All good demons go to... um... sequel? - Diablo 3 Announced

Hanacker · 2012-01-15T22:31:24.000Z

stusser:

Nope. You can remove and swap out runestones at will without destroying them, so you’re free to experiment. Obviously that could change as the game isn’t out yet, but it’s where we are now.

You guys should really run a quick google search before making statements like this.

Even if they keep the system the same, it’s not like the average Joe is going to have six perfect runes of every type available to slot any way he wants to. Nor is he going to have the often specialized equipment necessary to maximize the usefulness of a build he swaps into. A mage without a good melee weapon isn’t going to make a very good melee mage.

stusser · 2012-01-16T10:39:22.000Z

Hanacker:

A mage without a good melee weapon isn’t going to make a very good melee mage.

Again, you guys really should read up on the game. Every skill’s damage is based upon your equipped weapon’s damage. Wizards, like every class, will want the highest damage weapon possible-- they aren’t just stat sticks in D3.

As for maximizing the build, yes, I imagine melee-range wizards would probably want to invest in defense more than traditional “glass cannon” ranged wizards.

Enidigm · 2012-01-16T11:17:46.000Z

What drove me away from anything but casual D2, and what to a certain extent scarred me on the genre, was the “need” to save your skill points (except for the first in each skill in the skill tree as they opened up) in order to be competitive at Nightmare. I could either have fun in vanilla mode, and allocate points for fun, or i had to save 66%+ of my skill points as unused until i became high level enough to start investing them in the “right” higher level skills. This was pre-Expansion, btw, so it probably changed over time, but after that soul destroying grind i gave up on Diablo 2 completely. Skyrim fulfills all my masochistic needs to punish myself for choosing the wrong skill tree.

stusser · 2012-01-16T11:21:46.000Z

Yeah, that’s not an issue in D3. Or in D2 or Skyrim, for that matter. D2 has respecs now and you can respec through the console in Skyrim, if you got the PC version.

Tony_M · 2012-01-17T00:06:37.000Z

I’ve read that the early game is so easy it wouldn’t matter if you saved points. But I’m hoping the difficulty ramps up in the body of the game.

Drai · 2012-01-17T07:31:30.000Z

If Diablo II is any indicator I would say the answer to that is yes, the difficulty will greatly ramp up. In DII it was pretty darn difficult to die at all on Normal regardless of gear or skill choices. As discussed quite a bit here, that changes very quickly once you hit Nightmare and Hell difficulty. I expect DIII to work in a similar manner.

John_Reynolds · 2012-01-17T16:13:29.000Z

stusser:

Again, you guys really should read up on the game. Every skill’s damage is based upon your equipped weapon’s damage. Wizards, like every class, will want the highest damage weapon possible-- they aren’t just stat sticks in D3.

This really threw me in the beta until I realized this fact. Get the smith to make you the best weapon you can wield if you’ve had no luck with random drops and the dps goes through the roof.

stusser · 2012-01-17T16:54:43.000Z

Improving your weapon is incredibly important. I twinked a couple characters with 11+ DPS weapons at level 1 and they were golden gods.

Hanacker · 2012-01-17T17:59:14.000Z

stusser:

Again, you guys really should read up on the game. Every skill’s damage is based upon your equipped weapon’s damage. Wizards, like every class, will want the highest damage weapon possible-- they aren’t just stat sticks in D3.

If you’re rocking a wand and an orb, you’re still going to need to find a new weapon if you want to become a melee mage.

stusser · 2012-01-17T18:01:15.000Z

If you decide to use magic weapon, yes. Otherwise no. “Melee wizard” just means you fight in close range.

aeneas · 2012-01-17T18:01:23.000Z

Anyone got a beta key they feel like giving away? He asks hoepfully.

stusser · 2012-01-17T18:02:02.000Z

There are no beta keys, Blizzard just flags your account for access.

Dave_Markell · 2012-01-17T19:07:50.000Z

<--------checks account for flags yet again/finds none/cries

tomchick · 2012-01-17T19:27:25.000Z

Wait a minute, I have a dumb question: Are people playing a beta even now? I thought that really limited short beta from last year was closed down after a few weeks. Is there a beta running now with more content?

-Tom

Telefrog · 2012-01-17T19:30:38.000Z

I think it’s the same beta as before. You get all the character types and the first couple of hours of content.

Dave_Markell · 2012-01-17T19:50:58.000Z

Yeah, it’s my understanding that the beta has been stopped and restarted more than once, and without me every time.

Vincent19 · 2012-01-17T20:24:43.000Z

Yea, the beta’s still on, but it’s the same content it’s always been.

Though the monk did get a new skill awhile back.

Shellfishguy · 2012-01-18T05:57:33.000Z

Dave Markell:

Yeah, it’s my understanding that the beta has been stopped and restarted more than once, and without me every time.

Same here Dave. But lets look on the bright side, when it does finally come out it will be all fresh and new! Right? Right?

I figure if I keep telling myself that it will make the sadness go away.

Ninyu · 2012-01-18T08:33:52.000Z

Dave Markell:

Yeah, it’s my understanding that the beta has been stopped and restarted more than once, and without me every time.

Blizzard keeps mentioning something about the Dave Markell flag in the patch notes.

stusser · 2012-01-18T09:52:05.000Z

Yep, still running with the same very limited content. They continued to patch and iterate and polish throughout.