14 DAY TRIAL // After detailing the big changes that are included in the upcoming patch 1.0.4 for Diablo 3, Blizzard has now started discussing some of the other aspects of the update, including how it will drastically improve many Legendary items.
Without a doubt one of the first big problems encountered by Diablo 3 after its launch, besides the connection issues, was the fact that Legendary items, the hardest to find in all the game, weren't that good and only offered minimal advantages over Rare or Magic loot.
This was soon acknowledged by Blizzard and now, through the upcoming patch 1.0.4, the studio is finally taking action.
"Soon after we released Diablo III, many of you commented on Legendary items. Most of those comments were fairly harsh, but they were also dead-on accurate. In many ways the Legendary items that we released with the game were just Rares with flavor text. You called us on it, and we’ve listened," Blizzard's Andrew Chambers said.
According to Chambers, the team first started modifying Legendary weapons to actually make them feel unique.
This was achieved by giving Legendary items affixes usually seen on enemies, including the ability to be shielded when enemies strike, the ability to charm them, or to leave a trail of fire behind you.
Special powers have also been added to some of the items, like a chance to summon an Angel or Devil to fight by your side for a limited time.
Other Legendary weapons give bonuses to certain abilities for certain classes, like a spear for the Barbarian that boosts throw damage, or a wand for the wizard that increases Spectral Blade damage.
The studio has also overhauled the Legendary items that have been carried over from Diablo 1 or 2, in order to really make them feel special.
"We brought a lot of items back from the Diablo franchise for Diablo III, but in many cases all we really did was bring back their name. I don't think we did a great job initially of bringing back the way that they helped you play the game. We've done a pass on all the "ancestor" Legendaries to make sure they remain as true to their name as we could make them, and in some cases we've made them even better," Chambers added.
Blizzard has also answered a few more questions about this overhaul of the Legendary items, so check out the new details below.
Going Forward - As a reminder, these changes will only affect Legendary items that drop after the release of patch 1.0.4. This includes items that haven’t been identified yet (as items are rolled when they drop). With the extensive changes being made we can’t exactly translate old Legendary items to new. What might have been a decent item could become worse if we re-roll it, and vice-versa.
Not Everything is Changing! - Sometimes a Legendary just being really powerful is enough, and some Legendary items are already really good. Helm of Command, for example, won’t be changing in 1.0.4.
What About Sets? - It’s worth clarifying that green Set items are Legendary items (just with a set bonus) and so the above philosophy applies to them as well. Some set bonuses are changing, they’re becoming more powerful, and a lot of them are having their base ilvl increased to 63.
New Set Names - As set bonuses won’t interact between pre-1.0.4 and post-1.0.4 sets, the new Sets will have new names, as well as new individual pieces, to prevent confusion.
Crafted Legendaries - If you currently have a crafting plan for a Legendary item, and if we change the item that you’re able to craft in any way, you will NOT have to get a new crafting plan for that item. If you craft something right after 1.0.4 comes out you’ll get the new item. Diablo 3 patch 1.0.4 is expected to appear, according to Blizzard, "in a few weeks".