D4 Beta - thoughts/impressions?

I am a big D2 guy (shocker) and as a result haven't participated in anything D4 related yet. That said, my friends list is full of folks trying the title out right now. Also with the insane marketing prowess that is BlizzAct, this game will sell like bananas. From what I gather, and I should add an asterisk that it's of course anecdotal, D4 is more similar to D2 versus how D3 evolved. I think this is where I am nervous, like screw the Battle Pass there's no way it won't serve to gate content from players. Maybe I'm too cynical/boomer. I do think the artwork is pretty cool and captures more of the goth tones of the original games.

Any one here actually playing D4? If so, what are your thoughts and impressions thus far?

It's fun and I can't wait for release. Loved the Beta both previous weekends I played it. Skipping Server Slam since I don't want to start over @ lvl 1 again until the real thing.

Although I agree about Battle Pass and just purchased Standard edition myself. No desire for the extras and didn't want to give Blizzard a dime more than I had to!

The open beta confirmed my initial expectations in that I utterly hated it. It simply felt like a slightly darker (and actually worse) D3 with bits of an MMO thrown in and once again nothing like a successor to D1 or D2.

Couldn't even bring myself to get to the lvl 20 beta-cap in that one as by the time I got the first game crash (which was around 16), I basically went "this is so bad, it genuinely isn't even worth restarting the game for" and uninstalled it instead.

That having been said, I let people talk me into giving it another shot with this weekend's very aptly named server slam (cuz..ya know..server-slammed lag-fest).

Didn't crash this time so I ended up getting to 20 last night (different class than open beta).
Sadly, it was just more of the same. Slightly darker and worse D3 with bits of random MMOs thrown in. Boring AF. WAYYYYY too easy to the point where on half of the same-thing-as-D3 chest event thingies, I genuinely didn't even notice I was doing one of those until like halfway through at which point I had already accidentally completed the mastery bonus for them (every single time, without ever trying or even reading it before it was done) because it simply felt like more random trash mobs to 1-shot along the way. Dungeon bosses are mostly "stand there like an idiot and spam same button til dead", also posing no challenge whatsoever. And mind you, that's with ridiculous lag across the board making it impossible to move/cast half the time (actually worked fine until ~lvl 11 or so, then the lagfest started for me). So given actual performance/working controls..it'll just be even easier, if that's even possible.
On PC, it still makes me go "yeah..obviously a console game first and foremost" all the time. And other than the occasional same name for something (that doesn't feel the same regardless), it has rather little to nothing to do with D1 or D2.

I do still see the same plus that I saw in the open beta initially: The landscape/environmental design/artwork is quite nice. But for me, that's still the only saving grace. And imo isn't even a good thing all in all because the solid environmental artwork (at least in my perception) ends up clashing with the overly 'plastic' and misproportioned artwork of everything else. So... mweh.

I'll probably still go kill that world boss later on for the stupid achievement, just to have the reward in case they ever patch it into something I may consider buying 2 years down the road. But more realistically, I expect that to be the next and last thing I'll ever do related to D4.
Much as I would love to find a true, solid successor to the D1/D2 saga...D4 just isn't it.

(Yes, all of the above is highly subjective, obviously)

Disclaimer:
Knowing me, I'll eventually be bored and drunk and someone's gonna talk me into buying it after all..but mweh..
And to be even more honest..maybe I just need to finally adjust my expectations and stop pretending like it is building on D1/D2. After all, D3 after D2 was utterly horrible...D3 after a 2 year break when considering it an entirely different game and not a new part to the series...still not great but actually playable. Imo they just need to rebrand it and stop pretending like they have the people, drive or dedication to stay true to D1/D2.

As just another old school D2 guy I didn't have high expectations when I heard about D4. And the open beta was not very convincing indeed...

However, for some reason/luck, I got access to the closed beta last year where we could test the end game mechanics, i.e. get to max level/paragon, access the whole map & all dungeons with several world bosses/events incl. the transition dungeon to access the next world tiers and whatnot. And all that without any polished story shenanigans. Just slaying, looting and leveling. And I must say: if the end product turns out somewhat like this, it should be at least a decent experience for several months, even for old schoolers like me/us. The world looks fantastic, has a great grim atmosphere and it was great fun to explore it. There also were quite some uniquely designed dungeons and bosses and it felt much less casual/one-shotty back then than the open beta for act 1 did now. Some of the new mechanics like legendary essences have good potential to allow a much greater build and playstyle variety which would be nice. I also don't oppose the shared world per se - back then you just rarely saw another player roaming around in the wilds which didn't kill the immersion at all. But we also had one hell of a laggy world event because there were just too many who wanted to try it. Similarly, many of the new aspects could go this way or the other - like the new vulnerability/status system, trading in general, monsters leveling with you, etc. The foundation is there, but the devil/Diablo is in the detail, as always.

That said, it's pretty sure that it won't be the next D1/D2, more like a hybrid of D2, D3 and DImmortal (hopefully no P2W in any form, though). But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Another D1/D2 is imho not even needed when D2R evolves further.

