[[File:Seasonal-hero-selection-sml2.jpg|frame|Character creation Seasonal check box.]]'''Ladders''' rank are part of '''Seasons''' and after being long-promised were added to Diablo 3 in [[Patch 2.1]] in the position summer of players based 2014. Full details on set metrics such as kill score Seasons are not yet available, but Blizzard has promised they will reset regularly and/or character level and they usually run for feature a period large amount of time (season) after which time unique content, including new Legendary items, plus special Seasonal [[Leaderboards]] ranking the top players by numerous criteria. There will also be special seasonal [[Achievements]] called [[Conquests]] where only the first 1000 players to complete them, each ladder is resetseason, will be publicly honored.
Ladders Seasons will run for several months (quarterly?) and are optional and require an opt in at the time of character creation. For the duration of each season, your ladder characters are stored separately on your account, and do not share gold, stash space, [[Artisan]] levels, [[Paragon]] Levels, equipment, etc with non-ladder characters. After each season ends, Ladder characters are merged back in with your regular characters, and any [[gold]] and seasons have been confirmed Paragon experience earned by your Ladder characters will be added to your main account. It's not yet known how end of season character merging will be handled in terms of exceeding available stash space, and Blizzard to has not said if additional character slots will be coming provided for ladder characters. ==Ladders are "Seasons"== The official name for ladders in Diablo 3 is "Seasons" which is a bit confusing, but apparently meant to Reaper of Soulsset them apart from the much simpler Diablo 2 ladder system. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-reveals-diablo-3-seasonpatch-ladders2-confirmed1-coming-soon preview] <blue>Similar to Ladders coming in Diablo® II, Seasons will offer players in Diablo® III a chance to Diablo 3] periodically start fresh, leveling their level 1 characters and artisans from scratch. Season participation benefits include exclusive rewards and unique Legendaries as well as the the thrill of climbing all- Josh Mosqueiranew DiabloWikiLeaderboards by completing achievements, Blizzard Entertainmentearning Conquests, 25/04/2014or running Greater Rifts.</refblue> ==Ladder Display== [[File:Leaderboard5.jpg|thumb|400px|Leaderboard first sample image.]]Ladder positions during each Season will be displayed via leaderboards. The first sample image of one was provided in the Patch 2.1 preview, with more info to come.
<blue>... we’re still working on them, but the general gist is that you’ll be able to level up a character, we will have specific ladders for seasons, and also some goodies that will drop along the way. There’s more information of that to come, and we’re not making an announcement of when, but for sure Seasons are coming to Reaper of Souls. Yeah, the secret is out.</blue>
==Details So Far Confirmed==
In an interview in April 2014 [[John Hight]] fleshed out more concrete details of how Ladders and Seasons were shaping up during development and what players can expect to see. <ref name=shacknews>[http://www.shacknews.com/article/84210/diablo-3-dev-team-discusses-reaper-of-souls-and-answers Details of Seasons] Shacknews interview with John Hight, 24/04/2014</ref>
*Each Season begins with a fresh characters*No access to existing stash, loot or shards*When season ends all experience, items, gold etc is rolled back into your normal non-ladder roster*New, powerful legendaries that drop only to ladder characters*Leaderboards will rank progress by various metrics such as region, clans==Blizzard Comments on Ladders in Diablo 3==
Fans have been asking about ladders since Diablo 3 was first announced back in 2008, and while the developers always sounded open to including them, it took years before the idea moved beyond the drawing board. Here's a chronological collection of official comments on the idea of Ladders in Diablo 3.
