Diablo IV IGN Interview - About Unique Class Mechanics and Identity, New Look at Skill Trees

Diablo IV Posted 2022/11/05 at 2:54 PM by Tharid

IGN's Diablo IV interview seriesEarlier this weekDiablo IV Class Design and Unique Class Mechanics

Class-exclusive mechanics appeared to be very compelling during design, especially in group play. The team wants classes to "shine in their own way", increasing the number of choices and ways to customize a character.

Shely mentions the Necromancer's "Book of the Dead" class mechanic as a prime example. It offers all types of Necromancer players a way to play the class, no matter if they want to play with a lot of minions, only with a singular powerful golem, or with no minions at all in the form of a "dark spellcaster" archetype.

According to Fergusson, "adding depth without adding too much complexity" was the main design intention of Diablo IV's unique class mechanics. They are designed to offer players more ways to dive deep into class fantasy without overwhelming them.

Diablo IV Skill Trees: Iteration and Design

Diablo IV's skill tree system has changed "dramatically" over time. According to Fergusson, the current iteration is the fourth iteration since Alpha.

Iterating skill tree design was possible thanks to extensive feedback by players and fans over the years.

"Providing opportunity and choice while not overwhelming players" is the main goal while designing the skill tree and paragon system. Players should not ask themselves where to start when looking at these systems.

According to Fergusson, Diablo IV characters should feel customizable and unique without too much complexity. They don't want Diablo IV to become a game where players have to visit a website and study somebody else's build just because making your own build is so complicated.

Players being able to theorycraft their own builds is very important to the team.

Fergusson mentions the "richness of progression" in Diablo II's character progression and feels that this sense of progression is present in Diablo IV.

New look at the current iteration of skill trees in Diablo IVDiablo IV Skill Trees: Respeccing and Character Builds

Players can spend gold to respec point-by-point within their skill tree. In the beginning, respeccing is very cheap. As your build progresses, respeccing single points becomes more expensive but still stays affordable, especially in the later stages of character progression.

The fact that, like in Diablo II, certain abilities can also appear as modifiers on items add an additional way to try out abilities you'd not be able to choose in the skill tree otherwise.

Builds in Diablo III are mostly defined by items and set bonuses. In Diablo IV, character progression will be tied more to characters directly through the skill tree system.

That, however, also means that quickly trying out a whole new build on your current character could be problematic due to respec costs. The more you level up your character and your build, the more you should become attached to it.

Look at the current iteration of paragon boards in Diablo IV (already shown in August Quarterly Update 2022)

Comment by TOMRUSThat, however, also means that quickly trying out a whole new build on your current character could be problematic due to respec costs. The more you level up your character and your build, the more you should become attached to it.Comment by RakechaThat, however, also means that quickly trying out a whole new build on your current character could be problematic due to respec costs. The more you level up your character and your build, the more you should become attached to it.Comment by mewhywhyLooks good.Comment by apedosmilI've only got experience with Diablo 3 and D2 remake, (and I may be misremembering) but hasn't skill change/build change always been something you could do on the fly? Maybe some restrictions of where you can do it, but free? I don't know, this just seems like a decision to get more play time, more monthly active users. Gold a plenty or not, you should just be able to play the game and gold be used on gear and convenience unlocks.Comment by keratheenThat, however, also means that quickly trying out a whole new build on your current character could be problematic due to respec costs. The more you level up your character and your build, the more you should become attached to it.Comment by Mystic0xI've only got experience with Diablo 3 and D2 remake, (and I may be misremembering) but hasn't skill change/build change always been something you could do on the fly? Maybe some restrictions of where you can do it, but free? I don't know, this just seems like a decision to get more play time, more monthly active users. Gold a plenty or not, you should just be able to play the game and gold be used on gear and convenience unlocks.Comment by SaltLBI've only got experience with Diablo 3 and D2 remake, (and I may be misremembering) but hasn't skill change/build change always been something you could do on the fly? Maybe some restrictions of where you can do it, but free? I don't know, this just seems like a decision to get more play time, more monthly active users. Gold a plenty or not, you should just be able to play the game and gold be used on gear and convenience unlocks.Comment by LejesEvery time you respec it gets more expensive. Even if you just move a talent to another place, it adds to the tally. It becomes prohibitively more expensive as you go.

