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Diablo 4 Season 12 is coming to an end. Is it worth returning to Diablo 4 now? Or should you jump straight to the next expansion, Lord of Hatred?

There are still a few days until the release of the new expansion, Lord of Hatred. If you're interested in the new expansion, you can use Season 12 to refresh your knowledge of a character, but I don't recommend starting from scratch.

So, I want to discuss whether this game is worth returning to, especially if you haven't played Diablo 4 in a long time. Perhaps you've been playing for a while but missed Season 12, so is it worth returning now?

Therefore, this article will answer the question: Is it worth starting the game again a week before the release of the next expansion, Lord of Hatred?

Seasonal Mechanics

Diablo 4 Season 12 introduced Butcher character. You can experience Butcher this season, but frankly, this character is only fun to play for about 20 minutes.

The first 20 minutes are undeniably exciting, as you can unleash a furnace-like skill with the push of a button, instantly destroying everything in your path. You'll experience the thrill of splattering blood and gore. But after that, it quickly becomes tedious. While there are indeed places, like Slaughterhouse dungeon, where you can gain extra experience and reputation by killing enemies.

If you possess an item with Bloodstained affix, killstreak bonuses can boost your core attributes, such as Strength, Attack Speed, or Critical Strike Chance, with the specific increase depending on the number of enemies you kill, potentially increasing your overall strength.

However, the downside is that killstreak bonuses are useless in boss fights you actually want to challenge. And once these bonuses drop, you can't get them again, as there are practically no enemies to kill. So, the issue of inflated stats definitely exists. If you're really looking for that invincible feeling, I'd say this season is only average in that respect.

Butcher character is indeed great for leveling up and quite fun in the early game; occasionally transforming into a killer is quite satisfying. However, once you reach the level cap, there's not much good stuff to farm in Slaughterhouse Dungeon.

For long-time players, if you play Diablo 4 regularly and reach max level by weekends, Butcher's mechanics can be completed in about 20 minutes. While the occasional transformation is fun and visually stunning, it gets boring after a while. Therefore, it's not recommended to return to the game at the end of the season.

Actual Gameplay

Diablo 4 has always had some bugs, especially since Season 12, with a significant increase in the number of bugs. I suggest you patiently wait for April 18th; perhaps there will be some new surprises.

One of the biggest flaws in Diablo 4 series has always been the crafting system. Item drops are completely random, making it impossible for players to precisely obtain the items they need. The crafting system in Diablo 4 Season 12 remains weak, but this situation may change after the release of Lord of Hatred expansion.

While Diablo 4 Season 12 does feature some cool and unique Diablo 4 Items, they pale in comparison to the unique gear from Path of Exile 1 or Path of Exile 2 that offered unlimited stat boosts and in-game control. Although some new gear has been added since, such as gauntlets and rings that reduce skill cooldowns, the crafting system still has significant room for improvement.

However, in terms of gameplay, combat experience, feel, action, and intense combat, Diablo 4 series has always excelled. It boasts more elements than other action RPGs, and this advantage will continue in the new expansion.

Campaign

If you haven't yet experienced Diablo 4 main storyline, I highly recommend it. The story is capt4ating, the cutscenes are excellent, and the gameplay is fast-paced. The biggest advantage of the campaign mode is that you only need to experience it once.

Therefore, if you're a new player considering Diablo 4, you can complete the campaign mode first and then jump directly into the game after Lord of Hatred expansion is released. A new campaign mode will also be released after the update; you can complete that mode first to better develop your character.

Drop Mechanics

The item drop rate in Diablo 4's Season 12 was extremely low. Even if you played for 30 hours a day, it was sometimes difficult to find the items you needed. The use of Random Number Generator (RNG) was simply unacceptable to most players.

Sometimes, defeating a boss would drop a chest containing a physical item. This could be a cosmetic item or a weapon, but the quality wouldn't be very high. If you wanted better gear, you would need to exchange it for gold in the shop.

This issue has been revealed to be addressed in the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion, so stay tuned.

This concludes the article. If you plan to return to Diablo 4 later, please keep a close eye on Lord of Hatred expansion. This article is my opinion on whether you should return to Diablo 4 now. What are your thoughts? Feel free to discuss them with everyone.

In Helldivers 2, Sentries can be incredibly helpful, not only by reducing enemy numbers from a distance but also by drawing their attention to allow you to escape.

