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DiabloDay - Polish BN-Retail Chronicle

Diablo: Alpha3

The Alpha3 is a technically advanced version, featuring the same HUD that's used in the Alpha2 and the pre-release Demo. This version is estimated to be dated around July 1996 or earlier.
The character classes were still represented by the warrior graphics (see shot2 for proof).

Detailed Screenshot analysis!
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Nothing special here. We see the implemented lighting feature, again a completely different dungeon layout, which cannot be generated by the retail version of Diablo.
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This shot has been made with the same version as the other Alpha3 Shots, which always show the warrior-graphics. But take a closer look at the character screen on the right: "ARCHER"! This proves that the character classes have been implemented very early, just not with a different set of graphics.
The item graphics are the same as in the pre-release demo, which indicates that the new and heavily improved item graphics have been implemented quite late. Notice that this version doesn't have a slot for the amulet yet. Maybe this explains why there is such a lack of amulets, especially unique ones, in the retail version of Diablo. Another interesting fact is the lack of information about "% to-hit" and resistances.
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Three things are worth noticing: First the obligatory dungeon layout which cannot be generated by later versions. Then there's the blue sarcophagus, which is only used in Leorics single-player-tomb in the retail version...if I'm not mistaken. And finally if you look carefully you'll see a piece of wall in the upper left corner that isn't used in random dungeons anymore, just (again) in Leorics single-player level.
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The Butcher Quest was already present in this early version (with the "please help, I barely..yadda yadda..." speech and not the "please listen to me. i barely blah blah..." speech). Take a look at the Quest-section for more details.
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The Wall/Decoration Combination already seen in a very early version, is still present in this version, which proves that this version is dated before the pre-release version, which doesn't use these graphics anymore (as if the screenshot of the character screen didn't prove enough *g*)
The wall graphic is used in the pre-release demo (altered version), the beta and the retail version in leorics sp-tomb, but not the decoration.
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A "new" Alpha3 shot sent in by onyx! Thanks a lot!
We're seeing that the totally pointless zoom-in feature has been in the game quite early. Maybe this was to boost performance on older systems with a weak CPU. The warrior is standing near Pepin's house and we clearly see that the item graphics are the same as in the pr-demo. And isn't that great? Staves originally just used 1x3 spaces instead of the 2x3 spaces (I still don't understand why they take up so much room in the retail).