I generally like the idea of easier respecs and want something like a load out system in D4. Personally, I don't like RPGs that lock you into a certain role because I just think it's a pointless waste of time having to start a brand new character just because you want to experiment with everything the game has to offer. Plus, people can learn multiple things / become multiple roles in real life, why can't I do that in a videogame?
this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2023
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there are a couple things I see differently here. Making respeccing easier makes those choices have less meaning since you can change them so easily. This further diminishes the idea of "leveling" and "building" characters because without making those character-defining choices as you level, what is there to "build" when "building a character?". leveling also then becomes an arbitrary barrier that serves to just lock content behind. Which makes me wonder why we are okay with leveling if it's yet another time waster for content?
and I find it interesting that you don't like being locked into a role in a "roleplaying game." This is I think another thing where there just are two different perspectives. I'm building. a specific character who excels at certain things that others of my kind do not. I feel like the RPG portion of ARPG is getting lost in the genre.
yes you say we in real life can learn to do new things, but I don't think you can argue that we can do all things, even in a given "field" or "class.". and even if you did do all things, can you say you'd do them all well? I just don't agree that it's a reflection of real life that you can drop all of your learned skills to master another. it can often take decades to master a particular practice.
it’s a pointless waste of time having to start a brand new character just because you want to experiment with everything the game has to offer.
But how else can they get you to spend more time in-game and increase the chance that you might just wander on over to the MTX shop and give them money? /s
I've been enjoying the game, but I'm already starting to feel like some of these time consuming processes have been put in just for this reason. Why would you buy horse armor if you're not riding around all that much?
Blizzard has never locked mechanics behind paywalls, outside of expansions which are to be expected. This isn’t a freeToPlay game from rando company, and until it is proven otherwise there shouldn’t be a reason to expect that behavior to manifest.
Also envy and pride both do much more to drive those purchases rather than time spent doing a single mechanic. You see some cool armor, and want to show it off, you want to get that sword before it disappears to show that you have something no one else can get.
Also, saying something people rarely use doesn’t drive people to want to pay money for upgrades is about the most obvious take. Of course people only care or want to improve areas that they use the most. Would you use in game currency for a niche area or for something you use frequently? ARPGs are about the grind and by the nature of a grind it means devoting time to it. Would you rather you logged in and could select those drip from a menu and then move on with your day?
undefined> but I’m already starting to feel like some of these time consuming processes have been put in just for this reason
Yes
I'm the complete opposite. If the game and skills were perfectly balanced, I'd be fine with brutal requirements for changing skills. However they are not, so there needs to be a way to switch an non viable choice into a better one or to adjust to patches.
And in my opinion switching talents around is already super easy and cheap (whereas the cost and work required for switching aspects is a step too annoying and prohibitive in my opinion - especially considering how build defining they can be).
If switching stuff around gets too easy (like a load out system) the identity of characters vanishes. Which for me is an important part of a character.
Leveling is an expected part of the ARPG experience, and it comes before the endgame. When it comes to the endgame itself, I don't mind some friction, but it's important where that friction is placed. If I just want to log on and mindlessly kill monsters for a couple of hours, there shouldn't be anything discouraging me from just turning my brain off and doing that. Diablo 4 feels like it places obstacles between players and the main activity of the game.
An example of friction done well is PoE. Crafting and trading are both time consuming and sometimes tedious experiences, but blasting maps is always just a click away.
i am new to diablo, but not new to gaming, or a similar gameplay loop coming from the borderlands series, but i don't see how there are too many obstacles...
what's preventing you from just logging on and running some dungeons or doing some pve events?
Nothing is preventing you from doing it, but there's friction between each one.
In a game like last epoch or poe, you hop in your map/monolith, blast it, exit, dump your shit in your stash (which is right next to where you go in and come out), then go right in the next one.
That last part is where diablo stumbles. There's too much downtime between each dungeon. Too much busywork, not enough demon killing.
i haven't really played those, but the 'busy-work' in d4 is on par w/ bl2/3, so different expectations i guess.