I think the monk will be pretty sweet. I don't think it will be hte first character I make, but I'm still undecided. The combos will be interesting, but the mechanic I'm not crazy about is the auras.
To me an aura is permanent, not something that is a short burst. Maybe they wanted to stay away from that to avoid too much similarity to the Paladin, or maybe it would make them > then others in a party situation due to the constant buffs. Who knows but either way I'm sure it will work out, just release the damn beta already so we can see a light at the end of the tunnel haha
I think the entire purpose of making auras short activated skills is that they are moving away from having passive skills that you don't have to actually use, and towards having all skills being active. Their reasoning is that it makes the game more engaging if you're actually 'doing' things.
There was a small subtlety mentioned back in Sept about the Monk auras that hinted a shift from constant effects to shorter duration. So I imagined for example Holy Aura, it would be changed to do small instant heal when activated followed by the HoT (heal over time) as the constant effect. I wonder if they intend to keep that design now that we're hearing auras will remain "short and powerful".
There was a small subtlety mentioned back in Sept about the Monk auras that hinted a shift from constant effects to shorter duration. So I imagined for example Holy Aura, it would be changed to do small instant heal when activated followed by the HoT (heal over time) as the constant effect. I wonder if they intend to keep that design now that we're hearing auras will remain "short and powerful".
Like I said a little higher up, the don't really like fire and forget skills anymore. If you're going to have a passive, they make it a passive and put it as a trait instead of a skill, so I really doubt they would change it back to being a toggle like aura, or a very long duration ability.
It is kinda funny. But perhaps not the right kind of monk. How come you haven't changed you avatar yet Magistrate? I made you a nice one without the yucky white pixels.
I actually like new auras mechanism... But i hope the auras will last longer than few seconds... If they are something like the Barb "bo" it will be cool because now you can cast your aura and have your right skill free for something else...
I agree, gameplaywise it's better this way, also it's easier and better to balance with other characters. Just the word "aura" doesnt seem to fit anymore. But maybe you still lose the effect, when u get too far away from the monk, so it would still be an aura, just a time-limited one. And you can also see it this way: An aura isnt just there, the monk needs to concentrate to keep up the aura and therefor might need time to gain this strength/concentration (if there is a cd) or at least needs to remind himself every now and then(by actively thinking of/activating it) to focus on it (if it has no cd and just needs to be rebuffed).
The word aura really only means a surrounding light or power around something, so while almost all previous games that I have played personally do indeed make auras permanent, there is nothing inherent in the word that means it has to be. Just another indication of how much they are changing from Diablo II while still attempting to please the huge masses of fans, I think.
Well, they have specifically said that the Monk will be the strongest class if played to his optimum potential.
Yeah they specifically said the game will not be balanced.. ¬¬ I remenber they say the monk will be harder to play.
I think combos will be a nice add, something to make the monk feel different compered to the barbarian.
I think a set of monk skills will be weaker, cost no spirit and generate a good amount of spirit while giving some small effects, like weaker forms of cc and damage buffs. The other set of monk skills will cost spirit, will not generate it and will have devastating effects. Finnaly the monk will have a set of other skills (like auras and the dash skill) that cost small amount of spirit and do not generate it.
The combo is problably a mechanic to make a single skill possible in each ofthose sets. For exemple, they can make the first and second hit of a certain combo cost no spirit and generates alot of it while the turn one consumes it.
So the monk class will be a "delayed burst one". Wich means he will be more burst damage oriented and less sustened damage oriented (unlike the barbarian), however his "burst" takes a few moves to occur. So the challenge is to keep yourself alive until you unleash your super move.
This is how im imagine the monk. I think it's a very elaborated class, with many unique mechanics.
Yea the word still fits, even though its not necessarily how its used in most games. And for all we know each aura could possibly have a rune that turns it permanent.
They do sound different than the barbs shouts IMO. Shouts seem to be more of a straight buff (and he also has one that debuffs enemies,) while Auras are an instant effect followed by a buff. Seems like enough of a difference as far as buffs go.
Interesting, I always thought in D2 the permanent auras for the paladin where quite overpowered. I am interested to see how these short buffs work out and how the runes will affect them. Cant wait!
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Another approach would be to reduce the Monk's max spirit by a small % as a cost to keep the aura "on". Basically that translates to the player getting a benefit at the cost of less freedom to use other skills. And without the concern of spirit running out when idle.
I think the entire purpose of making auras short activated skills is that they are moving away from having passive skills that you don't have to actually use, and towards having all skills being active. Their reasoning is that it makes the game more engaging if you're actually 'doing' things.
I really enjoyed the article btw. Good job.
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Like I said a little higher up, the don't really like fire and forget skills anymore. If you're going to have a passive, they make it a passive and put it as a trait instead of a skill, so I really doubt they would change it back to being a toggle like aura, or a very long duration ability.
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The word aura really only means a surrounding light or power around something, so while almost all previous games that I have played personally do indeed make auras permanent, there is nothing inherent in the word that means it has to be. Just another indication of how much they are changing from Diablo II while still attempting to please the huge masses of fans, I think.
Yeah they specifically said the game will not be balanced.. ¬¬ I remenber they say the monk will be harder to play.
I think combos will be a nice add, something to make the monk feel different compered to the barbarian.
I think a set of monk skills will be weaker, cost no spirit and generate a good amount of spirit while giving some small effects, like weaker forms of cc and damage buffs. The other set of monk skills will cost spirit, will not generate it and will have devastating effects. Finnaly the monk will have a set of other skills (like auras and the dash skill) that cost small amount of spirit and do not generate it.
The combo is problably a mechanic to make a single skill possible in each ofthose sets. For exemple, they can make the first and second hit of a certain combo cost no spirit and generates alot of it while the turn one consumes it.
So the monk class will be a "delayed burst one". Wich means he will be more burst damage oriented and less sustened damage oriented (unlike the barbarian), however his "burst" takes a few moves to occur. So the challenge is to keep yourself alive until you unleash your super move.
This is how im imagine the monk. I think it's a very elaborated class, with many unique mechanics.
They do sound different than the barbs shouts IMO. Shouts seem to be more of a straight buff (and he also has one that debuffs enemies,) while Auras are an instant effect followed by a buff. Seems like enough of a difference as far as buffs go.
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