No Community Buffs or Firebirds Changes in Season 5
The Season will run without major changes from buffs or Set updates
Diablo III fixes this week take care of issues that cropped up in Patch 2.4. The Battle.net servers received a round of hotfixes, and a small technical patch is rolling out for the game on the Xbox One and PS4 consoles. Other big issues are being looked at, but will not be fixed during Season 5, and no community buffs will be provided this Season.
No Bonus Buffs in the Season
Developer Wyatt Cheng answered the question: will there be any community buffs this season? The design team has decided not to add those buffs during Season 5, to skip the negative side effects of the gameplay that accompanies that type of temporary buff.
Post by Blizzard (Blue Tracker, Official Forum)
Hey guys – just wanted to pop in and say that we don’t have any community buffs planned for this season.
The main reason is the one highlighted by other members of the community - while 2x buffs are super exciting while they’re active, they have negative effects at other times. The biggest is how demoralizing it can feel if you miss out on the community buff. One of the strengths of Diablo is when players feel they can play on their own schedule, when they feel like it. The 2x buffs really detract from a sense that any time is a perfectly good time to play. It can also cause people to burn themselves out trying to get the most out of the buff.
The main reason is the one highlighted by other members of the community - while 2x buffs are super exciting while they’re active, they have negative effects at other times. The biggest is how demoralizing it can feel if you miss out on the community buff. One of the strengths of Diablo is when players feel they can play on their own schedule, when they feel like it. The 2x buffs really detract from a sense that any time is a perfectly good time to play. It can also cause people to burn themselves out trying to get the most out of the buff.
Firebird's Finery Unchanged for Season 5
The Wizard class set Firebird's Finery saw the set bonuses overhauled in patch 2.4. As discussed in a reddit thread, there are multiple issues with the way the set bonuses currently work. There won't be any changes to the set during this season, but it will likely get an update in the next content patch, for Season 6.
Post by Blizzard (Blue Tracker, Official Forum)
Just a quick update on this one:
The issue with Firebird's Finery 6-piece bonus is currently under investigation. We don't have an ETA for a resolution at this time. However, any fix we may implement would likely result in a reduction in power for the set. For this reason, similar to the situation with Raekor's/Furious Charge, we will not be addressing this issue for the duration of Season 5.
The issue with Firebird's Finery 6-piece bonus is currently under investigation. We don't have an ETA for a resolution at this time. However, any fix we may implement would likely result in a reduction in power for the set. For this reason, similar to the situation with Raekor's/Furious Charge, we will not be addressing this issue for the duration of Season 5.
Paragon Button Over Buffs
An interface tweak that may show up in a future patch is a change to the location of the Paragon button. With the revamped buff bar, that blue button can often show up at just the wrong time, making it hard to see important buffs.
@candlesan The 2.4 UI changes are great. One suggestion though, move the +paragon button, it overlaps buff icons. pic.twitter.com/rdqT86KFb1
— Monstrous (@MonstrousD3) January 22, 2016
@MonstrousD3 @candlesan Something we're definitely already looking at, but will certainly require a patch to address (graphical).
— Nevalistis (@CM_Nevalistis) January 22, 2016
Urshi NPC Dialogue
Another change expected in a future patch will dampen the messages from the NPC Urshi, who shows up at the end of a Greater Rift.
Post by Blizzard (Blue Tracker, Official Forum)
We totally understand Urshi's dialogue can get a little... trying after a few dozen consecutive runs. We plan on addressing this in a future patch.
My running theory as to why this started happening is that Urshi really just wants to be heard. I'm sure it gets lonely in those rifts!
My running theory as to why this started happening is that Urshi really just wants to be heard. I'm sure it gets lonely in those rifts!
Patch 2.4.0 Hotfixes
Four hotfixes arrived on the Diablo III servers this week, taking care of issues involving monsters, skills, and items.
Post by Blizzard (Blue Tracker, Official Forum)
More hotfixes! We've applied the following fixes as of today, January 27th.
General
Wizard
Demon Hunter
Items
General
- Fixed an issue where Armor Scavengers (Primordial Scavengers) would not lose their armor when hit by pets. (1/27)
Wizard
- Ray of Frost
- Black Ice
- Fixed an issue that caused the Black Ice rune to stop functioning. (1/27)
- Black Ice
Demon Hunter
- Impale
- Fixed an issue where the 6 piece Shadow's Mantle set bonus would cause Impale to inherit the damage type of an equipped weapon when being used with Convention of Elements. (1/27)
Items
- Wreath of Lightning
- Fixed an issue that caused the movement speed bonus provided by a rank 25 Wreath of Lightning to stop functioning. (1/27)
Console Ultimate Evil Edition Patch
A small technical patch has been released for the Ultimate Evil Edition on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This fixes some stutter and other game performance issues that showed up on those consoles with patch 2.4.
Post by Blizzard (Blue Tracker, Official Forum)
We're currently on track to patch the PS4 and Xbox One versions tomorrow, January 29th, to address the performance issues introduced after Patch 2.4.0. Once we've released the patch, simply ensure that you're connected to either your PlayStation Network or Xbox Live account, and the patch will be made available to your console.
I've confirmed that the patch has begun to deploy, but when it actually gets pushed to your console can vary somewhat. Keep an eye out!
Kanai's Cube Powers on Legendary Items
Finally, a quick reminder about the subtle cosmetic update to the display of Legendary powers that can be used in Kanai's Cube. The orange icon next to the Legendary power description has 3 versions, depending on the usage in Kanai's Cube. Players can learn the different styles of that icon, to see at a glance whether or not a Legendary power still needs to be cubed.
@Ralffie We've added some new icons to help indicate this - you'll see these next to the power on a given item. pic.twitter.com/i7wE6rBZ9E
— Diablo (@Diablo) January 28, 2016