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Quote from Tyraen

(Excuse typos it's late, the wife wants to watch a movie)

In the interest of being fair, let's assume they were to add this feature. Any implementations that would not make usage significantly skill-based while still allowing the game to be accessible to most players will be thrown out. Also, no crazy unrealistic ideas or things that change the game in a way that makes it not Diablo. Not to be rude, but that is the point one needs another game, not changes to this one.

Control Scheme -

the control scheme is highly problematic to start with.

(1) Due to the fact that the left hand is already semi-static (1-4+Q), any idea of having dodge keys for the cardinal directions is out.
(2) Any setup that requires significantly changed keybinds is out
(3) 1 Single key is no more skill than a passive, really, unless it had a cooldown or dimishing returns on effectiveness.
(4)Extra mouse-buttons are invalid, as not everyone has those, and they shouldn't be required to play.
(5) The one concept that could work would be dbl-clicking in a direction to dodge. This has issues of it's own, as both buttons have attacks mapped to them, and anyone playing the game knows that clicking a monters or impassable terrain has questionable results at best.

Choice - (5) dbl-clicking.

Function -

So you dbl-click to dodge. What happens?

(1) you dodge, and an incoming attack is avoided. Doesn't scale well for the type of game we are playing, with many mobs attacking.
(2) you dodge, and x# of incoming attacks are avoided. Could scale with dodge rating, so chars with higher rating can avoid more attacks at once. Would still be questionable for chars with minimum dodge rating - skillful usages would save them more times than not, though.
(3) dbl-click a specific mob to dodge it's attack. Doesn't scale well with numerous mobs, would not be very functional.
(4) dbl-click in a short range around the player. Player moves no more than 5 yards in the direction clicked, doding x# of in process attacks in the least Y milliseconds. Works well for getting out of immediate danger, doesn't give much utility when surrounded though. Does encourage skillful play and awareness of the characters surroundings.

Choice - (4) dbl-click directional.

Limiter -

Spamming dodge takes no skill, and would require a significant increase in mob damage to compensate, which would punish all players except the ones who utilize it well. Therefore, the skill must have a limiter on how well it functions.

(1) Cooldown - only make it work every X seconds. Choosing the right time for skills takes alot of skill, but in a game with as many monsters at one time, a cooldown makes the ability almost useless. Great is you have 1 sec left on an ability, but outside of that or fight small packs while kiting, not worth the effort of implementation.
(2) Scaling based on stat/attribute. You can dodge back to back, but the number of attacks avoided scale with some stat. Since not all classes have the means of increasing dodge rating, scale it off of vitality, since all classes can access, it is already a survival stat, and because scaling off the primary stat would give ridiculous scaling to everyone, making it cheap, not skill.
(3) Dimishing returns. You can spam the button, the first time it blocks x# of attacks, and blocks fewer attacks each consecutive press until it blocks a maximum of 1. 3-5 seconds of no use resets the counter. Not alot of skill here, but does do reasonably well against packs at first.
(4) Damage trigger. Button activates after you take X damage, or cause X damage. Not taking or causing damage for x seconds deactivates the ability. Would need a secondary limiter from above, but much weaker, to prevent spamming once damage is dealt. kiting would disable it, preventing cheap abuse.

Choice - a blend of (2) and (4)

Game Effects -

With our new dodge mechanic, what changes need to be taking into account to adapt the game.

(1) Mob damage needs to be adjusted. Giving chars a global ability to avoid damage requires mob to put out more damage to compensate.
(2) Itemization adjustments to make sure the scaling stat isn't too abundant, and to make sure people who suck at dodging can gear in an alternate manner to play the game.
(3) Mob hit boxes and attack would need to be updated, to allow the game to take into account how dodging moves the player, and to understand within how much of a deadzone a char can dodge and count as avoiding the incoming attacks.
(4) All players skills that provide avoidance, and all stats that provide avoidance, would need to be revisited and adjusted to account for the damage mitigation the new ability allows.
(5) Player dps would need to be addressed, as dodge would almost always be in addition to the kiting time currently spent.


Outside of the above, are some secondary points -

(1) Any player who isn't doing well in his current content won't be saved by dodge. It will just, in most cases, extend the amount of time to die. Clever characters may be able to pull out close fights, and some folks may be able to surive the occasionally otherise deadly hit. Characters right on the cusp of the next content breakpoint will benefit most, providing they know when and how to use it effectively.
(2) Classes who don't use vitality in favor of GC builds will gain no benefit at all really. And shouldn't. Damage vs survivability is a choice. Getting both isn't skill.
(3) No skill of this type effectively handles hordes of monsters. Skillful use in these cases requires good kiting/environmental awareness, because if you get surrounded, it won't save you.
(4) because of how the mouse buttons are utilized, and how attacking works, this setup is still shaky at best.

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I am sure there are other ideas out there, but I tried to be as comprehensive as possible in a short time. Covering the details in regards to just making every attack avoidable is easier, but people won't like it as much. Everything has a balance, and if you get a better chance to avoid damage, your chance to take more damage will increase relative to the other.

Meaning - if they take away hit completion of basic attacks once the swing starts, regardless of char position, you can be sure melee mobs will get a damage increase acrossed the board to make up for it. You don't like Soul Rippers now? Wait til after this change. Scavengers? Awesome! Or, you are will take a hit in your avoidance stats, so that you lose block%/dodge%/armor/vitality scaling/etc. Either way, you get to avoid one little bit of damage that can already be avoided if your careful, in exchange for damage you have no means of mitigating excepting better gear.

and before anyone suggests it - they won't just take those hits away. The game is balanced around people taking those hits. Doing so doesn't provide more skillful gameplay, and it provides no benefit outside of the very small group of people who think they wouldn't have died in the next 10 seconds regardless.

Just some food for your thoughts.