Overview

The unmistakable texture of Matt Uelmen's iconic theme, the tents, the rain and the quiet crackle of a dying fire against an endless night. When I was a kid, playing the demo in the early 2000s, this place felt like home. The camp and its surrounding wilderness were all had access to then; it was only later that I was gifted the full game and reluctantly ventured beyond the Tamoe Mountains, leaving the Monastery and its Sisterhood behind. And in truth, I never left them behind. The childhood memories remain. My goal in revising the towns' level design was never to replace treasured memories. It was to make these memories more vivid, more alive. But not quite resurrected. In this dev blog post, we take a look at how the Rogue Encampment has been expanded — but not reimagined beyond recognition. And how hired Companions might not need to be resurrected as often. Considering a redesign of the Rogue Encampment, I wondered: what if I just allowed it to tell a little more of its story? With that thought in mind, I hesitated and went back to the drawing board. The Path of Least Resistance Some of the excellent folks at Blizzard North believed that polished mechanics are more important than telling a story. While I don't necessarily agree, I did approach the task of enhancing the Encampment's layout with a function-first mindset. As you do, when you're in the shoes of a narrative designer. I believe running errands in towns should be faster, so that you can save precious time to focus on the more riveting gameplay aspects of Diablo II, like combining a million chipped gems in the Horadric Cube Well, no more awkward bumping into tent poles or getting stuck between walls or wagons when running from one end of camp to the other just to do some shopping. Or maybe at least not as much. The camp's layout has been optimized to flow more naturally, with all essential NPCs brought closer together in a way that still feels believable. This isn’t just for players who like to speedrun or lack patience — it’s for everyone. You’ll probably find yourself going to Akara’s old spot a few times — I know I did — but soon it will click. And when it does, it’ll make even more sense than before. A Less Trodden Path Having paid homage to the gameplay-first traditions of Blizzard North, I wanted to dive deeper into the camp's story. And that story is not told by text, in this case. It's the level design doing the storytelling. Because I'm sure that even those of you who play the game mostly for the mechanics of it will wholeheartedly agree: atmosphere matters, too. And so, the central campfire remains just where you remember, anchoring the very heart of the encampment. Warriv greets you, his caravan wagons now more prominently visible, gathered closer to the fire where Warriv himself can be seen warming his hands. Gheed, true to his nature, moved his wagon closer too — it’s just good business. Akara with her priestly devices now keeps vigil near Charsi’s forge, with an eye on the young Barbarian girl. Hopefully not a sightless one. And Kashya? She still stands exactly where she always did, glaring at newcomers with her signature disdain. It's not like I could tell her what to do Mercenaries or Companions? Unlike the Companions that follow you around. Or mercs, as some like to call them. I don’t call them that. Companions is what the menu in-game calls them now, and you'll see why in a moment Whatever you call them, they have long been one of Diablo II’s most underappreciated systems — loyal, mute, and tragically doomed. In this update, they get another long-overdue upgrade. They were already made a bit stronger when allowed to equip more items. But now they will be less squishy for a different reason. No longer will bosses have the occult and unknowable power to inflict massive bonus damage upon your poor followers. With the right kind of gear, your Rogue friend may well be able to 1v1 Andariel. Or maybe even Baal. I’ve brought in Diablo II: Resurrected’s mercenary skill and stat progression. Shameless, I know All mercenaries now level regardless of the difficulty they were recruited in. And they get some new abilities. Though they're still not very smart and may not always know how to use them well. Upon hiring, mercenaries now instantly match your character's level, ensuring they’re never a burden. To top it off, recruiting and reviving them is now free. So, maybe they're not really mercenaries anymore? Ever wanted to swap from your Rogue to a Barbarian for a single fight? Found a nice item that could work on an Iron Wolf but not one of Greiz's men? Go ahead. Experiment. At no cost. Your gold might be better spent on Epic gear anyway. (Yes, I said “Epic.” The magenta-coloured items. We'll get there in the next blog post.) Going Back Home Back to the storytelling aspect of the Rogue Encampment. I channelled my childhood memories and thought