diii.net posted an update from an interview with Jay Wilson today regarding the Monk and his as-of-yet unrevealed skills, as well as some other paradoxes that might not have been anticipated.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Most of the Monk?s skills will focus on combat skills and attacks, along with his various escape skills. And we talked at Blizzcon that we?re likely to put some defensive and supportive abilities on him. Possibly Auras. We?ve not done the next round of skills on him yet so we?re not exactly sure.
The idea of auras returning in Diablo III from Diablo II (whose Paladin used them excessively and exclusively) has sparked some conversation and controversy on our very site, raising concerns about their distribution among the Diablo III characters, as opposed to the solitary character distribution in Diablo II, to their functionality being unchecked. If they will function exactly the same in Diablo III has yet to be announced, but since there's only so many ways you can possibly have them, it is most likely that they will be very similar.
In spite of the previous claims of some Blizzard representatives about not having a single support character, however, things are starting to look like a bit of change is on the horizon:
Official Blizzard Quote:
We definitely want to do that with one class. Whether or not it?s the Monk hasn?t yet been decided. The Monk does seem to be the logical choice. The only reason we might not do with him is that he?s too logical.
And, of course, they are absolutely right. Fans have been anticipating this for some time since this character is so obviously related to the Paladin of Diablo II, who functioned in a very similar way. But, is this too predictable for the game? Should we be seeing something more original and less archetypical in Diablo III?
When asked specifically about the Monk's armor type, since it has been heavily discussed that it would not be normal for the Monk to be using heavy armor, Wilson responded with an echo from Diablo's past, where all characters were able to wear any kind of armor regardless of their class:
Official Blizzard Quote:
We?re an item based game. The idea of a character that doesn?t use items is foreign to our basic game philosophy. So one of the things we decided when we were creating the Monk was that we were not going to explore that aspect of the character. We?re going to make a Diablo Monk, and the Diablo Monk uses items.
Is this hold-off from Diablo II a good idea? Although the equipment will not physically appear heavy:
Official Blizzard Quote:
[...]the Monk?s armor isn?t going to look like heavy plate armor. It?s going to look like a shirt, what our imagination of what the Monk?s armor could be. It?s definitely going to be equipment, but he?s not going to look like he?s covered in metal[...]
Do you agree that this level of atypical armor allotment to the Monk is a positive move on the Diablo III team's part?
The interview also hinted passingly at the possibility of the Monk being able to dual-wield fist weapons, much like the Assassin of Diablo II, and the possibility of the Monk's tattoos developing through the story line, which Wilson said "[they are] tied to the story arcs we create for the game."
Just because the monk is the logical choice doesn't mean they shouldn't. I think with the monks "rune" kit auras would work well but maybe with a twist. Like stationary runes and people in the areA get the effect.
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Personally, I don't imagine a monk playing a 'support' role in a group. This character is clearly a fighter, just check out the monk vids!
IF the monk is given auras, and IF those auras apply to the party as well as to the monk, then I agree that other classes should have party enhancements as well. Such as barb yells, for example.
It wouldn't bother me though, if the monk had auras which they could apply only to themselves and their hireling(s) though. Frankly one of my favorite things about diablo is that you can totally complete the game on your own if you feel like it.
Perhaps this belongs in a separate thread, and maybe its a silly idea anyways, but seeing how the traditional monk doesn't carry around a lot of tangible items and gear, it might be interesting if class specific monk items that dropped were just kind of stand ins for intangible ideas. Like instead of assassin claws or other fist weapons, the monk could equip a weapon called "the power of judo" or something like that, and instead of seeing the monk wielding some kind of sharp object, he is still pummeling demons with his fists.
Well, the "auras" could be considered like mantras or prayers like a REAL budhist monk does. Considering that, in the martial arts (even standard BOXING is considered a martial art), it requires a type of trained concentration to achieve maximum combat effeciency. I would RATHER see this on a KNIGHT-like character, but Blizzard will do what they want with it.
I do agree that a monk should not have a sustained kind of aura, leTjuhl
So they want to add support to a class. Big deal? If you're not already aware the Barbarian has retained his combat shouts from Diablo 2, such as battle cry which increases the defense of the party.
They never said how the auras would work, or how instrumental they would be in a particular class design.
