Can someone give a brief rundown of what seasons are about?

[Jessicka]

I've just started playing Diablo again, decided to pick up a Demon Hunter, already have a Wizard 16 paragon. I've not played for a long time so not really paid any attention to the seasonal stuff; I think the most important question is whether I lose the Season character at close, but what else is there about it that you don't get from regular play?

[Coldkil]

Ok, i'll try to be as short as possible

First of all season characters and overall progress is not lost at the end of the seasons. The character is converted into a normal one and all paragon is merged with the main characters. Loot is sent through the ingame mail to the non-season characters, same as cube powers that are merged. You lose literally nothing.

As for the reason to do the seasons: there's nothing exclusive in them but some cosmetics (pets, wings, portraits) which may be not appealing enough. They are a viable way to run a new character if you want to try a new build given how fast you can manage to get a full set (it's given for "free" completing the first 4 chapters of the journey)

Then it's up to you. You can complete the journey for more portrait variants or try to climb up the ladders - personally i don't care for the latter as it's either 24/7 play or die and journey has become pretty stale after 8 seasons, but again it's personal opinion on one player that every season start is there running.

Point is, it's pretty fast. Too damn fast. It's nice and fresh and power creep is huge, but when you've played all classes multiple times you're pretty done. Especially now that there have been very few changes.

From what you write you've yet to tackle anything Diablo3, so you're going to have a very fun time for 3-4 seasons if you change main every time. But then you'll find that nothing actually changes much, until this hiatus is coming to a stop and new stuff starts to come out. January will be fun for a little while with the new D1 event, but i expect to be done with it in a very short time.

[Jessicka]

Thanks! Seems to answer the important things I wanted to know and wish I'd known before getting my DH to Act 3, oh well. I can always level new ones though, it seems easier than when I first started even on harder difficulties and I can keep an eye on the sets and cosmetics for pretty ones if I want to try new classes.

[Coldkil]

Well, season let you start directly from adventure mode - don't bother with story until you really want to see it. The route to 70 is just spamming as many rifts in Hard difficulty as needed.

[Jessicka]

Well, season let you start directly from adventure mode - don't bother with story until you really want to see it. The route to 70 is just spamming as many rifts in Hard difficulty as needed.

But... I like story mode

[Datenshi]

But... I like story mode

then i would say go story :P
Diablo for me is doing what you like to do

but as coldkil said to level fastest go to adventure mode

[Coldkil]

But... I like story mode

Then go for it Nothign is really wrong playing until you care about how much it takes.

Sure as hell Story mode could use a nice buff in rewards or even better some sort of progression separated from GRs just to make worth playing it more than one time.

[DeltrusDisc]

Then go for it Nothign is really wrong playing until you care about how much it takes.

Sure as hell Story mode could use a nice buff in rewards or even better some sort of progression separated from GRs just to make worth playing it more than one time.

"Kill the end bosses in X minutes after the start of the game!"

Duhhhhhhhhhh. Get your progression nurd!

All kidding aside, I agree, I'd like something story-mode driven that would push for actual progression/rankings of some sort. Not really sure what it would be though... maybe something to do with how the bosses spawn, or if they could spawn with extra adds, or have more abilities... this just sounds like a difficulty change though and not real prog. =/

[MechaCThun]

Seasons are Blizard’s way of keeping D3 “fresh’ around the end game content which I think is focused around Greater Rifts and Paragon levels.

With each season you get the incentive to start a brand new character to level through Adventure Mode (or even the game’s story mode called Campaign) all the way to 70 and play normally.

The difference is that each Season has certain objectives you can complete that give you either gear (full Set pieces depending on your class; each season focuses on a different Set as of late) or cosmetic items (customized portraits, pets, wings, etc) and I think the biggest incentive is…

…at the end of the season all of your seasonal character’s Paragon points accumulated are added to your normal character’s Paragon points – while also making your seasonal characters non-seasonal (since the season is over, after all).

If a certain character you play has a large amount of game time played and achievements earned, you have the choice to “rebirth” that character into Seasonal mode. That character is reverted to level 1 and loses all of the items on him and in your bags. However, these items are not lost. They are sent into your mail across your other normal characters.

“Rebirthing” a character is good for people who like continue the progress of one character such as getting as much play time, achievements, items and gold acquired; stuff like that.

EDIT: There seems to be an aspect of the D3 community who are either for seasons as they are now and those who think seasons are not worth it. I’d invite you to experience for yourself, given it is really the only consistent thing Blizzard does for D3 to keep it “alive” and all.

[Allatar]

The problem with Story Mode and Seasons is that all of the goals for the season journey push you firmly into Adventure Mode. Someone trying seasonal play for the first time and sticking to the story only is going to get pretty frustrated with lack of journey progress before too long. Making the story more relevant in terms or season progression could only be a good thing.

But hey, what the others above me have said is true: you play YOUR way and do what you enjoy. Some people love pushing the season journey as far as they can as quick as they can, others prefer to take their time, explore and see everything. Neither way is right and neither way is wrong.

[Paladin Wolf]

The problem with Story Mode and Seasons is that all of the goals for the season journey push you firmly into Adventure Mode. Someone trying seasonal play for the first time and sticking to the story only is going to get pretty frustrated with lack of journey progress before too long.

But that's what non-season is for. The benefit seasons get is that you get a free set, but if you're playing to do the story and explore the first time you don't need it. If you play on Normal you can get by on blues just fine the whole way.

[Coldkil]

But that's what non-season is for. The benefit seasons get is that you get a free set, but if you're playing to do the story and explore the first time you don't need it. If you play on Normal you can get by on blues just fine the whole way.

Story mode is played only one time and then forgotten. Non season is exactly like season - GRs spam.

[MechaCThun]

Story mode is played only one time and then forgotten. Non season is exactly like season - GRs spam.

Blizzard needs to add another compelling, reoccurring aspect to seasons for sure.

As of right now it's really only the seasonal achievements/conquests for the whole community and the ladder portion for the more serious and dedicated bunch.

What could Blizzard possibly add to seasons - that even may include Story Mode - to give seasons this compelling factor?