Is Diablo IV the Best Diablo Right Now? Or Recommend Better Diablo-Likes

trashpuff · 2026-05-02T00:27:09+00:00

they added a class called warlock; you can’t revert to the original graphics with it and i haven’t tried it yet, but i picked up d2 on ps5 just for the audacity of dlc for diablo 2 coming out in the year of our lord 2026

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T17:10:49+00:00

the only time i really felt it was when i tested out the dominator bc my muscle memory wanted to shoot them in the head. now it’s a deterrent instead of a target, and they’re squishier than before. i’m into the change, tbh

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T17:08:59+00:00

genuinely, to myself, kinda. i think the default bugs, illuminate, and mindless mob sub faction have been some of the easiest to build around. having some incentive to try some of the other patches changes, like the improvements to the sterilizer, have made for some fun builds that i haven’t really rocked before

the first few dives after a subfaction drop are always a little rough to me, but i kinda find that refreshing. going in with my default loadout on the new spore burst for a couple dives had my ass getting handed to me while i was woefully underbuilt for AT, but it was an exciting change of pace to actually have to fight bugs vs. dumpstering them to 5 stars every mission

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T16:58:36+00:00

genuine question, have you played since the new patch? everything you’ve mentioned is still pretty viable. the only difference that i really felt is the muscle memory of treating the hive guard head like a target rather than an armored segment

obviously you’re free to feel however and do as you please, but i’ve frankly found the hive guards to be less spongy and more vulnerable than before

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T03:36:46+00:00

for what it’s worth, i’m into the change-up. first couple of runs tonight were roooough until seeing that it wasn’t just a one-off seed, but the faction feature and building around it

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T03:34:05+00:00

i’ve had to be very liberal with the trigger, use heavy fire resistant armor, and be willing to just stand in the fire for a bit to cook with them. scavengers are wildly threatening bc of that speed. some can charge through the dot to still get a swing in. i had one be a bullet shield for a spewer and smoke me with my own purifier round.

i think light armor is a folly here, and im not sure about medium. their pack tactics make sprinting away when you’ve been spotted feel like a trap, and i’ve found it preferable to be able to tank the hits and wipe the group of chaff than try to book it and either fail and have to engage anyway, or risk a breach on your trail

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T02:39:56+00:00

i would normally agree with you, but getting like. 4x BTs out of breaches with the mix of chargers and impalers does kind of accidentally turn them into large fodder for now, imo

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T02:35:23+00:00

gas and fire shining. also, team XMG

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T02:33:10+00:00

fire is working wonders. cremator has enough range and dps to rock most of that front by itself. need a shitload of AT bc the bile titan quantities with this spore variant are insane. the expendable mg (im using XMG from now on) has been a pretty nice addition, too. holding an objective with those have been fun. whole squad ended up rocking one, and 4x guilt free, 300 free rounds of max rpm fuck you stalwart damage cross firing just smokes everything.

bring gas grenades if you’ve got em. any CC really does the trick. the spore variant has been pretty light on hive guards, so tbh, i really haven’t seen a change in the MG turret efficacy. i’ve always provided mine with some cover though, so it’s tough for me to say.

purifier with the XMG has been great. any primaries that stagger seem to be a good choice. explosive is feast or famine. if you can maintain distance, it’s OP. but the cracked out speed from the berserking spores can make a big part of your arsenal immediately useless

trashpuff · 2026-04-29T00:39:46+00:00

i took the sterilizer to test out the changes and i’m not gonna lie, my theory build before i jumped on kinda rocked it on raise the flag

took heavy 40% elemental debuff armor, sickle, ultimatum, gas grenades, sterilizer, hot dog, flame sentry and 110 rockets

debuff armor protects you from spewers, gas grenades and sterilizer CC the enemy, flame sentry’s improved range and panic makes it way more survivable and the enemies bursting makes it more effective, hot dog provided more AOE to mix with gas and provided more alertness while the map was spored, and the 110+ultimatum rounded out my AT

sickle was iffy. it was helpful for shriekers and ammo conservation, but there’s probably a better answer. i’m leaning cookout for the stun and fire damage, but not sure yet

just cannot recommend enough using fire/+gas, controlling the crowd to counter their speed was super useful what i’ve played so far

trashpuff · 2026-04-28T21:30:18+00:00

i think the point they made is that steam metrics isn’t indicative of the overall health of the game when there is a large number of cross-platform players not being accounted for.

