to 30-50, hell 50-60, inferno is lvl 60 only. may not have the numbers 100% right on that but thats the idea.

However there is also an increase in the difficulty as the story unfolds. I.e Act 1 Normal will be easier than Act 2 normal etc. but the major leaps are starting a new band of difficulty. So there will be a big increase in difficulty between Act 4 Nightmare and Act 1 Hell etc.

[RedSnapper]

That is the only thing that concerns me about D3 - will I really want to play the thing tru a second time let alone four times in total....doubt it.

[NeutronstarNeko]

Originally Posted by RedSnapper

That is the only thing that concerns me about D3 - will I really want to play the thing tru a second time let alone four times in total....doubt it.

well lots of events are randomized so you wont be seeing the exact same dungeons over and over. Mobs get random powers and of course as you level your character you get different abilities so whilst the story stays the same there is still lots of diversity. And you can always hit escape to cancel all dialog and just play multiplayer so everyone races and burns through everything ^^

The only thing I guess is will you really want to play each of the 5 classes through the 4 difficulties? probably not

[Jay-Cee]

may 14th 8:01 am pdt time, you can install the game and i believe you can also download the patch as well. I hope my copy arrives may 14th