In response to a member's thread at the Battle.net forums, Bashiok responded with some nice little tidbits of information that will hopefully hold us all off for another week. Clarifying a recent (relative term here) renovation of the skill runes on the development side that he vaguely mentioned some time ago, he begins:
Official Blizzard Quote:
The runes have really just been renamed to allow us greater flexibility in what they do so we're not creating a weird detachment from what they're called and the effect they provide. For example what was the multi-strike rune going to do for ... say... slow time? And does that match what the name implies, or what you would assume? Probably not.
Also, personally, the newest names [...] are very much in the theme of the world and Diablo. Lethality/multistrike/power were very game-mechanic in approach, and even when they moved to viper/hydra/force they had an odd mysticism attached with them. Now they're very plainly named by interesting sounding materials. Great, very matter of fact and real in their theme, IMO.
Runes still have a general theme though, you'll know that this rune usually increases damage in some way, and this other one usually decreases cost in some way, and this one is a wild-card and usually changes how the skill works in some crazy way. But we have enough freedom now that multi-strike/hydra whatever you know it as, doesn't have this defined perception that it's always going to "multi-strike". Whatever that means to each player.
Soon enough, he replies with the current working names of some runes they're playing with at HQ:
Crimson
Indigo
Obsidian
Golden
Alabaster
Any guesses to what these five beauties might do in Diablo III?
Golden = when that skill is used you have a greater mf and gold find?
Obsidian = chance to open wounds or deadly strike or something with that spell?
Crimson = posibly change any spell into elemental fire damage?
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I don't think runes will add mf or gold drop. Golden will probably be something like decreased resource cost. indigo was use as a multi strike example by bash so ill stick with that. Obsidian could be vamp, crimson increased damage or dot and alabaster could be the wild-card rune since bash mentioned that there would probably be one such rune.
Also, rune effects are not universal and will change so crimson could be either damage or dot and obsidian could be a healing effect on non-attack skills
Im sure they wont make a rune with reducing resource cost because all the diablo 3 team has been saying is like, well we don't want things like WoW where o you have a buff increasing damage or when skill trees were being developed(not anymore of course)they said they wont have anything to spend points on that just increases damage and that's it or reducing stuff I mean I just don't think a rune for it makes since.
So Golden has to be something maybe for MF/More gold on drop
Wait, so we're talking about names that are not so specific so that their effects on the skills are not always the same (such as the multi strike example)...
...and then we go on about how Golden would just add gold/magic find or other extremely specific (and very boring) changes?
I mean come on. Added mf or gold find is the worst idea of the year on a rune. Also just changing damage into another element makes little sense at all?
Nevermind the fact that this has no versatility whatsoever. Why are we trying to put such specific effects on the runes when we JUST LEARNED of new names given to the runes for flexibility?
And If any runes do make such simple boring changes in the end, I'll be really disappointed. Runes are like, the only special interesting things they have introduced yet and that has lots of potential. But there's no potential or part of runes that I care about if they have such boring changes as "Golden make your skill give more mf/gold find and thats it. How could anyone stand for that? :/
But there's no potential or part of runes that I care about if they have such boring changes as "Golden make your skill give more mf/gold find and thats it. How could anyone stand for that? :/
So Golden has to be something maybe for MF/More gold on drop
Man, runes in D3 change the way a skill works. And a rune that would add an extra few % gold drop to a skill would be totally useless. You would have to use that skill all the time to get the extra gold drop.
Also with the new names, the name of the rune simply implies what material the rune is made of. A golden rune doesnt neccesarily mean that everything it touches turns to gold. They just renamed them so it would be easier to tailor the different effects to each skill. A gold rune can mean different things for different skills where as a multi-strike rune wouldnt fit well with some skills.
o ya haha forgot they go in skills in this one whoops haha
Now, I certainly approve of them having the names more vague so that they have more room to play with the effects on various skills, but seriously these names are totally lame.
Agreed.
On another note, does anybody know how many runes we are allowed to put in a skill?
I don't know about the others, but since obsidian is extremely sharp in real life, I would imagine it would add some sort of effect of making the target bleed uncontrollably or prevents monster heal or something similar.
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I don't know about the others, but since obsidian is extremely sharp in real life, I would imagine it would add some sort of effect of making the target bleed uncontrollably or prevents monster heal or something similar.
actually it could be I kinda like the idea like it would help to use a skill with crimson rune on like lets say a fallen shaman or such so it wouldn't be able to heal, I mean that idea is a lot better than just saying O well crimson increases fire damage or adds fire damage.
On another note, does anybody know how many runes we are allowed to put in a skill?
If I remember right from what I read a while ago, only one. But I think that you can switch it out. I'm not sure how many times, or even at all, but I swear I read it someplace.
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Elemental runes that changes the element of a skill in some very basic and elementary (no pun intended) way is something I've wanted to see for a long, long time.
As longs as the skills do behave differently in some way (and its not just a plain change of "fire damage is now ice damage or whatever"), then I think its not a bad idea and it could be one way for you to hit with another -type- of damage, even if thats not going to be as important in D3 without immunities.
Like, actually changing graphical elements. For instance, although I know it's just a limitation of mods, Eastern Sun kinda ticked me off because its lightning hydra is just the fire hydra, only shooting charged bolts.
