What Diablo 4 Can Learn From The Franchise

[@DownwardThrust]

Enjoy the video? Thumbs it up and tell us what you think of the Diablo franchise - let's chat!

[@domeplsffs]

Grim Dawn is the new Diablo franchise for me. :D Blizzard lost a fan after what they did with D3. Such a shame. =/

[@Dingoes8MeBabies]

I still think of Grim Dawn as the proper sequel to D2. Blizzard should be looking hard at Grim Dawn.

[@Tjecktjeck]

I was a huge fan of diablo 1 & 2 back then and it is without a doubt an legendary rpg. But i think such game concept should be left in the past. New concept could be if they mix DS gameplay with diablo mechnanics and atmosphere - but then it will be a completly different game.

[@AkaiAkumu]

I really agree to the points you bring up in the video. Even though D1 was mechanically simple and the story telling wasn't maybe top notch but it was the mood that made it tick. The feel of brooding darkness and danger, along with the feel of apocalyptic events occuring behind mortals back as read in the tomes found in the cathedral. D2 Felt more adventurous, but as you nicely put it still it felt like being done by a darker mind. It was grandiose and fun, yet still in the back there was this twisted feeling, specially felt it in the first act, with the baroness, and corruption spread by Andariel. Sadly D3 Felt really flat when it goes to story telling and mood, so much so that i stopped playing after the 3rd act since i got dissapointed at each step. Not even the modern, very comfortable style of play could not stop me from just sighing and being annoyed at each story milestone. As some of the folks here stated, Grim Dawn really felt to me as a spiritual successor of the series. It had this dark ambiance, brooding feel of looming danger, and sense of corruption that touched the land, with people looking for shelter in jails and organizing in groups to survive.

[@herokiryu2652]

lol Blizzard artist are not that deep to make a game like this. Over the years Blizzard has filled their company with low paidfan boys and nerds from overseas like china and korea who dream of just being in Blizzard..

[@BoomCrazyBoom]

Bring back the horrifying music !!!

[@Biouke]

Ikr! Be it the India inspired ambiances in Diablo 1 & 2, the Wagner shoutouts in D2 Lord of Destruction or the fantastic atmospheric tracks in The Burning Crusade, Matt Uelmen composed some of the best soundtracks out there. I really like the other composers from Blizzard, but Uelmen and his knack for leitmotivs and eerie ambient backgrounds is over the top

[@sohailsharif618]

The Indian music was fucking weak and racist

[@JoakimfromAnka]

I don't even remember any music from Diablo 3. I liked music in both diablo 1 and 2.

[@rongcon_games]

right. i liked the old music.

[@eVACu8M]

and bring back eerie and horrifying gameplay !!!

[@AlteraLin]

They need to remove all of the WoW influences - from ALL Blizzard Games.

[@ketangopichand4269]

Alterius Zhang except WoW of course

[@ffejpsycho]

Ketan Gopichand no, including.

[@eddgrs9193]

They can't, the was Blizzard with their cartoon style, then there was Blizzard North, with the Diablo style. Blizzard North is no more.

[@pearljaime2]

Especially those pauldrons. They look like brazilian carnival performers with those chunky, oversized things

[@persecom]

Honestly, I'm unsure why I watched the entire video. I don't even play Diablo. It's just fun to listen to well structured videos with compelling arguments.

[@bruhthescary9327]

some of his points are made because hes not as skilled as some, like for example you should be able to beat act 1 on nightmare at lvl 35 with any class and gear, your build just has to not suck.... but yeah, most of his points are valid, granted not 100% valid, but more well thought out than most diablo 2/1 fan boys, or the d3 fan boys.

[@Amocoru]

Go. Play. Diablo. They're so fantastic.

[@chrisskull7882]

Diablo 2 is amazing... I like Diablo 1 better in a nostalgia way used to play it on ps1 coop....dont play Diablo 3 unless you like games that hold your hand

[@jerl7320]

Pleaseee go back to the D1-D2 gothic horror roots, not the POS wow-like garbage D3 was.

[@bigfishboss2103]

0:12 HIS OLDER BROTHER

[@kaptinbarfbeerd1317]

If Blizzard takes the suggestions in this video, they'll probably run the risk of alienating their existing D3 fan base. The reason for this is the expectations D1 and D2 set for gamers don't really apply to D3's current audience. I think it's mostly to do with the games atmosphere. D1 wasn't great because of the fast gameplay and character build variety. It was great because of the atmosphere. The opening cinematic really sets the tone before you start the game and the gritty darkness and eerie music holds you there while playing the game. Playing this game in a dark room with a headset just felt right. It's amazing how well D1 nailed the atmosphere. The enemies didn't taunt you like petulant children either. Look at The Butcher. Ahhhh!!! Fresh meat!!! and them proceeds to chase you around around and hack you to bits. The butcher gave you a reason to fear him and he didn't run his mouth to do it. For many, the Diablo IP is synonymous with foreboding atmosphere. While I believe D2 lost some of the atmosphere, it brought new things like character builds, item sets etc to the table. But even there, parts of the game still retained that foreboding atmosphere, especially acts 1 and 3. I've only played the starter edition of D3 but from what I've seen, the atmosphere is almost non-existent. It's not just the bright colours, cringeworthy dialog and the childish taunts already mentioned in the video. What about the numbers (colourful numbers no less) which pop up on the screen? The messages that pop up (ie. 50 kills BRUTAL!!!) or notifications you destroyed 8 objects. The starter edition areas were so easy, I was never in danger of dying. No early game enemies were a threat like the butcher in D1 or coldcrow in D2.That companion wouldn't shut up. The health globes are littered everywhere. There was no sense of dread or danger which were established in the first two games. The foreboding atmosphere was completely gone. D3 fanboys will probably call me nostalgic but it's unlikely they even have a clue of the expectations the first two games set up. People who started with D3 have no such expectations of atmosphere. They will expect D4 to be a campy killfest where damage numbers and epic loot are the order of the day. Trying to go back to Diablo's roots will alienate that audience. Trying to bring back the old audience will also be risky as some of them will have moved on to other ARPGs and may not even be willing to give D4 a shot.

[@SABER_Knight-King]

Very nicely said, I wish Blizz will took the suggestions of people like you seriously & don't repeat the mistakes of the past.

[@Alextherock9]

I learned my lesson with Diablo 3 wow edition. I'll never again buy a game until i tested it first. They had me with D3, they won't have me with D4. If it's not like D1/D2 i ain't touching it.

