Should I go Eternal or Seasonal for S7?

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Up until this point, I've exclusively played Eternal on all my characters; prior to Vessel Of Hatred, I got all five classes to Lv50+, then in S6 when Paragon was reworked, I leveled a fresh Spiritborn to 60 for the VoH campaign, before abandoning it for the other classes once I saw how overpowered it was (and thus how "builds" would consist entirely of using as many OP mechanics as possible without rhyme or reason; I prefer to handcraft "themed" builds without a guide).

After that, I releveled all five basegame characters to the new Lv60 cap, then grinded Paragon from there. I was never an "endgame" player with only a handful of Ancestral stuff, although I DID beat Khazra Citadel. Now, this'll be the first Season I've played where there's no "new" character to create, so if I were to play on Eternal, I would be solely grinding gear and Glyphs on already-maxed characters. However, the main reason I don't want to create a Seasonal character is I prefer to keep progressing my "main" account; it's also nice to not have the Battlepass pestering me.

What's coming in this season for Eternal players? The Armory is definitely the most exciting bit; being able to easily try alternate builds for my existing characters would probably be the most engaging. With Spiritborn hopefully brought into balance, I'll be able to finally play them at endgame without feeling dirty. On the other hand, the Witchcraft powers do look far more interesting than any prior Seasonal mechanic, and while content from the S1 and S2 mechanics were added to the basegame, nothing from S3 was as far as I can tell.

People who have primarily played Eternal up to this point; are you going to play Eternal or Seasonal for S7? Also, if you're the type who only plays Seasonal, please don't feel the need to get your two bits in; I have my reasons for preferring non-Seasonal in ARPG's and I don't feel like getting into an elites-vs.-casuals flamewar.

[Angel]

I always played season in D3. It's the easiest way to get free stuff, and eventually it becomes eternal anyway.

[😎Astran😾]

I'm playing seasons because there is battlepass with somewhat decent weapon cosmetics.

Also before season 6 there was no long-term progression which could last (for me) past three months so eternal realm was half-useless. Yet now we have paragon which I've done to 270 only (roughly 40% of all xp needed to 300) so eternal realm becomes more relevant, especially if the devs will allow battlepass progression on it

[Ossisaverni]

I always played eternal characters in Diablo 3 but after hundreds of hours, I ended up bored without progression as it is becoming more and more difficult to improve the equipment.

So for many years now, I switched to seasons in these games, poe, LE.

In this S6, playing alone, I have reached 240 paragon and torment 4, about 90 hours very fun.

For S7 I'll start a character again and as far as it goes.

I will do the same with the LE when a new cycle begins.

[Hefutoxin]

Originally posted by Dark Sun Gwyndolin:

Also, if you're the type who only plays Seasonal, please don't feel the need to get your two bits in; I have my reasons for preferring non-Seasonal in ARPG's and I don't feel like getting into an elites-vs.-casuals flamewar.

I play both to some degree.

I think seasonal is for the new content to remix the leveling process a bit. I don't believe anyone views it as an elite vs casual thing.

The battlepass isn't too intrusive. It's a greenish popup like an achievement when you can claim something. It's not a particularly long or difficult pass either, since you can progress through it by simply killing everything.

The downside is losing the temporary seasonal powers at the end of a season. If you have made a build around them that you like, that build will no longer exist. But that also happens with balance changes as well.

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Maybe what I'll do is start the game on Eternal, and if I find myself getting bored hop to Seasonal. I wonder what character I'd use for it? Maybe Companion Druid.

[Irene ❤]

Stop lying to yourself, you know you want to flirt with a new character in seasonal. Don't worry I won't tell your character in eternal.

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Originally posted by Irene ❤:

Stop lying to yourself, you know you want to flirt with a new character in seasonal. Don't worry I won't tell your character in eternal.

That's the thing, during S6 I got all six classes to Lv60, so there isn't any "new" character choice I could make in Seasonal, as opposed to trying different builds in Eternal.

[RJboxer]

Originally posted by Dark Sun Gwyndolin:

Originally posted by Irene ❤:

Stop lying to yourself, you know you want to flirt with a new character in seasonal. Don't worry I won't tell your character in eternal.

