Bashiok Defends Monk Animations
Posted 3 May 2012 by NizarisOne of the long-standing problems the community has had with the 
Monk is that the vast majority of this character’s skills do not use weapons for their animations – unless they’re fist weapons (at least they’ll be there on release). It’s an understandable complaint, as the monk is the only class that does not utilizing weapons for signature skills, let alone a wide array of other skills he is given.
In some ways it makes sense, though, based on the nature of the hero’s play style. It would certainly look interesting to see a monk giving the ‘ol one-two with swords clenched in his hands. Nevertheless, it is an odd dynamic with the character’s design to forgo animations for arguably the most important gear-slot in the game. By dint of the hero’s design, they simply created skills that deliberately avoided the use of weapons to enhance the flavor of the hero. Bashiok does state, however, that they have added a handful of animations where appropriate and they plan on addressing other monk related issues in subsequent patches. This includes the use of various other weapons and their animations.
From a designer’s standpoint, though, there are simply places that need to be evaluated and cut for the greater good. Whether or not you agree with them is left up to you.
It’s worth noting that in addition to making those tough calls we take a logical approach to skill animations, and there are some where we purposely do not show a weapon. This is mostly for summoning or buff abilities where a weapon doesn’t play into the skill, such as mantras, or Inner Sanctuary. There are other skills where we purposely do not show a weapon because the concept of the skill is not connected to a weapon, such as Seven-Sided Strike and Lashing Tail Kick. In addition there are skills that purposely do not show a weapon because the skill is conceptually about the monk using his fists or hands, such as Way of the Hundred Fists or Exploding Palm.
There are skills though that don’t fall into any of those, and just should have been showing weapons. When you gave us that feedback we absolutely heard your requests for additional animations, and we added a full animation suite to the three skills where we felt the impact would be the greatest; Dashing Strike, Crippling Wave, and Deadly Reach. For us that was not only a great use of our resources to get it done, but we thought it was a very visible way to relate to you that we’ve been listening.
So, all of that background and info said, we still have plans to make even more changes and improvements in patches released fairly shortly after release. In a patch we plan to change Exploding Palm, Way of the Hundred Fists, and Fists of Thunder so they don’t hide fist weapons. Since the idea is that these skills are about the monk using their fists, it just makes sense to allow fist weapons to continue to show. In addition, as we continued to refine the monk class and our design philosophies for itemization, our ideas about what weapons make sense for the monk have changed over time. To see that philosophy shift through we’re looking at simply giving monks the ability to wield more types of weapons, complete with full animation support for their skills.
Hopefully that explains some of our intent with skill animations, and not just with the monk, all of the same thought and care (if not more) has gone into crafting the animations for each class and their skills. We’re of course looking forward to getting the game into your hands in a couple weeks, and seeing how everyone enjoys the class they choose, and the skills they wield.
Bashiok added a few follow ups in a second post, in which he explicitly admitted that the lack of Monk weapon animations was more of a bug than a feature, due to changes in the char design that weren’t matched by changes in the graphics. Click through to view those.
The additional weapon types are specific to monks. The original monk design was very different, and very weapon dependent. As that design changed the number of usable weapons didn’t really keep up to match, and so we’re working to correct that.
That’s not to say it’s impossible for other classes to see additional weapon types, but we have no plans at this time.
Question. You mentioned patches. In these patches do you plan on buffing skills or nerfing skills. Or are all D3 patches mostly for bugs, glitches, animations, or system problems?
Kind of off-topic, but yes, we intend to correct issues and make balance changes through patches. Did anyone think we wouldn’t?
Please tell me you’ve given Monks the ability to use 2 handed maces! PLEASE!
The work isn’t complete so I really can’t comment on which weapon types because I don’t want you coming after me if for whatever reason we can’t deliver … but I think you’ll be happy.
i am fine with the monk animations if the weapons would just stay on the monks back. i dont like how he keeps picking up the staff then putting it back on his back when its time to throw a punch. just leave it on his back and i see no problems
One of the few “this is my opinion according to Blizzard” posts from Bashiok that was actually worth reading. That said I can’t help but mention that in the amount of time they took to make the game I could have gotten formal education and make the animations myself.
+1
It’s sad that this is true in a literal sense.
Who can even notice this with all the stuff blowing up on screen? I seriously haven’t ever even noticed this issue when actually playing. Too much too pay attention to.
I was thinking about it all the time while playing the Monk, and I know I’m far from alone.
