You know when you are enjoying a part of the game, and then the Devs start making changes and adding things that ruin that part of the game. This is what is happening with Diablo 4’s combat.
I am really enjoying the art and other aspects of the game so far. But some of the decisions the Devs are making with regards to the Combat, Cooldowns and Skill Effects are ruining it. They are not designing these things in line with the Dark Fantasy Horror game that Diablo should be.
Now Diablo 4 looks great when they show the Hero just walking through these beautiful dark, gritty, realistic environments that look hostile and mysterious. The still shots and environment set pieces set the vibes of an isolated warrior or magician, wandering through dead, horrifying places.
It all looks so real.
The Horror Vibe is there in these set pieces and screenshots.
But as soon as the video plays, and our Hero starts casting spells and starts fighitng, everything goes down the drain. The realism, the darkness, the grit, the horror, the aspects that make up a Dark Fantasy Horror world, just all breaks down.
Why is it that the still images and the set pieces are so Diablo-like, and the combat so… Cartoony?!?
How did the Devs, on one hand, set the Diablo vibe with some parts of the game, and completely ruin it with others?
Grab a drink, grab a snack, sit tight and in the words of Deckard Cain -
Stay a while and listen…
Table of Contents
1. Looks Pretty Tight
2. Are we in a Catfight?
3. Skills Done Right
4. Why the Neon Light?
5. You just want a Diablo 2 clone right?
1. Looks Pretty Tight
Before I get into the meat and bones of the issue, I want to start off by restating the many things I am enjoying about Diablo 4.
The people who have worked hard on these, should get the appreciation that they deserve.
Environments
I am really really enjoying, LOVING the aesthetics of the environments. The environments look varied and inspired by real-world locations. The snowy mountains, the temples, the ruins, the cities… absolutely beautiful!
I am blown away by the art here.
Diablo is a Dark Fantasy Horror game.
Lots of gore, blood, corpses…
Lots of wear and tear and grittiness…
The muted colours…
… this is setting a good vibe in the environments.
Horses
Horses look amazing and I have fantasizing about a Diablo game having horses (and elephants) since Diablo 2.
So having horses is awesome. Their aesthetics and animations are great. (But the way they are implemented into the game is contrary to the design of a Dark Fantasy Horror world. More on this in this thread, section 21 - 益 What I HATE about Diablo IV Gameplay)
Characters
The detail in the environments as well as the player characters, the weapons, the armour, the horses… is amazing!
The level of customization… even though we won’t really see it during gameplay, is awesome because we will be checking out our characters while chilling with friends or while taking a break.
Sitting there marvelling at the look of the characters is something I am looking forward to doing.
The models and textures in Diablo 4 look simply awesome.
The modelling and texturing team should be proud of their work here.
Their work is gorgeous!
Skill Effects
Many are good, some are absolutely Terrible, and it is killing the dark gritty down-to-earth horror vibe of the game.
Overall the art is pretty tight.
But in this thread we will pick apart the terrible decisions made in some aspects of the art, particularly when it comes to the Skill effects, as well as other areas of Combat.
2. Are we in a Catfight?
When the you hit monsters, the monsters recoil and are unable to attack for a bit.
Player hits have an impact so combat from the Player side feels Impactful.
- PS - When we say that Diablo 3’s combat feels visceral. It is because of this impact that the player has, and the fluid animations that lead to it. That’s the only thing we like about Diablo 3 combat. When you strike, your strike feels fluid and when it hits the monster, the impact of the hit is great.
On the other hand, when monsters surround you and are hitting you constantly, and your character does not react in any way whatsoever. They just stand there whale on you while you carry on doing whatever you were doing.
Combat from the Monster side seriously lacks impact.
They might be doing damage… but their hits don’t feel painful.
It’s like a catfight, where two people just flail their hands at each other and nothing happens to either of them. They don’t get hit, they don’t recoil, no impact.
Ladies and gentlement welcome to the limp noodle monsters of Diablo 4.
The inflatable tube men.
Hey Devs…
If the monsters’ strikes don’t create tension and if getting surrounded by the little ones is not terrifying, where is the Horror?
