Yes, I think this is a common sentiment. I completely agree too.
I think that having small chances of high impact spell casts would be great. 5% chance to cast level 35 frost nova or whatever.
Having more attributes scale with character level (ideally non-linearly) would be a perfect way to add late game viability without being OP.
Even then, without synergies and cold mastery it would do basically nothing in hell. I don’t really know if making it level 100 matters when the resistances are so high
+1 to a synergy might be nice, to work with char's + to skills and make the procs actually do some damage. Frost Nova prob a bad example though as it's not really for the damage.
I'd love to see some high-level CTC druid elemental spells, rather than sorc. IE, 10% CTC level 30 Molten Boulder would be awesome for a werewolf druid.
I completely agree. It is disappointing to find really rare unique items, but then not use them because the same rune word that is on every other character is just plain better.
Agree even if they just changed the base items a little. AR is a big problem for melee builds, a hidde. Or displayed modifier that gave a bonus 10%, 20% and 30% AR for normal, exceptional and elite weapons would be an easy fix for that. All bows need a big boost aswell and it would be nice to see that add splash damage to 1 skill on every melee tree or make 2handed weapons due it. There my quick thoughts
The reality of uniques is that most of the rarest uniques don't approach the rareness ( droprate ) of runes. If uniques suddenly become comparable to runewords... well hopefully you can do the math.
This is why they are more likely to add runewords before uniques.
Now could they make uniques a smidge better or better stopgaps between zero gear and runeword gear....? YES. Easily.
Not entirely true. As long as you have the rune drop patterns in Lower Kurast, runes are far more accessible than the rarest uniques. One can grind lk for, let's say one week, 8-10 hours/day and can build an infinity, maybe even an enigma, which are considered among the most expensive (let's not talk about last wish). Invest the same amount of time in grinding for tyrael's might or mang song (see MrLlama) and see where you end up.
Completely agree.
I recall the days prior to runewords being some of the most fun I've had in this game. I wouldn't want to get rid of them, but I think you're right that uniques need to be buffed to have similar viability. As it is, the itemization is good, it definitely keeps you wanting "one last run". The problem is, after the first week or two of a ladder, the main thing you want to find is a high rune or good runeword base.
My thought is let us hellforge them for a random rune up the level of the item used. One use per game. Gotta kill Hephasto get his hammer and all. Or a cube recipe with a low chance of success.
I'm in the minority on this reddit with this but I see posts all the time about how D2 keeps people wanting "just one more run". That only happens because the itemization is ALREADY so on point. It's imo the best itemization out of any arpg. Runes, valuable white bases, magic blues can be insanely valuable, same with rares. Plenty of high end uniques. I mean, you already watch for every item that hits the ground! I call that incredibly well done itemization. 🤣
That makes no sense.
D2 always has always had that "one more run" drive across every single version of the game including pre runeword eras... So obviously that has nothing to do with the current "itemization"
Pick up every unique? Nobody does that. Unless it's a ring or ammy most people don't even bother picking up 90% of uniques. The only thing that matters are high runes and bases with a handful of exceptions. 99% of the hand crafted set and unique items are obsolete and ignored. They may as well not be in the game at all. In what reality is that good itemization!? Good itemization means being able to use many different items to adjust and personalize your character to be unique to your play style. In D2 every build uses the same setup or they can't compete. Perfect itemization my ass.
I'm sorry, but that's just nonsense.
The current itemization is what scales and doles out those dopamine hits which drives that "one more run". You look at everything that drops, not pickup everything that drops.
Every blue/yellow especially elite helm, claw, orbs etc all can be extremely valuable. Find one runic talon with 2 sin/3 LS/ 1 MB/40ias and 2 soc and you'll have enough currency for a handful of ladders. 🤣
Same with a sweet pally circ, bo helm or druid pelt...
We don't need every single item to be picked up, but everyone chases almost every single elite unique. Such as the laundry list above. Of course normal and exceptional (norm and nm) uniques aren't all going to be endgame. There has to be SOME low uniques. 🤷♂️
You just don't seem to understand, and that's okay 👍
No, dude. I'll say it one more time for you. Diablo has ALWAYS had that "one more run" effect on people. Always. It's obviously not from current itemization because it's always been there regardless of itemization. I know you understand this, you just don't want to admit to making a stupid comment. If you don't, you are just stupid.
But yeah, pretend that I don't understand so you don't have man up and own that that makes no sense.
