Request for feedback to some ideas

Demon Hunter
1

Hi all,

I would like to throw out some ideas for your judgement.
Since here is were I have seen the most help all these years to learn the game, I turn to you.

  1. Removal of the pylons in GR all together and instead make them available through the potion effect!

Edit: Instead of connecting this to the potion it should have it’s own keybond separate from the potion. Ex. P or B.

Let me try to explain what I mean and how this idea came to be.

After reading this recent ongoing discussion about the potion pylons I had this idea.

Now how will it work or function. First of all the aspect of the progress will be the same. So at 20% the first chance of a random effect will be available by “using” the potion.

To clarify if any of you are familiar with F1 the drivers have certain zones were they have DRS available.

This would similar to that, the benefit would be that no more wondering were the hell the pylon is.

Here is a follow up idea what if you save that unlock and can add them up, that way you can strategize to save them for RG.

Not an easy task for the devs for sure.

Other difficulties is how to make Nemesis bracers and FoT to work. AND how would this work in group play.

Keep in mind that this is meant as change to the game for both season and non season.

Well I decided to only present this idea for now because I fear it already is a :brick:.

2

I prefer to use the potion as a potion. If I’m just using it to trigger a pylon effect, I wont have it when I need it as a potion.

Will I be using it for the pylon effect during Season 28? You bet.

But I’m not wanting it to stay like that forever.

3

yeah I see what you mean.

Easy to fix though how about another hotkey?

Also I would like to hear what you think of the concept as a whole.

4

For one thing, this is the Demon Hunter forum. You might want to shift this to General Discussion given this has nothing to do with DHs!

Secondly, I like the idea of getting rid of pylons. But I’d go a step further and remove all pylon effects. Period. Remove a ridiculous layer of RNG from this 18-armed bandit. The endgame boils down to getting the right pylons in the right order. Rinse and repeat for 99+% of solo and group pushes for every season I can remember. It’s amplified this season: that Baskenator (I think) video posted by Avalon showing a zbarb clearing a 150 with zero skills attached and just a potion is the pinnacle of ridiculous.

Overall, it’s a tedious mechanic, IMHO.

While we’re getting rid of detritus, let’s also remove pools of reflection and all shrines except goblin shrines. Of course this’ll render Nems and Flavor of Time useless but they won’t be missed.

5

To your first point, I agree and know that this should have been in general.
The reason I chose to post it here is to get the opinions from a smaller group of players and some of the most helpful on the forums.

Secondly I still don’t see any valid or constructive criticism to my idea.

6

Potion gimmick in a season? Maybe if it wasn’t broken. Pylon potion becoming a permanent part of the game? No thanks.

Why? Then the game turns into a lottery of who zaps the most mobs with their potion. It wrecks any hope of build diversity and encourages a vanilla play style. It’s Diablo III, not Potion Zapper XIV.

Having said that… Sure, why not? Just open up the game to modding and see how many of these corny, screwball ideas pop up.

7

Please reread what I suggested.

This has nothing to do with the season.

Also I changed my original text because it was misleading.

8

Pylons are fine, they add excitement and strategy. The problem is we memorized the pylon locations from playing so much, we need more maps to play, and more randomization. D3 is too preset IMHO.

More pylon variety is welcome, and the current ones could use balance:

Flavor of Time is problematic. The game was better without it emanating, all open amulet slots went to Squirts, Follower Ess of Johan was ejected. For duration, 50% longer pylon effect instead of double seems appropriate.

Conduit Pylon this effect should last 20 seconds and hit more enemies for less damage. The ideal use case is damage ON-THE-GO, or activation at the BEGINNING of a pull, the goal is to always be surrounded by 10+ enemies.

Power Pylon: shorten to 20 seconds. 2 CoE Cycles guaranteed for all classes.

Speed Pylon: 150% attack speed, 75% run speed, unhindered, breaks walls, no knockback, and lasts 20 seconds.

Channeling Pylon: keep as is, 30 seconds is fine. Casting the same skill twice increases its damage by 50%.

Shield Pylon: shorten to 30 seconds. Enemies that hit you take 30% additional damage for 5 seconds.

NEW PYLON CONCEPTS

Fire Pylon: the pylon itself shoots fireballs at nearby enemies, stationary, you drag enemies to the pylon, behaves like a Shock Tower. Similar to a Conduit, but different.

Thorns Pylon: You now reflect damage back to your attackers. Damage scales like the Conduit Pylon.

Archangel Pylon: You summon an Archangel that attacks every second and matches your highest damage dealt over the past 5 seconds, based on the player who triggered the pylon. Limit 1 Archangel per Group. Excludes, Sever and Frailty mechanics. Grants 50% Damage Reduction. Lasts 20 seconds.

