It's always a bit daunting to get into a new game, especially an MMO, but luckily Diablo Immortal is going to hold your hand at the start, and there are quite a few real pitfalls to avoid, from less as a player. As we have already been able to play Diablo Immortal extensively in Beta and Early Access, as well as similar games, here are the lessons we learned.
What platform to play on? Desktop or mobile?
This obviously depends on the devices at your disposal. Diablo Immortal is available on PC, Android and iOS, with shared servers. This means that if you use the same Battle.net account on all of your devices, you can resume your progress without issue.
If you are looking for performance and gaming comfort, your best option is certainly to play on PC with a controller. As Diablo Immortal was primarily developed for mobiles, it is not very demanding.
Which server to choose?
There are dozens of game servers for Diablo Immortal, they are divided by geographical areas and languages. It is better to choose a server dedicated to your geographical area in priority, if you want to avoid having latency. There are 6 servers for metropolitan France (Skarn, Dravec, Charsiu, Leoric, Ammuit and Esu). If you plan to play with friends or family, it is important to choose the same game server , since characters cannot be transferred at this time. This means that you would potentially have to start from scratch, and waste the time or even the money you have invested in your character, if you change servers.
Which class to choose?
This is a broad question that is difficult to answer. All classes are viable , and they have their place in all game modes. There are also no roles like tank or healer . There are, however, more or less robust classes, ranged or melee, with or without group contributions, etc. Play what you want to play. But if you plan to play with relatives, try to choose different classes in order to benefit from these different cumulative bonuses. To summarize very briefly the characteristics of the classes:
- Crusader : A pseudo-tank with a large shield. He's tough, has a lot of AoE and mobility, and good group drops. This makes it a good choice in general, but its single target DPS is comparatively low.
- Barbarian : A big melee brute, very robust, with a lot of AoE too and group contributions. It is also excellent in PvP, and is generally considered one of the best classes since the beta.
- Monk : A martial arts specialist, he is very mobile, with controls and group contributions, he is a fairly balanced class that only sins in his DPS on a single target as well as by his rather intense gameplay which does not go not necessarily be suitable for all players, especially on mobile.
- Demon Hunter : The best single-target DPS in the game with his crossbows and projectiles, he also has good AoE, which allows him to decimate enemies from a distance. Since it has no party input, it is generally considered a very good choice for solo players. He also suffers from a great lack of mobility and great fragility.
- Sorcerer : This spell caster can create devastating ability combos, which makes it very satisfying, but also more difficult to play. You have to aim well with your skills, and have the right timing. He's quite vulnerable when his abilities recharge, and playing him in PvP is tricky.
- Necromancer : The pet class, summon your personal army to tank and deal damage. Couple that with lots of group boosts and control effects, this makes for a very powerful character to start with. However, he suffers from a great lack of mobility and his dependence on corpses.
Tips and Equipment
- Remember to activate the automatic pickup of all types of objects in the game settings, you will gain in comfort.
- Remember to pick up the blue experience orbs on the ground, they go a long way towards leveling you up.
- When your backpack in the top right of the screen is flashing, you have picked up a better item than what you already have, you just have to equip the items with a green arrow in the inventory. Optimization will come at a higher level.
- Equip your mobility skill to level 8 (or 15, depending on the class) , then keep it permanently in order to survive or progress faster towards your destination.
- Killing fleeing treasure goblins, and visiting random lairs is very profitable.
- Keep an eye on the map, elites, chests, bosses and events are marked on it.
- Activate waypoints and use your portal to come and go faster, there's no need to walk back to town.
- The improvement of equipment will soon be introduced, it is reserved for rare and legendary items. Feel free to max out all of your items, then socket gems inside when you have them. The reason is that when you change your item, you will automatically have the option to transfer all upgrades and gems for free. Nothing is lost , so don't deprive yourself of it, it will make you gain a lot of power.
- Upon arriving in Westmarch, you will have the Ancestral Rifts tutorial and Rare and Legendary Emblems. Your first Rift will earn you a Legendary Gem. Feel free to use your other emblems right away, the more gems and legendary gems you have, the faster you will progress. It is useless to wait to be at a higher level.
- If you find legendary items, don't recycle them. You can extract their power from a special merchant in town, which will transfer it to other items later. Only recycle duplicate legendary items, for which you have already extracted the power.
Story and Battle Pass
- You can play however you like, but if your goal is to progress as quickly as possible, it's better to progress as fast as possible through the main story. Unlocking many features is tied to the thing, as well as your level . You just have to select the objective on the left of the screen and then follow the golden footsteps on the ground.
- Another important item is the Battle Pass. Along with the Codex, it will track your progress and reward the accomplishment of different goals. Open the menus marked with a red gem in order to collect your rewards, this often includes gold and experience, which will make you progress all the more quickly. If you want to optimize your leveling speed, wait as late as possible to do so, the experience offered depends on your current level.
- Optional Battle Pass objectives often appear in green on the left side of the screen, below the current story objective. It's almost always optimal to seek validation immediately, so you should keep an eye on it. The game will warn you if it is validated by progressing further in the story.
- The Battle Pass will eventually give you the choice between different legendary items, choose well according to the build you plan to play.
Daily Activities, Bestiary, and Bounties
- The way Diablo Immortal is named makes it best to unlock the various features as quickly as possible, whether it's dungeons, bounties, rifts, the bestiary, the infernal reliquary or the cycle of conflict with the different factions. It is better to participate a little immediately in order to unlock the initial rewards and start participating, even if you are not particularly interested in the beginning.
- You then have to try to connect every day, if only to kill a single monster . This will unlock a nice daily reward with increasing quality. If you have more time, there are other daily rewards to unlock, such as a free pack, just by playing.
- You can then complete different types of activities, events and the like all over the world like bounties etc. It is better to play a little every day, than to play intensively for one day and not log in several days in a row, since there are daily limits to certain activities.
Microtransactions
You can absolutely play Diablo Immortal without paying anything , it's not handicapping and doesn't affect your enjoyment of the game. You absolutely don't need it to reach and beat the high level content . But if you're going to spend a little money on it, here are some recommendations for the most profitable items:
- The battle pass improved by paying is by far the best investment, it will double the rewards obtained, however it is necessary to play regularly to take full advantage of it. This includes gold, experience, gems, and legendary items.
- Unique packs are unlocked at different points in the game, such as completing the tutorial or completing a dungeon. The value of their content is always much higher than other purchase types, and they are only available once each. It's a good way to give yourself a helping hand without spending a lot of money.
The character customization module is quite advanced on Diablo Immortal. Many players have therefore had a field day recreating star faces! Johnny Depp, William Dafoe or even JK Simmons were thus able to become combat-ready avatars!
