Just wanted to share this mock-up infographic I designed for a new endgame option within D3. I've been traveling quite a bit for work, so to deal with my Diablo withdrawals I've pieced this together based on some existing ideas I've seen within the community as well as some new ones of my own.
Would love to hear some feedback on the concept as well as thoughts on what endgame means to you in Diablo.
Why? The endgame in Diablo has always been about farming for better loot so you can farm for better loot.. better.
I agree! This is purely intended to augment that loot hunt we all know and love and extend the game's replayability, not replace it.
Why not just include Trials and Towers in Adventure Mode?
Good question. Each mode has a specific purpose that not everyone will be interested in, so overloading Adventure Mode with additional features feels like messy design to me. Story Mode = Enjoy the story, Adventure Mode = Play the item-hunt game (heart of Diablo franchise), Challenge Mode = Optional, augmentative content that extends the lifespan of the item-hunt game. But of course these modes could be joined, this is merely personal preference.
Does that mean no gear rewarded in Challenge Mode?
Yes. Only cosmetic rewards, competitive rankings and XP are offered in Challenge Mode. If Challenge Mode offered loot rewards, it would diminish the inherent purpose of Adventure Mode. The aim is to bring the heroes you've built into Challenge Mode to see what they can do, i.e; to improve your capabilities in Challenge Mode you need to farm Adventure Mode.
TL;DR: I like to compartmentalize.
Are Trials and Towers randomized to any extent?
No. By removing the random elements in regards to layouts, monster types and density, the Trials and Towers can serve as directly measurable content in a competitive sense. If random was at play, someone could simply perform well due to having "lucky RNG". So to summarize, randomization has been removed in Challenge Mode in order to level the playing field.
How does Difficulty work in relation to Trials and Towers?
Trials that are not affected directly by difficulty (like Race Trials) exist as static events that are played and ranked the same across all difficulty levels. Trials that contain monsters and are therefore affected by difficulty selection are ranked as per the difficulty in which the player achieved their result (see: Seasonal Leaderboards UI). Pandemonium Towers are capped on lower difficulties, higher ascension only becomes available with higher difficulties, with the Pandemonium Tower becoming "uncapped" on Torment VI.
The Tower is Endless?
Theoretically, yes. The increase in difficulty is dynamic up until the fixed rewards cease (Level 100), after that, each level sees a static increase (additive percentage) in Monster Damage and Hit Points. For the purpose of this concept let's say that's 5% per level, this means the most godly geared/skilled players can truly test their heroes to the absolute limits.
Couldn't you just skip mobs? Change to a more defensive spec for higher levels? And what happens when you die?
To access the next level you would be required to kill all the monsters on the current level. Skill selection would be locked from when you enter the Tower with a checkpoint every 25 Levels at which you can change your skill spec. These checkpoints also act as respawn points upon death, but they no longer appear after Level 100 (which would be very hard to reach as is).
Overall I haven't put too much thought into how tower progression would work, but I think losing all of your progress upon death would be a bit too much considering how long the climb is. I would love to hear some other ideas/suggestions regarding this!
What is this simultaneous instance nonsense?
When there are other players in your game and you choose to start a Trial or Tower, a dialogue box appears asking them if they would like to join in and challenge you. If they accept, they will be transported to their own instance of the same challenge. You are able to see the "ghosts" of other players according to where they are in their instance (see "Festering Circuit" race screenshot), but you have no direct affect on their game environment. For Tower Races, you would receive toast notifications in your chat each time a player reaches a new level.
Why not just have them in the same instance?
The competitive factor in Trials and Towers is based around how well each player performs, not how effectively you can impede your rivals. This is especially applicable to wave-type Trials and Pandemonium Towers, in which you can't have both characters in the same instance without it being Co-op.
Are the Bosses in Boss Time-trials different from their typical versions?
Yes, they would essentially be Uber versions of their normal encounters, with additional modifiers, more minions, larger HP pools etc.
Do Race Trials have other variables?