about empty spaces that my imagination would just fill in back then. The Encampment I remembered so fondly was an active gathering of survivors preparing to make a last stand against the horrors of hell — not a bunch of pixels you run through between quests. You will notice subtle environment design changes that attempt to augment that feeling. To make the Encampment feel more like there's some life going on in it. There are more tents, including a hexagonal one which I designed to complement the square and rectangular shapes that were there before. Cut trees, tree stumps and piles of wood are visible all around the camp — a testament of the intensive logging operation that's been going on to establish the camp and fuel its fires. The details organically spread beyond the encampment's rickety walls, creating little spaces that bring the camp to life, like the smaller campfire in the forest. There are two archery targets forming a makeshift training ground, emphasizing that the few surviving Rogues are getting ready for a last stand and always hone their renowned skill with the bow. And yes, there's even… a shrubbery. For no quest is ever complete without one. Or maybe two. Nice-looking ones. And not too expensive. (Monty Python reference) Every small detail, and indeed every shrubbery, was placed with care — to feel like it was always meant to be there, simply waiting for you to notice. The next time you step into the Rogue Encampment, you might pause for a moment. The fire crackles. The rainfall stirs the trees. And somewhere, just beyond the thinned out treeline, you know danger lurks — but here, for now, you are safe. Welcome home, hero. @Mike Subscribe on Patreon to support Mike's work Coming Up Next: Friends, Vendors, Countrymen In the last blog post about Alpha T-6, we'll take look at NPCs, the wares and services they offer.

When I first stepped into Lut Gholein, I was in awe. It was unlike any other place I knew growing up in the countryside. I still blame the Jewel City for my strange choice of an oriental studies major the first time I studied at university, even though there were obviously other factors that contributed to that decision. But even as a kid, something about the city always left me wanting more. Its streets were broad — but empty. Its grandeur hinted at — but unseen. It may not surprise you if I tell you Lut Gholein was always my favourite city in the game. Or that this is the most extensive level design overhaul I've done for the project so far. Of course, this is but the first iteration of it, and many Lut Gholein assets still remain to be finished and perfected. When planning my enhancements, I thought: what if the Jewel City actually felt like an ancient, priceless jewel? Not just in name, but in its every structure, every defensive measure, every wary glance of the townspeople. A jewel that has seen better days, some of its many facets still perfectly polished — with others scratched or chipped. Those kind of thoughts are the best fuel for my inner archaeologist. A Lesson In History? I wanted Lut Gholein to feel authentic, in the way great cities always do. To root it even deeper in real-world inspiration, but preserve the dark, fantastical storytelling of Sanctuary. It was a perfect opportunity to make use of my oriental studies background and (very limited) knowledge of architecture. I could lecture you about Moorish and Almohad architecture, how the striped arches of Jerhyn's palace are similar to those of Córdoba's Great Mosque. Or how the adobe walls are reminiscent of Sudano-Sahelian style, and unrelated to the well-known greedy software company. But you're not here for a lecture. We're on an adventure together. I'm an adventurer, just like Indiana Jones! Part-time So, keeping my architectural inspirations in mind, I started planning a redesign of Lut Gholein. And then, I found something. Unearthing Lost Pieces Of The Past While digging through the game's internal files, as I often do, I stumbled upon something: Unused assets — an unfinished set of striped white-and-red walls clearly meant for Lord Jerhyn's palace. I just couldn't pass up reintroducing these beautiful walls. It confirmed a suspicion I'd always had: The palace was originally a grander structure, an idea perhaps scrapped due to the small display resolutions of the time, already stretched to the limit by the main palace building itself. A palace with its own fortified perimeter, a smaller walled compound inside the larger city — just like some of the historic castles/kasbahs across North Africa, Iberia and the Middle East. I loved the idea. My further excavations uncovered an ancient render tucked away deep in the archives of Game Developer Magazine — a forgotten glimpse of Lut Gholein’s original streets, from before the palace walls were cut. The render shows the palace in an elevated position, towering above the market. I