1.0.5 ("Uber Tristram" and "/players 8")

[Ragnoros]

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/7155880/Patch_105_Sneak_Peek-9_13_2012

We’ll have articles in the coming days providing all the details on the upcoming patch, but we wanted to give you a sneak peek at what major features to expect.
 
Defensive Skill Changes
In our eternal quest to promote build diversity; we’ll be making changes to defensive skills across the board while simultaneously reducing incoming damage. The net result is a survivability buff for players, and an increase in build options as defensive abilities become less “mandatory.”

New Event: Infernal Machine
The Infernal Machine is a device that will allow level-60 players to battle “uber” versions of some of Sanctuary’s most nefarious bosses. While the rewards for defeating these bosses will be great, some assembly is required.

New System: Monster Power
Similar to the “Players 8” command in Diablo II, the Monster Power system is designed to give players more control over how challenging enemies are in each difficulty.

This and more is coming in Patch 1.0.5! Stay tuned for all the gory details.

[Paelos]

I'm extremely wary of the "defensive skill changes"

I think that means we can kiss the barb resist shout goodbye.

[Soulflame]

Not just that.  The wizard rune that boosts resists on, I think, energy shield, plus the monk passive one with everything.  All of them are probably in line for nerfing.

[SurfD]

Not just that.  The wizard rune that boosts resists on, I think, energy shield, plus the monk passive one with everything.  All of them are probably in line for nerfing.

The question though is: Is it really a "nerf" if the changes to incoming damage make the abilities less of a "MUST HAVE OR I DIE" and more of a "Having it is a nice quality of life / survivability improvement, but I can acttually build a viable build without it now and still do fairly well" kind of difference.

[Ingmar]

Not just that.  The wizard rune that boosts resists on, I think, energy shield, plus the monk passive one with everything.  All of them are probably in line for nerfing.

The question though is: Is it really a "nerf" if the changes to incoming damage make the abilities less of a "MUST HAVE OR I DIE" and more of a "Having it is a nice quality of life / survivability improvement, but I can acttually build a viable build without it now and still do fairly well" kind of difference.

It isn't, but that won't stop people perceiving it like it is and whining about it.

[Miasma]

Most all monks use "one with everything" and stack a single resist so if they change it both the builds and the gear could be rendered obsolete.  It would have to be a pretty huge nerf to incoming damage to do the same job as one with everything.

[Rokal]

They posted the specifics of the nerfs/buffs.

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/7155884/Dev_Journal_Defensive_Bonuses_and_Monster_Damage-9_14_2012

[Salamok]

Suppose a wizard has 6000 Armor and 800 Resist before Prismatic Armor.

effing a-holes, here they go trying to balance stuff again.  Why don't they just do the damage reduction and leave the buffs alone, if you don't need them to survive you wont use them.

[Soulflame]

Actually, I'd wager there will be broad barb changes.  According to this page, nearly 19% of softcore barbarian builds are a variant of:

Bash - Instigation
Wrath of the Berserker - Thrive on Chaos
War Cry - Impunity
Whirlwind - Hurricane
Battle Rage - Into the Fray
Sprint - Run Like the Wind

Ruthless
Nerves of Steel
Weapons Master

[Paelos]

I'm fine with them breaking whirlwind sprint barbs because it's a really dumb spec. All you're doing is chain sprinting around like a jackass while your tornados kill everything.

[Salamok]

They need to add all resistance to the paragon buff, maybe some ac too. maybe 1ar and 5ac per level.

[Pennilenko]

Suppose a wizard has 6000 Armor and 800 Resist before Prismatic Armor.

effing a-holes, here they go trying to balance stuff again.  Why don't they just do the damage reduction and leave the buffs alone, if you don't need them to survive you wont use them.

They are assholes. A wizard with 6000 armor and 800 resists isn't fucking using energy armor in the first place.

[Ingmar]

The sentence RIGHT BEFORE that one.

The benefit of these skills is greater at higher levels of Armor and Resistance, so let’s assume very high numbers of each.

Cherry picking quotes for the win?

[Salamok]

But why pick a rediculously high number to base your balance mechanics around, I stand by the a-hole comment as it stands up when reading the article as a whole just as well as it does with just the quote.

[Ingmar]

The math is all there and seems pretty straightforward. They're balancing "around" the high defense numbers because the % benefit from the defensive skills is higher there. It should only get better (for the player) with lower defensive numbers.

