D2 remastered desired features thread

[Kokolums]

Welp. Anyone that has read me over the years know how much I believe multiplayer is the core value add of Blizzard games. Diablo 2 had bleeding-edge multiplayer features for this time when it was released in 2000. Blizzard has continually refused to fully commit multiplayer support for many years now and its disappointing. Whenever they offer it, its on the back burner, with minimal features and design.

So for me, when I hear of a D2 remaster, my NUMBER ONE concern is multiplayer features. If they don't focus on this stuff, D2 remaster is a waste of time. Here are the agenda items for a D2 remaster:

1. 8 player games
2. named games in a menu
3. password protect option on games
4. a full-featured lobby with toon avatars at full resolution, character data sheets, searchable stash, rune counter, trackers that tell you how many uniques / sets you've found of total possible, player inspect, chat, saved chat, etc. And lets be clear on this, the bnet friends list and realID crap is NOT ENOUGH
5. split screen mode so you can play alongside a friend in a solo game complete with the ability to chat and click on items in their window and inspect
6. picture-in-picture mode for 2+ players, clickable and draggable
7. observer mode with special chat and inspect abilities
8. enhanced helper games (such as enchantress normal difficulty games for new players)
9. helper tags people can wear to let others know they are willing to help whomever needs it

For me, I don't really care if the graphics are a knockout. Its ALLLLLLLLLLLLL about multiplayer tools. I will say D2R looks beyond excellent so far, but its also not really a factor for me.

So far, I am EXTREMELY concerned about the current state of D2R. The initial announcement is like 99% about the graphics. 1% about multiplayer features and that is a very brief mention that it is 8 player games. I approach D2R with caution. It seems at the moment set up for disappointment. I have watched the official D2R preview, read the official site, watched Rhykerr and MrLlamaSC videos and there is NOTHING detailing multiplayer plans.

I have SO many questions, and they've answered none. They've made me a big-time skeptic of this project.

[Truhan]

Well, they already said yes to 8 player games. Dunno about anything else though, the big problem is they say D2R is basically just an art engine running on top of Diablo 2, so who knows what they are/aren't gonna do to tinker with the game underneath (other than auto gold pickup). I can't begin to comprehend how you would do split screen on a PC, and I don't see them adding an observer mode of any kind. If there's one thing we all should've learned from WC3R, it's that these remasters are for maximum profit with minimum effort.

[Aurabolt]

Cross Platform Save is epic, so is being able to switch between modern graphics and retro.

Now I need to decide what console I'm gonna get it on in addition to PC obviously. I have a PS4 but I plan to get a Switch Lite soon. Hmm...

[aceperson]

a working game

[hulkgor]

Let's be honest OP, some of your 'desires' are completely whacky, unlikely or plain weird.

ie. Split Screen, Picture in Picture, Observer Mode, Enhanced Helper, etc, all come across as "wtf?".

I'm just hoping they keep and expand the original features and systems. The lobbies, game creation, etc.

They already improved upon it with the Cross-Platform (shame you have to purchase it individually), Zoom feature, Shared Stash and Auto-pickup of gold, and will have offline play and a toggle between the old\new graphics, so i'm digging it.

I just hope they can get nice anti-duping\cheating measures for online play.

Also OP, you're raging about lack of information? The deep dive clearly talked about multiplayer, social features like lobbies and game creation, hell, they even went as far as stating that even PVP will be the same, with the 'declare hostility' option whilst in towns. They also mentioned shorter seasons, persistent leaderboards (for every season), etc etc.

What more do you want to know?

[Triceron]

Shared stash is what I've always wanted.

Lost so many items through muling and it's just not worth the hassle as a solo player to 'trade with yourself'.


I'm hoping for some slight balance tweaks, but just stuff to help smooth out some legendaries and sweeten the deal on sets. I mean the set bonuses for class sets could really get some love. Great for completions sake and to show off your glow, but man it's so not worth keeping it all on. You're just tanking your stats.

[deenman]

if they just copy d2 with better visuals and a few qoL improvements i simply dont see the point of playing it besides nostalgia....d2 simply isnt that amazing of a game in 2021,games like grim dawn took the d2 formula and improved it in pretty much every aspect,and thats a 2016 game,we have many more awsome looking arpg's coming in the future....paying full price for this just doesnt seem worth it

[ReaperOwnz]

Bigger stash and a shared stash is in both parties best interest, no way do they want ppl spamming mulegames all the time. Hopefully they go the PoE route and just let ppl buy stashtabs for a reasonable price.
Oh and STACKABLE RUNES/GEMS PLEASE!

[Qnubi]

The best QoL feature to me, is gonna be the controller support on PC. Thank god, that will make it soooo good. Ever since I played Grim Dawn there is no way I can stomach an aRPG without controller support. My hands are always cramping after 8h+ of aRPG with a mouse. Pre-ordered the second I heard it has controller support!

[Kokolums]

Let's be honest OP, some of your 'desires' are completely whacky, unlikely or plain weird.

ie. Split Screen, Picture in Picture, Observer Mode, Enhanced Helper, etc, all come across as "wtf?".

Blizzard's fatal flaw that has ruined D3, SC2 and seen the playerbase of WoW drop is that they have turned away from social play. Its CRITICAL that, in any game they put out, they not only keep social features but build new ones.

