Hello,
Big Diablo fan here - played all 3 on release. The most interesting encounters I’ve had in the series were in Diablo II. The Fallen come to mind as having great enemy mechanics that made the game world feel real and visceral. The following suggestions attempt to further develop the outside the box thinking that led to some great enemy mechanics.
Suggested Mechanics (these may be a bit complex, but they’re just examples meant to get my point across. Including just one part of any of them would add great fun for me):
- An eneny carrying some kind of container of explosives (or ammunition). Other monsters run to this enemy to acquire said explosives and hurl them at the player. The carrier would keep it’s distance from the player but seek the monsters who throw it’s explosives. For more flavor, knocking back the carrier might cause some explosives to fly every which way (not exploding) making them easier to be gathered by other monsters or detonated by the player. If killed by fire, he blows up violently on death. The explosive gathering monsters are melee when no bombs are around to throw.
- A monster made up of bugs. When hit, the bugs fly from it and scurry towards the next nearest bug monster to be joined to it. More bugs in a bug monster means more damage dealt. To kill this one, you have to smack the bugs off of it, then kill the bugs before they rejoin the bug monster. When the number of bugs (health) is reduced enough, the bug monster disperses into scattering bugs that spread the status effects they had when the monster was killed to other monsters they touch. When other monsters die, he sends bugs to turn the corpse into more bugs, which join him or form a new bug monster. This guy kites the player, acting as a distraction while other enemies use ranged attacks or gather forces to crowd the player. When killed, the bugs scatter and spread select status effects to other monsters or the player
- An enemy who recklessly charges the player from afar, and damages and knocks down crowds of enemies who stand between him and the player. The enemy may even be slowed or lose health as it charges through crowds - and maybe only certain crowds. Any spreadable status effects spread to the crowds it charges through. It stays behind defensive units and hurls rocks until aggravated by getting certain status effects or taking a threshold of damage.
- A monster who gains strength AND health when attacked, but wears itself out as it pursues or attacks the player, and can be killed easily when finally exhausted. Some spells or abilities can help exhaust the monster faster. It takes cover behind defensive enemies when exhausted. It employs abilities or spells that share damage with other monsters via visible libks between it and other monsters. These links can be physically attacked and broken so as to prevent it from growing in strength. Knockdown, freezing, and other non damaging effects are critical to wearing this guy out.
- Enemies who bleed hellfire, which sprays out as they get hit, leaving hellfire on the ground that does DOT to other enemies and the player. If an enemy is sprayed directly by the hellfire blood, they gain a powerful buff. Beam spells used by other monsters gain powerful fire damage when passing through this fire. These enemies are used as the front line attackers, and relentlessly pursue the player. Killing these guys without sheddin too much blood, or distancing yourself from them until you’ve dispatched the enemies that benefit from their hellfire blood are critical.