Official Blizzard Quote:
Spirit is static. It doesn't regenerate, and it doesn't degenerate. Punching demons and using melee skills builds Spirit, and most monk skills spend it.
Another commonality the Monk will have with his other melee partner is through the use of auras. One one time, we were not even sure what class would be having auras as part of their skill set. Blizzard contemplated the idea with the Monk being the obvious choice but at the same time, that was the problem they had with adding them to his skills. Blizzard eventually decided that this was the correct way to go and gave auras to the Monk to use at his disposal. There was a lot of debate, since then, on how these auras would actually work in the game. In Diablo II, players were required to keep an aura skill as one of their active skills limiting them to only one mouse button for any other skills. They would also last indefinitely until removed from the mouse button. For Diablo III, the use of auras will be much different from this.
Going off of this similarity between these to classes, there is also the runes that go into both auras and shouts for these classes. Just like every other skill in Diablo III, there will be rune effects that change the skill in some way. What kind of changes can we expect by adding runestones to these skills?
Official Blizzard Quote:
[Auras] can absolutely be runed. Like all skills.
The Diablo III barbarian has only ever had one true shout, and a couple others which have similar limited duration buffs. But, multiply that by 5 for runes and we have 15 shouts, compared to Diablo II's ... six? I think.
Granted every rune doesn't change the mechanic of the shout, but most do. We've covered most if not all the Diablo II Warcry tree shout skills through rune effects.
Moving on to the Monk's combo moves, the Monk is able to chain attacks together with each stage of the attack being more deadly and potent. Skills like the http://diablowiki.com/Hands of Lightning" class="wiki-link">http://media-diablofans.cursecdn.com/attachments/16/736/wiki2.gif" alt="DiabloWiki.com - Hands of Lightning"/> Hands of Lightning and http://diablowiki.com/Crippling Wave" class="wiki-link">http://media-diablofans.cursecdn.com/attachments/16/736/wiki2.gif" alt="DiabloWiki.com - Crippling Wave"/> Crippling Wave are just a few examples of the Monk's fist of fury power. Each combo has three stages that are built upon and any other combo can be swapped out at any stage to continue the chain. Because of this intricate combat system, a comment was brought up on how players would be able to track which stage of a combo they were on. First, it was mentioned that the combo stages do reset but only after a good amount of time. Bashiok's additional response iterates, again, that the Monk can be played by any player yet can be mastered by skilled players to be even more lethal.
Official Blizzard Quote:
We don't want tracking of combo stages to be so important that there needs to be a UI element to keep track. It should be that if you're up on your game you're tracking combo stages and it helps you get a slight edge, but if not, you're kicking ass anyway and will probably do fine. Also, we have made changes to skills so they're consistent; such as making all stages capable of a dash. The final stage on combo skills is still usually the powerful topper. I was specifically referring to a movement component not being tied to a specific stage of a combo skill (if it exists). There is some spreading out of mechanics to ensure really important pieces like movement and damage mitigation can't be 'missed' because you counted wrong. But doing damage is doing damage, for the most part, so big combo finishers still very much exist on the third stage.
With all of this combat going on, there is always the question of how it will play out in a co-op game. One user on Battle.net specifically brought up the potential for griefing in hardcore with some of these skills. He mentions the use of zombie wall that would block in another player and causing them to be stuck with a bunch of demons behind it.
Official Blizzard Quote:
There's no player collision. You can't block others, only monsters can do that. (exception being in the arena against enemy players, of course)
A special thanks to cherubdown for spotting this news.
So far, I am most interested in trying the monk when the game comes out. I'm sure I'll play all the classes, but monk may very well be the class I will end up having as my favorite from what I have seen so far.
Of course, hearing about the game and playing it are two totally different things. Maybe it will turn out that one of the other classes fits the way I like to play much better.
*bows*
I am really excited about the Monk actually. He grows on me with every time we learn something new about him. I think the most interesting thing about the monk is that anyone can button mash and play him but skilled players will be able to take him even further and master his possibilities.
I feel quite different about the Monk. I didn't get a chance to play the Monk during Blizzcon, but I don't like the idea of combos. Combos encourage repetitions in button smashing (and it encourages macros). I imagine this is a big problem with the class:
1. Left click - Attack (+spirit)
2. Left click - Attack (+spirit)
3. Left click - Attack (+spirit)
4. Hands of Lightning
5. Crippling Wave
Yeah you can replace hands of lightning or crippling wave but that's not very creative.
I don't know, maybe I'm completely wrong.
On a completely other side note: If Spirit is static (doesn't regenerate or degenerate), what the heck does True Spirit do?
example: crippling wave increases spirit by 5
with trait: crippling wave increases spirit by 10
Just add more spirit gain per spirit-generating attack I suppose.
edit: i'm slow <_<
I believe those tooltips are pulled from the demo at last Blizzcon so things may have changed regarding the monk's spirit mechanics.
edit: And while editing you sneak in another reply Scyber.. at least it looks like I made it first.
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
Official Blizzard Quote:
There's no player collision. You can't block others, only monsters can do that. (exception being in the arena against enemy players, of course)
Like a TBC warrior/rogue! Well now skill is a completely different matter :Q
I don't think it is anything major, just that he has the most potential damage output based on his complex combat system. They have to raise the cap so that non-skilled players can still play him with success.
i.e. If you suck you can still play the monk.
YAY!!! good news for me.
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.