Every class will have some sort of support. If it's not auras and battle shouts, it's buffs, debuffs, or area of effect support like a wizard's slow time ability.
I wouldn't mind him having skills that put a big symbol on the ground ad any allies within that area could gain a bonus much like auras, but I don't think the D2 aura system would quite fit.
As for the armor, I had more or less assumed that he would be able to equip a variety of armor and just have it look differently on him much like the sorc and necro didn't look like the barb or paladin when wearing the same armor.
I'm not going to comment on the whole aura situation, but I am very concerned with a blue response stating how their basic game philosophy won't be compromised when it comes to rescricting classes from wearing specific armor types. They say that they don't want to restrict classes from wearing all kinds of armor, but isn't it true that they are restricting what weapons each class can use? If they consider Diablo to be an item driven game, why would they contradict themselves like that?
In Diablo 2, a necromancer could use an axe if he wanted to. Will this be the case with the Sorceress? Or will she only be able to use orbs, book and other hand-held caster items?
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Some people tell me I'm going to hell. I just let them know that I've already packed my bags!
It wouldn't bother me though, if the monk had auras which they could apply only to themselves and their hireling(s) though.
.... not a good idea, if it's work same as you said, you'll destroy a part of fun gameplay.
Quote from Sanctus »
I don't see what all the hubbub is about.
So they want to add support to a class. Big deal? If you're not already aware the Barbarian has retained his combat shouts from Diablo 2, such as battle cry which increases the defense of the party.
They never said how the auras would work, or how instrumental they would be in a particular class design.
Every class will have some sort of support. If it's not auras and battle shouts, it's buffs, debuffs, or area of effect support like a wizard's slow time ability.
if any of the D3 team played D2, they will KNOW how unbalanced it has become. they could tweak this idea in so many ways rendering auras "as we know it" to be something completely different.
or perhaps they will distribute team boosting skills to all members. eg. battlecries
or a 5 ft. radius.
or whatever.
it's fun to speculate, but stop crying before you know anything that's NOT relative to D2
EDIT:
crap... already said on page 2
"
Originally Posted by Sanctus I don't see what all the hubbub is about.
So they want to add support to a class. Big deal? If you're not already aware the Barbarian has retained his combat shouts from Diablo 2, such as battle cry which increases the defense of the party.
They never said how the auras would work, or how instrumental they would be in a particular class design.
Every class will have some sort of support. If it's not auras and battle shouts, it's buffs, debuffs, or area of effect support like a wizard's slow time ability.
In Diablo 2, a necromancer could use an axe if he wanted to. Will this be the case with the Sorceress? Or will she only be able to use orbs, book and other hand-held caster items?
I think you meant to type Wizard where you said Sorceress, but none-the-less...
A book would be a dysfunctional "weapon". What would you do, give Diablo a paper cut? I think that's more of a high fantasy MMORPG thing.
We had weapons and shields in Diablo II that were class specific. I think to a degree it just makes sense. I mean, a Barbarian with an Orb? A Paladin with a Necromancer's Preserved Head? It doesn't make sense to lore and it certainly doesn't make sense to use in-game.
I'm really just hoping that they have robes back in Diablo III. They make sense for casters since they shouldn't be in the fray, anyway.
Auras are fun, but they do present some balance issues when all partied members benefit. When a character has auras (like the pally), they design his other skills with this in mind. If single player is to be balanced, then the killing power of each character needs to be balanced. This leads to a situation where the character with auras will need the auras to perform comparably to the other character types. For instance, in D2 the pally, barb, and zon were fairly well balanced on their own, however, a frenzy barb or bowazon with a pally level fanat were freakin ridiculous.
Quote from "Luckmann" »
I'm also interested in seeing how runes would work with Auras. Didn't they mention somewhere that runes will work with absolutely all skills? Makes me wonder how a Multistrike rune on things like Slow time will work.
This actually presents an interesting possibility. They could design the auras to only effect the aura'd character. But, one of the runes could provide the benefit of effecting partied members as well (multistrike would be appropriate for this). Of course, there would be some downside as well, such as percentage decrease in aura effect for all characters. This way the aura'd character would have to sacrifice some benefit for the purpose of being a "supporter".
