After playing the PTR and trying several different builds I can honestly say that all the excitement for the future of D4 is gone… at least for players who have been around for the past 8 seasons. The new players, who are just starting the game, will probably like it.
Before you comment negatively just remember, this gameplay is based on a 300 paragon, fully equipped and fully optimized characters. Also, I am assuming they will not improve anything.
Nerfs all around, T4 feels like what pit 130+ use to be. The only builds that are fun to play in the end game content are the bugged builds with unintentional damage scaling and couple of the sorcerer builds. These builds will be “fixed” and everything else is just rubbish. Well maybe WW barb with the “pet” ancient dust devils, but I think they will nerf this as well.
So, if you are a player who is used to smashing things over the past 8 seasons, you will be unpleasantly surprised how much your builds suck in season 9.
The new nightmare dungeon scaling just means you have to play 3 dungeons instead of one and there is a boss at the end. I thought this will be something related to leaderboards but it is not, they just make you play more dungeons. I don’t know anyone who plays dungeons, except while leveling, that makes this new dungeon scaling just another chore that we have to do to get mats.
To be honest, everything happening to Diablo 4 looks like it was designed by my ex-wife. She hatted me playing D3-D4 and all changes done to the game are the complete opposite from what I like… hence, I do believe that my ex-wife now works for Blizzard and is doing everything to ruin the game that I like.
I agree with the OP on this, unfortunately. I couldn’t get as much testing in as I would have liked due to laptop repairs but I did over the past three days, and it does not look great for many builds in T4.
Even if you can go around most of T4 well enough, open world or instances, then come the lair bosses. I think Wudijo was right and we’re going to see the vast majority of players doing T3 lair bosses instead.
Don’t give her too much credit for her evil schemes! They’re doing a fine job of draining the fun out of it all by themselves. I am glad some people got to play and check out the PTR though. I appreciate you typing up your experience.
I feel your pain man, I feel this as well. Worst part is that none of my friends not even talking about the next season and that is weird because they are usually really pumped for new seasons, but not this time.
I spend many hours on PTR trying stuff, but don’t really feel it anymore, this might be season of skip for me, we will see.
With the cap on boring passives, it became extremely boring to maximize items, as there is no power gain. Before, it was the way to achieve a large multiplier and it was an objective in the end game. Now we don’t have that anymore. I tried to make shadow imbuements work with the new aspect and even with 40 points there is no damage.
About Escalating Nightmare dungeons I can agree with. Not much has been done to warrant the “Improved!” seal.
Funnily enough, the nerfs are my favorite part about season 9. I am glad the devs got their balls back to do this. Whether it was directed correctly to balance the game is another story, but those numbers going down is at least a sign that balancing is taken more serious and that the game is likely to become less trivial as a result.
Season 9 and 10 are already baked and will be small seasons. My guess (or hope) is this is because they are all-hands-on-deck trying to finish expansion 2. If expansion 2 adds the paladin, a decent Diablo fight, and some (or hell any) kind of unifying end game system (a la Rhykker’s video), there is hope for growing the game.
While I totally disagree with you on the changes except for the escalating NMDs (not enough escalation), I like the way you communicate your point.
You have a point and explain it like an adult. Some forum members could learn a thing or two from you.
Diablo? The dev team still has a hanging story around Mephisto. The players have yet to see him beyond his wolf form in-game. I really don’t see Blizzard working on a Diablo-expac. At best a story will introduce him and leave us hanging, sort of like VoH did with Meph.
Not many posts get this many likes in 24 hours. I agree but it started a bit earlier for me. It is starting to look like they are doing what EVE Online tried but failed. They focused on new players and flat out did not care about retention. Different genre but gamers are gamers.
She wasn’t a gamer and neither are anyone making decisions about D4. The difference is the ex was trying to get back at you whereas the marketing and sales teams with D4 are after your bank account. Think of them of being more like the ex after the divorce was filed.
Thank you for showing support guys, hopefully our concerns will get some attention from the devs. Probably not in the next 1-2 seasons, but we have an expansion coming so maybe they will make some changes that can both make them some money and keep the playerbase happy.
It’s encrappification at it’s finest. The reason they keep nerfing strong builds instead of buffing weak ones is to slow down how fast players progress. That keeps people grinding longer, which boosts engagement stats and makes them more likely to buy seasonal content and cosmetics. It’s not really about balance or fun - it’s about keeping you playing and spending.
It won’t get any attention. They only want to keep their overlords happy.
Now tell them the cash shop wouldn’t take your money or something small and insignificant is wrong with the BP and it will. It will also get fixed in a few hours.
There is nothing you are doing differently at T1 then you are at T4, just hitting mobs with more hit points to get the same gear with higher numbers so you can go hit mobs with more hit points to get gear with higher numbers.
T1 can be legit be reached in a few hours.
D4 has nothing new to offer. Season 9 PTR did nothing to change my mind.
I’m hoping for the best since I like the Diablo franchise, but expecting the worst that I’ll be done with season 9 in three or four days.
