Is Level Scaling in Diablo 4 an issue? Here we discuss whether this feature of Diablo 4 is doing more harm than good, and how it affects the gameplay experience and feeling of progression.
The Impact Of Level Scaling On Open World
First, let’s talk about how Level Scaling affects the sense of progression in the open world. The first thing I noticed is that the game doesn’t give you a sense of how far you’ve come or how powerful you’ve become since you started.
When you create your first character in the game and drop into Fractured Peaks, you get to choose your basic attack. Then the first enemy will be killed by two or three Frost Bolts. In my case, we also went outside of Kyovashad to test a few enemies there. Likewise, Skeletons will die for about two Frost Bolts or Ice Shards.
Next let’s switch to another Sorcerer, this one is a level 67 Sorcerer. Let’s visit the same location and we notice more the same thing. Some Frost Bolts will still kill enemies in Fractured Peaks. But it actually felt like they were more resistant than the enemies I encountered at level 1. The same goes for enemies outside of Kyovashad.
So, if we put them side by side, can you say for sure that one side looks stronger than the other? Of course, the equipment you currently get is more powerful than the starting equipment, and you get a little more Diablo 4 Items and skills. But do you really feel stronger?
Factors Affecting Level Scaling
When I first played WOTLK Classic with my friends, I created my first character and took this Lazy Peons Quest. My friend is already level 80. While I, a weakling, struggled to kill Boars and Scorpions in Valley of Trials, my friends could easily shoot them. Immediately afterwards, I wanted to play so I could be as strong as him.
But did Diablo 4 fail to provide that sense of progression? Do we feel the same way at level 1 as we do at level 80? I’m sure it won’t fail, or at least not as bad as some people claim.
It’s not like Elden Ring or World of WarCraft, where the progression is tied to World Tiers, Dungeons and Gear. I think the progression is better and more fun than Diablo 3. Because in the endgame of Diablo 3, you need to run the same Rifts repeatedly to have a small upgrade.
Dungeons, while they could improve on design, feel different and have distinct personalities and styles. If you don’t feel much progress in the open world, they may relate it to your progress in World Tiers and Dungeons.
Reasons For Setting Level Scaling
Let’s move on to what I think are the two main ideas behind Level Scaling for this game. The first is to make the entire map usable through Level Scaling. You can explore it and hone your Renown at each level, but there are still some challenges.
The second is that you can play and take part in events with other players. Earning the same Diablo 4 Gold rewards is the same regardless of level, making the experience equal for everyone.
How To Solve This Problem?
To get around this, we could create an area dedicated to endgames, like Northrend did in WOTLK Classic. Or reuse and increase regional tiers and World Tiers.
For example, in World Tiers 1 and 2, Fractured Peaks could be a Tier 1 to Tier 15 area. In World Tier 3, it can upgrade this area to levels 50 to 53. To make sure you can get stuff done, a better solution is to implement a Group Finder. This allows people to find other players of the same level as themselves to complete content.
So is Level Scaling an issue in Diablo 4? This may be the case for some players. But I also believe it’s not an issue that breaks the game or leaves you feeling like there’s no simple sense of progression.
Although Level Scaling is still better to delete, so you can also feel the progress in the open world. But I believe there are other things that need to be addressed that will have a bigger impact on the game, such as Group Finder feature.
So what are your thoughts on Level Scaling in Diablo 4? Do you think this is an important question? Will it ruin your game? Let me know what you think.
