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Diablo

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Diablo
Diablo cover
Developers
Blizzard North
Hellfire expansion Synergistic Software
Publishers
Blizzard Entertainment
Hellfire expansion Sierra On-Line
Release dates
Windows January 2, 1997
Mac OS (Classic) May 8, 1998
Reception
Metacritic 94
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Bird's-eye view, Isometric
Controls Point and select
Genres ARPG
Themes Fantasy
Series Diablo
Diablo on HowLongToBeat
Diablo on IGDB
Diablo guide on StrategyWiki
Diablo on MobyGames
Diablo on Wikipedia
Diablo
Diablo 1997
Diablo II 2000
Diablo III 2012
Diablo II: Resurrected 2021
Diablo Immortal 2022
Diablo IV 2023

Diablo is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view and isometric ARPG game in the Diablo series.

General information

Official Diablo Support
Official Diablo Series Forum
Unofficial Diablo Wiki
GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
Simple disc check, no physical copy protection.
Windows
Mac OS
Battle.net
Icon overlay.png
Includes Hellfire expansion.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Includes Hellfire expansion. Pre-patched with DirectDraw 3 to DirectX 9 wrapper
Windows
Later versions of the Diablo Battle Chest starting in 2007 no longer include the original Diablo.
A demo is available.

Version differences

The GOG.com version includes the base game and the non-canonical Hellfire expansion. It features two builds: the first one is the classic version without DRM and with access to the Battle.net server, and the other one is the enhanced version with GOG's custom DirectX wrapper with additional features, but without Battle.net access. It also comes bundled with IPXWrapper, which both versions can use.

Monetization

Type Notes
Expansion pack The expansion pack includes a new class, new dungeons, spells and items.
One-time game purchase The game requires an upfront purchase to access.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Hellfire 1997 third-party expansion which was authorized (but not supported) by Blizzard. Cannot be played on Battle.net. Included for free with the GOG version.
Windows

Essential improvements

Patches

The GOG version is already patched.
Battle.net's support section has the latest patches; spawn versions of the game require separate patches from the full versions. Battle.net will not connect without the latest patch.
Operating System Download Link
Windows Blizzard FTP Server (Patch Version 1.09b) Blizzard FTP Server (Patch Version 1.09)
Mac Blizzard FTP Server

Source-ports

Name Description
DevilutionX Port of Diablo to various platforms using reverse-engineered source code. DevilutionX's main focus is to make the game work on multiple platforms. An additional goal is to make the engine mod-friendly. The engine also supports Hellfire expansion, higher resolutions, widescreen aspect-ratio, and unlocked fps.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux

Peixoto's patch

Peixoto's patch allows nearest neighbor or xBRz scaling and keyboard macros to reduce the tiresome left clicking

Skip intro videos

Use DevilutionX[1]
  1. Install DevilutionX.
  2. Run devilutionx.exe with the -n command line argument.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Blizzard Entertainment\Diablo\
Mac OS (Classic)
Windows: Multiplayer chat hotkey macros are stored in <path-to-game>\diablo.ini.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\*.sv[Note 1]
<path-to-game>\dx\*.sv[Note 1]
<path-to-game>\hellfire\*.hsv[Note 1]
Mac OS (Classic)
Saves with the single_ prefix are for single-player, and saves with multi_ are for multiplayer.
Saves in the dx\ subdirectory are for the enhanced version, and saves without it are for the classic version.

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy

Video

Diablo GOG.com launcher.
Diablo GOG.com launcher.
Diablo GOG.com DirectX configuration.
Diablo GOG.com DirectX configuration.
Selecting 320x240 in vidsize.exe (Windows) renders videos quarter size centered.
Selecting 320x240 in vidsize.exe (Windows) renders videos quarter size centered.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
The GOG.com enhanced version has stretched full-screen, pillarboxed full-screen, and pixel-based scaling as options.
Use DevilutionX or Belzebub.
Multi-monitor
Use DevilutionX or Belzebub.
Ultra-widescreen
Use DevilutionX or Belzebub.
4K Ultra HD
Use DevilutionX or Belzebub.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
The GOG.com enhanced version supports windowed mode. See also DevilutionX or Belzebub.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
The GOG.com enhanced version supports borderless fullscreen.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
The GOG.com enhanced version supports up to 16x anisotropic filtering.[citation needed] See also DevilutionX.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
The GOG.com enhanced version supports up to 8x MSAA.[citation needed]
Vertical sync (Vsync)
The GOG.com enhanced version supports Vsync. See also DevilutionX.
60 FPS
20FPS gameplay and 15FPS videos.[2] Use DevilutionX for an unlocked frame-rate or Belzebub for 60FPS support.
120+ FPS
Use DevilutionX for an unlocked frame-rate.

