The Diablo III closed beta is set to receive a new patch which includes some minor game balancing and mechanic changes, according to a post on the Diablo III blog made this morning by game director Jay Wilson.
Among the changes made are the removal of Scrolls of Identification from the game — unidentified items can now be revealed simply by right-clicking them. The Cauldron of Jordan and Nephalem Cube — which enable you to sell and salvage items respectively without returning to town — have also been removed.
The character stats system has also been streamlined, although since you can’t add stats in Diablo III, the main implication will be easier to determine which items are better for your character.
If you’re not lucky enough to have been invited to the Diablo III, you’re probably wondering if this latest patch means that Diablo III is still far from being completed. The truth is, the changes in this patch are minor in nature, mainly involving mechanics tweaks and itemisation rebalancing. No major features were added. In my opinion, the game is ready for release, but has been delayed by regulatory concerns in the Korean market.
Activision Blizzard has announced an investor conference call for 9 February, so you can expect the official release date for Diablo III to be announced during that call or, more likely, in the days before that call to boost investor confidence. If we don’t hear anything by then, I’m afraid the third possibility in my three predictions for Diablo III’s release date may come true — a worldwide delay for the game beyond Q1 2012.
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