If they strictly focus on graphics and gameplay and don't improve social, D2R will be another SC2 or D3.

[hulkgor]

Blizzard's fatal flaw that has ruined D3, SC2 and seen the playerbase of WoW drop is that they have turned away from social play. Its CRITICAL that, in any game they put out, they not only keep social features but build new ones.

If they strictly focus on graphics and gameplay and don't improve social, D2R will be another SC2 or D3.

That's an oversimplistic (and silly) way of putting it, in regards to the issues with D3 and SC2.

But yea man, if those games had picture-in-picture, more lobby icons and a split screen, they'd be vastly more successful!

/s

[Kumorii]

Why wouldn't they have 8 player games when that exists in Original D2?

[Kokolums]

That's an oversimplistic (and silly) way of putting it, in regards to the issues with D3 and SC2.

But yea man, if those games had picture-in-picture, more lobby icons and a split screen, they'd be vastly more successful!

/s

In all likelihood, yes.

Blizzard makes the exact same mistake with every release.

1. Game announcement wrongly focuses on graphics and gameplay. Almost no mention of social features.
2. When I scream about this, I'm told its a strange request, that they did MENTION it a little bit somewhere, and be patient.
3. More time passes, more news, and still focused on graphics and gameplay.
4. I continue to hammer Blizzard for this error.
5. Game releases, social features are barebones to nonexistent.
6. Game underperforms, white knights come in and defend it.
7. I continue to hammer Blizzard for not fixing social.
8. They wind up cancelling xpacs or scrapping the game.

We've been through this on several times in WoW, SC2, D3, War3, and here comes D2R and D4.

It never stops. The same errors all the damn time.

I WOULD say if they just do a port of the gameplay of D2 and don't improve social features, that they will be in for a rude awakening on its popuarity. Except it never seems to awaken them. Blizzard keeps making the same mistakes.

[hulkgor]

Again, you are completely ranting absurd things.

None of those games missed social features, and none of those games needed the weird ones you mentioned.

It just feels irrelevant arguing with you about it because you have your mind stuck on it.

Agree to disagree! We'll see.

[Gravity2015]

I had read a suggestion on the d3 Blizz forums requesting Charms have their own inventory ( the same size as inventory tab, but only charms can go in there ) - so that the inventory tab can be used for picking up items and not resorting to the 6x3 cube - id be all over this

[Video Games]

Open bnet where we can hack in items. If i cant still do that then its just not the same

[ParanoiD84]

Think they try to stay as close to classic as possible only known changes so far is shared stash and auto pickup loot, both witch you can toggle.

Also updates the cinematics and sound but dont think they will go overboard on this one as it's a remaster and not a remake.

[kail]

Blizzard's fatal flaw that has ruined D3, SC2 and seen the playerbase of WoW drop is that they have turned away from social play. Its CRITICAL that, in any game they put out, they not only keep social features but build new ones.

If they strictly focus on graphics and gameplay and don't improve social, D2R will be another SC2 or D3.

???
D3's main advantage over other current ARPGs is the social play. POE is holding top in the genre with some of the worse social systems.

[RobertoCarlos]

Ok the game defiantly needs changes. I can say this as someone who actually did a recent run through of the game and am not just speaking of those sweet nostalgia years back when it was new.

This game needs a rework to the drop rate of runes for a start. I dont want a repeat of duping, you should realistically be able to see at least one or two top tier runes drop within 50 to 60 hours of play. In its current state you are lucky to see one within a 1000 hours of gameplay.

That would make trading more viable and engage community interaction and you can work towards whatever one you want first in a more realistic time frame and not just need to get super lucky from spamming toons for hell difficulty act 4 gem reward.

Ideally a lobby area where you can wait with others to make games for specific things because just relying on bnet friend list is gonna be lame.

And lastly some kind of end game beyond hell, running baal and mep over and over gets stale. I'd like to see co-op and solo rifting systems or scaling beyond hell

Also tweaks to mercenaries couldnt go amiss. They are completely useless until you get specific runewords. Yea they offer cool buffs but they are dead 100% of the time in hell without OP runewords. And some tuning to them to open up the variety instead of act 2 mercs being OP as fook because of auras

[Fitsu]

Personally I feel like it needs to take a page out of PoDs book and at something more endgame to gear towards be that maps, buffed up bosses, multi-boss fights. As it stands right now the game will be a nostalgia trip but the reason I stopped playing D2 isn't because of the graphics it's because within a week of a ladder you're able to easily kill everything in the game.

The game has a lot of chase uniques, runes and cool gear. I would say no other game has a better gearing curve than D2 and the many methods of farming are great to but the problem is the content stops 20% into gearing and everything above that gear level is basically irrelevant because no more difficult content exists past that point. I would love a reason to grind out an EbotdZ beyond just to have one, otherwise I'll probably play the remake for a week then be done.

Beyond this, also having content/balance patches with each ladder. Maybe even a seasonal effect much like what PoE and D3 does to change it up a bit. While this is kind of wishful thinking, they are charging the same as a new game for this so...

I was fully onboard with the #no changes for Classic WoW because that was a long game, and wasn't redily available so you wasn't able to play it if you wanted. But Diablo 2 is still right there, available to play. Are you honestly saying the reason your not playing it is because of the graphics?