Diablo 3 - moving forward

So after a few hundred hours in Diablo 3, I’ve begin to think about what I’d like to see added.

Here are some of the things I’d like to see added and/or change to Diablo 3.

More Items, More legendary items, More variation in artwork.

Currently for rare items, there’s only one set of artwork for each character at a given item level.  I would like to at least see all types of items available at i63.  Example: 2H crossbow -The stat between the two items maybe similar, but one could look like the current hellion crossbow, but another could look like a stonebow.  So at least they look different visually.

I’d also want to see a much wider varity of items and legendary items mixed in the pool.  Currently, there’s only one really desirable 2H crossbow.  I’d like to see more added to the mix so not all top tier demon hunters are using the same manticore or windforce.

I would also like to be able to dye all armor to any color I want.  This will also help add to player customization.  Maybe for the demon hunter’s cloak, the player’s banner would show up as a pattern, and it would apply to shields as well?

Gems

First and easiest to add is more colored gems.  Here’s an example of what can be added.

Diamonds:

Helm: Adds armor %

Armor: Adds All resist stat

Weapon:  adds bleed chance & dmg / adds-converts to holy damage

Sapphire:

Helm:  Cooldown reduction

Armor:  CC reduction.  Reduces time while frozen?

Weapon:  Adds cold damage – converts existing elemental damage to cold – and/or adds chance to freeze enemy.

Amber:

Helm:  Increase resource regeneration

Armor:  Reduce resource cost

Weapon:  Increase resource generation per hit

Onyx/Obsidian?:

Helm:  damage reduction from elites

Armor:  damage reduction from demons

Weapon:  Bonus damage to elites/demon – chance to knockback

Skulls:

Helm:  Health Regen

Armor: Reduce fear time, and/or chance to be immune to fear.

Weapon: Life Leech% or adds/converts to arcane damage

Change to existing gems.

By the time you reach inferno, the end game makes a couple of the gems abilities completely useless.  So here I propose these changes to existing gems. 

• Change Topaz’s effect on weapons to lightning damage.  And chance to stun.
• Change Ruby’s effect on weapons to fire damage and chance to burn.

Also, existing gem’s stat bonuses should be increased, we need a slightly wider gap between the different qualities to provide better value, and to offset the introduction of new gems to make it appealing to have diversity in what you have equipped in each socket.   

I would also like to add Jewels back in the mix.  With variation of procs that are currently in the game, like randomly generating arcane sentries when hit or a chance to auto-revive as an example. 

Shrines:

Just have a wider variety of shrines would be nice.  Some of the old ones from Diablo 2 would work well.  Here are some ideas.

• Spawn an elite pack nearby.
• Spawn a goblin nearby. 
• Give you an extra valor bonus for five/ten minutes.
• Spawn a follower/angel/pet to follow you till they die.  (only 1 per group at a time)
• Gold shrine – drops a lot of gold nearby, like 50k or 100k.
• Increase the number of mobs on the current area/map.
• Everyone leaves a trail of molten lava behind them
• A temporary energy shield that can only take X amount of damage.
• Temporary Movement speed boost
• Temporary Health Regeneration boost
• Temporary Damage Boost

Potions:

I propose to add in a higher level of potion, that can’t be bought, but can only be crafted with 4 (maybe more) mythic potions, this would give you a full heal or double the healing power of the mythic potion. 

Auction House 2.0, (or 1.1?)

I would like to see more columns in the results field, and the ability to sort by each one.  So if I searched for dexterity stats, a column should show up beside each item with their respective stats, and allow me to sort by that stat.

I’d also like to be able to sort by current bid amount as well.  Also, I’d like to add a way to relist completed items, and a direct way to vender away unsold items from that interface, with the same backup system of a vender (ability to rebuy recently vendered items). 

Bigger Areas, More random dungeons, and deeper dungeons!

I’d like to see a bigger open field area, so it would also allow for more random dungeons to spawn.  I’d like to see more layout variations as well for these caves/dungeons.  For example, the watch tower should not span that much square footage, but should have a lot more levels to climb.  Caves should also have more than the standard two or less levels, and I’d even add a possibility that a cave/dungeon system can have multiple exits linking various areas of the entire Act.  

 The warrior’s rest background shows some ruins deep underground, I want to be able to go there and explore!  The game requires so many hours of farming, the areas currently are so small that you have to re-create a game once you are done, and in some cases, a player may only take 30 minutes to clear the entire Act.  So let’s have a bigger area, so people can do both short runs, and longer runs as well.  This should provide even more variety to the player instead of everyone defaulting to the “most efficient route”.  There should be multiple routes available.

I also remember in Diablo 2, there were secret rooms on levels, there are some levels that can have such rooms added without much added artwork.  And also, if I can bash through doors, why can’t I bash through all the doors?  The layouts of buildings should be more realistic, and actually resemble a building.  What kind of cathedral has that much square footage?  Honestly!?

More monsters, more affixes.

Another way to improve the current game is to add more monsters.  I’d like to see more variation in the mobs that we encounter.  It may only be a short term solution, but at least it’ll freshen up the game for a bit.  We can even have a mixed group of elites, where each monster has its own set of affixes.  The next patch, 1.05 will be adding the Infernal Machine, so players can access uber bosses to really test their skills.  I’d like to see more of that.  I’d like to be in a battle with Seigebreaker 2 and  the brother of the butcher in the same fight. 

Ideas for the Expansion.

For an expansion pack, I’d like to see the story move to each of the hero’s homeland while they chase down Adria.  They’ll have to cleanse the lands as they go, and also by doing this, we get to see more of the back-story behind to each character.  I’d also like to see an extra difficulty level added back in.

These ideas are all I can think of right now.  What do you all think?