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Quote from Ayr

yeah... I already did a small post on page 1 on how to calculate for non-elective mode.

Those skills can't be applied to the LMB even in elective mode...like Mantras or Sentry.

Yrrolock made the succinct reply on the math side, allow my to make the same point in a demonstrative fashion.

Point:

Quote from Klusterboy

Ray of Frost

Cost: 20 Arcane PowerProject a beam of frozen ice that blasts 215% weapon damage as Cold to the first enemy it hits, slowing the target's movement by 30% for 3 seconds.

+ Numb rune

Increase the amount the target's movement is slowed to 60% for 3 seconds.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arcane Orb

Cost: 35 Arcane PowerHurl an orb of pure energy that explodes when it hits, dealing 175% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 10 yards.

+ Obliteration rune

Increase the damage of the explosion to deal 228% weapon damage as Arcane.

Counter point
A)
Numb: Increase Slow (Change: Defensive tool)
Snow Blast: Progressive Damage increase (Change: offensive channel)
Cold Blood: 0 AP cost (Change(minor): Primary attack)
Sleet Storm: local AoE (Change(major): skill retool)
Black Ice: DoT on ground (Change: Offensive utility)
result 1 Drastically different skill; 2 significantly different skills; 2 fundamentally similar skills

Obliteration: Damage increase(Change(minor):Offensive tool)
Arcane Orbit: charge based persistant local AoE (Change(major): Skill retool)
Arcane Nova: Instant local AoE (Change(major): Skill retool')
Tap the Source: mana reduction (Change(minor): offensive tool)
Celestial Orb: Penetration(Change: AoE redistribution)-->closest thing to Frozen orb in D3?
Result: 2 Drastically different skills; 1 significantly different skill; 2 fundamentally similar skills (depending on your view on Celestial Orb which I mapped as significantly different)

On topic: The math pages are really interesting, how could you include the fact that not all skills can be mapped to the LMB? this removes the possibility of some builds in classes with more than 5 such skills (Barb:8 DH:6 Monk:10(again hit hardest!) Doc:5 Wiz:7) or is that just dumped into 'about 70% of these builds will be trash but who cares because that still leaves more than 10 billion builds' idea?

Edit the sunglasses was supposed to be B and ) but I won't change it cause it made me giggle.

Personally, the fact that there are 2000 or 2 viable builds, is less important to me than that I can make the build I want to. For example, I I first played LoD, (not sure exactly when It was) I wanted to play a Fissure Durid with some summons. I learned the hard way that this was not possible and I almost put the game down at that point.

Now I have about 5 builds for the Doc (which looks to play more similar to the Druid than the Necro IMHO) some are silly (only dog skills) some are not, and they tell me that I can take at least the serious builds and with the right gear, and a some tweaking (which I can do as I play my first character: How Terrible!) I can play that character. and it will be mine!

I don't care that I can change to be exactly like your character. I don't want to, your character is stupid (as in not interesting to me). If you change your character to be identical to mine, that's your perogative and I may feel proud that my awsome unique build was so cool you wanted one too or I can not care and let you go on your merry way.

In any case I love that there are hundreds of billions of builds fo each class and thank you OP for all the hard work.

I will add to Zera's Answers a bit.
1) we know things happen beyond the beta, and beyond normal that we are not yet informed of. There are definitely socketed items and gems
2/3) Blizz expects end game gear to include drops of rares/legendaries/sets as well as a crafted item or two, crafted gear is there to supplement bad luck and let you choose to improve a specific item slot.

4) Yes, but abilities are nearly always better (only exception I know of is possibly a Wiz with enchanted weapon active)

5) all abilities are based on weapon stats (check out the Advanced tool tips option for help. ALso, DH can't use some arrow based abilities without a bow.


6) A lot of improvements to the genre including the ability to learn and improve while you play.

7)Let me play the whole game and' I'll make a list

8) don't feel these classes are as close as everyone thinks, but the Doc because he's much more versatile

9) jury is still out

10)Players X was needed due to some poor design decisions, It won't be missed in D3 and you won't need the help to get max level.

Monk and Doc are my 2 and 1 respectively, the Monk is the most mechanically challenging class to play so perhaps that has something to do with the great differences that people have playing with him? I could see why he would be boring or seem ineffective when not played very well, unlike the wiz or barb which play well in a hulk smash kind of way. Note on the Doc, My dogs never got 1 shot, although I would lose 1 per quest or so, it was not a problem even vs the SK at lvl9.

I believe the idea is that they will update those states on release but not before.

Quote from DannyBricey

Runes will be purple, Legendary items orange, Rare yellow, Magical items are blue, Normals are white and Junk items are gray.
Unlike Diablo II, sets will not be classified as their own item type. Legendary (or unique) items can be a part of a set and contain set bonuses.

Runes are not drop-able items anymore.

Quote from Espy

I already knew I was going to be witch doctor but I was upset I couldn't see the gargantuan and runed fire bombs before this video, this just makes me want it more! :Thumbs Up:

I was loving the firebomb runes in there too! I Great video for the best class. now, what does exploding angry chicken look like...

I agree that you need some DPS for yourself, if you both put some thought into CC that you use, it is likely that most foes could constantly be slowed/stunned/confused with those 2 classes.

Basically you can only fire 1 spell at a time so trying to go 'full DPS' generally keeps 1-2 skill slots from being useful in even the best builds.

In D3 you are supposed to reach 60 by the end of hell reguardless of party size. leveling is not the grind it was in D2 that's item hunting and gem collection.

Noo! Binta, I thought what we had was special, but now I learn you love everyone else too!! I can find it in my heart to forgive you only if you never try to find another ever again.

Kiss Bonz

You forget that you can have a follower in solo only so output is not 4x with 4 players (compaired to solo). Obviously the fallower does limited damage but that help is important esp. when you consider they can soak a lot of damage (in the beta) but not die nor need to be resurected (like a player would)

YaY!!!
I'm so excited I can't hardly wait!

It looks good and all, but I would rather choose when I use each stage of each generator. sure i'll probably link the 1 and 2 key to my mouse if I have to, but I won't want to lose the strategy of choosing when I want to trident aoe and when I want to slow with crippling and sometimes I may not want to dash but use the long reach...using a macro seems like it would add another button which I don't need to use. But not having played inferno, perhaps that will mean I never master the multi-generator monk like you folks.

Quote from AKLT

any guesses about the battle animations? such as the monk wielding/sheathing?

This iss something that is actually quite cleverly addressed in the monk short story. Reading it set my mind at ease with one line in particular where he is talking about how different monks use weapons. It's not perfect, but enough to help me suspend Disbalief.

Edit: There will Certainly be coop on release day. 100% no doubt about it.