Diablo game out in 97, but BG1 development began in 95 and it released in 98, so I can�t imagine that game had much impact on BG�s style.
But yeah, point stands that BG has never been the hardcore RPG it is often remembered as.
Yeah, good point. The Warcraft /RTS influence is clear though, Warcraft 2 was played a lot at the Bio offices. The game ended up still being compared to Diablo either way though (as it looked sorta like it, superficially) even by major PC magazines. Which created an overlap audience. Some may have sticked to it and enjoyed it. Some not.
Sort of like Larian going all-out cinematic, Mass Effect style. Thing is, the actual game naturally plays nothing much like Mass Effect at all. "This is boring TB combat, I'm back to Mass Effect where I can blow the shit up Gears-Of-War-style, not recommended."
As an anecdote from that era: Interplay management actually approached Tim Cain mid-way through development with the demand to make Fallout more like Diablo. Ugh. (28:20 minutes mark onwards)
