Diablo 4 has a lot of really good systems. The combat is great, it looks really cool, and the story is amazing. But according to content creator MacroBioBoi, and a lot of other players, there is one big thing that keeps the game from being even better: itemization.
In one of his latest video, Macrobioboi went over why Diablo 4’s loot and gear systems are basically the one cause of player frustration, especially for endgame. Here is why it is such a problem, and how Blizzard could fix it!
You can also check out the original video here for more details:
Loot Should be the Heart of ARPGs
In theory, every ARPG should be about one thing: progression. Each season you star again, and you try to get the best gear for your build, go through harder content, and get rewarded with the rarest items. It is a pretty simple loop:
- Play
- Loot
- Get stronger
- Repeat
But Diablo 4’s itemization is making that loop feel way more frustrating than fun for a lot of players. The main problem is that gear should help you make your build better, and not be the only reason you can go through endgame content.
82.6% of your total power comes from gear, leaving just a tiny bit of room for skill trees, Paragon boards, and class mechanics.
The result is that if your gear is not perfect, your build will feel like it sucks. You can take the best build guide out there, if you do not manage to get perfect gear, or the closest to it as you can, you will not make it through Torment 4. And it should not be that way.
Too Much RNG, Not Enough Control
Another point that MacroBioBoi points out is that two of Diablo 4’s main item “crafting” systems, Tempering and Masterworking, are really problematic:
- Tempering lets you add powerful affixes to gear, but can fail and waste materials, and if you are really unlucky, you can ruin a perfect piece of gear.
- Masterworking boosts stats, but it is also really random, and if you fail once, you have to reset the entire thing, which means more materials, more risk of failing again in the early stages, and so on.
These mechanics add a layer of stress and burnout, especially for casual players or those with limited time. Instead of making you stronger, the crafting process feels more like playing the lottery, but you gamble with your best gear.
Damage Breakdown
MacroBioBoi gathered real data to back it all up. He went over where your damage actually comes from:
- Gear: 82.6%
- Skill Tree: ~10%
- Paragon: ~7%
- Seasonal bonuses: ~6%
- Everything else (Runes, Gems, Class mechanics): Basically nothing
This means that builds do not really matter much without perfect gear. You can spend hours theorycrafting, but it all comes down to the items having perfect stats.
Mythic items is another issue. Just one ultra-powerful piece can change your damage a ton, and yet you are forced to grind endlessly to get just one mythic or get a better one.
Even armor, which used to be defensive, is now stacked with damage-boosting stats. So now it is more part of the DPS than an actual defense.
How Can Blizzard Fix Itemization
Here are some of the improvements MacroBioBoi proposes to make itemization less punishing and more fun:
- Tempering: Remove failure chance completely. Let players choose affixes, like real crafting. Gear is already random, this does not have to be.
- Masterworking: Let players keep progress between tries. No more full resets. Allow players to reset just the last 4.
- Item Power Balance: Turn gear back to something that supports your build, and not what gives you the complete power. Let armor feel like armor again, not just another source of damage.
- Mythic Items: Limit players to one equipped Mythic to force us to make more unique and new builds.
When gear is on top of everything, players stop feeling creative. They just go for whatever stats the game says are best. And for casual players, this makes the endgame feel locked behind RNG they do not have the time to grind through.
Even MacroBioBoi admits he does not bother perfecting gear anymore. He just settles and moves on. His final message was to no let broken itemization ruin your fun. You do not need the best gear to enjoy the game, and you are not alone in feeling frustrated. Hopefully, the upcoming changes that are planned, will include itemization adjustments.