That's the thing, during S6 I got all six classes to Lv60, so there isn't any "new" character choice I could make in Seasonal, as opposed to trying different builds in Eternal.

this is kind of incorrect. As is your opinion on Eternal... IMO

1- Seasonal characters become Eternal when a season ends. SO you are "still progressing your main account"

Make seasonal, there is no downside. Only upside. Free cosmetics, free boosts, free gear... free pet.. AND THEN it goes eternal.

2- There are many many new characters. A quick search of the multiple "Build" sites, will show there are dozens if not hundreds of "main stream" builds. I know you said "unless try new builds" But I think you said that too casually. The builds can be very very different.

Your "sorcerer" isn't going to play like ANY other sorc on any build list, since you did it yourself. And if you DO play one of those sorcs... it won't play like any other sorc on those build lists. Each "class" has many many ways to play them. Many of those ways are drastically different. For instance, a Necromancer can go Minions.. Or can go NO MINIONS (i.e. Blood wave build will be super popular this season. no minions)


~cheers

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Originally posted by RJboxer:

Originally posted by Dark Sun Gwyndolin:

That's the thing, during S6 I got all six classes to Lv60, so there isn't any "new" character choice I could make in Seasonal, as opposed to trying different builds in Eternal.

this is kind of incorrect. As is your opinion on Eternal... IMO

1- Seasonal characters become Eternal when a season ends. SO you are "still progressing your main account"

Make seasonal, there is no downside. Only upside. Free cosmetics, free boosts, free gear... free pet.. AND THEN it goes eternal.

2- There are many many new characters. A quick search of the multiple "Build" sites, will show there are dozens if not hundreds of "main stream" builds. I know you said "unless try new builds" But I think you said that too casually. The builds can be very very different.

Your "sorcerer" isn't going to play like ANY other sorc on any build list, since you did it yourself. And if you DO play one of those sorcs... it won't play like any other sorc on those build lists. Each "class" has many many ways to play them. Many of those ways are drastically different. For instance, a Necromancer can go Minions.. Or can go NO MINIONS (i.e. Blood wave build will be super popular this season. no minions)


~cheers

Yep, there's the "Seasonal is ALWAYS better than Eternal" peeps I was worried about. It's true that I could make another build on a class I've played before in Seasonal; but now that the Armory is added, I can finally use all the previously-irrelevant Uniques I've gathered on my Eternal characters. And once Seasonal ends, one of my duplicate characters is going to get deleted.

If this were a game like Grim Dawn or Last Epoch, where there's at least one permanent choice beyond class (dualclassing in Grim Dawn, subclasses in Last Epoch), I probably WOULD be making a Seasonal character (although Grim Dawn doesn't have seasons at all). But I realize now the Armory is probably the feature I'm most excited for, and that's arguably a more useful feature on Eternal.

[NRFBToyStore]

Originally posted by Dark Sun Gwyndolin:

Originally posted by Irene ❤:

Stop lying to yourself, you know you want to flirt with a new character in seasonal. Don't worry I won't tell your character in eternal.

That's the thing, during S6 I got all six classes to Lv60, so there isn't any "new" character choice I could make in Seasonal, as opposed to trying different builds in Eternal.

Level 60 is like 4 hours? And, playing all these classes in one season just burns you out...vs sticking to ONE character to like level 80, actually focusing on a proper paragon build and then pick a new class for NEXT season. ... You play how you want, but what you're doing is just guaranteed boredom.

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Originally posted by NRFBToyStore:

Originally posted by Dark Sun Gwyndolin:

That's the thing, during S6 I got all six classes to Lv60, so there isn't any "new" character choice I could make in Seasonal, as opposed to trying different builds in Eternal.

Level 60 is like 4 hours? And, playing all these classes in one season just burns you out...vs sticking to ONE character to like level 80, actually focusing on a proper paragon build and then pick a new class for NEXT season. ... You play how you want, but what you're doing is just guaranteed boredom.

Thing is, my Paragon level on Eternal isn't that high to begin with, only 179 currently. I'd rather pump a Paragon level that affects all my classes, rather than "locking" it to the Seasonal realm for the next 3+ months.