Never mind the Horror aspect of Diablo series…
This type of combat lacks grit. It lacks any resemblance to reality (or believability, whatever you want to call it), and thus does not fit the vibe of a dark fantasy game.
I explained this problem in great detail in my previous thread - Why I HATE Diablo 4 Gameplay.
I recommend reading this thread as it goes in-depth in all areas of gameplay and points out where Diablo 4 is falling short.
Solution -
Make the Monster hits impactful just like the Player hits.
Make the monster hits have an impact on the player that is visible - a flinch, a recoil and a stagger, different styles depending on how and where the player gets hit and by who.
But not just an aesthetically visible animation but also an interruption in their spellcasting or ability usage…meaning ACTUAL gameplay consequences.
- PS - Recall that Dire Consequences is one of the pillars of a Dark Fantasy Horror world.
- In High Fantasy, dire consequences come from large epic opponents, large bosses, dragons, giants, etc, and epic situations.
- On the other hand, in Dark Fantasy the dire consequences come from small ordinary opponents and ordinary situations.
- Remember that scene from Conan the Barbarian where he is being chewed by a vulture? A vulture is like one of the small monsters in Diablo 4, but It has a strong impact regardless of its size.
- That vulture created Tension, another pillar of the Horror genre. He was just pecking at Conan, he was not doing massive damage. The tension came from him slowly pecking away at the flesh of Conan. We all saw Conan recoil in pain when he did that. We all felt Conan’s pain when the bird did that.
Make the little monsters terrifying when they surround you by making them cause you to go into the recoil animation and cause you to get interrupted, thereby preventing your escape.
Use fighting games like Street Fighter or Super Smash Bros as an example. Hell use Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 as an example.
Both players when they hit each other, have an impact on each other - known as Hitstun - when they hit you and you recoil in pain unable to perform any action for a short duration.
The aesthetic impact comes with your character getting interrupted. It is a gameplay impact that enemy is inflicting on to you.
This is a real, a gritty, a concrete effect on the player, which has consequences and CAN have dire consequences.
The player cannot perform an action during this - THAT is the impact. (The animation is just to show that it is happening.)
As a dark gritty down-to-earth horror game, Diablo needs this type of combat. It’s a tool that even casual games like Super Smash use to create an impactful fighting experience. So I don’t see why it does not belong in a Dark Fantasy Horror game?
Diablo should capitalize on the Hitstun mechanic as much as possible.
But Diablo has multiple opponents so wouldn't that just be a broken system if they just put you into this hitstun state constantly?
No.
First of all Monsters have a chance to hitstun, so they don’t do it on each and every hit. Every monster having this chance to hitstun means that even the smaller monsters will be terrifying i.e. pose a challenge for the player when in great numbers, as the chance of the Player getting hitstunned increases with the number of monsters.
Secondly, the items should have affixes which reduce this hitstun and allow the player to respond faster, if they choose to gear that way. This opens up more interesting and more REAL affixes that the player can play around with. See my other thread as to what I mean by “Real” affix - 益 What I HATE about Diablo IV Gameplay.
Thirdly, … and this one is a bit more work for the Devs… think of the Monsters together as a Unit, as behaving like a single enemy, where they are not just throw everything at the player all at once but rather in a dance with the player or a boxing match and strategically using their abilities.
The Player Unit (composed of 1 or more players) and the Monster Unit (composed of 1 or more monsters) fight as if two players are playing a fighting game.
They are both trying to hit each other, without getting cornered.
They have an impact on each other, that is not just restricted to special abilities but rather each strike can have an impact on the player.
Getting surrounded by a mob should be a death sentence for the player.
As the player has allowed himself to put himself in such a position, where he can get struck from multiple angles and put into hitstun state.
That type of scenario should be something that the player wants to actively avoid, and something that the monsters should want to do to the player.
Like a horde of zombies in The Walking Dead surrounding the character and eventually they cannot move and get devoured.
The inescapable horde…
There are games where the whole premise of the game is avoid exactly that.
Watching yourself stuck in the horde and slowly dying…
That is the HORROR genre.