[@hagarrastamnz596]

what i liked about diablo 1/2 was the tone and art of the game, the feeling of loneliness and weakness. I think that mercenaries was a mistake. it was also a mistake to make the player the super duper ultra master cool nephalen. When i finish D3, i was like "well, that's colorful!" desapointed...T-T

[@malonysaintpierre1599]

new blizzard ideas for wow/diablo 3 were " CHAMPION " " HERO " COMMANDER " i really enjoyed being just a weakling trying to fight evil, not being a commander, a hero that everyone runs to when something goes wrong(HI TYRAEL ON D3) They killed cain, worst move ever. They made tyrael, this...badass dead serious guy in diablo 2 ,into an annoying bastard, really,i'd rather this game wasnt released

[@data47ice]

d3 is not "colorful" (check whimsy), what it doesn't live up to is the original atmosphere. After we've killed diablo 2 times already its hard to stay immersed in the game. I like the cinematics, they were gr8. Somehow d3 is 10 times bigger (as hdd space) then d2, yet it feels 100 times smaller as a universe... Nothing new, heck they even removed all the things we liked from the previous...

[@ralphwarom2514]

Diablo 4 is going to be a cartoonish mess of a game. Blizzard has given up on good narrative and turned both Starcraft and diablo into kids stuff. Happy endings, characters with serious plot armor and all. Overwatch has baby characters and it is mega successful. The trend will not end there. These are fine games. Just very lively and colorful. :D Dark stuff is pretty rare in AAA games. I mean, basically only darksouls and a few others do it well. Look at the evolution of dragon age. Minus a few raunchy lines of dalogue and sex. The violence is super cartoonish compared to origins.

[@44MagnumNA]

I don't know about that, Blizzard's brand took a major hit by releasing such a shitty take on a Diablo 2 sequel. Overwatch is also not a great comparison, as that game was specifically released to cater to a wide audience across just about every age group. I'd advise waiting on D4 to actually come to fruition before coming to a hasty conclusion. Trends tend to shift about as often as the wind.

[@246trinitrotoluene]

Ya, Starcraft 2 was derivative trash. Fun campaign, great mechanics, but the story was the best part of the original. I will say that their Nova campaign was good, bit of a return to form -- especially when juxtaposed next to the main campaign. Diablo 3's story was just embarrassingly bad. Did anyone predict that the kid emperor in Act 2 would've been the final boss? Oh, everyone? Oops. You know what's scary, when the final boss talks to you throughout the whole act, hamming it up as badly as possible, revealing all of their plans and cackling like a moustache twirling villain. Oh, that's not scary? Oops.

[@abhinav9986]

Fortunately it looks like they are gonna go back to their roots

[@chrisgunther109]

I agree, one of the main appeals of Diablo was the dark foreboding feeling one got as you ventured your way deeper into dungeons. I fondly recall being terrified during Hardcore A3, hearing the whispers of pygmies, not sure where or when they would rush in from the darkness.

[@Biouke]

That, and the amazing ambiance given to these games by Matt Uelmen's soundtrack.

[@chrisgunther109]

Yes, great music.

[@kubhak]

diablo 3 for me is like diablo for kids and wtf with female diablo at the end, diablo with tits wtf was that im rly sad they done this to one of my favorite game series

[@Jasonwolf1495]

See I don't get that. i was never scared or off put by the games. I was an unkillable mass murdering monster hunter. What's the point of a horror theme if I can mow down everything in front of me without issue?

[@chrisgunther109]

You must be referring to D3 or had someone spot you a bunch of gear.

[@Crackmandan]

I just have a couple of things to say about this topic if you all don’t mind…and if you do mind, too bad! :) In concerns with the overall graphical appeal of Diablo 4, Blizzard really needs to dip back into the gritty, dark, gothic, foreboding atmosphere that Diablo 1 and 2 possessed. I don’t want to see a reminder of Warcraft and Heroes of the Storm. Blizzard needs to stop making all their games look alike. Allow Diablo to justly stand apart. I also have a thing or two to say about the voice acting. It would be nice if the selection of voice acting, especially in regards to the demons, bad guys etc…didn’t have the same gargled, deep throat, death metal growling in every enemy. Look at Path of Exile, especially the character known as Lady Dialla-she had a distinct sarcastic, snide, belittling attitude that perfectly captured what that character was all about. ( “Not a cockroach” ) A good example of voice acting done right in Diablo 3 was the character Zoltun Kule. He was a dick, and I enjoyed killing him in Diablo 3. Those kinds of things make a game worth playing. You have to develop a hatred for the bad guys so when the time comes to kill them it’s all the more glorious.

[@mateusztobola7860]

Therein lies the core problem everyone seems to overlook. Why does the next game need to be Diablo 4? Each entry ends the same -- you fight your way through thousands of enemies to finally face and mop the floor with Diablo. Why not branch out into the lore and finally change the antagonist? I mean, he has been defeated 3 times already, and his plans are getting dumber and dumber with each game. I think the lore is deep enough to focus on something else at this point.

[@David42424242]

two words... brand recognition

[@DanielLiljar]

Diablo should be a horror game first and foremost. Then you can add the rpg elements.

[@chaves88rlz]

-Horror game- first and foremost? I think you played d1 and d2 with 5 years old and never played again

[@xraymone]

Diablo 1 is the best diablo.

[@confessionsofalunatic5302]

#1 Don't let today's Blizzard make it.

[@catnium]

lesson 1 ... don't make a mobilega........ never mind....

[@YouSoSpice]

The most important thing Diablo 4 should learn is it should not be like Diablo 3

[@WitchVulgar]

Diablo IV is going to have microtransactions. Guaranteed.

[@ffejpsycho]

I agree with most of what you say... I disagree... With my opinion being that Diablo's major corruption and decline was with more focus on it having a primary multiplayer game at its core. I believe it works most effective when it is designed, built, and implemented as a contained single player experience first, and then has a multiplayer aspect molded to the complete experience for further enhancement of altered paradigms due to growth of scale. And the exploration of how the community plays out that growth.

[@tay590]

Your point about cooldowns is SO spot-on. I hadn't thought about it before, but you're right. Over-focusing on cooldown-based skills takes the fun out of a combat system.

[@mrbouncelol]

The Blizzard we knew is dead. Have you been paying attention? Diablo 3, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch. They are a business now, they care about making money. Good for them, but their games are for shitters

[@ShadowViewsOnly]

Since it is no longer Blizzard Entertainment.. It's Activision Blizzard. The name of the company says it all.

