One more set of beta feedback

Decided to post my 2 cents here just in case the devs still take any feedback on board and it’s not too late/set in stone to fix some things.

The usual caveats apply - limited experience, only up to level 25, missing mechanics, it’s a beta etc. etc.

Minor:

  • Skeleton mages all look the same. This is weird, I expected variants to look different, like the skeleton warriors do. Overall not a fan of the skeleton visuals - too “ghosty” for me, look mostly like teal blobs running around.
  • Loading times are annoying, especially to and from the small cellars. I believe it was said some time ago that the intent is not to have loading screens, so I’m assuming it’s just due to beta and server load. But if not, and they’re staying in for launch, they need to be reduced.

UI:

  • Overall feels unpolished, having to scroll through the items and the skill tree feels janky. I don’t mind the character screen, showing off the character is cool. Hiding stats behind a button and materials tab is bad, though.
  • Not a fan of the toolbar. The lack of gargoyles/angels holding up the globes is felt, especially since the current toolbar is just floating instead of being “grounded” to the boarder by a nice frame and statues. I would also like an option to disable the button prompts (1-4, Q, spacebar etc.). I really don’t like them just floating there. Neat at first when you’re learning the game, but after you know the buttons, it would be nice to hide them.
  • People complaining about the font are in the right. I have no idea why the game is not just using Exocet - it’s beautiful and iconic to the franchise. Gives a more classy look.

Design:

  • Crowd control from enemies is potentially overtuned. This might be because the character wasn’t powerful enough but I was frequently in a situation where I was doing fine and then I would get stunlocked by overlapping freezes/terrifies or other moves. Each individual lockdown also feels way to long, and I could only watch the mobs whittle me down, while I’m unable to drink a potion. This necessitated the inclusion of an Unstoppable skill, which is maybe the intended design. The screen was often too busy to notice the freeze globe etc. before it was too late. Didn’t have the issue with a Necro but felt it as a Werewolf Druid. Wanted to check if all melee is painful like that so created a Rogue and nope, breezed through on a Rogue.
  • 6 skill slots are not enough. This is the same mistake D3 did and it brought build diversity down. In D4 it’s particularly limited because each character has to have a Basic and a Core sill. Most will want a movement skill too. That’s already 3 out of 6 spoken for. If we add a crowd control break and maybe something else defensive, we’re left with a single skill slot for a support/ultimate. I get that the limit is due to technical limitations on consoles but 6 is really too low. 8 would feel right. The issue is even worse, if you want to include minions (though they have their own strengths, of course).
  • I’m kinda worried that builds are already pre-planned by devs and there is no variance to be had, especially with the Druid i.e. if you want a Storm/Earth/Werewolf/Werebear Druid, you sort of have only one set of skills to pick from that match the theme.