Schnorki wrote: 11 months ago

I'll probably still go kill that world boss later on for the stupid achievement, just to have the reward in case they ever patch it into something I may consider buying 2 years down the road.

Mweh.

Given, in contrast to everything else so far, it isn't necessarily "easy" so...yay for that. Though sadly, the "hard" part isn't because it is actually hard content but because other players are there with you and they can effectively prevent you from ever getting it done (simply by constantly kiting her away from everyone else, in turn dropping the dmg too low to get it done in time).

I did not play Diablo 3 at all, I saw some play through videos and it didn’t look or feel like D2 at all. Then after seen all the blow back after the release I was happy I didn’t spend any of my money on it.
I have a coworker who talked me into this server slam and I figured why not it was free. I have to say I am impressed. No it isn’t D2.. But it isn’t D3 either! I agree that some parts are too easy. But D2 normal act 1 is also easy. I am hoping the loot system scales in the next acts of D4. I managed to get all 3 slots filled with legendary items for my Necro in less than 24 hours and I know from playing D2 that I would be happy if I got one or two uniques by act 2.
Overall I’m enjoying this free weekend and will most likely be purchasing the full game. I haven’t earned the Mount yet.. Ashava and the Butcher both handed me my ass.. Ashava because the randoms who were also fighting her kept kiting her and made trying to stay under her almost impossible. Then the Butcher just popped up in one of my random dungeons that I was soloing, he wiped my skeletons then two shotted me while I was trying to make a tactical retreat (running like hell). If there are random bosses like that lurking in dungeons I don’t see playing hardcore in my future.

Missed out on the first two Beta opportunities, but I gave this one a fair shake.

I got to lvl 20 on a Sorceror, I did a bunch of dungeons, events, killed the worldboss and putsed around with the crafting system.

I feel like once the full release is out, you won't lack for things to do, It remains to be seen if it's compelling enough to put any serious time into it.

Right now I feel like there is, for me, and I'll be buying the game.

AK Assassin wrote: 11 months ago

I haven’t earned the Mount yet.. Ashava and the Butcher both handed me my ass.. Ashava because the randoms who were also fighting her kept kiting her and made trying to stay under her almost impossible. Then the Butcher just popped up in one of my random dungeons that I was soloing, he wiped my skeletons then two shotted me while I was trying to make a tactical retreat (running like hell).

Much better luck this morning. Went in with a small party and took down Ashava with another larger team, so much easier staying alive and took her down with plenty of time remaining. Then about an hour later while soloing a dungeon to get an aspect I clicked on an artillery shrine (from the results I’m thinking it increased attack speed, erased any cost of spells, and tripled my

Bone Spear outputs) and after clearing that room of fifteen mobs in two seconds, The Butcher came jogging down the corridor. I was able to get him down to 20% before the shrine wore off and then I used

Bone Prison, decertify and Bone spears to kill him before I ran out potions. It was a nice win, even if he only dropped a legendary necklace that wasn’t as good as the one I already had on. I’m not trying to fool myself, got lucky on that encounter. If I didn’t have that shrine active there was no way I could solo him at my level.

I enjoyed it.
really wanted to get back to it, but was real busy most of the weekend, so only managed to rogue(bow) 17 or so. barely anyh legenderies.
it wasn't easy. but not too hard to.
played veteran as you all should being a D2 guys and all.

the graphics were tremendous fun, and the animations as well. everything is pretty much smooth, and even though i have medium rig i can run it fairly ok on 4K ultra settings.(32gb ram though)

i have 2 cons:
1) the story is abit meh
2) something about this game, makes me want to take breaks. I don't know why. it's like it is boring me after an hour, or half an hour.
with other games i could play 2 hours straight and even more if i had the time. D2 in weekends i can do 4 np. if i have that time.

wonder if anyone had this too.

I like d4 more then d3, but I have to say...does anyone else think the druid looks like papu papu from crash 1?

I played on all three beta weekends and I have to say that the server slam weekend was quite the improvement, they adjusted the drop chance for legendaries and balanced some skills.

I played a sorc and a necro in the first two beta weekends and they were rediculously OP, if you add all the legendary loot, the game became a cake walk.

Now with less OP loot drops and balanced classes, it made the game tougher nad more fun tbh. They also improved the dungeon layout, which is a good thing as the older dungeon layout was a huge chore.

I will play on release and will see how it goes, I'm fine with investing a bit of money as some friends will play as well and I think it will be fun for at least 50 hours or so. I'm not so sure, if it's hundres of hours fun as D2, but that is such a high mark to aim at, it doesn't matter. I'm fine with a 50 hour fun game for 70€.

Rumpelsau wrote: 11 months ago

They also improved the dungeon layout, which is a good thing as the older dungeon layout was a huge chore.

Gotta give em that. They did indeed improve that quite a bit.

Found an interesting new perspective for it, hard as it is to get used to..don't think of D4 as something related to D1 or D2. Think of it as a (presumably) smaller-scale new WoW in a Diablo-esque setting. Imo that actually describes it quite well and if that's what one would be interested in and expects, it may actually be solid, as opposed to the pure disappointment it is when expecting a true successor to D1/D2.

