Difficulty Levels in 3.0.0

Maybe this was already mentioned (too big thread to read it from the beginning :) )
but I think, that keeping 3 (and even 2 difficulties is an example of bad game design, and lack
of creativity.

Let's imagine this - you're exile, just survived a shipwreck. You're making your way through the
Wraeklast, killing foes, obtaining powerful weapons and artifacts, struggling with eternal nightmarish creature, and in the end of your journey - you're on the same shore as in the beginning? But now you're geared up and mature, but you have a strange weakness to all types of elemental and chaos damage.

What a crazy day of the groundhog?

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kaern wrote:

Maybe this was already mentioned (too big thread to read it from the beginning :) )
but I think, that keeping 3 (and even 2 difficulties is an example of bad game design, and lack
of creativity.

Let's imagine this - you're exile, just survived a shipwreck. You're making your way through the
Wraeklast, killing foes, obtaining powerful weapons and artifacts, struggling with eternal nightmarish creature, and in the end of your journey - you're on the same shore as in the beginning? But now you're geared up and mature, but you have a strange weakness to all types of elemental and chaos damage.

What a crazy day of the groundhog?

They've never given a lore-based explanation for the existence of Cruel or even Merciless - because there isn't one (and never was intended to be). It's purely a practical decision made because they don't yet have enough story content and will be phased out as they do (as has been done now, with the addition of Act 5). It's not about lack of creativity, it's about lack of content at launch (which was perfectly understandable, btw - just try designing 8-10 acts of content on an unreleased and therefore un-earning game prior to launch). They've said before that there'll eventually be only 1 difficulty, but that requires enough story first. It might happen with Act 10 (the number they gave a long time ago), if and whenever that comes out, but not now. I would definitely not expect it until at least Act 8 is added. Be patient. :)

I wonder how this will affect Merciless Dried Lake.

There's a lot of people who wouldn't progress into mapping without having Dried Lake to carry them 10-14 skill points into mapping than zone level alone would indicate.

Additionally, having a zone with a clean layout to mindless farm without caring about loading up maps or dealing with modifiers is important. It caters to a subset of players all through the spectrum from casual to hardcore.

What will be with Ascendancy? Currently it has very good evolving system, and +2 Ascendancy points per Act (6-8 points total) is great balanced.

Best news I have ever heard. Having to run through 3 difficulty levels on any new toon just kills my will to play new builds.

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Mythabril wrote:

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lagwin1980 wrote:

i wonder if they'll keep the -60% rez for the second difficulty, quite a jump from 0, unless they ramp it up mid way through an act it's going to be quite a kick in the teeth for new players

I'd go normal rez for Act 1-3 then -20 for 4-5 and full -60 for the second go at 1-5.

That is pretty inconsistent. The same ruleset should be applied through the entire difficulty.

What might happen, is something like this:

No resistance penalty in normal
30% resistance penalty in merciless
60% resistance penalty in atlas

after Cruel..what name it should be Vicious?

Why everyone thinks that cruel gets removed?

Good bye normal! :D

Guys, do away with repeating the content altogether... just have maps start at level 50...

Thanks Chris.