Difference between revisions of "Diablo"

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(→‎Conclusion: [non-categorization edit:] source? I have "the official diablo guidebook" (interview at the back), and the roguelike that they mention is nethack.)
 
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{{game-stable| name = Diablo
|developer = Blizzard
|theme = |theme = [[List of roguelikes by theme#Fantasy|Fantasy]]
|influences = [[NetHack]], [[Moria]], [[Angband]]
|released = [[1997]]
|relver = ?
|updated = 1997
|updver = ?
|licensing = Commercial
|language = [[Cpp|C++]]
|platforms = [[Windows]], [[Mac OS|Macintosh]], [[PlayStation]]
|interface = Graphical, [[Mouse|Mouse-based]]
|length = Few days
|site = http://www.blizzard.com/diablo/
}}
== Description ==
== Description ==


Diablo by Blizzard is by many considered a ''commercial roguelike''. The first reaction to such a comparision may provoke laughter, but when analyzed carefully we will see how many simmilarities there are.  
Diablo by Blizzard is considered by many to be a commercial roguelike, a roguelike that was graphical and real-time. Developers Brevik and Schaefer had in mind a graphic version of the "old [[Unix]]-based games". Eight months into development, the decision was made to make the game [[real-time]] as opposed to [[turn-based]]. Diablo is by all accounts a Roguelike, but with graphics and real-time gameplay.
 
Quotes from interview with developers included in ''Diablo: The Official Strategy Guide'':
 
: "They said their game would be ''Rogue'', ''Moria'', and ''NetHack'' meet ''Crusader: No Remorse'' and ''DOOM''," Producer Bill Roper says. "Now that was something different. We all loved the old Unix-based games, and when we took a look at the design documents, we just had to go with it."
 
: Brevik and Schaefer had kicked around the idea for a different type of role-playing game from Condor's founding. Brevik was a long-time fan of the old Unix-based games, those simple dungeon hacks that were different every time you played them. "It was all text," Brevik says, "so you were really just moving the squiggle around to fight the letter 'A.' Not all that exciting. But we thought, what if we gave them a graphic treatment?"


== Similarities to Roguelikes ==
== Similarities to Roguelikes ==


* Diablo features a world that structuraly is identical to [[Angband]] or [[Moria]]: a town level where you can buy things and a multi-level dungeon below.
* Diablo features a world similar to [[Moria]]: a town level where you can buy things and a multi-level dungeon below.


* The dungeons are randomly generated, so is the item and monster placing.
* The dungeons are randomly generated. So is the item and monster placing.


* The game is hack'n'slash focused.
* The game is hack'n'slash focused.


* Inventory management is an issue (again similar to [[Angband]]).
* [[Inventory]] management is an issue (again similar to [[Angband]], [[Nethack]], and most other Roguelikes).


* All the standard roguelike subset features of cRPG's apply (classes, character levels, stats, etc)
* All the standard roguelike subset features of cRPG's apply ([[class]]es, character [[level]]s, [[stats]], etc)




== Differences to Roguelikes ==
== Differences to Roguelikes ==


* Diablo has graphics. This difference isn't so valid today - many traditional roguelikes have tilesets, many in-dev roguelikes have graphics. Also isometric perspective was also used in roguelikes. The only thing that differs Diablo here is the fact that it has animations and nice isometric-tiles ([[Iso-Angband]]). Yet, this is something that a unpaid hobby developer usualy can't do on his own.
* Diablo has graphics. This difference isn't unique today - many traditional roguelikes have tilesets, many in-dev roguelikes have graphics. Also, isometric perspective was also used in roguelikes. The only thing that differentiates Diablo here is the fact that it has animations and nice isometric-tiles ([[Iso-Angband]]). Yet, this is something that a unpaid hobby developer usually cannot do on his own.
 
* Diablo is realtime. This one also might be considered invalid as a distinguishing feature. Some of the recently developed games that want to be called roguelikes have realtime (for example [[3059]] or [[Egoboo]]).
 
* Diablo has music and sounds. Well, here [[DoomRL]] is a counter-example of a roguelike game that successfully implements sounds and music. Also some [[Angband]] and [[NetHack]] interfaces have sound.
 
* Graphical inventory. The inventory management game in most roguelikes is based on either slots, weight, or both. In Diablo, it involves fitting items into an area with a square grid, with different items types taking up different numbers of squares and having different shapes. After the realtime nature of the game, this is probably the main gameplay change.
 
== Series Releases ==
 
=== Diablo ===
* 1996 Windows
* 1997 (Hellfire Expansion) - Windows
* 1998 Macintosh
* 1998 Playstation


* Diablo is realtime. This one also might be considered invalid. Some of the recently developed games that want to be called roguelikes have reltime (for example [[3059]] or [[Egoboo]]).
=== Diablo 2 ===
* 2000 Windows, Macintosh
* 2001 (Lord of Destruction Expansion) - Windows, Macintosh


* Diablo has music and sounds. Well, here [[DoomRL]] is a counter-example of a roguelike game that successfuly implements sounds and music. Also some [[Angband]] and [[NetHack]] interfaces have sound.
=== Diablo 3 ===
* 2012 Windows, OSX
* 2013 Playstation 3, Xbox 360
* 2014 Playstation 4, Xbox One


== Conclusion ==
== Conclusion ==


The designers of Diablo admitted in an interview that they were ''inspired'' by [[NetHack]]. As wether Diablo is a part of the roguelike genre remains a question.
The designers of Diablo admitted in an interview that they were ''inspired'' by [[NetHack]]. Whether Diablo is a part of the roguelike genre remains an open question.


