(1) rush the campaign ignoring everything else. It’s easier if you are at the lowest level possible, since monsters level up with you and your power is dependent on random “legendary” drops. Act 1 can be completed by level 9 or 10 in about one hour. Your main skill you need to master during this part is “Skip”, using the Esc key. You need to long press it to skip cut scenes and short press it to skip dialog.
(2) run a couple of specific dungeons for legendary powers that your build needs (optional).
(3) to level up to max level, repeatedly run the starting part of the most efficient dungeon in terms of xp. In Act 1 that is “Dead Man’s Dredge” where you kill the 3 animus carriers, exit and repeat. Takes 2-4 minutes per run. In beta you could have leveled to 25 in less than 2 hours using this method.
What is considered “Efficient” to some players is boring to other players. I for one will take my time and cover the entire campaign (story mode) as methodical as I can. I am not a speed racer who want’s to “ignore” much of the game.
During the Diablo IV Early Access Beta, the Challenges tab (the equivalent of the World of Warcraft Achievements tab) revealed how many Acts are in Diablo IV, and the name of each Act. Completing each of the Acts grants a separate achievement.
Prologue: Wandering
Act I: A Cold and Iron Faith
Act II: The Knife Twists Again
Act III: The Making of Monsters
Act IV: A Gathering Storm
Act V: Secrets Bartered, Fates Sold
Act VI: Dance of the Makers
Epilogue: From the Wound Spilled
The titles don’t really spoil much of what to expect ahead, but now we know that Diablo IV contains 6 Acts, plus a Prologue and an Epilogue. What we experienced from Level 1-25 in Early Access Beta was merely the Prologue, it seems.
He is incorrect with the last sentence bold from me.
This includes a first taste of the campaign via the Prologue and the entirety of Act 1. - D4 Beta Blog
OK, so this is the most efficient way to go through “Prologue” then. I suspect though that it will be the same for everything else. If you want to “methodically” kill everything and go through 85 GB of cut scenes and dialogs, go for it. I started to skip everything after about 15 minutes in beta.
I want the extra +15 Skill Points and the extra +20 Paragon points from the Renown system for clearing everything in each of the 5 main zones. That carries across all characters.
I think in D3, at the beginning I cleared the story mode at least twice. In D4, I’ll do the same - probably with sorceress and druid.
I never rushed D3 when it first came out. What’s the point of buying a game if you don’t play all the content at least once.
After that, hopefully some streamer finds an efficient way to level to 100 for the other 3 characters.
My method will be to complete the entire campaign, all side quests, clear and unlock all strongholds, pay attention to all spoken dialogue (be it from the main story, or even simple dialogue spoken by npcs idling in town) and written texts and search through as much of the map that I can, be it in the dungeons or overworld (including when helltides are active).
At least that’ll be my most efficient way of playing, at least for the sake of learning more of the world and lore that D4 sets up.
I am just gonna do what I do on new releases… do everything I can on the way to maxlevel, that means every dungeon, cellar, quest and event, why rush… better do it all and get the renown while doing it, take it all in.
Once seasons start I might change it up abit, doing only dungeon spam or something.
Give it time (probably will be awhile but…), some folks will look for guides that details renown rewards, including Lilith altars locations. Then they’ll just rush through those. Not that I fault them, as that’s how some folks play.
I do hope that each of the 5 renown boards are different not the same rewards. The PureDiablo site already has an interactive map showing the location of everything in the Fractured Peaks.
Most efficient way to play D4 is to find your nearest dumpster, place your system with D4 installed inside and set it on fire. Move away and carry on with your life.
Prologue ends when you reach Kiovasad and buy back items for Lorath and he leaves. There was on screen info like “End of Prologue”. In beta we had Prologue and Act 1.
Well, the most efficient way of leveling in D3 is massacre bonuses, that’s not really fun either. Being efficient over having fun though is a choice you make, not a necessity.
bold from me.