also found a layout concept which features palace walls, although without a visible gate. These findings, combined with the unused assets, became my guide. In the render, the palace walls appear larger than the unused assets actually are. I completed the palace walls and recreated the missing gate asset based on Blizzard North’s design language, and nestled the palace on a cliff. For the first time, Jerhyn's palace now stands as it was meant to: A castle within a castle, an ancient Vizjerei seat of power. Though I'd like to plant a nicer garden in there, too — perhaps I will at some point in the future. The work is by no means complete. No Stone Unturned It is said Lut Gholein was built upon the ruins of a mighty fortress city of the Vizjerei mage clan — but the town walls in-game were adobe, contrasting with the palace's architecture. That didn’t sit right. Then I looked at the stone city gates. They stood out — the last surviving remnants of the ancient days, perhaps? My inner archaeologist thought that the city may have been surrounded by thicker defensive stone walls in the past, but they were partially destroyed. The populace, then, filled the breaches with their more recent adobe walls. So I decided to rebuild the city’s outer defenses with stone, giving weight to its reputation as a fortress. Thick bastions protect some of the corners. Slim, towering keeps dot the walls and guard the harbour, their domes shimmering in the heat. Archers’ slits allow defenders to rain arrows upon enemies. Outer adobe walls are still in use, wherever the old stone walls no longer stand. They are also used in other places within the city. I used the city garrison as the base from which I crafted my stone creations, to ensure that the new structures blend well into the environment. Lut Gholein is now a proud bulwark against the desert — and whatever nightmares stir beneath it. One that has once fallen, and may fall yet again. The Men Of Griez Lut Gholein's story, as told by its inhabitants, always hinted at a city under martial law: Greiz’s mercenaries are said to have the town on lockdown, hired to keep the peace while Jerhyn’s own troops battle horrors underground. But in the original game, the city streets were eerily empty, with no sign of military presence. I wanted to fix that. Hidden deep in the old files, I found another useful relic: walk animations of the desert mercenaries different from the default combat stance. I brought them back. And now you’ll find Greiz’s men patrolling the streets — a quiet, constant reminder that Lut Gholein is only one step away from siege and collapse. Their presence gives the city a tension it always deserved. About The Merchants As the walls and streets changed, so too did the people: The sage Drognan now plies his trade in the market square, where his collection of ancient texts and artifacts attracted the interest of Cain. Fara still casually tosses her smith hammer into the air every now and then — whenever she is not busy in her new forge. Greiz commands his sentries from the heart of the city. The Desert Rain and its innkeeper Elzix, may not be situated where you remember. The inn is closer to the tavern. Meshif's ship is docked slightly closer to the market. Jerhyn now always chills in his palace garden, perhaps admiring a cactus or feeding a stray cat. You'll have no trouble reaching him anymore. The guards (and sneaky invisible walls) will no longer stop you from entering the palace, should you want to walk in uninvited. Like they could stop a hero of your calibre! What about the homes of the townsfolk? There are two neighbourhoods with distinct architecture. The poorer lower city is to the south of the palace, the only tall building there being a caravansary, where travellers and their camels stop to rest. The small mudbrick houses expand into the docks. The upper city, separated from the lower city by the palace and the market, consists of tall, densely layered buildings that will serve as additional lines of defence, should the outer walls be breached by attackers. Don't panic though. You won't have to run around all these neighbourhoods just to get back to the market when your character dies. You'll wake up next to Fara's forge. All of this isn't just about prettier visuals or more convenient navigation. It's about restoring a feeling that was always meant to be there — one lost to time, hardware limitations, or rushed schedules. Or at least my vision of what it could have been. Lut Gholein awaits: a living, dying city — one step from ruin, one step from hope. An ancient jewel of many facets, now slightly more polished than before. The caravan is prepared. @Mike Subscribe on Patreon to support Mike's work Coming Up Next: Rogue Encampment Resettled Join me in the next blog post, we'll take a nostalgic look at the Rogue Encampment, the very place where our Diablo II adventures started.

