Gamasutra Expert blogs: From Diablo III's Inferno to Kickstarter's big secret

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including the failings behind Diablo III's Inferno mode, the big secret to success on Kickstarter, and more.] In our weekly Best of Expert Blogs column, we showcase notable pieces of writing from members of the game development community who maintain Expert Blogs on Gamasutra. Member Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while the invitation-only Expert Blogs are written by development professionals with a wealth of experience to share. We hope that both sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information about the blogs, check out the latest official posting guidelines. Here are the top blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs Itemization and the visual contract (Ken Williamson) Itemization is one of the most important aspects of RPGs; as important as combat systems. Yet it is strangely common for visual appearance not to match in game power. Ken Williamson argues that this breaks an implied visual contract, and worse yet risks angry old gamer nerd rage. "Don't make me think" (about the interface) (Lewis Pulsipher) Sometimes we can find good advice in disciplines that are not part of the game industry. One of these is the website design industry. Lewis Pulsipher notes that the World Wide Web is particularly susceptible to some of the kinds of problems that can bedevil video game interfaces. Burning the mother down: The failings behind Diablo III's inferno mode (Josh Bycer) There has been a lot of criticism behind Diablo III's endgame. Josh Bycer examines the problems that rear their head in the final difficulty setting. Thor: God Of Thunder - Birth of a female troll (Austin Ivansmith) Austin Ivansmith offers a step-by-step look into the design of an original character for a licensed game, wedged into the Marvel universe. He also explores the idea of sexism and marginalization through satire in an industry where fans may not know it when they see it. Every Kickstarter a success (Corvus Elrod) Corvus Elrod, a two-time successful Kickstarter fundraiser, reveals Kickstarter's big secret and shares tactics to ensure every project is a success.