We’re going to be in Kurast so throwback to D2. What favorites would you want to return? Do you feel like the monster makeup of Sanctuary is something they should shoot for in the expansion or do you want to see it done differently?
I’ve said this before but I really think monster variety in the base game is lacking, especially in Kehjistan. There are just so many cool monsters missing that from that area that were in D3 and DI like the lacuni, dune threshers, dune dervish, imps, sand golems and constructs (which they brought back versions of for a bit in S3 i guess) etc. So I’d really like to see some of those added to the base game upon expansion release (I still want the Shassar Sea from Immortal integrated but i’m less hopeful of that, although there is existing space in Kehjistan where i think they could add it).
As far as what I expect to see in Torajan/Nahantu at a minimum I’d expect to see the classics from D2 like the fetish , thorned hulks, frog demons, giant mosquitos and tentacle beasts. I think the ichthids and slimes from immortal would potentially fit in here too. I’d also like to see some more beast based wild life like the big cats we got as a mount also be enemies. I’d certainly be fine with the snake enemies from Hawezar having some crossover in those zones too.
They mention the “barren desert of Teganze” which is where the Umbaru (witch doctor’s people) and some of them were turned to Khazra during the Mage Clan Wars so I’d expect goatmen in that zone, would be neat to have a slightly new take on them perhaps a set that are shadow damage focused as we are missing that in the base game I believe.
Since the game is focused on Mephisto I think it would make sense to also have the Morlu show up again too as they are his creation.
It would be interesting to see either of the remaining lesser evils show up as well as perhaps Lilith’s brother Lucion (he kind of got erased from existence, but demons come back all the time).
Obviously some completely new demons and beasts would be fun to see. I’m less keen on humanoid enemies but maybe that is just me.
I know you asked the question but what were your thoughts on this do you have any expectations going in?
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They definitely could have done better with the monster variety in the current map. Judging by how many other parts of the game seemed incomplete, I have to assume they cut corners here as well. The current world is overwhelmingly filled with bandits, snakes, and bears. Way too many humanoids and wild animals for my liking. They also gave us no novel demon families in Hell, basically spoiled them all in Act I. I could go on.
For the expansion, I like the fetishes and the bone fetishes returning. Fetish shamans with incinerate gotta be there. I was a big fan of the Zakarum with their blizzard casters. The High Council were iconic. I know the vampires with fireball weren’t unique to this area but those were such cool designs. I didn’t know the Morlu were Mephisto’s creations. They were a very cool family in D3.
I hope we are going back to Hell and I hope they really pull out all the tricks and wow us with a ton of great new designs, but with the expansion being announced so quickly, I highly doubt they are going to impress. They’re going to have to prove me wrong.
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Very much agree here, I like the game a lot, but it felt bare bones and rushed, and the monster variety was very telling to me. I also felt like a few things felt out of place too; bears in the swamps and the beasts in the desert for example.
I really hope they go back and improve the variety in existing areas too, but we’ll see. The ones that seem like an obvious choices to me is swapping out the bandits in Kehjistan for the lacuni and the big tusked beast creatures for some of the sand swimming/burrowing monsters like the dune threshers and carnage worms (that burrowing aspect is neat mechanically and is a cool monster behavior to have to avoid).
I’m right there with you on hoping for some brand new demons and a return to a realm of hell as well. I feel like closing it off and not letting us continue to explore it post campaign was a mistake.
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I want those fetish SoBs back from the D2 days. Spitting darts, running at light speed shanking you, stacking up like raccoons in a trench coat to become a Shaman, chittering and screaming. Frightening as hell when you first fought them, then comical to watch them blitz around chattering.
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They did the color palette thing with their monster assets. In your wardrobe, you can apply a palette to your entire outfit and they did that with their monster assets to rush the release.
My fear is that these details are going to get looked over in favor of other items and we’re going to be stuck with a version of Sanctuary and campaign that could have been so much better.
The campaign matters and you can’t just blow your demon load in Act I and build up this suspense to the gates of Hell only to see the same things up there. What a letdown. Even D3 did that better with Hammersmash and company ramping up the disturbing factor.
Hell is definitely unrealized design space. I also think they have some towns with great atmosphere and music that we don’t spend much time in and that is also unrealized design space. For Season 4, I actually listened to the Iron Wolves music during seasonal quest line tasks and felt it was pretty great. Why don’t I get to listen to more Nostrava, Jirindai, or Tur Dulra? I have nothing to do in those towns. No reason to stay even though they sport some of the best music in Sanctuary.
