I actually stopped thinking about runes after the last update
Please consider talking about runes and sockets (and white items) in your next item based update
Not just legendaries, rares and magics
I really like the idea of the new rune system and I don’t want it to be left behind <3
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The rune system could be a cool and welcomed addition, though I hope it doesn’t remove gems/jewels/etc. altogether, making runes the only socketable.
The rune system we have seen thus far is kind of neat, but having just a cause and effect setup is not enough (meaning only two runes). With that said, I know I am asking for more than 2, but please do not make this system turn into everything you do spawning 12 proc’d skills that clutter the screen.
One of my other concerns is that the runes will all be the same drop rate and therefore you will never really feel special when finding one. Perhaps all of them have the same rarity, but there are tiers to them that are increasingly rare and get very rare at the highest level of the rune?
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All legit concerns
I just mean don’t stop talking and improving on them 
The new rune system can be a good addition if given more depth. But I keep thinking that canibalizing a well-loved system with no reason is a mistake.
I thought tiers was confirmed. Of course everything shown before might have changed.
I expect something more in the like of David Kim’s piece about items from last decembre, which was effectively the real First Quarterly update. A resume of what the items are made of : Attack/Defense, quality tiers, affixes, visuals…
Runes look more like another topic to me. It’s related to items, of course, but just the same as crafting. Runes, gems and sockets deserve a whole QU, there’s much to talk about here.
Of course I’d love to get some update about runewords which certainly have changed a lot since the last Blizzcon because that system is impossible to balance as it was.
Good to know ! I hope there will be some very powerful and rare versions to find.
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This is probably what I was thinking about:
Lead Systems Designer David Kim ended the segment of his presentation dedicated to runes by saying that the team is working on progression for runes and runewords in Diablo 4. What shape said progression will take is something we’ll have to wait in order to see.
Thanks.
I remember that from the System Panel, I think he was refering to a third type of rune.
Anyway it would make sense to also have several tiers of runes, but after the last QU and the axing of skill ranks, I have lost quite some confidence over the common sense of the team… 
I understand the worry about the lack of putting points into the same skill and ranking it up, though I will note that they do have nodes that directly buff the skills in some form. I actually love this idea, I just think they need to expand upon it. I am not saying having some insane grid for each skill, but if they have a skill you acquire with one point, then 5 or so nodes off of that skill that can each have 3 (give or take) levels, then you could potentially have the ability to pour points towards a specific skill, and maybe even have some fun choosing between upgrading things like damage, area of effect, velocity, duration, etc. I think that could be really cool and actually be more of an enhanced version of what you and I both want, pouring into something and making it stronger.
True, but these are very sporadic buffs : from the look of the tree, there won’t be more than 3 nodes for a skill. Also, I think it’s better if nodes only improve a very specific aspect of the skill, so you won’t feel forced to get all of them (which would make for more build variety).
Also, ranks don’t conflict with skill modifiers. They are just a simple way to uprove your skill efficiency during levelling, in the order you choose. The reason for their removal is really confounding to me.
That’s a good idea, among many other possibilities. But it looks like Blizzard doesn’t want us to spend more than one point per node… which isn’t a smart move since it makes their tree look like a dirt-cheap version of PoE’s.
I agree one point per node is a mistake. I think a solution like what I said, along with an increased level cap of 80 o 99 makes the most sense.
As for the original topic of runes, what do you mean by a third type of rune? Having runes have some randomness would be interesting and I think, ultimately a good thing. I guess it really depends what form this system takes. I remember Diablo 3 had “runes” (skill augments) way back when it was announced, and they had tiers and tons affixes and random rolls and such, and then they just scrapped it and made them basically alternate versions of the skills. Let’s hope they don’t do anything like that this time.
I don’t know really… it may be runes that improves the global runeword in some way, or just the condition or effect rune. But something that helps balancing the system, and makes it a bit more elaborated. Two runes feels a bit simple to me.
And yes, the old D3 skillrunes looked awesome. It was one of many good systems they cut off in the last year of development…
I wouldn’t make it too complicated but rather allow to combine multiple condition and effect runes in 1 item together
Depth, not complexity
I would also love to learn more about runes and rune words. They did say that they were thinking of a progression system for runes and rune words and I would love to know more about it.
Also how good will the crafting system be? Will it be an important part of the game? Or very rarely used outside of maybe while leveling or filling a few slots with legendary gear if possible.
New rune system will be bad I think. It will either have 1-2 best (only) choices, like with present D3 leg.gems, or will have terrible exploits to be nerfed all the time to give no overall effect in the end (like with present D3 leg.potions).
Old D2 rune/runeword system is the best, even after 20 years.
They must leave rune/runewords as it is in D2, and assign their “cause-effect” experiments to completely new items (to jewels or gems as a variant).
There should be runes, or rune words if you will, and they should be part of crafting items. Maybe they can be a form of enchantment or carried (equipped? maybe even have a spot on the character sheet for one?) on the character similar to D2.
Idk
I like the new runes
It’s a new system
It’s not just “even more stats and affixes”
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In the current version I agree. I’m pretty sure they are revisiting the system since last november.
But I don’t see them going back to the D2 runewords which was nothing very interesting, just a basic crafting system. The only remarkable feature were the runes themselves and they are coming back in D4 anyway. They can still use them in crafting recipes and have the new runewords system at the same time.
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This is far from “basic crafting system”. At the very least it can be called unique and very advanced crafting system, much more superior than other games have. Runes themselves mean nothing. They are good only in D2 runeword system with different D2 white item bases and are useless and boring without it.
Just one example from my recent gameplay. 2 months ago I found JAH rune and was very excited as it is extremely rare and valuable drop in the game. I started planning on what I can do with it - as there is a number of options (trading excluded as I hate trading, though for some people this is also a great option). However, some other very rare runes were needed, and I had no idea what I could get in the future. This expectation was very exciting too and made further grinding less boring. Two months later I found OHM, and I had FOUR choices from then on. I could wait for another high rune to drop in the future (and I cannot predict if it will ever drop or if it will, what rune it will be - which is cool; even more cool is that if it will be JAH I can cube 2 JAHS into an absolutely new CHAM rune, and this will change everything in my plans), or I can make a bow or an axe. Axe would be great for a barb, and a bow - for amazon. Axe is much easier to find than a great +3skills Grand Matron white bow with exactly 4 sockets, however I like to play bow ama more than melee barb. On the other hand, I could find less interesting, but still cool white bow… hm…! Or may be, screw it all, and just put this JAH into my Windforce, making it even stronger!!? And If I will go for an axe… maybe try to grind more to find a bit better SUPERIOR white axe version?? Choices choices choices! And this is great. No other crafting system is similar to that of a good old D2.
They can still use them in crafting recipes and have the new runewords system at the same time.
In this case one important and cool feature will be lost - that is - that each rune has its own intristic effect. This is why I keep saying - if you want to experiment with this cause-effect system, go make new items for it, no need to spoil runes.
I honestly don’t see how this system provides so much options as you describe it. There are two components, one is random (grey item) and you can almost always find a better version, the other are fixed items (runes) that can be combined to get a higher version. The result of each recipe, which you have to find online, is a mostly fixed unique. Very basic system, though it certainly provides a few choices, thanks to the pyramidal rune system.
As a comparison, D4’s runewords use a much more varied base (any item can have sockets) and recipes you can create yourself. It’s really much more evolved and should provides far more choices, even if it’s not well balanced (many of D2’s runewords were not).
Of course the combine feature to get a higher rune tier needs to be in the game, it has not been confirmed yet.
On that I agree, though I wouldn’t call this feature “important” at all. It will make space for other socketable categories.
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