Blizzard did an amazing job turning D3 1.0 around, from a terrible game to a mediocre/meh one, but that just doesn't cut it.
I'm not even being ironic, D3 1.0 was so bad, it took some good work/ideas to make it playable, but imho it's time to admit it's just not good enough, and start working on D4. Or whatever is coming next.
As someone that has played a ton of D3 since seasons started (played several hundred hours each and every season so far) I sadly have to agree with you. The game can be fun at times, and grinding is the nature of the Diablo franchise, so it's not so much the gameplay that's the turnoff, but I suppose it's more to do with how much better the game should have been, how much more depth and innovation could have taken place in D3. I know part of it must be nostalgia but I feel as though D2 gave me nearly endless enjoyment for several years, even now I have fond memories of D2 (and even D1) and it just doesn't really feel the same with D3. I mean I can't imagine four or five years down the road, thinking back and saying "wow D3 was such a great game, I'll never forget the fun I had playing it." It really just is, and has always been a very "meh" title and while I would rather there be an expansion than not, I can't help but think they'll just give us more of the same, without much innovation or anything truly amazing.
I do agree with you, I think Diablo 4 would be their best option at this point if they care about revitalizing the Diablo franchise. They definitely need to think outside the box with it though, if it's ends up boiling down to a reskinned version of D3 it's going to be a huge disappointment.
The thing with D3 is that the emphasis is now more on "set" playstyle than it is on "class" playstyle. You essentially want to play the class that has a SET that appeals to you.
Personally I'll be going with Monk this season. I tried using the Exploding Palm/Flow of Eternity/Madstone type build last season, it was fine for GR40-45 speed farming and T6 but it lacked power over most classes and other Monk specs. This season however the new set is designed specifically to support that playstyle, and while it may not be the most powerful set, it is a style I really enjoy playing and the boost will make it at least (I hope) semi-competitive, or at very least give it niche applications in T10 farming as well as in grinding/group leveling.
So if I were in your shoes I would look at the 3 classes you're interested in, then look at videos of each of the new/modified sets in 2.3 (or test them yourself on PTR) and pick a class that has a set you enjoy playing. If you do that it's hard to go wrong - at the very least every class should have some impact in at least one relevant aspect of the game be it speed farming, leveling, or GR leaderboard pushing, and you can leverage that to your advantage and gear up other classes later in the season if desired.
1
I do agree with you, I think Diablo 4 would be their best option at this point if they care about revitalizing the Diablo franchise. They definitely need to think outside the box with it though, if it's ends up boiling down to a reskinned version of D3 it's going to be a huge disappointment.
1
The thing with D3 is that the emphasis is now more on "set" playstyle than it is on "class" playstyle. You essentially want to play the class that has a SET that appeals to you.
Personally I'll be going with Monk this season. I tried using the Exploding Palm/Flow of Eternity/Madstone type build last season, it was fine for GR40-45 speed farming and T6 but it lacked power over most classes and other Monk specs. This season however the new set is designed specifically to support that playstyle, and while it may not be the most powerful set, it is a style I really enjoy playing and the boost will make it at least (I hope) semi-competitive, or at very least give it niche applications in T10 farming as well as in grinding/group leveling.
So if I were in your shoes I would look at the 3 classes you're interested in, then look at videos of each of the new/modified sets in 2.3 (or test them yourself on PTR) and pick a class that has a set you enjoy playing. If you do that it's hard to go wrong - at the very least every class should have some impact in at least one relevant aspect of the game be it speed farming, leveling, or GR leaderboard pushing, and you can leverage that to your advantage and gear up other classes later in the season if desired.