Illuminate is one of the major adversaries in the new version of Helldivers 2. They are cunning, employing precision attacks, teleportation, and psychic powers. Their energy shields, cloaking, and high mobility mean you'll need to penetrate defenses, track targets, and control groups.

Let's take a look at Sentry's strength and effectiveness against Illuminate.

Tier C

Flame Sentry

Even after optimization, Flame Sentry still has several major weaknesses: survivability and range. It has been buffed once, improving survivability with increased fire resistance, but this is still insufficient because it cannot apply Fire Panic effect. This means it cannot control enemies and doesn't have enough duration to eliminate large numbers of them.

Even though it can kill Meatballs, Meatballs have now been buffed, becoming more durable, and they also have additional fire resistance, making them difficult for Flame Sentry to kill. With the addition of new units, its range advantage has been greatly reduced. Harvesters can easily defeat it. Elevated Overseers, Stingrays, and Gatekeepers can all easily take it down.

Flame Sentry is easily flanked. You can position it on high ground for some protection, but this isn't always effective, especially since Illuminates will use terrain to their advantage and attack directly through walls. Therefore, Flame Sentry only deserves a C Tier.

Laser Sentry

Laser Sentry has been disappointing since its release. Its range is decent, but far from the ultra-long range expected of a laser weapon. Furthermore, it overheats easily, and I don't recommend using it on hot planets because it overheats faster and has a longer cooldown. When it overheats to a certain point, it will spark and then self-destruct. It's also easily destroyed when surrounded. Therefore, it struggles against the highly active Illuminates.

The biggest problem with Laser Sentry is its slow kill rate as a laser weapon, making it difficult to kill Sentry, Gatekeeper, and Veracitor. It struggles to even kill enemies or keep up with their high spawn rate because it can only attack one unit at a time. Therefore, Laser Sentry only deserves a Tier C.

Tier B

Tesla Tower

Tesla Tower can only fire one shock per second, which is problematic against newer units. The higher the enemy spawn rate, the more difficult it becomes, as enemies can approach and destroy it within its shock range or duration. Furthermore,  Tesla Tower's range is insufficient; newer units like Gatekeeper, Harvesters, and Stingrays can easily destroy it. While its overall performance is decent, it only reaches a Tier B against Illuminate.

Mortar Sentry

Mortar Sentry possesses moderate armor penetration, a long duration, and a range of 125 meters. However, its disarming distance is only about 15 meters, so it stops firing once a target gets close.

It struggles to defend itself not only because of the disarming distance but also because mortar shells require a certain distance to travel before firing. If a target approaches, the mortar shell will be destroyed, or if the target is fast enough, it will have to travel a distance before firing, making the shell likely to miss.

Therefore, you need to use it in conjunction with other mortars, preferably those with crowd control capabilities, so they can sustain combat more easily. Improving crowd control allows you to continuously control enemies, preventing your Sentry from being destroyed.

Because of the extremely high spawn rate of Illuminates and their inherent bugs (such as ignoring physics and terrain, spawning anything at will), mortars are easily destroyed, especially against shielded Harvesters, as mortars struggle to break through shields quickly. Therefore, its rating is only Tier B.

Tier A

Rocket Sentry

Rocket Sentry is very strong, but you need a support Sentry to protect it or to place it in a higher position. Because Rocket Sentry has a disarming distance, it will stop firing if enemies get too close. A barrage of attacks from Voteless or Watchers can easily disable it.

This is why sometimes you need a good placement location and some high ground, or make sure you have a buffer Sentry to clear out other grunts, giving Rocket Sentry enough time to prioritize heavy armor units.

But overall, it's very effective against Harvesters, Stingrays, Gatekeepers, Veracitors. As long as you give it enough range, it can be incredibly effective. It's a great anti-tank option, and although Illuminate doesn't have many heavily armored units, it's still very powerful and fits well with many configurations. Therefore, I consider it Tier A.

EMS Mortar Sentry

EMS mortar provides powerful fire support, covering all areas. This device can effectively control most enemies and prevent them from getting close to the mortar. Therefore, it can be used in conjunction with regular mortars, and it also performs well in defensive missions or objective-capturing battles. Therefore, it's rated Tier A.

Autocannon Sentry

Autocannon Sentry has high damage, a fast rate of fire, and strong defense, but a very slow turning speed. It's very effective against Harvesters and newer units. However, its slow turning speed might be a weakness. You can pair it with another Sentry.

