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Hi, this is my WD build for PvE. The idea behind this build is to have loads of damage over time effects that whittle away large groups of enemies. There still is an attack spell for smaller groups, and multiple summons to aid with tanking, but the main goal is lots of damage over time that effects larger groups.

Here is the build http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/witch-doctor#dhgYTR!WUe!ZYcYYa

I call the build "The Ward Round", as all monsters will see is a large group coming at them with all kinds of hurt up their sleeves.

Active Skills
Haunt: Resentful Spirit. This is a tad buggy in the new version of the skills calculator, although based on the prior skillrune it seems Resentful Spirit does a larger %Damage over a shorter time. Perfect for smaller monster groups and for casting when everthing else is up and running.

Locust Swarm: Cloud of Insects. In a similar style to Haunt, this skill does DoT to a large group over now 4 seconds thanks to Cloud of Insects. It's the skill you will be casting to large groups at the start of the fight. Alongside...

Spirit Barrage: Manitou. This is a cast and forget skill (spectre lasts 20 seconds), that will stay over your character firing bolts at monsters. The idea is to whittle away at the front line, adding to the effects of Haunt and Locust swarm.

Summon Zombie Dogs: Burning Dogs. This is for some tanking and more Dot thanks to Burning Dogs. Will also help whittle away the front line. See the theme here?

Gargantuan: Big Stinker. Same as Burning Dogs, just with a funnier name.

Soul Harvest: Swallow Your Soul. Gains Intelligence and Mana from larger groups especially. I like!

Passive Skills
Zombie Handler: Additional Dog and more life for the pets. A no-brainer.
Rush of Essence: Get almost a third of your mana back from spirit spells. Allows for more castings of Haunt mostly, though the aim is to free up a potential reliance of mana providing items.
Pierce the Veil: I can see some benefits of getting increased damage from pets, which can be cast in between battles, where the additional mana costs aren't an issue. This will also work well with the spirit spells alongside Rush of Essence, as the return from Rush of Essence seems to be a percentage. More Mana spent = more returned. I think this choice is a tad risky, but I can see it working with my other choices.

I hope that you all like the build's ideas, give it a try if you so desire. Enjoy!

So everybody... why is in game audio chat not built into the game as it is in Starcraft 2? Am I mistaken that there is not this option. I would like to think that it would not only be much more fun to have an easy option to chat and mess around with friend whilst playing, but it would also add to the tactics in a way that written text cannot. Telling a barb to run and cleave the skeletons attacking a wizard nearby, or telling the wizard to drop a meteor on the casters in the back. Even just warning everybody that there is a strong boss pack ahead. Why no love?

Quote from Entity

Throughout the beta they've added new quests, and new dungeon pieces. The hanging tree is new to beta patch 10 i believe, before that it was only JoS and the ghost one in the defiled crypt. I believe in patch ten they also introduced the original gameplay video quest, where you had to defeat the four poles to unlock the chest. Also in this new patch I've seen some new dungeon layouts that have been quite a nice change, considering I've been walking through the same random dungeons over and over, it's nice to see a slight change in the layout and direction. So actually I firmly believe they'll continue adding in these small little events, they aren't side quests necessarily, so much as just random occurances that trigger when you do something. The Den of the Fallen is by far my favorite though, it's the only real dungeon in the game so far. It's badass and great to take a run through and see Bishibosh's remains.

Good to hear they are adding like this already. Sounds pretty much a no-brainer that this should continue post release. It makes the game feel much more natural, like it's growing bit by bit and is not just a stationary map.

So the general reasoning behind inferno is to allow the whole of the game to be run by lvl 60 characters with the toughest monsters throughout the entire thing. I can see that this idea will bring a large amount of end game content to the title, but I am trying to come up with some additional things Blizzard could implement to further expand the end game content.

