With StarCraft 2 arriving in just a few days, and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm in active beta, we're starting to wonder what's up with Diablo 3. So far, we already see that it's introducing quite a few changes to the beloved franchise -- randomized quests, no more relying on town portals and potions and a new slate of character classes are just some of what you can expect to see once Blizzard finally ships it. Despite these changes, it's still very much an isometric action-RPG in the same vein as its predecessors. As you may have heard, Blizzard has a pretty good track record about making good games, so the quality of the game isn't really something fans need to worry about.
But what has had fans, especially us, concerned for nearly a year now is the identity of the fifth and final character class. Many people have enough faith in Blizzard to think it'll be good, whatever it is, but will it be good as the arguably perfect Diablo 2 Necromancer, or any of the other classic Diablo characters? As mentioned earlier, now that everyone is already situated with the other two named Blizzard titles (we're not going to even speculate on what's happening with the unannounced MMO), we're thinking that Blizzard might finally talk about Diablo 3 soon. Maybe we'll see this final class at either GamesCom next month or BlizzCon later this year. With that in mind, we're taking a look at what we know, and now making some conclusions about what the final class will be.
Casting and melee are covered: There are, of course, different takes on the concept of melee or casting, but for a cast of just five characters, both bases seem to be sufficiently covered. The Barbarian and Monk each offer a very different way to go about close-range combat. The Wizard offers up a traditional mage class and the Witch Doctor can both cast and summon pets. Blizzard has said the last class will "fit a different niche than the existing classes," so it's unlikely we'll see another class fall exclusively into the caster or melee category.
There's one archetype glaringly absent from Diablo 3: no traditional ranged physical attacker. The Wizard and Witch Doctor might have ranged spells they regularly use, but neither of them -- or either of the other classes -- uses a bow. This particular prediction seems to be the prevailing theory on the Internet, as the concept of a bow-wielding class seems like a necessity in a modern Diablo game. It fits so well, in fact, that I find it hard to believe that the last class isn't some sort of Hunter or Rogue that (at least sometimes) employs a bow.
What We Know
Casting and melee are covered: There are, of course, different takes on the concept of melee or casting, but for a cast of just five characters, both bases seem to be sufficiently covered. The Barbarian and Monk each offer a very different way to go about close-range combat. The Wizard offers up a traditional mage class and the Witch Doctor can both cast and summon pets. Blizzard has said the last class will "fit a different niche than the existing classes," so it's unlikely we'll see another class fall exclusively into the caster or melee category.
It's not a returning class...: Blizzard has come right out and said that no previous Diablo classes will be returning other than the Barbarian. That's a direct result of the developers feeling the Barbarian was the only class that could be significantly improved.
...but it might have some similarities to one: Hey, what do you even need the old classes for? You can see hints of the old characters in the other three announced classes; the Monk is similar to the Assassin, the Wizard with the Sorceress, and the Witch Doctor with the Necromancer. They're certainly not copies of their predecessors, but the precedent suggests we might see the influence of another D2 class or two once the fifth class is unveiled.
It was among the first classes Blizzard picked: Whatever the final class is, it was among the first classes chosen for Diablo 3 many years ago. It has since undergone some significant changes because it was no longer "as exciting to us as it used to be," according to director Jay Wilson. That suggests a twist on what might otherwise be a straightforward class.
What We Think
There's one archetype glaringly absent from Diablo 3: no traditional ranged physical attacker. The Wizard and Witch Doctor might have ranged spells they regularly use, but neither of them -- or either of the other classes -- uses a bow. This particular prediction seems to be the prevailing theory on the Internet, as the concept of a bow-wielding class seems like a necessity in a modern Diablo game. It fits so well, in fact, that I find it hard to believe that the last class isn't some sort of Hunter or Rogue that (at least sometimes) employs a bow.
Diablo 2 had the Amazon as its bow-wielding class (although you could quite easily have ignored bows and used javelins/spears, but nevertheless). If the other four Diablo 3 characters are any indication, Blizzard isn't going to settle for just replicating an already-existing character. That means a Hunter/Rogue would have some significant deviations from the Amazon. As such, here are some plausible ideas for different spins that we might see the developer put on a hypothetical Hunter/Rogue class:
Pets: It's a very obvious addition to the Hunter -- World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and plenty of other games already have Hunters with pets. And with no Necromancer or Druid, and only the Witch Doctor capable of summoning, this seems like a strong possibility.
Traps: The Monk already does the sort of close-range and fast-paced combat that the Assassin did in D2, but the Assassin's traps are nowhere to be seen. A new Rogue could lay down traps and then retreat to use a bow from a safe distance.
