How would you rather see content added to the game?

[tiffy33]

It just feels like the Devs are ignoring the game because patches only happen once in a blue moon. How often would you like to see content added to the game? The way it currently is where you get like 2 patches a year or smaller monthly or even bi-weekly patches? Personally I want frequent updates. This way they can do bug fixes and minor adjustments when they are needed. Also it just makes me feel like they care about the game rather than just putting everything off till its major patch time. I dont even understand how they can put out a game and then not update it regularly. It doesnt have to be major stuff like a new class but just some minor tweaks here and there.

[Deleted]

We require more character and bank slots.

[Fencers]

Smaller, more frequent patches.

Path of Exile adds content in 4-6 month blocks. Which is I think ideal for an ARPG because the genre is so heavily tied to repetition. "Grinding" as it were.

Though I think maybe Diablo 3 needs content a bit quicker than Path of Exile. Diablo 3 is an incredibly shallow and linear game. Highly linear. D3 is the most linear game design Blizzard have published as a game and that says a lot given the Blizz's legendary knack for limited linear progression models over 20-something years.

Blizzard wouldn't even have to add content that much more expansive every time out. But just like little events, special challenges or a new random dungeon tileset every few months would go a long way for D3. There isn't much to the game otherwise.

Yearly expansion may be workable. But I think there are only so many xpacks the D3 market would be willing to buy yearly. Will people even care about Xpack #4 three years from now? I doubt it.

Given the genre D3 reigns over and Blizzard's lavish, almost obscene, production capability I feel it is shameful of Blizzard and the player base to tolerate lazy game design. To say nothing of the disrespect to the legacy the Diablo franchise.

Diablo 3 is not a bad game; it is well produced and very fun. I feel the handling of the title has been disgraceful in this current era, however.

[Valeron]

I feel that D3 has best combat (at least from a sensory point of view) in the genre. But otherwise my thoughts are the same as Fencers.

[Fencers]

I feel that D3 has best combat (at least from a sensory point of view) in the genre. But otherwise my thoughts are the same as Fencers.

I agree with you. :P

D3's play environment is fantastic. The game is a true spectacle of the genre.

Your wizard looks awesome, the spells sound awesome, the flaming sword with crystal tricolored disco ball focus is awesome! You're fucking awesome!

That is the design of Diablo 3 in summary. And it's great when the game is about that experience in short periods.

[Coldkil]

That is the design of Diablo 3 in summary. And it's great when the game is about that experience in short periods.

Maybe it's the entire point of Blizzard development. There is actually no point in keeping people playing costantly - also i think about "modern" playerbase which is way less attracted by long time commitments and favor much more short-spanned sessions that can be repeated anytime.

I agree that there are a lot of things that could have been developed with much more depth and some layer of complexity that would have made them more interesting, but maybe i'm part of the minority.

Even with all the issues the game had/has, no one can say it isn't been a success from a business point of view. It has its solid playerbase and continues to deliver to them.

Maybe the target of the game is different from what we think, on different degrees.

To answer to the poll, yes,i would like more frequent content patches. Though for the moment and the effort i put in the game i'm still fine with this development.

Hope i explained my point, no intention to bash any of the sides.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I'd all be for Fencer's argument, except...

Blizzard treats Diablo 3 at the moment as a filler game while WoW undergoes the process of a post-expansion cycle. They need Diablo 3 to keep the money rolling in/gamers in with Blizzard's side of the industry, if only for a little while. They released Diablo 3 after Dragon Soul to keep us busy, and we loved it. It was a complete package filled to the brim with goodies. We got even more with RoS after a few months of Siege. And it's pretty much a given that the next expansion will be released a couple months after we kill Grommosh/whoever the hell is going to be the final WoD boss. While I probably am biased on this matter, I'd very much prefer for Blizzard to have a lot of time on their hands (an entire WoW expansion's worth = 1.5+ years at least) to come up with new ideas, develop their game, refine what they have, and bug test it. Blizzard seems to do better when they have a generous time span and don't have to work under pressure.

That doesn't mean I'd want more patches like the seasons and the new goodies they bring with them, though. In fact, I'd like to see more stuff added to those patches and them be a little more frequent (ie, a new patch every 6-8 weeks?)

[Fencers]

Seems pretty dubious to claim an entire IP, production & operational budget and game genre as content filler for Blizzard's other (very specific) IP in another genre.

[Gsara]

Every 4-6 months is fine with me. I would like to see more flare with the seasons though, like POE does.

[tiffy33]

Diablo 3 is not a bad game; it is well produced and very fun. I feel the handling of the title has been disgraceful in this current era, however.

