Diablo 4 is currently facing a dire situation, with fans declaring the game “dead” and official events failing to generate community interest. One major reason behind this state of affairs is the lack of build discovery and experimentation in the game.
On September 14, a player initiated a discussion highlighting that every build in Diablo 4 was meticulously designed by the developers themselves. This means that the developers sat together and devised all the builds currently being used, with items specifically tailored for each build. In some cases, players discovered new item combinations, only to have them nerfed by the developers due to “unintended gameplay.”
Another fan pointed out that predetermined builds are reminiscent of Diablo 3, but collecting all the necessary items in Diablo 4 is even more tedious. This issue of pre-determined builds and developers imposing a specific playstyle is not entirely new. In Diablo 3, set bonuses each season provided powerful advantages to particular skills, effectively forcing players to conform to specific items, skills, or stats in order to remain competitive.
While it is understandable that certain items should serve a specific purpose and allow for build creation around them, there should also be room for experimentation and the potential to create powerful endgame builds independently. A better system, as seen in Destiny 2, involves core items designed for a specific use, allowing players to build around them according to their preferences.
Although it is possible to do the same in Diablo 4 and many players are enjoying their own unique builds, the discovery of new builds still feels more limited than it should be.
Season 2 of Diablo 4 is set to release on October 17, 2023, and it will likely be a make-or-break moment for the game. With numerous players already leaving, time is running out to rekindle interest.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
