You can’t compare Diablo II pvp to any other ARPG pvp, PoE not even close.
And PoE being competitive? Let me laugh, it’s the most unbalanced pvp i’ve ever seen.
Pvp is the reason why Diablo II is still alive 20 years later. Pvp is the end game purpose of the game.
There is still, 20 years later, thousands of pvpers, very strong and solid community. PvP is played everywhere : Europe, USA East/west and a lot in Asia (Korea especialy).
Also you can’t compare D2 Pvp to any others game (especialy FPS) since mecanics are unique and basicly all your moves and targetting depends of your screen size. That being said the problem is kinda obvious with Ultra Wide screen.
Blizzard/VV will find a way to support it so everyone can enjoy the game. The Black bars is probably a tempory fix.
If you want more informations :
Ultra Wide screens give you a wider view, it’s clean and beautiful. You see now the whole game at a very high view. Like everything, monsters, all environnements, players, wps, maps, items dropped… everything.
However, Diablo II mecanics are 20 years old, whole game was not made to be played with such view.
David Brevik (Original Diablo II creator) said it himself :
« I can say from a technical standpoint that it’s going to be extremely difficult. That you will not be able to capture it exactly the way it was »
« The number one reason is because of the shape of the screen. Because the screens back then were 800x600 and largely square, and now they’re not, they’re 16:9 and 16:10, we did a lot of tricks. »
« A lot of the ways the AI and stuff activates is from off-screen. So it’s just off-screen then it starts getting activated and doing stuff. If they were going to keep the same radius of awareness, you would get a whole bunch of things on the edge of the screen getting ready to do something. »
« But if you don’t keep the same radius, then everything’s kind of coming from different angles and at different speeds and doing different things than you’re used to. »
« Not only that but a lot of modern games use a giant grid to do pathing and things like that, and part of the reason that Diablo plays the way it does is because of the grid that’s underneath. And so you’d have to mimic that kind of movement and grid that’s underneath Diablo II in order for it to have that same kind of feel. »
"I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but there are huge technical challenges. »
So here we are.
I. As casual player in Single Player Offline/ PvM :
- You can see everything (monsters, players, items etc.) from like 3-4 screens (or more if unlimited),
- You can literaly skip whole game in few teleports ; avoid risky situation because you are so far from monster AI or others game mecanics
- You can stand still at a point and aim monsters, kill them without they even notice (Blizzard, Meteor, Foh or what ever ranged casted skill)
In Single Player Offline, it’s « acceptable ». I mean if you prefer to enjoy the beauty of the game instead of the game mecanics, why not it’s up to you.
In my opinion, it will still get boring very fast. Diablo II is not an easy game and thats why we love it.
Ultra Wide could maybe have no restriction in Single Player Offline, even if it kills the challenge and the adventure itself.
II. In Multiplayer (PvM – Player vs Monsters) :
But in multiplayer, it’s an other story.
It can introduce a severe imbalance between players.
And without limit, people will abuse it such as : https://i.imgur.com/W0Pfl6G.mp4
- Same as above but now you can do things that others players can’t : see everything
- Skip whole game if needed (Game breaking competitive Ladder ranking)
- Avoid risky situation/monsters IA and killing them with ease
- You could see items droping while other players can’t
Basicly, you go easy mode while most of the players will struggle. And somehow it kills the purpose of the game.
III. And finaly, the worst problem by far is in PvP :
At first, PvP in Diablo II is so underrated and it’s too bad because it’s probably one of the most fast paced and skilled pvp i’ve ever seen at high skill level.
The community is very very active since 20 years.
For most players, building a pvp character is the End game goal.
And being competitive in pvp is probably the reason why Diablo II is still alive today and played by thousand of pvpers.
That being said, Ultra Wide/Unlimited screen is absolutly game breaking in competitive PvP because the imbalance between players is absurd :
- You can target your opponent because he is on your screen while he can’t see you
- You can reach your opponent in 2 teleports when he needs 5-6
- You can go away from a risky situation and nobody will be able to follow you if they don’t have the same screen range.
- You can avoid hits easily from every multiples traveling skills such as teeth (nec), multishot (bowa etc.).
And more.