[@chasewills3320]

Poor Diablo 3. Pretty much every video on this subject boils down to: don't do anything like what that game did. hahaha here's my thoughts on your video though: Diablo 4 needs to take a HUGE amount of time developing classes. I think a major fault of BOTH D2 and D3 is that each class really had only 1 or 2 at most successful long term builds. I find that to be frustrating. let me clarify: if you make a sucky build, then of course you should suck. haha but if you are focusing on one of the trees that you really like and come to find out that it is extremely underpowered, that is ridiculous. multiple builds should have the possibility, if managed properly, to be just as successful as the other options.

[@DownwardThrust]

I like your feedback on the class system! Thanks for commenting :)

[@RiseAgainstDK]

Wow you are exactly the type of person I'm talking about in my comment

[@chasewills3320]

Alexander Risager I know what you mean, to a point. I don't think every class will ever be perfectly balanced and amazing. I recognize that. however, in both d2 and d3 there are abilities and even trees that are pretty much classified as useless because other trees or abilities completely outshine them. that's the thing I don't really like. I want a larger portion of abilities to be meaningful at most stages of the game. does that make sense? idk. to clarify: I'm not saying that an end tier ability should be the same power as a low tier ability. I am instead saying that in their respective realms, each ability should be on level ground with its same tier counterparts. the games tried to accomplish this, but usually only 1 or 2 ever had any lasting value.

[@RiseAgainstDK]

I see your point, and I do agree that I would become boring if nothing changes, but thankfully d3 try to change things every 3 months, with nerfs and buffs. Now i must admit I have never played d2 so I am not really in any position to compare. The more I think about the less qualified I feel. idk i just really like d3 cause I like competitive games, so I get frustrated with all the hate it gets

[@chasewills3320]

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate having good conversations about this game. I actually really enjoyed D3, for what it is worth. I got a little frustrated by the abilities and classes, and also got MAJORLY frustrated by how commonly the legendary and set items dropped. I wanted them to feel rare! but aside from those gripes, I did enjoy my time playing the game. Diablo 2 is still the better game for a variety of reasons (you really should try it out at some point), but I would never say that D3 is bad.

[@CodeRadGames]

Let's be honest. Path of Exile already addressed all these issues.

[@PlanetaJuegosPC]

yup, better pocion sistem, better economy, rare items are better than uniques, but some uniques change the way your skills work. you can customize your skills whit games, you can make a single powerful arrow shot or a 5 arrow explosive shot whit increased area of effect that burns enemies and trasfer burn to other objetives. some unique items will turn your fire spells intro cold spells. stuff like that. Auras support team play. you can also custom your summons, not just whit stat buff but also whit unique items or pasives. for example death aegis lets your bonus from your shield apply to your summons, any buff, like reflec damage, curses on hit. chanse to block. endless

[@Hound851]

Pretty much everything, expect the story. It was totally ruined after act 5. In act 4 killing the Beast just felt wrong somehow and I shuddered to think the consequences, but then you kill all other gods in pretty shallow power fantasy, forgetting pretty much everything about virtue gems, and thamathurgy. Honestly, they are not just loot but also the center of the story. They gave humanity god like powers to play with, which eventually lead to cataclysm, and other horrifying events.

[@MTareq1]

so basically u need to make Diablo 2 again :)

[@gieron666]

This video screams to me "PATH OF EXILE". Specially the part about items, potions and building your character. If you haven't played it try it out. It's a game made by people who truly understand what made Diablo great.

[@Biouke]

Still Path of Exile falls into the same problem of having lots of ways to build your character but in the end a lot of fun builds aren't viable, simply because there's no items that gives interactions with it for pumping out it's effectiveness in the endgame. I like the changes made to the Focus & Restraint items set in D3 because it helps unlocking interesting builds out of the class sets' meta, but that kind of philosophy should have been there from the start. Plus you have not only to find the specific legendaries you need, but then have them as Ancient quality to make it work, which asks for far more farming than getting a class armour set, thus penalising experimentation, which dumb since that's why they dumbed down the stats and talents systems in the first place. And finally it uses up your ring slots and restrict you from using any other set bonus, so some builds that would need certain rings' effects or another 2 piece set bonus get screwed. Hack & slash nowadays are built around farming for those specifics items that makes this or that build viable, then farming for these same items with better stats. So it's a bit disheartening when as a player you think of a cool build then find out that the developers didn't and then never created any powerful item to make it viable in the end game, and so around some point the meta gets stuck. When designing these kind of things, you have to think about both the items that drastically changes gameplay and necessitate to build around them, and the items that just supports an available build.

[@Stock090]

Builds dont have to do end content to be fun tho. You can create a new character for that and use that other fun build to farm maps, thats what i do on every league at least. And that last part you are saying, Poe devs do exactly just that to help new builds on every league. They may nerf some builds but they still buff other skills to make up for that, thus making more things viable. The thing about PoE is that the changes on items are as important as the changes on the skill tree, you may have the same stats on your legendaries but if the skill tree changed you have to think of an alternative. Just go and see how much the game changed on 3.0 with just some prefixes on items on the patchnotes. .And trading is a thing on PoE, you dont need to farm for an expecific item, just for the currency requiered to buy it. There is a reason why the people who hated D3 and are not playing D2 moved to PoE. The game is the best Hack n slash out there and its also free. Blizz will need to really think hard to top that, legacy isnt as strong as it was before.

[@ZMCFERON]

These casuals never did VLLD, LLD, or MLD in D2

[@Croatz]

I didn't have a problem with Diablo 3. Blizzard isn't the same company that developed D1 and D2, they will NEVER be able to capture the glory of those games again because they have no idea how. I'm sorry.

[@kajcsapapa]

D3 is a huge flop. Blizzard should be ashamed

[@REAPZ18]

diablo 3 felt noobed down

[@satan3763]

Severely.

[@BlueNightZX]

and please, STOP this asian mmo armor artstyle bullshit, with armor with spikes, and horns with dragon heads, put simple, crude, rusty realistic medieval armor.

[@ALC0LITE]

BlueNightZX disagree on that one. I think armor should look crude up to a point, but the closer to end game you get, the more dangerous the character should look.

[@Kutikyla]

ALC0LITE like edgelord

[@berengerchristy6256]

then just transmog your armor to shitty poor pleb beginner armor lol thats what transmogs are for

[@michaelm5424]

BlueNightZX you do realize how boring that'd look right? Congrats you now look like almost every other character with your full plate armor. It's not nearly as visually entertaining, or threatening.

[@Lucitaur]

Agreed.