Imagine Horror in a Diablo game…
Where is the inescapable horde of monsters in Diablo 3 and 4?
It is present in Diablos 1 and 2. If you run into a pack, and they surround you, you are dead. That’s why these games feel tense.
Diablo 1 puts you in tight lonely situations with slow movement speed, and slow deliberate gameplay, which amps up the horror even more.
The fact that escaping is not available at the press of a Spirit Walk or a Teleport, amps up the Tension you feel and thus creates Fear.
There is a great deal that can be learned from Diablo 1.
Its slower more tactical pace. Its isolated dark vibes. The impactful monster hits. The fear it instills in the player by debilitating them and dis-empowering them.
Today’s games want to empower the player. But these classic games like Diablo 1, they gave you a beating. They dis-empowered you, you felt week and you had to work to get power.
Bring this to Diablo 4.
Player Unit vs Monster Unit
As I said earlier, monsters should be coded to function like a single entity, like in a fighting game, where they don’t just throw everything at the player all at once. They are more strategic and fair, in terms of how they use their attacks and abilities.
This idea of just spamming a barrage of spell effects that we see with Diablo 3 elites, is just terrible game design. I hope Diablo 4 does not do this. It is a terrible way of creating difficulty. It does not create horror, rather it creates frustration.
The AI has to be a bit more intelligent than that.
The AI has to be more tailored to the player’s actions.
The AI has to be more impactful at all levels (from the smallest monster to the biggest).
The Monster Unit should be in a dance with the Player Unit, where they respond to the player and dish out abilities as if the Player were fighting another Player in a fighting game match.
This leads to more engaging combat and fair for the player, when tailored around them.
Their hits should be impactful, meaning should have consequences on the player’s gameplay - hitstun.
It is leads to a combat that is gritty, that feels real.
It should be true of the small monsters as well.
Small monsters surrounding the player should interrupt the player and put them in an escapable bind, quite literally.
This leads to tension and fear that even small monsters can overpower a mighty player.
Why can't the Devs just increase the damage that little monsters do?
As I explained in my previous thread there are essentially two ways of creating tension that leads to the feeling of Horror in the combat loop of an arpg.
- Damage
- Hitstun
So yes damage is one way of increasing tension. But you need a lot of it to create tension.
- PS - In FPS games, the Snipers tend to create Tension when they hold certain sitelines. You feel the tension because you know you are going to get 1 shot while traversing through that siteline.
But small monsters are not going to be highly damaging as that defeats the purpose of their design. But when given a chance to Hitstun, those small little creepers can create tense moments for the player.
They can create tension just by interrupting the player and thereby leaving them vulnerable for a beating.
When they are together in a large group of fellow midgets, they don’t need to do much damage. Just the ability to surround the player combined with the stunlock potential, can give the player a serious beating and in the process create tension and FEAR of getting surrounded.
- PS - Hitstun makes you feel weaker and more vulnerable with less damage, and so I would argue that it is actually the better way of creating tension and fear. Because it can be combined with small amounts of damage, that feels more fair to the player.
- Hitstun also offers a different type of tension. When stunned, it is the anticipation that you could get killed, is what creates the tension, similar to a Sniper holding a siteline in FPS games.
- Now large monsters will have special attacks that stun you. That’s great.
- But Hitstuns are micro-stuns that when given to small monsters, also makes them frightening to deal with.
This is very important, and I believe that that Devs are sleeping on this mechanic.
One of the Devs stated that they removed hitstun because (paraphrase) "it did not feel good to the player".
I find it hilarious that the Devs of a Horror game are talking about pleasant feelings. Pleasant feelings do not belong in a Horror game.
The entire point of Hitstun is to dis-empower the players and empower the monsters, so that tension can be created, so that the player feels FEAR.
It’s not a feel-good mechanic. To remove it, so that the game feels good is the wrong approach.
Perhaps by “feel good” the Devs mean “engaging”.
Know that even the most casual and engaging games like Super Smash Bros have hitstun as the fundamental mechanic of their combat loop, without which the game could not offer the rewarding combos and beatdowns that come with such a mechanic.
