Non-Class Specific Skills

[Limiate]

Non-Class Specific Skills

Hi gang,

So here's the deal. I was reading through B's posts on the official forums and I saw that tentatively, one of the barb's skills is going to be to produce additional health globes. The little barbarian in my head who continually slaughters zombies stopped his whirlwind, looked up at me and said:

"WTF? That's one of my all powerful skills? I make red blobs pop out of dead bodies more often? You would waste a skill slot on that crap? Why not give me a skill to chew out people's throats or cut of humanoids arms and watch them stumble around bleeding... you know... something barbarian and awesome?"

Then he went back to slaughtering wave after wave of zombies... I look foward to the day when he's out of my head and on the screen. Till then, let's talk about why we should be giving up character class skills to things that should really be available for all classes...

When I type "Non-Class Specific Skills" what I mean is skills that are available to all classes. Kind of like back in the original Diablo... everyone waited for that damned Town Portal Book to drop... hell, in one game I waited and waited and finally got mine off the butcher as loot and nearly meat cleavered my sweet VGA monitor in anger.

So what about it? What if there were skills available to all classes that were outside your skill tree? Throw "More Health Globes" and "More Mana Globes" in there because I don't want either of those taking up a slot that should be filled with a cool class specific skill.

What else is out there? I'd love to see some ideas but before you get started... I'm saying skills not professions.

Baker/Fisherman/Carpenter/Alchemist/Prostitute - these are professions and they have no place in Diablo. So before you think crafting and blah blah blah, go build your own little thread to fill up with that crap. Consequences involve me chewing on your neck (virtually), me chopping off your arms and watching you stumble around and bleed (virtually) or meat cleavering your sweet VGA monitor in half (do it yourself, LCDs are like a buck fifty, come on!)

Skills - let's think Diablo skills... Can't do the Monk, his skill was eaten by the ATL key... but what else? Let's see some ideas.

On top of that, what do you think about the number of these skills? If you went unlimited, then it's kind of lame. If you got 2 or 3 slots, then it might be fun... hell what if you could rune these skills too? It would give another way to not be cookie cutter.

So just like when a horse vomits, give that feed back.

 

[GuardianHadriel]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

you have a good point on not wasting any skillslots on those boring skills, hell yeah.:thumbup: but still it is most benefitable for the barabarian and i think those kind of passive skills that are´nt really barbarian but they still benefit him should be placed in a specific sort of skilltree...like some sort of profession but like he said, not like in WoW, more like a tree that you can choose passive traits for your character to make each charater more original.:scratchchin:

 

[NASE]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

The barbarian skill that drops additional gloves is part of the strategy blizzard wants to implement in the game.
And don't forget that only a barbarian needs that skill - eventhough it's kind of lame. A wizard doesn't need it and might end up invincible if you implement it on him.

 

[Limiate]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

more like a tree that you can choose passive traits for your character to make each charater more original.:scratchchin:

Yeah, pretty much like that but instead of a tree, like your character skills, maybe a couple (2 or 3) "passive skill" slots.

The barbarian skill that drops additional globes is part of the strategy blizzard wants to implement in the game.
And don't forget that only a barbarian needs that skill - eventhough it's kind of lame. A wizard doesn't need it and might end up invincible if you implement it on him.

You're right... the barbarian does need those globes and every class would have a passive skill that answered that need... barbarians get more health, wizards get more mana... witch doctors probably would go with mana too... I'm not saying that the Barbarian doesnt need this skill, just that it's lame that it takes up a skill slot.

Wizards probably dont need the health by design is my guess and Witch Doctors dont either because they can heal... so what other passive skills are there? Mana orb drop?

Ok so we've got skills going everywhere but I'm sure there are "passive" style skills that could be implemented... Here's a couple quick ideas/examples

Gold Digger - extra gold drops (small %)
Wirt's Wit - discount on buying items
Demon Hunter - small bonus to kill demons

Nothing that alters the game... but a way to customize your character in a little bit more of a way...

That way when you log into my game and we both have Barbarians... you've got health globe and demon hunter skills and i've got wirt's wit and gold digger or whatever.... it's just one more way a character could be different than people with the same skills/runes and more importantly it would open up skill slots for actual skills... do you know how crappy it would be to be a barb and have 6 cool skills and then 1 skill to drop orbs? Then you look at another class and they have 7 cool skills? /envy

 

[DemolitionSquid]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

FYI, Scavenge (the "drop health orb" skill) does not "take up a skill slot." Blizzard still hasn't finalized how many skills each class will get. Its entirely possible that the different classes will have different numbers of skills (Barb gets 50, Wiz gets 55, WD gets 53). We just don't know yet.

What we DO know is that Blizzard wants each class to be useful in a party situation. Where its beneficial to have a Barbarian around because he'll help health orbs drop more which is good because they affect everyone. Just like it'll be beneficial to have a Wizard around who can make mana orbs drop more so you can kill **** faster. These skills are class-specific ON PURPOSE to promote varied partying and playing together.

OP comes off as a very small-minded, badly thought out post.