[@3dvox712]

diablo 3 was too easy and "cartoon like" with orchestral music that didn't add into the mood of the game (dark, alone )

[@Makoto03]

I've only played Diablo 3, mainly because its the only one available on playstation 4. I love the game. I didn't know the fourth was in development. I hope the console version of D3 sold well enough that they port the new title to PS4. :)

[@Doso777]

It's all rumours at the moment, Diablo 4 is not confirmed.

[@GamePlayMetal]

Actually Blizzard have said in the past that there would not be a Diablo 4.

[@Roshiyu]

And yet they're hiring people for an unannounced project, while also asking them about their love for Diablo I and II...

[@Perjoss]

You make some very good points, I especially agree with the cooldown vs resource management part, and the section where you talk about the pantomime bosses or as you call them bond villains.

[@DownwardThrust]

ty for watchin!

[@gilian2587]

Neat little game dynamic - all characters start with no class. They start with cotton clothes, and a stick. As they level up, they can invest in stats; with a stat or combination of stats that are high enough... they can begin to progressively 'buy-in' to classes; which exist in a tree. normal --> apprentice --> magic adept --> mage --> sorcerer --> arch-magister normal --> recruit --> soldier --> veteran --> warrior --> martial master normal --> coin lifter --> lurker --> assassin --> shadow walker --> shadowlord normal --> graverobber --> dark adept --> dark mage --> death weaver --> necromancer normal --> student --> awakened --> daemon touched --> daemon expert --> daemonsbane normal --> acolyte --> holy person --> bishop --> high priest --> prophet of the divine

[@cinnabun117]

100% agree on theme and tone. Disagree on skill interactivity but I like that you were getting creative - skill bonuses were actually positive imo and hyper-specialization gave you a reason to play multiple chars while also combining with the skill tree to enable truly unique chars. Overall, this assessment is spot on, hope some Blizzard teammembers see this!

[@paullewis560]

I believe there is a problem that newer generation horror games have. Many horror games back in the day were pixalated and the whole "wtf is that!" feel is mostly lost when they are high definition. Diablo added to this having great sound design to make the lack of graphics seem more fitting. Diablo 3 feels much too clean.

[@JoePro84]

Just play Path of Exile. Its the true successor of D2.

[@GaleGummola]

Grim Dawn lacks ladder characters and its developed as single player game with multiplayer added. End game also sucks. POE is kinda meh for me, for some reason cant get myself to like it. Last Epoch is the game im hoping to be real successor for Diablo 2.

[@irllcd13]

Hell, Torchlight 2 is closer to Diablo 3 than Diablo 3. Torchlight 2 doesn't get the attention it deserves.

[@relyks8645]

I feel like the passive system in Path of Exile is too convoluted and I find it hard to get excited about.

[@YungYdoc]

Yeah, just pay $60 to look like you're not a level 1 at max level.

[@EdwardOfTheAwesome]

I actually liked Diablo 3 along with the other games. A lot of people complain that it's very different from the other games, and although I agree, I still enjoyed the atmosphere and gameplay of Diablo 3, despite how different it is.

[@cydneydevlin3735]

diablo 1 is the best imo it was so dark and atmospheric and omg the music and sound design! I really liked that in diablo 1 it wasn't about melting hundreds of enemies but like a dozen at most. if you were an appropriate level to your dungeon level, every group of enemies felt potentially dangerous. I also liked that every class had access to every ability through spell tomes. I miss my spellsword warrior. having said all that diablo 2's pvp kept me addicted for years, I was actually ranked as one of the best pvpers on d2jsp

[@adamh.4933]

1. Doom inducing soundtrack. 2. Doom inducing atmosphere. 3. Doom inducing enemies. 4. Make sure a 4 year old doesnt design your storyline. 5. Dont kill off classic NPC's in disrespectful ways (Deckard from Magda, like really?)6. And dont pussify previous badass characters (Tyreal). D1and D2 gave you the sense you were in a pretty fucked up world right at the start and D3 gave you the sense that you were a god whose basic attacks made enemies explode. I like when games implement a system to where you really feel like your character starts off as just some rookie in search of glory who struggles throughout the different Acts rather than find out 30 min in the game that Im a demi-god.

[@alanconnor2243]

I'd be fine with it if they went back to D2's tone. That gritty, dark, terrifying tone that always had me a bit on edge as I played the game.

[@HistoryofNothingArt]

YES the story in d3 is horrible and d2 will be the superior diablo game in every aspect , but i think the main thing d4 needs to do right is the graphics and look and feel, it needs to be gory and scary, disgusting and satanic colors and visuals, dark and horrific like d1 and d2 but unlike d3's WOW child like graphics and pretty colors, once they get that down i think the rest will be in good hands if they pull off that aspect, oh and the music

[@sabrelemew252]

1. Find the original designers 2. Failing # 1 , resurrect our first accounts from the data base prior to 1.1O , with all characters and account items intact. ( one per customer should suffice ) 3. Stop fucking nerfing shit ! 4. Let maphack be optional. 5. Give carte blanche to the original designers. 6. Implement 2-4 for D2 LoD, add 3D and camera control to D4 . * I appreciate the energy you put into the video and subject, good on ya.

[@sawmesalami]

The biggest issue is the core gameplay in D3. Most ARPGs are just spam your spells till the creature died.

[@blacklight4720]

In my opinion Diablo 1 excelled in portraying the style&theme while Diablo 2 excelled in in gameplay itself(failed in visual theme though). I have diablo 3 yet I cant say anything about it except it feels wrong and out of place.

[@Schmidteren]

How to make D4 great. Copy every god damn thing POE did, and try to do it better.

[@kofiagyeman]

I gotta say I agree with most of what you're bringing up here, and I understand that D2 is key to your perspective. but I was a bit shocked that nothing of Diablo 3 was brought up during your gameplay portion. I can understand if you personally didn't like it, but was there anything at all you thought they did correctly in the slightest from a design perspective? not poking the hornets nest, just understand you're one of the few KZbin channels where game design discussion, aesthetic, and maturity intersect harmoniously.

[@Biouke]

Same here. There are some badly exploited but interesting concepts in D3, specially from the latest patches, like trying (miserably) to give more usefulness to off-set items and builds. See another post in this comment section where I developed it a bit. But yeah, I had hopes that this video, being from Feb. 2017, didn't talk more about D3, the changes it has gone through, and the success (and shortcomings) of Path of Exile and Torchlight 2.

[@Pukwudgie_Surprise]

The feature I loved the most was removed. The auction house.

