Diablo III features around 15,000 lines of spoken dialogue

BlizzCon 2011's Sound Panel session offered a revealing look at the work that goes into aurally caressing your ear lobes

At BlizzCon 2011, Blizzard revealed that Diablo 3 will feature between 13,000 - 16,000 lines of dialogue, with each of the character classes weighing in at 1,200 lines each and a number of speaking roles for NPCs. By comparison, both StarCraft 2 and World of Warcraft featured around 3,000 lines of spoken dialogue.

Blizzard also talked of the more subtle use of acoustics through music and sound effects, for which the Diablo series has long been known and praised. To ensure that combat sounds remain fresh throughout all of that clicking you'll be doing, Diablo 3's character skills have been broken down into three component parts: a casting phase, an in-action loop and a final impact. Randomised effects will be applied to each of these phases to help increase the variety of sounds heard throughout the game.

The panel suggested that the first act of Diablo 3 will feature a homage to the orchestral melodies of Matt Uelmen, composer on Diablo 1 and 2, who left Blizzard in 2007.

Diablo III launches for PC and Mac next year, further coverage of this year's BlizzCon event can be found elsewhere on the site.

Thanks, GameFront.