The devs didn't say anything special. DII had coop already. The game was already centered on coop. Can you still play SP? Yes. Can you still play solo? Yes, devs said yes. Therefore, mercs ftw.
Many situations where a monster would hit you it hits the merc instead => making playing more relentless and you don't have be aware so much => gets boring faster. I remember playing sorc pre-lod you had to tele around throwing orbs that slow enemies down and move all the time or else the mobs would prolly swarm you. If u have that powerfull merc with damage reduce and leech tanking for you.. thats way too easy.
The little amounth of lod i played (like 4barbs, 4 sorcs + some others) I never had merc on my sorcs, they didn't really need one. But the physical classes were in big trouble without. They were already behind in damage if u compare to sorc for example so if you wanted your killing pace be even decent you really had to get that might merc.
Let's say the merc only coops with his owner, or decrease the efficiency of his skills compared to a non-NPC. But you should know that no NPC could replace a human player...
Well if you already can solo without a Merc.. but you play HC for example and hey "maybe I wanna play with that baba to get some extra protection from warcries" then u check ur merc.. oh he already has those "get lost baba" so much for the coop play they are aiming for.
PVM != PVP
If mobs hit you in PVM i'm sure you get beaten by every barb in PVP..
Also people like having a merc, its buffs are useful and it helps get those bothersome monsters off your back if your in a tight spot, typically in a coop game mercs die very quickly and you have to rely on your team mates anyway, but during solo player having a merc is a life saver and helps people out generally well.
Buffs are usefull. Well if the characters are created in such ways that they can handle without the buffs then no thanks to mercs. "life saver" that sounds like you need to learn 2 play.
I don't think theres a diablo player alive that doesn't thank a merc for saving there butt in hardcore hell durance of hate, solo or multiplayer! dolls are bloody murder
Nah never, if you die to dolls you deserved it and maybe next time you have learned how to deal with them. Too bad the AI bot saved you so you didn't learn anything else than "hey i buy that merc from act2 so I don't die that much cuz i sux otherwise"
I think you came in here very shallow minded, don't just think about your own situation, there are other people in this world not as lucky as you or myself to be able to simply call up a mate to play whenever we are able too, giving solo players the ability to have to merc is a perk and a damn good one specially if there character class doesn't have any pets
Ok I don't mind if singleplayers get some companions.. guess it's god damn boring to play alone. But in multiplayer if you solo you solo. I solo almost 80% of the time unless friends are online and play around the same areas I am and still I don't need some damn mercs.
I really hope blizzard creates the characters so that we don't need some AI Bots seriously. If something is too hard for one he would look for party and play with other people. Or go somewhere and level up some more and try it again.
OMG!!!! Someone that understands!!! Lets have a Diablo were player skill or organized partys is what helps us advance or take on those challenges not some AI bot. Mercs in single player is cool. I just think of playing with, and building a strong communitty online and truely promoting coop play does not have room for mercs that you depend on to get you out of tight situations.
Many situations where a monster would hit you it hits the merc instead => making playing more relentless and you don't have be aware so much => gets boring faster.
For me, mercs spiced up the game and made it more fun and relaxing. I could sometimes alt-tab because I knew I wouldn't get killed by some random skeleton, I also did not have to run after all those dispersed fallens or whatever because my merc would take care of them, and he was a companion that I could "worry about".
Mercs are an option, some people like them, some don't. I used to dislike them before, but they grew on me.
Mercs can also provide a secondary damage type, like lighting.
I always enjoyed them and they weren't really free, a merc with no gear didnt last very long. so it gave you something else to work for, good items for them. i guess i could live with or without them.
i really like the mercenaries in D2, i hope they stay in D3. they really help if your playing solo, by alot. i also like getting gear to put on them and lvling them as well.
I liked them and think they should be back but hopefully with better AI and they should know their strengths and weaknesses. It would be nice if they could care for themselves a bit more and we could customize a bit or even have the ability to give some of our skills to thme for them to level up a skill faster, if we had extra.
Mercs are used for utility, not as a new hero.
Aura mercs to help boost your spells and attacks.
Range mercs with knockback and offensive abilities to sprinkle damage in while you're tanking hits.
Fat mercs to soak up damage for you while you stand back.
Only when taken to the EXTREME gear should a merc be able to solo bosses.
Anyone who says mercs are pointless don't know the point of one. (Isn't that ironic?) Mercs aren't there to be a little second-hand version of you, they exist to cover up your back and make up for what you lack. Anyways, give me UBER MERCS! Barbarian tank mercs with full sets of gear ftw! (With customizable talents and attributes and everything.)
I don't think there are going to be mercs like in D2. If anything mercs will probably just be temporary to help you in a particular fight and will most likely just be cannon fodder like in the game play Demo. I could be wrong but in any case I wouldn't miss them.
Well it's probably just a random thought that would die down, but it would be nice to have quest-based mercenaries, that is, NPC's or other characters that require completion of a quest before you can hire them. Imagine being able to fight alongside Fara from Act II of Diablo II, or the Knights from Act IV, hell, maybe even tyrael. They would only be hireable after completing a quest related to that NPc's lore or story, and once hireable, they are powerful/smart/skill-utilizing mercs that cost a stashful of gold to hire everytime.
I honestly dont think we will see mercs. The comments made by Blizzard suggest an enviroment that promotes cooperative play and I dont think a computer sidekick is what they have in mind to promote this. Just going off there comments they want you to atleast pair(2 man group) up if not group(5 man group) up.
Remember they are adding a full on single player campaign mode, it's not ALL about the online play.
