Voodoo Powder instead of Mana??

[Pode]

I don't know about anyone else but i think it would make alot more since for the wizard to use mana then the witchdoctor. Or maybe no one uses mana and everyone has there own system? Like the barb uses fury, the witchdoctor uses voodoo powder, the wizard uses ???, the monk uses ???.

Voodoo Powder fits in with the witchdoctor theme and it just makes more since. I don't know how the witchdoctor would use his voodoo powder but i think the name Voodoo Powder is alot cooler than mana for the WD.

Do you?

[Fizh]

The shamans of the american indian tribes used the word mana to describe some kind of life force. So the word mana is actually very fitting for a shaman/witch docter-type character. In China it was called "chi". The zen monks of Japan used the word "ki".

You could use the word chi for the wizard and ki for the monk.

[Runestar]

I am personally not really interested in what their resource is called, but more of what mechanics will govern it.

So...not really. :crazyeyes:

[erichb]

Voodoo Powder? I like it. I think it's more appropriate than mana.

[nabay]

I think a cool mechanic would be something like this.
some spells could generate your "mana". You could generate a maximum of 5 or 6 orbs at a time. Your mana would also be generated by killing. And just for speed for every generating spell you cast your amount of generation would go up.
Just off the top of my head

[Pode]

I think a cool mechanic would be something like this.
some spells could generate your "mana". You could generate a maximum of 5 or 6 orbs at a time. Your mana would also be generated by killing. And just for speed for every generating spell you cast your amount of generation would go up.
Just off the top of my head

nah thats too confusing. the game has to have an easy concept but be hard to master like they said. So i came up with this idea- Since the WD thrives on not getting attacked cause he "doesn't like it" how bout the longer he doesnt get attacked the faster the Voodoo powder regens. Plus he gets Voodoo Powder back from his "pets" kills which makes his "pets" have even more meaning??

[nabay]

nah thats too confusing. the game has to have an easy concept but be hard to master like they said. So i came up with this idea- Since the WD thrives on not getting attacked cause he "doesn't like it" how bout the longer he doesnt get attacked the faster the Voodoo powder regens. Plus he gets Voodoo Powder back from his "pets" kills which makes his "pets" have even more meaning??

interesting but it should like you could too easily get raped. It states out with a few hit and before you know it your regen is so low that you can't handle the situation. IT could be avoided by even after getting hit you have a decent regen rate. Also regen from pet kills could be a sweet mid to early skill.

[sunkenfaith]

i, too hope that the mechanics will be better. I do not really care about the fancy names.

[Sir Mister]

You guys are going to hate me for bringing in a WoW comparison, but hear me out.

The idea for the Witch Doctor, in an ideal world, is to make him the ultimate dark magic badass, some combination of the Necromancer from D2 and the Warlock from WoW on crack. The ultimate lord of decay, everything falls to him from DoTs, Pets, Dark Magic Barrages, etc, while skills like Terrify and Confusion ensure no one *actually* has a chance to engage him in a fair fight.

This is the WD that would compare to the Barbarian, who is like an M1 Tank, and the Wizard, who is a walking laser light show, and would hold his own. This is the WD people would play.

Now, how do we actually reflect this in the mechanics of it? Well, someone else already hit the nail on the head when they said mana was a type of lifeforce for native american tribes. What makes the warlock so scary (read, overpowered) in WoW is their ability to juggle health and mana- they trade them back and forth with ease, and the more skilled the warlock, the more they can get out of their juggling. So, you don't have to burn through 1 health orb, it's more like 3. And, you don't have to wear them out of 1 mana orb, it's 4 or 5.

The vision I have for the Witch Doctor lies somewhere in that vein- they regen health and mana quickly, and it only gets faster as you level up. They power their stuff through mana AND through health, and have skills that let them juggle back and forth. If they're in a tight spot, they focus more on leveraging that to increase survivability, and rely on the DoTs they've already laid down to work their mojo and take down those giving them grief. If they're not, they crank up the offense instead.

This sort of quick-charge dual globe juggling action would lead to a class which has the survivability of the barbarian as well as the raw offensive power, but in a completely different way, and would play completely differently. It would also make it follow the vein of easy to learn, but tough to master, as it would reward player skill- the more skilled you are in that juggling act, the more offense you can crank out, and the tougher of scrapes you can pull yourself out of.

It also works with existing gameplay mechanics- as you (through use of passives) crank up the rate of drop of health and mana orbs, you crank up the offensive might of your character, but you still have to get to them, forcing you to keep moving forward, and thus keeping the game fast paced and forward moving.

Thoughts? Does it sound fun, and would you play it? Don't just say "that's stupid", provide reasons why it doesn't work or is inferior to another system. I know people want to kill baddies, not manage resources, but managing your resources more effectively to kill baddies faster simply rewards player skill and, in my book, makes for a more rewarding game experience. And, since the game is about offering different playstyles and different experiences to match the gamer, if you don't want to think much while playing, the barbarian seems like he would probably be a good fit, I'm just throwing this out there as One possible playstyle/ gaming experience, and I think it would be very fitting to the WD.

