PvP Update

UPDATE: Bashy has recently mentioned a new tidbit on PvP play...

@Diablo Will there be some kind of spectate-mode for PvP Arenas?

Official Blizzard Quote:



Diablo: @elrufa It's a wish list item, same as replays.

What this means can be potentially huge for people such as our very own Force, who want to take part in D3 Arena casting and things of that nature. Aside from the casting aspect, the ability to save replays means that people will be able to save and load matches at a whim, to study what opponents may have done, take a look at where they may have gone wrong, or simply just show off their epic battle to some friends. As far as spectating goes, people can have tournaments with observers, players can coach each other, the possibilities with these two simply functions are "game changers" for those of us who want to make this games PvP mainstream.



DiabloWiki.com - PvP PvP is an integral part to the Diablo community. Many claim it is because of PvP that the popularity of Diablo II has remained so high for this long. Ironically, the PvP system in Diablo II was minimalist at best. A simple enter game, go hostile, and attack was all there was to dueling. Many speculated on what form PvP would take to improve this system including the avoidance for griefing it allowed. Diablo III aims to fix this by bringing the DiabloWiki.com - Battle Arena Battle Arena to the franchise. We first learned about this system last year at Blizzcon when they announced the system. While the basics of the system were shared, they left much to the imaginations of the people eager to play Diablo III. One of the biggest things the team has constantly reiterated was that balancing PvP for Diablo was not of the highest priorities. This push to inform people of this idea has not stopped. Recently on Battle.net, a user brought up the concern once again. Bashiok's response:

Official Blizzard Quote:



We intend to get PvP as balanced as we can, because we want it to be fun and have some meaning to it. But, PvP balance is not an integral goal to releasing the game. We want PvP to be fun, not necessarily balanced to a razors edge. With the huge number of combinations per character compounded by team comps, balance is not going to be something we'd hold the game for. If we did it might never come out. It will be balanced as much as we realistically can expect before releasing the game, and we'll certainly continue to make changes to try to keep it fun and interesting.
More specifically, the idea was brought up that certain classes might have an advantage over other classes. A lot of this can be found in WoW where certain classes tend to have a distinct advantage over another. Creating arena teams of certain classes becomes a delicate balance to gain an advantage over your opposing team. Bashiok first cleared up that with a 3v3 match, there range of skills and builds will make it almost impossible to create a "dream team". While at low levels, there may be some distinct advantages and disadvantages, but once leveled up, the variety of possible builds will allow any team to customize just how they fight and defend in the arena. A wide range of skills will help any team overcome any possible disadvantage to a differing team build. Speaking specifically for 1v1's, Bashiok said:

Official Blizzard Quote:



Hard counters only exist in 1v1. Obviously there will be some group comp that's considered 'best'. That has nothing to do with designing or not designing classes for rock paper scissors. .
So, while balancing PvP is not the highest priority and most importantly won't delay the game's release, that does not mean that they are not trying to make Battle Arenas as fun and fair as possible for everyone playing. Player skill will be important to balance with gear and build choices to help create a team that can handle any situation.

There was some more information revealing some plans for PvP in the future. As of right now, the only PvP matches that exist are straight Death Matches where players run at each other with all they got in hopes to not die first. When asked at the 2010 Blizzcon, it appeared that this was all that was planned for PvP in Diablo III. However, it may not always be this way. It seems that the Diablo team is having thoughts about expanding on PvP and may do so in the future.

Official Blizzard Quote:



We're currently focusing entirely on the team deathmatch arenas, as well as the potential for custom arena games. But we have had a number of PvP mode ideas and plans over the years, and it's possible we may revisit them in the future.
While it is unknown whether or not they plan on implementing some of these other ideas before release, those who are looking for something more than a straight duel-to-the-death can still have something to look forward to in regards to PvP.

Another important question was asked and answered about PvP. When playing the regular game, players will be able to resurrect team members to help bring them back into the action quickly. The question was raised if the same mechanic would be available in the arena. We have all seen in the demos that when you died you turned into a ghost that could traverse the arena and watch as the rest of your team battled it out. However, with the resurgence of this resurrection mechanic, people wondered whether or not we would be able to do this in PvP as well.

Official Blizzard Quote:



@Diablo - Will you be allowed to resurrect your team mate in Arenas? If not, are resurrection potions still in the game for regular play?
Diablo: @NocturneGS Once you're dead in the Arena you have to wait until the next round.

In case this wasn't enough to fill your PvP need, G4tv recently posted a new article and video with some exclusive footage of some PvP. Feel free to head over and check out what they thought about their hands-on experience with the new PvP system.

Comments

  • To post a comment, please or register a new account.
Posts Quoted:
Reply
Clear All Quotes