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Arena

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Arena or deathmatch style (PvP) player vs. player combat was planned for inclusion in Diablo 3, and an Arena style PvP was very popular when demoed at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011. That feature did not make it into the final game<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-future-of-diablo-pvp-posted-dueling Team Death Match Shelved] - Jay Wilson, Blizzard, 27 December 2012</ref>, and there was no PvP at allref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/no-pvp-at-launch No PvP at D3 launch] - Blizzard Press Release, March 2012</ref> in D3v until late in 2012 when the [[Brawling]] feature<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-dueling-re-named-to-brawling PvP is now "Brawling"] - February 10, 2012</ref> was introduced. (Just in time to beat the "within this year" promise Jay Wilson made<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/new-info-on-pvp-in-diablo-iii PvP in Diablo 3] - Blizzard, April 29, 2012</ref> in early 2012.) Brawling allows PvP in-game, but it has no balance changes, and no record keeping or ranking tables, and most fans find it much less than compelling.
Throughout 2012, 2013, and into 2014 fans have repeatedly asked the developers about an Arena combat mode, and always Blizzard has said they like the idea and want to support PvP properly, but haven't found the ideal system for that yet. Speculation that it will finally be included in the second [[Diablo 3 Expansion]] is possible, but likely just wishful thinking.
==Team Death Match Shelved==
'''The information in this page will probably be largely changed with the announcement that Team Deathmatch has gone back to the drawing board.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-future-of-diablo-pvp-posted-dueling Team Death Match Shelved] - Jay Wilson, Blizzard, 27 December 2012</ref> Some or none of the information on this {{PAGENAME}} page could still be pertinent but Blizzard have not released any information on its new iteration. It is preserved here for interest and until such time as there is new information.'''==Why no Arena Mode?==
The question has been asked many times, and always the developers say the system just wasn't right for Diablo 3. Josh Mosquera replied to an interview question about it in July 2013.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-3-developers-video-interview D3 Developer Interview] - Josh Mosqueira, July 2013</ref>
==Introduction==<blue>Josh Mosqueira: But was [Arena with pre-made characters] the right expression of PvP for Diablo? Something we really struggled with is, does it feel like Diablo when you’re not A: using your character that has all your cool items, and does it feel like Diablo in the fact that you’re not getting any items. I think everybody intrinsically gets the idea that a PvP mode in Diablo 3 should be really fun, and we’ve seen examples that in bursts it can be a lot of fun. So the questions is how do we make sure it feels like thematically... not just a side product, but part of the overall core fantasy of the game.</blue>
Most players greatly enjoyed<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-diablo-podcast-48-blizzcon-and-the-pvp-demo Diablo 3 Podcast, PvP Delays] - The Diablo Podcast, October 2011</ref> the Arena mode in the Blizzcon 2010 and 2011 demo -- using pre-made characters for a skill-based, rather than level/item based winner -- and Blizzard's refusal to recreate that sort of system seems suspicious to some fans. Speculation is that Blizzard felt that sort of system in Diablo 3 would be too similar to their planned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DotA DotA]-style game, which is targeted for release in 2014 as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_the_Storm Heroes of the Storm].
There was no PvP in Diablo III at launch.
Though Blizzard had long-promised special PvP Arenas in Diablo III, and there were playable (and very popular) Arena demos at BlizzCon 2010 and 2011, the developers did not have enough time to polish the Arena mode sufficiently to include it in Diablo 3 at launch. They have have committed to add the Arena system in a patch, one they hope to release later in 2012.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/new-info-on-pvp-in-diablo-iii PvP in Diablo 3] - Blizzard, April 29, 2012</ref>
The Arena system will not be an esport, and the developers do not plan to put a great deal of effort into balancing Diablo 3's PvP combat, in terms of tweaking buffs, debuffs, stuns, CC skills, and all the rest that are required for PvP, but are not a major part of the PvE gameplay.
 The following info refers to the Arena System during development, and as seen at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011 in playable demos. It is preserved for posterity. {{Archived|July 2014|The Arena system during development.. See the [[PvP]] and [[Brawling]] articles for the current game state of PvP.}}  ==During Development: The Arena in Diablo III==
Battle Arenas were unveiled at Blizzcon 2010. They are a specialized game type in which players can engage in PvP combat in a controlled, regulated environment.
::''Hi, do you have any plans on allowing the items, traits, skills etc. used in PvM to be swapped for a PvP build on the same character? --Nielsdue
::No current plans for a dual spec or other quick-swap mechanic to change into a PvP build. --Diablo
 