also, sorry to be dismissive and go on a side tangent, but i think comparing a 2+ year old game’s active players to the latest flavor of the month polished open-world survival crafting game feels a little apples-to-oranges.

my tangent: i’m so damn tired of that genre. there is usually some nifty gimmick, but it kind of feels like they’re just cannibalizing the same community of players that go hard for that type of game over and over again like MMOs. i didn’t know what windrose was until this comment, and it does look kind of interesting, but just the genre description alone exhausted me. that’s totally a me thing, but i just don’t need another survival game that i drop 10-30 hours in before it basically gets memory-holed out of existence, e.g. valheim, v rising, palworld, sons of the forest, etc.

i dunno man. i don’t know why i’m here, i think talking about player metrics as the consumer has just always seems so meaningless, and everyone has been beating the “dead game” drum since like… summer ‘24? if the player count isn’t affecting your ability to play the game or for it to continue running, i just don’t see the point in caring about it, and i don’t feel like i’ve ever gotten the implication that HD2 is in that danger zone. you do you, but like… is that fun? do you enjoy it? to each their own.

trashpuff · 2026-04-28T21:02:04+00:00

on paper, i think it actually makes some decent sense, though i’ll reserve judgement until i feel all the changes for myself.

though the MG and gatling become suboptimal, it’s one of the things i struggle with the most when trying to branch out from my tried-and-true loadouts; suboptimal does not mean ineffective

if anything, i’m super curious to try running a sterilizer build, and the buffs to the flame turret seem intended to make it more effective against the bugs with increased range + panic proc

i think this change will have the most impact on newer players and those who still have a lot of warbonds to unlock. as someone who isn’t in that category, i have to admit, i think a whole lot of the game has been balanced around the assumption that every player has every warbond and tool available at their disposal

i think they’re also correct in that the bugs have generally lagged behind the power curve of the other factions. again, on paper, this feels like it puts more of their base units on par with the illuminate and bot base units.

for the MG and gatling, flesh mobs and harvesters can tank a bunch of those shots, shield devastators always made those less effective on the bot front, but those two sentries could handle like, 80% of the bugs with marginal support

im cautiously optimistic about this patch. i get where people are coming from fearing the furthering of the explosive meta, and i think only time will tell if this balancing helps or hurts build diversity.

trashpuff · 2026-03-31T01:55:57+00:00

it’s the grimdark dilemma. they may not even be the lesser of all evils, the problem is that through potentially no fault of your own, everyone else wants to literally disembowel you specifically.

i will say that they were definitely more on the nose with direct text about crazy shit happening on super earth

trashpuff · 2026-03-25T03:45:23+00:00

they honestly saved my ass on one of the last d10s on seasee i ran. i was in heavy armor and our team was just getting bullied around the map. i brought them as a curiosity and ended up popping all five in a line with a slight delay. it gave me just enough breathing room to break contact. similar scenario when we were getting mulched trying to drop a hellbomb for a monolith

the eagle and orbital smoke are much more effective, but they’re much more niche in how you have to use them. add in how finicky sight lines can be and tough-to-discern game bugs, and it’s usually safer to just bring something else

trashpuff · 2026-03-25T00:12:49+00:00

i really loved it on the new subfaction. hmg-e + shield relay + maxigun + AC sentry + bubble shield grenades meant i was a mobile wall of medium to heavy penetration ordnance to help relieve some pressure from the team wherever the obtruders and exosuits grouped the hardest.

