You know the one: that modifier that affects damage dished out Vs damage received. The lower CR you got, the less damage you do to monsters on the same difficulty…and god forbid you visit the next difficulty up. Naturally, the less CR you have the MORE damage you receive from monsters.
Basically, it’s the core modifier in Diablo Immortal that you need to keep upgrading in order to keep up and go up. The higher paragon you are, the higher the innate CR is on items that drop for you. And it’s increased by various parameters, one being higher base attributes.
One of the main complaints about why D4 stinks (and there’s way more than 13 reasons why) is that Itemization is a total bore. Once you hit a certain drop ceiling, upgrades are faaaaaaaaaaar in between, and you can easily go an entire remainder-of-season without ever seeing one.
Say, your main weapon is 1-2GA…you can get by with it and you’ve already completed the seasonal journey within 1-2 weeks of season start (majority of people have), BUT you never see a 3GA or a 4GA version of your main weapon for the rest of the season. And you feel like you’re wasting your time.
Combat Rating fixes that, because you’re always upgrading. You never stick with the same item for very long.
In Immortal, main spell customization comes from legendary powers (aspects) that can be activated and/or used in conjunction with other spell aspects via Legendary Gem Awakening and crafting that provides an additional modifier to your main attack spell.
Granted, it does turn items into boring Stat Sticks and you don’t pay attention to the new shiny leg that dropped if it doesn’t have higher attributes (which result in higher Combat Rating), but then again we have the same thing in D4. Once you get to T2/T3 you pretty much stop paying attention to anything non-GA.
In Immortal it also creates somewhat of a progression ceiling, especially when it comes to higher-difficulty content like Helliquary Bosses. You’re stuck solo farming lower level ones and you never see any upgrades from them, because everyone ahead of you has already grouped up in 8’s and cleared the board, and nobody can be bothered to help you do them as well no matter how politely you ask.
But that ceiling in Immortal is designed to make you fork out the credit card and literally buy more power. We won’t be having that here…hopefully not.
In D4 this constant upgrade hunt would make any “endgame activity” less boring, because the chance of finding upgrades is that much higher. Because that right there is what KILLS endgame. Lack of progression, lack of upgrades, making you feel like a literal hamster on a wheel, going nowhere fast.
For those who keep asking for more endgame activities: it wouldn’t make a difference. You’d get bored of them as well within 24 hours because the novelty has worn off and nothing is happening. What is the main goal of endgame activities? LOOT. And when the loot SUCKS like it does in D4, the activities suck. The game sucks, because you just can’t be bothered to get back up on that wheel.
Last but certainly not least: Combat Rating solves the dreaded “moar stash space” complaint that hoarders never seem to tire of. Items with less combat rating than the ones you’re currently wearing are immediately made obsolete. No hoarding required.
So when you weigh the pros & cons: D4 needs an updated version of Combat Rating. It will also pave the way for more endgame activities and better paragon progression & customization across the board.