It is engaging when the player has to position himself correctly in order to not get surrounded. It is engaging when the combat is slower paced, more tactical, and more skillful. It is engaging when small monsters can threaten you, not with damage but by lowering your defense through their hitstun.
So even if you completely forego the Horror aspect of a Diablo game, ironically, your combat will feel way more engaging for the player, when your monsters are not flailing inflatable wet noodle men in a catfight.
3. Skills Done Right
I am hearing the Devs talking about cooldown this and cooldown that. Diablo 1’s and Diablo 2’s combat was inspired by fighting games. The hitstun, the lack of cooldowns, and so on, there are many mechanics of fighting games in D1 and 2.
I believe there are a lot of things that Diablo 4 Devs can learn from fighting games.
I will be continuing from this part of my previous thread.
Please read -
In an ideal case, Skills should be created with Strengths and Weaknesses. They should not be dependent on an arbitrary descending number to determine whether you can cast them.
This is not theoretical. This is something that can be done in Diablo, with some creative thought.
Let's look at an actual, playable example of a Diablo Barbarian which functions without cooldowns.
A couple years ago, I created a third-person, melee, fighting game using the Overwatch Worshop (Use Code - Z8FGK - to play it). It’s all about medieval warriors clashing with each other and it’s super fun to play with friends.
In this mode, I created many heroes that were inspired by Diablo 2 and 3.
In it, Reinhardt is used as a base for the Barbarian. A mighty warrior who excels are grappling and hard-hitting attacks.
Reinhardt the Barbarian’s LMB Primary attack, his Basic Attack, is a horizontal swing of his hammer/axe, Cleave. It is his jack of all trades attack that offers him good range, good damage and decent attack speed. It does not excel at anything and is not weak at anything, so it makes for a good basic attack.
Barbarian’s RMB Secondary attack is Frenzy. Now Frenzy is an overhead swing with a faster attack speed that provides a mobility increase and size increase (and thus range increase) that stacks 5 times. However Frenzy has lower damage than Cleave.
Barbarian’s Melee button is Bash. Bash is an underhanded swing that knocks enemies up. It is very close range. Reinhardt the Barbarian likes to fight enemies at 5 meters but Bash is a 3 meter range attack. Bash knocks targets up, which sets them up for further hits. Good damage, low range and combo starter.
Barbarian’s LMB+RMB pressing both Primary and Secondary attack causes him to Whirlwind in a straight line. Whirlwind hits HARD with massive damage. However after using Whirlwind, the Barbarian is left dizzy for a bit, unable to perform any actions.
Reinhardt keeps his other abilities with minor cooldowns.
Barbarian’s Shift Ability 1 is Charge, that has a long startup but deals massive damage, can be cancelled to perform Headbutt, which is a knockback and can potentially set up further hits.
Barbarian’s E Ability 2 is Firestrike a long range, piercing projectile with decent attack speed. It’s downside is that it is slow moving.
Let's discuss how this Barbarian works without Cooldowns
First note that Cleave, Bash, Frenzy and Whirlwind do not have cooldowns, nor do they cost any resource. You are able to spam them as much as you want. In fact, many players who first pick up this mode, will spam one of these attacks that they like most (especially Whirlwind with its Beyblade theme).
However spamming is the not optimal strategy with Reinhardt the Barbarian.
It’s not even a good strategy.
Weaknesses -
- You can spam Cleave but your attack is likely to get Parried, which leaves you stunned and open for enemy attacks.
- You can spam Frenzy but you won’t do much damage and there’s a good chance you can get Parried. You also grow in size which makes you easier to hit.
- You can spam Bash but then you have to go in range where other characters can hit you with faster attack speed and set up their combos.
- You can spam Whirlwind, either you hold the button down and spin forward into a wall and get cornered or you can try spamming Whirlwind back and forth be constantly going into a dizzy state.
The way the Barbarian plays is to mix these moves up and use them depending on what situation he finds himself in, the combo, his preference and so on.
Strengths -
- Bash is especially good at the start of your combo loop, where either the enemy or you have closed the distance and you want to set up your attacks.
