Diablo 4 with patch 1.2.0 brings us a new season and significant improvements in quality of life. Let’s analyze the most important ones.
It’s no secret that Diablo 4 has been in poor condition for two months now. The loss of attention and the resulting loss of users were two big problems, especially for a game that should, according to Blizzard, last for many years.
Fortunately with the arrival of the second season and patch 1.2.0, Blizzard seems to have listened to the feedback from its players. A series of improvements and quality of life have been made that should put Diablo 4 back on track, especially in the end game.
The Season of Blood
Diablo 4 Season 2 begins October 17 at 7:00 PM CEST. We will have a new Seasonal Path, a new series of missions, seasonal events, bloodthirsty enemies, a Battle Pass and more. Furthermore, new bosses will be added to improve the end game experience.
Starting with the Season of Blood, there is the option to skip the campaign after completing the Prologue mission in the Seasonal Realm. Excellent idea for new players who can decide to immediately immerse themselves in the seasonal content. This season also has its own peculiar quest line in which we should face the vampires’ threat. Together with the huntress Erys, we will have to get to the bottom of the vampires’ plan and defeat the final boss.
Vampiric Powers and Pact Armor
To defeat the enemy we will literally have to turn against his own powers. What was once a forbidden art will become Sanctuary’s means of salvation. To harness this power requires Potent Blood. Obtained from fallen opponents, Potent Blood can be consumed in the Vampiric Powers tab of the character menu to unlock a random power or upgrade.
After having unlocked a Vampiric Power, with Potent Blood we will be able to increase the level of the power. Each power can be increased up to level 3 and up to five powers can be equipped on a character at a time. In the description of a Vampiric Power there are three symbols and numbers: they are called Pacts. These Pacts have a cost, which brings Pact Armor into play.
There are 3 types of Pacts: Ferocity, Divinity and Immortality. The armor pieces we drop throughout the season are infused with these covenants. Once we have both the Pact Armor and the Vampiric Powers equipped, we need to make sure that the armor worn provides the Pacts that respect the activation cost indicated in the power.
There are 22 Vampire Powers in total, divided between 15 minor and 7 major. Each power has its specific cost in Pacts.
To overcome the randomness of this type of drop, two items have been introduced: Separate Pacts and Cleansing Acids. It is useless to talk about the usefulness they will have during the season and farming.
Blood Harvest
The Blood Harvest is an event very similar to the old Helltide. Provides the highest chance of receiving Potent Blood and Pact Armor. This event hits the Dry Steppes, Hawezar, and Scosglen regions of Sanctuary, imprisoning its citizens and unleashing pandemonium.
Shooting down enemies during assignments and completing various events will earn you Reputation. With reputation, you get useful rewards such as raw materials, items and Pacts.
New End Game Bosses
The end game of Diablo 4 is enriched with new bosses. Having learned the lesson of the old world bosses, Blizzard has studied these enemies well by associating them with new features. Each boss needs materials to be summoned, which can be found through various end game activities. Plus their loot table is specific. There are thus more chances of obtaining the famous Uber Unique Items and finally making a real target farm. The bosses are: Grigoire the Galvanic Saint, Echo of Varshan, The Beast in the Ice, Lord Zir and the Echo of Duriel.
Diablo 4 and Quality of Life
As said before, the changes brought to Diablo 4 are many and all positive. Blizzard really listened to its users and above all on the repetitiveness of the end game.
I won’t list everything. I limit myself to the most significant ones that will help the players, and not a little, in the new season.
Event times and warning times between legion events have been reduced.
World boss battles are available half as often.
The gold and experience points awarded from the following activities have been increased: Helltide Chests, Claiming Grim Favors, Completing Whispers.
The experience points obtained for reaching level 100 have been significantly increased. So as to avoid players abandoning once the bottleneck is reached from level 75 onwards. Incense and elixirs will also give a greater bonus to experience points.
Nightmare Dungeons have been redesigned to avoid excessive backtracking. Damage from penalties and environmental dangers are now more contained and recalculated. Now we can teleport directly into the dungeon saving several seconds.
Gems no longer take up space in our inventory. Now they are a raw material to be taken to the jeweler for creation. The inventory is larger, and the cost of changing an armor piece’s stat has been reduced. Chests are present in many more cities.
Reputation rewards are already available after the creation of the new seasonal character. As long as you have unlocked them previously.
The mount, especially with the mouse, now works better and does not present the obvious problems it once had. The mount is faster and the remount cooldown is reduced.
To facilitate navigation, 10 more crossroads have been added to unlock.
Hope for the Future of Diablo 4
These are just some of the numerous improvements implemented in Diablo 4. It’s still early to judge, but it seems that Blizzard has understood and above all listened to the community. The Season of Blood seems much more complex than the first, which limited itself to giving gems only on rings and necklaces. Now players are “forced” to play all end gma modes but with a considerable increase in experience obtained.
Diablo 4 certainly won’t become a perfect game from today, but this time the path taken seems the right one.