Its like they dont understand current gamers at all. They should realize that what they think is an acceptable amount of time between patches isnt even close. People today blow through content so fast theres really only 2 options. Either make shit so hard that its just not fun for the majority of players or they do more frequent updates to keep things fresh and fun.

I agree D3 is leaps and bounds better than it was suffering under the Jay Wilson regime. But it just doesnt have the same replay value that PoE has. When I want to try a different build in D3 I just switch around my skills and thats it. Sure I have to swap my gear from say Cold Damage to Physical Damage or whatever but that only means pulling something out of your stash or reforging. When I want to try a different build around in PoE I level up a new character. Also banning all forms of trading kills a lot of the end game as well because theres nothing to grind for. There is no saving up in order to buy that godly item that you have had your eye on. D3 end game just feels lacking. If they want to remove trading thats fine but they need to add more end game to make up for it. GRifts are flawed because in order to progress very high you basically need BiS gear with perfect rolls. Thats extremely hard to do without being able to trade for it. My DH was stuck at GRift 30 for a month because I never got a T&T. I had no problems surviving the monsters I just couldnt kill them fast enough to beat the timer. No trading in a game based around RNG is ludicrous.

[Ytlayol]

I would like frequent content updates, similar to marvel heroes or poe. Not sure they are capable of such a feat though, with the introduction of ancient items and their announcement of happily adding more zones with reused art assets, I feel that they only have a handful of people working on the game.

[Fencers]

Its like they dont understand current gamers at all.

I disagree with this, a lot. Blizzard are not dumb, so to speak. They are some of the most savvy developers I have seen and meet. Blizz hires people that know video games.

The incredible success of Blizz's games proves as objectively as possible; Blizzard understands the mass market audience of gaming.

What I think Blizzard doesn't recognize is the niche or "core" gamer audience specifically interested in the margins of their IPs; the specific experience of early WOW raiding, the specific experience of Diablo 2, the specific mechanisms of Brood War, et cetera.

It is fitting that Metallica played Blizzcon this year, I thought. For the two entities represent the same trajectory of appealing to mass audiences. What many "core" metalheads felt was betrayal by Metallica's black album was exactly the massive hit that put Metallica over the likes of Exodus or innumerable thrash bands still tape trading.

Just as Metallica doesn't make metal for me anymore, so too perhaps Blizzard do not make a Diablo for me.

[Coldkil]

Just as Metallica doesn't make metal for me anymore, so too perhaps Blizzard do not make a Diablo for me.

I think this comparison is exactly the point of the whole discussion.

Basically, a lot of people is disgruntled because Blizzard didn't make D3 the same experience (or better) D2 was for many of us. And i can understand it fully since i spent like many of people here around 10 years playing D2 (and counting).

Anyway, people complains about how Blizzard fails to see their blatant errors; instead i think that people just refuse to accept that players and gaming in general is not like 12 or more years ago. In order to survive and continue to expand, Blizzard adapted their games to new kind of players, which are not like you and me.

We can either accept the current situation or not. Either of the two won't change a thing for Blizzard, until suddendly most players just stop play Blizzard games - which won't simply happen because something that isn't fun for moe anymore may become fun for other people.

We can discuss as much as we want how awesome would have been if Burton was still with us and metallica had stayed true to their roots - won't change the fact that time has passed, things happened, and Metallica are now the band they are; you can listen to them or not, but they won't chnage the way they make their music.

[Orange Joe]

I personally like the long breaks between patches. Gives me a reason to come back every so often.

[Fencers]

Basically, a lot of people is disgruntled because Blizzard didn't make D3 the same experience (or better) D2 was for many of us. And i can understand it fully since i spent like many of people here around 10 years playing D2 (and counting).

Just to be clear, I am not speaking personally in the above analogy. I am not personally disgruntled or upset with Diablo 3. I was just saying "me"/"you" in a generic sense.

I just don't want to give the impression I am personally unsatisfied with Diablo 3, because I enjoy the game a fair bit!

However, that being said- I do think Diablo 3 fails to fulfill the it's legacy in the genre. Diablo 3 not pushing the limits of gameplay for ARPGs is a failure to the legacy of Diablo 1 and 2. Which were technological and artistic marvels of the genre.

Diablo 3 is for sure fun. But it's about as respectable as any mainstream AAA game of average to middling aspirations. Diablo 2 was an apex.

I been watching WillyWonka stream Diablo 2 for 5 hours now. It is glorious.