Autocannon Sentry can be placed on higher ground. You can stand on it for better visibility. It will automatically perform its mission, prioritizing heavily armored units and quickly eliminating them. Its rating is also Tier A.

Tier S

Gatling Sentry

Gatling Sentry's moderate armor penetration is crucial against Illuminate. It has a high rate of fire, long duration, and very short cooldown, allowing it to instantly eliminate enemies like Voteless, Watcher, Meatball, Overseers, and Warship.

Gatling Sentry easily handles Harvesters in Helldivers 2 because it targets the pilot rather than their location, and Harvesters' shields are weak, allowing it to destroy them directly. Harvesters will be drawn to it, and it can even eliminate them alone.

This is definitely an excellent strategy against Illuminate. Its power is astounding, allowing you to easily rack up hundreds or even thousands of kills in each mission, earning you a generous amount of Helldivers 2 Items. Therefore, its Tier is S.

Machine Gun Sentry

Machine Gun Sentry functions similarly to Gatling Sentry, but with a shorter cooldown and is easier to use continuously. Gatling Sentry has a faster rate of fire, making it better suited for chaotic situations. Machine Gun Sentry offers a suitable compromise, allowing for more frequent use; it can be used in almost every battle or at every objective.

Machine Gun Sentry is also an excellent consumable Sentry. If you're overwhelmed by a barrage of enemy fire, you can sacrifice Machine Gun Sentry to attack in a specific direction, causing the enemy to concentrate fire on it. This buys you time to redeploy, reinforce, cool down your strategy, replenish supplies, or simply retreat.

Machine Gun Sentry integrates into almost any Helldivers 2 tactical combination. Distracting the enemy is just one underrated use. Other uses can be explored based on your own setup. Therefore, I rate it Tier S.

Gas Mortar Sentry

Gas Mortar Sentry has a range of 125 meters and can release poison gas. While it effectively controls enemies, a bug with Illuminate allows them to pass through terrain, completely ignoring it and any surrounding buildings. Therefore, you need to be careful, as the poison gas can accidentally injure teammates when enemies get close.

Gas Mortar Sentry suffers from the same problem as other mortars. Because of its 15-meter discharge distance and increased spawn rate, something will always be able to pass through buildings and get close to it. Also, it can only fire one gas mortar at a time.

However, Gas Mortar Sentry is one of the few mortars that can be used alone in other configurations. It not only controls enemies but also deals high damage. The other two mortars need to be used in combination to unleash their full power. Therefore, Tier S is well-deserved.

In Helldivers 2, we need to choose the right Sentry based on tactical needs and enemy characteristics. Deploy Sentry on high ground to give them advantageous positions to attack more enemies and protect them from enemy encirclement. Communicate with your teammates and encourage them to maintain distance as much as possible. Finally, coordinate your Sentry and maximize your Sentry tactics.

The release date of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion, April 28th, has sparked widespread discussion in the player community.

The update includes a new storyline, new classes, and a new Endgame mode, addressing many players' concerns before the update: the game lacked new content, classes remained unchanged, and there was no progression path in Endgame.

However, besides anticipation, some players also have serious concerns about this expansion.

Lilith Cannot Be Good

Lilith, daughter of Lord of Hatred-Mephisto, sister of Lucion, wife of Archangel Inarius, and mother of Nephalem.

The union of a rebellious angel and a demon gave birth to a group of humans with power that they feared. Heaven and Hell would not tolerate such offspring. Therefore, a division arose among the rebels: some advocated for the extermination of Nephalem, while others advocated for their forgiveness.

Lilith, fearing the extinction of her children, went mad. She began hunting down her followers, slaughtering angels and demons alike. She ruthlessly murdered all of Inarius's followers, even Nephalem, whom she initially sought to protect, fell victim to her clutches.

This is why players had to defeat Lilith in Diablo 4 Season 12, Season of Slaughter.

However, in the new expansion, Lord of Hatred, players will even have to join forces with Lilith to fight Mephisto. Some players in the community expressed that they didn't want this to be Lilith's path to redemption, but rather a temporary reprieve from her evil deeds, such as her plan to eliminate humanity, until Mephisto is defeated, and the eternal conflict will continue.

This is also one of the reasons many players love Diablo 4: a demon will always be a demon, never an angel, and goodness will ultimately lead to betrayal. After absorbing her father's power, Lilith will only lose herself further, wallowing in hatred.

