This is exactly what D3 did with sets and it honestly made the game boring. Most importantly, it lessens the item hunt, which is why we all play arpg’s in the first place. It’s not fun just being handed build-enabling loot essentially for free. Secondly, it forcibly pushes players into specific builds simply because they get handed the loot/items to do so. This is worrying similar to how D3 had “flavour of the month” sets, each season, that far outperformed any other build available to that class, and it was all just handed to the player for little work, just by progressing the season journey.
The game is getting increasingly easier and easier, with far too much hand holding and free progression. I personally would like to see this removed.
Disagree. I would have loved a free starfall coronet in s3 instead of having to get one from iceboss which was hard. Took me 80% of season to get a 6s one and other stats were bad.
So we should just get handed all loot we need for free then? I’m sorry but hunting for items is the very essence of arpg’s. Sounds like you don’t want to play them because you don’t want to have to find the items you need.
If droprates need tuning on the bosses, that’s one thing, but just getting free items from what little work the season journey requires, is worrying.
I rather like it. But I def want to see how it feels in practice in D4. It gives you enough of a start to be functional, which I think is great from an accessibility perspective. The endgame tail is so long I don’t think a bit of a head start is an issue. I was previously worried about how bad it would feel to grind all the way up, but never get any key aspects at all. I thought perhaps this might come into play because loot drops are rarer.
They mentioned legendary items tailored toward those specific builds. You’ll still want to find your own gear and tailor it yourself of course, but they did say it would be a helpful starting point for you at least so you weren’t potentially stuck once you hit the endgame.
I like the change myself, not just because I’m going a minion necro build, but overall I think it’s nice to give a little nudge in a direction of a potential build you could have fun with. Yes set items were very limiting, but I feel this is more of a suggestion then a ‘this is what you’re getting, deal with it’ kind of thing like in D3, where it could take a while to get another set made and go for a different build entirely.
Hopefully they will rotate these build specific drops in the future. If they don’t, then the application of this change will be extremely narrow minded on their part.
I disagree. Unlike d3 our power will not increase 16000 damage. Every season we will have a build created by the devs as this is clear from the unique or new aspects inserted in the game.
So you can play with your electric ball wizard in the eternal or try the barrage rogue of the season. And if this might be a little early why not?? I can test the game play before reaching level 100. It looks cool.
You dont know what you are talking about. Starfall coronet had a massive range from 6 to 11 seconds so getting 1 that your still earned in season journey is not going to break anything and is a great way to showcase and encourage builds. As long as the item rotates its perfectly fine.
They did mention it would be different every season. So necros are getting minion based gear now, but next season might be bone damage based, or something.
I agree. Here we are yet again; another stepping stone in turning D4 into D3 2.0.
“Haedrig’s Gift” version 2. I think this is a very bad change for the game for the exact same reasoning as stated by the OP.
It 100% lessens the item hunt and shortens the development and evolution of builds into an already small but growing set of end-game activities.
Agreed. Entirely to much hand holding. Especially, with progression becoming easier and easier.
Facts. To be handed a free starter build just kills that item hunt, the dopamine hits from finding those precious aspects and items to get your targeted build going…and you can bet just like D3 some item builds will be “featured” intentionally in the season journey, such as Necromancers best and iconic build for S4 is shaping up to be the minion build, and the developer even said it himself on the live stream, we’re giving them the Necro build as a starter for that exact reason.
Damn, words nearly cant express how anti-ARPG “Here is the right combination of gear as your starting gift, the rest is just watching numbers go up” is.
Ancient items in D3 was the same. Everyone had optimal gear in a day, then it might be about getting that same gear with a little number boost. How immensely boring is that.
Blizzard, and their playerbase, seem hellbend on removing the journey.
The RNG has been dialed up to eleventy. Getting an earned unique here (not free its not fair to say this) and there from season journey is not going to mean much in long term. I had to get the starfall coronet something like 50 times to get a 6s one. No joke. It took me most the season. You will likely have to get it several times to get stats you want and masterworks you want unless its razorplate. It cant miss. Super op.