For MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider, putting together builds in action RPGs like Diablo 4 is the butter on the “hack and slay” bread. Recently, a statement from Diablo boss Rod Fergusson caused great relief. Maik thinks: D4 is directly better because of this.
During the beta of Diablo 4, I felt like I refunded my complete skill points more often than I could collect levels. It only went up to level 25.
But it also reminded me how much I enjoy tinkering with builds – whether in loot shooters like The Division or action RPGs like Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr.
But apparently, not much was missing, and the upcoming master of the action RPG genre – Diablo 4 – would have unnecessarily complicated this build tinkering for me. Because in November 2022, it was still said: Reskilling will be so expensive that it’s actually worth starting a new character.
Rod Fergusson (General Manager of the Diablo franchise) has now rescinded this statement, making Diablo 4 immediately a better game.
My first character in Diablo 4 will be a necromancer. Here’s a bit of classic necro gameplay from me from the beta – with skeletons and lots of corpses:
Reskilling is now “affordable”
What was the statement back then? In a video interview with the US media IGN, Blizzard manager Fergusson explained back then:
There will come a time when you think: ‘Oh, I would like to be another barbarian, but it’s too expensive to undo everything I’ve done. It’s actually better for me to create another barbarian, a new one, to start fresh with him.’
We wanted that. We have the idea that with each level, you connect more with your character, become more attached to him, and commit to him [and his playstyle].
Rod Fergusson in the IGN interview via YouTube
Back then, it was planned to be lenient in the first levels. The first 10, 20 levels should allow you to get to know and shape the identity and playstyle of your character. Resetting skill points would have been free or very cheap.
But after that, the costs would apparently have exploded, and at a certain point, they probably wanted to more or less prevent “finished” characters from being reskilled.
I really felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders.
How expensive reskilling endgame characters in Diablo 4 will be is still unpredictable. But just the fact that there has been a correction of strategy on such an important issue is a visibly positive signal for me.
Sometimes a single sentence is enough to make an upcoming game better or worse. What sentence would make Diablo 4 a better game for you? Leave a comment on the topic.
If you want to read more about Diablo 4, then check this out: While players fear build diversity in Diablo 4, a competitor on Steam even offers skill trees for weapons
Fortunately, it doesn’t happen as Fergusson now explains on Twitter:
In response to a fan’s question on the subject, Fergusson said: ‘It’s not unreasonably expensive, and we’ve made it easier by allowing refunds of either a single skill point or the entire tree at once.’
I really felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders.
How expensive reskilling endgame characters in Diablo 4 will be is still unpredictable. But just the fact that there has been a correction of strategy on such an important issue is a visibly positive signal for me.
Sometimes a single sentence is enough to make an upcoming game better or worse. What sentence would make Diablo 4 a better game for you? Leave a comment on the topic.
If you want to read more about Diablo 4, then check this out: While players fear build diversity in Diablo 4, a competitor on Steam even offers skill trees for weapons