New Classes Appear

The two new classes added to Lord of Hatred, Warlock and Paladin, have been a hot topic of discussion among players. Some players believe the new classes will be incredibly interesting, especially Warlock, a class that uses dark magic, the complete opposite of Paladin who uses light magic.

Warlocks possess a dual resource system - Wrath and Dominion. Most skills consume Wrath, while summoning and commanding monster minions consume Dominion. A skillful balance between these two resources can perfectly unleash Warlock's power.

Paladins, unlike other classes that rely on luck with gear drops, have most of their powerful Diablo 4 Items fully integrated into their class progression. Paladins have a whopping 50 class-specific Aspects.

These Aspects must all be obtained from Salvage, legendary items that drop; no dungeons offer them directly. This means players will need to invest a significant amount of time grinding to collect the core Aspects.

While the strength of these two classes excites and anticipates some players, others worry that these updates will disrupt game balance, especially for classes that were already somewhat weak in previous versions.

On Reddit, a player complained that Ranger's current situation is precarious, with its survivability significantly lagging behind other classes. This player admitted that while they could clear level 105 of the challenge, they were helpless against Bloodstained Lair boss, and the only solution was to team up with a stronger class like Paladin.

This is inevitable; class strength cannot be perfectly balanced. However, the developers will adjust other game mechanics to try to balance the disparity between classes.

The current balance issues in Diablo 4 are likely related to the short duration and low priority of Season 12, Season of Slaughter. The developers may be investing more resources in the upcoming expansion. It is expected that all classes will undergo a large-scale balance adjustment after Lord of Hatred is released.

It should be noted that Ranger is not unplayable at this stage, but it is far from the strength most players desire. In comparison, other classes have a superior growth curve and build diversity. Therefore, even the most loyal Ranger players might consider temporarily switching to another class and returning when the meta improves, which is perfectly understandable.

Endgame Mode

To address player feedback that the game became boring and lacked new content in the late game, Diablo 4 introduced War Plans, an endgame mode for Lord of Hatred, allowing players to customize their own endgame progression.

This system functions like a smart endgame activity playlist. It plans a series of different activities, allowing for seamless switching without the need to manually search for keys or mark them on the map. Each activity also has its own upgradeable Skill Tree, allowing you to customize rewards and even achieve high returns through adventures.

Meanwhile, the developers also increased the level cap for Tortures and characters. Players have mixed opinions on these changes, largely divided into two camps.

Opponents of the increased Torture difficulty argue that it will severely fragment the player base and make the late-game content length and empty. Supporters argue that this will give players with top-tier builds more goals to strive for.

Regarding the increase in the character level cap, the official aim is to provide more build options for Skill Tree and Paragon Board System.

Some players worry that this will lengthen the time to reach the endgame, making the leveling process tedious, a negative change that feels like a step backward. However, other players welcome this change, which they believe will allow for more detailed character development.

Are veteran players being unfairly targeted?

The announcement of the pricing for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion has sparked considerable anger. The reason is that this expansion is being bundled with the previous version, Vessel of Hatred.

Players are angry because they are being forced to pay again for something they already own. Even if they pre-order both, why don't veteran players receive any discount? This move was widely seen as a betrayal of early supporters, with one player angrily stating, “If a third expansion comes out, will we have to pre-order the first two again?”

Furthermore, the pre-order technology for Lord of Hatred malfunctioned. The community reported numerous technical issues, including unqualified to pre-order, when pre-ordering on platforms like Battle.net, further complicating the release process.

These events led to a massive barrage of negative reviews for Diablo 4 on Steam, positive review rate plummeting to 49%.

Other suggestions included showing goodwill towards existing players by offering discounts to those who pre-ordered Lord of Hatred, instead of requiring them to pay again for content they already owned, and seriously addressing the problems players encountered during pre-orders.

Overall, on the one hand, the community's trust in the developers has not been restored. The lag in balance, redundant gameplay, and the gap between promises and deliveries that have plagued previous seasons have already built up considerable skepticism among players.

Even with the numerous highlights showcased in the promotional materials for Diablo 4's new expansion, many remain concerned that the final product might fall short.

On the other hand, the player community holds a cautiously optimistic view of Lord of Hatred's endgame mode. While new systems like War Plans demonstrate the developers' approach to addressing endgame pain points, past lack of trust makes players hesitant to fully believe the hype.

