/ Previews / RPG / Diablo 2 / Page 7
	Even though graphics are a big deal these days, Diablo 2 will not be supporting 3dfx, but it is not really necessary anyway.

From preliminary screenshots and drawings, the monsters look promising. While on the topic of graphics, let's chitchat a bit on it. Jeeves, bring the reader and I a cup of tea! All right, to get started let me say that Diablo 2 will not be supporting 3DFX. Instead, they are going with the traditional renderings of characters and monsters. When asked why they chose this position, Bill Roper replied "...A huge portion of people who play our games do not own these cards, and the market will probably still be in its youth in 1999." While it may have been nice to see 3DFX, Blizzard has proven with Starcraft - and even the original Diablo - That sprites can look great. And while they are still using the older system with graphics, expect a few changes and tweaks to the system as well.

One of my favorite graphic enhancements will be the dynamic approach to how your character looks. Anybody who has played Ultima Online knows that every single piece of clothing, armor, and attire has its own look on the player. This is what Blizzard is hoping to do with Diablo 2. Now you will actually see what other people are wearing - whether it be full plate, or a cloak and some studded armor. This also allows for hundreds, if not thousands, of different looks for the player. Hmmm, fashion statements anybody?

Well, even at this early stage of the Diablo 2 Development, Blizzard has done an outstanding job. By incorporating new game play elements such as a Skill Tree, and enhancing and tweaking nearly every aspect of the game, Diablo 2 looks like it will be a sure-fire winner. The only question is whether it will be enough to stand up to the likes of more 'hard-core' RPGs such as Septerra Core and Baldurs Gate. However, Blizzard has an outstanding track record of never releasing a sub-par product, and ensuring that all of its products live up to the Blizzard name ('Blizzard cancels Warcraft Adventure', anybody?). We can probably expect to see the likes of Diablo 2 around 1st Q 1999, but that may change. So get ready, save up that cash, clear some space on your hard drive, and get ready for… Diablo 2! Well, maybe not start this early, but hopefully you get the idea. If you don't you need to try and get onto the long bus that goes to school...