RawBanana
21-07-2009, 02:28
I thought up some ideas on how blocking could work for players and monsters in D3. Hopefully this would work in a balanced way to add a new style of play to D3.
As shown in the videos, D3 already has directional blocking by monsters. I hope active blocking will also be available for players since blocking with a shield has been proven to be a viable playstyle in Dungeons and Dragons Online.
This is how I think it should work:
- directional blocking facing where ur mouse is pointed
- must press a button (keyboard or mouse) to block
- normally cannot walk while blocking (need skills points to run and block)
- if the player is not blocking the right direction, take 100% dmg
- if blocking the right direction:
-- check against block % (determined by shield size) if blocked then block for 100% dmg
--- small shields (block % of 10-25%), large shields (25-50%), and block skills add up to 50% to get blocking to 100%
-- if blocking check is missed/failed then will still take 50% less damage from regular attacks
Unblockable and Partially unblockable skills:
- 100% unblockable skills will cause 100% damage even if the shield is up and facing the right direction the such as: AOE, all lightning attacks, burning effects from fire, and unblockable attacks (eg. Hammer of Ancients looks like an unblockable skill)
- 50% unblockable skills will typically block for only 50% damage (if block check successful) or 75% damage taken if block check missed. Such as: magic attacks (ice, fire, shadow, arcane), piercing arrows
- If an Unblockable melee attack hits you, no attacks for 1s can be 100% block (they will become partially blocked for 50% damage)
Skill Points / Talents
Given additional skill points blocking can be made more effective and less restrictive:
Low tier skills:
- Mobile Blocking - Run/walk with shield
- Shield bash – stun/knockback with shield while blocking
- Block Technique - Greater coverage for blocks (eg. 90 degrees to 150 degrees of blocking)
- Block Awareness - autoblock 1 attack every 5 seconds from any direction
- Advanced Blocking - additional block % and armor gained from shield
Mid tier skills:
- Shielded Attacks - basic attacks/throwing while blocking
- Shielded Casts - basic casting (eg. Firebomb) while blocking
- Reflecting Shield - proc/chance to deflect/reflect incoming ranged attacks while blocking
- Counterblock – proc/chance to bash enemies after blocking their melee attacks
- Shielded Charge – charge with shield
High tier skills:
- Magic Block - +30% resist all while blocking
- Avengers Shield-throw – throw shield to stun multiple enemies
- Shieldwall – block attacks from all directions for next 5 seconds (10 second cooldown)
- Shield Cover – allows partially block AOE attacks for up to 50% dmg
- Advanced Shielded Attacks – attack with cleave/jab while blocking
Pros of blocking system:
- Pushes for more rock/paper/scissors type pvp and pve options
- New active form of defense - allowing the player to get more involved in the game instead just trying to dodge/jump/teleport out of the way of incoming missiles.
- Even classes who don’t put skills points into blocking can skill block if they see an attack coming that they can’t get out of the way (promotes skill to master but never required)
- Allows a blocking tank – who typically has less hitpoints than a high armor/hp character but much stronger against certain forms of damage like projectiles/melee but hates lightning/AOEs and unblockable attacks
- Allows a new form of caster glass cannon – who does not need to just run/teleport away to avoid dieing but will die quickly if you use the right skills
Cons of blocking system:
- players who don’t invest into unblockable skills will find it very hard to fight blocking enemies (but should be no different from fighting physical resistant or magic immune monsters which are already in the game)
- players who are very good at blocking will do very well at certain areas of the game (eg. Narrow corridors/doorways) but certain builds will always be stronger at different areas of the game and this is not unbalanced
- blocking characters need to invest highly into lightning resist or they may be killed very quickly by lightning/aoe monsters/players (this is their Achilles heal but can easily be avoided by investing into additional lightning resist)
- Mages without lighting school will find fighting blocking characters very hard as they can block 50% dmg from other magic schools or potentially reflect their skills (blocking characters will tend to have less hp because they invested into blocking (uses strength/agility) and less into hitpoints)
Fun Applications:
- Attacking an undead/enemy castle where all undead were soldiers who are organized with shields.