Races have additional factors in play outside of simply getting a character from point A to B. For example, Speed-boosting Nephalem Glory orbs can spawn along the route but might not always be in the most desirable of locations. In addition, obstacles such as Bear Traps and Barricades can impede your progress (another reason for separate instances). P.S- I love Mario Kart.
Uhh.. Where is PvP?
Ideally, Challenge Mode would also accomodate any type of future PvP implementation. I haven't included it in my concept as it's such a gigantic feature that it would probably need it's own infographic.
NICELY done man, very very nice, gah it's amazing how the fans seem to be producing amazing ideas for endgame content and Blizz the multi trillion dollar games developer can't seem to do the same...
post this idea EVERYWHERE!!!
As to your question about dying... I'd say for floor 101 and higher dying would result in your character being put right back down to the first floor. As you said getting too and beyond level 100 would be SUPER hard and only the hardiest of heroes would manage it, thus put in a REAL challenge for them. The door to 101 opens and you get a warning "Beware, beyond this point you progress into the uncharted regions of the Tower, there will be no way to record your progress and dying would result in your return to the first floor of the tower, are you sure you wish to go on?" Just to make SURE that everyone knows what would happen.
Also WTB boss called either "Crimson King" or "Roland of Gilead" on floor 100
Right off, I have to say...I mean absolutely disrespect by this, but...when I see people post ideas in "art" form, I tend to analyze it more critically, as the "pretty pictures" don't tend to sway ME from the actual message....yet, a lot of times, people see the pictures, and imagine seeing it in-game, and go, "yes!! this is perfect idea!"
Even though that's typically the case...that being said, I didn't read all of the infographic, but from what I gather, it comes down to having more to do. I can get behind that 100%. Blizzard? Put more in the game to do. I like it, :-)
As for what endgame means to me...Diablo endgame for me has always been to get at least one character of each class to a really high level, arm them up with great gear and make them badass strong. Since D3 has got me into Hardcore, that desire has pretty much doubled, but the main idea is pretty much the same. Thus, in order to make characters strong, they need more XP, more levels, more gear...and in the past, that has mostly come from farming/grinding runs.
In D3, we're seeing a growing amount of activities to partake in. Bounties and Rifts will be coming...Trials aren't in yet, but they'll be coming, however they get implemented exactly. I heard that the Infernal Machine/"Uber Bosses"/Hellfire Ring was being kinda retooled, so hopefully that will also be in/back. With NV going away, it should be a lot easier to farm keys and organs and plans (for people who don't have them yet), but I don't see any reason why they wouldn't/shouldn't put that into Adventure Mode, key farming would be a breeze, and a nice distraction from just doing Bounties or just farming specific spots.
So like I said...more activities sounds good to me. Sign me up.
Blizzard has a certain amount of money they want to spend on RoS, and a certain timeframe they want to ship it by. That's how project management works. This is an awesome idea, but (assuming they're not already working on something like it), it would cost millions and delay release by months. At the risk of uttering heresy, I've no doubt that Blizzard has ideas board has stories every bit as cool as this one, and more besides, but some point they have to stop burning time and money and get the product ready for release.
But if we lobby hard enough, maybe they'll add it post-release.
Blizzard has a certain amount of money they want to spend on RoS, and a certain timeframe they want to ship it by. That's how project management works. This is an awesome idea, but (assuming they're not already working on something like it), it would cost millions and delay release by months. At the risk of uttering heresy, I've no doubt that Blizzard has ideas board has stories every bit as cool as this one, and more besides, but some point they have to stop burning time and money and get the product ready for release.
But if we lobby hard enough, maybe they'll add it post-release.
I think this is more of a "Diablo 3: the future" kind of post. There will come a time when expansions for D3 will be done (I'm guessing they do 2), and the team will slim down to focus on features like are shown in this thread.
omg post this everywhere in every official forum and subforum even in the wow and starcraft ones XD
Agreed post this everywhere and every place and throw money at blizzard and make them do this! This would be EPIC!♥
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Really good idea. Provides an alternative to ladders/ which I feel won't be as meaningful as they used to be. Sure it clears the items for most players but I have my doubts about it's real purpose here. This idea though really brings in an endgame everyone can enjoy ladder or no ladder. Brilliant ideas that really add some flavor and make me wanna actually do something instead of farm for ages.