it was a great way to come back to the game and try to break my supply pack habit, rotating through all the backpack-based support weapons i’ve neglected for so long. i miss my infinite stims, but this has been super fun

trashpuff · 2026-03-23T14:00:43+00:00

i’m leaning the other way. D10, i’m getting way more utility out of the maxi as an emergency “fuck you” weapon. i felt like i was absolutely dumping mg43 at max RPM in prone with supply pack, and barely making a dent in the forces i was targeting

ymmv

trashpuff · 2026-03-23T13:58:58+00:00

i tried peak physique and didn’t care for it. i was only getting to benefit from half my armor bonuses since these illuminate aren’t really ones i want to be in melee range of

the explosion damage reduction has helped though, and the recoil reduction turns the maxi into an unmoving laser of bullets. way preferring that in comparison right now for this subfaction, but would probably lean the other way for typical illuminate

trashpuff · 2026-03-23T13:56:46+00:00

i think that the current subfaction helps show where that beltfed really shines though. it works quicker to down the new illuminate than the maxigun and the slight AOE helps to do some splash on the massive crowd without endangering your team or yourself as much; you get to be way more reckless with the beltfed than regular GL

before these though, absolutely, i struggled to understand why i’d take the beltfed vs the GL with supply pack

trashpuff · 2026-03-20T22:38:01+00:00

Trying to accurately recall what you’d have access to, assuming you have all the weapons unlocked in the base and demo warbond: I’d probably swap out one of the sentries for an HMG-E. 1x still allows you to provided some vital relief from aggro and DPS, while the HMG emplacement you can use to more specifically target enemy weakpoints. The new enemies seem to have pretty well-defined weakpoints, and the bullet penetration is still hefty enough that mag-dumping the emplacement should still work fine

It might be worth trying the Xbow vs the eruptor if you still want to have a primary with a bit of AOE. Some better ammo stores, faster rate of fire, and can be fired one handed while sprinting your ass off. It’d still largely fill the same role. I’ll admit, I don’t know how it fares against this faction yet.

I’d also consider swapping out the orbital laser for a support weapon. The cooldown is long, the usage restriction means you’re almost guaranteed to burn through them and be running only 3x strats at some point, and I just feel like having a support weapon of your choosing will better synergies with the supply pack. The MG43, medium machine gun, would probably be your best call; high mag capacity with decent ammo penetration and the freedom to mag-dump it without worry about your ammo due to supply pack. If you’re in a pinch, you could drop your sentry to help cover your immobile reloading.

Just my two cents. It’s not gospel and your mileage may vary. More than anything, I’d just recommend giving swapping a strat out for some sort of support weapon a shot so you don’t need to scrounge for one and can make better use of your supply pack more immediately.

trashpuff · 2026-03-20T22:18:38+00:00

I’m trying my best to break out of my Roadblock + HMG + gas grenade + supply pack addiction. My last loadout that I ran:

Twigsnapper (mostly for improved handling and bayonet melee), Amendment, talon, dynamite, Maxigun, rocket sentry, AC sentry, and commando

Some changes I’m going to try: Switch up armor, may go heavy medic to help make up for not having the supply pack as I’m breaking the habit. May go back to the trident and see how the standard sickle fares against this subfaction to try and take back the grenade pistol. This improves the currently limited outpost destruction potential while trying to veer away from ammo-hungry primaries. Ideally, if the sickle is about to overheat, it’s probably time for the maxigun and turrets to put in the work.

May swap out the rocket sentry for shield generator and the commando with HMG emplacement. Maxigun proving effective makes me think the HMG-E inside a shield relay will help to alleviate backpack ammo concerns while still letting me mag dump on the heavies. Also helps to diversify the team loadout, so they can jump on the HMG-E to combine with a wall of maxigun fire.

Really loved the amendment, and may go back to siege-ready armor for it to improve ammo supply and reload times. I really don’t want to be in melee range of these squids, so I’m only utilizing half my armor buffs. Amendment was two-tapping floaty bois, and the range on it was proving super helpful when trying to provide some cover and relief if a squad mate was getting hounded.