==Arena Gameplay==
The Battle Arena is as seen at Blizzcon 2011 was match based play, based on a 3 vs 3 format. Blizzard chose 3 vs. 3 as a way to help eliminate some of the balance issues from a particular build / class combination. However, they have also stated that they would like to support 1v1 and other duels of a custom size, and perhaps even some other game types, so expect to see more than just the 3 vs. 3 format with the shipped game.
Early testing of the matches at Blizzcon 2010 showed that most of them were very quick and brutal, typically lasting less than a minute per round. It's expected that matches will become longer and more strategic as players gain skill and use their own characters, but the basic game design is for a "best of" series of matches, with numerous deaths in a short new round beginning each time. It's not meant to be a long, drawn one team was completely wiped out, one-fall type of battle. (Though it might become that way The system evolved and in 2011 matches ran for [[Hardcore]] dueling15 minutes with total kills tracked, depending on how that feature is implementedand slain players respawning after a few second delay.)
[[File:Health-orb-arena1.jpg|frame|Arena health orb.]]The only Several battle arena we have arenas were shown off at Blizzcon or seen so far is a small area with several obstacles laid out symmetrically across the mapin datamining, and four health globe spawn points centered in all were roughly the middlesame size squareish-shaped areas with various obstacles. Its design One battle arena that was fairly similar to included in the interior of final game is found in Act Two, where [[Bastion's KeepMaghda]]spawns. Though players only battle Maghda in that area, perhaps coincidentallythe layout is identical to the planned Battle Arena, and was obviously reused from that development for Maghda.
DiiiDiablo.net posted a lengthy IncGamers.com play tested the Arena hands-on report from at Blizzcon 2010 and submitted a lengthy write up of the play experience. Reading it is highly-recommended for anyone who wishes additional information on the playing the the Arena. The introduction describes the basic playing conditions of the Arena demo at Blizzcon2010. <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvp-arena-report/ Diii.net Battle Arena Report @ Blizzcon 2010] - IncGamers. November 6, 2010</ref>
::There was no character customization allowed in the PvP characters. They were all level 30 (I think; around there, anyway), with all their skill points and traits assigned. All of their skills were maxed out at level 5 (higher skill point totals will be unlocked in higher difficulty levels), all of their trait (passive skills) points were already assigned (it looked like they had a lot more than they should have for their level; probably part of Blizzard’s balancing the chars for the Arena), and all of their skills already had runes socketed into them. All the runes I looked at were fairly generic in their function; +dmg/effect, or lowers resource cost. I think the idea was to improve the skills, but to keep them fairly near their normal function.
::All of the characters were wearing basic plate armor. Non-magical; they looked like they were in Sigon’s Set in the inventory window, but nothing had any modifiers on it. Not even the weapons; the Wizard had a plain 2H staff, the Witch Doctor had a plain dagger, and the Barbarian had a plain 2H axe.
::The characters were tweaked in some way to give them all roughly equivalent hit points. All had around 850-950 to start with (in the normal game a Barbarian in plain gear would have far more hps than a Wizard or WD of equivalent level, so perhaps the Wiz ...and WD had lots of trait points in +vitality, as part of the balancing?) I didn’t take note of the character their resistances and defense, but they were all balanced out fairly well. By that I mean the damage each char took from the spells and skills was fairly close to what those skills listed as damage. You saw the damage constantly, as numbers popped up during combat, and you could always see your own and everyone else's hit points on a bar over their heads. Even the [[Mongrels]] displayed their hit points in that fashion.
* PvP_DamageBuff_0: [Temp] Quad Damage
* PVPRoundEndBuff_1_desc: Diablo has become bored with this incredibly long round. Time to die! / hah
 
===Arena Balancing===
[[File:Death-barb-arena1.jpg|frame|Dead Barbarian.]]
Dying in the Arena is very common, In Blizzcon 2010 each team had 3 heroes and encouragedmatches went on until all 3 from either team were killed. Matches go went quickly and without any pause between seldom ran more than a minute, so even players who died quickly didn't have long to wait before a new round began. In Blizzcon 2011 the roundssystem had changed to a non-stop deathmatch as seen in FPS games like Counter Strike. Each arena At that point characters who died were respawned in a semi-random location after a few seconds, and the match ran for 15 minutes at Blizzcon, which point the team with numerous rounds per match. A typical score for more total kills was the full 15 minutes was something like 10-7, with most rounds lasting less than one minutewinner.
Dead players can no longer interact with In the living. Upon death you become a ghost2010 version, able to move around dead characters became ghosts and watch the actioncould not interact, but invisible could move around to the others. In theory a dead player could scout enemy locations for his friends, if he had voice chat or they were playing in the same room, but this would be of very minor assistance, given the small size of the Arena and the fast pace of watch the action.
It's been promised that hardcore characters will die permanently in the arena, which means the image below might be the last sight a player ever sees of their beloved character. Many Hardcore players have pushed for some sort of non-lethal practice mode, to allow HC players to play as much arena as they want, rather than only doing it on very rare special occasions, since so few players would be willing to risk their characters in duels.
Blizzard has not commented on that concept, though [[Bashiok]] did admit that some sort of "whole team survives" option might be necessary, to get anyone to ever play on a Hardcore Arena team.
 
