A person tries to come up with an idea to make the game more fun and it’s like they’re peddling radioactive waste. I’ll try to express myself as simply and directly as I can (that didn’t last). Assuming that a player has typical mbl/r 1-4 ability controls that in practice typically devolve to one button doing the heavy lifting, imagine:
- Button 1 has a long cooldown ability on it. It’s nice to have when available but not terribly exciting.
- You’re level 55 and the grind is beginning, aka the real game. Your character is already more or less what it will be for the next tens to hundreds of hours, just with a smaller numbers-peen. You get game by growing it. From the dark and repressed caverns of the internet a prophetic figure emerges, espousing a different philosophy for grasping enlightenment. It’s not about size, it’s about what you can do with it. He claims that you can keep growing it all you want but you won’t find happiness like that. Within each of us there is hidden untapped potential, he asserts encouragingly.
- He claims that He has spoken with Diablo himself, and made a bargain with the devil (for even Diablo is tired of this sht). Diablo has been dutifully monitoring his metrics, analytics, and whatever - as he was taught in Burning Hells money school, the root of all evil and all - and has conclusively discerned that he is running low on actual minions that pay rather than virtual endless ones he happily obliges to supply. That is when Diablo’s overlords become displeased - investors, executives, and such - and real trouble happens. So anyway, exploring what’s beneath Diablo’s immersive exterior aside, in a gambit for fun on one side and minion$ on the other a covenant has been struck solemnly sealed in virgin blood. Diablo has allowed new items into the sacred haven of gaming that is the world of Sanctuary, where terrifying world bosses get practically aborted within seconds of exiting the womb of creation and Legion events make you roll your eyes in exasperation that there is apparently nothing better you could be doing. The miracle of content creation.
- To tap your hidden potential you need tools. Doing complex math in your head is on average not a quality of your hidden potential and the game does it for you. Hell, you can barely read. What you can do is make decisions, take actions, and viscerally enjoy the consequences. You need to be empowered to do more cool things rather than slam the ground like an idiot over and over or have balls of damage orbit you like some special-needs Death Star.
- Unnecessary line.
- As your one-dimensional level 55 character is derping around effortlessly slaying monsters they come across the first new item. You study it with revulsion. Unlike anything you’ve come across before it doesn’t actually do anything. Ironic fun (I could write some Baldur’s Gate 3 narration, hear the unnecessarily sultry voice). It’s a Thing with Slots. You’re told that you can equip it on an action, for instance that button 1 with the long cooldown ability on it. After you press button 1 to either execute the normal ability or while it’s on cooldown the Thing with Slots does some foul magic on your 1-4 buttons - it remaps them to its Slots. Revolting.
- The useless Thing with Slots now takes up space in your precious inventory, which makes you emotional. Suddenly, something else drops from the mangled, elementally excoriated body of a monster you’ve ruthlessly slain, as a little boogie runs down your vacuous face. It’s another item you haven’t seen before. This one, however, has a use. It’s an ability. You see a level on it. This ability slots into the Thing with Slots. Now when you equip the Thing with Slots the 1-4 button remapping gives you an option to execute. Three of the buttons are for such abilities, one of the buttons exits the Thing with Slots so you can use your normal abilities whenever you’d like. However, you do not get access to the normal ability on the Thing with Slots button until you go through its levels. Executing one ability advances to the next level so you have to make choices. Empty outer levels are discounted.
- As you continue playing you encounter Things with more and better Slots, more powerful abilities, and automatically triggered benefits between levels that you can also slot in. There is no cost to reslotting, customize as you’d like. You grow more powerful through actions you take and decisions you make as you play rather than from a sheer power level increase that hardly affects your gameplay. Action > math. This should make the game more engaging.
