Diablo IV

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Is anyone even playing this game anymore?

Yes. During the Labor Day sale, the super-deluxe collector's version of the game was half-off, making it just a few dollars more than getting the super-deluxe battle pass -- which was included. So I picked that up, getting a bunch of extra cosmetics, and played a necromancer through the Season of the Malignant. I got about halfway done, getting the full set of the un-gilded armor, a nice mount, some good titles, some so-so emotes (mostly around playing with the metal cages the malignant hearts were in, which I can't imagine ever using) and a bunch of weapon transmogs.

The game is fine, honestly. I think the new season, which starts Tuesday, looks a lot better and more compelling (and is their first major attempt to tweak the game after release, based on player feedback). I got another season pass included with Blizzcon schwag and will go around killing vampires as a rogue this time around.

I do think that Baldur's Gate 3 is the biggest problem with this game. A pretty good Diablo game versus arguably the best CRPG of all time? You bet user numbers will drop. (I'm also regularly pulled away by the giant content faucet Blizzard has turned on over in WoW.)

I expect them to announce the first Diablo IV expansion next month at Blizzcon and it'll probably include new areas of Sanctuary (we've visited only a single iconic location from past games so far) and spend more time in Hell, battling demons.

Diablo III got way better with its expansion, so fingers crossed that Diablo IV will similarly get a big boost with its.

That said, I'm not someone who cares about grinding to level 100 and getting a bunch of paragon points. I play to lower levels -- I haven't hit 60 with any character yet -- so I am unaffected by endgame issues. (I did the grind to max level and chased paragon points in Diablo III, which I didn't find rewarding at all. I crave more novelty than that sort of experience will provide me.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There are FAR too many crafting materials and none of them really matter

I really don't understand why Blizzard doesn't do a better job of explaining this stuff in-game. I can make potions without refining herbs, so why do I want to refine them? I have to go around and piece key info together from incredibly poorly written websites. (If you told me that Wowhead was now 95% AI-written, I'd believe you.)

Back in the Diablo II through Warcraft III era, great UI was one of the cornerstones of Blizzard's success. I guess those folks have left the building.

 

[Aldarc]

Yes. During the Labor Day sale, the super-deluxe collector's version of the game was half-off, making it just a few dollars more than getting the super-deluxe battle pass. So I picked that up, getting a bunch of extra cosmetics, and played a necromancer through the Season of the Malignant. I got about halfway done, getting the full set of the un-gilded armor, a nice mount, some good titles, some so-so emotes (mostly around playing with the metal cages the malignant hearts were in, which I can't imagine ever using) and a bunch of weapon transmogs.

The game is fine, honestly. I think the new season, which starts Tuesday, looks a lot better and more compelling (and is their first major attempt to tweak the game after release, based on player feedback). I got another season pass included with Blizzcon schwag and will go around killing vampires as a rogue this time around.

I do think that Baldur's Gate 3 is the biggest problem with this game. A pretty good Diablo game versus arguably the best CRPG of all time? You bet user numbers will drop. (I'm also regularly pulled away by the giant content faucet Blizzard has turned on over in WoW.)

I expect them to announce the first Diablo IV expansion next month at Blizzcon and it'll probably include new areas of Sanctuary (we've visited only a single iconic location from past games so far) and spend more time in Hell, battling demons.

Diablo III got way better with its expansion, so fingers crossed that Diablo IV will similarly get a big boost with its.

I'm not convinced yet that the game is where it ought to be. There are also some key classes missing. I may wait it out for a few more seasons.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm not convinced yet that the game is where it ought to be. There are also some key classes missing. I may wait it out for a few more seasons.

I would bet on a paladin/crusader class in the first expansion. There's a bunch of books discussing them scattered around the game world, which feels very much like Blizzard priming the pump for their arrival. And given how screwed up the church is, there's certainly a lot of story potential there.

 

[Aldarc]

I would bet on a paladin/crusader class in the first expansion. There's a bunch of books discussing them scattered around the game world, which feels very much like Blizzard priming the pump for their arrival. And given how screwed up the church is, there's certainly a lot of story potential there.

Maybe, I'm growing sour on Blizzard holding back on things like iconic classes for paid expansions. I've already had to do that twice for my two favorite classes in Diablo 3: the paladin/crusader and the necromancer. Doing it all over almost feels like I'm being duped.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Fair, but if you were designing a Diablo game that would have new content over a multi-year period ("forever" is obviously not realistic), parcelling out more classes along the way seems like a good idea. I'm not sure anyone is pacing the floor, waiting for the witch doctor to get released. (If they are willing to release it post-2023, which feels like an invitation for trouble.) Crusader/Paladin is the most obvious missing archetype right now.

 

[Kilimanjaro]

I finished Season 1 as a necromancer. Getting to level 70 or so was great! Reaching level 100 was a grind and not fun. As soon as I completed the season I stopped playing and haven't looked at it since. I think they've tweaked the high level experience so I'm looking forward to season 2 tomorrow. I'm going to rogue it up for a, hopefully, very different play style.

 

[cbwjm]

I'll be playing again soon since season 2 is about to begin.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

I've been intermittantly playing but now I've finally uninstalled it. My game crashes any time I fast travel

 

[cbwjm]

My game used to crash a lot when I first got it, it's become much more stable now though. Friends and I started using the in game chat which became a little annoying when it crashed since I couldn't tell them what was happening. I think they figured it out pretty quick though