Assassinations: This goes more in the direction of WOW's Rogue than it does WOW's Hunter, but imagine a mechanic that has you sneaking behind enemies while the rest of your party distracts a group, only to have you stab your enemies in the back for some crazy critical hit. It goes against the notion that this will be a ranged physical class, but this could be a way to add an alternative way of playing to standing back and playing the archer role.
Shape-Shifting: Another deviation from the ranged combat idea would be to allow you to change into an animal or creature like D2's Druid. Throw in the ability to disguise yourself as an enemy to more easily facilitate assassinations, and it'd be even better.
Make him or her Undead, Holy, or Something: Undead, holy, or whatever -- a twist like being one of these things could provide an avenue for all sorts of crazy skills that you couldn't normally get away with including in a "traditional" Hunter/Rogue character. Some of the undead territory is already covered by the Witch Doctor (who has skills like Locust Swarm and Soul Harvest), but a holy Hunter could shoot arrows imbued with the light of Heaven or somesuch. Sure, that doesn't sound nearly as awesome as "Locust Swarm", but it could still work.
Someone fast: The Monk looks to be the quickest of the announced classes, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way. In D2, the Paladin was able to charge at enemies and the Assassin had a skill to make her faster, which sure would come in handy for following up some quick, long-distance arrows with a close-range killing shot.
Buffs: Few things can make you feel more important in an online cooperative RPG than being the person who dishes out buffs to the other people in your party. Make the fifth class a leader type who can inspire other classes to do greater damage, move faster, or recover health more quickly (like some sort of super Paladin).
Poison: If we can't buff our allies, why not debuff our foes? Blizzard wants combat to be more comprehensive than spamming a single skill, so why not incorporate poisons that you either find or create yourself through dropped items? Those poisons can then be applied to your weapons to counter specific types of foes or to add damage over time, slow enemies down, temporarily incapacitate them, or any number of other effects.
We'll see how close or far off the mark we are whenever Blizzard finally reveals the fifth class. Until then, let's hear what you think we'll end up seeing, as well as what you would like to see
Pets: It's a very obvious addition to the Hunter -- World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and plenty of other games already have Hunters with pets. And with no Necromancer or Druid, and only the Witch Doctor capable of summoning, this seems like a strong possibility.
Traps: The Monk already does the sort of close-range and fast-paced combat that the Assassin did in D2, but the Assassin's traps are nowhere to be seen. A new Rogue could lay down traps and then retreat to use a bow from a safe distance.
Assassinations: This goes more in the direction of WOW's Rogue than it does WOW's Hunter, but imagine a mechanic that has you sneaking behind enemies while the rest of your party distracts a group, only to have you stab your enemies in the back for some crazy critical hit. It goes against the notion that this will be a ranged physical class, but this could be a way to add an alternative way of playing to standing back and playing the archer role.
Shape-Shifting: Another deviation from the ranged combat idea would be to allow you to change into an animal or creature like D2's Druid. Throw in the ability to disguise yourself as an enemy to more easily facilitate assassinations, and it'd be even better.
Make him or her Undead, Holy, or Something: Undead, holy, or whatever -- a twist like being one of these things could provide an avenue for all sorts of crazy skills that you couldn't normally get away with including in a "traditional" Hunter/Rogue character. Some of the undead territory is already covered by the Witch Doctor (who has skills like Locust Swarm and Soul Harvest), but a holy Hunter could shoot arrows imbued with the light of Heaven or somesuch. Sure, that doesn't sound nearly as awesome as "Locust Swarm", but it could still work.
What We're Hoping For
While we've been gathering some info and making educated guesses, here's some stuff that we simply want out of personal preference.Someone fast: The Monk looks to be the quickest of the announced classes, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way. In D2, the Paladin was able to charge at enemies and the Assassin had a skill to make her faster, which sure would come in handy for following up some quick, long-distance arrows with a close-range killing shot.
Buffs: Few things can make you feel more important in an online cooperative RPG than being the person who dishes out buffs to the other people in your party. Make the fifth class a leader type who can inspire other classes to do greater damage, move faster, or recover health more quickly (like some sort of super Paladin).
Poison: If we can't buff our allies, why not debuff our foes? Blizzard wants combat to be more comprehensive than spamming a single skill, so why not incorporate poisons that you either find or create yourself through dropped items? Those poisons can then be applied to your weapons to counter specific types of foes or to add damage over time, slow enemies down, temporarily incapacitate them, or any number of other effects.
We'll see how close or far off the mark we are whenever Blizzard finally reveals the fifth class. Until then, let's hear what you think we'll end up seeing, as well as what you would like to see
0 comments:
Post a Comment