That is the idea anyway. There has been a single person so far who has gotten this, although one paragraph sufficed there. Compound Ability Tree concept - #10 by Apache222-1831 It’s a relatively innovative idea to simultaneously improve itemization, progression, and gameplay in the endgame. I don’t really know what more I can do. I have written two examples - Rogue and Barbarian (Sorcerer stumps me and atm isn’t worth the effort) - to demonstrate what this could look like. I don’t know how hard it is to implement such a thing, and obviously first it would need proof of concept and an ability to do quicker testing, but from everything I’m seeing this game is going nowhere fast. I am firmly of the opinion that the first fundamental issue is the clear idiocy - tune into any stream and observe - of ARPG combat, Diablo combat in particular. The first couple of games succeeded 20+ years ago at the dawn of computer gaming when every rudimentary thing was not beaten to death and somehow everyone decided there’s no further development to be done on the concept - just make more games like those. The market rejects that assumption even if no one can identify and articulate what is going on, on grounds of pride anyway. Technically a game like this is still profitable, just forever mediocre and ironically unpopular.
Thing with Slots
Each Thing with Slots has a cooldown equal to 5*levels seconds starting from the execution of the first action.
Introductory
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1 level, 2 special ability slots
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1 level, 3 special ability slots
Intermediate
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2 levels, 3 special ability slots [per level]
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2 levels, 3 special ability slots, 1 common inter-level effect
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 1 common inter-level effect
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 2 common inter-level effects
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 1 common and 1 rare inter-level effects
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3 levels, 3 special ability slots, 2 rare inter-level effects
Advanced
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4 levels, 2 rare inter-level effects
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4 levels, 3 rare inter-level effects
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4 levels, 2 rare and 1 legendary inter-level effects
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4 levels, 1 rare and 2 legendary inter-level effects
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4 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects
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4 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects, level 1 is of level 2 special ability slots, levels 2 and 3 are of level 3 special ability slots
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4 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects, level 1 is of level 2 special ability slots, level 2 is of level 3 special ability slots, levels 3 and 4 are of level 4 special ability slots
Ultimate
- 5 levels, 3 legendary inter-level effects, variations of special ability slot levels with the last reserved for two level 5 special ability slots
Abilities
Rogue
Level 1
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Only Fans - Basic marksman skills are 3 projectiles in a spread each dealing 35% of base damage for the next 4 seconds.
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Two-timer - Basic cutthroat skills apply twice on each cast for 4 seconds.
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Combo Master - Basic skills generate 3 combo points for the next 3 seconds.
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Habitual Evader - Gain two charges of Evade.
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Reposition - Gain 40% increased movement speed for 3 seconds.
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Stun Grenades - Drop a cluster.
Level 2
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Bonus Imbuement - Apply the imbuement of your choice for a single skill use.
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Agile - Use any of the agility skills. (Bonus Imbuement and Agile will be configured to one selection outside of combat.)
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Malicious Concealment - Reduce the cooldown of concealment by 4 seconds and the next time you enter it dealing damage during the first 3 seconds will not break it.
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Cluster Smoke Grenade - Smoke grenade fragments on impact with secondary explosions outside the normal radius.
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Shroud Permanence - Dark shroud protective shadows are not consumed for the next 10 seconds.
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Poison Trapper - Your next 6 poison traps have a 25% greater area.
Level 3
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Assassin’s Escape - Enter stealth that cannot be broken by received damage for 3 seconds, gain unstoppable for one second, pass through enemies, and recover 35% health.
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Charade - Spawn 4 shadows that taunt enemies, exploding after 2.5 seconds for moderate damage, and applying vulnerable for 2 seconds.
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Heavy Payload - Shoot a projectile that explodes outward in front of you dealing moderate damage and stunning enemies for 3 seconds in a large cone.
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Recovery - Standing still without attacking generates energy, up to 100 over 3 seconds, and applies 75% damage reduction. Lasts 6 seconds, maximum energy recoverable is 150.
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Eviscerate - Deal severe damage over time to an enemy.
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Zipline - Climb an adjacent wall or terrain feature, shoot a connecting arrow to another wall or terrain feature within 20 meters, and zipline across dropping cluster bombs that deal moderate damage and slow enemies by 25% for 8 seconds.
