Bashiok commented on Battle.net forums regarding some details.

To begin, he said that Sanctuary is a world inspired by us, but very different in many ways:

Blizz: Sanctuary

WUUUUT

Uhm, but yeah, it's not Earth. We like to mix it up a little, tryto do something interesting while keeping the same tone. It would likely be incorrect to say even a minority of people on Sanctuarybelieve in the great conflict as it really exists.

I think people also lose sight of the fact that angels aren'treally "the good guys". Humanity exists in a state of ...

well, humanity. And the absolute natures of good and evil in this world seemto have little or no patience and understanding for anythingin-between. The moral greys of humans (not to mention their mereexistence) is as intolerable as the opposite alignment. Humanity tothem is an abomination, but they've agreed to watch for a while and seewhat happens.

So in any case the game obviously pulls from a lot of influences,and it's certainly morphed and evolved through each of the games andnovels. As we've continued to build out the lore, layers are added, andit moves further and further from what essentially began as amedieval-era fight through a single gothic church battling the forcesof evil vaguely altered from real world monotheistic beliefs.

We're quite a bit past that now.

Besides that, Bashiok is also collecting the designs and personal piece of art from indivdual fans on the female Monk. According to him, it's because they're very close to revealing and wanted to see the ideas and visions of the fans.

Blizz: Fanart Contest

A couple days ago I was thinking "I sure could go for a breakfast sandwich." And then I thought "HEY! We're pretty close to revealing the female monk, let's see what people think she's going to look like." And since those crazy kids on the twitter love this kind of thing, what better place to post an art challenge. Following is the original twitter request and the responses to date.

"Art challenge! We're a bit closer to revealing the female monk, but what do you think she'll look like? Draw/paint it and we'll RT the best"

@tedknaz this is my interpretation http://yfrog.com/4euwup

@_Mjollnir_ This work? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/SilverFenrir/UF-Diablo-F-Monk.png

@Lytus My vision of the female Monk: http://twitpic.com/zqr72

@Pinuxette My monk girl !! http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinuxette/4304948168/

@redaction00 http://twitpic.com/zrmjb

@kasuturo i see female monks like this http://twitpic.com/zrlpa/full hope u like it!

@besonderheit Felt like joining in on the fun. Two versions: http://twitpic.com/zsx00

@_h8u Im not that good in drawing, but i hope she should look about that way: http://twitpic.com/ztsnl

@The_Dragon_King My take on the Female monk http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/Hunter_Wolf/Female_Monk.jpg

@The_Dragon_King same female monk but this time with more gear on http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/Hunter_Wolf/Female_Monk_2_v2-resized.jpg

@The_Dragon_King The last version http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/Hunter_Wolf/Female_Monk_2_v3-resized.jpg

@Brettabra 3 different versions. If they're good take your pic http://twitpic.com/zxwmp http://twitpic.com/zxwvo http://twitpic.com/zxwyy

@zsersh this is my female monk P: http://sergiof.deviantart.com/art/monk-female-final-151915128 hope u like it ñ_ñ

@udany I colorized the concept made by @_Mjollnir_, check it out here: http://bit.ly/aWiXL2

@_Melkisedek_ Actually, I hope the female monk character is going to be like this http://twitpic.com/zz9jm and... this http://twitpic.com/zz9qm

@MonkHalel I didn't do this, a friend of mine did, and it ain't that bad: http://leugi.deviantart.com/art/Female-Monk-151938604

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@_Mjollnir_ Took a second shot at it, basically the same design - http://unshackledfenrir.deviantart.com/art/Diablo-F-Monk-Concept-151990114

@JRedmerski http://twitpic.com/103ojq - Here's how I envision the female monk :-)

@egregory25 Here is my monk girl http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/lordicem/01280001.jpg

@captain_vangore i hope she'll be similar to d2's assassin http://el-pistolero.deviantart.com/art/Female-monk-152024507

@panaer this is my "vision" espero que os guste (desde España) http://panaer.deviantart.com/art/Female-Monk-152032497

@d3bn my female monk ~ ~ http://i50.tinypic.com/316q4js.jpg

@artdrawnbyjelly http://i47.tinypic.com/9kb5gg.jpg this is what i came up with

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@HolyMane my female monk! http://holymane.deviantart.com/art/diablo-s-female-monk-151762496

@Beonarri Here's my female monk. Quick and dirty, nothing really fancy. http://www.wolflog.com/2010/01/diablo-3-monk-fan-art-sketch.html

@pastuh how post pic? I have this: http://twitpic.com/10ber8

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@DynastyGraphics Figured I would give a one hour go at this "contest" http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n6/dynastygraphics/FemaleMonkConcept.jpg

@aehbon My version of the Female Monk #Diablo @Diablo http://twitpic.com/zynor I can't wait to see the real one!