Much more coverage of this issue can be [[Hardcore#Arena_PvP|seen on the Hardcore article]].
 
[[File:Death-arena3.jpg|center|frame|Dead, but only until the next round begins.]]
==Arena Evolution==
::'''''VG24/7: '''Has Arena PVP always been a priority for you? When did you decide to implement it?
::'''JB:''' I can say that we tried a few different things. The sky’s the limit when you first start out. And we zeroed in on [arenas} iteratively. You know, of all the things we tried, it just tends to come back to that being the most solid, the most fun, and the easiest to jump into. Having tried a whole bunch of different stuff, that's the one that just popped up as being the best on its own. That's what the feedback was. That's not to say we didn't learn a lot about other possibilities. That's the one that just really nailed it.
 
===World of Warcraft PvP Influences===
This news item kicked off a huge debate about the shortcomings of WoW's PvP system, with most WoW veterans sure that Diablo III's system would be far more enjoyable.
 
::JB: It’s definitely more of a Call of Duty-style progression speaking very generally. Part of the reason is that we want to make sure you’re playing PVP for the right reasons. We want PVP to be inherently fun. And Diablo is primarily a PVE game – cooperative with lots of loot, right? We don’t think the best way to get loot should be to grind in PVP and be like “Well, I don’t really like PVP, but it’s where I get the best loot.” We really want to make sure you’re playing PVP just because it’s fun and for bragging rights. We intend to support it, but really, PVE and cooperative is where the loot’s at.
 
==Arena Matchmaking==
The matchmaking ui image above is included in the live Diablo 3 files but isn't active, however it sometimes appears when trying to log out of the game. It will simply pop up but it can not be interacted with.
 
 
==Arena Will Focus on Diablo III's Core Game==
Hardcore characters can duel other Hardcore characters in the PvP [[Battle Arena]], just like normal characters. However, that begs a question; is dying in the Arena the same thing as dying to monsters in [[Campaign mode]]? Do Hardcore character stay dead when they die in the Arena?
The Initially, the answer to that question was yes, and through all of 2009 and -2010the developers kept saying death was death, whether in PvM or PvP. Fans This spawned endless fan debate, with optimistic proponents of the system said perma-death saying it would be awesome and was true to the spirit of Hardcore. Doubters said it would keep The more realistic fans, based on the vast majority of fact that PvP was almost unknown in Hardcore players from using the Diablo 2, argued for optional permanent death in D3 Arena, and for pragmatic reasons. Since with only perma-death they knew there would force basically be no Arena for HC players to make normal chars to enjoy the Arena. * (See [[Hardcore#Arena_PvP|the Arena section of the Hardcore article]] for much more on this controversial issue.)
The developers must have heard some of the fan debate, since they changed their plans in 2011, and at that year's Blizzcon they revealed that Hardcore PvP was no longer permanently fatal.<ref>[http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/blizzcon/pc/games/156898.Diablo-III/features/138132.20111026.Blizzards-Wyatt-Cheng-and-Andrew-Chambers-on-Diablo-III/ Wyatt Cheng, Andrew Chambers Interview] - Gameplanet.co.nz. October 26, 2011</ref>
<blue>Wyatt Cheng: Our current position is that you don’t die in DiabloWikiPvP PvP in DiabloWikiHardcore Hardcore mode. So what happened in Diablo II is that anyone who wanted to do Hardcore PvP would basically level a character to level 10, and then they’d find another level 10 character, and they’d fight and one would die. That’s just not really that interesting. So we’re just going to let players engage in PvP. </blue>  ===Hardcore Death in Brawling=== That philosophy continued into the [[Brawling]] system, with hardcore characters able to play without permanent risk. There were some bugs, unfortunately, and early on in the Brawling system there were numerous bugs that allowed characters to die if they returned to town while still under a [[DoT]] effect incurred in the Brawling area. This could cause a Hardcore character permanent death.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hardcore-dueling-possibly-fatal Brawling PvP bugs] - IncGamers, January 2013</ref> [[File:Death-arena3.jpg|center|frame|Dead, but only until the next round begins.]] 
No more details were released, and it's unknown if there will be an option for permanent death from an Arena defeat, but clearly the default/only option is no longer permanent death, as HC characters experience if they die in the [[PvM]] Campaign mode.
==Arena Gameplay Video==
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