There’s been several instances where I’ve seen people talk about how they’re not too terribly keen on the social aspects of the game. While the immersion-breaking factor of seeing so many folk just roaming about slaughtering everything in their path is likely to be rectified when the entire map’s been opened on release, there are some very valid issues with the event system…
- Sometimes, you’re rushing to the zone only to find yourself barely making it to the event…practically handed the reward after slapping an already-wounded enemy fleeing in horror at what the others had unleashed upon them prior to you stumbling in like you’re two hours late to a hot date.
- Sometimes, you’re enduring a brutal event that’s providing you with an exciting challenge…only to have someone leagues above you rush in and absolutely wreak havoc upon the masses, as you’re standing there feeling emasculated and wondering what you’re doing with your life.
Now, neither of these examples are of me…I’m a loot goblin, so I really don’t care about anything…so long as I get that sweet succulent treasure, but I digress.
For those who are some variation of the above, this just isn’t the exciting and enjoyable system they may have been hoping for, or not even know that they want…in the case where they’re currently petitioning against the open-world social aspects.
There may be a way to fix this though…
When individuals join into these zones, the time should be extended, the danger and rewards ramped up, and perhaps even new facets to the event transpiring that wouldn’t…under normal circumstances:
What may start as a culling of ghouls could evolve as more players enter into the event: the utter devastation, raw power, and rapidly piling stack of giblets awakening something that wouldn’t have otherwise stirred. Suddenly, the very ground ruptures and some massive undead monstrosity absorbs all the ghoul corpses into its bulk to become this massive fleshcrafted nightmare that would have never came to be…were it not for those additional players entering into the event.
Now you’ve given both of those player examples something exciting…
- The person who just barely made it to the event has only increased the risk, rewards, and now has something to enjoy themselves through its extension. An exciting battle that they didn’t miss, because they caused it to happen.
- The person who was enjoying a good challenge, only to have their fun stripped by someone leagues above them, is now a much-needed facet to a team of adventurers that’ve accidently unleashed hell.
If these events are made to evolve as more players enter into them, then you have a much more enjoyable concept that whittles away at the issues that are, currently, somewhat frustrating to players…especially some of the more traditional Diablo players that already aren’t keen on these open-world social elements.
With the map becoming massive when it’s fully opened up on release, you may even have events with hidden dynamics people don’t even know about for weeks. The complexity itself could be furthered to set in parameters that players don’t even fully understand, allowing for hidden event easter-eggs and whatnot too.
Hell, this could even be how some world bosses are triggered…as that much power in one location is bound to draw the curiosity, or hunger, of something extremely dangerous…or maybe have unforeseen consequences on a nearby town that forces players into defending such from an onslaught. There’s a lot of ways you can go with complexity, but for now…just having these events evolve would probably go a long way towards making them more enjoyable.
Just a thought…
Like I said, as long as I get my treasure…I’m not one who really cares, personally…but hey, I like a little more fun when grabbing my loot too.