jace

It's true...and it raises the HUGE question of, "how much do you alter a sequel?" How do you teeter on the line between conservatism and innovation without falling into the oubliette of bitter fanboys?

I think the answer varies from game to game (which goes without saying) but I think that Blizzard has it harder than, say GoW 2 or...oh, um...let's just say Madden (for some giggles) who can repurpose much of the gameplay assets from their previous releases.

And, Blizzard responds nicely to the debate. I like the way they're defending their design and explaining, not only why they chose it, but how it is intended to enhance future gameplay.

I think time will tell with the overall design of the game, but it's safe to say (with a 9 year gap and Diablo 2 is currently one of the #1 PC game purchases) that Blizzard don't have anything to worry about concerning grumbles from it's fan-base.

They'll take what they can get...and they'll like it all the same.

Oh, and as an asside...I'm super jealous of your ferret! I wish they weren't illegal here in Cali.

Yea, it's been known to happen...sometimes I digress into, "fire bad, tree pretty"...but I try to keep it on the upper levels of conversation.