[Pennilenko]

Nobody here is going to convince me that they aren't just a bunch of assholes that still are convinced everyone would have more fun if they just played the way they think is the right way to play. Diablo is not fucking WoW. They need to gut the AH, and care less if some people are having fun doing ridiculous shit.

[Ingmar]

Blizzard: <makes Inferno easier>
Audience: STOP NERFING THINGS BLIZZARD

[Pagz]

We are changing Shadow Power from 20% Life Steal for 3 seconds to 15% Life Steal for 5 seconds

We are changing the Spider, Boar, and Wolf companion pets to be actual pets that can tank for you like a Gargantuan or Zombie Dog.

We are putting a short cooldown on Sentry, but you can have two out simultaneously. On top of that, the Custom Engineering passive will let you have a third Sentry turret! This opens up a whole new play style for the Demon Hunter of establishing a "nest" that you can draw enemies into.

A happy demon hunter am I! Turrets might just be useful now!

[apocrypha]

Nobody here is going to convince me that they aren't just a bunch of assholes that still are convinced everyone would have more fun if they just played the way they think is the right way to play. Diablo is not fucking WoW. They need to gut the AH, and care less if some people are having fun doing ridiculous shit.

What? This change is making it easier for everyone, reducing the need to take all the defensive skills and allowing MORE choices on how to spec & play.

I popped back in to D3 the other day to see what had changed. My barb who was getting 2-shot in Act 2 Inferno strolled through and got to Act 3 with only minor difficulty. Yellows rained from the sky, got several upgrades and several AH-sellables. While browsing the AH I discovered that gear prices had dropped considerably and kitted him out in an almost entire new set for under 2m gold.

It's taken them some time but they are finally making this game accessible and more fun.

[Salamok]

Now that you have spent 2m upgrading try and upgrade again then tell me prices are cheap.

[apocrypha]

You could say that at any point of upgrade, it's meaningless.

I'm comparing the prices of the gear I just bought with prices for the same level of gear when I stopped playing before, which was a couple of months ago? Guessing there. Previously I'd have needed something like 50m to upgrade to the gear I just spent 2m on. I consider that an improvement.

No idea how long I'll carry on playing this time, probably until I hit whatever the next/current brick wall is, my point is that the wall is moving and that if you stopped playing before because of it then it may be worth another look now.

[Yegolev]

If they are smart, they will nerf Guild Wars 2, Torchlight 2, and Borderlands 2.

[Ragnoros]

Patch Notes Bitches!
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/6572970237#1

[Ingmar]

I kind of hope the first thing that happens when you build the Infernal Machine is that Duriel just one-shots you out of nowhere when you go through the portal.

[schild]

Some assembly required? Well, I guess we should be thankful we don't have to post to our Facebook feed to get the parts. #whimsyville

[Thrawn]

After over a month of not logging in I get convinced to try the game again.  So I empty out my gold and B.net balance re-gearing my Barbarian with what seems to be the recommended standard sprint/ww build.  Don't even play it for a week and apparently it's being nerfed hard.  So much for getting back into it.   

[Ingmar]

That gear will still work fine.

[Yegolev]

They didn't get this done before a better game came out.

[Paelos]

They didn't get this done before a better game came out.

Nope, and I gave up a while ago trying to wait them out. I'll probably get back into it in 6 months when the xpac in WoW gets old.

[Malakili]

They didn't get this done before a better game came out.

I even think Diablo 3 is a good game, but I haven't loaded it up in a month.  These days there are just too many amazing titles coming out to make room for something I'm not super into at any given moment.  I'll inevitably come back to it at some point, but I'm starting to wonder just how much of my obsession with certain games a decade+ back had to do with the fact that the selection of exceptional games was just quite low by comparison.

[Yegolev]

That's the problem, isn't it?  In a vacuum, D3 is a decent game.  Unfortunately, it is not as good as Borderlands 2, Torchlight 2, or Diablo 2.  Even Guild Wars 2 almost has an equal footing in terms of loot drops, and beats it in other categories.

[Mrbloodworth]

Does /Player 8 mean we can now have groups of 8?

[Yegolev]

I don't think that is literal.  It's just another bandaid over the AH problem.  Which maybe isn't a huge problem anymore, not sure since it got way out of my ability to participate after about four weeks into it.

[Ingmar]

I don't think it has a lot to do with the AH, except perhaps indirectly. Mostly it is there to shut up the people who whine every time they make something easier in the endgame, I suspect.

[Mrbloodworth]

So, its just a difficulty modifier?