- Whirlwind is an especially good Finishing move, e.g. Throwing someone upwards with Global Ability, Hugging Bear, and then using Whirlwind to helicopter upwards to smash them and do a ton of damage.
- Frenzy is a good mix-up with Cleave and you want to throw it in to maintain your speed and range stacks. Frenzy is also good with the Global Ability, Striking Cobra.
- Cleave since its a jack of all trades, you can always fall back on it. Combined with the Global Ability, Flying Dragon, it makes it a potent attack in its own right.
That’s how I was able to create a Cooldown-Less version of the Barbarian. The Global Abilities (that all heroes have) like Hugging Bear, Striking Cobra and Flying Dragon, also function the same, without cooldown and based on situations, preferences, player skill and so on.
Now I did mention that Charge and Firestrike have cooldowns.
Charge’s cooldown is situational, meaning if you Charge a short distance there is no cooldown. So you can essentially slam one person then another then another, if your charges are short-distance. It is incredibly hard to do and so incredibly rewarding if you pull it off.
Firestrike is the only ability with a cooldown that always triggers and that too is only 4s. Even this can be further tweaked, and even that 4s cooldown can be lowered or removed.
So when I say you make Skills without cooldowns, I am not speaking out of my rear end. I am speaking from personal experience of having done so.
If I can take the Barbarian and create a version that does not use resources or cooldowns, that feels fun and fair to fight against for a HUMAN opponent in a PvP context. Imagine how much fun a Barbarian could be in a PvE scenario up against monsters who will never complain about your lack of cooldowns.
And if I can take the Barbarian and create a version that does not use resources or cooldowns, it is certainly possible for Diablo 4 Devs to return to Diablo 1 and 2, and create skills that consume resources instead of giving everything a cooldown.
Cooldowns should be the last solution for an ability idea that just cannot be designed around spammeability and resource. When all other means have failed, only then it is right to give an ability a cooldown.
As for powerful abilities similar to Wrath of the Berserker or Big Bad Voodoo from Diablo 3. You can always make them like Ultimates like in -
- Street Fighter - where you ultimate charges when you deal or take damage
- Super Smash Bros - charges when you beat the smash ball
- Overwatch - charges when you deal damage with a small passive charge rate
- X-Men Legends - you obtain your ultimate when you collect X tokens in combat, and you can also spam Ultimates more than once depending on how many token you have
… and other countless games.
Even with very powerful abilities, cooldowns are unnecessary.
- Imagine that when you slay a bunch of monsters and go on a rampage, your characters starts to glow for a duration at the end of the encounter. During this glow state, your next attack triggers one of your Ultimates that you have selected in the skills menu. So you go into your next encounter exploding with your most powerful attack. Or perhaps there is a separate button for it so that you have control over when you trigger it.
- This would remove the cooldown, add an extra ability to the bar, and also encourage an aggressive playstyle.
The specifics of these systems is something for the Devs to think about and experiment with.
But there is one thing that the Devs should always do.
The Devs should always - ALWAYS seek to bake in weaknesses into the skills to make them more interesting, instead of adding a cooldown. These strengths and weaknesses lead to more engaging skills, and that is how you design for Diablo, that is how you design the skills right.
4. Why the Neon Light?
The original Barbarian, Sorceress and Druid gameplay we saw years ago, gave me hope that the Devs understood the aesthetics of a Diablo Skill’s Visual Effects (henceforth will be referred to as Skill Effect).
A Diablo Skill Effect is down to earth and realistic and it is not flashy and over-the-top. The original Barbarian, Sorceress and Druid skill effects in D4 trailers were like this and it was amazing to see.
When I saw the Rogue and the Necromancer trailer, I was filled with disappointment.
You can see in the Necromancer cinematic and the gameplay.
First let’s talk about the cinematic.
Reference - 2:10 of the Necromancer trailer
This frame just looks cartoony.
It looks like a frame from a Diablo 3 necromancer trailer.
Hell it can be a frame from a potential Runescape 4 trailer.
I am an artist by profession and so I like to analyze art to better my understanding. For a while, I was sitting there, looking at the paused video and staring at this still frame and thinking - why does this frame look cartoony?