They say great ideas come in the shower. Well, David Brevik says so, at least. Sometimes, they also come from playing Path of Exile and wishing Diablo II had just this one tiny QoL tweak. Thanks to a Discord suggestion (and a bit of quick code magic from a valiant member of the modding community), now it does: hold or toggle Alt to show items, PoE-style. This is the first in a series of short dev blog posts about the upcoming update to Diablo 2 Enhanced — sometimes known as Diablo 2 Enhanced Edition, mostly to those who are here since the beginning. Thanks for your continued interest and support! In this Alpha T-6 update, the work continues: make the game feel the way you remember it feeling. Or maybe even very slightly better. I'm not trying to resurrect Diablo here. Diablo is alive and well, always been. A major part of what I personally do for the project is user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) work. Some of my changes are very noticeable, at least until you get used to them. Others will just make your time smoother, faster, and a little more magical — without you even realizing why Much to the dismay of hardcore Diablo II purists, my UI changes are radical and often even gameplay-altering — but I see them as obvious, natural evolution of the original Diablo II designs. As you may already know, unlike Diablo II Resurrected which kept the same dated 2000s UI layouts while establishing a completely new art style, I focus on extending and enhancing the original Blizzard North vision. The character statistics panel serves as an extreme example. Diablo II's old layout showed barely any stats, solely due to the technological constraints of the 640x480 era. My redesign aims to rectify that and display all stats that the players may want to know. Many of us D2 players sure do love knowing detailed stats when playing the game. 200000 stats are ready, with a million more well on the way. Diablo II UI is not just my canvas — it's also my paint and brushes The secret sauce is that I work directly with existing game assets, thus my absolutely mediocre skills in what some would call photo manipulation and matte painting techniques allow me to craft a nice interface. I hear that it feels almost like it was made by Blizzard North — just with a higher screen resolution than was available in 2000. The inner archaeologist in me likes to think of it like this: I collect the scattered pieces of pottery made by an ancient people, carefully piecing them together, and letting them shine again as if in a museum — rather than just making a new clay pot like the Resurrected team masterfully did The occult scribbles on the Quest Log (currently purely cosmetic) world map come from the Diablo II manual. As you traverse the world of Sanctuary, you will notice menus, panels, inventories, and other interface elements have changed — but they still look and feel like Diablo II. And at some point, you might stop noticing. That is when UI serves its ultimate purpose: not getting in the way of your flow. Quality of Life in Alpha T-6 There are the quality-of-life improvements you already know and love, like the larger inventory space (so you can actually pick up some loot and play without rage-quitting or going to town every 5 seconds), faster item transfers from inventory into the (much larger) stash, automatic loot sorting, or auto-loot pickup from the ground for those precious piles of gold and rares. But there's more coming up. Same club. Different party. So, here's the fresh upgrades coming up: Hold or Toggle for "Show Items" (PoE-style Alt Key): This highly requested feature was suggested by member joesmash_ on Discord. In the finest tradition of heroic modding effort, I then embarked on a long and perilous journey... which ended in about 5 minutes when I found a code plugin from rnd2k who is the real hero of this story A quick integration later, and I genuinely can't imagine playing without it. Buff/Debuff Icons Now Visible: You may not know it, but the infrastructure for buff and debuff icons — programmed by the amazing Mnw1995 — has been quietly humming under the hood of the mod for a long time. What’s new is that I finally sat down and completed the last missing visual assets to fully cover the applicable character states. Took me a while. The mystery of the Thawing Potion revealed. Shrines will also be less cryptic about what the hell they actually do. Enhanced Loot Filter Panel: The loot filter panel, a component of Revan’s awesome d2tweaks project, was not necessarily problematic. But some of you reported not quite understanding what it does. This should be clearer from now on with my new design. And if it isn’t, you can shout at me because it’s my fault now. Sorry, fans of magenta and cyan. The