What does Diablo 4 need?

[styil]

With Diablo 4 potentially in the works, what overhauls does it need from Diablo 3 to make it successful? Or should Blizzard stick to the D3 formula with new, updated content?

[Coldkil]

They can salvage from D3 the combat flow/playstyle, as it is really good. Other than that, everything must be done from scratch. Progression, itemization, world, etc.

The point is that Diablo was always meant to be a trilogy, and D3 has not been a fitting ending for it in terms of quality/standing up to its legacy. A new Diablo game should be a starting point for new stuff that brings back its name. It's something needed both from a PR point of view and a gaming one.

[Kikazz]

They can salvage from D3 the combat flow/playstyle, as it is really good. Other than that, everything must be done from scratch. Progression, itemization, world, etc.

The point is that Diablo was always meant to be a trilogy, and D3 has not been a fitting ending for it in terms of quality/standing up to its legacy. A new Diablo game should be a starting point for new stuff that brings back its name. It's something needed both from a PR point of view and a gaming one.

i dont know, i like the Rift/Bounties endgame we got,

at launch where we had Inferno End Game Farming, to no point but to get that cheese roll for the RMAH.

the game has developed a lot,

i wouldnt mind seeing D4, have Rifts, not as the endgame but a thing to do on the side.

[Texan Penguin]

-Could they build an open-world Diablo IV while retaining the traditional playstyle? Sanctuary and the realms beyond are full of places that would be fun to explore and I feel like the current game structure doesn’t lend itself to immersion.

-I think IV should reward more strategic play. The “magic lawn mower“ thing gets old after a while. I enjoy having to think about what I’m doing sometimes.

-Find a way to merge Adventure and Campaign. This may mean the season system will not carry over, unfortunately, but I’d rather have continuous story updates and have a tiered seasonal reward system like Destiny 2 has now then do the same mindless content season after season.

-A third-person action view with the option to use traditional top-down isometric.

-Controller support on PC! It’s perfect for controllers, and at Diablo speeds KB/M hurts after a solid session.

[Thelxi]

I'd like it to be far more solo-friendly. My biggest problem with d3 is that you always have the cloud of inefficiency hanging over your head if you play solo, and seeing people with +30 augments/gems not to mention thousands more paragon than you on the leaderboards isn't cool. There should be an incentive for people to group up, but the degree of efficiency that farming in groups provides plus thousands of extra mainstat should not be it.

Other than that they should just continue on the same course imo. D3 was clearly unfinished and shockingly greedy when it launched, but the expansion fixed everything and polished what turned out to be imo one of Blizzard's best games. It never really got the credit or momentum it deserves. So yeah just keep at it, I'm sure they can make a good game.

[Redwyrm]

D2 Druids 10char

[Mirishka]

All the classes we've seen so far, a longer campaign, more character customization, lots of replay value.

[letssee]

if d4 was skyrim but blizzard version, fuk yea that would be dope

[Coldkil]

i dont know, i like the Rift/Bounties endgame we got,

at launch where we had Inferno End Game Farming, to no point but to get that cheese roll for the RMAH.

the game has developed a lot,

i wouldnt mind seeing D4, have Rifts, not as the endgame but a thing to do on the side.

Rifts as they are in D3 are what made people burned out of the game. This kind of content type is basically useless - you have a timed run where the class that does most damage/aoe can clear faster. Loot is not needed as you can get decked in no time and you're left with sidegrades/gem levels. They are pretty shit as content.

However, GRs spawned the M+ in WoW, and they work much better imho. Having the weekly/seasonal affixes makes for a different experience and requires different playstyle that's not just aoeing stuff down; plus, you have multiple of them with different boss fights that have actual mechanics.

Infinitely scaling content is good per se. D3 implementation of it sucks and the crappy itemization system coupled with the fact it's just a randomly generated dungeon with zero personality just makes it boring as hell and not worth playing imho.

A new Diablo game should have more meaningful content. Multiple dungeons, actual boss fights, semi-static loot tables (as in some drops or specific affixes drop from boss X so you have reason to run each). Since they scale up like GRs you can always run higher difficulties to get a better version of what you have in a reliable way and not hoping into your "legendary++".

In D2 we had literally only boss runs/uber runs/pindleskin at endgame and that didn't stop anyone, but it was because finishing the game was only the stepping stone for the item hunt. In D3 everything is crippled by the very bad itemization system.

[Soimu]

i hope we get 9999 seasons and a lot of rifts

[Santti]

I'm not really sure.

As of right now, Diablo 3 is in a good place. Have it as a starting point, and add to it.

[Illusions]

It needs to be on PC and consoles first, let's be real.

[The Oblivion]

Rifts as they are in D3 are what made people burned out of the game. This kind of content type is basically useless - you have a timed run where the class that does most damage/aoe can clear faster. Loot is not needed as you can get decked in no time and you're left with sidegrades/gem levels. They are pretty shit as content.