Therefore, whether Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred can overcome this predicament depends not on pre-release promises, but on the actual user experience after launch.

Monopoly GO's Fairytale Partners event, starting April 14th, features the brand-new Fairytale Express Tournament and the new Carpet Carousel Event.

You can not only experience the joy of teaming up with friends but also earn fantastic rewards.

Let's learn about Fairytale Partners, all the rewards and milestones for these events, and how to participate and earn the points needed to win rewards.

Fairytale Partners

Fairytale Partners event offers generous rewards. Completing a single build earns milestone rewards, and completing all four builds unlocks the ultimate prize.

Milestone Rewards for a Single Build

• 80,000 (+32,000): 400-600 free dice, money, an emoji, and a four-star blue sticker pack
• 48,000 (+26,500): 300-500 free dice, a two-star yellow sticker pack, and a 30-min Mega Heist
• 21,500 (+13,000): 200-300 free dice, money, and a 10-min Cash Boost
• 8,500 (+6,000): money
• 2,500 (+2,500): 200 dice

Completing all builds in Fairytale Partners will earn you 5,000 Dice, a Little Mermaid Board Token, a Purple Strick Pack, and an Enchanted Storybook. Similar to previous partner events, completing one item requires 80,000 points, so completing all four items requires 320,000 points.

Therefore, if you want a chance to complete all four builds and win the ultimate prize and Monopoly Go Stickers, choose your partner carefully, as they cannot be changed once selected.

While you can play Fairytale Partners with a random partner, you can only complete one build. To maximize your rewards in any partner event in Monopoly Go, you need to find four partners to play with.

Of course, you can choose one partner and complete one item at a time. However, if you have enough dice and are confident you can contribute at least 50% of the progress to a completed build, you can add all partners early in the event and then try to distribute your points across all four partners' builds.

Earn More Fairytale Partner Event Tokens

• Shop: Once in the shop, swipe right in the top panel to see your eight-hour reward; the system will also remind you when to return and claim it.
• Quick Wins: Completing Quick Wins tasks daily also earns a significant amount of event tokens, and they're usually easy to complete.
• Tycoon Club: During Partners Event, daily Tycoon Club rewards may include tokens.
• Game Board: Game Board also contains numerous event tokens; hovering over them will earn you the same number of event tokens as your dice rolls for that round.

However, most Fairytale Partners event tokens will be earned through Tournaments and Main banner events. You can first check the reward and milestone lists for Tournaments and Main banner events to determine how far you need to go in the events to earn enough event tokens. Next, let's learn about the gameplay and strategies for Fairytale Express Tournament and Monopoly Go Carpet Carousel Event.

Fairytale Express Tournament

In the all-new Fairytale Express Tournament, you can strive to achieve milestones to earn up to 5,735 free dice rolls, a three-star pink sticker pack, and 1,910 Partner event tokens.

Land on any rail and choose either Shut Down or Bank Heist to score points and climb the leaderboard. The higher the multiplier you use, the higher your potential score, but you'll also use more dice each round.

Leaderboard rewards generally follow the same pattern. During the game, keep an eye on the tournament leaderboard and other players, as they might overtake you in the final stages. Rewards also depend on your current Tycoon Class. The higher your Tycoon Class, the greater the dice rewards.

Monopoly Go Carpet Carousel Event

Participating in Monopoly Go Carpet Carousel Event also earns your generous rewards and Partner Event Tokens. Land on squares with Event Tokens to score points. Be sure to complete the missions and unlock rewards before the event ends at 4 PM on April 19th.

In Pickup events, you need to land on tiles marked with a special event tag. Each tile awards two points multiplied by your multiplier. After landing on a tag, it jumps to another random square.

The trick is to look for adjacent, densely packed groups of scoring squares. When multiple tags are close together or appear near chance squares and railway squares, you've found an excellent position for high-multiplier plays.

However, dice rolls can be unpredictable, and a perfect layout may not work. If your pieces are scattered, use a lower multiplier until the situation is in your favor.

That's the content and strategy for recent daily active users. Planning and participating in these events is crucial if you want to earn as many event tokens as possible with as few dice as possible.

You can focus only on banner events or tournaments that are about to end and identify the milestones you want to achieve in those events.

You need to stagger the progress of overlapping events to avoid investing too much effort in milestones that might consume a lot of dice. Also, pay attention to event deadlines and plan your resources and time accordingly to get richer rewards!