(AfroGamers.com) My brother and I dropped in on Diablo IV early into ‘Season 2: Season of Blood’, which I felt was an extremely fun season once you got past the story and was allowed to really run wild with those vampiric powers. At the moment, our seasonal main characters—my rogue and his sorcerer—are level 100.
The Tedium of Diablo IV’s Nightmare Vaults
We get on in the evenings between 6-6:30PM, do one or two Helltide runs and spend the bulk of the time running through the vaults. It’s the main thing that S3 has over S2 of Diablo IV: the nightmare vaults. They’re briefer adventures compared to running through these lengthy, seemingly endless nightmare dungeons with two-part objectives.
Two-part objectives with a boss at the end.
It becomes tedious quickly and found more enjoyment in mobbing through the Helltide, crafting, and clearing side quests than doing the dungeons. During season three, I’ve done no nightmare dungeons. Mind you, I’ve done some of the regular dungeons to pick up specific Aspects but beyond that, I avoid dungeons like the plague.
They’re just…so grueling and tedious, folks. I mean, that’s Diablo and the endless grind and farming is part of the game. Or rather, that’s what it became. You had to hit up those nightmare dungeons regularly if you were going to beef up your Glyphs and in turn, beef up your character’s build. Theres no way around it.
Finding the good spot level-wise for tackling nightmare dungeons meant that you would be tackling dungeons of that level for the long haul while farming XP to steadily improve your Glyphs. Then you move on to a higher level and continue.
Grumbles About Gear and Glyphs
The end goal is amassing unique and uber unique loot that will tie your build together—granted you’re willing to move some skill points around if you’re wearing all uniques. Personally, I have only been wowed by two pieces of legendary unique rogue gear. I have my own playing style that makes the game fun for me and my Skill Tree and Paragon Board are set up a certain way.
Some of the uniques that drop are tied to skills I don’t use or played around with early into the season before settling into my current build. Other uniques give some kind boost depending on the situation. That’s all fine and good but slapping Aspects on some ancestral legendary gear gives me what I want.
Now, I will stop and actually entertain a piece of unique gear with an item power of 925, especially if I’m curious about it like Razorplate. However, finding a workable ancestral piece with enchantments that I can change will always catch my eye.
Enter the Vaults
For those who don’t follow Diablo IV, the nightmare vaults are special vaults with increased difficulty and greater rewards. Like nightmare dungeons, you’re able to get experience points to apply towards leveling up your Glyphs, used to unlock the true power of your Paragon board, the skill and ability board that unlocks after level 50.
It pretty much renders nightmare dungeons pointless since they’re shorter, give something extra, and don’t feature split objectives. No, it’s basically avoid the traps, slaughter enemies, grab a keystone, and clear out the treasure room. It’s fabulous.
If avoiding the traps seem tedious, that’s because it is and honestly, you could just load up on Wards—currency used to unlock chests after clearing a vault—and mob through the vault. With enough wards, you can take hits from the traps, lose a couple of wards and still have enough to unlock the chests. For me, the best amount is 70.
These alternative vaults can be hit up multiple times in a row without becoming boring or feeling like end game busy work. Again, there is something to gain from the nightmare dungeons, it’s not like you’re just doing them and getting nothing. Mind you, what you get might be mid or trash depending on the level it drops and the roll on whatever drops.
There’s just something about going through a lengthy dungeon delve and getting an abundance of trash gear that smacks of time wasted. With the vaults, you can smash them, get some trash gear, but the sting just seems reduced significantly because you weren’t in there long. Even if the Son of Malphus or The Butcher pops up, it’s still not a “better bring a lunch” adventure.
But what do you think? Do you prefer the nightmare vaults or are you still team nightmare dungeons? If you still rock with NMD, why? Let us know in the comments!
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.