Hay to all old and new players and developers!
As a big fan of d2 and d2r I’ve always wished the game to progress further and further. I play d2r from day1, and the release of d2r was the most significant happening at the gaming field in the last decade, personally for me.
From that standpoint, I observe the field from day1 and one simple fact comes again and again to poke me when I read what is going on at the d2 forum board.
“Players want changes!”
I see it clearly, this type player’s desire for adjustments in d2r is the most constant topic, and in my opinion the most passionate for the players. Everyone has an idea how the game must be changed/adjusted to become better.
All good, all good. And even better, we see the devs are making changes happen in the game too, which makes many players happy and maybe a few sad. So we obviously have a team that want to make the player’s desires to come true. All great!
But there is one question, or maybe two, and they are tricky ones. As the game get new ideas incorporated, two things happen because of it:
1st - Traditions gets slowly “dissolved”. This is somewhat natural thing to happen, however I think all “we” should ask ourselves the question - “to what extent we want to dissolve our d2 traditions”. Are we keen to go to the point where d2r is a new creature compared to d2 LoD? Will it happen eventually or not?
2nd - Not all ideas gets incorporated, some are just too much incompatible of “too much fancy”, “extreme”, “uncommon”. This is also a normal to happen, however we can see that some pf the players will “have” their ways incorporated in the game, and others won’t.
So that are the facts. My question is “Can we do better?”, “Can we solve the symptom of this old and majestic game?”
Funny enough, I think we can. Yes I do! The solution is looking very simple, yet a bit unorthodox when it comes to leading a game franchise, I know. But nonetheless it can work very well.
Split the game! Branch it!
Yea, I know it sounds cringe when you’ve been told like that, but just listen and you’ll see the positives!..
First and foremost Keep the original servers “original”. Basically do with them whatever you are doing right now, yet all new features which you add in this manner, be careful to be done with caution and moderation. That way the “main game” will keep as much of its originality as it could.
Second, the more tricky one, create a space for new realms to exist. In a sense, separate servers, all under your jurisdiction, but driven from fan-based communities. How this can work is actually more simple than you might imagine now! For such idea to exist you need several things to happen.
- Software infrastructure for multiple realms.
- Player base which want to contribute to creating new realms and their development.
- Team of realm designers and developers.
- Team of people who control and maintain the integrity of the realm-developemnment and oversee the process and game to be with the standers of your request.
- Monetize the developemnment and advertise the new realms and game-style.
So, before I even go to explain the minor details, I want to make it clear, because the first reaction when this is read would be: “Oh but that way the game will split its player base and this will kill it”, I can assure you that is never going to be the case. Instead we will have and unyielding source of self-rejuvenating player base and unlimited content, the two fundamental pillars of diablo 2. If you don’t trust me, Akara might explain it to you better, anyways she knows of these sightless eye things more than me.
Back to the points of interest:
Point 1. - Imho this is very easily achievable.
Point 2. - As stated in the headline of this thread, Imho there are more than sufficient number of players who can contribute.
Point 3. - There are good amount of people who have experience developing different scenarios for d2, back since 2000 till now. A good self-organized such team can achieve a lot of the desire of the player base. Now… how to make it all work without ending into chaos that is the real “work that must be done”, and thus we reach - point4.
Point4. - A team from the side of Blizzard Entertainment and maybe another one from the realm-developer side join efforts to keep the d2-realm experience excellent and polished to the needs of the players. This means, if the realms development is deemed free, but only certain projects can pass, due to the need of “keeping with standards”, these teams, must overwatch the process and guide its ways.
Point5. - This one should be easy. If you don’t have the free funds to complete such and endeavor, just ask the players, make realm play 10$/Month and call it a day. Many of us will join without hesitation.
Here it is what the vision looks like:
Upon logging into battle net, the user is asked to choose a realm. He is given choice of few or several existing realms, each different from the other, with its own ladder and own developing staff. To change the realms the user must relog/use interface option for this to happen.
The number of realms and their existence is based on the community driven factors. If many people want “a bit more extreme” realms there will be maybe one or two such, only the ones who can cope with the high standards of the players and the publisher, i.e. Blizz. and as well keep up with the rules of the realm-creation and maintenance. If the players are split into few general categories, most likely to have as many existing realms online. In my vision the number 3 or 4 extra realms is fitting the best. But hey you might start with 1 and see how thigs shape. Nothing to loose, old players will always play d2r nvm what you do with it, and new players will anyways go somewhere else, we know very well it is like that. Why not dare to create a magic, at the right time in this universe, and claim glory of none-similar relevance in the gaming field!!!
I know, I know, I know… I’ve been dreamy quite a lot…,
But hay, why not?!! 
