Intricacies of Diablo III Gameplay

[Seth]

No non-consensual PvP (No Pking.)

There aren't any details yet on how this will work, but from the hints given it sounds like there will simply be no way to PvP in regular games, and players will have to join special PvP or Arena type games to fight head to head. (Old school Mking techniques, like leading dozens of monsters to trap waypoints, will presumably still be possible.) How does this make you feel? Better? Or worse?


Better game finding/joining tools.

Jay Wilson has talked about how the D2 style of lists of game names is sub-optimal. They want much better friend list contact options, and their dream system for D3 is a way for players in a game to agree to play another game together, and with some simple clicks it would be so. Hopefully this new implementation will encourage group play, rather than solo. Going solo may not be that easy anyway, once you've gone up a few difficulties. What's your opinion?


Sharing health globes

Every character within range will receive the benefits of a health globe when any other character activates (walks over) one. This includes (presumably) the non-hps benefits of a health globe, such as various skills that activate upon using them, mana recovery for the Witch Doctor, etc.

These are all features that most Diablo players welcome (well, except for the PKs) but you'll note that none of them are actually bonus benefits to playing in parties. (We're assuming that experience sharing will work something like it did in D2, though this has never been addressed by the D3 Team.) They're just removed disincentives to playing together. You don't get more item drops, or more health globes, by playing in a D3 party. You just don't have to worry about other players stealing your lewtz if they're quicker to the scene of the crime.



Will we see such party benefits in Diablo 3? Most of us were assuming so, but we know most of the skills in the game, and so far exactly one has a party benefit. It's the Barbarian's Battle Cry, which is basically Shout from D2, boosting the defense of everyone in the party. (While this will be a useful Barbarian skill, its utility as a party skill is uncertain, since Wizards and WDs aren't tanking, and will probably have such low defense that doubling it would mean nothing to them.)

There's nothing (yet) in D3 that works like the best party skills did in D2; no known skills will boost the party's hit points, damage, attack speed, resistances, etc. Nor are there any easily-activated debuffs that will hobble the monsters in fashion that's useful to everyone. The Witch Doctor has some mind control skills, but these work in a radius from the caster, so only affect monsters near the WD, and they don't make the monsters easier to kill as did Amplify Damage, Decrepify, Lower Resistance, etc. Furthermore, look at how they work. Horrify makes monsters run away from the WD; imagine your Wizard or Archer is standing on the edge of the screen; where are those monsters likely to run? Right at you, arriving just as the Horrify wears off. That's not a skill you're going to be real eager to see any WD casting in a party game.

Party Skills

Does Diablo 3 actually need party skills? Will players play together just because it's more fun in a group, and it's easier with a variety of damage types going at the monsters, and since no one's ninja-snatching all your drops anymore? Or do you want there to be skills coming from other players that actually improve your character, or debuff the monsters?

Jay Wilson changed the complexion of this issue when he broke the news that we will probably see Auras in Diablo 3, most likely as Monk skills. Auras, by definition, are party-benefiting skills, and could make the Monk the most popular MP character of all. But if the Monk has some awesome, Paladin-like auras, and none of the other characters can do anything for the party other than add damage; would that cause more problems than it cures? Would everyone post "LFG Monk!" notices, while freezing Witch Doctors out of party games since they can't add anything useful to the group?

It's too soon to predict, with more skills yet to be revealed, but it is surprising that with all the skills we've seen, none of them are clearly I want someone in my party using this? type abilities. Is the D3 team not thinking about party play yet? The multiplayer gameplay footage we've seen is all very "rat race" in style. Multiple characters racing to kill the fastest, without any sign of teamwork or cooperation. Is that their vision for Diablo 3?

Is that a vision you share?



(See the full article here at Diii.net. This was written by xXSoulXx and posted in his absence.)

[rockstar]

As much as I enjoy pks, its just too easy to prevent them, and the case against them is too strong. Is it fundamentally wrong to kill an unsuspecting player who doesn't even want to fight? Yup. (Even if it is good for a laugh) Anyone who expects to be able to pk in D3 is fooling himself, I think.

Better group finding tools are an obvious improvement. I really don't want to see a game that ever requires a group though. One thing I always loved about D2 is that you could complete the entire game solo if you wanted. Yeah its not the fastest way but its nowhere near impossible either. Some might enjoy the challenge, even. You can always join a group if there is a particular boss you're having trouble with or if you just want to play with a few friends. I like the transition in D2 between solo and group play. There's no limitations, any part of the game can be completed on your own or with a few teammates, depending on what kind of mood you're in at the time.

I really hate in WoW how all of the best quests and most exciting instances require a group. Honestly I spend as much time trying to get a group together as I do killing monsters and completing quests. Half the time I have to compromise and run an instance I don't really want to just for the sake of being in a group. I don't want to have to wait for peak gaming hours to complete any quest in D3, I'd still like the option to solo it if I choose to, even if it is more challenging. Has there been anything official about offline or network play in D3, or is everything going to be on bnet 2.0?

