D3 was not a success at launch, when the game released it faced many issues, that was too long ago to remember. But what made it most memorable for many is how D3 eventually became very successful and, captured a whole new + old ARPG enjoyers and created it is own massive player base.
You might wonder how did D3 do it ? what journey did the game take ? was there ups and downs ? disappointment and improvement ?
Answer is yes and yes to all of them. Hence, it is a journey to success, and not A success right off the bat.
Here is the reason I think that made D3 a success and was able to capture their audience.
D3 knows how to trigger your dopamine receptor over and over, it does not stop. It knows what the player base want. It delivers it and dial it up to 11.
D3 knows how to keep their players grinding and going. There is never a destination if you so desire, your power can always grow , and that there is no end. The end is only chosen by the player when the progression ends, it ends. Otherwise, you can always get stronger and stronger.
-D3 knows the core aspect of ARPG is to have player achieve that ultimate power fantasy. And it gives it to you , to anyone that set their foot in the game and you will achieve that power fantasy to blast down the demons and bosses wielding the power of gods…
That is not to say D3 is a perfect game - it is not. As with every game out there. But D3 knows what it wants to be, and knows to fulfill the core pillars of game design and that is, it knows what is fun to the players.
If you are a blaster ? - D3 got you covered
If you are a grinder ? - D3 got you covered
If you are a RPer ? - D3 got you covered
If you are someone that only wants to wield the power of gods to demolish hell and demons in your path - D3 got you covered.
If you are just someone who jumps in to the game for the very first time and want to have a amazing experience ? - D3 got you covered.
It seems like D4 is really trying to pull some more and more of that essence of fun from D3 but , it is just always misses the mark. So, D4 has some of that D3 core essence within it, but it isn’t really completing it.
I think that is why many people is not sure what D4 really is trying to do…and by that, is not a positive thing.
These are same thing, no cheating! And in the context of D3 one could and would argue that they work quite well.
True. What else do you want though?
And this is bad because? What, because you are always progressing? That’s bad?
This is every ARPG at some point.
You can not like these things, that’s fine. But saying “they are bad” without saying why you think so is a big nothingburger post of you just trying to sound high and mighty.
Seriously though, comments like “don’t make D4 into…” is silly and absurd. We’re players, not developers. WE have no power to make the game into anything we want, outside of the rare chance we get to work on the project. And even then how much pull does a single dev have? Not much is my guess.
D3 succeeds as a weekend game. They don’t want D4 to be a weekend game.
One is a finished product that the user ignores its massive flaws (like horrid skill balancing for non supported skills) because it’s never going to be updated. The other is an ongoing product that the user constantly harps on for its massive flaws (like horrid skill balancing for non supported skills) because there is hope they will be updated.
D3 streamlined a lot out of the typical Diablo-ARPG experience in previous games. It essentially took out the time wasters and just said here’s the meat and potatoes, you don’t need any sides. Which isn’t a bad or a good thing, that’s completely up to the person playing it.
So I can understand why some didn’t like the game if they were looking for a more D2 or PoE experience at the time. Which by comparison are slower, however all games within the same genre have the same power fantasy. Once you get beefy enough you just mow down mobs.
I enjoyed D3 myself, after they started to create themed seasons. Gave me a reason to come back and just have fun. However I also acknowledge the game for what it is. It’s a quick romp through demons, it’s more akin to Dynasty Warriors than your typical slower ARPG experience.
At least in the beginning and mid-game mind you. Once you reach the 100+ Grift tiers things start to slow down. More grinding for your legendary gems, upgrading your gear with the right stats, grinding out paragon levels, etc. it’s not that the game doesn’t slow down, it just doesn’t slow down until the much later parts, where as D2 and PoE are slow in the beginning to mid-game, then it picks up once you’re geared, and slows down again if you’re trying to min-max.
It’s different executions, and there’s nothing wrong with either of them.
No matter you agree or not, part of the issue in D4 now is a direct reflection of the D3 fan base. You cant denied the D3 shadow lingering behind D4.
I have no issue with D3 as a game of its own. But when player keep wanting mechanic from D3 to incorporate in D4, what do you think D4 will become or has became?
My stand is to let D4 be difference, good or bad is the verdict we can give after the fact. Thus, the bottom line is I don’t want to see a D3 clone. I want D4 to stand or even crumble on its own.
Doesn’t matter what random player X wants as much as what the GM and team leads want from the game. Either they agree or don’t. But they don’t come here to search for a vision for the game from us players.
for sure they are shifting it on the other end of the swing for S8, and possibly S9… Or maybe they think S8 shift is doing just about right amount who knows…
But the matter of fact is, from S2 onward, the game has been going kind of, pretty much at one direction. S8 was like a U turn in many ways, not entirely of course, but in many ways.
D3 had many problems at launch that needed to be fixed. However, the direction RoS took the game was a net negative. If they continued the original vision of d3 the franchise would probably be more fun at this point.