Cram wrote on Mar 15, 2012, 17:58:
Closed realm hacking was and still is rampant. No, I don't know exactly how they do it but it most certainly helps that all the game assets are client side. Hell, you can still find a few people with "White Rings" in current ladder. I also find it amazing how goldfarm sites like d2legit and the others have "perfect" versions of every single item/unique/runeword mere hours into a new ladder season. Mere hours, hundreds if not thousands of perfects which are statistically improbable to ever find even one. In order for Diablo 3, in its current state, to have single player/complete offline mode they would have to redesign the entire game to save assets such as item generation/storage/monster generation client side. Giving hackers direct access to those assets opens up pandora's box for a repeat of Diablo 2 closed realms.

I am not saying there won't be cheats and dupes, but Blizzard has designed the game in such a way that they can see exactly what's happening where/when/how like they can in World of Warcraft. Hacks/cheats may possibly happen but they'll be almost immediately dealt with (as they have been in WoW), offenders banned and items deleted. With their dependence on a stable economy for the RMAH, you know Blizzard won't just sit there and let hacks run rampant. No, I don't think online only will prevent hacks, but I know Blizzard won't, as they did in Diablo 2, sit on their asses and do nothing about it. So, Blizzard has direct control of the entire game as it's online only now. A lot of people don't like that, and feel Blizzard has a noose around all our necks. I don't, I believe this will make my own gaming experience a lot better and as someone how does plan on selling items on the RMAH, a lot more secure.