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Personally I'm in the camp that would prefer they focus on PvP before moving forward, but I would definitely like to see something like this eventually.
As for what endgame means to me...Diablo endgame for me has always been to get at least one character of each class to a really high level, arm them up with great gear and make them badass strong. Since D3 has got me into Hardcore, that desire has pretty much doubled, but the main idea is pretty much the same. Thus, in order to make characters strong, they need more XP, more levels, more gear...and in the past, that has mostly come from farming/grinding runs.
Thanks for the great reply Cardinal. I definitely follow that same type of endgame philosophy within D3, with my ultimate goal being 10 (or 12 in RoS) characters maximized to the best of their abilities, one of each class in each league.
This idea though really brings in an endgame everyone can enjoy ladder or no ladder. Ideas that really add some flavor and make me wanna actually do something instead of farm for ages.
That the intention! I'm glad you liked them Enty, thanks. "Endgame for Everyone"
Just wanted to share this mock-up infographic I designed for a new endgame option within D3. I've been traveling quite a bit for work, so to deal with my Diablo withdrawals I've pieced this together based on some existing ideas I've seen within the community as well as some new ones of my own.
Would love to hear some feedback on the concept as well as thoughts on what endgame means to you in Diablo.
Direct Link: http://i.imgur.com/JadEbrk.jpg
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Why? The endgame in Diablo has always been about farming for better loot so you can farm for better loot.. better.
I agree! This is purely intended to augment that loot hunt we all know and love and extend the game's replayability, not replace it.
Why not just include Trials and Towers in Adventure Mode?
Good question. Each mode has a specific purpose that not everyone will be interested in, so overloading Adventure Mode with additional features feels like messy design to me. Story Mode = Enjoy the story, Adventure Mode = Play the item-hunt game (heart of Diablo franchise), Challenge Mode = Optional, augmentative content that extends the lifespan of the item-hunt game. But of course these modes could be joined, this is merely personal preference.
Does that mean no gear rewarded in Challenge Mode?
Yes. Only cosmetic rewards, competitive rankings and XP are offered in Challenge Mode. If Challenge Mode offered loot rewards, it would diminish the inherent purpose of Adventure Mode. The aim is to bring the heroes you've built into Challenge Mode to see what they can do, i.e; to improve your capabilities in Challenge Mode you need to farm Adventure Mode.
TL;DR: I like to compartmentalize.
Are Trials and Towers randomized to any extent?
No. By removing the random elements in regards to layouts, monster types and density, the Trials and Towers can serve as directly measurable content in a competitive sense. If random was at play, someone could simply perform well due to having "lucky RNG". So to summarize, randomization has been removed in Challenge Mode in order to level the playing field.
How does Difficulty work in relation to Trials and Towers?
Trials that are not affected directly by difficulty (like Race Trials) exist as static events that are played and ranked the same across all difficulty levels. Trials that contain monsters and are therefore affected by difficulty selection are ranked as per the difficulty in which the player achieved their result (see: Seasonal Leaderboards UI). Pandemonium Towers are capped on lower difficulties, higher ascension only becomes available with higher difficulties, with the Pandemonium Tower becoming "uncapped" on Torment VI.
The Tower is Endless?
Theoretically, yes. The increase in difficulty is dynamic up until the fixed rewards cease (Level 100), after that, each level sees a static increase (additive percentage) in Monster Damage and Hit Points. For the purpose of this concept let's say that's 5% per level, this means the most godly geared/skilled players can truly test their heroes to the absolute limits.
Couldn't you just skip mobs? Change to a more defensive spec for higher levels? And what happens when you die?
To access the next level you would be required to kill all the monsters on the current level. Skill selection would be locked from when you enter the Tower with a checkpoint every 25 Levels at which you can change your skill spec. These checkpoints also act as respawn points upon death, but they no longer appear after Level 100 (which would be very hard to reach as is).
Overall I haven't put too much thought into how tower progression would work, but I think losing all of your progress upon death would be a bit too much considering how long the climb is. I would love to hear some other ideas/suggestions regarding this!