I hope there more complex and the same rune in a diff skill has diffrent effect. Instead of one rune do one and another do something. I hope the possibilities are endless (Untill youve put every rune in every skill to see what changes it does)
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The new names are a little wonky because they're inconsistent as a group. With gold, alabaster, and obsidian they seem to have a theme going of materials you could carve or etch a rune into, but it breaks with indigo, which is the name of a flower and of the color and the clothing dye made from that flower, and worse still with crimson, which AFAIK is just a color and nothing else.
But if they pick better names to go consistently with the hard-materials theme it'd be cool. Maybe cooler still is an idea that just crossed my mind with these materials-names, which is that you could create runes that have two categories of names, the rune itself and the material, with different effects depending on how they're combined in specific runes you find. There would have to be only a few of each type of course because the number of combinations could get out of hand in a hurry and be a bitch to balance, but could make for some interesting effects, and it'd be cool to see a new rune and guess what the combination might do based on previous similar ones you've had.
Just some fairly simple and rough elemental-related example ideas off the top of my head (all for attacking skills):
D2's Ort rune added lightning dmg/resist so it will do lightning-ish things:
Golden Ort rune: Attack releases charged bolts when it strikes.
Obsidian Ort rune: Attack gains the additional effect of reducing target's remaining health by a percentage (think Static Field).
Alabaster Ort rune: Attack gains added lightning damage and stun.
D2's Ral rune was all about fire:
Golden Ral rune: Attack sets the ground on fire around the target when it strikes.
Obsidian Ral rune: Attack becomes hot enough to melt armor, reducing target's defense and resistances.
Alabaster Ral rune: Attack gains added fire damage and burn DoT.
Off the top of my head I just brainstormed an AoE theme for Golden, a single-target debuff/boss-killer theme for Obsidian, and a straight plus-damage-and-standard-elemental-effect theme for Alabaster. Rough ideas to illustrate the concept.
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Official Blizzard Quote:
The runes have really just been renamed to allow us greater flexibility in what they do so we're not creating a weird detachment from what they're called and the effect they provide. For example what was the multi-strike rune going to do for ... say... slow time? And does that match what the name implies, or what you would assume? Probably not.
Also, personally, the newest names [...] are very much in the theme of the world and Diablo. Lethality/multistrike/power were very game-mechanic in approach, and even when they moved to viper/hydra/force they had an odd mysticism attached with them. Now they're very plainly named by interesting sounding materials. Great, very matter of fact and real in their theme, IMO.
Runes still have a general theme though, you'll know that this rune usually increases damage in some way, and this other one usually decreases cost in some way, and this one is a wild-card and usually changes how the skill works in some crazy way. But we have enough freedom now that multi-strike/hydra whatever you know it as, doesn't have this defined perception that it's always going to "multi-strike". Whatever that means to each player.
Soon enough, he replies with the current working names of some runes they're playing with at HQ:
Obsidian = chance to open wounds or deadly strike or something with that spell?
Crimson = posibly change any spell into elemental fire damage?
One becomes strong when they are fighting to protect someone close to them... - Shiro Haku
Also, rune effects are not universal and will change so crimson could be either damage or dot and obsidian could be a healing effect on non-attack skills
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So Golden has to be something maybe for MF/More gold on drop
...and then we go on about how Golden would just add gold/magic find or other extremely specific (and very boring) changes?
I mean come on. Added mf or gold find is the worst idea of the year on a rune. Also just changing damage into another element makes little sense at all?
Nevermind the fact that this has no versatility whatsoever. Why are we trying to put such specific effects on the runes when we JUST LEARNED of new names given to the runes for flexibility?
And If any runes do make such simple boring changes in the end, I'll be really disappointed. Runes are like, the only special interesting things they have introduced yet and that has lots of potential. But there's no potential or part of runes that I care about if they have such boring changes as "Golden make your skill give more mf/gold find and thats it. How could anyone stand for that? :/
Agreed.
On another note, does anybody know how many runes we are allowed to put in a skill?
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Skill: Add deadly strike and open wound effects.
Skill: Add wide range and muliple strike effects.
Skill: Add powerfull effects.
Skill: Add long lasting effects.
Skill: Add fusions with element effects.
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But if they pick better names to go consistently with the hard-materials theme it'd be cool. Maybe cooler still is an idea that just crossed my mind with these materials-names, which is that you could create runes that have two categories of names, the rune itself and the material, with different effects depending on how they're combined in specific runes you find. There would have to be only a few of each type of course because the number of combinations could get out of hand in a hurry and be a bitch to balance, but could make for some interesting effects, and it'd be cool to see a new rune and guess what the combination might do based on previous similar ones you've had.
Just some fairly simple and rough elemental-related example ideas off the top of my head (all for attacking skills):
D2's Ort rune added lightning dmg/resist so it will do lightning-ish things:
Golden Ort rune: Attack releases charged bolts when it strikes.
Obsidian Ort rune: Attack gains the additional effect of reducing target's remaining health by a percentage (think Static Field).
Alabaster Ort rune: Attack gains added lightning damage and stun.
D2's Ral rune was all about fire:
Golden Ral rune: Attack sets the ground on fire around the target when it strikes.
Obsidian Ral rune: Attack becomes hot enough to melt armor, reducing target's defense and resistances.
Alabaster Ral rune: Attack gains added fire damage and burn DoT.
Off the top of my head I just brainstormed an AoE theme for Golden, a single-target debuff/boss-killer theme for Obsidian, and a straight plus-damage-and-standard-elemental-effect theme for Alabaster. Rough ideas to illustrate the concept.