When asked specifically about the Monk's armor type, since it has been heavily discussed that it would not be normal for the Monk to be using heavy armor, Wilson responded with an echo from Diablo's past, where all characters were able to wear any kind of armor regardless of their class
So how are they gonna work armor requirements, in the other diablos armor had a lvl requirement and also a str requirement for the heavier types, and since stats are going to be auto now, we won't be able to pump str on say a wizard to use heavier armor. So will armor just have a lvl based requirement or still lvl and str but your wizard just wont be able to use plate mail until he/she reaches a lvl with req. str.
I guess it would make the most sense to just have a str requirment on them, but then theres the way WoW handles it - only have a lvl requirement and then exclude lighter classes from wearing heavier armor.. hmm, i dont think they'll do that... I couldnt find a thread for this so any thoughts and/or info would be greatly appreciated.
The gameplay of the monk seems quite effective and fullproof to a standard where adding auras to this style of combat would mean, if they were to stop the monk from becoming overpowered, they would have to lessen the impact of the auras. I like a character where the auras impact the group significantly, and become interchangable and effective abilities in themselves.
As for the socalled *role* of the supporter, i dont think the auras should influence the character to a point where he would increase the effectiveness of the party threefold, while by himself, having spent so much in his role and becoming barely useful would have to be rushed through the game, resorting back to the idea of hammadins, where they would be useless untill rushed to a certain level.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Most of the Monk?s skills will focus on combat skills and attacks, along with his various escape skills. And we talked at Blizzcon that we?re likely to put some defensive and supportive abilities on him. Possibly Auras. We?ve not done the next round of skills on him yet so we?re not exactly sure.
The idea of auras returning in Diablo III from Diablo II (whose Paladin used them excessively and exclusively) has sparked some conversation and controversy on our very site, raising concerns about their distribution among the Diablo III characters, as opposed to the solitary character distribution in Diablo II, to their functionality being unchecked. If they will function exactly the same in Diablo III has yet to be announced, but since there's only so many ways you can possibly have them, it is most likely that they will be very similar.
In spite of the previous claims of some Blizzard representatives about not having a single support character, however, things are starting to look like a bit of change is on the horizon:
Official Blizzard Quote:
We definitely want to do that with one class. Whether or not it?s the Monk hasn?t yet been decided. The Monk does seem to be the logical choice. The only reason we might not do with him is that he?s too logical.
And, of course, they are absolutely right. Fans have been anticipating this for some time since this character is so obviously related to the Paladin of Diablo II, who functioned in a very similar way. But, is this too predictable for the game? Should we be seeing something more original and less archetypical in Diablo III?
When asked specifically about the Monk's armor type, since it has been heavily discussed that it would not be normal for the Monk to be using heavy armor, Wilson responded with an echo from Diablo's past, where all characters were able to wear any kind of armor regardless of their class:
Official Blizzard Quote:
We?re an item based game. The idea of a character that doesn?t use items is foreign to our basic game philosophy. So one of the things we decided when we were creating the Monk was that we were not going to explore that aspect of the character. We?re going to make a Diablo Monk, and the Diablo Monk uses items.
Is this hold-off from Diablo II a good idea? Although the equipment will not physically appear heavy:
Official Blizzard Quote:
[...]the Monk?s armor isn?t going to look like heavy plate armor. It?s going to look like a shirt, what our imagination of what the Monk?s armor could be. It?s definitely going to be equipment, but he?s not going to look like he?s covered in metal[...]
Do you agree that this level of atypical armor allotment to the Monk is a positive move on the Diablo III team's part?
The interview also hinted passingly at the possibility of the Monk being able to dual-wield fist weapons, much like the Assassin of Diablo II, and the possibility of the Monk's tattoos developing through the story line, which Wilson said "[they are] tied to the story arcs we create for the game."
Why would they suddenly want to give much support into a single class?
Its such a dumb idea. Then that class IMMEDIATELY becomes favorable about all others.
If they are going to give things that strongly helps everyone in the team, then ALL CLASS MUST HAVE SUCH ABILITIES. ALL. They should KNOW that.
You have more than one way to support, not only aura ! The game isn't balanced and you already cry !
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IF the monk is given auras, and IF those auras apply to the party as well as to the monk, then I agree that other classes should have party enhancements as well. Such as barb yells, for example.
