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Blizzard, Let Me Spend My Money in the In-Game Shop
Diablo IV
Опубликовано
16.07.2023 в 14:13
Jezartroz
Some topics in the Diablo community will always spark controversy - Stash space, drop rates, itemization, and the in-game Shop have all been hot topics burning their way through circles of Wanderers since Diablo 4 launched. We've got our own opinions: read on to find out more about our take on Tejal's Shop in Diablo 4!
I'm a collector. I spend an insane amount of time finding one of everything when I play games - whether that's pets, mounts, toys, achievements, or appearances, it doesn't matter to me. My little pack rat soul is happiest when I can collect all the things, and I'm even more overjoyed when I can then use those things to change my character's appearance. Find a unique transmog? Glee. Discover something like a rare ingredient to make a new hair dye? Bliss. Playing dress up was a huge part of growing up for me, and in a way that never really stopped - it just moved to a digital state with games instead of dolls and costume boxes.
Blizzard games have always scratched that collecting itch, with transmog in World of Warcraft being one of the best examples I could ask for. Imagine my excitement, then, when Diablo 4 announced not only a transmog system, but also a shop that would provide nothing but cosmetics - I could actually look the way I wanted to in a franchise that I loved instead of being restricted to whatever a particular item happened to look like.
It doesn't matter how iconic a Shako is - that look isn't good on anyone.
What we've seen so far, however, has not been up to Blizzard standards. Make no mistake, I'm not adverse to spending money in a game I enjoy - I own every mount, pet, toy, and transmog from the WoW shop, and have spent what could be considered an embarrassing amount of money on cosmetics over the years in games where I want to support the developers for a job well done. And while I am thoroughly enjoying Diablo 4, roving around being a completionist, I can safely say - for the first time, I not only have zero desire to purchase anything from the in-game shop, I actively think that the transmogs are terrible.
Seriously - what is that helm? I don't look like a Rogue, I look like a Lut Gholein caravan guard.
I want to like them - I really, really do. As a Rogue main, I desperately want to wear outfits that aren't slight variations of each other (helms in particular are egregious: either I look like a conscript in a militia or it's ten flavors of "hood with mask"). Detail, theme, style, and color are all intensely important, and those are being nailed by the design team for what it's worth. The problem is,
none of it looks good
.
I get what Blizzard is going for here. There's a fine line between making shop options so appealing that the playerbase will viciously complain that cosmetics are only good when there's money involved (the tried and true "it should be able to be earned in game" argument) versus making them just appealing enough so that money is still being earned while no one feels
compelled
to buy. That line, however, feels like it's far off in the distance right now - and we're still trying to get even remotely close. Barbarians have one of the best examples of this I can point to - why on earth would someone pay money for this set when the in game one is so close in appearance as to cause people to double-take?
Top is the Shop set
Khamsin Edge
. Bottom is a free in-game appearance. Really? Gold and a cape?
Other games have managed to find a sweet spot in their shops that Diablo 4 is missing - in fact, Path of Exile manages to entice players with new sets season after season, and their character models can't be viewed in the same way Diablo 4 is. Even so, every season without fail, players flock to buy Supporter Packs of different tiers to gain incredible armor, wings, ability skins, weapon transmogs, and more - literally anything you could ask for to customize your character to, dare I say, Play Your Way. Even at sometimes sky-high prices, these packs cause
excitement
in players - something I've yet to see for a single released shop set in Diablo 4.
Is this expensive? Absolutely. But look at how much you get - and look at those
wings
.
Final Fantasy XIV is another example of a shop done right - while an MMO, FFXIV has enough shop options (and price ranges!) to make even the most hardcore collector's head spin. From mounts (some of which seat up to 8 people - that's another story though), to mount bardings, emotes, armor sets, face paint, player housing accessories, even
underwear
options - anyone who wants to spend a few dollars can find something that appeals to them on the shop, guaranteed.
Incredibly simple, incredibly adorable. I'd buy these in every color.
Even within Blizzard
itself
, other games have more appealing shops - the World of Warcraft shop, while limited in transmogs, still has set options that you'll routinely see players running around in. The Sprite Darter's Wings set in particular is a cult classic - I've seen more players sporting those shoulders than I have any single shop cosmetic in Diablo 4. In fact, in all my time playing Diablo 4, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a player in town wearing a shop cosmetic - not that they're distinct enough to notice in some situations anyways.
This color palette would be out of place in Diablo 4, but the concept remains: it's an iconic piece that players want to use.
It's clear that Blizzard has been trying to "play it safe" with Diablo 4's shop cosmetics. Diablo 3 was widely panned for it's "cartoony" style and color schemes (to the point that "Deckard Cain got killed by a butterfly" has gone down in infamy), and no one wants to make that mistake twice. It's possible, however, to make shop cosmetics that not only fit the dark, gritty theme of Sanctuary, but
also
look incredible - one glance at the Season 1 Battle Pass cosmetics and the newly announced Mother's Embrace collection proves that. Players want to feel like their purchase is worth it, and at the price points some of the current sets have been posted at, there's no chance that "worth" is in the equation for the quality we expect.
Give us that Diablo fantasy - give us mounts besides horses, give us demon wings with dark color palettes, give us armor that doesn't look like it was rolling around in the pig sty with a drunken Lorath. There's ways to stay "grounded" within the world while also giving players fantastic cosmetics, and I truly hope that Diablo 4 will get there with Tejal's Shop. I want to give you money, Blizzard. Please, give me something worthwhile in exchange.
What are your thoughts about the shop transmogs? Do you have ideas for a set you'd like to see? Let us know in the comments below!
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