(Yeah, still trying to somehow convince myself to like it)

I see it in a similar way.
after the betas it seems to me that d4 offers casual gameplay like in d3 for people who don't have time/don't want/don't care about their build.
BUT it also offers the kind of relatively deep (and actually tangible) customization from d2 which then makes a difference between a lame build and an op build.
for example, I am usually min-maxing my builds and did so in the betas as well. in the first beta on lvl25 I had 550 attack power and it was quite nice and there was not much more I could do.
here in this weekend, I had an attack power of 506 at level20, which felt powerful as hell and dungeon bosses were easily pwned.
personally, I like that you can feel the customization to a relatively deep level.
I also noticed this with the world boss. many people were running into the world boss and I thought it was too hard in the beginning. after min maxing my char the best I could in that short time, I wanted to have at least one char in the group with decent damage and the mechanics of ashava are relatively easy.
it took me four tries at the world boss because people are plebs
the last group had decent damage and people knew ashava already. with around 2-3 minutes left the boss was dead.

but, yeah, as schnorki said, they prolly sprinkled some wow stuff in there which I personally like and seperates the mindless plebs from people who care about their builds. good stuff.
for world bosses you need some level of organizing groups, especially if they are timed and this could be true for dungeons as well in the future. this is straight from wow and not everybody will get everything thrown at them like in d3.

pro tip: if you open a clan in d4, make it a requirement to have killed the world boss in the server slam. not many people will have that trophy.

Crispin wrote: 11 months ago

for world bosses you need some level of organizing groups, especially if they are timed and this could be true for dungeons as well in the future. this is straight from wow and not everybody will get everything thrown at them like in d3.

pro tip: if you open a clan in d4, make it a requirement to have killed the world boss in the server slam. not many people will have that trophy.

The clan thing would be severely limiting, seeing how you're removing any (good) player who simply didn't have time/didn't care. Plus you have plenty of nubs who got it over the weekend..easy enough to get carried through.

Either way, if Ashava is anything to go by, world bosses will also be stupidly easy and everyone will have them thrown at them, much like everything else.
Keep in mind that this one was artificially more difficult because you're looking at a lvl 25+ boss while everyone was capped at lvl 20. That forced discrepancy probably wouldn't hold true in the actual game.
But even with that, my random pug had well over 3 minutes to spare. And when I helped some folks out on their kill later on (half-pug still), we ended up with nearly 6 minutes to spare. At lvl 20. With fairly little time invested in actual optimization.

Looking at even the stat boost on lvl 21/22 gear, odds are if you were actually 25 and semi-geared accordingly, you could wreck him with 10+ minutes to spare in any given pug. That'd be about the level of difficulty on par with everything else I suppose, seeing how you can just faceroll through any other event/dungeon as well.

Fun fact:
I was about to say it likely won't go back to the level of the last beta where folks just solo'd past him, as that'd just once again just be a complete and utter balancing failure, but will be somewhere in between that and what we had now. But as it turns out (just checked)...it was already back to that and even at lvl 20 folks were soloing him...yeah, don't get your hopes up for real difficulty.

you're prolly right.
I had a short glimpse of hope.

I know balancing will be difficult, but not as difficult as in wow. I just hope they will put some difficulty into the game and make clans actually mean something.

Schnorki wrote: 11 months ago

Disclaimer:
Knowing me, I'll eventually be bored and drunk and someone's gonna talk me into buying it after all..but mweh..
And to be even more honest..maybe I just need to finally adjust my expectations and stop pretending like it is building on D1/D2. After all, D3 after D2 was utterly horrible...D3 after a 2 year break when considering it an entirely different game and not a new part to the series...still not great but actually playable. Imo they just need to rebrand it and stop pretending like they have the people, drive or dedication to stay true to D1/D2.

you have to let it all go, neo, doubt ... fear ... and disbelief.

Personally was a fan and pleasantly surprised during EA/OB and did play the Slam during a 7 hour stream Saturday night.

I never liked D3 and I am far more gravitated to the current D4 experience. Balancing and Itemization isn't perfect, but then again we saw maybe 20-25% of the game without uniques, paragon boards, and beyond.

Obviously this is very different from your fundamental D2 experience in a variety of ways, but I am hooked and plan on giving it a go as I already pre-ordered.

Th3ory wrote: 11 months ago

Personally was a fan and pleasantly surprised during EA/OB and did play the Slam during a 7 hour stream Saturday night.

I never liked D3 and I am far more gravitated to the current D4 experience. Balancing and Itemization isn't perfect, but then again we saw maybe 20-25% of the game without uniques, paragon boards, and beyond.

Obviously this is very different from your fundamental D2 experience in a variety of ways, but I am hooked and plan on giving it a go as I already pre-ordered.

Thanks for the feedback (and everyone else's). I think I'll grab D4 on some sale. Really happy to hear that it's better than D3 (I know the bar is low but RoS did make D3 somewhat palatable).