17,263
edits
Changes
ADVERTISEMENT
From Diablo Wiki
no edit summary
Diablo III's maximum character level is at launch was 60, which players were meant to reach by the end of Hell difficulty. This is was a big change from Diablo II2's system of long term grinding to the maximum level of 99, where characters reached 60 midway through [[Nightmare]] difficulty, and maxed out at 99; a level but the Diablo 3 developers didn't think that system was only achieved through hundreds or thousands of games of [[grind]]ing high level bosses or areasideal for Diablo 3.
The maximum level of 60 was a fairly late change during development, with early comments from the devs pointing to level 99 or 100 for the maximum. After initial skepticism and disagreement, most fans accepted the logic behind the change, and a site vote on Diii.net found nearly 50% of fans strongly supportive of the change, with just 16% objecting to it.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/vote-diablo-iiis-clvl-60-level-cap/]That early support quickly eroded as fast players got to the maximum level and found Inferno play very difficult, as well as insufficiently-rewarding without any more levels to gain or other tangible signs of their long term progress.
==Ongoing The Level 60 Debate==
The level 60 decision was reached in 2010 when many game features were far from their final state. At that point [[skill points]] and [[trait]] points were still in the game, so much of the debate over the issue revolved around how powerful characters would feel with fewer such points to allocate to their active and passive skills. The other main complaint was that the [[end game ]] would be boring without any sort of ongoing character progression.
The developers discounted those concerns and insisted that the end game would offer plenty of fun even without any sort of character building. Ultimately, their predictions on that front proved incorrect, and most fans post-release were displeased iwth with the lack of end game activities and no sense of character progression. This realization prompted the introduction of the [[Paragon ]] Level system in v1.0.4, in August 2012.
==The Paragon Levels System==
Shortly after Diablo III's launch, many fans found the [[end game]] lacking. The difficulty balance of [[Inferno]] levels was much debated and constantly tweaked by Blizzard in patches, but an additional area of discord was the lack of a sense of character progression. With the max level achieved by a single play-through of the Normal/Nightmare/Hell content, the end game became entirely about grinding for items, and with Diablo III's item system built largely around the [[Auction House]], most players very seldom '''found''' any item upgrades. Players felt they were simply grinding for gold, which they could then spend in the [[Auction House]] to obtain better gear.
Blizzard attempted to address this complaint with numerous re-balances to Inferno, including much increased item drop rates, but they also implemented the [[Paragon Levels]] system, which adds 100 more levels (achieved from experience gain) once a character achieves level 60. With each Paragon Level a character gains the same attribute bonuses as a normal level up (3 to main stat, 2 vitality, 1 each to the non-main stats), plus 3% better Magic Find and Gold Find. This feature works hand in hand with a new Magic/Gold Find cap of 300%, so that a character at the maximum Paragon Level 100 would have maximum gold and magic find without using a single item to boost those stats.
==Original Reasons Arguments for the Level 60 Change==
Blizzard argued for the level 60 change (from their earlier projections of a max level of 99 or 100) on several topics. The first was [[Skillsskills]], largely in regards to how skill points would work. This entire argument ultimately became irrelevant with the removal of skill points, but when it was made in 2010 it went much like this: With just 60 skill points (plus some from quest rewards?) the game can could be balanced to make each Skill point feel valuable. With more skill points they must be balanced to do less each, or else characters would become overpowered. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-iiis-maximum-level-announced-60/] Plus the higher level skill points will still be and feel valuable in D3, rather than just adding .2% to some passive skill, or to a 3rd or 4th synergy skill, as they did in D2.
* The same principle applies to [[trait]] points, naturally.
[[End game]] fun. There will The developers promised that there would be better things to do in Diablo III's end game than endlessly grind grinding the same level or boss. The team has not revealed what they'll be yet, but they've often talked about making the end game more varied than it was in D1 or D2.
==More Levels Just for Fun?==
<blue>There’s no such thing as extra levels for people who want to grind them out. Either they’re there and provide a necessary boost in power in which case it’s not a choice to get them or not, or they don’t exist. We’re not going to put in extra levels that provide no bonus simply so people have achievements to work toward. That’s what achievements are for. </blue>
The developers have not denied that they'll add more Clvls in expansion packs, and that lowering the max level from 99 to 60 makes this easier/more natural (going from 60 to 70 or 75 seems more natural than 99 to 110, or whatever) but they have bristled at fan allegations that it's their only, or chief, motivation. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-box-art-leaks-and-maximum-level-expansion-complaints/]
==Character Level Progression==
The level progression curve is being designed to characters should reach 30 at the end of normal difficulty, 50 at the end of Nightmare difficulty, and 60 at the end of Hell difficulty. The 30/50/60 progression is not set in stonewas made pre-game, and it's roughly accurate for players who clear most of coursethe content, but the team will be designing the don't skip a lot of areas, and don't play with excessive +[[experience curve ]] equipment or on a very high [[Monster Power]] setting. Many players chose to entirely subvert that process and monster difficulty along those linesget a friend to [[rush]] them, then level up by leeching experience as their much higher level friend blasts through the monsters on a high MP level.
<blue>It all comes down to an XP curve. We could, for instance, say the level cap in Diablo III is 60 and then pace that curve and gain out over what we estimate it took someone to reach 99 in Diablo II. Of course we wouldn’t do that but it should help illustrate that the time from 1-60 in Diablo II does not equal the amount of time it will take to reach 60 in Diablo III. 60 levels versus 99 levels doesn’t mean less content or less powerful characters, etc. These aren’t uniform levels of power that move from game to game. And in fact we are pushing a longer game than Diablo II and I’d argue our characters feel way more powerful.</blue>
The [[Arena]], for one. The team announced the Clvl 60 change long before they revealed their plans for Arena battles, but once that game feature was known, the connection became obvious. Players will want to duel with their high level characters, and since character power is closely tied to Clvl, the developers wanted to level that playing field. By designing the game so that characters could reach the maximum level through the normal content, players can create top level dueling characters without spending hundreds of repetitious hours. (Freeing them up to spend those hundreds of repetitious hours hunting items to use in the Arena.)
As with most of the rest of their arguments, the Paragon system proved their original logic flawed.
==Arguments Against Sixty==
Most players agreed with the developers' logicon the September 2010 level 60 announcement, but there was still quite a bit of debate over making the maximum level so easy to reach. In the earlier games in the series, building a maximum level character was a sign of devotion, skill, and a lot of time spent playing. That distinction is was gone in Diablo III(before the Paragon system), now that since anyone can could get to Clvl 60 just by completing the base content. It's not known how long that will take, but certainly a lot less than it did to reach 50 in Diablo I, or 99 in Diablo II.
The counter argument by the developers is that Diablo III will have much better things to do in the end game than just grinding the same boss over and over again. They've assured fans that there will be plenty of things to do long term, and that there will be better ways to show off your [[epeen]] than a character in the 90s. Those other options haven't been revealed yet, but the team has said there will be high level [[Achievements]], and that characters will fight for ranking on some sort of Arena [[Ladder]]. Other end game diversions have yet to be revealed.
