Diablo III 1.0.8 Patch Released, Improves Co-Op Game Play
Blizzard was very forthcoming in admitting that Diablo III is "not living up to its full potential" in terms of the co-op experience, adding that "it can often feel not worth the effort" to jump into multiplayer when playing solo "can often feel easier and more efficient." If you feel the same way, you'll be happy to know that co-op was a major point of focus in the latest patch (version 1.0.8).
One of the multiplayer improvements Blizzard introduces in version 1.0.8 is the ability to specify a "matching tag" for Public Games. In addition to selecting a difficulty, quest, and MP level, gamers can also select a tag that will identify what kind of gameplay they're looking for, such as Questing, Full Act Clear, Keywarden, and PvP.
Another new addition is that Diablo III gamers can earn multiplayer bonuses.
"We're still working on the details of what that buff is going to be, but at the moment we're looking at 10 percent more XP per extra player in the game for a maximum bonus of 30 percent more XP in a 4-player game," Blizzard explains. "This bonus will be multiplicative with MP bonuses. For example: suppose you are playing on MP10 with an XP bonus in Inferno of 510 percent. This means a monster is worth 610 percent of its normal XP (510 percent more). If you are playing in a 4-player game the monster will be worth 793 percent as much XP as normal. On top of this, you will also earn a flat 10 percent Gold Find and 10 percent Magic Find for each additional player in the game, and this bonus can exceed the 300 percent Gold Find and Magic Find caps."
Taking a page from StarCraft II, there's now a "Players Near You" window that will display all players who are logged into Diablo III from your local network. Blizzard sees this being a boon to gamers who play Diablo III at a university dorm or in Internet cafes.
One of the multiplayer improvements Blizzard introduces in version 1.0.8 is the ability to specify a "matching tag" for Public Games. In addition to selecting a difficulty, quest, and MP level, gamers can also select a tag that will identify what kind of gameplay they're looking for, such as Questing, Full Act Clear, Keywarden, and PvP.
Another new addition is that Diablo III gamers can earn multiplayer bonuses.
"We're still working on the details of what that buff is going to be, but at the moment we're looking at 10 percent more XP per extra player in the game for a maximum bonus of 30 percent more XP in a 4-player game," Blizzard explains. "This bonus will be multiplicative with MP bonuses. For example: suppose you are playing on MP10 with an XP bonus in Inferno of 510 percent. This means a monster is worth 610 percent of its normal XP (510 percent more). If you are playing in a 4-player game the monster will be worth 793 percent as much XP as normal. On top of this, you will also earn a flat 10 percent Gold Find and 10 percent Magic Find for each additional player in the game, and this bonus can exceed the 300 percent Gold Find and Magic Find caps."
Taking a page from StarCraft II, there's now a "Players Near You" window that will display all players who are logged into Diablo III from your local network. Blizzard sees this being a boon to gamers who play Diablo III at a university dorm or in Internet cafes.