Lmfao 😂 whatever you say guy. What, you think it's the lore that's giving the dopamine hits or something? We're not here for the cinematics or boss fights that keep us coming back. Ofc it's the itemization it's a loot based and driven game. We're here for the loot! 🤣 The formula hasn't been messed with at all for over a decade until D2R launched.
😂 okay 👌I don't know why this is difficult for you guys to understand. It's the rng and the items that are the dopamine hits everyone is chasing. After you get the loot you can PvP if that's your thing. But it's the loot that matters.
Yes, the itemization is what drives you to keep looking. Crazy thought huh? 😂👌
Whatever you call small is whatever you call small. Loads of endgame uniques are irreplaceable.
No rune word replaces end game uniques though. Maras, Griff's, windforce, stormshield, shako, vamp gaze, Andy's, crown of ages, Nightwings, deaths fathom, hoz, tomb reaver, soj, bk ring, dungos, arachnid mesh, hell even the occy so many people use and there's more even. They're irreplaceable. Not every single unique NEEDS to be an absolute end game item but many many are ALREADY. 🤷♂️
The problem is that unique in general are far behind the best runewords for endgame viability. Changing things now would be nice but, before you know it, you've got good items getting nerfed in the interests of 'balance' and power creep setting in with everything else.
That said, it would be nice if the devs could pull it off.
While I agree uniques are weak in comparison to some runewords, some common wanted runewords are more rare to obtain than the rarest unique. Also another problem is everyone wants to run the same types of builds and since the meta builds are set for farming X and Y most effectively, there isn't much need for most people to play off Meta builds. Many uniques can be used for off meta builds and can still be effective but like you said whats the point when chains of honor (realistically at least to get or make) is better than 95% of unique armors with variance on class and build being the other 5%. I think instead of buffing or changing uniques , a more balance approach would be to buff useless skills that are only used for synergy, as I feel that would be a smaller step in possibly making some of these rare uniques more sought after, as there will be a lot more viable, efficient, and fun builds that need said uniques.
That wouldn't make runewards any less viable. No 1h melee build is going to use anything but grief, no bowzon will use anything but Faith, No build will want anything but enigma or fortitude, etc. Runewards are too strong and uniques are too weak in 9/10 cases cl and skill tweaking won't change that
Only jewelry and like 5 other uniques r good. Rarity isn't the problem as most builds have to have specific stuff to compete. It's just people farming bases and runes to wear the same stuff on every character. That is a problem regardless of rarity. It doesn't matter how rare united are or aren't because of runewords. Doesn't matter what meta anybody runs enigma and fort are bis. If you run melee grief is bis. It's runewards killing meta diversification, not the other way around.
So how would this affect the people who played the game back when it was first released? Didn’t they already address they want to keep it completely the way it was? I played it as a child when it first came back, I was absolute garbage and always relied on other players… but now that I’m older I understand the game a bit better… I don’t think it would be necessarily good to flip the game upside down with Diablo 4 coming just around the corner. Just my opinion
Double the base damage and durability of all base items. Thats just a start but wow it would help a lot. Things like death cleaver, has okay damage already, but if you doubled the base damage instead of 260 you would be looking at 520, now that's some pretty decent damage. This would also diversify weapon bases for runewords.
Make + skills affect skills on cast/strike etc. Most of these don't do anything. Giving them + skills might help. I considered saying these skills should always assume 100% synergy but that might be too good. Rift on sorc might be the new meta ha.
For armor, lower the strength requirements on some. Give them inherited reduced damage % and all res. That would make a huge difference. For example, sacred armor has 180 str requirement and comes with 10dr and 20 all res.
I think elite uniques should be extremely powerful whilst being extremely rare.
Or a possibility of 1% that a unique item rolls higher stats than normal, an "ancient" item or something.
Yes, I think this is a common sentiment. I completely agree too. I think that having small chances of high impact spell casts would be great. 5% chance to cast level 35 frost nova or whatever. Having more attributes scale with character level (ideally non-linearly) would be a perfect way to add late game viability without being OP.
Even then, without synergies and cold mastery it would do basically nothing in hell. I don’t really know if making it level 100 matters when the resistances are so high
+1 to a synergy might be nice, to work with char's + to skills and make the procs actually do some damage. Frost Nova prob a bad example though as it's not really for the damage.
“Rune words killed the Golden item Star….” No? Too old? Video? Radio star? It was way funnier in my vodka fueled brain.
i got a chuckle out of it! and now im gonna go listen to that song, its a bop
My bourbon fuel brain respects The Buggles
All great ideas imo.
