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Forums > Game Forums > Diablo II > Why am I addicted?..

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Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 6/8/2013 9:48 AM · Permalink · Report

I remember how I was addicted to this game back when it was released, but I also hated it for being so repetitive. Checking out more and more action RPGs nowadays I went back to play it... and I'm addicted again. I also start hating it again. Then I feel too compelled to play more... and become more addicted... and hate it more... well, you've got the picture.

To cure myself, I need some feedback! Please share your opinions of this game (single-player only), positive or negative!

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Patrick Bregger (301024) on 6/8/2013 10:04 AM · Permalink · Report

I hated Diablo II. I played it until the middle of Act II and then I quit out of pure boredom. None of the gameplay elements which are often cited as addictive managed to grab me in the slightest. Since then, I stayed far away from any game which could be described as "Diablo variant". I'd rather play Baldur's Gate for the tenth time or so.

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Cavalary (11445) on 6/8/2013 10:28 AM · Permalink · Report

Thoroughly hated it. No story to speak of, no elements to make anything the least bit interesting, no regular saving (!!!), respawns whenever you quit and then get back. I trudged through it (and the expansion) at some point but seriously one of the worst games I ever played.

About Diablo-likes, Divine Divinity was great, but this? Just dreadful.

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CalaisianMindthief (8172) on 6/8/2013 10:49 AM · Permalink · Report

A polished game overall. Too bad for the boring story/environment and the unrewarding grindfest. The gameplay is also less smooth compared to the original. Not to mention, one of the most overrated games of all time.

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GTramp (81965) on 6/8/2013 12:23 PM · Permalink · Report

Around year 2000 I played it for a year. Just one single game. One year. Nothing more - no other games, almost no other interests. All characters playthroughs, constant search for items, sometimes linking together with another player or two to exchange items. I worked in a video game club back then. Now I fucking hate Diablo. No more, never fucking again.

On a side note, I still love the first game.

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vedder (70793) on 6/8/2013 12:45 PM · Permalink · Report

Diablo II and similar games (such as Divine Divinity) use a mechanic which is is beneath the surface very similar to slot machines. It constantly bombards you with tiny rewards, but always promises you the bigger reward. The player must constantly invest, but each individual investment is small, but in the end they add up (time/money for a slot machine, time/clicks for Diablo). In short Diablo II uses a mechanic whose original purpose is to empty people's pockets and make them addicted. A mechanic which has seen over a hundred years of refinement.

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Cavalary (11445) on 6/8/2013 1:14 PM · Permalink · Report

Thought this scenario was usually said to be most used in MMOs :)

And in Divine Divinity it wasn't the gameplay I liked, that was just sort of there (though still significantly refined over Diablo), but all those little events, the dialogs, the funny stuff, the freedom, none of which Diablo had (ruling out freedom in part due to respawns).

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Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 6/8/2013 1:31 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm playing Divine Divinity right now! And so far, it's awesome! Though it's not that similar to Diablo games. It's much slower and exploration-based, much more similar to a normal RPG. Diablo 2, on the other hand... it's so fast and simple that it's insane, I literally couldn't quit it for hours.

For the record, I could never get into the first one. Too linear character development and unbelievably boring lonely location. The second one has so many more possibilities and variety in locations.

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Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 6/8/2013 2:35 PM · Permalink · Report

...Oh my God, Divine Divinity rocks so much.

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/8/2013 4:05 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Only thing that caught my intention was the character development. Sadly, Diablo offered more complex character development options than many RPGs (most of which just barely gave a level up option + more HP), so that was my primary inclination to play Diablo, as character development is my idea of reward.

Which is why the dumbest thing you can do in RPG games, character development-wise, is to introduce a level cap. Gameplay tends to skyfall down after that.

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leilei (343) on 6/8/2013 11:11 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

likewise it's why I don't give Torchlight a chance for the whole "ex-diablo devs" thing, not to mention the personal issues I have with their concept artist.... but that's another story.

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/8/2013 11:42 PM · Permalink · Report

Dungeon Siege was probably one of the good variants that came out of the Diablo style gameplay. Until they developed Dungeon Siege 3 that makes the worst Diablo clone appear like a masterpiece. Gawd, that was a gaming abomination.

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leilei (343) on 6/9/2013 12:46 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Well, "They" weren't Gaspowered Games - that was Obsidian Entertainment's doing... which I understand is a very popular developer among this place :P

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/9/2013 6:55 AM · Permalink · Report

Only a few hits and they're die hard fans. Now you know why Justin Bieber is a celebrity. Same fanbase. :p

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CalaisianMindthief (8172) on 6/9/2013 8:07 AM · Permalink · Report

Dungeon Siege 3 has better reviews than Space Siege. After Supreme Commander, GPG has gone downhill unfortunately.

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/9/2013 8:27 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Must be really bad if even GameStar Germany didn't like it. And they usually love every AAA abomination game in existence.

Strange to call it a hack'n'slash RPG in a sci-fi game with assault weapons. See, I told you guys that gamers don't give it much thought when they come up with gaming definitions.

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Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 6/9/2013 8:46 AM · Permalink · Report

Guys, stop discussing all those games and start playing Divinity series. I'm playing Divinity II now and having great fun. Unexpected treasure!

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/9/2013 8:48 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Tried it. Got bored real fast. Diablo was more entertaining. Only thing I liked about the game was the lie detector spell. The ugly forced graphical boom eventually put me off.

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CalaisianMindthief (8172) on 6/9/2013 10:32 AM · Permalink · Report

Don't forget Beyond Divinity!

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Cavalary (11445) on 6/9/2013 12:40 PM · Permalink · Report

Eh, I'd rather forget Beyond Divinity. (So do the developers, largely.)

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Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 6/11/2013 10:36 AM · Permalink · Report

I'm playing Beyond Divinity now, and while I can see where the criticisms are coming from, I find it beautifully addictive.

Overall, the Divinity series is something no RPG lover should pass.

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Game Guesser (28) on 6/9/2013 7:25 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start leilei wrote--]likewise it's why I don't give Torchlight a chance for the whole "ex-diablo devs" thing, not to mention the personal issues I have with their concept artist.... but that's another story. [/Q --end leilei wrote--]

that little tease of a story sounds roughly ten thousand times more interesting than another round of "grumpy gamers grumble"

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Indra was here (20755) on 6/9/2013 7:42 AM · Permalink · Report

Really? I've never run out of 'grumpy gamer' material for the past nine years. :p

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Rola (8483) on 7/2/2013 1:15 PM · Permalink · Report

I've just found this, still in beta but looks promising: http://www.pathofexile.com

What do you think?

It's online and looks free-to-play-but-still-pay, but hey, Diablo 3 went in similar direction, right?