Input

Audio

In-game options.
In-game options.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Initial dungeon area monologues (every 5 levels) have no subtitles.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Bulgarian
See DevilutionX
Simplified Chinese
See DevilutionX
Traditional Chinese
See DevilutionX (incomplete)
Czech
See DevilutionX
French
DevilutionX can use the PlayStation 1 audio and has a fan translation
German
DevilutionX can use the PlayStation 1 audio and has a fan translation
Greek
See DevilutionX
Hungarian
See DevilutionX
Italian
See DevilutionX
Japanese
DevilutionX can use the PlayStation 1 audio and has a fan translation
Korean
See DevilutionX
Polish
Fan translation, download, or DevilutionX.
Brazilian Portuguese
See DevilutionX
Romanian
See DevilutionX
Russian
1) Unofficial translation by «Fargus Multimedia»
2) Unofficial voice-over by Студия «Stream», or DevilutionX
Spanish
See Diablo and Diablo: Hellfire, or DevilutionX
Swedish
DevilutionX can use the PlayStation 1 audio and has a fan translation
Ukrainian
See DevilutionX

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
4 Co-op
Uses obsolete IPX protocol; use IPXWrapper.
Online play
4 Co-op
Only up to 2 players are supported via modem.

Connection types

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 6112-6119
UDP 6112-6119
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

IPXWrapper

Already included in the GOG version.
This tool provides a workaround the obsolete IPX protocol used in multiplayer. Extract it to <path-to-game>.[3][4]

Issues unresolved

Music doesn't play on the character and multiplayer selection screens

The official patches introduced a behavior where music no longer plays on the character or multiplayer selection screens.
Reinstall version 1.0 and don't update the game[citation needed]
Use the GOG version[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Notes

Later physical disks come pre-patched with later versions which have this issue.

Game crashes when switching to another process

The game crashes when switching to another process on modern Windows, typically done using Alt+Tab or through the lock screen using Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
Use the GOG version

Make sure any graphical enhancements are set to "default" in the launcher

Use DxWnd[citation needed]
Use Belzebub[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Game locks up when returning to the main screen from multiplayer

The game can lock up with a black screen when returning to the main menu from the multiplayer menu on modern Windows.
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Incorrect ancillary text display when entering a character name

When entering a character name on modern Windows other text around the text entry area that should be cleared remains and appears partially cut off.
Use Belzebub[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Diablo.exe process doesn't end after quitting game

When quitting the game the Diablo.exe process can remain indefinitely on modern Windows.
Use Belzebub[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Title screen effects partially disappear

Title screen effects such as the fire sometimes partially disappear on modern Windows.
Use Belzebub[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Issues fixed

Rainbow or washed out colors on Windows

Colors can appear washed out, appear as a rainbow, or simply white due to a DirectDraw compatibility issue in Windows XP, Vista, and 7, including running in compatibility mode for these versions.
Use Elisha's Windows 10 Patch[citation needed]
  1. Download the Diablo Windows 10 Patch and/or Diablo Hellfire Windows 10 Patch.
  2. Unzip the files to the installation folder.
Install Diablo 1 Windows 7/Vista Patch[citation needed]
Mark Diablo.exe for DirectDraw compatibility behavior in the registry[citation needed]
Additional ways of DirectDraw troubleshooting to do this, which both have an identical effect in practice:
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Periodic crashes

The game can crash periodically with modern Windows, especially due to modern GPU drivers.
Run Diablo.exe in Windows XP SP3 compatibility mode[citation needed]
Use the GOG version

Make sure any graphical enhancements are set to "default" in the launcher, otherwise crashes will be frequent.

Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Can't create character in multiplayer mode

After entering a character name in multiplayer you can get an error due to Windows compatibility issues.
Update the game to the latest version[citation needed]
Run Diablo.exe in Windows XP SP3 compatibility mode[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]

Can't connect to Battle.net

The game must be updated to the latest version and not have the Hellfire expansion installed.
Reinstall the game without Hellfire[citation needed]
Update the game to the latest version[citation needed]

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
DirectDraw 3 GOG.com enhanced version uses/requires D3D9.
ExecutablePPC16-bit 32-bit 64-bitARM Notes
Windows
64-bit requires DevilutionX.[5]
macOS (OS X)
Intel support requires DevilutionX.[5], also works via Rosetta.
Linux
Requires DevilutionX.[6]
Mac OS (Classic)
Information on running this game on Linux can be found on the GOG.com forums.

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Cutscenes Smacker Video
Multiplayer Battle.net Classic

Freeablo

A FOSS reimplementation of the Diablo engine currently in an alpha state; see the site for details.

Continuous attacking with left mouse button held down

Normally on left mouse button down it only attacks once even if held down. Later games in the Diablo series provide this capability.
Use Belzebub[citation needed]
Use DevilutionX[citation needed]
Use an AutoHotkey script[citation needed]
Here's a simple non-ideal example. Make a file with a .ahk extension and put the following in it, then run it followed by the game:
~+LButton::
Loop
{
    Sleep 100  
    GetKeyState, LButtonState, LButton, P
    if LButtonState = U  
        break
    MouseClick, Left
}
return

LButton::
Loop
{
    Sleep 100  
    GetKeyState, LButtonState, LButton, P
    if LButtonState = U  
        break
    MouseClick, Left
}
return

Notes

May not be permitted on the Battle.net server.[citation needed]

Mods

Belzebub

An unofficial single-player mod with a host of features including increased resolution and updated compatibility with modern Windows. Copy the contents to the Diablo folder and open Belzebub.exe to play.
Allows running at up to 60 FPS, in windowed mode, in resolutions scaled up to 1024p and various non-scaled, fixes crashing and DirectDraw compatibility issues, multi-monitor compatibility, and continuous attacking with the left mouse button held down.
Can't play the vanilla game without the added content, multi-player isn't currently available, and the viewing area is simply increased; sprites remain small at higher resolutions.

The Hell 2

Total overhaul HD mod for Diablo, with numerous improvements to the game engine, balance and gameplay. It's optimized for modern hardware, widescreen resolutions, and higher framerates. Rich in new content, features and fixes, it introduces new game modes, a magnitude of convenient gameplay and cosmetic options, deep and multifarious character customization, multiplayer support, hundreds of new multi-level passive skills, an infinity of new items with various properties.

The Awakening

Another unofficial mod that also requires the Hellfire expansion.

Cover Art Gallery

System requirements

Retail version

Windows
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 95, NT 4.0
Processor (CPU) 60 MHz Pentium or better
System memory (RAM) 8 MB
16 MB for multiplayer
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) DirectX 3 compatible
Other 2x CD-ROM drive
Mac OS
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 7.5
Processor (CPU) PowerPC
System memory (RAM) 16 MB with virtual memory
32 MB with virtual memory for multiplayer
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) 640x480 resolution and 256 color support
Other 2x CD-ROM drive

GOG.com version

Windows
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 7, 8.1, 10
Processor (CPU) 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
System memory (RAM) 2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 1 GB available hard disk space
Video card (GPU) DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
The GOG.com release does not support Mac OS nor OS X.


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References

  1. DevilutionX additional arguments configuration guide · diasurgical/devilutionX Wiki - last accessed on 9 June 2023
  2. Verified by User:MetalPlateMage on 21 July 2015
    Tested using ShadowPlay.
  3. Diablo I (yes, Diablo 1) LAN play on Vista or Windows 7 - last accessed on May 2023
  4. Diablo 1 - Windows Vista / 7 Color and LAN Issues RESOLVED
  5. 5.0 5.1 Latest release - last accessed on 2020-10-27
  6. Latest release - last accessed on 2021-10-27