Avatar of TheTias #1192
TheTias #1192
Why are we still using progress globes in GRs?(1)Category: GeneralApril-23-2015 12:39 AM PDT (9 years ago) Go to Blizzard forum post
I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any answers on this from any of the Blizzard folk, so I'll ask here. Why are we still straddled with the progress globe mechanic in greater rifts when the objective is to try and complete it in the fastest time possible?

These little balls of annoyance are one of the few aspects of greater rifts that I completely loathe. You just killed that gnarly elite pack? Well, we wouldn't want you to feel like you have nothing to do, so hey, let's throw these behind you. Or how about to the side? Maybe a screen away? How about behind a wall where you can't even see it and have to blindly check for it?

I'd like to get a sense of the devs' mindset on this mechanic, because it seems to have no actual purpose other than to purposely hinder your progress with possibly the most uninteresting mechanic imagineable. And when you're getting into the higher tiers of GRs that you are capable of currently doing at any given time, those seconds really do add up, especially if they appear behind walls and you can't even see them so you have to go hunt for them.

So can somebody at Blizzard please tell me why the progress in greater rifts isn't baked into the elites and instead we have to zig zag all over the place to pick these annoying little globes up? I can't think of a single good reason, but if there is one I'd like to hear it.

Addendum: If you want to give us a visual "feel" when we kill the elites, take a page from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and have the globes automatically "sucked" to the progress bar and display a nifty green +3 above the bar to indicate the increase to us so we can keep moving.

Addendum added from this post: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/17084479208?page=2#40
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Avatar of Tyvalir
Tyvalir
Why are we still using progress globes in GRs?(104)April-29-2015 11:58 AM PDT (9 years ago) Go to Blizzard forum post
Posted by: TheTias

So can somebody at Blizzard please tell me why the progress in greater rifts isn't baked into the elites and instead we have to zig zag all over the place to pick these annoying little globes up? I can't think of a single good reason, but if there is one I'd like to hear it.

That's a fair question.

During the initial development of Patch 2.1.0, we experimented with a variety of different designs for Greater Rifts. For example, in one such design, loot dropped throughout the Greater Rift. This was eventually changed and we removed said loot from everything but the Rift Guardian (so that the focus can be on killing things).

At one point, we actually tested a version of Greater Rifts where nothing dropped at all—not even progression orbs (and instead had progression somewhat baked into Champions and Elites, like you noted). Based on feedback, though, that scenario felt strangely unrewarding to almost everyone who played it, especially when killing the more challenging monsters.

We feel the current design provides a nice visual reward for playing through Greater Rifts, and helps satisfy that desire to actually "pick" something up (that final loot-splosion when you slay the Rift Guardian notwithstanding). While we don't have any current plans to change how progression orbs work, it is a great question, so I'm glad you brought it up. :)
[Post edited one time, last edit by Lylirra at April-29-2015 1:21 PM PDT (9 years ago)]
Avatar of Tyvalir
Tyvalir
Why are we still using progress globes in GRs?(125)April-29-2015 1:48 PM PDT (9 years ago) Go to Blizzard forum post
Posted by: Coolmoos

Sometimes they get lost if you kill them around certain things. Like lava and or mobs that fly off the actual map....

Posted by: Chubsy

Is there any way to change how they're tossed out/received? The only real flaw in the system is the time lost while scrambling to pick them up. Also it can be a real pain when they fall in the radius of a molten explosion, or other still-active elite effects.

Posted by: Damian

The problem is when you're in a room and the orbs drop on 3 opposite corners and you end up running around to pick up orbs vs making progression on the map. Some elites drop them in a small radius and there's those that throw them across screen. That's what needs to be fixed

Ah, I've seen this happen, too. Basically, you're saying that when you kill an Elite or Champion pack, the resulting progress orbs can fly off in different directions, which can be frustrating if they end up being very far apart or being hidden behind other objects.

That's definitely feedback worth passing on. Thanks!
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