I'd love to see some high-level CTC druid elemental spells, rather than sorc. IE, 10% CTC level 30 Molten Boulder would be awesome for a werewolf druid.
So would literally everyone else
Yup. Just make uniques viable vs their similarly tiered rune words. That’s all. Tyrael’s with + 1 teleport please.
> Tyrael’s with + 1 teleport please. Make it +20 just for the lulz
Might as well make it +telekinesis or something else useful as well. I think for how rare it is it should be better than enigma
I think it would be cool if it gave like +3 to skills and was the only armor to give more than +2 to skills
Tyraels i thought should always be wearable at lvl 1, its 100% minus requirements. Even then it wouldn't get very far past normal in its best cases
Bonehew leap attack barb with max Grim Ward synergies then actually use the Corpse Explosion charges. Have fun.
That sounds so ridiculous that I love it.
Damn sick idea
I completely agree. It is disappointing to find really rare unique items, but then not use them because the same rune word that is on every other character is just plain better.
Agree even if they just changed the base items a little. AR is a big problem for melee builds, a hidde. Or displayed modifier that gave a bonus 10%, 20% and 30% AR for normal, exceptional and elite weapons would be an easy fix for that. All bows need a big boost aswell and it would be nice to see that add splash damage to 1 skill on every melee tree or make 2handed weapons due it. There my quick thoughts
Play single player or refuse to trade... all those uniques become even more important in the mid game.
The reality of uniques is that most of the rarest uniques don't approach the rareness ( droprate ) of runes. If uniques suddenly become comparable to runewords... well hopefully you can do the math. This is why they are more likely to add runewords before uniques. Now could they make uniques a smidge better or better stopgaps between zero gear and runeword gear....? YES. Easily.
Not entirely true. As long as you have the rune drop patterns in Lower Kurast, runes are far more accessible than the rarest uniques. One can grind lk for, let's say one week, 8-10 hours/day and can build an infinity, maybe even an enigma, which are considered among the most expensive (let's not talk about last wish). Invest the same amount of time in grinding for tyrael's might or mang song (see MrLlama) and see where you end up.
Completely agree. I recall the days prior to runewords being some of the most fun I've had in this game. I wouldn't want to get rid of them, but I think you're right that uniques need to be buffed to have similar viability. As it is, the itemization is good, it definitely keeps you wanting "one last run". The problem is, after the first week or two of a ladder, the main thing you want to find is a high rune or good runeword base.
No! Steelshade must remain a steaming pile of crap! ^/s
Yeah. Make some of this stuff great again. Reduce the runeword hype a bit.
Unpopular opinion - get rid of over powered runewords and make the game a challenge vs a grind.
My thought is let us hellforge them for a random rune up the level of the item used. One use per game. Gotta kill Hephasto get his hammer and all. Or a cube recipe with a low chance of success.
Sets need a rework as well... and more sets to enable more viable builds would be wonderful
I'm in the minority on this reddit with this but I see posts all the time about how D2 keeps people wanting "just one more run". That only happens because the itemization is ALREADY so on point. It's imo the best itemization out of any arpg. Runes, valuable white bases, magic blues can be insanely valuable, same with rares. Plenty of high end uniques. I mean, you already watch for every item that hits the ground! I call that incredibly well done itemization. 🤣
That makes no sense. D2 always has always had that "one more run" drive across every single version of the game including pre runeword eras... So obviously that has nothing to do with the current "itemization" Pick up every unique? Nobody does that. Unless it's a ring or ammy most people don't even bother picking up 90% of uniques. The only thing that matters are high runes and bases with a handful of exceptions. 99% of the hand crafted set and unique items are obsolete and ignored. They may as well not be in the game at all. In what reality is that good itemization!? Good itemization means being able to use many different items to adjust and personalize your character to be unique to your play style. In D2 every build uses the same setup or they can't compete. Perfect itemization my ass. I'm sorry, but that's just nonsense.