- - This area will require extensive use of anti-blocking attacks
- There may be choke points where there are archers set up to shoot waves of arrows which will do a lot of damage unless blocked
As shown in the videos, D3 already has directional blocking by monsters. I hope active blocking will also be available for players since blocking with a shield has been proven to be a viable playstyle in Dungeons and Dragons Online.
This is how I think it should work:
- directional blocking facing where ur mouse is pointed
- must press a button (keyboard or mouse) to block
- normally cannot walk while blocking (need skills points to run and block)
- if the player is not blocking the right direction, take 100% dmg
- if blocking the right direction:
-- check against block % (determined by shield size) if blocked then block for 100% dmg
--- small shields (block % of 10-25%), large shields (25-50%), and block skills add up to 50% to get blocking to 100%
-- if blocking check is missed/failed then will still take 50% less damage from regular attacks
Unblockable and Partially unblockable skills:
- 100% unblockable skills will cause 100% damage even if the shield is up and facing the right direction the such as: AOE, all lightning attacks, burning effects from fire, and unblockable attacks (eg. Hammer of Ancients looks like an unblockable skill)
- 50% unblockable skills will typically block for only 50% damage (if block check successful) or 75% damage taken if block check missed. Such as: magic attacks (ice, fire, shadow, arcane), piercing arrows
- If an Unblockable melee attack hits you, no attacks for 1s can be 100% block (they will become partially blocked for 50% damage)
Skill Points / Talents
Given additional skill points blocking can be made more effective and less restrictive:
Low tier skills:
- Mobile Blocking - Run/walk with shield
- Shield bash – stun/knockback with shield while blocking
- Block Technique - Greater coverage for blocks (eg. 90 degrees to 150 degrees of blocking)
- Block Awareness - autoblock 1 attack every 5 seconds from any direction
- Advanced Blocking - additional block % and armor gained from shield
Mid tier skills:
- Shielded Attacks - basic attacks/throwing while blocking
- Shielded Casts - basic casting (eg. Firebomb) while blocking
- Reflecting Shield - proc/chance to deflect/reflect incoming ranged attacks while blocking
- Counterblock – proc/chance to bash enemies after blocking their melee attacks
- Shielded Charge – charge with shield
High tier skills:
- Magic Block - +30% resist all while blocking
- Avengers Shield-throw – throw shield to stun multiple enemies
- Shieldwall – block attacks from all directions for next 5 seconds (10 second cooldown)
- Shield Cover – allows partially block AOE attacks for up to 50% dmg
- Advanced Shielded Attacks – attack with cleave/jab while blocking
Pros of blocking system:
- Pushes for more rock/paper/scissors type pvp and pve options
- New active form of defense - allowing the player to get more involved in the game instead just trying to dodge/jump/teleport out of the way of incoming missiles.
- Even classes who don’t put skills points into blocking can skill block if they see an attack coming that they can’t get out of the way (promotes skill to master but never required)
- Allows a blocking tank – who typically has less hitpoints than a high armor/hp character but much stronger against certain forms of damage like projectiles/melee but hates lightning/AOEs and unblockable attacks
- Allows a new form of caster glass cannon – who does not need to just run/teleport away to avoid dieing but will die quickly if you use the right skills
Cons of blocking system:
- players who don’t invest into unblockable skills will find it very hard to fight blocking enemies (but should be no different from fighting physical resistant or magic immune monsters which are already in the game)
- players who are very good at blocking will do very well at certain areas of the game (eg. Narrow corridors/doorways) but certain builds will always be stronger at different areas of the game and this is not unbalanced
- blocking characters need to invest highly into lightning resist or they may be killed very quickly by lightning/aoe monsters/players (this is their Achilles heal but can easily be avoided by investing into additional lightning resist)
- Mages without lighting school will find fighting blocking characters very hard as they can block 50% dmg from other magic schools or potentially reflect their skills (blocking characters will tend to have less hp because they invested into blocking (uses strength/agility) and less into hitpoints)
Fun Applications:
- Attacking an undead/enemy castle where all undead were soldiers who are organized with shields.
- - This area will require extensive use of anti-blocking attacks
- There may be choke points where there are archers set up to shoot waves of arrows which will do a lot of damage unless blocked