Edit: Progress: Virtually done, I'm just working on balancing the units. The final version will be up soon. If you'd like to test out the current version, you can dl it here:
http://www.staredit.net/files/1284/

Purpose?

I have never been satisfied with the Diablo II RPG’s I have seen and played. It never felt, to me, they did justice to the real game. Spells were often very mundane, quests simplified, and I am spending most of my time walking long distances and backtracking.

I wanted to create a Diablo II map that was more complicated and followed the real game as close as I could so Diablo II fans could enjoy experiencing the similarities and see their expectations fulfilled (well... sometimes). I learned alot from making this map. In essance it is very simple, so please don't be expecting the best RPG ever or something.

I chose Act IV because I knew I was going to use many sounds, and wanted to use every NPC dialogue from the real game in my own map. Act IV has the least amount of NPC and also the fewest number of quests; so I knew it would allow me to be as in depth as I could.

Let me just say before you all hail me as the worst terrain creator of all time, please remember: Early on the map would crash in SCMDraft and Starforge. I had to make alot of it in Starcraft-Xtra-Editor Special, so I had to be as crative as I could within the relm of the given map editor. Sue me.

Characters?

This map follows the original Diablo II, because I was very short on ground units. There are five choices of playable characters:
Amazon
Barbarian
Paladin
Necromancer
Sorceress

Spells?

Each character has 5 classes of spells. They are all triggered by “training units”, so not only can they be used whenever the player chooses; a fast player can have his buildings hotkeyed and never have to look away from his character. None of this “Move the civilian to the beacon over here” rubbish. All skills are taken directly from the real game and there is little change from their original form (this isn't entirely true).

Amazon:
Magic Arrow
Multiple Shot
Exploading Arrow
Guided Arrow
Valkyrie

Barbarian:
Bash
Taunt
Battle Cry
Frenzy
Whirlwind

Paladin:
Prayer
Thorns
Meditation
Blessed Hammer
Fist of Heavens

Necromancer:
Raise Skeleton
Clay Golem
Skeletal Mage
Iron Golem
Fire Golem

Sorceress:
Firebolt
Frost Nova
Fireblast
Meteor
Frozen Orb


[attach=2931]
Paladin using "Prayer" aurora while in battle

Quests?

If you’ve played the real Diablo II, you will know exactly what to do. However, for those of you who have not, quests are gotten by talking to members from town. Their NPC dialogue sounds extracted from the real game will explain to you what to do.

Attributes?

As you level it is up to you to decide the path which you want to take your character. Place attributes into any one of four categories:

Strength – Increase your characters upgrading and physical stats.
Dexterity – Increases your characters chance to block.
Vitality – Increases your characters maximum health.
Energy – Increases your characters maximum mana and mana regeneration.


Map Stats:

Size: 7.56 MB
Triggers: 1976
Locations: 254
Wavs: 102
Strings: 873


Time to create project: 7 Months
Time to complete game: 1-2 hours depending on the number of players. Suggested number of players is 3.

Sounds include NPC dialogues, death and skills, hero speeches, waypoints, potions, fighting, town portals, and many more.


[attach=2930]
Barbarian standing next to a teleportal after opening a chest.

[attach=2932]
Simple Waypoint System

Sorry these screen shots are not very great I took them all pretty quick right before posting.

My next project will be Act III. I have many ideas that I could not use in this map and have alot of things I would like to do differently. I am not as skilled with terrain however, so if anybody who is reading this has played Diablo II and loves to make terrain, send me a PM if you would like to help with the terrain layout. Thanks

Attachments:

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Feb 20 2009, 12:01 am by bigoldal.

looks like an awsome map that is well done, can't wait for it to come out!

I had tested the beta version posted some weeks ago and was pretty good, though there wasn't many spells... only around 5 spells that you couldn't choose between: they gets replaced depending on your level... is it still the same thing? (I do not want to replay it until the final version gets out)
Also, how did you make your text last as long as the dialogues without re-sending the text?

No, you could use all 5 spells through the stargate+reaver.

This sounds like a really old version, even though I posted it recently. Most likely the attribute system was even missing.
Skills can be used whenever by use of stargate and dropship.
Scout = Level 1
Carrier = Level 2
Arbiter = Level 3
Corsair = Level 4
Dropship = Current level/Level 5

Sorry there are so few act iii will have more I promise. I had to take out alot (not skills but other things) due to lag, but I have learned alot from the experience and understand better techniques to reduce lag for future maps.

Text lasts long by use of transmission.

I'll post final version here when it's ready. I also look foreward to your act 1 map .

Rofl, if ever I fail at making a good vHP system in my testmap, I'll have to abandon it because of the lack of realism (to me...) :S
But still, if ever I can help you out with your Acts, I'll be very happy to trigger things for you (like a more complex spell system and such...).

payne, you got some competition. This looks like a challenge to me. You gonna take that?

Anyway, cool map, although you really need to add a lot more spells. What's lagging your map? Maybe you are creating too many units or something like that.

i'd like too but i'm really low on units and locations as of right now so i don't think it's realistic to add anything that would be very neat.

Learn to save locations and make a spawn system: they'll always be if a great help ;P

looks good and all, but could you add more descriptions to the spells, such as what they do and stuff
(just for those of use who arn't familar with the diablo stuff)

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Feb 26 2009, 1:57 am by m.0.n.3.y.

You should have larvae as those little bugs that you can walk over and squish.

Oh yeah, that was so fun in the act 3 to squish spiders in the nests