'Diablo 3' Feature: Set Dungeons
Video game developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment launched a new feature with "Diablo 3's" season 5. The new Set Dungeons arrived with the game's Patch 2.4.0.
What are Set Dungeons?
According to Alex Sulman, senior game designer and lead on the Set Dungeon project, the new feature is their way of offering "Diablo 3" players a new gameplay experience, something that is "way outside the norm."
"They give you a chance to measure your skill. A yardstick of sorts," he said. "In a game like Diablo, there's always something to do, so having something that's more measurable and 'beatable' is different. It's fresh."
Sulman adds that Set Dungeons was specifically designed for players who need an end goal or a definitive goal to work toward. It provides a sense of competition both with themselves and other players.
Why isn't there any leaderboards?
The developers have not formalized the Set Dungeons leaderboards intentionally. They say that the leaderboards would have delayed the new feature's development. The devs also did not want to discourage players who may find it hard to beat a top player. Instead, Set Dungeons allow them to beat their own scores or that of their friends.
Tips from the devs
For those interested in playing the new Set Dungeons, there are a few things to remember. Here are Sulman's advice.
1. Check corners.
2. There's a certain playstyle that works with each set.
3. Pay attention to details.
The new "Diablo 3" feature offers several sets to explore and conquer. There's Thorns of the Invoker, Barbarian Set Dungeons, Wrath of the Wastes, among others.
Clearly, the new feature is not for everyone, and the developers acknowledge that. They believe that divisive content will be good for the game's health in the long term and ensures there's something for everyone.