In a recent interview (http://hellforge.gameriot.com/blogs/Hellforge/GC-2008-inDiablo-Interviews-Jay-Wilson), Jay Wilson mentions that there will be mercs for hire in D3 just as there was in D2. However he states that they are no longer called mercenaries but 'followers' which asks the question of "Why rename them?" IMO it doesnt really make sense to rename these hired blades when afterall they are/were mercenaries who you hired to fight for/with you, not companions/followers that were simply along for the ride. Therefor my answer to this question leads me to believe that they must has needed the name for a new class and wanted to keep a clear line as to who's who.
Since the name mercenary itself implies 'murder for hire/bounty-hunter/guardian/warrior' we could almost assume (and I will for the purpose of this post) that the Merc class would be D3's Palladin with a side of Rogue and a splash of Assassin. A concept for the lore of this class could go... "After the church of the Zakarum fell to Mephisto's corruption many Paladins lost all belief in their faith and disbanned from their brethren. They took their combat trainning where it could profit them and became "blades for hire." They learned to master the bow as well as the blade to become more adaptable to their environments/situations/battles. As they roamed Sanctuary looking for their next hire/bounty the Mercenaries would also begin to learn the other, 'darker' side of magic."
The Merc would retain the general idea of sword-n-board from the Pally but would could also trade in his/her shield for a small blade/sword/dagger (perhaps something to be thrown). It would be a popular choice for the Merc to also have some bow skills (and traps) so they could easily switch between short and long-ranged combat (which would be in-cahoots with Blizzards push to make the gameplay more situational - skill hot bar). And since this class wouldnt be replacing the rogue/zon or assassin but rather be reflecting upon them there would be a balance between bow and trap skills (bounty-hunter skills). The magic type skills the Merc would have would include auras (off. & def.), buffs/stealths, and projectiles/novas.
Ideas for the Skill Tree (three groups):
1. Combat Skills
- swordsmanship
- shield manouvers
- two-handed techniques
- throw skills (blessed hammer but for blades or even shields - think Captain America)
2. Ranged/Stealth Skills
- bowmanship
- simple traps/snares/nets (keeps enemy in place while giving damage)
- special bow projectiles (exploding/poison/stunning/blinding/ect... arrow)
3. Magic Skills
- off./def. auras (perhaps simultaneously both - think fire damage/resist in same aura)
- off./def. buffs
- combat magic (weapon enchantment, projectile spells - think holy bolt/fist of heavens)
You may be right in that they are going to use the Mercenary name for a class. However, just based on the fact that they changed the name of these NPC's to followers does not mean they will be using the name for a class. It could be that we are no longer going to have to "pay/hire" these NPC's anymore. Which would not constitute them as being Mercs. Followers fits better for a person you no longer hire to help you. What do you call someone that tags along under their own free will? A follower of course.
Also in the gameplay video you have Cain and 2 bowmen following you around. This is quest based obviously. All of your followers could be quest based now, a.k.a. 1 of the first quests you have the choice of doing in each act will gain you a new follower, rather than just going up and buying one. Adds for a lot more depth to the game.
Don't hold your breath on a Merc being a class, but then again hope is all you need.
i think the merc class should resemble the Iron Wolves from Act 3 which is a mix of paly and sorc. Plus it will give us some back ground on their culture.
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My life is like a dragon, first praised, then hated, now lost.
i can see some as mercs/followers but i can't see the necro as one unless the completely drop all the summoning skill just pick some skills from Bone & Poison and Curses. but a necro as a NPC i can see
No wait... i can see it now a Necro NPC that summons a golem or a skeleton (warrior or mage) as a merc/follower.
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My life is like a dragon, first praised, then hated, now lost.
Maybe they switched the name from mercenaries to followers because, instead of hiring them to fight with you, they chose to join you as your renown grows. Making them literally "followers"
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(In response to a question about the woman in the D3 cinematic and why she was clutching her heart)...
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Meh, I really doubt she can 'sense evil' or whatever. She was probably just excited about a shoe sale or something, coincidentally when evil was about.
