Summary
- Some Diablo 4 players suggest adding an auction house for in-game trading, similar to Diablo 3.
- Current system criticized as inconvenient, requiring extra steps and third-party sites for trades.
- Debate ongoing between implementing an auction house or disabling trading to prevent unwanted activities.
Some players in the Diablo 4 community are suggesting that Blizzard improve in-game trading by adding a potentially controversial auction house system. The current version of Diablo 4 does not have an auction house, but the previous game in the series, Diablo 3, had two.
In spite of a rough launch and early complaints by players about its pivot to a live service structure, Diablo 4 continues to steam ahead. Developer Blizzard seems committed to improving the game across its current seasonal content rollout, with the Diablo 4 Season 8 patch bringing some substantial tweaks and improvements in addition to the expected new activities and gear. As is natural for a live service game, however, the community is growing vocal in its call for improvements, as well as in its criticism of perceived shortfalls in the game's quality.
Diablo 4 Players Criticize 'Lack of Content' and 'Aggressive' Monetization
Diablo 4 players criticize the game's 'lack of content' and 'aggressive' monetization practices in the midst of Season 8 and the Berserk collab.
The complaints extend to the game's approach to trading, judging by the complaints of players like wolfrain92 on Reddit, who suggested that Blizzard improve Diablo 4 trading by implementing an auction house system, or else disable trade entirely. The system would be similar to the one last seen in Diablo 3, where players could put spare items up for sale and allow other players to trade in-game gold (or real money) for the item. By contrast, Diablo 4 item trades are significantly less convenient, and must be done "in-person" between two players in the same party sharing the same location.
Players Call For Diablo 4 Auction House or to Disable Trading Entirely
According to wolfrain92, who raised the auction house suggestion as a way of discussing the current state of trading in Diablo 4, the current system is so inconvenient that it may as well not exist. Trading for a desired item like a new Diablo 4 Mythic often requires "extra steps" and the use of a third-party community website designed to coordinate trades. An auction house, in theory, would centralize trading activities in-game and make it easier for players who want to buy the gear they need for their builds.
Reactions to the post saw many players preferring that trading be disabled entirely, rather than adding an auction house. Such players claimed that the mere presence of trading incentivizes unwanted activities like RMT (real money trading) and duplication glitches. Some mentioned that the Diablo 3 auction houses were closed in 2014, and that they were a major source of the game's early problems, due to the rampant abuse that occurred over the ability to trade real money for in-game items. Even an entirely in-game auction house would, in the critics' estimation, warp the game design to favor players trading for rare items rather than earning them themselves through gameplay.
It seems like at least some Diablo 4 players are dissatisfied with the current in-game economy and desire reform. Whether that reform comes through in-game changes or the return of controversial features like the auction house, it will be up to Blizzard to consider the complaints and act upon them.
Diablo 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
