Bashiok on endgame

**Majaii** · 05-07-2012, 17:36

Has anyone else read this? I saw a news article about it and came here expecting to see a bunch of discussion but didn't find anything. (I don't know how to make this blue, sorry).

Originally Posted by Bashiok

We recognize that the item hunt is just not enough for a long-term sustainable end-game. There are still tons of people playing every day and week, and playing a lot, but eventually they're going to run out of stuff to do (if they haven't already). Killing enemies and finding items is a lot of fun, and we think we have a lot of the systems surrounding that right, or at least on the right path with a few corrections and tweaks. But honestly Diablo III is not World of Warcraft. We aren't going to be able to pump out tons of new systems and content every couple months. There needs to be something else that keeps people engaged, and we know it's not there right now.

We're working toward 1.0.4, which we're really trying to pack with as many fixes and changes we can to help you guys out (and we'll have a bunch of articles posted with all the details as we get closer), and we're of course working on 1.1 with PvP arenas. I think both those patches will do a lot to give people things to do, and get them excited about playing, but they're not going to be a real end-game solution, at least not what we would expect out of a proper end-game. We have some ideas for progression systems, but honestly it's a huge feature if we want to try to do it right, and not something we could envision being possible until well after 1.1 which it itself still a ways out.

Reference link:
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/6019511928#17

Thoughts?

-Majaii

**Deckard Cain** · 05-07-2012, 17:40

It is on the front page however....

I would like to hear some blizzard apologists opinion on it. How about the people saying D3 end game is A-OK now that blizzard has come out and said it isn't so great.

**konfeta** · 05-07-2012, 17:44

There were people who said D3 has an ok end-game?

**Ivan E** · 05-07-2012, 18:02

I posted my comment on this on the front page.

All I really have to say is -- and I'm reiterating my comment from said front page post -- Blizzard must've gotten some really unhappy news about something to make a statement like this. Whatever else your feelings on them, you have to admit that they rarely, if ever, display a remorseful/regretful public face, and this almost feels unprecedented. I wonder what it was that made them come out and say this -- but whatever it was, it's probably big.

**Deckard Cain** · 05-07-2012, 18:33

Originally Posted by konfeta

There were people who said D3 has an ok end-game?

I'm as shocked as you, but I have been told that end game complaints have no basis, and the end game is JUST FINE!

**AnimeCraze** · 05-07-2012, 18:37

Probably because after inferno got nerfed, more people are reaching it and finishing it quicker than expected.

**Deckard Cain** · 05-07-2012, 18:41

Originally Posted by AnimeCraze

Probably because after inferno got nerfed, more people are reaching it and finishing it quicker than expected.

I would argue that inferno is not a viable end game to begin with. Bashiok was initially quoted as saying that 'Inferno is not interesting or fun as the only type of end game' and this was when INFERNO WAS NEW (as in flat line difficulty). Then Inferno got changed to Hell+, and turns out it isn't very much interesting or fun either.

**AnimeCraze** · 05-07-2012, 18:43

Ya, the change of inferno to hell+ instead of the flat-line dungeon with random monster was kind of disappointing, to be honest. They also need something for people to really work towards, like some sort of Uber quest or something.

**Majaii** · 05-07-2012, 18:44

Originally Posted by Deckard Cain

It is on the front page however....

Ah, my apologies. I am old school and didn't even know we had blog posts/news as I only ever come straight to the forum. A mod can delete this if it is redundant.

**lorieninfl** · 05-07-2012, 18:44

Blizzard made several failings with D3:

1 - their internal playtesters suck. They were given the best gear and couldn't beat inferno? Really? Stuck on "bosses" for hours? Really?

2 - they completely underestimated how people would use the AH. It clearly pushed the curve forward and let people finish inferno too quickly. It created 2 classes of players: those who couldn't progress because they couldn't get drops normally without farming a lot (blizzard's intent) and those who just upgraded via the AH (blizzard's result) and finished too quickly. To placate group A, they made the 1.0.3 and drop rate changes; which made the latter upset cuz their money was, essentially wasted. I think this is why so many are upset; they bought their stuff early and wanted to profit off it later via the RMAH while the former was still struggling. And this opportunity was removed.

I'm curious how Blizzard feels knowing that their own fan base, essentially, lied to them about enjoying the item hunt in D2? Clearly, they didn't enjoy it or so many wouldn't have taken the quick road - buying gear to get thru the game as quickly as possible.