@stevesavoy I worked hard on this. Let me know what you think. Thanks! http://stevesavoy.deviantart.com/art/Diablo-3-Female-Monk-152376866

@_k_z_ My vision of Female Monk http://www.lab.envirex.cz/other/temp/fmonk.jpg

@Raute88 Hi, I'd like to send my try of a female Monk: http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/2912/monkfemale.jpg

@Coldworm My female Monk didn't get finished till February 1st, but i'll post colored version as soon as possible http://twitpic.com/10ou7w

@MissGlori89 my female Monk : http://buhuohnek.bu.funpic.de/pics/female%20Monk.jpg

@Laloo617 I imagine the female monk like this http://twitpic.com/10uuya

@besonderheit Another picture of my female monk, facing the Lord of Terror. http://twitpic.com/10tslb

@Krazed89 gogo project monk female!. Here's my vision with a pencil, hope u like it: http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8139/skanuj0001oj.jpg

@Sezar1 My Female Monk concept -> http://twitpic.com/10h3qs

@Gladius333 This is my concept art of female monk: http://goliatgladius.deviantart.com/art/My-version-of-Female-Monk-D3-152569523

The designs are gathered until next Monday, possibly in the next few weeks, they will revealed the real images.

Bashiok explained to us (fans), why there will be no guns in the Diablo World.

Blizzard Quote:

Larzuk Appeared to be on the Verge of Discovering gun powder, but shortly thereafter he was killed as the mountain on his head explode. Thus the secrets of gunpowder are lost forever and have no chance of being rediscovered.

Also Hot Air Balloons Now that we talk about it. He wanted to use those to scout over Baals forces. Are those lost forever too now? Malah gossip :

"Larzuk possesses a good soul, but at times his all seems quite unsound. He once asked me for twenty of my finest sheepskins. He once asked me for twenty of my finest sheepskins. He said he would fill them with hot air and float like a cloud above the battlefield to spy on Baal's legions. I worry the siege has driven him mad.”

Bashiok: Nice! Bashiok Nice! So then yeah, air travel, dead forever.

Well, introducing the problem with guns is that they dramatically change the feel of The Game. Even though you could balance them with long reload times or whatever it would just stand out too much. If creativity and constantly moving forward was the big reason forintroducing guns then I suppose we would have to see laser pistols in the expansion!?

" (Ok, so I exaggerated a little) "

Bashiok: Yeah a little bit of exaggeration but you got the general sentiment right. Bashiok: Yeah a little bit of exaggeration but you got the general sentiment right.

Guns are decidedly scientific, and the Diablo world is decidedly magic (impaling with a lot of people at Pikes). Not that guns and magic can not mix, but when they do it becomes something entirely different. So I do not think it's an issue of guns not being fun or just not working, it's nothing like that. It's simply a setting and tone issue, and guns would very certainly change it.

Source:

Diablo.incgamers.com

Yesterday Bashiok, warned both via Twitter and Facebook about the design change in some aspects of reinforcement that is the female version of the Wizard.

Blizz: Design Without Armor

There is a big boost in armor sets on the horizon before the break, which includes new look of the Monk with armor. Sometimes we refer to this in a class look "naked." Not that they are really without any clothes, but is the design that shows a character when there is no piece of armor.

UPDATE: Bashiok also said something about the female monk:

Blizz: New look of the unreinforced Monk

It was not a total rework or anything, these things rarely are. It was essentially a color shift from red to a sort of muted mustard color (which doesn't sound great but it looks awesome), and then a texture cleanup removing some elements and just letting the whole thing read alot better. It looks a lot more like an unarmored look now, in my opinion.  Before it was a bit busy and ... Before it was a bit busy and ... I think you also sort of have to have a very minimal naked look so that upgrades feel that much more "powerful"  If you don't notice a visual change on the character with a new piece of armor then it's kind of like, what's the point? Now she looks like... Now she looks like ... haha, it kind of looks like she's about to go to the gym. To kill demons. To kill demons.

Also the female monk got a haircut not terribly long ago. She's looking good. She's looking good. Much closer match to the concepts now.

And yes you'll be able to see her soon. ish. ish

Despite having little news this week, Bashiok, the man who proved that 2 + 2 = 4, told us yesterday via Twitter two details about the stat of development of the Monk class.

Blizz: Monk Abilities

The monk skill trees are being fleshed out in high level design concepts and skill nitty-gritty specifics.

Something very positive when we consider that at Blizzcon last August, the Monk had only 8 skills. Given they guadually work on the classes, the fact of working in "high-level design" means they have almost the entire skill tree.

Blizz: On the female Monk

I think we already soft of promised we would. You'll see her before too long.

Given that there soon will be a Diablo BlizzCast content, you know something important. So we'll watch in the upcoming weeks.

Bashiok also answered in the Battle.net forums about how many people workin Diablo III.

Blizz: Workers in D3

I think we're closer to 70 now and still growing a little bit.

But really having a bigger or smaller number with no frame of reference asto the types and amounts of content being developed is sort of meaningless. But really having a bigger or smaller number with no frame of reference as to the types and amounts of content being developed is sort of meaningless. It's more important what's being worked on, who each person is, theirabilities, and the end result than just a sum of the bodies assigned toa team. It's more important what's being worked on, each person who is, their abilities, and the end result than just a sum of the bodies assigned to a team.