The Fireside Chat for Diablo IV began with an admission from the development team that they had made some missteps with a recent update. While they have a clear vision for the game’s direction, they acknowledged that implementing certain changes without others was a mistake. To correct this, they have planned upcoming changes and have larger improvements in mind for the game’s underlying system.
Upcoming Changes
A hotfix was scheduled to address issues with nightmare dungeons. This fix aimed to reduce the power scaling, making tier 100 feel more like tier 70, and increase monster density in nightmare dungeons and helltides. However, the monster density improvement might not be immediately live until patch 1.1.1, which is expected to be released in the next couple of weeks. This patch will include various adjustments for the Sorcerer and Barbarian classes, improving underutilized legendary powers and items. Additionally, they plan to add a new stash tab, increase the Elixir stack size to 99, and reduce respec costs by approximately 40%. Performance improvements with regards to player skills will be made to counteract the changes in monster density.
Future Changes
In the subsequent seasons (Season 2 or 3), the team has ambitious plans for Diablo IV. Some of the changes include reworking resistances, implementing gem “changes” with a dedicated gem tab, adding more end-game content, and introducing leaderboards paired with a new competitive content type. They also intend to create new endgame content called “chase” content to challenge different builds. The developers are also considering reworking vulnerability damage to make it an optional build choice rather than a mandatory aspect. Moreover, they plan to improve diablo 4 items progression through ancestral tiers and get diablo 4 gold ways, provide target farming for specific aspects and uniques, and address various gameplay and balance issues.
Admission of Fault
The team acknowledged that focusing solely on balance changes without considering player enjoyment was a mistake. They emphasized the importance of making the game fun for players throughout each phase of change. Their goal is to increase build diversity and offer more choices to players, even if some builds become overpowered temporarily. They pledged to improve communication, provide patch notes or campfire details ahead of time, and avoid releasing “mostly nerf only” patches in the future.
Discussion of Future Vision
The developers’ main objective is to provide players with more choice and build diversity. They aim to revamp the vulnerable damage system to make it optional rather than mandatory. They also mentioned that large meta shifts will occur predictably at the start of each season. The team is committed to not slowing down the game’s pace but acknowledged the importance of ensuring XP changes and monster density are balanced together to avoid creating unintentional nerfs.
In conclusion, the Fireside Chat addressed the current state of Diablo IV, upcoming changes, and future plans for the game. The developers are determined to improve the game’s experience and offer more choices and diversity to players while taking their feedback seriously.
