Why different audiences see the Diablo 3 AH in a different light
Different people want different things from their games. For online roleplaying games there have been quite a lot of attempts to classify the different groups, from Bartle's Players who suit MUDs to the endless "hardcore vs. casual" discussions on blogs. The overall effect is that the same feature which might appear great to one group of players can appear very bad to another group. And the Diablo 3 auction house certainly is such a feature.
I think it is undisputed that your character will be stronger with the use of the auction house than without it. The dispute is more whether that is a good or a bad thing, and how "necessary" the AH boost is. One problem, as so often, is that your performance in any online roleplaying game depends on both your gear and your skill. Thus one player who is better at playing Diablo 3 will feel that the boost given by the auction house is not really necessary, or only a lot later in the game, while another player who is less skilled will feel the need a lot earlier.
Whether the AH is good or bad for you also depends on which part of the game you are interested in. The more hardcore players are interested in the highest difficulty levels, and welcome the AH for getting them there faster. The more casual players don't really want to play through the game more than once or twice, but would like to use as many of the features of the game as possible; if some of those features, e.g. the AH and the crafting system, aren't working well together in the first or second playthrough, these players get annoyed.
Another important difference is that some players play Diablo 3 "for the challenge". While the AH can postpone the point at which you feel challenged, you will get there sooner or later. Other players play Diablo 3 "for fun", and it has been showed by psychologists that random loot drops are most fun on a neuro-chemical level. An auction house which makes that the "best strategy" is the one that minimizes the random loot fun is counterproductive for these players.
Overall the effect of the AH is pyramidal: Huge at the lower levels, much less so at the highest level. Best-in-slot items for the highest character level aren't available for cheap (yet?), while the situation for lower levels looks a lot different. So depending on which part of the game a player was targeting in the first place, the effect of the AH on his game will differ a lot.
Thus it is perfectly possible that some advanced players will consider the auction house as either not so bad, or even as a positive addition to the game. But I would argue that the negative effects of the auction house at the base touch a lot more players. And if those feel that the auction house spoiled their enjoyment of Diablo 3, they will be wary of games with that feature in the future. Or they might simply not analyze so deeply the reason for getting bored with Diablo 3 quickly, and just decide not to buy Diablo 4. In any case, there might be hidden dangers for Blizzard in the future from this feature.
I think it is undisputed that your character will be stronger with the use of the auction house than without it. The dispute is more whether that is a good or a bad thing, and how "necessary" the AH boost is. One problem, as so often, is that your performance in any online roleplaying game depends on both your gear and your skill. Thus one player who is better at playing Diablo 3 will feel that the boost given by the auction house is not really necessary, or only a lot later in the game, while another player who is less skilled will feel the need a lot earlier.
Whether the AH is good or bad for you also depends on which part of the game you are interested in. The more hardcore players are interested in the highest difficulty levels, and welcome the AH for getting them there faster. The more casual players don't really want to play through the game more than once or twice, but would like to use as many of the features of the game as possible; if some of those features, e.g. the AH and the crafting system, aren't working well together in the first or second playthrough, these players get annoyed.
Another important difference is that some players play Diablo 3 "for the challenge". While the AH can postpone the point at which you feel challenged, you will get there sooner or later. Other players play Diablo 3 "for fun", and it has been showed by psychologists that random loot drops are most fun on a neuro-chemical level. An auction house which makes that the "best strategy" is the one that minimizes the random loot fun is counterproductive for these players.
Overall the effect of the AH is pyramidal: Huge at the lower levels, much less so at the highest level. Best-in-slot items for the highest character level aren't available for cheap (yet?), while the situation for lower levels looks a lot different. So depending on which part of the game a player was targeting in the first place, the effect of the AH on his game will differ a lot.
Thus it is perfectly possible that some advanced players will consider the auction house as either not so bad, or even as a positive addition to the game. But I would argue that the negative effects of the auction house at the base touch a lot more players. And if those feel that the auction house spoiled their enjoyment of Diablo 3, they will be wary of games with that feature in the future. Or they might simply not analyze so deeply the reason for getting bored with Diablo 3 quickly, and just decide not to buy Diablo 4. In any case, there might be hidden dangers for Blizzard in the future from this feature.
Comments
Post a Comment