Has D3 considered implementing a refer-a-friend bonus? Such as an exclusive 3* character for referrals?
You see similar in some other collectible mobile games - examples include Rage of Bahamut and Blood Brothers.
Essentially, you could have an exclusive 3* character (for explanation purposes, we will just use the Upcoming Cyclops as an example). Cyclops would not be available as a reward for events or in packs, but could be obtained by referring friends. To become eligible for referrals, you would have to register an account and your device - on iPhones or mobile devices, this could be your Account Name and UDID. For Steam devices, this would be your Steam ID and MAC Address. (This prevents one person from doubling, tripling, etc up by just making new accounts for themselves).
The first time you refer someone and they use your code or ID when they open an account, you receive Cyclops’ Yellow. The referree will receive the same cover. The next time, you will receive Cyclops’ Red, and the referee will receive Cyclops’ Yellow. The next time, you receive Cyclops’ Black and the referree still receives the original Cyclops Yellow cover. You can continue to do this, recycling through the covers and finally building up to whatever build you want. If you want to have 5 covers in Cyclops’ Black, you’d have to invite at least 15 friends, for example.
Note - your friend would have to actually download the game, create an account, register their UDID and then input your referral code or else neither of you would receive this reward. This accomplishes a few things
Rewards players for inviting their friends with something more than a silver token worth about 100 Iso.
Creates a partial and sustainable solution for the 3* transition, which is a point of focus for the community and the designers. (I say sustainable, because every 3 months or so they could rotate a new character into the position).
Expands their player-base greatly - imagine if every player got 15 friends to download and try the game every 3 months. Even if only 2 or 3 continued playing after the initial download, that’s an exponential growth rate.