[ScyberDragon]

A user on Battle.net suggested that the amount of points put into a skill would effect what your character looked like. The example given was a Wizard who has points into cold spells would gain a blueish tint or glow to the character. Bashiok's response was:

Official Blizzard Quote:

We do have skills that affect the way the player looks, as well as changes based on buffs, or if they're under the effect of a certain spell/poison/debuffs, what have you. Because of all of these things it's really important that these effects are very apparent, as well as easily distinguished, as they're important to gameplay. It's obviously a really cool idea, but any visual changes to the look of the character could impair the ability for the player to quickly ascertain the visual cues being given to them. It's something we have to be extremely mindful of.

So while the actual amount of points put into a skill will not actually change how your characters look, certain spells will. In Diablo II, a few effects would change the look of your character. Being poisoned would give you a greenish glow and cold spells would literally change you blue. While not the most impressive visuals, it did give you a very noticeable cue when the effect was occurring. Bashiok mentioned that this is a very important feature to the quick pace of the Diablo games. Too many effects would be too overwhelming and make each individual aesthetic cue indistinguishable.

Bashiok did say the characters will change when certain buffs, debuffs, and spell effects. What actual spells have what changes to your hero is still unknown. The only effect we have been shown was in the original gameplay trailer where the Witch doctor and Barbarian were frozen and ice covered their bodies. What kind of changes would you like to see? Perhaps a Barbarian buff will actually make your character bigger or a Witch Doctor's spell will shrink the heads of your enemy. Whatever the actual changes are, let us just hope it is more than a re-coloring of the character.



A special thanks to FingolfinGR for catching this news and passing it along.

This post has been edited by ScyberDragon: 29 July 2010 - 03:03 AM

[nadenitza]

Heh i agree - that character skill-color change idea ain't that cool... dunno why but i feel it in my gut : |

However i liked the diablo 2 effects from cold,poison,slow etc. - really gives you an instant picture on the situation : ) And now that freezing effect in diablo 3 is very cool to but looks kinda deadly : )

And since the OP gives the opportunity for us to make a suggestion for new effects i'll try to think of some...

- Like the more rage the barbarian accumulates his eyes start to glow red or some other color and leave some trail or sumthin, or have/leave some smokish effect : D [like the demoman in TF2 when accumulates max heads with the eyelander] But since the game is top-down and kind of with a far view dunno if thats gonna be seen good : \

I'll try to think of sumtin else too ; )

[Sixen]

I think this'll be awesome, .

[ScyberDragon]

I hope that when attacked by fire your actual character is set aflame for a short period of time. That would be awesome to be running around while on fire attacking more monsters.

I am more interested on the buffs that have effects to your characters looks. This to me, is where things could get interesting.

[PhrozenDragon]

As long as we don't end up looking like rainbows. D2 is great and all, but colors need to follow the mood of the game. Crystal blue wolf heads were ridiculous in D2 (among many other color combinations) and they would continue to look so in D3. It's good to hear Blizzard thinks so as well

[FingolfinGR]

it should be relatively easy to add effects like frost (as we saw in the screenshots), fire - will be extra cool if you're burning for some time and bleed - that blood can keep dripping! the only tricky i think of will be poison. instead of the green color we used to have the character would be cooler if he/she looked pale and threw up occasionally.

also on skills, how cool would it be to add little thorns to a character that has the thorns buff and returns damage on hits?

[ScyberDragon]

your character throwing up every once in awhile would be pretty sweet.

I was thinking for the , he has some passive to gain extra mana, it would be cool if he became more transparent like he was entering the "ghost" world that they believe in.

[PhrozenDragon]

FingolfinGR, on 31 July 2010 - 12:39 PM, said:

instead of the green color we used to have the character would be cooler if he/she looked pale and threw up occasionally.

ScyberDragon, on 31 July 2010 - 03:30 PM, said:

your character throwing up every once in awhile would be pretty sweet.

What? No, no way. Why would I like to watch my awesome killing machine of unbelievable might throwing up? Next he'll get diarrhea for drinking faulty potions.

[FingolfinGR]

PhrozenDragon, on 02 August 2010 - 09:20 PM, said:

Next he'll get diarrhea for drinking faulty potions.

that's what the health globes are for!

[Macros]

FingolfinGR, on 03 August 2010 - 10:08 PM, said:

PhrozenDragon, on 02 August 2010 - 09:20 PM, said:

Next he'll get diarrhea for drinking faulty potions.

that's what the health globes are for!

Yes, haven't you seen the brown globes yet? ^^

[FingolfinGR]

Macros, on 05 August 2010 - 03:47 AM, said:

FingolfinGR, on 03 August 2010 - 10:08 PM, said:

PhrozenDragon, on 02 August 2010 - 09:20 PM, said:

Next he'll get diarrhea for drinking faulty potions.

that's what the health globes are for!

Yes, haven't you seen the brown globes yet? ^^

soon my friend

[Airandius]

Macros, on 05 August 2010 - 02:47 AM, said:

FingolfinGR, on 03 August 2010 - 10:08 PM, said:

PhrozenDragon, on 02 August 2010 - 09:20 PM, said:

Next he'll get diarrhea for drinking faulty potions.

that's what the health globes are for!

Yes, haven't you seen the brown globes yet? ^^

Those contain hot chocolate for those cold days on top of mountains or at night in the desert.

Though I wonder if orbs heal instantly or will give a buffer for healing, get one potion and it heals 10 damage right away and 10 damage over 5 seconds.