Diablo III ‘not quite there yet,’ says Blizzard

Blizzard has announced major changed to Diablo III’s mechanics as a result of feedback from the beta test, and the developer has rebuffed the notion that it is taking too long to make the third entry in the popular dungeon-crawler franchise.

“While working on Diablo III we’ve been called out for messing around with systems too much,” said Diablo III game director Jay Wilson in a blog post, “that the game is good as-is and we should just release it. I think that’s a fair argument to make, but I also think it’s incorrect. Our job isn’t just to put out a game, it’s to release the next Diablo game. “

“No one will remember if the game is late, only if it’s great. We trust in our ability to put out a great game, but we’re not quite there yet.”

Wilson also went on to detail many upcoming changes to the game’s systems. “There’s a lot of work left to be done,” he added “We’re constantly tuning and making balance changes; it’s a massive task.”

Here’s a brief summary of the changes:

• Scrolls of identification are no longer in the game
• The fifth quick slot button is becoming a dedicated potion button
• The Mystic artisan is being removed
• The Cauldron of Jordan and Nephalem Cube are being removed
• The Stone of Recall has been renamed to Town Portal, and is integrated directly onto the skill bar UI
• The Blacksmith artisan will now salvage items
• Common (white) items cannot be salvaged
• Core character attributes are being changed to Strength, Dexterity, Intellect and Vitality
• Character stats are displayed directly on the inventory UI

Diablo III still has no firm release date, but many expect to see it arrive on PC in 2012.