I just want the hell knights from Diablo 1 to return. Probably not in this expansion though.
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Some corrupted members of Sankekur and Zakarum belif like the corrupted Que-hegan priesthood in D2.
Maybe Khalim in spirit form again. As it was said his soul was uncorruptable never resting aslong as Mephisto is out their…Even though we used his body parts to make that flail in D2😅
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Those were so imposing and had a great death animation/sound. So many D1 monsters were designed incredibly and captured that horror feeling. They’ve really struggled to do that after D2. I think Hammersmash was an exception.
I actually feel like the Iron Maiden Knights look similar to Hell Knights and wonder if there’s a connection there.
The Lacuni will be returning. I wouldn’t mind seeing more corrupted Zakarum Zealots and Priests like in Travincal. They could make up a good monster family I feel like, with different unit-types to complement each other. Apart from those I believe there’s supposed to be “warring tribes” as well so that could be interesting. Return of the fetishes perhaps? 
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Catapults, Seigebeasts, Mummies and Tentacle Beasts. The Catapults could attack you during terrain changes like jumping or climbing, and there could be new tentacle beasts that could pop out of snow or lava.
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I am loving the fact that there are other people that feel the same way I’ve felt since the D4 betas. Monster variety is lacking so hard. There are literally 4 other Diablo games to yoink monsters from. There’s absolutely no reason we should be restricted to the small variety we have had this entire time.
The recolor of monsters already in the game is no better than Bungie just recoloring every gun already in the game of Destiny 2 and calling it new, and so many people hate that about any game. Even Diablo Immortal has a better monster variety which is sad.
I saw them mentioned already, but I’m going to throw them out there anyway.
Kurast - Fetishes, Zakarumites (cause you know Mephisto will be corrupting people again), the giant Mosquitoes that drained stamina (they could drain our mana/ability user), Bog Demons (giant even toads basically), the big River Monsters that had several names, etc.
Kehjistan - Sand Dervish, more constructs since the Kulle Season, Sand Threshers, etc.
Hawezar - some of Kurasts other monsters should bleed into.
All areas - why are there not more flying type monsters in general? Carrion’s, the flying phantoms, flying demons from D2 Act 4.
Someone mentioned the Hell Knights from D1 which is a great idea for Helltide along with the rest of the Butcher monsters. I know the Butcher has become a staple in Diablo but it’s technically not just one monster. There’s a bunch of them and they could pop up during Helltides too. I can’t remember their name off the top of my head.
There’s just so much more that could be involved. There is also a lot of lore from the books that have been written that could be used for super fun events. The City of Ureh which you can see the entrance to in D4 would be a very fun place to explore. In the book it only pops up for a little while after a period of time but it could be a once a year fun event. Similar to the Darkening of Tristram even from D3 in, I believe, January and February. There’s also an abandoned, and forgotten now, Horadrim outpost hidden in the depths of one of Gea Kuls buildings from a book we could dive into for ancient Horadrim lore. There’s an ancient Nephalem stronghold, the very same one Malthael steals the Black Soulstone from at the beginning of D3 Reaper of Souls, that we could also dive into and explore. Done right all of this could give us so much to do rather than just boss farm. I could go on but this is probably so long no one will read it anyway. Lol.
I’m an OG from D1. I own, and have played every game, and I have read, and own, most of the books, ebooks, comics and short stories. There’s so much they could use to make this game so deep, expansive and nonstop fun.
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Blizzard should listen to the players who really absorbed all the Diablo games and devoured the lore. Lots of great suggestions. They had so much they could pull from and they really missed out on the horror aspect. I think even 1 to 2 new monster families in Hell would have made up for all the reused assets along the way. I mean, I slogged through the repetitive parts of the campaign the first go around in hopes the interesting stuff would appear as the game went on. I got into Hell and was disappointed.
The Butcher monsters were Overlords. There were also Hell Knights, Vipers!, Horned Demons!, Magma Demons!, Lightning Demons! So many incredible, imposing horrific demons that were designed for Diablo 1 just in the lower levels.
This game has been all about squandered potential.
I think they should introduce a “Lord of Terror” class. Like a big monster that kinda looks like a dinosaur on fire.
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