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Neo-opsis Review
Why I still Play Diablo
By Stephanie Ann
Johanson
I
used to consider myself a computer gamer. I enjoyed checking out the latest
computer games. I spent evenings and weekends trying to beat my latest high
score. I especially enjoyed multi-player games, and talking with people at work
about the latest games they were playing.
I
work out of my home now, so I don’t really get any of the co-worker gaming
talk. A good chunk of my time goes to reading story submissions for Neo-opsis
Science Fiction Magazine, so I’ve fallen behind on the latest game news. I’ve
lost my gaming edge and I miss it.
One of the great successes in the computer game
industry is Myst, released in 1993 for Macintosh and Window 3.0. You didn’t
have to be a gamer to enjoy exploring the world of Myst. You installed
the game and learned as you went. Most games tended to be shoot ‘em ups or
fighting games. Myst was something different. For me, Myst felt
like exploring. Riven, the sequel to Myst wasn’t released until 1997, so
that left four years of looking for other good games.
I
used to play Castle of the Winds, a tile-based RPG (Role Playing Game) that was
first released in 1989 for Windows 3.0. I downloaded the shareware part for
free and then paid for the second part of the game after I was hooked. It was
like playing Dungeons and Dragons with a mouse, except that it was a single
player game.
In
1996 Blizzard Entertainment released Diablo, and I didn’t look back.
This RPG required an IBM PC or 100% compatible computer, with a Pentium 60 MHz
or better. You needed to have at least 8 MB of RAM for single player mode, and
16 MB if you wanted to play multi-player. The operating system had to be Windows
95 or Windows NT 4.0 to be able to play the game. Windows 3.1 just didn’t cut
it any more. The Mac version of Diablo came later.
It
was because of Diablo that I broke down and ordered a Shaw cable
connection for our computers. Before cable, only one of us could be online at a
time, and our phone line was always busy. No one could get a hold of us.
Diablo could be played online with up to four players
in a game, fighting as a team or competing against each other. There were three
character choices: Warrior, Sorcerer, and Rogue. I have played Diablo
online with players in Canada, the USA, Australia, Denmark, Germany, England,
France, New Zealand, and those are just the ones I remember. Many a night I
played into the wee hours of the morning, or got up really early to play with
someone before they had to go to sleep. I was a true fan of the game. I even
wrote poems about it.
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Diablo
Three images for a thousand souls, Warriors strong and handsome, Swift and lean the rogues. Sorcerers strong with power can quickly clear the floor. Down they go both friend and foe the monsters be no more... The archer slings her arrows and shoots with deadly speed, But warriors wade through blood And often take the lead. Not all will fight beside you They have a different aim. Some would rather kill the friend, Than fight the foe again. by Stephanie Ann Johanson Feb/99 |
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Many a Diablo fan kept an eye on the computer game news when it
was rumoured that Diablo II was in production. There were many delays,
but Diablo II was finally released in 2000. I was, of course, forced
to upgrade my computer to be able to play, but I was convinced it would be
worth it. Diablo II required an IBM or 100%
compatible computer, with a Pentium 233 MHz or better processor. 32 MB of RAM
was needed for single player games and 64 MB for multiplayer or for the
enhanced 3D graphic features. The operating system had to be Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 (with service pack 5), or Windows 2000 (running
with local Administrator privileges). Again, the Mac version came a bit
later. Instead of only three characters, as in Diablo, Diablo II
gave you the choice of five characters to play: Amazon, Barbarian, Sorceress,
Necromancer, and Paladin. Instead of four, eight players could play together
in a Diablo II multiplayer game. You could link together through the
Battlenet or by IP address, and there was no monthly charge as there is with
many of the massively multiplayer games. |
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Having
five different characters, and each character having different skills that they
could master, made the replay value of the Diablo II quite impressive.
In 2001 Diablo II Expansion Set: Lord of Destruction was released,
adding two new characters, an Assassin and a Druid, and a whole 
new chapter to the end of the game.
Since
2001 I have played quite a number of computer games, single player, multiplayer
and massively multiplayer, but I keep coming back to Diablo II and it is
still enjoyable. I am still exploring and battling evil monsters to save the
world from Diablo and his brothers. I have eighty-eight characters saved on my
computer ranging from levels one to eighty-four. With each character I have
played them slightly differently. Some of them are quite capable of making it
through all the quests alone. Some of them need help from other players.
Lately
I have been playing Diablo II with my nieces, encouraging them to work
together. Their mother thinks the game is too violent. She hasn’t played it.
She just looks over her girls’ shoulders and sees her babies bashing monsters.
I haven’t completely convinced her that the game is a good device to encourage
teamwork.
Blizzard Entertainment
has continued to create patches for Diablo II Lord of Destruction.
Linking to Battlenet from the game triggers a check for updates. Diablo,
Diablo II, Diablo II Lord of Destruction and Diablo Battle
Chest (a complete set of all three with the Diablo II Ultimate Strategy
Guide) are still available to purchase online and in stores. There are even
rumours of a Diablo III being worked on. You can find more information
on Diablo games and more at www.blizzard.com.
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