An interesting project was undertaken by [[Kornel Kisielewicz]] in this field. He took the original underlying mechanics of Diablo and implemented them into a roguelike framework as his [[The 7DRL Contest|7DRL]] entry. He based on the pre-release demo of Blizzard, so the amnount of contents is heavily reduced. The result was a simple, yet playable [[coffeebreak roguelike]] called [[DiabloRL]].
An interesting project was undertaken by [[Kornel Kisielewicz]] in this field. He took the original underlying mechanics of Diablo and implemented them into a roguelike framework as his [[The 7DRL Contest|7DRL]] entry. He based on the pre-release demo of Blizzard, so the amount of contents is heavily reduced. The result was a simple, yet playable [[coffeebreak roguelike]] called [[DiabloRL]].


[[Category:Roguelike games]]
[[Category:Commercial games]]
[[Category:Roguelikelike]]

Latest revision as of 07:10, 14 October 2014

Diablo
Stable game
Developer Blizzard
Theme Fantasy
Influences NetHack, Moria, Angband
Released 1997 (?)
Updated 1997 (?)
Licensing Commercial
P. Language C++
Platforms Windows, Macintosh, PlayStation
Interface Graphical, Mouse-based
Game Length Few days
Official site of Diablo


Description

Diablo by Blizzard is considered by many to be a commercial roguelike, a roguelike that was graphical and real-time. Developers Brevik and Schaefer had in mind a graphic version of the "old Unix-based games". Eight months into development, the decision was made to make the game real-time as opposed to turn-based. Diablo is by all accounts a Roguelike, but with graphics and real-time gameplay.

Quotes from interview with developers included in Diablo: The Official Strategy Guide:

"They said their game would be Rogue, Moria, and NetHack meet Crusader: No Remorse and DOOM," Producer Bill Roper says. "Now that was something different. We all loved the old Unix-based games, and when we took a look at the design documents, we just had to go with it."
Brevik and Schaefer had kicked around the idea for a different type of role-playing game from Condor's founding. Brevik was a long-time fan of the old Unix-based games, those simple dungeon hacks that were different every time you played them. "It was all text," Brevik says, "so you were really just moving the squiggle around to fight the letter 'A.' Not all that exciting. But we thought, what if we gave them a graphic treatment?"

Similarities to Roguelikes

  • Diablo features a world similar to Moria: a town level where you can buy things and a multi-level dungeon below.
  • The dungeons are randomly generated. So is the item and monster placing.
  • The game is hack'n'slash focused.
  • All the standard roguelike subset features of cRPG's apply (classes, character levels, stats, etc)


Differences to Roguelikes

  • Diablo has graphics. This difference isn't unique today - many traditional roguelikes have tilesets, many in-dev roguelikes have graphics. Also, isometric perspective was also used in roguelikes. The only thing that differentiates Diablo here is the fact that it has animations and nice isometric-tiles (Iso-Angband). Yet, this is something that a unpaid hobby developer usually cannot do on his own.
  • Diablo is realtime. This one also might be considered invalid as a distinguishing feature. Some of the recently developed games that want to be called roguelikes have realtime (for example 3059 or Egoboo).
  • Diablo has music and sounds. Well, here DoomRL is a counter-example of a roguelike game that successfully implements sounds and music. Also some Angband and NetHack interfaces have sound.
  • Graphical inventory. The inventory management game in most roguelikes is based on either slots, weight, or both. In Diablo, it involves fitting items into an area with a square grid, with different items types taking up different numbers of squares and having different shapes. After the realtime nature of the game, this is probably the main gameplay change.

Series Releases

Diablo

  • 1996 Windows
  • 1997 (Hellfire Expansion) - Windows
  • 1998 Macintosh
  • 1998 Playstation

Diablo 2

  • 2000 Windows, Macintosh
  • 2001 (Lord of Destruction Expansion) - Windows, Macintosh

Diablo 3

  • 2012 Windows, OSX
  • 2013 Playstation 3, Xbox 360
  • 2014 Playstation 4, Xbox One

Conclusion

The designers of Diablo admitted in an interview that they were inspired by NetHack. Whether Diablo is a part of the roguelike genre remains an open question.

An interesting project was undertaken by Kornel Kisielewicz in this field. He took the original underlying mechanics of Diablo and implemented them into a roguelike framework as his 7DRL entry. He based on the pre-release demo of Blizzard, so the amount of contents is heavily reduced. The result was a simple, yet playable coffeebreak roguelike called DiabloRL.