Demonic Pylon: You summon an Oppressor that attacks every second and matches your highest damage dealt over the past 5 seconds, based on the player who triggered the pylon. Limit 1 Oppressor per Group. Excludes, Sever and Frailty mechanics. Grants 50% Increased Damage. Lasts 20 seconds.

Triune Pylon: Summons a High Priest with enhanced support capabilities. Casts triune circles, grants all allies 6% max life per hit, 6% max resource per hit and 66% increased damage. Grants the player who triggered the pylon a 60 yard Pixel pull that occurs every 6 seconds. Limit 1 per Group. Lasts 30 seconds.

Nemesis Pylon: Triggering this pylon will immediately summon 3 yellow elites without minions, 12 globes total here. This pylon will also grant 50% increased elite damage for 30 seconds.

Archnemesis Pylon: Triggering this pylon will immediately summon a mini rift guardian w/ 50% health without teleporting capabilities, 10 globes granted on kill. This pylon will also grant 50% increased elite damage for 30 seconds.

Blackthorne’s Pylon: Triggering this pylon will erase all ground effects and permanently block up to 3 affixes on already spawned elites and champion packs. This pylon will also grant 75% increased elite damage for 30 seconds.

9

Your idea seems good, it would increase the rng a bit but we would get another variaty of buffs.

Now to my understanding you prefer having pylons spawn instead of what I proposed.

I am not sure I was able to explain my idea in a good way, already saw and changed it a bit to make it clearer.

10

Yes. I do prefer the pylons because they are visual stimuli.

Pylons
Immediately plan your next steps upon identification.

Potions
Upon activation you realize a smaller visual in the HUD to confirm the effect. It’s not a good platform for planning. You don’t get to plan your next steps until after the buff timer starts. While potions are quite reactional – you still end up planning your activation before every pop, but efforts may wholly go unrewarded if you get the wrong effect. (shield, when I needed a power).

Pylons by the nature of map exploration and GR progression are more strategic than potions. That’s not to say that you cannot have a separate set of simpler effects tied to the potions.

  • The resource potion causes me to intentionally injure my character when low on discipline.
  • Kulle Aid is intentionally triggered during CoE cycles / support roles.
  • The life per kill potion we intentionally try to snapshot after activation. (not so great example)
  • Fear potion we intentionally activate in speeds for movement speed.

I just thing they went about it the wrong way.

  • Potions = Ideal for simple effects, not exclusive to defense/utility, causes you to make split second decisions, while considering the life saving aspect of the potion itself.
  • Pylons = Ideal for game changing, powerful effects that impact the trajectory of a push.

Upping the Variety of Potions:

  • 35% DR for 5 seconds. (let’s you play offensively)
  • Erases ground effects. (saves your tail)
  • Stuns all enemies within 30 yards for 3 seconds. (lets you proc Bracer of Fury, Hammer Jammers, etc.)
  • Unhindered movement for 3 seconds. (escape)
  • 100% movement speed for 5 seconds. (escape or rush to next kill site)
  • Doubles your next potion cooldown but increases damage by 30% for 3 seconds. (offense for survival)
  • Doubles your next potion cooldown but attack speed by 30% for 3 seconds. (offense for survival)
  • Automatically triggers under 15% health. (a lcheat death for those with poor reflexes)
  • Reduces the cooldown of the next skill you activate by 3 seconds. (time your next vengeance, akarat’s champion with the potion cooldown)
  • Your next attack pulls in all enemies within 30 yards. (gather before for the CoE cycle)
    etc.
11

This is my fault. I wasn’t clear enough in my description.

Forget this S28 feature.

Now think of having a different key bound for activating the pylon effect.

Let’s assign it to W for the examples sake.

Now before we continue with an example let me clarify how to earn the effects.

One thing that will remain the same is the progression, 20, 40, 60, 80%, that is when this bonus will open up.

Instead of spawning a pylon you would open up or unlock the W.

Some additions I thought of was the chance to save this for later and secondly that you through your progression would be able to accumulate your unlocked buffs for the right time.

To make it clear we still can max get 4 buffs, they will be random one of 5 currently, 4 out of 13 if we had your suggestion active. They can’t repeat.

So an example we start a GR we reach 20% we see then which it is, decision to save for later or trigger.

Let’s say we save it and continue, at 40 we get next buff unlocked again we can trigger or save.

To shorten my wall.

At this point we trigger we have effect A and B active just like now.

As we continue we have two unlocks to reach and there can only be two of C, D or E that can be offered.

I hope this made what I envisioned clearer.

Thanks in advance, and belated to @illeagle94 and @Zurtle.