The idea that you would stay one spec the entire time just doesnt work. Some specs are good at one thing and some are good at another. There are fun specs and there are pure destruction specs. Personally I respec'd the whole tree 3 or 4 times. Respec'd singluar talents many times. Changed out 6 - 9 points at a time in others.Comment by StardriftThat, however, also means that quickly trying out a whole new build on your current character could be problematic due to respec costs. The more you level up your character and your build, the more you should become attached to it.Comment by Solartis29Players can spend gold to respec Comment by XezzuuI personally prefer there to be a cost of some sort. Well, maybe not a cost per se, but SOMETHING to limit how often you can change your choices (or if you can ever change them at all). Yeah, it's not for everyone. Some players will feel too much pressure with the weight of their choice maybe being "wrong". Or they may just like to experiment and try new things. I'm sure there are other reasons as well that I haven't considered.

I like the feeling of being able to try things and feel like the choices that I am making DO have the weight they would have with this sort of system. Being able to just swap things out whenever doesn't feel as adventurous to me - my character and what I am building with that character has far less of an identity for me if I can just change it whenever. So having some method to throttle how often I can change my choices makes me consider them that much more.

Either way, I'll take whatever is settled on as in the grand scheme of things it's trivial to me compared to other things that would determine if I enjoy the game or not.Comment by grayshirtPlayers can spend gold to respec Comment by foodcomaIn D2 you could only respec a character 3 times, that was it,

Not true at. Diablo 2 players can respec with Token of Absolutions.Comment by Bloodvalor21Players can spend gold to respec Comment by HomieeJoSome beta insights. The costs to respecc in endgame are extremely high and the amount you need isn't easy to farm. You often have to respecc because you get an item that makes a skill good for your build that wasn't before. They said skills are making your build but that's not the case because items change it more especially endgame.

If you have your build you don't respecc for bosses because a full respecc would take a few minutes.

If they go through with it nobody will try out new builds because you don't know if a build is good beforehand and leveling a new char while then realizing the build doesn't work is ^&*!. You basically wasted hours to test a new build.

What will instead happen is players just looking at guides again because nobody wants to waste their time.

What they say might sound good but it's not true for the actual game.Comment by ArcliteGhostSome beta insights. The costs to respecc in endgame are extremely high and the amount you need isn't easy to farm. You often have to respecc because you get an item that makes a skill good for your build that wasn't before. They said skills are making your build but that's not the case because items change it more especially endgame.

If you have your build you don't respecc for bosses because a full respecc would take a few minutes.

If they go through with it nobody will try out new builds because you don't know if a build is good beforehand and leveling a new char while then realizing the build doesn't work is ^&*!. You basically wasted hours to test a new build.

What will instead happen is players just looking at guides again because nobody wants to waste their time.

What they say might sound good but it's not true for the actual game.Comment by khazaxSome beta insights. The costs to respecc in endgame are extremely high and the amount you need isn't easy to farm. You often have to respecc because you get an item that makes a skill good for your build that wasn't before. They said skills are making your build but that's not the case because items change it more especially endgame.

If you have your build you don't respecc for bosses because a full respecc would take a few minutes.

If they go through with it nobody will try out new builds because you don't know if a build is good beforehand and leveling a new char while then realizing the build doesn't work is ^&*!. You basically wasted hours to test a new build.

What will instead happen is players just looking at guides again because nobody wants to waste their time.

What they say might sound good but it's not true for the actual game.Comment by XezzuuSome beta insights. The costs to respecc in endgame are extremely high and the amount you need isn't easy to farm. You often have to respecc because you get an item that makes a skill good for your build that wasn't before. They said skills are making your build but that's not the case because items change it more especially endgame.