Diablo IV | Season of the Malignant

For a reveal stream they really didn't reveal much of anything. Let's hope we get more info about the season mechanic like PoE does leading up to launch. Excited to get back into diablo!

25

So this looks dope, for sure. I wish there were more news about when to expect the expansions. This game is so much better than Diablo III in most ways excluding one: It's a Diablo game without Diablo, which has left a pretty sour taste in my mouth after finishing the epilogue. The seasons will be fun, I'm sure - but I really just want the rest of the story that I feel like should have been part of the base game.

20

Yeah, after playing it I was like...this game should have been called Lilith, but of course the brand recognition wouldn't be there. At least put a subtitle like Daughter of Hatred or something. I mean come on, give her some credit at least LOL!

Personally, I actually liked Lilith's more complicated take on the big bad. I was actually rooting for her against

spoiler

Inarius and thought her plan of getting rid of Mephisto was better than what we eventually did, which was trapping yet another Prime Evil in a soulstone...again.

18
- But hey, Wanderer, you made your own choice!
  ...I really hated how they rubbed into my face the fact that I couldn't choose anything but that :D
  
  15
- Lilith got way too much of a minor role to name the game after her. She's a minor villain at best and already dead after a short campaign where we once again make weird ass stupid decisions. I wish we could've joined her, instead of her becoming another cartoon villain that makes people mindless and insane for "reasons". Even her becoming a prime evil would've been a way cooler move. But now they fired that bullet and it's never going to be able to come back. Real shame for such an iconic figure in the history of the game lore.
  
  5
- I need to learn Lemmy's markdown syntax. But I agree. I really liked Lilith as a character and her motivations were solid.
  
  spoiler
  
  But then you win the fight, go back and the epilogue lasts all of a couple of minutes before the game loop starts over when you hop to World Tier III. It felt unsatisfying not to have a Prime Evil to contend with, and if I'm honest, the Butcher is a harder boss than Lilith each time you run into him.
  
  4
- Maybe I missed it in the lore/story so apologies if that's the case. But what timeline is this game set in? Is it possible this is the first time they locked Mephisto in the soul stone? Like a D2 prequel?
  
  3

Very hyped. I hope they keep the lore and fresh stories coming out. D4 has been the game that finally sold me on the entire world of Diablo.

Also hope this season brings some fun and interesting new ways to play at the end game. I’m starting to feel a bit burned out on nightmares and helltides.

11

Are there existing plans to expand the end game? My arpg friends have suggested around launch it was lacking a bit, so I've put off grabbing d4 despite tons of time in earlier titles & poe.

2
- The upcoming season is adding a new “gem” type very similar to Diablo 3 legendary gems that will (presumably) result in more robust endgame builds. They also mentioned a new boss being added, though I’m not sure what level/World Tier it will be at.
  
  3
- We don’t know much about future plans yet. But from their marketing, it really sounds like they’re counting on seasons to provide that replay-ability factor in the short term.
  
  D4 is still a solid game. My gaming time is limited these days, so once I got accustomed to the gameplay loop at WT3, I did start to feel a bit burned out. But it’s a game that I know I will always come back to and already feel like I’ve gotten my moneys worth
  
  2

I wonder if they will reveal more hearts and uniques as we get closer, or have us discover them when the patch comes out. I want to know how much they will actually change builds.

9

I loved playing D4 with all my guys, hopping in and out together, it finally got me to really appreciate ARPGs after bouncing off D3 and grim dawn in the past.

Buuuuut, level scaling mobs and utterly boring resource management got me in the end ‘uhhh neeed MOOORE spppiirit says the Druid’.

So I moved onto PoE and now I am exiled for good 🤣

9

Agreed about level scaling, the game balance is whack. I've gone back to playing PD2, it's so much more enjoyable and fast-paced.

8
- Yeah, I get real tired of minions being so tanky...and the elite mobs, just ugh. Either have them do massive damage and require dodging, and let us do equal good damage...just not what they are now (massive boring tanks).
  
  4
I wanted to get into PoE, but seeing how endgame builds play really soured it for me. Playing through the story using a variety of skills and dodging the attacks in the chaotic boss fights was a lot of fun, then I learned that an optimal build spams one skill and kills bosses before they do anything, and if you're not clearing that fast, you won't be making any meaningful progress because drop rates are tuned around the assumption that you are.

4
- Actually in poe you have a much higher chance of getting GG gear. Much higher than Diablo.
  
  There’s so many things you can do to target farm, and everything you do gives you more currency so you’re never wasting your time, even if you are slower than someone else.
  
  In Diablo there’s just no chance you’re getting a shaco. And you can easily play 10 hours and get nothing except some gold which is useful for… refilling some stats?
  
  4
Have you checked out the builds on icyveins? The synergies on some of them, like the earthen bulwark build for example, are kinda crazy. Definitely more diversity than I would expect of a single ARPG class but then I got more into the game as I heard D4 going more MMO-like so that could just be me.

2
- I have yeah, it that’s kind of the problem - it’s icyveins or bust unfortunately. I did go pulverize bear which made it better, but I had the same experience with d2r.
  
  I guess I just hate limits, I like in poe….if I want my toon to do something specific (such as fast cast speed) I can spec into that and work on it. Where as Diablo….I might get 3 passive points 😄
  
  Chalk and cheese though; D4 did good with getting the masses to enjoy a venerable entry into the genre.
  
  5
I am really hoping for a bit more love in the resource department. My sorcerer feels so slow-paced. It's like cast a couple of times, wait for a mama recharge, rinse and repeat.

2
- Yeah druid is exactly the same, it's just so boring to go from my palpatine style Witch in Poe, to a slow, asthmatic doofus in D4 lol
  
  2
- Meanwhile whirlwind barbarian basically not using resource generator skills
  
  1

Man, I haven't even beat the game once yet. Guess I gotta hurry. Assuming I'll have to make a new character for each season?

6

Yeah, everyone starts at level 1 for new seasons. Map reveals and altar of lilith finds are permanent though. And you could technically just keep playing in the eternal realm if you really wanted to.

4
- So hyped that they made the map open. I created a sorc to mess around and it's such a hassle the unexplored map.
  
  2

Hype

4

Am I the only one who cannot stand these types of animations? Comes off as cheap and lazy to me. This might come of as a bit harsh but it's literally a slide show with some basic animations.

4

I was just thinking about how much we don’t know about season 1…and I guess we still don’t know much of anything.

3

That is looking pretty cool. Cant wait.

3

Looks great! Excited to see how much hearts change builds... and how broken they will be.

2

That looks cool! Can't wait for the season to start

2

Meh.

1

So the premium battle pass will include actual armor sets; wasn’t it advertised as transmogs only?

-5

They did explicitly say that premium armour rewards were transmog only, and that not paying for the battle pass won't put you at a disadvantage gear wise.

11
- Hoping it is; wording seems a bit vague
  
  -4
Where did you get that info from? Didn’t see any details about that in the video. But as far as I’ve been able to see online, they haven’t changed anything.

Premium battlepass will only be cosmetic armor sets (those are the transmogs. It isn’t exclusive battle pass gear), horses, titles and emblems.

3
- I think they also said emotes.
  
  2
Yes but it's identical regardless of class outside of body type changes.

1

Diablo IV | Season of the Malignant | Announce Trailer