However, GRs spawned the M+ in WoW, and they work much better imho. Having the weekly/seasonal affixes makes for a different experience and requires different playstyle that's not just aoeing stuff down; plus, you have multiple of them with different boss fights that have actual mechanics.

Infinitely scaling content is good per se. D3 implementation of it sucks and the crappy itemization system coupled with the fact it's just a randomly generated dungeon with zero personality just makes it boring as hell and not worth playing imho.

A new Diablo game should have more meaningful content. Multiple dungeons, actual boss fights, semi-static loot tables (as in some drops or specific affixes drop from boss X so you have reason to run each). Since they scale up like GRs you can always run higher difficulties to get a better version of what you have in a reliable way and not hoping into your "legendary++".

In D2 we had literally only boss runs/uber runs/pindleskin at endgame and that didn't stop anyone, but it was because finishing the game was only the stepping stone for the item hunt. In D3 everything is crippled by the very bad itemization system.

rifts are what saved the game, not burned people out. mythic+ is what has killed wow. you got your shit backwards lol

[Super Kami Dende]

I'd like a Diablo game with the same sort of overworld maps as the Marvel Heroes game had. Lots of People, continuous events, with the ability to go into single player/small multiplayer areas for story and questing.

- - - Updated - - -

Rifts as they are in D3 are what made people burned out of the game.

I disagree entirely. Rifts is basically what kept D3 alive for literally every single D3 player I know. rerunning the same acts over and over was tiring. At least Rifts gave defined progress.

[Dakara]

rifts are what saved the game, not burned people out. mythic+ is what has killed wow. you got your shit backwards lol

This.

1000x This.

[Coldkil]

rifts are what saved the game, not burned people out. mythic+ is what has killed wow. you got your shit backwards lol

Not really lol - look at people playing. Rifts are crappy implemented content. It's a randomly generated dungeon that has no purpose - but then whatever floats your boat. M+ killed raiding in WoW for sure, but partecipation is through the roof. WoW has issues in keeping people playing as a whole, not related to M+.

EDIT: apparently it's me being the exception and people actually like doing GRs. I find them completely useless and boring since when i do one, i've done them all. However i agree that GRs saved the game from where it had literally zero content.

I don't find them good. They made people play more, but i still think the implementation is as lazy as they could have made it (but for reasons, there are core issues in D3 that cannot be fixed).

Just to be precise as possible: i know RoS saved D3 and made it 1000x better. It's not my point. I'm saying that GRs are a content format that bores me to death, since progressing for that +3 mainstat and +1 gem level just to tackle another randomized dungeons with the same random boss i either nuke through or just fish for another makes zero sense for me.
But again, i'm mixing itemization with content format. I don't really think how people can find appealing mindless zerging stuff in the hope of getting something useful. Target farming for me is ok, a random dungeon that has everything in it is unimpressive to the max.

I don't have to change anyone's mind anyway.

[Nzx]

Diablo 4 just needs to be Path of Exile, but Path of Exile already exists. Blizzard are not going to make a better ARPG than GGG have, so D4 needs to be something different to the traditional isometric grinding game.

[Life-Binder]

I hope its third person honestly

doesnt mean Souls-like combat, but at least - third-person

[MrKnubbles]

I would be much happier if they just produced more content for Diablo 3 than to remake an entirely new game. You have no idea how long it takes to create a brand new game vs. creating additional content. A new game doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be better.

[Bisso]

they really need to refrain from making those +999999% damage set bonuses. It's stupid, it totally breaks progression. I understand those went in with time, because they decided to never nerf anything but to buff what wasn't the best. So there we are. You deal 100k damage when you hit 70. You get 4 set bonus, you deal 15 millions, you get 6 set, you deal 60 BILLIONS!

The fact that it's basically impossible to "enjoy" the game now at level 70 without either a full set or LON build.

Diablo 2 was great in that sense, especially in the early days, 1.08 to 1.10. Before dupes and economy was so inflated that everyone was expected to have Enigma and other crazy rune words. Even after that, Hell Baal runs stayed Hell Baal Runs. If you can do the hardest content in the game (apart from a few Ubers like Tristram) without all the top gear, you still feel like you are progressing, or that you are "in the race".

Diablo 3 was super frustrating to play before Haedrig's Gift. Because during the early seasons, we already had OP set bonuses that would make you go from Master/Torment 1 to Torment 10, but you had to find a full set, item by item. Items that can be rough to find when you are stuck at low difficulty settings. Playing with friends, a lucky guy in the group can find all his set before anyone else finds a second piece of any set for their class. Making that person a hard carry, making everyone else feel like shit.

So ya, I would resist the temptation of making any of those +600% damage legendaries and any of the class sets. And I would try has hard as possible to never be tempted to "buff" stuff to make them competitive, nerf shit down if needed. It sucks when it happens, but at least, 2 years later, you don't run into this stupid system that if you are fully decked out in perfectly rolled legendaries and set that don't go together, you do .000001% of someone with a full set and 1 special legendary that pairs well together, with the shittiest rolled stats on them.