PURE PANDEMONIUM

Want to read about what BlizzCon 2008 was all about? Head over to Planet Diablo for exclusive video, photos, articles, and more!

GameSpy has written a pretty amusing article that tries to predict which classes will be announced (or which they’d like to see) in Diablo III. We know of the Barbarian and the Witch Doctor so far, and it’s likely at least one more will be announced at this years BlizzCon event in Anaheim California.

The article suggests the addition of an Angelic class, due to Angels, such as Tyrael, Izual, and others having such a large impact in the Diablo story.

Instead, we’re going to take a shot in the dark and propose that in Diablo III, the conflict has been escalated to such a degree as to necessitate interference from a higher power. Angelic characters would be a great fit, as the angelic host has been a big part of Diablo since the beginning. From the fallen angel Izual to the renegade angel Inarius, and even the sword-swinging archangel Tyrael, there’s plenty of room for introducing an angelic player character class. Heavenly powers based on light and swordplay would be unique, while still fitting into the world.

Blizzard has released the official BlizzCon 2008 schedule and a very cool interactive map for attendees to this years event.

Blizzard has released a very important activities list and a survivial guide on the official BlizzCon page for anyone planning to attend this years event.

GET YOUR BADGE EARLY
There will be lines at the badge pick-up stations when the show first opens. Beat the rush by coming by on Thursday between 4 and 10 p.m. or on Friday starting at 7 a.m.

MAKE A (ROUGH) SCHEDULE One of the easiest and biggest pitfalls that even experienced conference-goers can make is poor time management. On one end of the spectrum is cramming everything humanly possible into a rigidly regimented schedule, and on the other end is doing one activity for too long and missing out on something else. A happy medium, where you have a defined but flexible schedule, is best. Having a list of priorities for each day can work well. Keep in mind that there are differences between Friday’s and Saturday’s offerings, such as the different slate of developer panels for each day.

DARKMOON FAIRE CARNIVAL
Swing by Upper Deck’s Darkmoon Faire Carnival, where you’ll find lots of great carnival games and contests. In the words of Silas Darkmoon, the Faire’s gnomish proprietor: “It’s your lucky day! Sparing no expense, we’ve gathered wonders and treats from around the world for your delight!” Stay and take a demo of the World of Warcraft TCG or the brand new World of Warcraft Minitures booth. For more information check out

FROSTMOURNE
Stop by the Epic Weapons booth to order a replica of Arthas’ legendary sword, Frostmourne. But be warned: “Whosoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit.” Power eternal sold separately.

The official Diablo III web site has been updated with new media. This time they revealed the new monster, the “Scavenger”, which ties in with the continued story from Abd al-Hazir and what was hiding in the cage. Along with the update are some new screens and artwork.

As I began to fall, Burroughs grabbed me by the scruff of my collar and shook me violently. “You really want to feed some thresher, don’t you, al-Hazir?” he asked. “What, haven’t you seen scavengers before?”

Scavenger

Scavengers attack a Barbarian

Scavenger Concept Art

Community Manger Bashiok commented on the official Battle.Net forums saying a Diablo III site update will be taking place on Thursday. 

…We’ll have another website update this Thursday too, and we might find out what was in the cage.

The cage Bashiok is referring to derives from the 4th entry of Abd al-Hazir’s writings.

Their sound riles a thresher up something fierce. Better get them into the sand before we have company up here.” With that, he tore the cover off the cage. The shock of seeing what was contained within overwhelmed me immediately. Everything seemed to wash together in a kind of bland, sickening grayness, and my knees buckled.

Dune Thresher