My biggest idea is to addon more randomised quests through patches. It shouldnt be very difficult, as the system to insert randomised quests is already in place, and it would just require more quests being created for those random spots. I can see people running around the whole game coming across things that they haven't ever before just because a sneaky ninja-patch introduced a bunch more quests! How exciting would that be?!

This could also be introduced with a quest generator, whereby users can creat quests and submit them to Blizzard, with the best ones being placed into the game. This would require a load more effort, but would create an everlasting flow of content, as well as something for the more creative Diablo players to do.

Anybody got any other suggestions as to how Blizzard can spice up the end game further?

I was justifying to myself the benefits that Blizzard have had for this new rune system: more inventory space for players, more opportunities to feel increasing power on levelling... when a strange thought crossed my mind. This will cut down the amount of small trades in the RMAH, and therefore cut down the RMAH profits by quite a fair bit. Do you guys think that there will be a mechanic in the game (like upgrading the runes with gold at the Jeweller), that Blizzard will add to bolster their profits, or will this new mechanic just mean Blizzard took a pay cut?

I play that alto saxophone in a swing band. I also play the clarinet, but it's not as cool as the saxophone so we can just ignore that... I play guitar too. I like doing puzzles, reading good book and watching movies. Work takes up a fair bit of time, but having a few hobbies is a healthy thing!

I'm not a big fan of the fact that they are reducing the zombie dog's damage. I can understand that they do not want passive skills that require no effort into killing monsters, but there is an air of the Diablo 2 "meatsheild" minions about the change. Maybe I'll have to go with sacrifice now...

Yeh I can see how! You know what they say, something about great minds...

I didn't read yours until I saw your comment and went back to see what you could have meant! I guess it's about 30 mins apart which is not so close, but I was eating dinner and came back to it to so we would have been writing almost the same story, with almost the same name, at pretty much the same time. Yours is a fair bit better written though. Good job son!!

@SonOfSam Holy crap, mine posted just after yours, decently similar story and also we both have Sam in our name. WTF! hahahah that's hillarious!

dude, what?

"So there I was, eyeballing intently the ashen cover of my newly aquired tome, perched atop a small palm tree overlooking the Dahlgur Oasis. Who could have imagined that such a tranquil afternoon could be so ravaged by such a small, seemingly innocuous amphibian?"
Abd al-Hazir

Binkles the Frog is the colloquial term for the immortal mythical spirit of mishap. This embodiement of all things unstructured and unexpected appears fleetingly and rarely, usually to those of great importance at times of great importance. His goal is unknown to most, but it is said that he is a test to those whom he disturbs. A test of resolve and focus, a force to judge those with the potential to be the future heroes and leaders of Sanctuary, a force to change the course of all things away from a powerful secret.

"I peered above the pages into his unblinking eyes, as he peered back into mine. I could feel a firming breeze behind my back that pierced through my linen, and in that moment I understood what was in store for me."
Abd al-Hazir

Binkles is an important creature with a long history of important actions. He was originally a demonic hellspawn, who assisted Inarius and Lilith greatly in the theft and hiding of the Worldstone through creating diversions that shifted the focus off that impossible heist. Binkles was thus given reign over all of nature at the origin of Sanctuary, with the mission to use his mischievous ways to eternally protect said Worldstone from the universe's misbalance. Only those acting for the interest of the entirety of the Nephalem would be allowed to pass his test; purely those who are selfless, unbiased and strong enough of character would be unaffected by this entity. Binkles the Frog: Godly Guardian of the Worldstone.

"Waking at night is never a good thing. Waking at night cold and afraid, amnetic of the preceeding half-day, is much worse. My last recollection is of opening the cover of that dark, cobwebbed book, found deep in an equally dark, cobwebbed cave. I wish I could see in my mind's eye what that book held, because my hands still glow from its arcane dust. That darn frog."
Abd al-Hazir

This is my hope for the beta.

FTB!!!

This is an early alpha screenshot showing how the D3 team initially invisioned the Vault skill. "So guys, it's basically pole vaulting... but without the pole!!"