[@SupplementalSense]

There are really only 3 extremely important things to make a great Diablo game. #1 The tone of the game. The dark and evil feel is a must. #2 There must be certain loot that is almost unobtainable. Ex. Crown of Ages, Tyreal's Might, high runes. This keeps a great incentive to play more. #3 The difficulty of the game needs to be amped up again. D3 became so easy over the years and wasn't fun. There was nothing to grind for.

[@malonysaintpierre1599]

I particulary enjoyed doing normal/nightmare chaos/baal runs when leveling, its like low level pvp in some ways, players without the best gear/stats/level in the game just playing together and doing stuff/leveling, it was rewarding and fun, doing tristam runs, tal rasha's runs, i really enjoyed all of those until the game became empty.

[@vsm1456]

I had several 60+ lvl characters in D2 and don't recall having to be 40+ lvl to beat nightmare Act 1...

[@KVPMD]

Because it's not true. You needed a lot more to beat Baal normal than A1 NM. 60 was more for Hell. NM was really fast and easy with LoD addOn because you were already strong enough for the whole A1-A4 due to Baal normal being so high

[@CynicalGamingBlogTerry309]

Diablo 4 will fail because of Activision The skill tree should be removed and replaced with the socket system from Path of exile or something similar to that. The beauty of Diablo 1 was that it let you be who you want to be, you could be a magic warrior a warrior rogue or a fighter sorcerer or you could be a pure. Any of this can work In Diablo 2 the problem is like you said, the linear builds.

[@DeanWhipper]

Good video. But I don't agree that you have to be level 40+ to complete act 1 on Nightmare. If you've actually been playing the game and found a few good pieces of gear like Sigons set for instance, you would have no problems completing Act 1 on any character. People do more Baal runs because they get rushed to Act 5 normal then get rushed to Baal in Nightmare and Hell.

[@cecilevans9247]

This dude understands Diablo. Good ideas dude.

[@condeuiosandilixtos7858]

I think we need to tone down our expectations regarding the tone of Diablo 4. How exactly would a game played in an isometric / perspective projection scare adults and teens? We can easily find horrifying stuff online that trumps demons and depictions of torture. We're all desensitised.

[@Arygo87]

Hey there, i played Diablo II LOD allot, mainly because other people were playing with me and because it was fun. The story was at it's best in the Diablo II original game, the LoD expansion didn't measure up in my opinion. In terms of gameplay the patch 1.10 started the synergy craze that could have just been replaced with the implementation of new skills. I adapted to every patch of the game tough i prefer the patches before 1.10 . My favorite character was the Assassin, but i was always forced to have 2 Sorceresses and 2 Paladins in this game just to get items and past certain areas. The beauty found in Diablo's early game (before the hell difficulty) was eventually replaced with rushing. The late game didn't provide the wonder and the diversity Diablo had in the early parts of the game, it was almost clear what you needed, a fully decked out Lightning Sorceress with an Infinity on your merc, to get past stuff fast, and for the Uber Mephisto you needed a Paladin Smiter with life-tap gloves. To reach that point of course you needed another Paladin, this time specialized in blessed hammer and a cold Sorceress for the easy MF at Mephisto in nightmare and hell, it was a grind i tell you. To be honest with you, after beating all the game has to offer i started giving away items for free to people, they didn't have value anymore to me, unless i needed them for a build, i don't think item values can be really determined since if you finished all the game has to offer and you find excess items that you have nothing to do with, you might end up giving them for free like i did. A time limit to the ladder is one way to keep the values of the items fresh, tough i never liked that idea in D2 and i don't like it in PoE either. I enjoy Path of Exile, but i seem to get bored at the amount of grind i have to go trough, even more than in D2, a slower grind since you can't rush a boss with guaranteed drops, and no matter how good your character is, the end game is still deadly. Compare that to Diablo 2 (especially before 1.10), the game had a different approach, if you were good enough you could finish the game without optimized gear, without relying on trading, the game was more free in terms of builds, you could create hybrid characters and *have fun*, experiment, and eventually when you got items the enemies became less of a threat, till, eventually, you dispatched them with ease, it was rewarding, killing all the monsters in the game fast never made me want to stop playing the game, having everything just made me start helping others and trying out new crazy builds, compare that to PoE, tough, i'm sure you know how marketing for a f2p game works, keep the gamer playing, keep the stakes high, more game time equals a higher chance of that player purchasing something. In conclusion, i think that the player character should have the possibility to reach a power spike above any enemy in the game as to dispatch them with ease, while this should not happen super fast, it should not require a life-time investment either, or trading for that matter, since some people want to play solo. The game mode for solo play should have an increased item drop since you can't trade those items anyway. Cheers!

[@Flo-mz8ct]

Compared to D1, D2, SC, BW, WC3, TFT, WoW, Blizzard's games nowadays suck. I loved their games, I played every Blizzard game till D3. Sadly D3 was mediocre at best, and since then only disappointment followed. Too bad they make way more revenue with micro transactions than selling game copies. So their development goes into that and marketing... Their games used to be epic, setting new bars on release, and their communitys were always top tier. And now I see generic WoW with no community, a Card game, and Mobas.... wtf?! These are like user created maps for wc3 >_

[@Kerath]

THE WORST thing about Diablo 3 is itemization, stats and scaling. When you need 13 different Torment Levels you know you've fucked up. Path of Exile easily avoided that, there is no need for an item set that gives 3000% damage boost and 50% resist. Diablo 3 Endgame is 100% copy-paste WoW shit. 8000 Str, 12 Dex, 14 Int and 8000 Vit... yeah, that looks good!

[@matejpodlesnik6538]

I would change randomness of items being droped. If a goat fights with a sword, how can it drop a bow? And how can it drop a primal antient whatever, when it is just a goat? If it doesen't wear it, it shoulden't drop it. All places should have some unique material, and crafting could be more serious....you should be able to craft top items, not just useless junk. Gold sink!!!!!!! Classes are to stiff. Why can't my archer (demon hunter/amazon) learn a skill from a wizard? End game option. Pls bring trading back!!!!! When i'm fully geared barb I should be able to nock down almoust all doors. And if i want Blood Rush through a wall, then how can a closed door around the corner stop me? Elemental dmg should mean something. Goats shoulden be affected as much to phisical dmg, but with fire you would own them. I still like points for basics (strenght, agility, inteligence, vitality). More you use one tipe of weapon (skill), more you master it - like paragon points for skills. End game bosses that are dificult to kill. We need bosses that respond to your actions, and you should respond to theirs. Not just pre-written sequence of attacks. Bosses should have protection from some elemental powers,....