items are in another blog post. Skill Minor Changes (With Big Impact): Speaking of shouting: Barbarian Shouts can be cast safely before you head into battle, letting you prep properly instead of panicking outside the gates. Teleport, whether via Sorceress powers or the much-coveted Enigma runeword, is now usable inside towns to zoom around in style. Offensive pre-casts like Armageddon, Hurricane, and Thunder Storm can now be fired up before you delve into the wilderness. Finally, many skill descriptions were changed based on the work of the wise Cypress. Ever wanted to know the damage your Skeletal Mage can deal? Thank Cypress. Not Quite the Bugfix Galore You Anticipated (But Hey At Least I Tried) This patch also brings a (small) grab bag of assorted minor fixes for things that were broken: Scroll of Inifuss Panel Now Displays Correctly: Thanks to Ijiin, who kindly fixed the code while I focused on more exciting things (Not that anyone actually reads the scroll instead of just randomly clicking the Cairn Stones, right?) Necroskeleton and Necromage Sound Fix: Your skeleton army will no longer make weird squealing noises. Why they even did that in the first place is a mystery — but then again, you can’t really argue with the dead Inventory Sorting Button Placement Fixed: The “Sort” button was obscuring potion belt slots due to a layering issue. That’s been corrected by moving the button rightwards, so your belt management should now be as slick as your potion chugging. Cows No Longer Called "An Evil Force": But they’re still evil... Necromancer Skill Prerequisite Arrows Fixed: Somehow I forgot that you need to know how to make a golem before you invest in golem mastery. Or that reviving dead monsters requires insight into metallurgy. The Waypoint Panel Close Button: Wait, no. This one is still in the wrong place. Uh, sorry Into the Jungle (Less Inconveniently) There’s something about the Kurast Docks that always felt wrong — but sometimes in the right way. From a narrative design standpoint. Maybe it was Mephisto’s encroaching evil jungle. Or Meshif right out telling you everything is wrong now in the homeland he remembers differently. Or the fact that you were always getting stuck on the damned narrow piers when walking from the spawn point to the waypoint. Except that this last part sucks. I decided to change the town layout. Build upon the story the level design tries to tell. But get rid of the PTSD-inducing navigation hurdles. The Kurast Docks are still staring into the abyss of ruin. A place that’s trying — desperately — to hold itself together. But Asheara’s outpost is no longer a long lonely walk into the rain. Her barracks are tucked closer to the central shrine now. Meshif’s ship is moored right nearby, tying the player’s arrival, shopping, and the town’s spiritual heart into one coherent cluster, reducing the logistic slog. Additional houses make the docks feel more like a living quarter for the surviving populace. Around the market area, I added new homes and warehouses to make the space more believable. But you won’t find Hratli or Alkor selling goods in the square, obviously. Alkor’s house, separated from the market by a wall, is now just beside the town exit — as if he’s keeping one eye on the encroaching evil jungle. The forge is close to the ship, so it now makes even more sense why witty Hratli is the one welcoming you to Kurast. And while the map might not be much smaller than before, everything feels tighter now. Closer. As if the town itself is bracing for what’s to come. The layout paints a picture: that this port, besieged by corruption and madness, didn’t roll over just yet. Its people banded together. Kurast Docks have always felt like the calm before the storm. Well, unless it rains, then it’s technically already a storm. That hasn’t changed. The difference now is that the fragile illusion of calm feels slightly more real. But we know better. We know the Dark Wanderer passed this way but a moment ago. We know the magics that shield the Docks are fraying. You’ll still feel that dread, that evil awaiting you beyond the gate. But at least now, you won’t have to walk so far to get to it. It's Never The End The Alpha T-6 release — and this entire project — follows Blizzard North's philosophy of iterative development, or "tinker until it feels right." Because Diablo II was never about spotless perfection. Well, unless we’re discussing David Brevik’s showering habits @Mike Subscribe on Patreon to support Mike's work Coming Up Next: The Jewel City Anew Join me in the next blog post, we'll travel to Lut Gholein, where you'll see more richly layered architecture, dating back to its origins as a fortress of the Vizjerei mage clan — a place dubbed "The Jewel City" for good reason.