I’ll share all the thoughts I had as I thought about it.
The Necromancer’s metal armour with the bones looks awesome. The postures of the skeletons and necromancer look good. The armour and bones are realistically depicted. They are believable. They are Diablo.
But what is causing the cartooniness?
I quickly realized that it is the Cyan colour and the Neon light effect that is causing it.
The colour that Diablo 4 is using for spirit effects is this glowy neon cyan colour. Every skeleton and their mom is filled with this bright cyan neon light.
It looks like something from a cartoon.
Instead, the colour which animates the skeletons (and their mothers) should just be white or gray or even better yet there should be NOTHING AT ALL, it’s a SPIRIT, there should be NO colour there in the first place, there should be NO light there. In a dark game, the less lights you have the better.
- PS - I just realized Skeletons don’t have spirits, they are animating bone and nothing else. So there should be no spirit effect there in the first place.
It should look as if mere bone is connecting with other bones, and collected into a moving rattling bone structure of a skeleton, without any visible external influence.
There should be NO visible force animating it, that’s what makes it dark and mysterious.
As soon as you give this force a colour, and a bright shiny one at that, it takes away the mystery of it, and makes it an in-your-face thing. THIS is what makes it cartoony.
What you can do to show that a force is emanating from the skull that the Necromancer is holding, is make it so that the skull releases smoke (like the one that comes from Incense which many occult practioners use) mysteriously from underneath. Do not add any lights to it.
The inherent light of it is what makes it cartoony. Let the environment light this smoke. Let the moonlight, light the mysterious smoking skull.
No such smoke should be on the skeletons, it should appear as if they are assembling on their own, without any cause in sight.
We of course know the cause to be the Necromancer’s magic. But it should LOOK as if there is no cause… just moving bones.
–
This usage of neon light effects to create ghosts in Diablo 4, is really making them look cartoony.
Ghosts should barely be visible, and if lit, they should be dim and without colour.
The way Diablo 4 is depicting ghosts is a common way that Ghosts are depicted in cartoons.
This light and colour of Diablo 4 ghosts reminds me of ectoplasm and ghosts in Runescape.
It just does not fit the aesthetic of dark fantasy game, let alone a HORROR game.
It seems Devs are forgetting that this is a horror game.
Reminder - This is a Horror game you are working on.
Diablo is a Horror game.
In the horror genre, the UNSEEN has a huge impact on the viewer/player, precisely by being out of sight.
By making things that should be Unseen such as the animating force of the skeletons and the ghosts, into something that is clearly visible and seen, and not only that but further making it bright and colourful… you can start to put the pieces together…
I suggest leaving this type of spirit effects to the cartoons, to the high fantasy games, to the Runescapes and Warcrafts, and let the Diablo spirits be colourless and dim as they should be a dark fantasy game.
–
But you have to show ghosts somehow, right? Otherwise how would the player know there is a ghost there?
Ditch the neon light.
A gray, smokey, airy, dim efffect while subtle makes a stronger statement and has a bigger impact on the vibe of the game.
A localized movement of air, and with it some dirt and leaves, with a faint voice echoing from it, makes for a more impactful ghost in a dark fantasy horror game.
With regards to the Skeletons, the concept art at 2:36 (in the Necromancer trailer) is perfect. But the trailer and the in-game footage is far from it.
See in a Dark Fantasy Horror game, your spell effects have to come from realism.
The sorceress using fire or water/ice would have more colours than a Barbarian swinging an axe or hitting the ground and kicking up the dirt.
The Fire would have a lighting effect whereas the water and dirt would not.
Imagine the Barbarian smashing the ground and orange neon lights emanate from it. How out of place would that look in a dark fantasy horror game? It should just kick up dirt and not glow like a neon lit crack.
- PS -
This is actually a thing in Diablo 4, see 2:56 gameplay trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94wQxtv_sAc.
Similarly, the necromancer summoning things from the ground, should not emanate cyan neon lights from the ground. It should just be dirt getting displaced.
The Skeletons and the Necromaners magical items should not be glowing with neon lights, it should just show the dark grit of the bone.
