The first open Beta for Diablo 4 has come and gone, and with it, we learned that Diablo 4 is actually an MMO. And in this article, I want to explore why that is. Without further ado, let's talk about what makes Diablo 4 an MMO.
What changed this game to be deserved to be called an MMO? At first, a login screen with a cue is mandatory to access the game. Once logged in, players choose their characters and wait in another queue before entering the online server, something that is very familiar to Diablo. There's not other ARPG that has a login queue. So that's one of the aspects that define the MMO genre. Another crucial element defining this genre is its lack of offline modes since it runs solely on online servers. So that's one reason why this game is an MMO.
Second, there are no clans or guilds, whatever you want to call them, that you usually find in MMO games. You can invite your friends. You have a hierarchy. There are ranks and things you have message of the day. You can create a clan tabard and a name for yourself that people can see as you walk around the game world. This is another aspect that leans towards the MMO side of things.
Additionally, not unlike Lost Ark and other MMOs, there are world events in this game that take place at very specific times. If you miss them, you won't be able to partake in them. So if you're gone, outside the house or at work, you won't be able to hit those world events. So you have to plan your schedule around them. So this is something that you find in MMOs.
Another important point is that you will run into other players in your game world, which is not optional. Unlike Diablo 3, where you had to invite people into your game world even though the game was online. This game has players in your world, anyway. There's no way to get rid of them. There's no private server for you to play on, at least not that I'm aware of. Also, there is a global chat, a guild chat and friend chats, etc. So there is a chat box for you to do this in. And again, these are all things you would see in an MMO.
And lastly, the game features level scaling, meaning that, like the dungeons in the game, or at least the first area of the game, players need to learn how to be through the entire game scale with their level. Normally, like Act One, if you play Diablo 2 Resurrected, Diablo 3 or any other ARPG has a certain difficulty. Once you are powerful enough, you'll face rolling that difficulty. That is not the case. So far, at least in the way the Beta has shown, the enemies keep growing with your level. This is something you'd see in an MMO.
Generally, MMOs, like Elder Scrolls Online, have a system now where enemies are about the same difficulty for you, regardless of your level. And they've done something similar here. Currently, there are level ranks and ranges for each zone in the game, and it's possible that because this one is capped at 25, they go as high as that. You might face-roll it if you're level 35. We don't know that for sure, but just playing the Beta, enemies will scale up to your level. So you'll only really face-roll them if you get the gear that sets you apart to face-roll them. But your level is going to have a small impact on that.
So that's all why Diablo 4 is an MMO. What are your thoughts on the Beta?
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