Summary
One feature is becoming highly requested for the popular ARPGDiablo 4, but its addition would likely destroy the game.Diablo4has already had its fair share of troubles since launch. Apromising campaign experience and core gameplaywere ruined by three lackluster seasons that nearly killed the title. This was coupled with grinding mechanics that were more punishing than rewarding, especially for a casual audience.
Luckily, Season 4 was a step in the right direction for the ARPG. Blizzard implemented tons of crafting and farming changes, making it easier for players to complete builds while shaking upwhichDiablo 4class is best. Even with these changes, the grind for gear took the effort often seen in this genre, but removed the possibility of never finding that perfect piece. Regardless, the game is still in a shaky state and will likely need to rely on its DLC, theupcomingDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, for longevity.
Highly Requested Diablo 4 Auction House Would Destroy The Core Gameplay Loop
A Laughable Challenge & Inflated Economy
Anauction house for players to safely trade items in-game has become a popular request among the community, but adding one would be the worst possible option. Though this comes from a good place of cutting out sketchy third-party websites, the impact it would have onDiablo 4is immense. Players could essentially skip the entire grind for gear and buy them off players who put the time into the game.
This completely breaks the core gameplay loop of the ARPG. Many of the endgame activities, which are home to thebest farming methods inDiablo 4, would have a small player count, since many wouldn’t need to do them. The only grind in the game for players who don’t want the ultimate challenge would be leveling. Another argument brought up is how an auction house would cheapen Hardcore runs, eliminating much of the risk by giving players perfect builds far too early.
The other reason an auction house would fail is due to the inflated economy ofDiablo 4. Since the game launched, it has been flooded with fake accounts farming gold to give away.This would make auction house prices either pointless due to the amount of gold available, or ridiculously high, so players are forced to “buy” gold. The only way to counteract this would be by implementing systems without gold that cannot be manipulated.
How An Auction House Could Work In Diablo 4
Creating A Balanced Market
Though it would still be a process to skip much of the game, there are some ways an auction house could be implemented to minimize the impact. The first way would be to take a page fromWarframe’s trading system.Warframehas a marketplace system that lets players auction pieces, butthis can only be done with the game’s premium currency. Though some would worry this will make the game pay-to-win, it is instead an avenue to give free-to-play players a chance to earn the premium currency while balancing the market.
Another option, though much more complicated, would be only allowing auctions to be item for item, coupled with a rating system that would approve them. Essentially,this system would grade an item based on its rarity and stats, and only allow an item of the same rating to be accepted as payment. This still pushes players to grind for the items they want but gives them a way to still benefit from their efforts in the event they don’t receive something usable.
Overall, it would be extremely hard to create a balanced and fair auction house for an ARPG. The best-case scenario is that the game is made easier without an inflated economy, and in the worst case, players are pushed away by a system that favors bot accounts. The best choice would be to not include an auction house at all and continue focusing on improvements toDiablo 4viamuch-needed missing features.
Diablo 4
Players are set to return to the world of Sanctuary in Diablo 4. Set after the events of Diablo 3’s Reaper of Souls DLC, Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, has been summoned to the world and has assumed power in the absence of demons and angels. Lilith establishes Sanctuary as a haven for refugees caught in the crossfire between hell and heaven. Wanting to protect her kind from the recently emerged Nephelem, Lilith is banished to the void. Now she has returned, seeking revenge for the crimes committed against her