I thought we did see two mercs... the archer dudes that helped him. I mean like maybe there will be mercs, but they will be less involving than in D2
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"If we're actually making the game worse with no other reason than to be different from WoW, then it's a bad choice." - Jay Wilson (D3 lead designer)
Nowhere in any act did my barb have any problems to survive. 8 players ancients hell alone - no problem. Leeching is the magical word, a good armor, iron skin... But it did take a lot of time - you're right in saying the melee classes were behind in damage. This should be better in D3...
Yeah I didn't mean about surviving.. baba is one of the best in it but in damage, if you didn't have might merc with you, you gimped even more of your already gimped damage In other ways merc wasn't much help for barb since you are already inside of the mob packs.
But for sorc holy freeze merc for example is just ridiculous, no mob can ever get near you when they are slowed down so much. Best fun with lod sorcs I had with nova/orb. You had to go near the mobs with nova it was fun.. some mad boss packs you had to deal with care.. do some orb further away and then close in with nova and kite them while doing some nova.
Game must be somewhat tactical and not all that easy tank and spank. Where the merc is the tank and you stand behind him spanking the mobs.
Mercs are somewhat a hit in the face for some classes that tought their utility skills were pretty nice compared to what other classes have. Look at amazon or assasin. They both have their meat walls (valk and shadow master). But they aren't very special since everyone else have their own already.
I remember the time when people were doing Chaos Sanc before LOD. Barb wasn't too good there with the IM (some buids were ok but majority was nono). Necro was pretty much a king there with minions. Sorc was really good but you had to know how to play it in order to not get too much hit from oblivions and other mobs, hammerdins were quite strong also but they took quite much hit in there. But then we had ama decoy and valkyrie and full nuke from behind them.. it was something that made them very good at clearing CS. Now anyone can do that with their "valkyrie" that hits like a truck and also gives whatever aura you can imagine
If you bring back the Gibdinn Aeshara is suppose to let you hire Iron Wolves for FREE!!!
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-Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.
The little amounth of lod i played (like 4barbs, 4 sorcs + some others) I never had merc on my sorcs, they didn't really need one. But the physical classes were in big trouble without. They were already behind in damage if u compare to sorc for example so if you wanted your killing pace be even decent you really had to get that might merc.
Well if you already can solo without a Merc.. but you play HC for example and hey "maybe I wanna play with that baba to get some extra protection from warcries" then u check ur merc.. oh he already has those "get lost baba" so much for the coop play they are aiming for.
If mobs hit you in PVM i'm sure you get beaten by every barb in PVP..
Buffs are usefull. Well if the characters are created in such ways that they can handle without the buffs then no thanks to mercs. "life saver" that sounds like you need to learn 2 play.
Nah never, if you die to dolls you deserved it and maybe next time you have learned how to deal with them. Too bad the AI bot saved you so you didn't learn anything else than "hey i buy that merc from act2 so I don't die that much cuz i sux otherwise"
Ok I don't mind if singleplayers get some companions.. guess it's god damn boring to play alone. But in multiplayer if you solo you solo. I solo almost 80% of the time unless friends are online and play around the same areas I am and still I don't need some damn mercs.
I really hope blizzard creates the characters so that we don't need some AI Bots seriously. If something is too hard for one he would look for party and play with other people. Or go somewhere and level up some more and try it again.
RIP: Demon Hunter: lvl 50 | Barb: lvl 60 (plvl 5) | Monk: lvl12 & lvl70 (plvl 200)
Mercs are an option, some people like them, some don't. I used to dislike them before, but they grew on me.
Mercs can also provide a secondary damage type, like lighting.
i hope perma mercs stay in D3.
There is no reason to leave out the merc--they were fun and an enjoyable gameplay element.
Mercs are friggin' pointless.
BOOOO
edit/addition: if there MUST be mercs I hope Blizz makes them as weak and useless as possible. HOORAY!
Aura mercs to help boost your spells and attacks.
Range mercs with knockback and offensive abilities to sprinkle damage in while you're tanking hits.
Fat mercs to soak up damage for you while you stand back.
Only when taken to the EXTREME gear should a merc be able to solo bosses.
I do not mean an unnatural calmness.
Maybe. Maybe. Just Maybe
Remember they are adding a full on single player campaign mode, it's not ALL about the online play.
I thought we did see two mercs... the archer dudes that helped him. I mean like maybe there will be mercs, but they will be less involving than in D2
But for sorc holy freeze merc for example is just ridiculous, no mob can ever get near you when they are slowed down so much. Best fun with lod sorcs I had with nova/orb. You had to go near the mobs with nova it was fun.. some mad boss packs you had to deal with care.. do some orb further away and then close in with nova and kite them while doing some nova.
Game must be somewhat tactical and not all that easy tank and spank. Where the merc is the tank and you stand behind him spanking the mobs.
Mercs are somewhat a hit in the face for some classes that tought their utility skills were pretty nice compared to what other classes have. Look at amazon or assasin. They both have their meat walls (valk and shadow master). But they aren't very special since everyone else have their own already.
I remember the time when people were doing Chaos Sanc before LOD. Barb wasn't too good there with the IM (some buids were ok but majority was nono). Necro was pretty much a king there with minions. Sorc was really good but you had to know how to play it in order to not get too much hit from oblivions and other mobs, hammerdins were quite strong also but they took quite much hit in there. But then we had ama decoy and valkyrie and full nuke from behind them.. it was something that made them very good at clearing CS. Now anyone can do that with their "valkyrie" that hits like a truck and also gives whatever aura you can imagine
RIP: Demon Hunter: lvl 50 | Barb: lvl 60 (plvl 5) | Monk: lvl12 & lvl70 (plvl 200)
- Like a barbie doll.