Hearthstone on iPad Price Increases, Deck Talk: Drink With Me Friend with Noxious
Hero League & Draft Mode Details, New Skins and Mounts + Thrall!
Patch 6.1 PTR - Build 19445
Patch Soon™
There were already plenty of hints suggesting the patch would be deployed soon, and a blue post clarifying why the PTR is down further confirmed it. Fingers crossed that everything goes smooth and we see it by Tuesday. Get your farming tools ready, Nephalem!
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
subzero,
The Diablo III PTR was taken down yesterday in preparation for the actual release of the latest upcoming patch.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/15699374337
Runewords Suggestion
It is not uncommon to see players requesting Runewords to be brought back to the game. With the standards of modern gaming, and the issues Runewords created in D2, the developers cannot simply copy and paste that system - it was awesome in its own way but also had some serious flaws. But what if the core concept of that system was modernized to fit Diablo 3, what if the developers could, in the future, find an interesting way to bring back a system that has so many fans.
That is what Majki83 posted on our forums, a concept model for what he thinks Runewords would look like in D3. It even has those pretty images that make it a lot easier to better visualize the system in action. Criticizing these ideas is what the developers want, as it allows them to determine what players like or not on these - but the best feedback is the constructive one, which states what you like or dislike, and why. With that said, check the preview below, or the entire suggestion here!
In contrast to the well-known Rune Words from Diablo 2, a new idea has significantly changed structure (adapted to the current mechanics of Diablo 3). Idea is to develop the game and improve its playability. Besides, when i was creating the concept of Rune Words, I wanted to make the player went out of town (literally). World Sanctuary in Diablo 3 is a very vast terrain, which is currently almost no one visits, and if visits are just doing a bountiesy - a pity that so many developers work is wasted.
Unfortunately, currently proposed solutions as: seasonal items, grifts etc. are not able to attract a player to play for a long time. Blizzard regularly facilitated the game (because of gamers voices) until it became so easy. It is not a challenge anymore. More and more people are bored with continuous grifts.
Players are waiting for better times - whether these occur?
Currently, character creation is based on the scheme: having set X and supplementing it with legendary items. The worst is that this system has no alternative. Thats why making "competition" for the sets and legends is extremely important . It ca develop the game in terms of gameplay. There must be difficulty in acquiring the best equipment and the process of acquiring it can not be discouraged and bored at the same time. It is obvious that the rate of loss of high runes can not be too large, and then after winning the coveted word rune will be proud, or at least very satisfied
Rune Words as opposed to legendary items and sets would not have so much randomness and ranges in values of affixes. A slight randomness could be relate to the essential affixes (for example. 800-850 strenght), while the unique affix was to become of no value of the variable (the prize for submitting RW was not a disappointment, but elective surgery that was planned and the effects of which we predicted).
Creating Rune Words
MOST IMPORTANT: To do not mess with the order of the sockets in current items, rune word wouldbe made by rune which after mixing would create one huge rune that would be a rune word which is using only one socket at all.
In order to create a certain Rune Word we will have to find a proper white item (or yellow, legendary or a set item – will write more about this later), a proper formula, required runes, required gems and a hefty amount of gold but also we will have to meet the requirements in terms of our paragon level (we need to be worthy of using such item).
Types of items in which Rune Words could be put
Rune Words would be created in the following items:
- White (additionally in special white items that drop from bosses and Ubers that would be used for creating special RW)
- Rare (yellow)
- Legendary
- Set items
Rune Word would not be a new item but rather an affix modifier. It means that RW would add certain affixes to already existing item without replacing its affixes. E.g. we have got a yellow helmet that gives 500 strength, 500 vitality, 500 all immunities and 1 RW socket. When we put into the helmet a RW X that has CC 10% and CD 50% and a unique affix Z the helmet with X RW would look like this: 500 strength, 500 vitality, 500 all immunities, CC 10%, CD 50% and a unique affix Z
Because RW would add affixes without modifying those already existing on an item they would follow the rule:
Rune Words created in white items must have, except powerful legendary affixes, also basic affixes like strenght, vitality, etc. and of course the numbers should match those in legendary or set items.
Rune Words created in rare items (yellow) would have the same affixes as in white items but the basic affixes should have lower values as rare items already have basic affixes.
Rune Words created in legendary and set items would often don’t have basic affixes as usually legendary and set items already have them.
All the affixes of a RW created in white items should be equal or even slightly better than those in RWs created in set or legendary items in order to make the choice based on build and its character rather than advantage of one item over another.
Such system would help in retaining the usefulness of legendary and set items without competing with them but complementing one another.
The system of completing Set Rune Words would look similar to the current set items system. Set Rune Words would have a few lesser affixes and one unique which would be unlocked upon putting small RW of that set into set items of the same type. It may sound complex but in fact it is not.