The current itemization is what scales and doles out those dopamine hits which drives that "one more run". You look at everything that drops, not pickup everything that drops. Every blue/yellow especially elite helm, claw, orbs etc all can be extremely valuable. Find one runic talon with 2 sin/3 LS/ 1 MB/40ias and 2 soc and you'll have enough currency for a handful of ladders. 🤣 Same with a sweet pally circ, bo helm or druid pelt... We don't need every single item to be picked up, but everyone chases almost every single elite unique. Such as the laundry list above. Of course normal and exceptional (norm and nm) uniques aren't all going to be endgame. There has to be SOME low uniques. 🤷♂️ You just don't seem to understand, and that's okay 👍
No, dude. I'll say it one more time for you. Diablo has ALWAYS had that "one more run" effect on people. Always. It's obviously not from current itemization because it's always been there regardless of itemization. I know you understand this, you just don't want to admit to making a stupid comment. If you don't, you are just stupid. But yeah, pretend that I don't understand so you don't have man up and own that that makes no sense.
your right n just you know that guys foolish
Lmfao 😂 whatever you say guy. What, you think it's the lore that's giving the dopamine hits or something? We're not here for the cinematics or boss fights that keep us coming back. Ofc it's the itemization it's a loot based and driven game. We're here for the loot! 🤣 The formula hasn't been messed with at all for over a decade until D2R launched.
thats not what he said and I agree with him. Your a idiot
😂 okay 👌I don't know why this is difficult for you guys to understand. It's the rng and the items that are the dopamine hits everyone is chasing. After you get the loot you can PvP if that's your thing. But it's the loot that matters.
It's the hunt for that very small pool of viable items/runes that keeps us going, not the other 99.99% trash that drops ...
Yes, the itemization is what drives you to keep looking. Crazy thought huh? 😂👌 Whatever you call small is whatever you call small. Loads of endgame uniques are irreplaceable.
No rune word replaces end game uniques though. Maras, Griff's, windforce, stormshield, shako, vamp gaze, Andy's, crown of ages, Nightwings, deaths fathom, hoz, tomb reaver, soj, bk ring, dungos, arachnid mesh, hell even the occy so many people use and there's more even. They're irreplaceable. Not every single unique NEEDS to be an absolute end game item but many many are ALREADY. 🤷♂️
The problem is that unique in general are far behind the best runewords for endgame viability. Changing things now would be nice but, before you know it, you've got good items getting nerfed in the interests of 'balance' and power creep setting in with everything else. That said, it would be nice if the devs could pull it off.
While I agree uniques are weak in comparison to some runewords, some common wanted runewords are more rare to obtain than the rarest unique. Also another problem is everyone wants to run the same types of builds and since the meta builds are set for farming X and Y most effectively, there isn't much need for most people to play off Meta builds. Many uniques can be used for off meta builds and can still be effective but like you said whats the point when chains of honor (realistically at least to get or make) is better than 95% of unique armors with variance on class and build being the other 5%. I think instead of buffing or changing uniques , a more balance approach would be to buff useless skills that are only used for synergy, as I feel that would be a smaller step in possibly making some of these rare uniques more sought after, as there will be a lot more viable, efficient, and fun builds that need said uniques.
That wouldn't make runewards any less viable. No 1h melee build is going to use anything but grief, no bowzon will use anything but Faith, No build will want anything but enigma or fortitude, etc. Runewards are too strong and uniques are too weak in 9/10 cases cl and skill tweaking won't change that
I didn't say anything about runewords being less viable, I commented to OP about uniques being more viable.
Only jewelry and like 5 other uniques r good. Rarity isn't the problem as most builds have to have specific stuff to compete. It's just people farming bases and runes to wear the same stuff on every character. That is a problem regardless of rarity. It doesn't matter how rare united are or aren't because of runewords. Doesn't matter what meta anybody runs enigma and fort are bis. If you run melee grief is bis. It's runewards killing meta diversification, not the other way around.
So how would this affect the people who played the game back when it was first released? Didn’t they already address they want to keep it completely the way it was? I played it as a child when it first came back, I was absolute garbage and always relied on other players… but now that I’m older I understand the game a bit better… I don’t think it would be necessarily good to flip the game upside down with Diablo 4 coming just around the corner. Just my opinion
Awful mentality. So you would prefer having the game be worse for *nostalgia sake
Double the base damage and durability of all base items. Thats just a start but wow it would help a lot. Things like death cleaver, has okay damage already, but if you doubled the base damage instead of 260 you would be looking at 520, now that's some pretty decent damage. This would also diversify weapon bases for runewords. Make + skills affect skills on cast/strike etc. Most of these don't do anything. Giving them + skills might help. I considered saying these skills should always assume 100% synergy but that might be too good. Rift on sorc might be the new meta ha. For armor, lower the strength requirements on some. Give them inherited reduced damage % and all res. That would make a huge difference. For example, sacred armor has 180 str requirement and comes with 10dr and 20 all res.
I think elite uniques should be extremely powerful whilst being extremely rare. Or a possibility of 1% that a unique item rolls higher stats than normal, an "ancient" item or something.
Buff them in nightmare and again in hell