Skill System

[Pijus]

Yeah, the skills system doesn't feel very interesting to me. You basically unlock certain skills at certain levels, and abit later on you start unlocking runes. Since every rune is specific, it's like you're unlocking a whole new skills. And sometimes the runes don't even do anything interesting, they just increase the base skill by a bit. It feels like a very linear progression.

[SnickerSnack]

Yeah, the skills system doesn't feel very interesting to me. You basically unlock certain skills at certain levels, and abit later on you start unlocking runes. Since every rune is specific, it's like you're unlocking a whole new skills. And sometimes the runes don't even do anything interesting, they just increase the base skill by a bit. It feels like a very linear progression.

I find myself using runed skills that are not the highest level available in order to combine two or more skills for greater effectiveness. The monk has several skill combos that work very well and each play a bit differently - same goes for the wizard.

It does seem too simplified, but the skills system is growing on me. The progression is sort of linear, but if you only ever level one of each class (or two if you do SC and HC), then what does it matter?*** The levelling process doesn't need to be very varied, what's more important is that there are lots of workable skill combos at every level, and I find that there are.

Maybe something in the back of your head keeps nagging: "this is going to suck leveling every time I want to try a new build." Just remember that you don't need to.

*** Of course,this is not very helpful for tournaments unless you make some rules about changing skills.

[Jason Maher]

I don't consider Diablo 3 to be a true RPG. Part of what makes an rpg is the ability to customise your skills an attributes and create completely different characters with different choices. I see Diablo 3 as being more of an action-adventure game, with item grinding thrown in.

[SnickerSnack]

I don't consider Diablo 3 to be a true RPG. Part of what makes an rpg is the ability to customise your skills an attributes and create completely different characters with different choices. I see Diablo 3 as being more of an action-adventure game, with item grinding thrown in.

I don't think any of the diablo games were ever considered pure rpgs. They were always action-rpgs.

[BaronScarpia]

I don't consider Diablo 3 to be a true RPG. Part of what makes an rpg is the ability to customise your skills an attributes and create completely different characters with different choices. I see Diablo 3 as being more of an action-adventure game, with item grinding thrown in.

I had the same experience of kitteh, on the same place. It turns out Mr. Barb has 1 skill set for MP, 1 skill set for act 2 boss (aka - spot damage + survive) and 1 skill set for SP.

Based on that, I consider D3 an action game with RPG elements (imo the story is more complex, characters are more deep, etc, making it more rpg-ish than diablo 1/2 - that's not exactly good for the 10 years replayability) and tactical elements (the change build to kill X thing after you die) if you play SP. On SP, normal is fun, on MP normal is just plain easy (pick cookie cutter skills and go).

[Jason Maher]

I don't think any of the diablo games were ever considered pure rpgs. They were always action-rpgs.

Well aware of that. The action bit was what made it so good. Now they've removed the RPG bit of it, for mine. Perhaps my issue is simply that I've spent so long playing D2, that any departure from that tried and true path is hard to come to grips with.

One thing I did love about the first two games was the ability to make non-standard builds. Every character could use (virtually) every item type, so you could create a Rogue that fought up close and personal in D1, or a melee Sorceress in D2, or a Bowbarian, or lots of other zany ideas. Imagine my horror when I picked up an axe in D3 and discovered that it could not be used by a Demon Hunter. Say what?! It's like the game designers have decided what the cookie cutters are, and won't let us play anything else.

I like the game (the bit of it I've covered thus far - basically the beta content), and the lore behind the series always has intrigued me, so it'll get a few play throughs. But in 10 years time I suspect I'll still be playing D2 but will have long since stopped playing D3.

[SnickerSnack]

Perhaps my issue is simply that I've spent so long playing D2, that any departure from that tried and true path is hard to come to grips with.

I think this is at the root of many complaints about d3 and it is definitely the cause of most (but not all) of my complaints. I think there are a few things that really made d2 great but were removed in d3.

One thing I did love about the first two games was the ability to make non-standard builds. Every character could use (virtually) every item type, so you could create a Rogue that fought up close and personal in D1, or a melee Sorceress in D2, or a Bowbarian, or lots of other zany ideas. Imagine my horror when I picked up an axe in D3 and discovered that it could not be used by a Demon Hunter. Say what?! It's like the game designers have decided what the cookie cutters are, and won't let us play anything else.

I like the game (the bit of it I've covered thus far - basically the beta content), and the lore behind the series always has intrigued me, so it'll get a few play throughs. But in 10 years time I suspect I'll still be playing D2 but will have long since stopped playing D3.

I agree. I'm not sure what you mean "could not be used by a Demon Hunter", but your dh probably couldn't use that axe due to the str requirement, and you can stack str with armor. It will still be possible to use nonstandard weapons. My wizard used swords and axes for a while.

[Jason Maher]

Perhaps I misinterpreted the text. I'm sure it said "cannot be used by your class" or some such.

[SnickerSnack]

Perhaps I misinterpreted the text. I'm sure it said "cannot be used by your class" or some such.

It must have been a barbarian only weapon.

[Lifeless]

I used the same build up until the boss of act 2, at which point I realized Cleave/Whirlwind wasn't cutting it. Been using Frenzy ever since, and although the single target attacking sucks against mobs, the real problem lies in Champions/elite packs, where Frenzy is superior anyway.