==History of Ladders in Diablo 3==
Ladders were one of the first things fans asked for when Diablo 3 was first announced and it's always been Blizzard's desire to include such a thing, although they have run hot and cold on the subject in some of their responses over the years.'September 2010'''
Early comments on ladders were of the "maybe someday" variety. Community Manager [[Bashiok]] talked up other game features as a better way to rank players in September 2010. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/more-on-d3s-end-game-and-achievements Achievements better than ladders] - Blizzard Community Manager, 23/09/2010</ref>
'''24 April 2014'''<blue>As far as the e-peen meter goes for showing off a higher level character, we think a proper achievement system is much better at this. There’s more variety, they’re more interesting and compelling for people to work toward. One important point of note is that our achievements are cross-character, meaning we can give achievements for things like leveling 5, 10… hell, 20 characters to 60. Certainly a bigger feat than a level 99, and we can give tangible rewards for it too.</blue>
[[John Hight]] in an interview gave up some more details on what's currently in ladders and seasons.<ref name=shacknews/>
<blue>Seasons are a shard of the existing game where everything is a fresh start. You start with a brand new character without access to any of the gold or items you collected with your primary account for the length of the season. We plan on creating brand new, powerful legendaries that only drop within in the season. After the season ends, all of your progress — your experience, your items, your gold, etc. — will be rolled into the main roster. The goal is the fresh-start feeling — so many changes and tweaks have happened since the launch of Diablo III — it is really energizing and fun to recreate that ‘first-moment-in-a-new-game’ feeling.'''August 2012'''
We’ve also added leaderboards. Players can race on a variety of metrics Jay Wilson talked about wanting ladders someday, but not any time soon in August 2012, in relation to try to become the leader in their region or the top of their friends and clan listsnew [[Paragon]] system.<ref>[http://www. That friendly competition angle lends itself really well to Diablo gamesdiablofans.com/news/47417-patch-1-0-4-interview-with-jay-wilson-and-andrew Ladders not coming soon] - Jay Wilson interview, 20/08/2012</blueref>
<blue><font color="#FFFFFF">Could we see a Ladder system get tied into the new Paragon system?</font>
Currently no. We don't have any plans to do a ladder system. Probably the question for that is "are we going to have some kind of seasons for the game like Diablo 2 did". I said in the past we are not really interested in doing that, but I really should clarify that. The idea of doing seasons is a really good idea and something we should introduce to Diablo 3 at some point. I don’t see no reasons for it to be at launch, as that is Season 1. We don't have to worry about it till we do Season 2. What im not really keen on is leveling being the primary element that motivates doing a new season. I don’t think it appeals to that many people.
The people that like it really love it and they compete. But everybody knows it does not take that long to get to level 60 in Diablo 3, and it did not take that long to get to level 99 when you level raced in D2. The people that would do that race, they would do it for a couple weeks, and then essentially the season would be over, and the ladder would be over, and that is something we do not want. We want something that feels like as if we introduced seasons, We want whatever the motivation to join the new season be to be more appealing to a broad group of people. That’s not to say we don’t want it to be appealing to our more hardcore dedicated players. We want it to be super appealing to them as well. We just think there are other things than “lets all just level up a level ladder”. So totally for Seasons, not really that keen on the level ladders because I just don't think a big part of the audience benefits from it. If you''25 March 2014'''re basically not in the top 100, who cares?
[[Josh Mosqueira]] unequivocally confirmed details of ladders coming That means that basically 100 people think it’s awesome, and maybe a couple more hundred think its cool because they think one day they will be in it and to me it’s like, ok really? Like, we are going to Reaper of Souls put a big feature in content [[Patch 2.1]]. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-season-ladders-confirmed-coming-soon Ladders coming , and I’m not saying those people are wrong, or that I don't want to Diablo 3] - Josh Mosqueiramake something for them, 25/03/2014I just think we can do better than that.</refblue>
<blue>Well that's a really good question, isn't it, Wyatt? When you're making a game you come up with a lot of good ideas, and some ideas like Devil's Hand you say: it's awesome, it probably needs to bake a little bit longer. But one of them that we felt was really important, that we felt we really needed to take the proper time to develop it, was one of the features you guys have asked about a lot. You might have noticed that Wyatt and myself have done a lot of research for something called ladders. I'm very happy to say that as part of our first big content patch coming out in the next couple of months, we are going to be releasing Seasons, which will include a ladder-like aspect to them.
Well, we're still working on them, but the general gist is that you'll be able to level up a character, we will have specific ladders for seasons, and also some goodies that will drop along the way. There's more information of that to come, and we're not making an announcement of when, but for sure Seasons are coming to Reaper of Souls. Yeah, the secret is out.</blue>
<blue>Josh Mosqueira
We only speak of it in hushed tones… we didn’t just build walls out of bones, but also ladders to climb over them…
and
Ladders at the #reaperofsouls launch event?!?!? </blue>
<center>
[[Travis Day]] speaking on [[Paragon]] experience being reset with new seasons, <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/travis-day-on-paragon-2-0-and-ladders Resetting Paragon points] - Travis Day, Blizzard Entertainment, 14/09/2013</ref>
<blue>Travis Day Paragon experience will be account but will also be broken out by game play mode. Players who play in Hardcore will have a separate hardcore paragon level from their non hardcore characters.