It wouldn't bother me though, if the monk had auras which they could apply only to themselves and their hireling(s) though. Frankly one of my favorite things about diablo is that you can totally complete the game on your own if you feel like it.
Perhaps this belongs in a separate thread, and maybe its a silly idea anyways, but seeing how the traditional monk doesn't carry around a lot of tangible items and gear, it might be interesting if class specific monk items that dropped were just kind of stand ins for intangible ideas. Like instead of assassin claws or other fist weapons, the monk could equip a weapon called "the power of judo" or something like that, and instead of seeing the monk wielding some kind of sharp object, he is still pummeling demons with his fists.
I do agree that a monk should not have a sustained kind of aura, leTjuhl
Battle not with monsters lest you become one.
So they want to add support to a class. Big deal? If you're not already aware the Barbarian has retained his combat shouts from Diablo 2, such as battle cry which increases the defense of the party.
They never said how the auras would work, or how instrumental they would be in a particular class design.
Every class will have some sort of support. If it's not auras and battle shouts, it's buffs, debuffs, or area of effect support like a wizard's slow time ability.
Relax.
As for the armor, I had more or less assumed that he would be able to equip a variety of armor and just have it look differently on him much like the sorc and necro didn't look like the barb or paladin when wearing the same armor.
Signature and avatar courtesy of Indestructible.
In Diablo 2, a necromancer could use an axe if he wanted to. Will this be the case with the Sorceress? Or will she only be able to use orbs, book and other hand-held caster items?
If you read the interview carefully i think they are hinting at giving support abilities to every class
.... not a good idea, if it's work same as you said, you'll destroy a part of fun gameplay.
I'm agree !!
if any of the D3 team played D2, they will KNOW how unbalanced it has become. they could tweak this idea in so many ways rendering auras "as we know it" to be something completely different.
or perhaps they will distribute team boosting skills to all members. eg. battlecries
or a 5 ft. radius.
or whatever.
it's fun to speculate, but stop crying before you know anything that's NOT relative to D2
EDIT:
crap... already said on page 2
"
Originally Posted by Sanctus
I don't see what all the hubbub is about.
So they want to add support to a class. Big deal? If you're not already aware the Barbarian has retained his combat shouts from Diablo 2, such as battle cry which increases the defense of the party.
They never said how the auras would work, or how instrumental they would be in a particular class design.
Every class will have some sort of support. If it's not auras and battle shouts, it's buffs, debuffs, or area of effect support like a wizard's slow time ability.
Relax."
Well, we've got Horrify, or however it's called
They could always give him totems
A book would be a dysfunctional "weapon". What would you do, give Diablo a paper cut? I think that's more of a high fantasy MMORPG thing.
We had weapons and shields in Diablo II that were class specific. I think to a degree it just makes sense. I mean, a Barbarian with an Orb? A Paladin with a Necromancer's Preserved Head? It doesn't make sense to lore and it certainly doesn't make sense to use in-game.
I'm really just hoping that they have robes back in Diablo III. They make sense for casters since they shouldn't be in the fray, anyway.
This actually presents an interesting possibility. They could design the auras to only effect the aura'd character. But, one of the runes could provide the benefit of effecting partied members as well (multistrike would be appropriate for this). Of course, there would be some downside as well, such as percentage decrease in aura effect for all characters. This way the aura'd character would have to sacrifice some benefit for the purpose of being a "supporter".
So how are they gonna work armor requirements, in the other diablos armor had a lvl requirement and also a str requirement for the heavier types, and since stats are going to be auto now, we won't be able to pump str on say a wizard to use heavier armor. So will armor just have a lvl based requirement or still lvl and str but your wizard just wont be able to use plate mail until he/she reaches a lvl with req. str.
I guess it would make the most sense to just have a str requirment on them, but then theres the way WoW handles it - only have a lvl requirement and then exclude lighter classes from wearing heavier armor.. hmm, i dont think they'll do that... I couldnt find a thread for this so any thoughts and/or info would be greatly appreciated.
As for the socalled *role* of the supporter, i dont think the auras should influence the character to a point where he would increase the effectiveness of the party threefold, while by himself, having spent so much in his role and becoming barely useful would have to be rushed through the game, resorting back to the idea of hammadins, where they would be useless untill rushed to a certain level.
Aura =/= Monk
Period