Quote (Red2Blue @ Oct 5 2012 09:29pm)
The game does have depth... and a lot of longevity (IF Runic decides they have the funds for a closed server I mean)...
It's a lot like D2 in many ways... Much more than you think actually...
When D2 first came out, the game was very oriented around kiting and around the small limited builds that it had.
Essentially, every barb had a Grand Father/Shield and was WW. Every Zon was Bow or Jab, Sorceresses were Frozen Orb, and Paladins... well you just didn't play them cause they sucked.
Looking at TL2, every Embermage is a Prismatic, every Engineer is a Fire/Forcefield, every Outlander is a Glave, and Berzerker... well... nobody really plays them since they suck in NG++++.
And you play by kiting mobs.
See a trend?
Then a huge thing happened... the LoD expansion came out, and it gave way to new classes and new items.
Synergy was introduced way later as well as Rune words.
The shift allowed for players to essentially build extremely high damage builds with high survivability, closing the gap between unoptimized builds and opening passage to strategy in PVP and depth in optimization.
Just look at the paladin for example.
Smite used to be THE WORST skill in the game.
Welcome Grief Runeword.
HELLO PUB SMASHING MONSTER MADE WITH MAYBE 15 HIGH RUNES.
TL2 has similar constraints, 132 skill points, limitation of tiers, and optimization.
However, there isn't enough diversity in items or synergy of skills to decide in a different build.
Essentially because... you can't...
You can't build a 2-H uber crit chance/crit damage/super attack speed Berzerker... because you will get 1 shot by a purple mob and die instantly.
You can't build a Melee Staff based Embermage... again because you will get 1 shot by a regular mob and die instantly.
There isn't enough mitigation and survivability to create the options for variety or depth... simply because the game doesn't have the diversity in items or skills to allow the character to succeed.
On top of which, there are WAY TOO MANY repeat skills and repetitive skills in the game.
Look at D2 before synergies. You NEVER got teeth in pvp because you could just get more damage from Bone Spirit and Bone Spear.
Now you have to because teeth increases your overall bone damage and it is developed as a soft counter to Wind Druids via massive spam/kite.
Especially so now since the damage is actually good...
In TL2 literally 2 of 3 skills are a repeat...
And let's not talk about TL2 PVP... where there's literally no PVP penalty... one hit kills anyone?
The only reason why D2 essentially surpassed the test of time, was because of the item diversity and the possibility of unique builds with constraints.
As well as the very open availability of items.
What TL2 needs to do to become long standing is:
1. Closed Realm.
No brainer, But since Runic is a small company, it may not be feasible at all..
2. More items that opens up build diversity.
Every item and choice is so monotonous. You pretty much build up lots of damage to do more damage to do more damage to damage damages. Just damage damage.
Oh, and socket every equip with life gems/crit %, and damage % reduction if you are more melee oriented.
3. Synergy with skills.
Wouldn't it be neat if the Engineer's Ember Reach (nobody uses it, it draws mobs into you and stun chance based on amount of charge), instead, drew monsters in, caused debuffs to electricity on targets, and then you used Overload to explode all the monsters away from you for massive damage? It would even be cool to have an armor debuff on it as well... Imagine someone trying to run away in pvp, and you're like nope, GET OVER HERE! Then you apply your deeps.
Wouldn't it be superbly be awesome if you gained global bonuses from putting 15/15 into a skill? For example 1 point wonders like Embermage's Phase Shift. Tier 1 adds 15% reduced damage passive, Tier 2 Adds 20% reduced damage passive, Tier 3 adds 25% reduced damage passive? (Staff melee Embermage anyone?), but doing so causes players to migrate towards actually investing skill points into it, maybe even getting tier 1 or tier 2.
I mean look at friggin' Onslaught's Tier bonuses.... mana reduction?... REALLY?... I'm going to 1 point that thing if I really wanted to save skill points... Look at Emberquake.... if that passive was global... holy cow... I'd be playing a Fire Bash Engineer all day...
4. Fixing the damn bugs...
Honestly... there are way too many to count... I even have glitches and bugs with characters I don't even play or haven't put a lot of time into playing... I can't even imagine the problems they potentially have....
I would bring this up and put it on Runic's Forum... but who really reads them anyway?
Everyone is way into modding their game to give a cow about the actual game or solidifying the main experience.
MORE HUGE SWORDS PLS! YEAH HAX IT UP.
Ugh... so much potential wasted Runic... Why?...
runic has made it clear that they have no interest in supporting closed servers
if players want that environment they have to do it themselves ive already posted and been banned on runic forums for talking about this too much
and shit talking ignorant people who insist that the only purpose of closed servers is so people can make $$ off the game farming gold like in D3