I was expecting some inflammatory and sarcastic comments in the newspost, but then Flux seemed more interested in putting forth a neutral view on Bashiok’s reply.
Then I scrolled up to see that it wasn’t Flux who wrote it, and everything fell into place.
However, Niz loses points for his misuse of “utilize” and the related grammar fail.
Oh well. This is what happens when you let Jay Wilson design a class.
/joking, partially.
Tbh, I don’t mind the lack of weapon animations, though I understand why it bothers some people.
It’s a shame they went away from the more combo-order based combat for the monk which they had initially envisioned – which I assume is the change in direction they talk about (that and the focus on staffs).
Basically, that wall of text was = ”we decided not to do these animations”. Imagine a car manufacturer going ”we could have painted the decklid also, but we decided to focus our painting efforts on more important parts of the car”. I agree with the unfinished product characterisation in previous posts.
Except that Bashiok actually said that they had fixed the animation for 3 skills ready for release and more coming in the patch….
So your post is already 100% wrong.
There are so many solutions to this problem its not funny. But everyone seem’s intent on bitching about the monk since its so clearly the new teacher’s pet of the classes (Jay’s class). Really though, allow weapons to be transmuted. Then all weapon’s can be class specific and when transmutted the skills specializations change and can only be done once. Fixed, god I’m smart lol.
That doesn’t even make sense, and it sounds like it’d be a hell of a lot more work than simply adding in some animations.
I’m much more interested in making the class function well. Honestly I’m fine and dandy with many of his animations using just his fists and feet and not weapons. I wish we could have a command to sheath weapons like in WoW so that you didn’t have him constantly grabbing and resheathing his weapons as he fights.
Also, I don’t think the monk needs more weapon types. He already has every 1h weapon in addition to fist weapons, dai bos, polearms and staves. It just seems wrong to have the monk running around with a big mace or axe… That is what the barb does.
thats exactly what im thinking too! what was wrong with the monk using fist weapons and staffs? would suite his style perfectly and woud’ve been so much easier to animate everything just for those types of weapons.
srsly why the heck do you think its mandatory that the monk can use whatever he wants?
yeah lets give the dh the ability to use a giant sword as offhand-weapon “CUZ ITS SOAH COOL”…..srsly everything was fine back before but now they even ****genize more. if you want to use every melee weapon play the barb FFS
I agree that the Monk doesn’t need more weapon types. They really should focus that time on fully animating him.
The only really confusing part to me is.. why are monk-specific weapons staves? Why not fist weapons?
If they have a hard time making all those animations, why make such a weapon the class-specific one..
anyways, I claimed to hate the monk class until I played the beta and saw the reveal movie.
Definatly my favorite class, it plays really smooth and is very joyful.
As a MMA fan and practitioner I won’t be playing the monk mainly because he is designed by non fighters. They could easily have hired someone who knows melee combat to animate this guy, it is absolutely ridiculous with telegraphed punches and bull**** kicks that would hurt no one but himself. I can accept some free spirit in design as it’s a game in fantasy setting, lightning and whatnot.. but the monk is not a martial artist and would get choked out in about.. oh, 20 seconds in an octagon. That is all.
Newsflash: that applies to every single character.
)
Not possible to shoot two crossbows in each hand, swords aren’t swung like that, magic doesn’t work like that, and the witch doctor is too tall. (to name a few problems
Just chill. People have been shooting shotguns from the hip for decades in movies, it doesn’t make them any less enjoyable.
that applies to every single character
The Barbarian would never get choked out.
I kind of disagree with that, as I said I can tolerate some freedom of aestethics as it’s after a freaking video game. But the demon hunter fires a bow like a bow is fired, the barbarian has good core movement in his bashing around, magic is of course free for all and don’t really care about that. The monk however takes a stance that a rookie would leg sweep in a second and just moves awkward and like he is animated by, well, a guy who probably never did a pullup in his life, and that’s ok, but maybe not animate the one “finess” melee class.
I guess It’s just disappointing as it’s a big part of who I am and I like to relate, though the DH was a blast so I’m ok. Look at a game like assassins creed though, even if it’s over the top it’s real movement and made by martial artists, even Dana white commented on it. Blizzard should taken notice and I feel the issue is with pride of designers hampering the quality of the class.
Barbarian: So how did you die anyway?
Monk: The Skeleton King again.
Barbarian: Hammer to teh head?
Monk: Leglock.