7 skills - chose wisely

[Arkahn]

What skills would you place on your seven hotkeys? Here's the choices:

Spectral Blade___Magic Missile_____Charged Bolt
Mirror Image_____Wave of Force___Ice Armor
Stone Skin______Arcane Orb______Electrocute
Explosive Blast___Disintegrate_____Frost Nova
Hydra__________Slow Time_______Energy Twister
Magic Weapon___Arcane Torrent___Ray of Frost
_______________Teleport_________Blizzard
_______________________________Storm Armor

Remember, you can develop as many skills as you like, but you only get access to seven at a time via the hotkeys.

Also, does anyone know which skills will be usable on the left mouse button?

[Daerius]

I'm sure we will get more than 7 hotkeys.

[Arkahn]

Why? This is how it is, and I've read that Blizzard wants it this way to allow compatibility with other game consoles. What makes you believe otherwise?

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

I hope Blizzard does not use such a poorly designed system. If a player is allowed to put points in more than 7 active skills he should be able to use them conviently.

[Sir Mister]

Seriously. Limit the UI for consoles to the extent necessary, but don't hobble PC players as part of the bargain. It's not like they don't need to design the controls for consoles separately anyway. Besides, since hitting a hotkey triggers an ability, you don't even need to have the abilities linked to hotkeys visible for them to work. If I want to map Stoneskin to Q, and I'm reasonably intelligent enough to remember that, how is it a bad thing that I now have access to 8 of my abilities without great inconvenience?

The only argument I can see against "invisible abilities" is that it's not easily accessible to new players, who still suck at the game. Blizzard typically likes to Reward player skill, so I don't see that as too valid, they have access to 7 already besides. And it's not as though there aren't other (potentially even better) systems, that's just what I came up with in a jiffy which works with what I already know of the UI and requires minimal effort on their part at best.

That said:
Slow Time
Disintegrate
Teleport (w/ Hydra Rune, so it can sub in for Mirror Image as well)
Stoneskin
Frost Nova
Electrocute
Blizzard

Even assuming for some asinine reason we really are limited to 7, probably grossly subject to change as the game gets closer to release. Just what I'm feeling atm. Seems like a good mix of offense, defense, and utility.

[Arkahn]

That's close to what I'd pick:

Disintegrate
Hydra
Blizzard
Storm Armor
Wave of Force
Slow Time
Teleport

I like these picks because of diversity of damage types and mechanics. Only trouble is I don't know what could go on the left mouse button. Disintegrate seems feasible but I'm not sure if it's been implemented that way.

[Fackelare]

I hope Blizzard does not use such a poorly designed system. If a player is allowed to put points in more than 7 active skills he should be able to use them conviently.

This is one of the things I do not like about WoW, you need more and more buttons for the skills (of course not talking about PvE, but in PvP). For some reason I need to have about 24 hotkeys for different skills to use. Have you ever tried to use 24 hotkeys with the same hand you need to walk around with? (The 24 hotkeys do not include walking, strafing, targeting, only skills). I'm very fond of a skill-system where you need only a limited amount of skills, not too few, but certainly not too many.7 would seem like a good number, enough to have a lot of variety and options, but not a number that great that you have a specific skill for each specific circumstance...

It is a moot point whether we need more than 7 skills or not, but we do not need an endless supply of skills to use...

[theeliminator]

Teleport (w/ Hydra Rune, so it can sub in for Mirror Image as well)



I wounder what they plain to do with Mirrior Image with multistrike rune. I would think that would be one step better then Teleport with one mirror image that doesn't deal damage. Infact now that I think about it, they might as well get rid or Mirror image or change how hydra rune works with Teleport if they are going to do the same thing.

It is a moot point whether we need more than 7 skills or not, but we do not need an endless supply of skills to use...

Bliz has said that (as it stands now) an effective build will not consist of more then 7 skills. They also said that they will not stop ppl from taking more skills then that, its just that they will be gimpping themselves.

[Zarniwoop]

Consoles driving PC designs is how poor PC games are made.

Oblivion was a nightmare unmodded.

If they make that mistake, I'll stick to D2.

[Telzen]

Ray of Frost
Frost Nova
Ice Armor (you forgot this on your list)
Blizzard
Slow Time
Hydra
Teleport

Don't even need all of these. If the trees stay this small seven active skills seem fine to me. But I am hoping there are going to be some more active skills added.

[Arkahn]

Ray of Frost
Frost Nova
Ice Armor (you forgot this on your list)
Blizzard
Slow Time
Hydra
Teleport


Of these, which goes on your left mouse button? I hope that Disintegrate and Ray of Frost will be allowed for that slot, but does anyone know?

P.S. added Ice Armor to the list, thanks.

[stillman]

Actually, I was hoping I could just use the mouse buttons and never have to touch the keyboard. You know, just spam the same 2 skills. I'll find a way, I swear. I'll make SURE I can come home from work and just rot my brain and zone out for hours not having to think at all. Ok let's see. I'll go with one element on the right mouse button and another element on the left mouse button. That should do the trick. Max out a lot of passives. Make sure I pick out skills that don't have casting delays. It'll be just like d2, for me anyway.

PS: I find it strange that some think 7 is not enough. Jeeze, I don't want it to be Diablo school or playing the piano. We'll be like Data on Star Trek TNG scanning for life forms. But that's just me.

[Telzen]

I don't see why Ray of Frost or Disintegrate couldn't go on left, just like inferno and similiar skills do now. I'm going to make Ray of Frost my main skill so it will be on left for me. Hope there is still a button to hold down and standstill.

Probably something like this:

Left - Ray of Frost
Right 1 - Blizzard
Right 2 - Hydra
1 - Frost Nova
2 - Slow Time
3 - Teleport
4 - Ice Armor

*Claps hands at post under his*

[DavidJewer]

They've increased the speed of hotkeys using this system. Previously you had to press a button on your keyboard to put that skill on your mouse, and then click it. In D3 you insta-cast with your hotkeys. It's for faster gameplay, not console compatibility. Seriously guys. There's a big emphasis on keeping the pace of battle high, and having 7 spells at your fingertips is a lot.

I'm pretty sure 95% of the D2 characters I made only had like 3 skills hotkeyed. I really don't see a big issue with "just" 7.

I understand that the community opinion is very important as we're the ones that are going to play the game, but in all honesty Blizzard has yet to do me wrong. I've gotten my money's worth from every game I've purchased of theirs. Do you really think they sit in a big room shooting off ideas like "I got a great one... let's mess up the gameplay and number of usable skills and piss off half of the community! Why should we make a good game when we can make some $$ off console sales?!"

Blizzard is successful because they make fun games... period. They put gameplay first and every decision they make is done carefully in order for the game to appeal to as many people as possible. And before you go and say "yeah, they just want to appeal to everyone to sell more copies," just think about where you fall into the demographic. You're a part of "everyone" and they're trying to sell the game to you, just as much as anyone.

I'm 103% sure that D3 is going to be just as fun, if not more fun, than D2. And the "limit" of 7 hotkeys is never going to hinder my gameplay style.