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At this point I think it’s pretty easy to say that one of the biggest turn-offs in D3 was the mob design, and frankly due to one reason or another we may disagree on WHY, but we can surely safely say that was one of the problem/s D3 had
As for other D2, the “mob design” was a non-issue (largely) because the “fight with not consistent outcome” mechanic that existed in atk/def rates in that game, but don’t think that’s a viable (or good for that matter) design in this day and age tbh… So having that in mind would like to introduce a bit of few concepts from previous RPG games and maybe even other “mob killing” games from other genres in general (like Doom Eternal these days for ex. :D)
Concept #1 - all mobs can be “moped” up quickly (or in few rounds) but if done exactly right (translation ?, no mob has mountains of HP, even elites, they should have like 5-10x the regular mob HP, not 50 or 500 times more HP ffs, just cause being an elite doesn’t mean the player should fight that one single dude 3 minutes despite the chances for a reverse kill being super low, in other words a fight shouldn’t be a “mash these buttons and do that X ability that gives your back your HP, rince and repeat until elite X is dead”)
Concept #2 - if not “moped” up quickly then there should be an alternative way to make those mobs be “largely dealt with” (disabled or otherwise) on longer periods of time (break a mob’s weapon or shackle or silence, put them in a magic prison or whatever even at the cost of having them take less damage for the time)
Concept #3 - it’s highly recommendable to consider buffs, ccs, debuffs, obstacles that are breakable/counterable… Let a “basic mob type” have frozen lake, so what, doesn’t have to be an elite to have a “hazard” of some type, BUT make these things dealable with, make fire damage be coverable by Ice or coverable by falling rock/s or traversible, or simply be highly damageable but last short… Let regular mobs place walls, so what, just make them destructible (some walls destroyed by high physical attack, some walls destroyed by magical attack, some wall be completely removed by a CC spell, whatever the design). Make regular mobs shoot “volleys” so what, just make sure that that squire (or cart or whatever it is that buffs their attack) is separately/destructible, make warlocks do “regular” damage (or life syphon at least) of high amount, just make so that that doesn’t happen all the time but rather when some demon X or an “eye” that can be dealt with is out on the open
Concept #4 - What do elites have ?, well they can have extra defensive stats or abilities, they can have their “basic ability” alternated somehow (for example instead of a simple fireball have them “spew” a stream of fireballs, or instead of a simple wall make them place a barbed wall that you better wait wears out or risk hurt yourself, have an eye/demon of a warlock do AoE attacks instead of single-projectile, i.e. just “altnerate” them do what they already do by their “family” design more effective/better)
Concept #5 - Consider having “D3 affixes” as level/environment hazards, really doesn’t “srike” people well when they see a rotating laser on the screen be cast by a mob, but have it come out of a destructible (or indestructible in case of a boss fight or whatever) pillar is or at least should be highly acceptable design IMO
Concept #6 - Consider having less but better organized mobs, heck have even a “commander” of a group here & there that would either instruct everyone retreat or attack at the same time (things like that), a game doesn’t have to have 5 rounds of zombies in one place, there can be 2 rounds where the 2nd round has a commander that “instructs” them now is the time to cannibalize corpses to regain HP back or “now is the time” to drop poison pools on the ground, or attack with a high% lifesteal attack, or now is the time to burrow/reposition/whatever… In game/develop design this would result in more of a “unit or squad as single mob” based as opposed to “individual as a single mob based” game design, i.e. place 5 zombies with an archer here, place 4 archers with a commander there (and tripple or quaddrupple that at places to make it “checkpoint obvious”, i.e. make it harder of an obstacle/checkpoint but keep the basic/signature function of the unit as a whole), things like that
Concept #7 - Consider mob “conglomerations”, i.e. an archer on a flyer, a priest mounted on a charger, a phoenix mounted on a troll, a ballista mounted on a troll, e.t.c., these kinds of “2 in one or 3 in one” things make players think and diversify their “original” playstyle towards a clear prioritization (should I jump to kill the priest first or I fight the dragon, should I disable the troll or take out the ballista and take care of the troll later), e.t.c.
Concept #8 - Not always numbers should “result” in player’s experience, have some “modification” give it instead, make some knights with diamond/crystal armor (resistant to spell attacks, perhaps wouldn’t be a bad idea to have these types of “buffs” be dealable with separately, i.e. kill the crystal with a physical-crit/CC/shuttering attack, continue fight the mob with spell attacks later, could make elites/bosses “grow back” their “special” armor), in other words, consider make thingsBETTER in the first place, not just more of the same… Though there could as well be some certain places where the “more of the same” is the theme but don’t make it a core/everywhere game design… Not always the game has to feel like "beating level 1 takes 5 minutes of gameplay i.e. 20 mobs, level 2 12 minutes i.e 50 mobs, level 3 25 minutes i.e. 90 mobs, e.t.c., don’t care about that, consider the player having small but still possible chance of failure, for ex. just before turning level 3 to fight a highly-resistant to melee attacks dude or whatever, but also make sure there are consumables/ways to deal with)… Or more specifically = SPICE UP the same challenge from before, instead of giving more of the same until something else entirely comes up and continue with only new “stuff” onward… Consider trickier opponents even earlier in the game, in fact that’s what makes players be like, okk, glad we got through that obstacle)… For the sake of the game’s interaction and reward/punish system, consider more serious/considerable earlier obstacles
That would be it (for now), hope this topic stays somewhat relevant tbh cause don’t think people want to not feel any difference what-so-ever between a skeleton with a sword, axe, a demon with an axe or sword, a footman or a pike warrior (despite all melee, they should all have CLEAR ups, downs, and differentials)