One of the fascinating things that D2R Items I saw is the system of strongholds. How does that impact the sense of location? Since it appears that you're liberating areas, which is how does that influence the story you're telling?

Shely: Therefore, the strongholds play a significant role in the development of the world. We really wanted players to be able to meaningfully influence the world as well as for actions to affect the events that take place in the world of Sanctuary. When you come across these strongholds, there's a variety of them in the various areas.

There'll also be some that are overrun by monsters. When you clear them it will be possible to bring them back to a secure location for Sanctuary. The characters that are not players will be revealed and you can unlock side quests. Additionally, dungeons will be revealed in the process and the strongholds stay transformed as a result of the actions you take on this character throughout.
 
Fergusson: It's interesting. When you're playing, strongholds are in RPG terms, situations where basically it's private. Therefore, when you're brought to a stronghold, when you go to liberate an area, it's a private moment. So you join your friends and then go and fight. However, once you have won that fight, the space transforms to cheap D2R Ladder Items a social area.