When a season ends all of the paragon experience you have earned will be rolled into the appropriate pool of paragon experience for the account and you will be able to start at 0 again in the new season.
[[File:Seasonal-hero-selection-sml.jpg|thumb|400px|Selecting "seasonal" on character creation.]]
<blue>Whyatt Wyatt Cheng: There are two aspect of ladder, both of which I think are interesting. One is the competitive ladder aspect, the race to the top. The other is the economy reset, this fresh sharded off economy where everyone begins clean. ...(snip)... So I think one of the benefits of a ladder is just this idea that it's really fun to start fresh, and experience this rapid rate of upgrading, again. A ladder is a great excuse to do it. Sometimes we all want to do it and we can choose to do it, but sometimes it's nice to do it together, as a global community. Or have a recognized badge of honor, for having done it.</blue> And later what excites him about ladders and how it could not happen until and [[expansion]]. <blue>We're definitely looking into the possibility of a ladder, or something like that. I personally -- this is just me speaking and there are other people on the team who would disagree with me, so I'll say that, it's just my opinion -- I'm more excited about the reroll and clean economy aspect of ladder seasons, than I am of the race. I know the race is exciting too, and there's pictures of people who are getting ready for the new season. They have all their caffeinated drinks on their desk, and I think that's epic and awesome, if not always healthy. But realistically, yeah it's something we're cool with. It wouldn't be viable until an expansion.</blue> [[Travis Day]] also chimed in with enthusiasm but still, stresses the fact they will happen later rather than sooner. <blue>Travis Day Ladder is something that is not out of the question. We talk about it, we're investigating it, you might see it one day. Not making any promises on when or how, but it is certainly something that we talk about a lot. A lot of the talk we do, or sometimes do, is like -- Diablo needs to live on well beyond the point of which we're working on the game. D2 had some support, but you're not going to see (and I'm pulling time frames out of butt, but): Five years from now, you're probably not going to see us making huge content patches, or class updates. At some point we'll set the game aside, sort of leave it as a work that we've completed, and move on to like Diablo 4, or whatever, right? Ladders is absolutely one of the things that helps the game stay fresh for people 5 years from now, or 3 years, or 2 years, or whatever. Ladders are cool, ladders comes with a lot of baggage when I say "ladders"; but the idea is of sort of a fresh economy and a fresh system for people who choose so, to opt into leveling all over again with a clean slate, with other people who want the same thing. That's really important and it's really compelling, and we probably want to have that one day, but I don't know how we'll implement it, or what it'll look like, or when it'll go in.</blue>
There are two aspect of ladder, both of which I think are interesting. One is Ladders and seasons were first confirmed as a feature we would definitely see in the competitive ladder aspect, the race to the topfuture by game director [[Josh Mosquera]] in March 2014. The other is the economy reset, this fresh sharded off economy where everyone begins clean<ref>[http://diablo. incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-season-ladders-confirmed-coming-soon Ladders coming to Diablo 3] - Josh Mosqueira, Blizzard Entertainment, 25/04/2014</ref> <blue>..(snip)... So I think one of we’re still working on them, but the benefits of a ladder general gist is just this idea that it's really fun you’ll be able to start freshlevel up a character, we will have specific ladders for seasons, and experience this rapid rate also some goodies that will drop along the way. There’s more information of upgradingthat to come, again. A ladder is a great excuse to do it. Sometimes we all want to do it and we can choose to do itwe’re not making an announcement of when, but sometimes it's nice for sure Seasons are coming to do it together, as a global communityReaper of Souls. Or have a recognized badge of honorYeah, for having done itthe secret is out.</blue>
And later what excites him about ladders and how it could not happen until and [[expansion]].