I think that's exelent because if thay do that thet gives us atleast 4 acts
in no particular order
1) Amazon variant
2) Paladin variant
3) Barb (mayeb not because he is in game)
4) Sorceress variant
5) Necro (would be coolest merc ever)
then obviously the possibility fo Druid and Assasin as possibilites for either more followers to mix up what you can use or even more acts!
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I can't believe hair metal used to be cool...
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
YUCK!
i really love this idea of this new class, and particularly enjoyed the lore u made up.
im not sure if i like the skill trees, the mercenery sounds like a all-rounded fighter.
They didn't 'rename' mercs to followers, he said that they called them 'followers' for now, and the reason being, because such NPCs will be hired as well as found along the way. Those two guys imprisoned with Cain in the gameplay trailer are not hirelings, they follow you with their own free will and for no charge, so that is why they collectively call them followers.
The Idea of Mercs being a class sounds nice but you meshed up too many different classes in 1. A hydrid of paladin, amazon, spellcaster, and you've got rogue in there with her stealth skills, are just way to many. I think personally that they are going to revamp the paladin, mayby call it a merc or warrior who knows. That will have sword skills combined with dark magic instead of light or either way doesnt matter.
Mercenary was not quite the right name for them in the first place.
My general understanding of what a mercenary is, is a sword (or other weapon) for hire. Either you pay them for one job, or you continuously pay them for longer jobs or a steady rate so much gold a day.
This happens to a certain extent in d2, but it seems a little off you can hire a rogue mercenary in act 2 normal (by the way these are the only ones actually called mercenaries) for depending on your level, a few hundred gold. Now that would be fine if you were doing Radament or maybe just act 2, but who would accept a few hundred gold for doing act 2, 3, 4, 5 Nightmare, and Hell. (that is assuming you kept them alive the whole time without reviving them.
Mercenaries are generally drawn to whoever has the most money, that is their allegience. Not the most honourable of traits or characteristics there now is it. Now the mercenaries you hire (probably due to something like game mechanics) will follow you to the death (your's or their's). If I hire a mercernary then die doing what it is I was doing, but they do not, what loyalty do they own me. None, their source of income is now gone so they move on to the next one. After robbing my corpse of anything of value.
Korgan in BGII will charge you for his services, it's not much I think it's 80 gold pieces a day or something, but 8 gold x 200 odd days that's 1600 gold he will have cost you by end game. Not bad since it actually cost you nothing to initially pick him up. Now that is a mercenary. And in fact he is, he has served in many a mcerenary groups.
But a follower, that sounds like someone who would gladly follow me to the ends of the earth (Sanctuary) to rid it of the Prime Evils once and for all (unless there is more games in which the Prime evils are in, DIV, DV, DVI, a MMO, etc), prehaps even free of charge as it is not gold they seek, it is me, they are basking in my ambience, or they hope to emulate me, or it is not gold they seek, but glory, an almost assured way to attain glory is to align yourself with heroes of fair renown, and perhaps have your name written into the tales of their names.
Iolas is the Herculean legends and he did practically nothing, he burned the necks off the Hydra as Hercules decapitated them so they would not grow back. Surely Hercules could have had a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, why is this Iolas guy even needed? But he is there, people know his name.
I am not quite sure follower is the right word either but mercenary is definitely not the right word.
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-Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.
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Since the name mercenary itself implies 'murder for hire/bounty-hunter/guardian/warrior' we could almost assume (and I will for the purpose of this post) that the Merc class would be D3's Palladin with a side of Rogue and a splash of Assassin. A concept for the lore of this class could go... "After the church of the Zakarum fell to Mephisto's corruption many Paladins lost all belief in their faith and disbanned from their brethren. They took their combat trainning where it could profit them and became "blades for hire." They learned to master the bow as well as the blade to become more adaptable to their environments/situations/battles. As they roamed Sanctuary looking for their next hire/bounty the Mercenaries would also begin to learn the other, 'darker' side of magic."
