Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Developers Share Insights in Pre-Release AMA

In a revealing Ask Me Anything session, with Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred developers, they offered detailed insights into new features, gameplay mechanics, and story elements. Game Director Brent Gibson, Lead Game Designer Rex Dickson, and Lead Live Game Designer Colin Finer addressed community concerns and unveiled plans for the game’s future, providing a comprehensive look at what players can expect from the expansion.

New Class and Combat Evolution

The newly introduced Spiritborn class emphasizes agility and martial arts elements in its combat design. While drawing inspiration from previous Diablo classes, including Diablo III’s Monk, the development team has focused on creating a distinct identity for this new addition.

Game Director Gibson emphasized that the Spiritborn offers a unique playstyle that sets it apart from its predecessors. “We have a pretty solid grasp of the types of mechanics that work well in the game and there are inspirations from several classes that you can see in the Spiritborn, but the mixture is very unique to the class itself and plays very different from the classes before,” Gibson explained.

Runewords System and Character Customization

The expansion introduces a reimagined Runewords system, though with a notably different approach from Diablo II. Lead Live Game Designer Finer detailed how the system was designed to complement existing builds rather than replace them, addressing concerns about build diversity. “What we wanted to avoid was creating a situation where Runeword items were always BiS – we didn’t want you to have to give up your Tempest Roar or perfectly rolled Fists of Fate to equip this new item type,” Finer stated.

The system allows players to craft mythic uniques using rune sets, offering both powerful item creation and incremental progress opportunities. Additionally, specific runes like the Rune of Ritual (Zan) and Rune of Invocation (Zec) have been designed to enhance Ultimate skill builds, showing the team’s commitment to expanding build variety.

Story Development and Future Content

The narrative surrounding Mephisto is planned to unfold across multiple releases, with Vessel of Hatred serving as another chapter rather than a conclusion. “We knew that we wanted the story of Mephisto to be told over multiple releases. It is exciting to build up a character like him over a longer period of time,” Gibson explained. He emphasized the benefits of their storytelling approach: “Many times in games you rush a characters development because you only have so much time to tell your story. The exciting thing about a live game is that we can build-up over multiple expansions, making our character richer and more meaningful.”

Addressing potential concerns about the story’s pacing, Gibson added: “A good story shouldn’t rush to its conclusion immediately. The buildup is exciting and important. Some of my favorite fictions leave you on a cliffhanger as they build that tension to an epic conclusion.” He also highlighted future narrative developments: “We have big plans for the continuation of the story going forward. One of the things I am looking forward to seeing is how the return of Mephisto impacts Sanctuary as a whole.”

Quality of Life Improvements

Several significant quality-of-life updates are in development or planned for implementation:

• Two additional character slots will be added with the expansion
• An Armory system is confirmed for future implementation, with Gibson noting, “This is more of a question of when the Armory is coming, not if”
• Significant crafting economy adjustments, including reduced salvage requirements
• Auto-salvage feature for non-legendary items in Torment difficulty
• Consideration of a “Rebirth” function for seasonal characters, with Rex Dickson confirming it’s “being considered and prioritized along with other top requests”

The development team is also making substantial improvements to the crafting economy. Lead Live Game Designer Colin Finer announced that “the final tuning state requires significantly less salvage for item modification as well as huge buffs to salvage sources from things like Bosses, Whisper Caches and the Infernal Hordes.” Additionally, a new auto-salvage feature for non-legendary items in Torment difficulty has been implemented based on PTR feedback. The possibility of a “Rebirth” function for seasonal characters is also under consideration, with Dickson confirming it’s “being considered and prioritized along with other top requests.”

End-Game Content and Resource Management 

The Dark Citadel will remain a multiplayer-focused experience, with developers confirming that solo versions would require extensive redesign. “Creating viable AI partners for all the custom mechanics featured in the Dark Citadel is an interesting idea but would represent a significant investment,” Dickson explained. The team is also considering expanding the Tormented Bosses roster, with Colin Finer confirming that while an Uber Mephisto fight won’t be available at launch, “Mephisto’s Harbinger is an awesome fight that we want to see return and is at the top of our list.”

Regarding boss fights, Finer confirmed: “We won’t have an Uber Mephisto fight available for the launch of Vessel of Hatred. but, we’re currently looking at all our Tormented Bosses and how we can expand that list. Mephisto’s Harbinger is an awesome fight that we want to see return and is at the top of our list.”

Addressing community concerns about resource scarcity, the Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred developers confirmed upcoming adjustments to drop rates and crafting requirements. “The launch of Vessel of Hatred will have sweeping tuning and balance changes, especially on crafting resource economy,” Finer revealed. Players can expect increased resource gains from various sources, including Bosses, Whisper Caches, and Infernal Hordes. The team has also implemented automatic salvaging for non-legendary items in Torment difficulty, a direct response to player feedback from the PTR.

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