Torchlight II (not the MMO)

[Kitsune]

In this instance I actually approve of the delay.  Several of the skills were lackluster feeling; taking the time to spice them up is a good investment, I feel.

[Paelos]

How are they dealing with the loot issues of the original?

[Fabricated]

In the weekend beta test I noticed that they moved away from the loot having like 200 shitty properties like +2/5 of every resistance and +0.2 cast speed and so on. The loot can still have resistances of course but base stats are WAY more common than they were in TL1 and in general the affixes seem to be distributed in more interesting ways.

Enchanting can still be done but it has a cap based on the enchanter you use to do it. In the first chapter I rescued an enchanter who came back to town permanently but he could only do a single enchant to an item (and each item counts how much its been enchanted; failures count btw). I found enchanter NPCs in random dungeons and in the wild that could do 3-5 but they were pretty infrequent and the cost goes up exponentially. Also, some enchanters you find can only do specific things, like enchanting for fire damage/resist.

Sockets are plentiful, and you find ember pieces by the boatload. They can't be combined anymore however. I think they're trying to break the "HORDE ALL GEMS FOREVER" thing and make them far more disposable. You can still destroy gems in items or destroy items for gems if you wish. I had to break myself out of Diablo-aspergers mode with gems, but once I started treating them as disposable conveniences and started just throwing gems into everything at a whim it was pretty nice. Also bosses/mini-bosses commonly drop unique and powerful gems.

I dunno if I'm interpreting it right, but it appeared there were "common" sets and more powerful "named" sets. Like, I'd find these 2-3 piece sets of items with semi-random set bonuses all over the place as both drops and from vendors pretty regularly, but I also found named sets that were bigger and had what looked like more hand-set bonuses like "twinfire rods" which were a set of wands meant to be duel-wielded.

Edit: To clarify, I think there's "sets" that are like random suffixes, and hand-tuned sets. The random sets use the "generic" armor graphics, and the hand-tuned stuff seems to have unique models.

Unique items dropped fairly rarely but more like D2 rare than D3's hilariously shitty legendary rarity. They are also far more useful and often have class-specific bonuses.

[Xanthippe]

New News, with some very welcome changes.

Post Beta Changes and Updates

June 21st, 2012

At E3 we talked a little bit about some of the fixes we've been implementing following the beta. This week, we go more in depth on bugs we learned about and the changes we've made. Here's a breakdown of our work behind the scenes.

    Re-worked the character skill pane arrangements to allow finer distribution of skills without being arranged in the classic 'tree' style. Passive skills are separated and unlock for investment much earlier.
    Skills now get additional bonuses at ranks 5, 10 and 15 to reward increased investments.
    Lots of individual skill tweaks and balances.
    Torchlight I (Diablo 2 style) function-key skill binds are implemented
    Skills can now be 'queued' and will execute when the previous attack or skill completes
    Ping meter next to each party portrait so you can identify players with latency issues
    Loads of bug fixes
    Respec is now available throughout the game, and will allow you to respec any of the last three points spent for gold.
    Fullscreen Windowed mode added
    Additional connectivity fixes
    Enchantment effects are now identifiable separate from standard effects in tooltips
    Sorting button for player inventories
    Merchant inventories are sorted by default
    Map opacity now adjustable
    Skill sets now swap with weaponsets
    Tentative functionality for 'sniffing' cheaters so that you can block them.
    Continued work on the finalizing the other acts
    Improved some lackluster unique items identified by beta testers.
    Increased the amount of health and mana 'stealing' weapons.
    Improved the rollover information on equipment to provide more and clearer information.

[Paelos]

This can't release fast enough.

[Setanta]

^^

After spinning my Barbarian on my D3 screen for 5 minutes, I fired up a new toon in Torchlight 1 and had a shit ton of fun. 3 hours later I was tired but wanted to keep going.

TL 2 needs to be out NOW :)

[Ironwood]

Some of that list is a direct slap in the face to D3.

Good Show.

[Mrbloodworth]

[NiX]

I don't care! I JUST WANT THE DAMN GAME!

[Ingmar]

Torchlight 1 had 83 monster models? I'm not sure I buy that.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Torchlight 1 had 83 monster models? I'm not sure I buy that.

Probably includes npc's

[Hawkbit]

I don't care! I JUST WANT THE DAMN GAME!

+1

[Typhon]

Torchlight 1 had 83 monster models? I'm not sure I buy that.

This would be a dumb thing for them to get wrong/inflate, a lower number here would make the ad better.  I like the ad, it made me smile and want to find the "shut up and take my money!" pic.

