Base Diablo 4 I really think they could have skipped out on Barbarian (I am saying this as a Barbarian being my #1 pick since D2 back in the day) with Druid having a few melee options, being a physically big character, and that lorewise they are an offshoot people from the barbarians already. Not to mention that Arreat’s been worked over twice now between Baal and Azmodan. I’d be fine with them being a very endangered and rare sight.
If they wanted a heavily armored “stand your ground” sort of thing too, as well as kind of missing the archetype of a holy warrior, Paladin/Crusader are right there. Would’ve been interesting, in hindsight, to see that kind of faith clash of the Cathedral of Light’s ideals VS a Zakarumite. Make their unique class mechanic that they have an aura at all times (without using a skill slot) and you sort of Build-A-Bear it, slotting in buffs. Like offensive stat + defensive stat + utility stat. Not to mention, you know, the giant outpost/town that all those other paladins and crusaders are chilling in.
For where Vessel of Hatred takes place geographically and the events in it, Spiritborn feels… awkward? In my ideal world and my whatever opinion, if we’re going a long form for Diablo 4 and just continually adding expansions I feel like it should be a greatest hits and celebration of things especially with the boss roster, in-game exploration of Sanctuary as a whole, and how the story really pulls from all corners of the lore. So adding in an entirely new class when you can go back and pull and refine just makes it a slightly aggravating (in a similar vein to when people talk about “slots” in fighting game rosters.) that we’re inventing new stuff when they’ve made iterations of classic classes before.
The first half of Vessel of Hatred and what your supporting characters were doing had me going “man, wish a Witch Doctor were here”. Then especially on the back half of the campaign I really thought it would’ve been interesting to have a Paladin/Crusader in the middle of those events. Granted, without spoilers, the ending of the game really dangles an interesting possible piece of bait on the hook for a Paladin or Crusader to show up in the next expansion. But that’s a “next expansion” thing and we’re not seeing that for a year if we’re doing annual releases.
This game just should not have had classes to choose from from the beggining
Should have started Blank and the take full advantage of the Open world and travel to different regions and spend your leveling skill points to learn their signature skills
Scosglen teaches you druidic skills
Mount arreat teaches you barbaric skills
Vizjerei Clan’s outpost in Khanduras to learn sorcerer spells
Travel to the lands of Kurast to learn holy skills
etc
Then go pur in that school of skills or mix and match as you like
doing quests and harder ones allows you to gain enough reputation for them to teach you more sacred skills of theirs
This would have allowed from the start the classes people want
and expansions would have added the equivalent of multiple classes by just adding a Region, so much value for consumers that this must be why Blizzard didnt do it
Woulda, shoulda, coulda. Now that being said you can always get together with the other idealists on this forum, make a kickstarter, and get your own game going. I’ll beta test it for you guys, for free no less.
Or do you like blizzard and buy it from somebody else with talent and after to masterpiece, kick them out to do it yourself and fail in pathetic ways Every time you try to mimic their success through that Ip
Never know until you try, that’s all I’m saying. However people who feel they know how to make the game better, never actually try. So we’re stuck in this stalemate.
It’s a neat idea and has some basis in the series with Diablo 1 but even then there were base classes to start with. After Diablo 3 just slotting things, I’ll gladly take Diablo 4 having skill points even if it’s not trees like Diablo 2.
I mean there’s no necessarily “wrong time” to add these classes, I just think there’s some options they could have rolled out at earlier points.
Sorry for posing a possible discussion point on a forum for discussing a video game.
There’s nothing wrong with your post, or Anu’s for that matter. Now yours in particular talks about paladins and crusaders which have their own quest in the game right now by the way. It was rather interesting to find out what happened to them. It’s been there since launch of the base game.
Anu’s post on the other hand is asking for a complete rework of the class system. Which I just don’t see happening for Diablo 4 at all. I’m going from a realistic perspective mind you. So I offered an alternative, which I know they won’t take, just like no one on these forums will.
I’m all for ideas, don’t get me wrong, but I also look at it from Blizzards perspective and their history. So I offer counter points as to why it wouldn’t happen. You have to think much smaller when it comes to bringing change to this game.
Whoops, I revoke my cheeky last line. Brain didn’t connect the dots and context in that small gap there.
Yeah an entire rework of the system’s base building blocks would be a lot to ask for or expect at this point. Personally I wish the skill tree was more intertwining (not that Diablo 2’s was the most complex thing) but I also can live without that given the Paragon system this time around it having you make choices that way.