Maybe I'm just a little down on parties, but I don't know if I like the idea of giving the monk auras. Like Seth is suggesting, by giving only one class a powerful party buff, that class could be in disproportionally high demand for partying. If the monk is going to have powerful auras, then I think the game would be more fun if the other classes also had something to bring to the table.

There could be a lot of really cool ways to make party play feel more like you're working together, or synergistic. Imagine a barb picking up a monk and heaving him into the middle of a large group of demons where he starts whooping ass. Okay maybe that sounds a little gay but you get the idea. It could be a female monk if that makes any difference. At least giving every class some type of party friendly ability like auras, shouts, curses, etc might make a party feel a little less like there is half a dozen people soloing within close proximity of each other and more like you're helping each other.

[DoranM]

Well I'm one of the biggest advocates for PvP in the world - but in Diablo I don't really see a place for it. It's more of an RPG than an MMORPG and normally when I play D2 i'm content with hack slashing, taking a break, looking at my gear etc. The element of surprise or having to be on your guard all the time is something I LOVE! but don't mind that restricted to PvP heavy MMO's.

[pwnsickle]

I also noticed that the gameplay always seemed like a "rat race". I always loved how in TCP/ICP games with a lot of people, everyone seemed to go for party skills because they were fun. The barbarian has all of his shouts, the necromancer has bone walls (and summons I guess), as well as curses mentioned in the post. The sorceress has lots of AOEs, and it just seems like everyone in D2 could help each other. In what I've seen from D3 so far it seems like everyone is just unloading all of their attacks for damage rather than party strategy, which was a big part of D2, in my opinion. However, not all of the skills have been unveiled, so as far as we know there could be a ton of party skills waiting.

I'm really glad they are improving group finding tools, that is something I always thought WoW did a better job at than D2.

[dorgeismydog]

Finally PvP as it should be, worlds where its prevented, and worlds where you can dive right into it if you want. The OPTION and the ability to be SAFE when you want a normal game with others.

[kira862]

On the subject of the auras i think that it is gonna make some difficulties if the monk is the only one that can give party buffs (minus the barb) But i think that if the witches doctors summons function well enough like the necro's summons then a summon build could be a tank. Wizard... well even D2 it didnt give any bonus auras yet they were the second most popular class because they were able to deal out great damage and rush through things quickly. Most likely the wizard in d3 will be able to do the same thing and dish out good damage but i cant remember if they can teleport or not someone can say somethin bout that.

[nickm83]

Wow, no gank and run, what an awful game. If any Blizzard reps read this forum...please take this advice!

DO NOT NAME THIS GAME DIABLO 3!!

Just let the Diablo series fade out of existence and die a glorious death with Diablo 2. You had a forumula that was a huge success and massively popular, and seem to think yanking the bread and butter out of the series is improving it? How much did Diablo 2 outsell Guild Wars, yet D3 seems more like Guild Wars then Diablo, why?

[simon2909]

Originally Posted by nickm83

Wow, no gank and run, what an awful game. If any Blizzard reps read this forum...please take this advice!

DO NOT NAME THIS GAME DIABLO 3!!

Just let the Diablo series fade out of existence and die a glorious death with Diablo 2. You had a forumula that was a huge success and massively popular, and seem to think yanking the bread and butter out of the series is improving it? How much did Diablo 2 outsell Guild Wars, yet D3 seems more like Guild Wars then Diablo, why?

I disagree.. I, (and i'm sure a massive amount of people would agree) really have a fond hatred towards random players killing both me and my friend, while we are simply trying to do a quest.. it takes ages to get far without teleport, and to have someone come in and erase our process through a dungeon, really put off both of us from playing.

[-Mephisto's Lament-]

PKing does indeed suck. Although it's funny to destroy a level 7 newby..it's jsut wrong and idiotic.

I hate the idea of health globes to begin with. I mean, a monster can logically carry around a potion..but how the fuck could one drop a goddamn GLOBE? I mean..do those monsters just really dig shoving stuff up their asses, which then magically drop when they're dead? I know it's not a realistic game, but it would be nice if it had SOME kind of reality in it (i.e the tetris inventory).

I also dislike the fact that there won't be synergies..instead of butchering the entire concept altogether..FIX it..they're going all out on fixing shit that SHOULDN'T be fixed, and cutting out the things that SHOULD be fixed, out of the game. What the heck man? Yeah synergies rendered some builds useless..but is it that hard to fix? They keep blabbing on and on and on and on about fixing stuff that everybody likes, and ruining them in the process..instead of just fixing stuff that can potentially be great additions.

Man, I is not in a good mood.

[enkeria]

Me personally have always played Diablo games completley solo over and over again. I like it that way so "party"-effect is nothing I think of.

I can see the problem, but if there is any problems.. I hope the people that like the party-aura-effect-thingy should really make their voice heard when its time for Blizzard to add those changes, in logic the party auras is something that comes AFTER all the skills have set in motion and are finished!