When it comes to Spirit effects, less is more.
When it comes to any Skill Effects in a Diablo game, less is more.
–
Pvp is a different environment.
Players need to know what the hell you are doing.
You can be a bit more exaggerated when showing something to OTHER players in PVP so that they can clearly see what you are doing and respond to it. (Even then there are better ways than Neon Lights.)
Monsters on the other hand, do not care.
So in PVE the spell effects should match the Dark Fantasy Horror vibe of the game.
Neon lights would be out of place for Necromancy Spells (bar some special case). And neon lights would be right at home with Holy Spells and Lightning Spells. So it’s not the Neon Light that I have an issue with exactly. It’s how and where and how often that Neon Light is being used.
Diablo 4 Aesthetics are looking great so far. Don’t ruin it with these neon light spirit effects on physical and aetherial abilities such as Leap and Raise Skeleton.
PS
While editing this, I just remembered that the Reaper of Souls cinematic had awesome spirit/ghost effects.
Have a look -
This is the right idea.
At 3:33, the spirit of Tyrael even looks like Incense smoke being pulled into Malthael’s scythe.
Look at how dim and wispy, and spirit-like, subtle the wings of Malthael look.
Now compare this with the Necromancer cinematic and you will understand what I mean.
Btw these effects of Malthael in this cinematic (not the one in-game) is awesome for a Dark Fantasy Horror game. Give him some realistic looking clothes and weapons and bam, he would be perfect for Diablo 4.
Shadow Magic
I read somewhere that Shadow is going to be an element.
When making a dark fantasy horror game, ask yourself, is shadow an element in real life?
If not, don’t make it an element in your game.
Hint: It’s not.
Do not make the absense of light into an element, and certainly don’t give it a purple-black effect from Overwatch.
This is cartoony.
If a shadow is something a character interacts with, leave it as close to real life shadows as possible.
The Rogue has an ability which allows her to fade and enter the shadows. (3:45 Diablo 4 gameplay trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94wQxtv_sAc)
DO NOT … I repeat DO NOT make it like the Overwatch Moira or Reaper, becoming black and purple on their Fade and Wraith abilities, respectively.
I repeat again that Diablo is a Dark Horror game, a realistic game, not a cartoony one like Overwatch or Warcraft or Runescape.
When working on a Rogue entering the shadow - Think about how such an interaction might take place in the real world.
The Rogue when she hides in the shadows, should literally hide in the darkness, in the absence of light, without much effects and colours layered on top.
The Rogue can use a hybrid smoke-shadow effect (like a smoke bomb) that allows her to mysteriously vanish and reappear at a different location. That is much more fitting for a Dark Fantasy Horror world.
–
Think in terms of REAL LIFE. But not a scientific reality… Think in terms of our Superstitious Reality. The kinds of superstitious beliefs people have or have had. Exaggerate the real but within limits of this superstition.
This includes limiting what colours you use.
The limits are important because -
The further you go from reality the less grit and horror the game has, so it goes further from the dark gritty horror style game to a more cartoony style game.
I want to repeat that a lot of my criticism is not about using colours or lights or what not. It is about how it’s used, where it’s used and how many times it is used.
One or two spells would be fine but when all spells have it, that’s the issue.
The Skeletons also have this bright flashy effect and it’s also coming from the Necromancer’s skull and this other spell also has it… that spell also has it, and this other skill, and don’t forget that one… that’s a problem.
Similarly Rogue’s Fade having the stereotypical black and purple effect that is used in Overwatch and other cartoony games, not an issue. But if all Shadow skills have this, ala Demon Hunter from Diablo 3, then that is BIG problem.
This same goes for the the Blood Skill Effects criticism below. One ability have over-the-top animation… not an issue. Many abilities with over-the-top animations… BIG NO NO.
Blood Magic
Let’s look at the Blood Skill Effects.
In real life, blood is scarce. It’s not water where you can have a river of it.
How many million of bodies would you need to create a river of blood?
Now imagine how many are required for a blood tidal wave?
Now imagine the player constantly spamming tidal waves upon tidal waves of blood.
