I keep reiterating that Blizzard can both preserve the core/authentic experience of D2 in D2R and make another option that is less authentic. These are not mutually exclusive.
It is clear from the interviews that the are many changes that the designers would love to incorporate into the game if the players want them.
I suspect alot of what was said at Blizzcoline was to reassure potential D2R customers that it would not be W3R. However, it is clear that they also want to do more if players agree.
I would certainly support different ladders for a classic, classic LOD and a “modern” version of the game. I agree, they do not have to be mutually exclusive. However, but they can be.
Those “statistician” or “process improvement” staff would also be asking the developers questions such as. “Given there is a divide in the community, how long and what would it take to implement both versions of the game”. If the effort vs profit doesn’t look appealing enough to middle management/ execs. Both don’t happen and the most profitable route is chosen.
The fact that the question said at D2R launch makes me think that the developers either have the code done already, the coding is ongoing, or the developers think that it could get done by D2R launch.
If in D2R, there is classic D2, classic D2:Lod, and modern D2:Lod and once the initial kinks are worked out, two of the three version essentially need bug fixes and not much else.
Luckily for me, my stance is that of the original classic. So the likelihood of the way I want to see the game, I believe is more likely to happen. It’s already how the game uses to be and it’s already coded that way. Now let’s just say a majority of people want changes. The developers need to do extra work to make it happen and the execs approve to increase profits. Since there was a lot of talk of keeping the game true and authentic, that is most likely what they are working on today. A game that is as close as unchanged as possible. But with the approval of changes (extra work) by execs. Both parties getting what they want becomes more likely with a majority wanting changes.
Just my two cents on it with a corporate perspective
You’re making random assumptions about how personal loot works.
In a loot allocation system like PoE, only certain types of gear are allocated, the rest are always FFA. People also see all of the drops, but the ones not allocated to them are grayed out until that person leaves the area, then their loot becomes FFA.
I think it would be far more likely we’d see a PoE style loot allocation system in D2 than D3 style loot. PoE style loot is literally based on D2 loot and just has an allocation system on top of it to deal with the problems D2 loot had.
D3 style loot would require a completely new system to be designed and implemented where a PoE loot allocation style system could just be a UI modification for D2:R sitting on top of the original loot system.
IE: this is how PoE allocation works: https://pathofexile.fandom.com/wiki/Item_allocation
Item allocation is the system by which dropped items are assigned to members of a party. Each area instance has an allocation setting which is fixed when the instance is created. This will default to the party leaders default allocation setting, which can be changed in the options panel, or changed for a specific party in the social panel.
An allocated item will be greyed out to other players and they will not be able to pick it up. However, alert sounds or visual effects will still play for all players.
There are currently 3 allocation options:
Permanent Allocation:
Once allocated to a player, the allocation is set until that player leaves the area.
Short Allocation:
The allocation lasts 5 seconds then becomes available to all players.
Free for All:
No items are allocated.
The allocation will only assign the following items, all others are always considered free-for-all:
Unique items
Equipment with 6 sockets or 4+ links
Currency
Maps
Gems
Vaal fragments
Allocation is cleared if the item is picked up and dropped again, if the assigned player leaves an area, or if 5 minutes pass. Items will be allocated to be somewhat balanced between party members with a few notable exceptions:
Non-unique maps will always be allocated to the map creator.
Unique items dropped by bosses in special areas such as the Apex of Sacrifice, the Shaper’s Realm, and Breach Domains are allocated to the area’s creator. This also applies to Blessings dropped by Breachlords.
Even if they increased drop amounts 100%, rare items would still be rare because they’re really really rare in D2. The idea that an increase in drop amounts would make the game too easy and everyone would be rolling in rare items just isn’t realistic.
Most of my D2 experience is 1.09-1.10, so maybe 1.14 is just a lot easier than what we had if this is no longer the case, but you could run a bot 24/7 back then for weeks or months and wouldn’t have found even half of the uniques in the game in that amount of time. In multiple years of playing D2 I think I found maybe 1-2 shaftstops as just one example. Never found a particularly high level rune at all, ever.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they altered drop rates to compensate for a shorter season length, but it’s a separate issue/reasoning from loot allocation.
You make it sound so nonchalant to increase it by 100%. This kind of statement scares the crap out of me! 10% would be well beyond too much.
As you said, maybe the only possible exception would be to compensate for the shorter season. For example, it would be kind of silly if only a hand full of people get to create a last wish. It should only be a consideration if it is absurdly difficult to have rare items part of the trading economy.
I too played a lot and have seen items drop only once or never at all. I am excited to be able to have a chance to acquire loot I was never able to back then. I always want it to feel the exact same when you feel those items drop for you.
I’m glad you played long enough to notice the drops were running as they should be.
It isn’t any different from doing Baal runs and a bot or a pickit user takes everything and you end up with nothing. I literally join Baal runs once I’m fully geared and I have zero expectations of getting anything as of current.
And by “see actual loot drop” you surely mean “see if for parts of the second, before the botter or the pickit user collects it all”
Or do you mean actually get some piece of gear from a public run?
People complaining about that is certainly going to happen considering, that most people don’t even know, that D2 has… let’s say semi loot table… that there are item levels and area levels in D2, and that for many BiS items you can maximize the chance of getting them by farming them on a lower area level rather than public Baal runs.
Yes, you can get a SoJ from Baal on Hell, but you’re much more likely to get it from Andariel on Nightmare. People who can’t wrap their heads around that will inevitably complain.
And yes, I would be against the D2:R devs messing with drop chances… but I am also not opposed to personal loot, as I am sick and tired of the loot from those runs going to the bot or the pickit user.
I was mostly just trying to make the point that people are overstating how different the game would be with changes to drop rates. Many items would still be very rare, even with a much larger change in drops than what many people seem to be worried about.
I doubt you’d even notice a 10% change in practice given how low the base chances are. It wouldn’t change how you played the game or likely even how long you played.
You’re essentially putting words in my mouth. You’re basically suggesting, that I want free gear and that’s not the case.
When I play, I get to like 80 just by beating the 3 difficulties, then I farm and trade for gear, and I usually join public Baal runs when I’m already geared. I have no expectation of picking up items in those runs, because usually a pickit user or a bot takes all.
What I’m saying is, that it would be nice if the loot from those were more evenly distributed, that’s all…
And if I were to take what you said literally, you can already buy decent uniques from gamble… it’s just, that you can’t do it on demand and farming specific areas would be much more efficient.
Also, you can already get GG gear without farming. It’s called single player. There are various ways you can cheat via the save files… It is particularly easy on mods like plugy, that have a shared stash save file, separate from that of the character… which will be the case in D2:R as well…
