Although we didn’t get any information on the potions from Diablo 4. I’d like to know what kind of potion you’d like to see in Diablo 4 ?
Potion in D2 : Quantity limited by belt type and spammable (you have to replace them with new ones)
Potion in D3 : Limited to a single potion whose use is restricted by a cooldown
Flask in Poe : Limited by 5 flask, each flask store different amount of charges. Used flask charges can be refilled : by killing enemies, by entering in safe zone (town, …), by using special skill/effect.
Would you like to see potions with different qualities (magic, rare, legendary, …) ?
IMO, I wish the potions in Diablo 4 had some interesting mechanisms.
This would allow for a potential alchemist-type class that would interact with them.
Ideally D4 should have its own potion system, something new.
But if I had to pick an existing implementation, I’d take PoE system any day. The classic single use potions like in D2 (and originally in D3 too) is very antiquated idea and should stay in the past. On the other hand the current D3 system is also a bit impractical, long cooldown makes its usefulness rather limited. The PoE flasks are rather good middle ground, they have limited uses until exhausted, can be easily recharged through gameplay, can have a great variety of gameplay enhancing properties, etc.
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The images in the quarterly update showed a heal potion style icon with a number on it, which I am assuming is how many potions you’re carrying in a stack that have a short cooldown. This is what Grim Dawn does, to conserve space in your backpack for the goodies you find as you play.
I find this system acceptable, as you could effectively find different potions that can do different things, perhaps with varying cooldowns depending on what the potion does in terms of gameplay.
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A mix between PoE and D3.
Having affixes and special effects on the potions in PoE kinda nice.
But keep the cooldown. The recharge system in PoE does not work very well imo.
Do not have potions that you collect in stacks. Just seems pointless and unnecessary.
So maybe have 2-3 potion slots, and give them a 60 sec cooldown each.
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Potion should be designed in a way that doesn’t interrupt the action part of the game. This is not a pausable game or a strategy game where potion can be used in a lot of ways.
What does action games do? Potion is merely for recovering HP. This is also what D3 did, although there is an exception - you need a life-per-kill potion for Impale DH.
Having 5 potions will make the operations too complicated for this fast paced game, especially with controllers. (Please no blaming on the choice to be cross-platform; this is another topic). I don’t expect this to happen in D4.
From the demo there seems to be only one potion slot but numbered potions. I don’t think this is the final design, but I think the operations of the game are largely determined. If only one potion slot is there, it will be a D3-like potion, numbered or not.
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Even with only 1 potion slot, you could still offer different types.
Some builds might rather want a run speed potion, a resource potion, or a resistance boost potion, over a healing potion, due to getting more of their healing from their build.
Of course an easy solution would be to just make them all healing potions, that also comes with additional bonuses as the examples above.
I’m also for a mix of poe and diablo
Have a belt with limited flasks to equip. Then you can fill those flasks in town and shrines, w/e and use them. No plane cooldown and no inventory full of potions
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I like the D3 way of doing things just because it forces you to pay attention to how you play, you cannot just spam potions and keep throwing yourself at enemies until you win.
The flask system I’m not the biggest fan of, but it is better than then spamming, but it still can be spammable.
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For a short duration
Like 5-10 times your HP
It enables more tactical play than just drink, wait 40 sec., drink,…
And about mana pots, I would not include them. Just HP
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As long as they bring back the sound from Diablo 2 when you drink it… 
but I like the spammabke variant, but I also think that is least likely to happen in Diablo 4
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The problem with potions having special effects is that then they stop being emergency healing and instead become part of your rotation.
BS.
When your emergency healing is limited, that’s when you play tactically. The only tactic that healing 5-10 times your HP brings with it is rushing.
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i never talked about buff potions
its about as much tactical play as having a 20 sec. cooldown on every single skill
none. you press it when its ready
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Id say this all depends how the game mechanics of combat are designed… if it follows D3 route, D2/PoE or a whole new route…
cooldowns or no cooldowns of skills, If you are allowed to easily pass through enemies, if positioning matters, if there is hit recovery or some stagger function, if there is cast rate/block rate which gets interrupted on hit, if accuracy/attack rating matters or its just a 100% for every hit on enemy… too many factors but i am personally for a similar PoE/Diablo 2 approach of system potion healing.
However we saw that there will be no healing globes, which i actually like.
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From the images it is looking like dropped potions, with a large stack/pool. I am hoping for 3 basic types, healing, resource, and a combo that gives both, but just half as much as the specific types. Not totally spam-able, but with a short timer.
If they decided to do legendary versions I don’t know how that would be implemented…/shrug
IMO Potions aren’t the impactful mechanic… CD or not, with buffs on consumation on not, doesn’t quite matter
What IS impactful (much more impactful) is the way how TP works, for example:
1 - in open world like D3 = channel to open
2 - in regular dungeons like D2 = buy to open to town (and yes this things could cost some decent amount)
3 - in quest/hard dungeons there would be a Town-Portal stone, you kill mobs to charge it up and/or push to a different location
Sure, there could be X charges per potion flask or whatever but IMO: what REALLY alters the gameplay and makes the difference is mechanics of using or creating a TP
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D3 style works for me. I want a quick access, 1 button, no brainer for healing my HP when I need it.
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what? tps? who cares for tps? i port back when i killed all enemies and have too return to town.
We can agree on something. 
plox
cooldown pots are stupid xD