It’s way over-the-top.
Here we are stepping far away from realism and believability.
Devs, be careful with blood effects.
Here again - LESS IS MORE.
Since blood is scarce in real life, showing less of it in spell effects is the way to go. It makes a stronger impact because it hits home!
Showing small drops, rather than large swirls or tidal waves, is the way to go.
Isn't so much blood fitting for a dark horror game?
There many examples in movies where the blood spatters are overly-exaggerated where the blood just spurts out like a fountain from a bleeding limb or body.
These movies tend to be in the comedy genre.
Cartoons are over-exaggeration of real life. These movies are cartoony.
So showing an abundance of blood is not a good idea as it overly exaggerates real life, and thus comes off as cartoony.
The amount of Blood used in the Necromancers Blood spell effects should be toned down. The skills like the blood tidal wave wave would be a better fit for a water or a wind-based class.
- PS - The giant veins that pop out of nowhere, when you cast a Blood spell should be reconsidered as well.
Such a spell would be right at home in a more cartoony game. But it is really pushing it, in a more down-to-earth game like Diablo.
You might be thinking, this one spell doesn’t look so bad.
You are right.
Again one spell like this is not an issue.
But currently Diablo 4 seems to have a lot of these glowy, neon, cyan, purple, overly-exaggerated abilities.
Such an abundance of overly-exaggerated spell effects are an incredibly damaging move for the vibe of a Dark Horror game. They push it towards a more cartoony and comedic vibe.
When it comes to spirits/skeletons, hitting the ground, entering the shadows and blood spells - the LESS you show the better. Sell the skill with better and more visceral sounds and other animations (ripples, smoke, incense, dirt, etc), rather than over-the-top, colourful, bright, neon visual effects.
The Devs think that by adding more flashiness and colours to a spell effect makes it feel stronger.
Paradoxically, your spell effect will feel stronger, more gritty and more visceral, and better fits your game, when it’s not a glowing neon light.
5. You just want a Diablo 2 clone right?
No, we already have Diablo 2 Resurrected.
Also I do not think that Diablo 2 is the pinnacle for what a Diablo game could be, let alone an open-world Diablo game.
For example -
In Diablo 1, as you travelled the cathedral, you could search through libraries and book shelves, where you had the chance of finding a scroll or a tomb that could benefit your skills (+1 to a certain skill).
Going to the library and reading a book, and picking up one point that you use to improve yourself, that’s a real thing we can relate to.
And this idea of getting skill points from exploration is also great gameplay mechanic, as you are rewarded for exploring the game. You are rewarded for your curiosity.
This mechanic is a very down-to-earth mechanic worthy of a Dark Fantasy Horror game, and it was removed from Diablo 2.
But Diablo 4 is an open-world game, where this mechanic would be right at home. You want the player to find interesting little nooks and crannies throughout the game’s world and get rewarded for it.
Wait so is Diablo 1 the best Diablo game?
No.
For example -
Both Diablo 1 and 2 have cartoony-looking skill effects. But Diablo 4 with its improved engine and visuals, has a chance to take advantage of that and create a more realistic, a more believable and a more impactful experience.
Since it is not restricted to Pixel animation like D1 and D2, it can take advantage of more subtle animations and visual effects that would be more fitting for a Dark Fantasy Horror world.
Diablo 4 can use subtle effects to create a bigger impact and create a stronger vibe for the game. It can use modern technology to create a stronger Horror experience.
I believe that Diablo 4 has the potential to be the best Diablo game in the series.
But whether or not it becomes that depends on the Devs and the players providing feedback to the Devs.
I am not a Diablo Dev, so I am doing my part to provide feedback for the Devs, and letting them know what I want.
See my previous thread, for fresh ideas on how to evolve the Diablo series further, and create a unique open world Diablo experience that transforms the way we think about Diablo, the way we engage with the game, the way we feel when we play it, while also keeping it a Diablo game at heart.
In the comments, raise your voice and let the Devs know what you really want from the Diablo game.
The Devs have announced the release date.
Speak up now.
This is the only way we can get a game from them that we want to play.