[@Fengtos]

There are a lot of great things about D3. Gameplay fluidity for example. It's so smooth it plays amazing compared to the previous game and compared to Path of Exile for example. Also the item drop system is really good now in my opinion. When D3 first came out it took me 2 months before I found my first legendary. Way too rare. Some may argue that it's a loot fest now but I think that's what it should be. D2 droprates were also way to rare. Auction house was terrible but it works in WoW so I guess if they rethink it it could work but tread carefully. So I think they should: go back to the dark gothic theme as in d1 and d2, keep gameplay fluidity and respec ability like in D3, no auction house, d3 drop rates. Less linear. Awesome dark cinematics like D2. WAAAY more areas. More different things to do. More expansions during the years after. absolutely no micro transactions.

[@tzutzescu]

no, heavy two handed swords (or weapons) have no place being wielded by scrawny sorceresses or mage types. that was one of the major let downs for me with d3, seeing a wizzard chick with a 2h axe bigger than her, getting the damage for -insert spell here- from the weapon ...like wtf is that?! also specific fighting skills should require specific weapons, like Jab (amazon in d2) should only work with a javelin or long piercing weapon (rapier), or a smash skill, should only work with a greathammer, etc. the part with different effect skills working together is cool, like in Divinity Original Sin, but must be very controlled, or else you get chaos. the color tones and music should be d1-d2 indeed, and for the love of god, no more dmg numbers on screen!

[@level12lobster8]

Also need to do away with set bonus the way it works in D3. Full set of 6 that forces your hand. How is any build suppose to get +3000%-4000% increased damage for one ability plus all runes unlocked and even -50% damage taken? That right there killed any idea of "build" to Blizzard build and they couldn't even balance the 3-4 class sets within them self. They should be limited to 2-3 piece sets with such things as a general buff to some aspect, rather then a single ability. Example 3 set: 2 piece - chance to gain 20 mana on crit, 3 piece - spending 100 mana increases your crit by 5% for 2s and stacks 2 times. You can use this with any build if spending lots of mana (think abilities that spend all your mana on use or channeled ability) and having a crit reliance.Think whirlwind barb or sleet storm wizard. Another thing would be to allow buffs to be more of a permanent thing with a permanent cost that can enhance your build but not need to be taking up 1 or 2 of you 6 abilities slots just to make that slot glow and have to be pressed once every 5m-10m. That is a waste of space. Also could of had all the 120s CD abilities in one group and give a single dedicated special ability slot that lets you assign only one to it. Still allowing the other one or possibly two super long CD abilities be used as well but on your standard 6 ability slots if that is what you wanted. Runes... stop having us choose between +200% damage or 10% chance to freeze, immune to freeze afterwards for 5s. This is a no brainer. Make runes interesting by changing how they work and not damage. The rune that gives the highest damage will always be picked then. Only time a rune should change damage is if it is an equal shift. Give runes that change how an ability functions, such as lower damage, higher fire rate or ability now pierces targets or something along the lines of the wizards meteor runes. Last note... wtf are generators and spenders any more? Every build comes up with it's own method of generating resource. This just makes generators pointless as they do almost no damage and take 5-10 uses to refill your resource so you can use your spender 2-3 times? That is how D3 started out before try set bonus defined builds and it was super clunky and slow. So I ask now... what role does generators and spenders fill if most builds can just free spam spenders with out even thinking about resource? Maybe if generators were THE ONLY WAY to get resource but were not garbage damage compared to spenders... could have some interesting synergies of utilizing two different abilities fill out a cycle (similar to the concept of rotations in MMO games) This could lend to the other two types of abilities be defense short CD, offensive short CD and then your 2-4 "ults" 120s CD abilities. Now we got 4/6 slots filled, "ult" slot filled and 2 free slots to use how ever you want. Just add in some ability changing uniques that compliment some sort of talent tree that lets you scale your defenses and damage type... BOOM! got a build that is actually a build and you can possibly make many different successful builds that work to push high end content. LAST THING: make Crit Chance and Crit Damage the same stat!!! one stat only. very simple 1:10 ratio. now gear that can roll CC&CD don't become a slot hog and force your itemization. OR just allow pieces that can have both just get one extra affix on it. simple. no need to rip vitality because there are not enough affixes.

[@takesnosides3814]

I'd say start with giving players an offline SP mode. I know this is an issue of DRM but it really is one of those things that makes the game a main stay. If the power goes out, or the internet is down, you break out your laptop and play the game. Basically Diablo II is there when other modern games can't be. The second thing is I think that Diablo 2 hit the nail on the head with limiting skill choices with the trees. It gave you this sense that you were specializing, like some master training in the wilderness. This implemented the RPG idea of choice making through the mechanics of the game instead of dialogue. Finally, I wouldn't go prequel. I would do a straight up remake of Diablo 1 but improved. This way Blizzard doesn't have to keep trying to find a new way to make Diablo somehow come back from defeat. Players who were too young to play Diablo 1 can finally experience the story without having the immersion breaking lack of mechanics (like not being able to run) Older players will appreciate the nostalgia and enjoy new bits of lore and gear that enhance the new experience.

[@Thierce]

D2 was about surviving the horrors of hell, D3 was about slaying as many weird demon-things as quickly as possible and moving to the nest area. Basically, a big part of what made D2 feel so dark and hopeless and which contributed to the tone and atmosphere of the game was its difficulty. To anyone execpt D2 veterans, some monsters in that game became absolutely terrifying because of their ability to kill you extremely quickly and because D2 actually had a consequence for death, that I would call rather nasty.

[@paulo8301]

Lol, seriously,LESSON They can just forget d3 even existed.

[@jonathanbalagot3932]

To forget something means they are bound to repeat it, as it were. It should be remembered as mostly what NOT to do.

[@prismaticbeetle3194]

pretty much

[@thundron]

No. They need to remember what not to do :D

[@OliveDoctor]

But, why? I actually loved Diablo 3

[@gigaswardblade7261]

DIABLO 3 SUX KUS NECRO IS BROKEN! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[@Alextherock9]

Bring back david brevik for diablo 4. He obviously did an amazing job with D1, D2, D2 expansion. Why not bring him back to make a real sequal for D2. Diablo 3 is Wow with a diablo name, D3 is not diablo!

[@sergueileonardoafonin7950]

The graphical change in d4 is overdue, but the attack animations are still to flashy. It isn't about being eye-candy, it's about impact. The world in diablo is dark and fallen, with small glimpses of hope and humanity. It's not about superheros, it's about survival.

