Sandbox Mode!

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This is why people make spreadsheet damage calculators

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Diamond60 wrote:

I'd like to understand why people think having an isolated single player sandbox mode that unlocks after beating the campaign (or leveling a character normally once) detracts from replayability and fun.

Has been said many times that a single-player mode will not be coming.

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Diamond60 wrote:

And that forcing them to replay the entire campaign artificially lengthens their exposure to the game.

That's probably the point.

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Diamond60 wrote:

I think those players will spend at least half as much time experimenting in sandbox mode with a variety of builds as they would have replaying the campaign to create just a few. And when they find a unique build they like, they will want to try it out in campaign mode anyways to build it organically and use it in online events.

There are players that play for months rerolling tens of times looking for the right build. If they could do that all in a day it would be bad for the game longetivity.


All in all, disagree with the idea and it is already said it won't be coming.

This is a neat idea, and I understand where you're coming from with it. The problem is, part of the reward of building a class is watching it max out over time. Giving players free reign to "cheat" a character for testing--even if it's separated from the main economy--will spoil them. You're letting them experience in five minutes what would normally take five weeks.

I'd be too tempted to don a bunch of high-end uniques, max out everything...and then find something else to play. What's the point of playing a n00b char once I've rocked the perfect 6L off-color armor?

This is where skill calculator apps come in. It's ok to have tools for planning a build, but to actually let you stage the build in-game is too close to Diablo 3's notion of "freespecs". That said, I think the Passive Skills planner on the website should at least have summary of bonuses like the Skill Planner Android app does.

As for build errors, that's why we have respec points. Making a few mistakes should be recoverable in any given build. Making major mistakes, well, time to scrap it or play Diablo III where that isn't an issue.

Again, I get it--finding the perfect build is long and difficult. That's precisely the point. It takes time to master this game. It takes time to make that perfect build, and to reap the reward of experiencing it.

if they can't give us sandbox mode, can they at least do the counting for us in the passive tree? I hate manually counting how many bonuses I have in this or that :-(

Actually the thing about theory crafting in a sandbox is that players are able to test the builds in a real world application rather than spending 6+ hours leveling their build to try it. Also players have different play styles. This game is anything but hardcore. Not being able to freely theory craft and crunch numbers without leveling for 6+ hours is frustrating. I am a firm believer of "clever use of mechanics" in which makes a game fun to play. Something a lot of games are losing now days. This one included. How are you suppose to find "clever use of mechanics" or test a theory if you just waste 6+ hours just to try your theory. It is so frustrating and there is nothing to separate the people who spend 100 hours a week testing a build for a new league and someone just using their build. I do not have the means to play a game that long and the thing about theory crafting is it is more interesting crunching numbers and then testing the play style than it is leveling to find out your build will fizzle. Complete rubbish. This game doesn't even have big pulls or anything that makes it challenging. It is all built around the idea of builds and grinding. Add some challenge that takes "mechanics" or "skill". Like mobs that will ride your ass and if you slow down you die in one shot. For fricksake. Right now its all about who is the fatter gamer who can level and try more builds. Sure they gain knowledge each pass through but the mechanics and difficulties behind it will always be non existent or if non existent their progression will be limited to how fast or far their build is capable of taking them in the ladder. Which is fun, but it provides no "Adrenalin" or "Challenge" in the gameplay and is rather who has a bigger "no life" or who is a "bigger nerd" than the other player. That is all this game is based around and it is an entire addiction it is created around. This game was not built as a challenge, but rather some type of social gathering monstrosity. If you consider making builds a challenge and testing them - it is not. It is a grind and mentally taxing. A real challenge uses game mechanics and precise interaction with the keyboard and mouse to accomplish things no other player can. This is something very few games do. Counterstrike does it but not very well. Vanilla WoW use to do it exceptionally well because diablo 2 had an Ability to copy character folders and experiment with your own builds they did it well too. When are companies going to wake up and make challenging games again. The skill cap of gamers are all too high and nothing is challenging anymore. They are all reeling them in with crap like grinds - that is marketed, deployed and strategically released to all types of gamers. There are very few games on the market that offer challenges anymore. Its why people play games. Though we are all so brainwashed now we just play games that offer little or no value in that aspect. There are many games out there and much better ways to make games than something so dumbed down and non challenging.

Your game will never evolve into an adrenaline pumping challenge if you do not implement this type of system. It will forever be a casuals game.