Diablo IV – Why did Blizzard release a good game, then start ruining it?
Diablo IV released last week to positive reviews, including a 9/10 from yours truly. Whilst there are a few niggles that can be ironed out, mostly related to the change to an MMO-style structure, Diablo IV feels, plays, and looks like a worthy sequel. It’s certainly the best state a Diablo game has launched in, with Diablo 2 and 3 both only really becoming the classic people think of when they got their expansions, Lord of Destruction and Reaper of Souls, respectively. Now the game is available, Blizzard have already begun balancing some things. As with any RPG, there’s lots and lots of numbers in the background that can be adjusted to improve and balance the gameplay, but, unfortunately, Blizzard are falling into the same trap they always fall into: nerfing.
Players want to have fun, so they go and do the things that are the most fun. At the moment in Diablo IV, that’s the dungeons that have the highest mob density (meaning, the most monsters to fight) and the least backtracking through empty, desolate caves with only the corpses of your vanquished enemies and a tumbleweed made entirely of metaphors for disappointment to keep you company. So Blizzard are lowering the mob density in those dungeons, because more monsters means more experience earned, which means people level up too quickly which affects the delicate economy of their live service. An economy that relies on using as much of the players’ time as possible so they’re more likely to spend additional money on microtransactions for horse armour like it’s 2006 again. So you can understand their incentive, I suppose.
Their methods leave a lot to be desired, though. There are a wide range of ways they could improve this situation without ruining the enjoyment. First,
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