[@yuripantyhose4973]

READ MY LIPS, NO MORE RESET SKILL/ATTRIBUTE FEATURE (and bring back attributes/stats, give us more customization with risk!)

[@7gamex]

Here's a counter point. The reason Diablo 3 is "lighter" in tone compared to the others is because the story is getting to the point where the Evils are LOSING the war. Diablo 1 and 2 is where Diablo's plan is starting to unfold. D3 is where he tries to win and fails. The Worldstone being destroyed also brings Nephilim back to full strength, so we are capable of winning the war. So it shouldn't be as gloomy.

[@0rcryst]

@7gamex - But then the theme isn't as interesting. It would be like Resident Evil having less zombies because "we're almost done killing them in the story."

[@brucenatelee]

I liked the combat on PS3, since I can't see myself get into clicking on where to go and what to do on a mouse, like I'm giving orders than controlling the character. Wish they allowed all weapons to be used visually with the attacks. Using the Monk with a staff, but you're still just punching instead was kinda weak, but mixing my buttons to feel like I'm doing combos was cool. This is aesthetic and not functional, though it can be, but it would make the gameplay feel more authentic. I'm already annoyed by shooters having bayonets on guns, but you don't use them, except Borderlands and Call of Duty.

[@SitKid721]

If it's anything like d3 it will suck and be nothing more then a noob friendly world of Diablocraft with no depth it really seems like they didn't even try to make a good game. D2 is on such a higher level and always will be I have very lil hope for Diablo 4 or the haxs that they have working on it.

[@nomadfallout]

i love poe and i play it to death but i would love a really dark slow, scary descent into hell kinda of game. like diablo 1, and instead of gearing of for power u are gearing up for surviving

[@rogerklotz7737]

Learn? They better bring out D2 HD. Or copy PoE xDDD

[@kodaiyoung]

Forget about it, blizzard already stated that they will never do another 18+ game like they did with D1. People today are too much sensitive for the heavy gore, claustrophobic ambient and desecration. A tale of terror, suffering and pain? Heretic!

[@RaxuRangerkingsChannel]

I don't really mind the flashy look of Diablo 3. In fact, it's inevitable if we wanna have healing firestorms and mid-air potion explosions like you're talking about. My problem with D3 was the difficulty. D3 has two difficulties; stupidly easy, and boringly grindy, and there's very little way to tell when the game will be one or the other, and the differences between them just aren't the same as in previous games. Back in D2, the levels of difficulty lived up to their names; enemies would have new resistances, new immunities, elemental damage, and virtually every encounter was a boss pack. In D3, increasing the difficulty just makes enemies progressively more tanky, have more boss modifiers, and if you increase the difficulty way far up, you might even die once or twice. But other than that, increasing difficulty in D3 either resulted in enemies being slightly more tedious to kill, or everything being absurdly tanky. There was never any need to change up your build, use a different strategy, use a different merc, etc. because pretty much every enemy just died if you kept hitting it. That's not to say D2 was perfect either; the body-retrieval mechanic is hands down one of the most baffling, nonsensical, anti-fun game mechanics ever designed for a video game. It's worse than Dark Souls; the game is essentially asking you to buy a new armor and weapon set with every death, or run naked into the thing that just killed you when you were fully equipped. This can easily lead to an unwinnable situation if, say, 3 boss packs pile on top of your multiple corpses, which just isn't fun or necessary.

[@Broockle]

"There was never any need to change up your build, use a different strategy, use a different merc, etc. because pretty much every enemy just died if you kept hitting it. " I love how you put it xD Yep, D3 is a grind fest. I'd love to see gear and abilities that are situational and that need to be switched and changed around to tackle engagements in different ways. I'd love to see environmental interactions that affect the battles with both mobs and bosses in interesting ways. And I'd love to see different classes having different approaches to rooms all together, Mages blinking through walls and go invisible to engage from better terrain, or Barbarians closing the distance by making a bridge with a near by pillar, or Monks Parkouring up cliffs and catch some Demons by surprise. So much is possible with this incredible engine. It's completely underutilized.

[@phyrexiannewborn7104]

I always wanted to create a Diablo 1 Mod for Elder Scrolls.

[@eddgrs9193]

They will learn nothing. Diablo 4 will be like Overwatch, just more colorful.

[@RicochetForce]

Considering the overwhelming success of D3, it's unlikely D4 will ever look like what you're suggesting. Path of Exile is what you want out of a top-down Diablo-style game.

[@malonysaintpierre1599]

d3 is known as a piece of crap, just judging by the amount of players that still play it you can tell Not mentioning everyone knows that d3 sucks, because everyone say it, its a meme at this point. Season start> everyone logs in, next week 80% of the players are gone because they remembered why they quit in first place

[@mikaeljalamo4834]

you have no idea what you are talking about... :D

[@buttsfartley987]

lol thats exactly whati i do, they even managed to make the necro boring

[@OsmoZchannel]

Im still playing and enjoying d3 and lot of my friends are :D

[@EvilNecroid]

boobs

[@davidnagy5171]

these changes would make diablo 4 a niche game, and nowadays blizzard consist of more businessman instead of developers and gamers wanting to make great games... it's a shame, but i can only see them making 'popular' games for the masses in the future

[@LPgamedev]

Diablo 1 is the older brother of Diablo 2, not the younger lol

[@alexandercross9081]

I also would like to see cursed weapons, the sort of thing that gives you a great advantage with a crippling weakness Example. Elemental Sword. Low level (10-18) no stat costs, can be used by any class Does 250 normal damage per hit and 300 fire damage per hit, Fast swing speed Maybe offers stat buffs -but- On killing an enemy has a decent (5-40%) chance summons a 1200 health fire golem, who does the Sorceress, blaze skill, but longer, does 600 damage a hit, and runs at least as fast as the player, and does not get tired, who will do nothing but hunt the player down, and kill them, until it is killed ,as in no it won't despawn after you die, or the player rage quits Or even something as simple as a charm that gives you a bonus to one stat at the cost of another +20 strength -20 dexterity

[@TjarpDex]

So basically, Diablo 4 should be what Grim Dawn is except better.

[@devil1360]

Great video, though i must say that i disagree with the trading part. Trading is what made D3 really bad at first, specially since it makes people with money just pay an avid gamer to give him items and such. Instead it would be best to keep the current format of reward players that enjoys the game longer and so on.

[@eddgrs9193]

Diablo 1 was the best, Diablo 2 started the trend with the cartoon look.

