Diablo III Developer Journal: Multiplayer Improvements

In a new developer journal on the Diablo III website, Blizzard Entertainment’s Wyatt Cheng brings us up to speed on some of the multiplayer improvements they have in store for us in the action RPG’s v1.0.8 patch.  I can’t say that any of this will get me to fire up the game again, but it might be enough for some people:

Archon Kills
For the Wizards out there, many of you don’t play multiplayer because you need those kills to fuel your Archon. In 1.0.8, your Archon duration will also be extended by assists, so as long as you’re around when a monster dies, your Archon duration will be extended. (We have it on our radar to review other mechanics such as Life on Kill bonuses, but that’s not something we’ll be addressing this patch.)

Combat Alerts
When you’re playing co-op, one common practice is to say “e” in chat when you come across an Elite pack. So we thought why doesn’t the game just do this for you?

Starting in 1.0.8, when a player deals damage to or takes damage from an Elite pack or Treasure Goblin for the first time, a notification will be sent out to the entire party to let your teammates know what you’ve found. This will be accompanied by a “combat” icon on the mini-map so other players in your group can locate those enemies. On top of that, we’re also going to put a combat icon over your banner in town. This way, players who are in town will know that you’re fighting an Elite pack or Treasure Goblin and be able to quickly determine whose banner to take to get right into the action.

Players Near You
Similar to the feature in StarCraft II, the “Players Near You” window will display all players who are logged into Diablo III from your local network. This feature is great if you’re playing while at a university dorm or frequent Internet cafes, and will help you easily connect with other local players.