[nabay]

You guys are going to hate me for bringing in a WoW comparison, but hear me out.

The idea for the Witch Doctor, in an ideal world, is to make him the ultimate dark magic badass, some combination of the Necromancer from D2 and the Warlock from WoW on crack. The ultimate lord of decay, everything falls to him from DoTs, Pets, Dark Magic Barrages, etc, while skills like Terrify and Confusion ensure no one *actually* has a chance to engage him in a fair fight.

This is the WD that would compare to the Barbarian, who is like an M1 Tank, and the Wizard, who is a walking laser light show, and would hold his own. This is the WD people would play.

Now, how do we actually reflect this in the mechanics of it? Well, someone else already hit the nail on the head when they said mana was a type of lifeforce for native american tribes. What makes the warlock so scary (read, overpowered) in WoW is their ability to juggle health and mana- they trade them back and forth with ease, and the more skilled the warlock, the more they can get out of their juggling. So, you don't have to burn through 1 health orb, it's more like 3. And, you don't have to wear them out of 1 mana orb, it's 4 or 5.

The vision I have for the Witch Doctor lies somewhere in that vein- they regen health and mana quickly, and it only gets faster as you level up. They power their stuff through mana AND through health, and have skills that let them juggle back and forth. If they're in a tight spot, they focus more on leveraging that to increase survivability, and rely on the DoTs they've already laid down to work their mojo and take down those giving them grief. If they're not, they crank up the offense instead.

This sort of quick-charge dual globe juggling action would lead to a class which has the survivability of the barbarian as well as the raw offensive power, but in a completely different way, and would play completely differently. It would also make it follow the vein of easy to learn, but tough to master, as it would reward player skill- the more skilled you are in that juggling act, the more offense you can crank out, and the tougher of scrapes you can pull yourself out of.

It also works with existing gameplay mechanics- as you (through use of passives) crank up the rate of drop of health and mana orbs, you crank up the offensive might of your character, but you still have to get to them, forcing you to keep moving forward, and thus keeping the game fast paced and forward moving.

Thoughts? Does it sound fun, and would you play it? Don't just say "that's stupid", provide reasons why it doesn't work or is inferior to another system. I know people want to kill baddies, not manage resources, but managing your resources more effectively to kill baddies faster simply rewards player skill and, in my book, makes for a more rewarding game experience. And, since the game is about offering different playstyles and different experiences to match the gamer, if you don't want to think much while playing, the barbarian seems like he would probably be a good fit, I'm just throwing this out there as One possible playstyle/ gaming experience, and I think it would be very fitting to the WD.
First off, I don't there is a problem with making WoW comparisons, They are both RPGs and WoW is a solid RPG.

But i like where your going at, Why have a different resource when you can just use the 2 you have in a different way.

[naequs]

i think its good as it is....
its confirmed they both use mana but will have slightly different mechanics, isnt it ?
what i dont like is those bottle throwing skills; doesnt fit :/

[Corius]

Perhaps the name should be "Mojo" as in voodoo mojo?

Merriam Webster definition:
* Main Entry: mo·jo
* Inflected Form(s): plural mojoes or mojos
* Etymology: probably of African origin; akin to Fulani moco'o medicine man
: a magic spell, hex, or charm; broadly : magical power <works his mojo on the tennis court>

[nabay]

i think its good as it is....
its confirmed they both use mana but will have slightly different mechanics, isnt it ?
what i dont like is those bottle throwing skills; doesnt fit :/

as far as i know mana is only used by the WD , Wiz and monk will be changed

[CCCenturion]

"Voodoo Powder"??? Nice concept, but the name sounds a little weak. Mojo sounds cooler.

Personally, I would love to see the witch doctor harvest enemies' bodies for parts that can be used to cast spells. It'd be like the D2 Barb's Find Potion skill, only you're pulling out blood and guts and filling little Witch Doctor jars with them.

[Deckard Cain]

I agree that the WD should get a different mechanic and not the Wizard. It makes much more sense to have the wizard just use mana. Unless of course they wanted to come up with something new for both of them.

[Mad Mantis]

Perhaps the name should be "Mojo" as in voodoo mojo?


Only if they change his voice to that of Austin Powers.

[sbrown]

i guess i will use voodoo powder.

voodoo powder gives you wings.
voodoo powder gives you the energy to fight back :thumbsup:

[slingblade]

If you're going to change his power source to something more 'vooodoo oriented', make the mechanic different. If all you're going to have is mana with a different name, then skip it. It's pointless.

[Funkopotamus]

In my mind, Austin Powers has completely claimed the word "mojo". And voodoo powder sounds like I'm scooping kool-aid mix out of a leather sack with one of those candy trowels.

[Detheroc]

The concept is very interesting, but I think mana works just fine for the Witch Doc. The explanation "mana is vodoo in origin" is enough for me, but even so, it also makes plenty of sense from a lore perspective, since mana is a force that "flows in everything" in Sanctuary, and Mr./Ms. Voodoo here has a religion which is all about tapping into the powers of the land.

With another name, the idea suggested by the OP could be interesting for a future class if implemented right.