Level 4
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Vault - Evade becomes Vault, gaining an extra 200% range, unstoppable, and three charges. You deal 10%[x] more damage for 2 seconds after vaulting and drop caltrops when you vault. (Could be limited to say 20 seconds in addition to the three charges.)
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Corral - Gain 100% movement speed and lodge a series of 5 connectedly roped daggers into enemies. If a loop is closed pull the rope to cluster all enemies caught within the perimeter, stunning them for 2 seconds and making them vulnerable. Lasts a maximum of 10 seconds.
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Butcher - Gain 100% movement speed and lodge a series of 5 individually roped daggers into enemies. Activate to pull the daggers dealing substantial immediate as well as bleeding damage to every enemy in their paths. Multiple daggers can be used to impale a single enemy. The daggers are then flung back out and pulled back in a second time in between their previous connections. Lasts a maximum of 8 seconds.
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Rogue Cannon - Taunt enemies from afar, become immobilized, and begin shooting individual projectiles the direction of which has to be pointed at an extremely rapid rate. Collectively the projectiles can mow down enemies and knock back within a certain range but do not pierce. Lasts 6 seconds.
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Kinetic Momentum - Dash. Gain 40% damage on dash as well as 10% length and width. You have 3 seconds to dash again. If you kill more enemies than you did on the previous dash the bonuses are applied again. If not enter a 3-second cooldown retaining accrued bonuses. Repeats and lasts a maximum of 12 seconds.
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Hell’s Kitchen - Cover your boots in tar, gain 50% increased movement speed, 25% damage reduction, and you can move through enemies. You have three flaming arrows to ignite contiguous areas of tar. Tar slows enemies by 50%. Ignited tar deals heavy over time damage and slows enemies by a further 15%.
Level 5
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Strafe - Rapidly shoot at enemies (animation - this is from Valla of Heroes of the Storm) dealing devastating damage over time across much of the screen. Lasts 7 seconds.
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Incensed - Gain full energy, reduce energy costs by 66.6%; double attacking, general skill performance, and cooldown reduction rates; increase damage by 20%[x], and increase movement speed by 40%. Lasts 7 seconds.
Barbarian
Level 1
- Arsenal Warm-up - Perform a rapid series of single-target attacks with all three weapon types.
- Frustrated Fury - Get a free use of a core skill that deals 50% damage but gives you fury equal to 2x its fury cost.
- Internalized Weakness - Remove debuffs from surrounding enemies, doubling the effects they would suffer from these debuffs if reapplied for the next 4 seconds.
- Homicidal Ideation - Newly inflicted bleeding damage is increased by 66.6% over the next 4 seconds.
- Evasion - Give Evade unstoppable for 2 seconds.
- Amplified Shout - Extend duration of active shouts by 2 seconds.
Level 2
- Psych-out - Give yourself berserk for 5 seconds.
- Fortified - You are fortified for 5 seconds.
- Overpowered - Your next three core and weapon mastery skills overpower.
- Run - Increase movement speed by 100% for 5 seconds.
- Self-Immolation - Set yourself on fire, damaging close enemies, leaving a trail of fire burning and lighting enemies on fire, lose 40% of your health gradually, and gain 40 fury gradually over 4 seconds. (I literally hadn’t seen Wrath of the Berserker when I wrote this, but it should still be distinct enough.)
- Uppercut - Swing at an enemy with your two-handed bludgeoning weapon, dealing moderate damage to them and launching them backward knocking down all enemies in the flight path and at the landing location for 3 seconds.
Level 3
- Ancient Spear - Throw out a chain spear that inflicts serious bleeding damage to all enemies it passes through and pulls you to its end-location. If it ends on an enemy inflict double the bleeding damage to it. (Does not grant unstoppable.)
- Basic Trained - Increase the speed of your basic attacks by 40%, they gain an area of effect and deal 80% more damage for 5 seconds.
- Chosen Warrior - Execute a normal enemy, eat its innards, and restore 80% of your maximum health.