What is this simultaneous instance nonsense?
When there are other players in your game and you choose to start a Trial or Tower, a dialogue box appears asking them if they would like to join in and challenge you. If they accept, they will be transported to their own instance of the same challenge. You are able to see the "ghosts" of other players according to where they are in their instance (see "Festering Circuit" race screenshot), but you have no direct affect on their game environment. For Tower Races, you would receive toast notifications in your chat each time a player reaches a new level.
Why not just have them in the same instance?
The competitive factor in Trials and Towers is based around how well each player performs, not how effectively you can impede your rivals. This is especially applicable to wave-type Trials and Pandemonium Towers, in which you can't have both characters in the same instance without it being Co-op.
Are the Bosses in Boss Time-trials different from their typical versions?
Yes, they would essentially be Uber versions of their normal encounters, with additional modifiers, more minions, larger HP pools etc.
Do Race Trials have other variables?
Races have additional factors in play outside of simply getting a character from point A to B. For example, Speed-boosting Nephalem Glory orbs can spawn along the route but might not always be in the most desirable of locations. In addition, obstacles such as Bear Traps and Barricades can impede your progress (another reason for separate instances). P.S- I love Mario Kart.
Uhh.. Where is PvP?
Ideally, Challenge Mode would also accomodate any type of future PvP implementation. I haven't included it in my concept as it's such a gigantic feature that it would probably need it's own infographic.
What's with the groan-worthy TV show references?
Because geeknerd.
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post this idea EVERYWHERE!!!
As to your question about dying... I'd say for floor 101 and higher dying would result in your character being put right back down to the first floor. As you said getting too and beyond level 100 would be SUPER hard and only the hardiest of heroes would manage it, thus put in a REAL challenge for them. The door to 101 opens and you get a warning "Beware, beyond this point you progress into the uncharted regions of the Tower, there will be no way to record your progress and dying would result in your return to the first floor of the tower, are you sure you wish to go on?" Just to make SURE that everyone knows what would happen.
Also WTB boss called either "Crimson King" or "Roland of Gilead" on floor 100
Spread the word. THIS could work really well and make D3 live up to its predecessor with style.
+10000!!
edit: typo
Even though that's typically the case...that being said, I didn't read all of the infographic, but from what I gather, it comes down to having more to do. I can get behind that 100%. Blizzard? Put more in the game to do. I like it, :-)
As for what endgame means to me...Diablo endgame for me has always been to get at least one character of each class to a really high level, arm them up with great gear and make them badass strong. Since D3 has got me into Hardcore, that desire has pretty much doubled, but the main idea is pretty much the same. Thus, in order to make characters strong, they need more XP, more levels, more gear...and in the past, that has mostly come from farming/grinding runs.
In D3, we're seeing a growing amount of activities to partake in. Bounties and Rifts will be coming...Trials aren't in yet, but they'll be coming, however they get implemented exactly. I heard that the Infernal Machine/"Uber Bosses"/Hellfire Ring was being kinda retooled, so hopefully that will also be in/back. With NV going away, it should be a lot easier to farm keys and organs and plans (for people who don't have them yet), but I don't see any reason why they wouldn't/shouldn't put that into Adventure Mode, key farming would be a breeze, and a nice distraction from just doing Bounties or just farming specific spots.
So like I said...more activities sounds good to me. Sign me up.
Blizzard has a certain amount of money they want to spend on RoS, and a certain timeframe they want to ship it by. That's how project management works. This is an awesome idea, but (assuming they're not already working on something like it), it would cost millions and delay release by months. At the risk of uttering heresy, I've no doubt that Blizzard has ideas board has stories every bit as cool as this one, and more besides, but some point they have to stop burning time and money and get the product ready for release.
But if we lobby hard enough, maybe they'll add it post-release.
Much love for keeping the RoS art style
Love all the ideas
Will be using what ever means I have as a fellow fansite owner to get this to the right people to further the cause!
Brothers to arms!
If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask
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Personally I'm in the camp that would prefer they focus on PvP before moving forward, but I would definitely like to see something like this eventually.
Thanks Dr!