[@bridgetgaribaldi5149]

i know this is a little aged but i love this assessment. diablo was the first online game i ever played. i miss the old necromancer bone spear builds and summons lol

[@bigginsmcsauce]

I found Diablo I BGM, ambient sounds and overtone to be WAY darker...I mean the dialogue leading up to the Butcher alone was pretty gruesome...Nothin' quite like the first imo...but I love the Tristram ref in DII...hated DIII for some reason I could never place...

[@233Hicks]

You forgot the most essential inclusion. Another Cow Level.

[@DownwardThrust]

Or the lucky charms magical fairy land 'cow level' of diablo 3. *shrillcry*

[@samevis3954]

diablo 2 always good then diablo 3, why

[@kennoth3297]

I speak as a fan of all three games. You made some good points, but overall nothing we haven't heard before. You treat Diablo III like it's not even a part of the franchise, and only bring it up to bring out its flaws. There are some things that Diablo III did right, like combat and rune-enhanced Skill system. I also disagree with the necessity of attribute allocation. In D2 all you ever did was get enough Strength to wear your gear, and dump everything else into vitality. Not that much thought went into it, nor did it do something to make characters more unique. I also don't mind the cooldown spells, if you want to rely on them you're forced to wear cooldown reduction gear while sacrificing your overall damage. Your presentation is great, but I wished you were less biased and subjective in your opinion.

[@ShadowViewsOnly]

If you did just str till gear and max vita, you had a suboptimal charater.

[@kennoth3297]

Care to elaborate? 90% of the builds work exactly like that. Only adding dexterity if you're relying on physical damage and need the hit rating up.

[@ShadowViewsOnly]

Exactly. So 3/4 traits are already used. So not all the builds use the same layout.

[@Ploulaf]

as long as they bring the monk back I'm all in.

[@antiHUMANDesigns]

Diablo3 is a really good game, it just isn't a masterpiece.

[@acespade4097]

I always thought blizzard should have never moved away from the atmosphere and style from Diablo 1. They have a masterpiece and still fail to see it as such. Out of all the Diablos I would play the 1st release the most. D3 is trash and endless grinding of which is pointless.

[@Venomousse]

Try as I might, I can't think of a single thing Diablo 3 did better or even as well as its predecessors.

[@nates386]

Diablo would be fun played in a more open style world with things like portals leading arcane realms and tunnels that descend into the abyss. With some 3D environments, NOT cartoony at all and dark AF. zero micro payments everything is on an even scale. but you can pay a monthly sub to pay for the servers. updates every year and not once a month with way too much dead content (other games) and bring back SOJ hunting

[@FastRedPonyCar]

I am holding my breath for D4. I loved D2 and D3 was pretty good but super casual (though still fun for what it was) but POE has been my main go-to for a long time now and while not perfect, I think it addresses nearly all the problems listed in this video. I think that GGG really took a hard look at what made the older ARPG's fun and improved on what could have made them better.

[@DeeTheBlogger]

Well......I am a lover of the Diablo 2 and 3....just please, please don't put us gamers in a position where we have to pay for characters and get more of a Diablo 2 build. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Diablo 3 sets for each character class.....the Diablo 2 gaming feel on PC felt more personalized. I'm hoping the storyline of Diablo 4 broadens and also brings in more musical influence. One of the major things that brought me to playing Elder Scrolls Oblivion and Skyrim was the free gameplay AND the music. I can't wait until Diablo comes out!!!! #BringIt

[@PaulRoneClarke]

I would say "Don't get too hung up on balance" They balance D3 so finely that in the end there are only 1 or max 2 viable builds for each class in the game. They fret and fuss over 1% issues and remove player choice. If someone is prepared to grind 300 hours - let them be a bit OP, if someone wants to try an offbeat combo of skills, then give them the drops to make it worthwhile sometimes. I've played D2 through about 10x and hundred s of hours grinding all sorts of builds and item combos, some are easier than others, some are hard and just interesting to play. Some you can face-plant your way through mobs, others take more care and attention. That's fine. Titan Quest, D2, Torchlight, Grim Dawn, PoE - all the other games currently in this genre allow players to make mistakes, get a little OP or find ways of coping with slightly sub optimal builds. In D3 I spend hundreds of hours grinding for that one - only viable last piece of equipment to complete that one - the only - viable build for that class. The only build that even nearly works... and that makes for an increasingly dull end game.

[@Enkeria]

What I want for D4? Pretty much this. And while they are making it, I want a Diablo spin-off. Offline solo campaign, Skyrim style! And with you just choosing male or female to play as, and expand the tree into your liking, and, no cap on each ability, so when you max out a character (!) you could spend all points on just one thing. The setting would be after Diablo 3, in a time when angels and demons are just myths. And you play as a the decendant of Tyrael. As soon as the evil starts to roam free, you are "awakened" with powers.

[@AleksanderFimreite]

I loved the way they were telling the story in Diablo 3. But I wish they could have had more emphasis on the darkness of it! I just want good loot to a result of agonizing grinding again. Getting good loot all of the time just doesn't make that legendary you were hoping for feel any special when it finally drops! Graphics and flow of Diablo 3 was very good. But I wish they gave the creatures more unpleasant / supernatural movement patters. So that they feel like alien / uncanny creatures!

[@JustaGuy_Gaming]

I was a bit surprised that it didn't come up in this video but one of the greatest features of the first game was randomized dungeon creation. Sure it was a some what simple cut and paste approach but you never knew exactly which quest would be available, the layout of the area or even exactly which enemies might be available. In comparison Diablo 3 was very linear with only a few side dungeons that randomly appeared but what was in those dungeons themselves seemed to be always the same. Considering D3 was pretty sure and just expected you to replay the game 3 times on increasingly hard difficulty settings it drastically hurt the game imo. To me the maps being randomly created in some way is perhaps the most important aspect with a close second being far more abilities and classes. D3 didn't really have too many abilities to choose from and only a handful of classes even with the expansion. While D1 didn't really have much either D2 had way more to choose from, classes that were vastly different from each other as well. I kind of hope Diablo 4 has at least 8 classes if not 12 to start with.

[@pelgervampireduck]

the most important thing: diablo 4 offline single player story mode must NOT HAVE DRM THAT DEPENDS ON A SERVER!!!!!!.

[@abyssalspecter93]

way to make D4 good: don't make the PC version a fucking beta test for the console port like you did with Diablo 3 no more real money auction house no forced skill path since only 1-2 things on each class are even viable late game no retarded pseudo difficulty with everything just absorbing billions of damage