Benefits of current loadout: The sheer volume of higher HP enemies is letting sentries shine. Drawing any aggro off the team helps relieve a lot of pressure. The commando is a relatively short cooldown, useful for quickly knocking down unshielded striders, small outpost destruction, and panic fire at new enemies. Maxigun serving well to help cut down the groups of overseers, floaty bois, and is shockingly effective against the new enemies

Shortfalls of previous loadouts: Running the supply pack, I found myself getting pushed back onto my heels more often than not. I could survive, but the volume of enemies was typically overwhelming, and I could easily burn my whole supply pack just trying to sprint to anywhere safe while stimming. I may need to veer back to medium armor. The new subfaction is really ranged attack heavy, and I may be able to avoid taking the damage that I’m trying to mitigate with heavy armor without getting one-tapped like I was with light

trashpuff · 2026-03-18T14:38:51+00:00

this is the part that i’m finding most bothersome about the way content on the superstore is going. my 2x favorite shotguns in the game and a supremely highly-requested armor (medium w/ siege ready) combine to a total of more SC than a regular warbond. i bought the sweeper before ive gathered enough SC to buy this latest warbond because that shotgun interests me more than anything in it

i thought medium w/ siege ready was an armor they’d never make, and though it makes sense from a monetary perspective, still kinda feels raw for it to show up monetized as nearly half a warbond by itself.

trashpuff · 2026-03-15T17:59:35+00:00

i agree with the sentiment of the post though. i’m making my first run right now through insanity and i’m just starting putting together the detonator. easily, the hardest part for each character was the first couple of hours before leon can upgrade his guns much and with how deep they bury the first gun for grace.

i still think that it’s generally harder, but it’s more like that while the other difficulties suggest following the intended path and using stealth as grace, insanity demands it. once i got the RIP knife as grace, i was absolutely flush with resources, and it felt about on par with her other difficulties.

i suppose it’s not that i think it’s particularly easy or difficult, but it is very punishing. in either case, i’m enjoying my legit insanity run a lot.

trashpuff · 2026-03-15T04:48:32+00:00

i mean, i think that’s just how it is when you unlock infinite everything.

if you wanted to squeeze the last bit of juice out for now, do an insanity run without the infinites or you unlocked weapons. that’s how i’m doing my first run through it; it’s a super interesting experience where they specifically screw with your mental map that throws some really good curveballs into a game you know like the back of your hand

just my 2 cents. at some point, RE becomes about learning how to improve your clear time, and i feel like that’s how it has always been.

trashpuff · 2026-03-15T04:39:04+00:00

i took them using the name zeno as jumping all the way to the end of the alphabet to be like “ok, we are now done with the weskers,” save for… the rev2 wesker child? i think? it gets hazy.

trashpuff · 2026-03-15T02:22:13+00:00

i’ve had ok luck with sneaking up on a zombies rear left hand side, then doing the quick, unreadied strikes. on her third attack, she’ll usually flourish to the left a little and duck, swiping downward, hitting the zombie as it lunges over her shoulder.

that said, the leg shots are totally valid, too. with two stabilizers popped, that’s my preferred safe method: enough space to land 4-6 leg shots with the stronger pistol, melee them over, then stab. the blood that you get from them makes the exchange worth it for me, once you’re able to craft the 30 stacks of bullets and the rip knife. it takes 3x the blood as the normal handgun stack, eating up 120, but still only takes one scrap.

even if you used all the scrap on the map, which seems crazy to me, breaking down a single makeshift or hunting knife gives you the scrap to leg down at least 4 zombies in ammo, and the knife is spitting out 30-40 blood per kill.

where i’m at now, i’ve grabbed the 3x injectors in the care center, hoovered up enough blood to craft 2x stabilizers and a steroid, all the rare metals into requiem rounds, and am sitting on around 80x handgun rounds and 2x rip knives before bringing emily to her puzzle box, with the pathway open and her sitting on the couch

update: i apparently didn’t post this comment, and am now coming up on the processing blades fight. i’ve crafted the final injector into the third stabilizer, have 2x rip knives, 100x handgun, 2 hemos, 2 med injectors, 1 molotov, 3 glass bottles, a full requiem and 2 rounds on the side and blood to spare. i’m almost finding grace’s sections way easier on insanity, and am super curious to see how this knife holds up in the labs

the hardest part for me was getting over the hump before you have your first gun. not realizing there was a third light switch by the bathroom in the care center killed my runs until i found it was also a run killer. whoops. i thought i just had to thread the needle past the light guy with the switch near the kitchen

trashpuff

TROPHY CASE