Are weapons just part of your appearance now?

**sdemon** · 06-01-2012, 23:30

It's not efficient for a WD/Wiz to use a big *** 2 hander with absurd damage - they are slow. Weapon speed is basically your casting speed now. Using slow 2 handers for casters is not efficient, unless you only use skills that have inherent cooldowns.

**galzohar** · 06-01-2012, 23:59

Anything with a resource cost favors slow weapons if your class has any natural resource regeneration. Plus, 2-handers generally have higher overall DPS. The only real reasons to use something faster is if you rely on stuff like procs or not being stuck in a slightly longer attack animation before being able to move, or if you end up losing damage to overkill (and maybe a few other small stuff). I really wonder how they'll end up balancing it, because right now I'm not buying their reasoning for why you'd use higher-speed-lower-DPS weapons with the current differences in DPS values.

In any case (balanced or not), I find it weird that melee weapons and bows can affect the damage done by your spells. At least a wand/staff can be explained since you basically "cast" with it (and it's magical, after all) and thus it affects your spell damage.

All this also makes me wonder about stuff like "melee wizard". Since there is no reason to use your weapon, only spells, there's no major difference between a staff/wand wielding wizard to a sword wielding wizard. Neither actually use their weapon (unless the wand wizard decided to use the wand passive instead of a signature spell).

**CoQui** · 07-01-2012, 01:48

I may get trashed for saying this but, I honestly think what Blizzard has done to the game is consolized it because they know they are going to bring it to the console and playing with stat points won't be all that much fun on a controller or when 13 year olds are behind the game...

**Grayson Carlyle** · 07-01-2012, 02:07

I'm so confused how the 2H vs 1H issue is still coming up. Every non-shield off-hand has inherent +damage built into it, and a lot of it. +Damage grants the most DPS on fast weapons; 1Hers. It's already the case in the beta; you do more sustained DPS with a fast 1H and +damage rings and a +damage off hand, for which the trend will probably balance out in the end with the 2 options giving roughly the same DPS. Despite 1H being more DPS in the beta, a lot of people opt for a 2H anyway because they enjoy the feel of it. I highly doubt there will be any glaring issues with the choices, especially when everything Inferno is going to take quite a bit more time to kill than stuff in beta.

**Soval** · 07-01-2012, 05:10

Originally Posted by CoQui

I may get trashed for saying this but, I honestly think what Blizzard has done to the game is consolized it because they know they are going to bring it to the console and playing with stat points won't be all that much fun on a controller or when 13 year olds are behind the game...

As well you should.

And for saying this too:

EVERY SPELL is spammable in D3.

Neither of those statements are based in reality, and it makes it hard to take you seriously.

I think your problem Qui is that you, like so many before you, are romanticizing something in Diablo 2 that never was. Normal weapon attacks were never a major part of the game, and were always superseded by the skills each class possessed. There is no major difference between D2 and D3 with regard to the prioritizing of skills or the issues of managing resources.

**galzohar** · 07-01-2012, 12:25

Yes, Blizzard seem to be going the route of static +damage boosts to balance things out, but honestly I don't like that solution. It's just begging for balance issues in the long run and being overall counter-intuitive which seems to be something they have been trying to avoid in other places.

**CoQui** · 07-01-2012, 18:10

Originally Posted by Soval

As well you should.

And for saying this too:Neither of those statements are based in reality, and it makes it hard to take you seriously.

I think your problem Qui is that you, like so many before you, are romanticizing something in Diablo 2 that never was. Normal weapon attacks were never a major part of the game, and were always superseded by the skills each class possessed. There is no major difference between D2 and D3 with regard to the prioritizing of skills or the issues of managing resources.

But that's not true. In D1 and D2, I was always conscious of the amount of mana I had still did a lot of weapon attacking even while spamming some spells. I mean, HONESTLY, you had moments of using your weapon. Even at the beginning at least when you are truely in a weak state at level 1. You had to rely on your weapon for at least what? 5 levels worth before you begin spamming more of the early spells? NOT even at level 1 here are you forced to use your weapons. I guess it's because I was using the Monk class for a decent play session time and actually found myself kind of look away from the screen with a bored state of mind like, ok, this is getting old. Just spamming that kick move and using his fury generator attack. I was tired of seeing it. Then I was like, WAIT I do have more spells, oh crap, I have to go back in town to select them, sighhh...

**galzohar** · 07-01-2012, 19:04

In D2 you still wouldn't use weapons as a caster at high levels, which is what truly matters.

**Soval** · 07-01-2012, 19:17

So are are yearning to repeatedly use your plain weapon attack in battle, but you are bored to tears by repeatedly using the numerous skills you have at your disposal...

Okaaay, what is stopping you from doing just that? You can use your weapons as much as you want, nothing in the game prevents that, You are aware of that aren't you?

But just because you like to play in such a hobbled way does not mean that everyone else should be forced to as well.

Again, you are romanticizing something that never was.

**imthedan** · 07-01-2012, 22:10

I think it's rather unfair for the Demon Hunter to be honest. We have to use a bow or most of the skills will not work, while other classes (including Wizard) can find the highest DPS item and roll with it.

While on the subject, the DPS shown when you open the character window is just for basic attacks right? I am curious about this because on my DH, I tried to equip two one-handed rare crossbows, and my DPS dropped. Would I actually do more damage will skills with two crossbows equipped or does the DPS shown represent the skills for the DH as well?