- Deadly Assault - Run to an enemy and pummel it with repeated blows for severe damage, fearing nearby enemies. Target is knocked down for 3 seconds.
- Pest Controller - Slam your two-handed bludgeoning weapon around you dealing moderate damage and stunning enemies for 3 seconds.
- Furious Shout - Channeled over a maximum of 3 seconds replenishing all fury, granting 25% damage reduction for the duration, and granting berserk after completion for the channeled period of time.
Level 4
- Elite Charge - Become unstoppable and rush at will for 4 seconds, gaining 25% damage reduction, pushing enemies with you, damaging them, then swinging through them for double damage and knocking them back.
- Massacre - Take wide jumps forward from side to side, swinging through enemies with your two-handed slicing weapon dealing significant immediate damage as well as heavy bleeding damage.
- Discombobulate - Sweep/undercut enemies around you with a chain slowing them by 50% for 10 seconds, spin a second time to collect them with a chain, then scatter the clump outward with your two-handed bludgeoning weapon for moderate damage and dazing enemies for 3 seconds.
- Barbaric Simplicity - Basic attacking a particular single enemy increases basic and core skill damage by 20% stacking up to 200%. Lasts 12 seconds.
- Kill Zone - Taunt enemies in a sizable range, gain 60% damage reduction, and deal serious splash damage around you with repeated blows.
- Tactical Retreat - Gain unstoppable, run back recovering 40% of your maximum life, then run forward striking the ground with your two-handed bludgeoning weapon, rupturing it, dealing moderate damage, and stunning enemies for 3 seconds.
Level 5
- Massive Earthquake - Strike the ground twice creating a far-reaching earthquake that pulses every 3 seconds, slowing enemies by 50%, making them vulnerable, and dealing moderate damage each time.
- Sundering - Sunder the earth in a long line, dealing heavy damage and shoving enemies to the side, stunning them for 4 seconds.
Inter-Level Effects
Rogue
Common
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Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 10%.
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Reduce cooldowns by 2 seconds.
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Deal 5% more damage for 2 seconds.
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Gain 20 energy.
Rare
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Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 20% or at minimum 1 second.
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Reduce cooldowns by 5 seconds.
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Reduce ultimate ability cooldown by 10 seconds.
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Deal 10% more damage for 4 seconds.
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Gain 50 energy.
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Increase elemental damage by 20% for 4 seconds.
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Extend ranges of effect by 20% for 4 seconds.
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Increase damage reduction by 20% for 4 seconds.
Legendary
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Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 30% or at minimum 1.5 seconds.
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Reduce cooldowns by 10 seconds.
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Reduce ultimate ability cooldown by 25 seconds.
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Deal 15% more damage for 5 seconds.
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Gain 100 energy.
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Increase elemental damage by 30% for 5 seconds.
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Extend ranges of effect by 30% for 5 seconds.
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Increase damage reduction by 30% for 5 seconds.
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The chosen ability of the following level gains a second charge.
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The following level requires two abilities to be used.
Barbarian
Common
- Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 10%.
- Reduce cooldowns by 2 seconds.
- Deal 5% more damage for 2 seconds.
- Generate 20 fury.
Rare
- Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 20% or at minimum 1 second.
- Reduce cooldowns by 5 seconds.
- Reduce ultimate ability cooldown by 10 seconds.
- Deal 10% more damage for 4 seconds.
- Generate 50 fury.
- Increase bleeding damage by 20% for 4 seconds.
- Extend ranges of effect by 20% for 4 seconds.
- Increase movement speed by 20% for 4 seconds.
Legendary
- Extend duration of effects of following level special abilities by 30% or at minimum 1.5 seconds.
- Reduce cooldowns by 10 seconds.
- Reduce ultimate ability cooldown by 20 seconds.
- Deal 15% more damage for 5 seconds.
- Generate 100 fury.
- Increase bleeding damage by 30% for 5 seconds.
- Extend ranges of effect by 30% for 5 seconds.
- Increase movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds.
- The chosen ability of the following level gains a second charge.
- The following level requires two abilities to be used.