Difficulty Levels in 3.0.0

There have been lots of good ideas about how to set up five acts with two run throughs. I guess I’ll add mine to the mix.

Goals:
1. Reduce repetition
2. Increase interest in doing all the content
3. Make Normal relevant to later game play

Currently, each act has x number of locations that the story flows through and for each play through, they are the same. How about expanding the locations/quests/tasks in Act 1 & 2 of normal and shortening/streamling the locations/quests in acts 3-5? Then in the Merciless play through, the reverse happens. The content of Acts 1 & 2 is reduced and that of Acts 3-5 is expanded. This accomplishes several things. Acts 1-2 of Normal provide a wide foundation for both new players and new leagues, but then allow a faster transition to Merciless. In Merciless we would get to “race” through the early game and then get brand new content for the final push into end game maps etc.

The added content for Merciless could come from story line enhancements for Act 4 or maps that appear like vaal areas from time to time. for example, killing Voll in the Dried Lake might open a passage to a map some percentage of the time. Expanded content in late Merciless could even allow for multiple paths through Acts 4 & 5 and different starting points in the Atlas. Those different starting points could then affect which maps dropped at what rates.

Within a wider base for Acts 1 & 2 of Normal, you could have quests, treasures, keys, parts, or pieces that can be collected for use in Merciless Acts 4 & 5 and mapping. For example, have a high probability prophecy in early normal that launches a quest for keys or map pieces. Once the prophecy appears for a character, it won’t appear again. If a player collects all the parts before reaching, say Act 4, then in Merciless the parts can be assembled for access to a map or area that holds valuable rewards appropriate to their higher level and late game content and needs. If you miss it in Normal, it is not available in Merciless,

Normal could even have different Masters than can be leveled quickly and easily, but still offer valuable benefit. Such a Master could then "introduce" your character to a Forsaken Masters later and have the leveling points transfer.

You already have lots of great existing pieces in your tool box: quests, strong boxes, Vaal side areas, masters, prophecies, maps, and a back story. Lay out those items differently for Normal vs Merciless so that going through the game twice provides two different experiences.

Thanks.

Cool, now please slow down the clearspeed-metagame and make the game harder in maps

Woo! I am a huge fan of this! It will make it soooo much easier to start out every season knowing that cruel is no longer in the way :-)

On a side-note I hope you add a bit of content to existing acts. You could return some of the areas removed earlier (such as The Coves in act 1 as someone already mentioned). Act 1 feels SO rushed now, which makes sense considering it was the first content created - it just seemed foolish to reduce the size of an act which was already a breeze. Regarding quest-rewards you could also implement some new ones that are currently "missing". See my spoiler below for more on this.

clever choice.

I completely agree with ThunderG0d, more content and more NPC reactions in the existing acts would be great! I mean, it would even make sense for guys from Act I and II to have a reaction to "hey, I killed Dominus!", but it's really, really weird that nobody in Sarn has anything to say to that. And you can't say "it's just the Act mechanic, Act III is complete by killing Dominus and that's it", because you already have the perfectly logically transferred quest regarding Shavronne's barricade from Act I to II. So, yes, please, expand this - we'll all be very happy to see it!


p.s. A completely, completely minor thing - would it be possible to add audio to books in the Library? I don't generally mind text-only lore, but all the other sources have such great narration voices, it's a shame they're not used here.

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鬼殺し wrote:

This is going to be awesome.

Indeed it is :)

You sly wordsmith you.

When you said you were reducing the game to 10 acts, we assumed that that meant Merciless was out, or Cruel was out. NOT THAT YOU WERE ADDING SIX MORE ACTS ALL AT ONCE.

Props GGG and Chris. You guys rock. You made my day.

Chris, you troll.

i am thinking about standard... For example i have s char which is lvl 92 - will I be able to start with this character from the beginning but with this high level and clear everything easy? And will all the stuff I have so far be available?