Don't like Diablo 3's Auction House? Don't worry; neither do a lot of other players, and it looks like Blizzard is finally starting to take notice. The developer has plans to introduce a new loot system via patch when the recently revealed Reaper of Souls expansion goes live, in an effort to reduce gamers' reliance on the house.
According to Shack News, the new system adds "smart drop" items, meant to be more suited to your character, meaning less time and money spent trying to find gear at the house. More legendaries are promised, as well as an artisan who will allow players to transfer statistics from one item to another, and a Loot Run generator to make item drops the way they were in older Diablo titles.
"It is fun to go buy something instantly, the instant gratification feel, that sugar high, however it's not the core fantasy, it's not the most fun and by the endgame, for a variety of reasons, they tend to check the auction house first and play the game second," lead content designer Kevin Martens told PCGamer.
"That's not what we intend, and we do want to address that, so the loot system and the enchanting and crafting systems are both intended to cut the legs out from the auction house; to make it unnecessary to go on it to some degree, where the most fun way to play the game becomes the best way to play the game."
While the Auction House will still be an available option, it's hoped that the loot system will force the House to become a last resort, rather than the first option for players to get the good stuff.
"Trading's not invalid, it's just that its been skewed so if you're a character who's spending money maybe you're getting 80% of your gear from the Auction House, and 20% in game. It should be the reverse at best. It's more fun to kill monsters. It's the same thing I said about Loot Runs. If you wasn't the best gear, let's put it in a place in-game where you're killing monsters," Martens said.
With all the hubbub surrounding micro transactions lately, Blizzard's move to introduce the Auction House to the game was not a well-received one, so much so that the developer decided not to bring it to the console versions of the game.
"I think we would turn it off if we could," said Diablo 3's director James Wilson.
A loot system isn't exactly an off switch, but it's a step in the right direction.