'''25 March 2014'''
[[Josh Mosqueira]] unequivocally confirmed details of ladders coming to Reaper of Souls in content [[Patch 2.1]]. <blueref>We're definitely looking into the possibility of a ladder, or something like that[http://diablo.incgamers. I personally com/blog/comments/diablo-3-season-ladders-confirmed- this is just me speaking and there are other people on the team who would disagree with me, so I'll say that, it's just my opinion coming-soon Ladders coming to Diablo 3] - I'm more excited about the reroll and clean economy aspect of ladder seasonsJosh Mosqueira, than I am of the race. I know the race is exciting too, and there's pictures of people who are getting ready for the new season. They have all their caffeinated drinks on their desk, and I think that's epic and awesome, if not always healthy. But realistically, yeah it's something we're cool with. It wouldn't be viable until an expansion.25/03/2014</blueref>
[[Travis Day]] also chimed in <blue>Well that's a really good question, isn't it, Wyatt? When you're making a game you come up with enthusiasm but stilla lot of good ideas, and some ideas like Devil's Hand you say: it's awesome, stresses it probably needs to bake a little bit longer. But one of them that we felt was really important, that we felt we really needed to take the fact they proper time to develop it, was one of the features you guys have asked about a lot. You might have noticed that Wyatt and myself have done a lot of research for something called ladders. I'm very happy to say that as part of our first big content patch coming out in the next couple of months, we are going to be releasing Seasons, which will happen later rather than soonerinclude a ladder-like aspect to them.
Well, we're still working on them, but the general gist is that you'll be able to level up a character, we will have specific ladders for seasons, and also some goodies that will drop along the way. There's more information of that to come, and we're not making an announcement of when, but for sure Seasons are coming to Reaper of Souls. Yeah, the secret is out.</blue>
<blue>Travis Day
Ladder is something that is not out of the question. We talk about it, we're investigating it, you might see it one day. Not making any promises on when or how, but it is certainly something that we talk about a lot. A lot of the talk we do, or sometimes do, is like -- Diablo needs to live on well beyond the point of which we're working on the game. D2 had some support, but you're not going to see (and I'm pulling time frames out of butt, but): Five years from now, you're probably not going to see us making huge content patches, or class updates. At some point we'll set the game aside, sort of leave it as a work that we've completed, and move on to like Diablo 4, or whatever, right? Ladders is absolutely one of the things that helps the game stay fresh for people 5 years from now, or 3 years, or 2 years, or whatever. Ladders are cool, ladders comes with a lot of baggage when I say "ladders"; but the idea is of sort of a fresh economy and a fresh system for people who choose so, to opt into leveling all over again with a clean slate, with other people who want the same thing. That's really important and it's really compelling, and we probably want to have that one day, but I don't know how we'll implement it, or what it'll look like, or when it'll go in.</blue>
In an interview in April 2014 [[John Hight]] fleshed out more concrete details of how Ladders and Seasons were shaping up during development and what players can expect to see. <ref name=shacknews>[http://www.shacknews.com/article/84210/diablo-3-dev-team-discusses-reaper-of-souls-and-answers Details of Seasons] Shacknews interview with John Hight, 24/04/2014</ref>
'''September 2010'''*Each Season begins with a fresh characters*No access to existing stash, loot or shards*When season ends all experience, items, gold etc is rolled back into your normal non-ladder roster*New, powerful legendaries that drop only to ladder characters*Leaderboards will rank progress by various metrics such as region, clans
A community manager pours a bit of cold water on the idea. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/more-on-d3s-end-game-and-achievements Achievements better than ladders] - Blizzard Community Manager, 23/09/2010</ref>
<blue>Bashiok (community manager)'''24 April 2014'''
[[John Hight]] in an interview gave up some more details on what's currently in ladders and seasons.<ref name=shacknews/>
As far as <blue>Seasons are a shard of the e-peen meter goes for showing off existing game where everything is a fresh start. You start with a higher level brand new characterwithout access to any of the gold or items you collected with your primary account for the length of the season. We plan on creating brand new, we think a proper achievement system is much better at thispowerful legendaries that only drop within in the season. There’s more varietyAfter the season ends, they’re more interesting and compelling for people to work toward. One important point all of note is that our achievements are cross-characteryour progress — your experience, meaning we can give achievements for things like leveling 5your items, 10… hellyour gold, 20 characters to 60etc. — will be rolled into the main roster. Certainly a bigger feat than a level 99, The goal is the fresh-start feeling — so many changes and we can give tangible rewards for tweaks have happened since the launch of Diablo III — it toois really energizing and fun to recreate that ‘first-moment-in-a-new-game’ feeling.</blue>
We’ve also added leaderboards. Players can race on a variety of metrics to try to become the leader in their region or the top of their friends and clan lists. That friendly competition angle lends itself really well to Diablo games.</blue>