The Merc would retain the general idea of sword-n-board from the Pally but would could also trade in his/her shield for a small blade/sword/dagger (perhaps something to be thrown). It would be a popular choice for the Merc to also have some bow skills (and traps) so they could easily switch between short and long-ranged combat (which would be in-cahoots with Blizzards push to make the gameplay more situational - skill hot bar). And since this class wouldnt be replacing the rogue/zon or assassin but rather be reflecting upon them there would be a balance between bow and trap skills (bounty-hunter skills). The magic type skills the Merc would have would include auras (off. & def.), buffs/stealths, and projectiles/novas.
Ideas for the Skill Tree (three groups):
1. Combat Skills
- swordsmanship
- shield manouvers
- two-handed techniques
- throw skills (blessed hammer but for blades or even shields - think Captain America)
2. Ranged/Stealth Skills
- bowmanship
- simple traps/snares/nets (keeps enemy in place while giving damage)
- special bow projectiles (exploding/poison/stunning/blinding/ect... arrow)
3. Magic Skills
- off./def. auras (perhaps simultaneously both - think fire damage/resist in same aura)
- off./def. buffs
- combat magic (weapon enchantment, projectile spells - think holy bolt/fist of heavens)
Also in the gameplay video you have Cain and 2 bowmen following you around. This is quest based obviously. All of your followers could be quest based now, a.k.a. 1 of the first quests you have the choice of doing in each act will gain you a new follower, rather than just going up and buying one. Adds for a lot more depth to the game.
Don't hold your breath on a Merc being a class, but then again hope is all you need.
Diablo 1
Diablo 1 -> Diablo 2
rogue -> act1 rogue
Warrior-> act2 mercenary/act 5 barb
Sorcerer-> act3 Iron Wolf
I have the feeling that we're going to see some D2 classes return as mercs, I can already see the pal and the necro come back.
No wait... i can see it now a Necro NPC that summons a golem or a skeleton (warrior or mage) as a merc/follower.
in no particular order
1) Amazon variant
2) Paladin variant
3) Barb (mayeb not because he is in game)
4) Sorceress variant
5) Necro (would be coolest merc ever)
then obviously the possibility fo Druid and Assasin as possibilites for either more followers to mix up what you can use or even more acts!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
YUCK!
im not sure if i like the skill trees, the mercenery sounds like a all-rounded fighter.
My general understanding of what a mercenary is, is a sword (or other weapon) for hire. Either you pay them for one job, or you continuously pay them for longer jobs or a steady rate so much gold a day.
This happens to a certain extent in d2, but it seems a little off you can hire a rogue mercenary in act 2 normal (by the way these are the only ones actually called mercenaries) for depending on your level, a few hundred gold. Now that would be fine if you were doing Radament or maybe just act 2, but who would accept a few hundred gold for doing act 2, 3, 4, 5 Nightmare, and Hell. (that is assuming you kept them alive the whole time without reviving them.
Mercenaries are generally drawn to whoever has the most money, that is their allegience. Not the most honourable of traits or characteristics there now is it. Now the mercenaries you hire (probably due to something like game mechanics) will follow you to the death (your's or their's). If I hire a mercernary then die doing what it is I was doing, but they do not, what loyalty do they own me. None, their source of income is now gone so they move on to the next one. After robbing my corpse of anything of value.
Korgan in BGII will charge you for his services, it's not much I think it's 80 gold pieces a day or something, but 8 gold x 200 odd days that's 1600 gold he will have cost you by end game. Not bad since it actually cost you nothing to initially pick him up. Now that is a mercenary. And in fact he is, he has served in many a mcerenary groups.
But a follower, that sounds like someone who would gladly follow me to the ends of the earth (Sanctuary) to rid it of the Prime Evils once and for all (unless there is more games in which the Prime evils are in, DIV, DV, DVI, a MMO, etc), prehaps even free of charge as it is not gold they seek, it is me, they are basking in my ambience, or they hope to emulate me, or it is not gold they seek, but glory, an almost assured way to attain glory is to align yourself with heroes of fair renown, and perhaps have your name written into the tales of their names.
Iolas is the Herculean legends and he did practically nothing, he burned the necks off the Hydra as Hercules decapitated them so they would not grow back. Surely Hercules could have had a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, why is this Iolas guy even needed? But he is there, people know his name.
I am not quite sure follower is the right word either but mercenary is definitely not the right word.