[Amaron]

Comes out Sept. 20th.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/08/31/torchlight-2-release-date-announced-its-out-in-three-weeks/

Talk about horrible timing.  I'm going to be stuck playing Borderlands with friends at that point.

[Hawkbit]

Rejoice!

I likely can't play Borderlands 2 until I upgrade my PC, so I'll have to pass on it for the time being. 

[Signe]

Oh good, although bad timing with Borderlands 2, too.  Also.  I'll have to give up sleeping and housework. 

Oh.  No.  Not the housework.   

Actually, it might be okay.  I'll know soon if I need to get my knee sliced open by strange foreign people and, if so, sleeping won't be an issue.  Who can sleep after traumatic surgery?  I plan to have it done using no pain meds at all... only herbal remedies.  Like heroin.

[Xanthippe]

Ouch. My knees hurt just thinking about that.

I never played Borderlands, so I'm clear for Torchlight II as long as I can tear myself away from Minecraft.

[tazelbain]

Was hoping this would come before GW2, but now it looks like a Christmas buy for me.

[Nebu]

It has more stuff, but will it be more fun?  I'll play it... but the original didn't really do much for me.  Expectations are low, but I'm certain to get my $20 worth. 

[Signe]

It so mindless that it takes my mind off my worries but still enough that I have to concentrate a bit.  Well, in very hard setting, anyway.  I can't get myself to do the last mode.  I get too fond of my pets to start over. 

[koro]

It has more stuff, but will it be more fun?  I'll play it... but the original didn't really do much for me.  Expectations are low, but I'm certain to get my $20 worth.

From the weekend beta I played of TL2, I thought it was a lot more fun than the first, and I say that as someone who really like TL1.

[Fabricated]

September 20th. So competing with Borderlands 2. Hope it does well.

[Malakili]

September 20th. So competing with Borderlands 2. Hope it does well.

The original came out the same month as Borderlands 1 and did fine, I expect the same with this.

[KallDrexx]

Isn't the new WoW expansion coming in around the same time?

[Trippy]

September 25th.

[Setanta]

Isn't the new WoW expansion coming in around the same time?

For the first time ever, I could not give a damn about a WoW expansion. I have a feeling I'll still be playing GW2 and Torchlight 2 etc rather than buying another Blizzard product.

I'm wondering if I'm alone in just not caring about the MMO giant any more.

[Hawkbit]

Nope, you're not the only one.  I was such a WoW fanboy and I'm not picking it up.  If I get desperate, maybe I'll snag it in Jan/Feb when I don't want to go outside anymore.  For the time being, GW2 and TL2 will be great.  I think it's mildly telling that both games are from ex-Blizz people. 

[Amaron]

I'm wondering if I'm alone in just not caring about the MMO giant any more.

Not alone at all.   SWTOR, TSW, and GW2 have all ruined me in various ways.  I have beefs with all 3 of them but collectively they've killed WoW for me.  I'm certainly not going to shed any tears over that fact either.

[Ratman_tf]

I'm wondering if I'm alone in just not caring about the MMO giant any more.

I haven't given a shit since Wrath. I bought Cata, played it for a few days, and then promptly took a few months off of playing WoW.

[Signe]

I haven't played WoW in a really Really REALLY long time but every time I install a new product on my computer, there's a free trial.  It just never goes away!

[Xanthippe]

Isn't the new WoW expansion coming in around the same time?

For the first time ever, I could not give a damn about a WoW expansion. I have a feeling I'll still be playing GW2 and Torchlight 2 etc rather than buying another Blizzard product.

I'm wondering if I'm alone in just not caring about the MMO giant any more.

Nope, you're not alone. I've bought every collector's edition of each expansion (2 of them actually), and D3 as well, but I'm done with WoW. Cataclysm, and then D3 convinced me that my love affair with Blizzard is over.

Minecraft and TorchlightII for me.

[Yegolev]

Sept 20, jeez.  I'll be joy-puking my face off, but probably will buy this now as a show of support.

[Merusk]

You can preload this now if you pre-purchased.

[Tannhauser]

Just re-subbed to WoW and UGH.  After GW2 I'm not sure if I'll get MoP.  It's just an old ass game now with some changes I disagree with. 

Really looking forward to TL2.  D3 got me excited for isometric action gaming again, but it was a disappointment.  I never finished the original TL, but really enjoyed it.

[ajax34i]

I never finished the original TL, but really enjoyed it.

Dad took his character to level 160 (end encounter was at level 50? I think, and you run out of skills to upgrade) and then managed to overload the computer (power supply & RAM fried).