Anyway, people complains about how Blizzard fails to see their blatant errors; instead i think that people just refuse to accept that players and gaming in general is not like 12 or more years ago. In order to survive and continue to expand, Blizzard adapted their games to new kind of players, which are not like you and me.

I disagree with this. Blizzard are extremely money interested as a corporation. Their interests were not survival or appeal to a changing marketplace but an appeal to what would garner the most profit.

I don't know of many developers/publishers that are as savvy and market conscience as Blizzard. This isn't a bad thing. But they are not making games "to survive".

[Lilly32]

Basically, a lot of people is disgruntled because Blizzard didn't make D3 the same experience (or better) D2 was for many of us. And i can understand it fully since i spent like many of people here around 10 years playing D2 (and counting).

I never played a single minute of D2 and still it wasnt hard to figure out D3 was a bad game. Its gotten better but it still needs a ton of work. They just take too long the get things done. I mean bug fixes are held off until major patches? What is the point of that? What do they do from 9-5 every day from Mon-Friday?

[Deleted]

I never played a single minute of D2 and still it wasnt hard to figure out D3 was a bad game. Its gotten better but it still needs a ton of work. They just take too long the get things done. I mean bug fixes are held off until major patches? What is the point of that? What do they do from 9-5 every day from Mon-Friday?

The problem with fixing Diablo 3, and a good reason its taking so long is that its not bugs you can just correct. Its the most fundamental part of the game that the original creators completely failed on. Now blizzard is bringing in new people who are trying to patch it up. And honestly they make it better and better. But there are still some core issues in D3, and sadly i think the game took a real blow in popularity because of it. As an example back in the day of d2 and LoD you wouldnt have to ask wich of my friends played d2, because they all did. Even the non nerdy ones. Now ofc. everyone bought d3. But the ones who actually play it are miniscule compared. Mostly because they havent played since their innitial level 1-60+ experience and that was god awful

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Seems pretty dubious to claim an entire IP, production & operational budget and game genre as content filler for Blizzard's other (very specific) IP in another genre.

One need only look at Blizzard's effort invested into the title releases and their dates to see that Diablo 3 is being treated as a holdover for WoW players. Since when did Diablo 3 or it's expansion ever get a major, feature and content ridden patch outside of the post WoW expansion timeframe or during an active one? Pretty sure if Blizzard didn't keep reneging on their promises for yearly expansions with regular, uninterrupted patch updates, Diablo 3 would've seen new updates coming ut at a much more steady rate rather than being bundled up into an expansion level title.

I think this comparison is exactly the point of the whole discussion.

Basically, a lot of people is disgruntled because Blizzard didn't make D3 the same experience (or better) D2 was for many of us. And i can understand it fully since i spent like many of people here around 10 years playing D2 (and counting).

Anyway, people complains about how Blizzard fails to see their blatant errors; instead i think that people just refuse to accept that players and gaming in general is not like 12 or more years ago. In order to survive and continue to expand, Blizzard adapted their games to new kind of players, which are not like you and me.

We can either accept the current situation or not. Either of the two won't change a thing for Blizzard, until suddendly most players just stop play Blizzard games - which won't simply happen because something that isn't fun for moe anymore may become fun for other people.

We can discuss as much as we want how awesome would have been if Burton was still with us and metallica had stayed true to their roots - won't change the fact that time has passed, things happened, and Metallica are now the band they are; you can listen to them or not, but they won't chnage the way they make their music.

True. Blizzard, like any other developer, will take their core gameplay and then experiment with a new direction in every iteration. If you don't like that D3 was an exact D2 sucessor, then PoE is only a download away.

[Coldkil]

-snip-

"Surviving" was to be intended as a wider meaning, like "continuing to ruin well their business". I actually agree with everything you said, from D3 being generally "less" than its predecessor - but i still think it continues to bring forward the franchise in a different way than before.

EDIT: i actually failed and got the impression you were just unsatisfied with the game, happy to hear you're not

[Fencers]

"Surviving" was to be intended as a wider meaning, like "continuing to ruin well their business". I actually agree with everything you said, from D3 being generally "less" than its predecessor - but i still think it continues to bring forward the franchise in a different way than before.

Gotcha. We are 1-to-1 on the issue it seems.

I also think D3 brings a lot of awesome features to the genre. Features that I think will be iterative in the next generation of ARPGs; scaling difficulty, hotjoin multiplayer, linear campaign/free exploration modes, personalized looting, compact skill bars.

All of those are great in the context of D3 and I can think of many ways that design would carry over to the betterment of ARPGs still following the more dated tiered difficulty structure such as Path of Exile.

Some of D3's design is already shown in like Marvel Heroes, Van Helsing 2, Lost Ark.