diablo coding
I don't know much about the Diablo video game franchise (I seem to recall it being popular among a certain contingent of shut-ins during my sophomore year of college; demons, dungeons: boring), but this discussion about the fan outcry over the latest entry's more vibrant aesthetic (versus the ashen tableaux of previous titles), and the trade-offs between atmospheric art direction and playability it highlights, are interesting.
I happen to agree with the lead designer: the grittier approach may have more integrity and present better on a one-off basis, but it's also visually monotonous when you factor in a variable like repetition during the course of the game—to say nothing of questions pertaining to its consistent, reliable execution across a wide variety of hardware configurations and the diminished visibility of interactive elements in murky environments.
I happen to agree with the lead designer: the grittier approach may have more integrity and present better on a one-off basis, but it's also visually monotonous when you factor in a variable like repetition during the course of the game—to say nothing of questions pertaining to its consistent, reliable execution across a wide variety of hardware configurations and the diminished visibility of interactive elements in murky environments.