Let me explain this with an example: we have Akkhan’s Set and we would like to create in it the RW named Blizzard. Blizzard as a set RW consists of small RW X, small RW Y and small RW Z (RW X + RW Y + RW Z = RW Blizzard, same as Akkhan’s Set = Akkhan’s Chest + Akkhan’s Legs + Akkhan’s Helmet etc.). Single small RWs don’t have powerful stats, they can only have basic affixes such as strength or vitality but if you put 2 small RW into Akkhan’s Helmet and Chest you would unlock special affix – e.g. +40% dmg against elite mobs and putting all small RW into Akkhan’s Set would unlock affix that gives +40% dmg against elite mobs and shield bash get a new instant effect – explosion.
Pros of Rune Words:
- new, long-lasting challenge for player;
- Rising potential of bounties (farm of all acts);
- restoration runes from bosses and uber-bosses (like in D2 Ballrun, Mefrun, Pindelrun and more);
- using basic and rare items even on 70 lvl ;
- gain paragon level as a aim to reach new more powerful Rune Word (Rune Word Hierarchy);
- using specialised prepared seasonal conquest and achievements as a real game progress (source of legendary runs);
- new features in Diablo 3 (RW formulas, Runes);
- diversity of new builds (Shield bash with Heaven's Furry or Condemn effect and much much more) ;
- steps to achieve the intended purpose (equal value of RW);
- possibility to reaching higher level of Tiered Rifts ecen by every characters;
- more challenging game for experienced players;
- more fun !
Cons of Rune Words:
- Achieving Rune Words may be too demanding for casual players;
- Unballanced affixes value may lead to "must have" situations.
Remember that Diablo 3 particularly comes down to visiting the obelix in town. Thanks to this conception of RW, player will be able to explore all massive world of Sanctuary in all of acts. This will lead to organize boss expeditions and achieving achievements
Runewords sound cool in principle (discovering the secret recipe to create powerful items), but in reality you are just looking up a list on a website, then farming over and over for the specific items you want until you can make the item. The current crafting and enchanting systems already cover the need to tailor-make items to your specific needs.
I'm not saying there's no room for Blizzard to create another end-game item hunt system, but it has to be very thoughtfully done. If players are going to spend a long time hunting for the item, then the hunt itself has to be fun or no one will want to do it.
At this point I think Blizzard should focus more on gameplay mechanics than item mechanics (other than brainstorming new legendary effects).
If you ask me, this is because too many forum kiddies whined about the game being "too hard" with item upgrades "not coming fast enough". It's like they wanted an actual upgrade every hour when a legendary item dropped. God forbid they actually have to work for something.
Looking at your first runeword mock-up...it's not going to happen. Blizzard stated they don't want to give access to one character class' skills to other character classes, likely because it makes the parent character class feel less useful. Also, that ridiculous boost to critical hit damage on that runeword would automatically make it feel mandatory on a Crusader, which completely embodies this one con:
If they were to adopt a similar system to this, said "runewords" would need to essentially be a player choice between a stat boost or a bonus perk, whether it be a chance on hit to do something, a chance when hit to do something, a chance on kill to do something, so on and so forth. However...the only way they'll ever get any sort of use in weapons is if they tackle the Critical Hit Damage issue first.
My old boss always use to say "don't come to me with a problem, come to me with a solution". Many people seem to be pointing out flaws in the system Majki83 proposed without really pointing out any altervatives.
The option to craft something at the blacksmith is/was a good concept. But I don't see many of the craftable items in end-game content except for maybe a few of the armor sets. Runewords remind me a bit of the legendary quest chain to optain your cloak in WoW. Sure...it took 2-3months of work, but at the end you had something that made a significant difference. If you look at the affixes for runewords back in D2, there were quite a few depending on the rarety of the runes you used. After completing a runeword, there was a sense of satisfaction. And a notable difference in how your character felt. I don't see anything in this game that does the same thing. You wait for a particular legendary to drop so you can do a particular build that's deemed "cookie-cutter-end-game" and off you go to kill. Somehow I don't have the same sense of satisfaction when this legendary drops.
I wish I could suggest a solution instead of just criticizing how I feel about the game. They were going for something new in D3, and they succeeded in doing that. But much of what I loved stayed in D2 I'm afraid.
baal
meph
pindle
0-3... do you even d2???
So when players get a string of hours where they find nothing useful for their characters they get bored and frustrated and eventually give up. The game really needs some way of allowing the time you spend farming seem worthwhile, even if that means you manage to trade a few items for some small junky piece of currency. If you keep doing runs and trading for low currency you will eventually be able to trade for something in t he medium range and ultimately the high end currency which you can trade for the item you are looking for.
I am convinced this has been what kept D2 going for so many years, and ultimately what will save D3. Yes people like the search for items, but they do not want the hours and hours they run yield nothing but crafting mats. They need the ability to know that what they just did will eventually lead them to what they want if they work hard enough at it. RNG simply make the time feel worthless.
I just hope Blizzard starts pointing down what people suggest to make the game a lot better, and making seasons even more fun and different from non-season.
Also since patch is coming "Very Soon™", does that mean they're ending season 1 and starting season 2 earlier? Cause there's still 3 weeks till Season 1 ends, if it's still February 3rd. I really haven't played D3 at all lately, only hopped on PTR for a short while when 2000% leg buff was on and been playing WoW since then, nothing that got me back to play D3, season 1 was crap. Couldn't even do Grifts competitively or challenging(solo) as any class other than DH.