 

[Rothos Carthaginos]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Well, if there were multi-part weapons there would probably be a use for forging.
Or if you could upgrade your weapons in some way via certain skills. Each area of Sanctuary could be assigned a skill and characters from that region start with that skill.
For example; the Barbarian could start off with a skill that would add to his health regained per orb rate. The Wizard would start off with a skill that would increase mana regen and the Witch doctor would get boosts to his pets. Every level or two these would get a point and the player can affect these only to a skill level equaling their class level.

 

[FlamangoHellfire]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Before I post, I very much appreciate the amusing and creative OP. We need more of these, they make life more enjoyable.

You know what you're talking about? You're talking about feats, good ol' DnD style feats. I suppose you could also compare them to Fallout 3's perks system, which are just feats. Every so often when you level (it's determined by a graph that has non linear properties), you get to pick a unique skill from a list that gives you a specific edge. You can only pick it once, and it does something rather specific. This is not a skill and sometimes it has nothing to do with combat. Maybe it just gives you a unique taunt, or maybe a surname that denotes royalty, or maybe even purple hair, but in any case, it serves to provide more malleable cookie-cutters. This system is usually only used in games with open-ended class structures, but I could imagine it being used very effectively in DIII. A little while ago Bashiok hinted that respecs will be possible in DIII. This saddens me greatly, however, if they make a powerful system of feats which you could not repsec, it might make respecing a bit more forgivable. If you want more info on feats, I suggest looking at the Fallout 3 Perks. Some are very creative. Anyway; food for thought.

 

[Limiate]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

FYI, Scavenge (the "drop health orb" skill) does not "take up a skill slot." Blizzard still hasn't finalized how many skills each class will get. Its entirely possible that the different classes will have different numbers of skills (Barb gets 50, Wiz gets 55, WD gets 53). We just don't know yet.

Yeah but they are talking about it and if I had Scavange as a skill, I'd much rather be able to have "Chew Neck Out" or "Arm Chop of Devistation." That's a cool unique skill other than a cop out of +25% orb drop.

What we DO know is that Blizzard wants each class to be useful in a party situation. Where its beneficial to have a Barbarian around because he'll help health orbs drop more which is good because they affect everyone. Just like it'll be beneficial to have a Wizard around who can make mana orbs drop more so you can kill **** faster. These skills are class-specific ON PURPOSE to promote varied partying and playing together.

Very true. My arguement here is that these should not take up skill slots and you're also going to have people who want to play solo. So why not offer a seperate system where you can choose if you want to drop more health orbs or more gold? Maybe I play ultra conservatively and run away from big groups of monsters... sure that's lame but hey, everyone is different. I wouldnt take Scavange as a skill then and that means part of the Barb's tree is wasted.

OP comes off as a very small-minded, badly thought out post.

Get off your horse E-knight. Write constructively next time.

You know what you're talking about? You're talking about feats, good ol' DnD style feats.

Ha! I didn't realize it but you're right.

Every so often when you level (it's determined by a graph that has non linear properties), you get to pick a unique skill from a list that gives you a specific edge.

So maybe you get your first one at level 5,10 whatever and then get another at 50, then maybe 100? I think a small amount would be good because unlike Fallout, this isn't a key feature... just an added one for customization.

You can only pick it once, and it does something rather specific.

I'd say stick to original Diablo... make these skills "drops" in the form of books and then once you learn one, you can always learn a new one and replace that "SLOT."

This is not a skill and sometimes it has nothing to do with combat. Maybe it just gives you a unique taunt, or maybe a surname that denotes royalty, or maybe even purple hair, but in any case, it serves to provide more malleable cookie-cutters.

Wow, great ideas! Keep em coming. This is the kind of thing I'm looking for.

A little while ago Bashiok hinted that respecs will be possible in DIII. This saddens me greatly, however, if they make a powerful system of feats which you could not repsec, it might make respecing a bit more forgivable.

On the respecing, I agree. Lame... that's one of the awesome things about Diablo... but I think for the sake of "fun" that is leaving us.

For the "respeccing" of these passive traits/feats if you will... I think just learning a new one from a dropped book is a way to avoid respeccing.... You learn health globe scavange... dont really like it so you pick up the next book that gives you purple hair... or angel wings... or whatever... then you decide you want to go back to health globe scavange... just find a new book and BAM! you're respecced.

 

[Chorkstain]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Yeah but they are talking about it and if I had Scavange as a skill, I'd much rather be able to have "Chew Neck Out" or "Arm Chop of Devistation." That's a cool unique skill other than a cop out of +25% orb drop.

Having the Scavenge skill doesn't stop them from putting the Chew Neck Out skill in, nor the Arm Chop of Devastation.

Does the skill really irk you that much? It's just another passive skill, and I'm at a loss as to why you've singled out this particular skill :coffee:

 

[DemolitionSquid]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

@ Limiate

Dude, do you understand how ignorant and hypocritical you sound?

"I want the choice to either pick up more gold or health orbs, but not using the current system which lets me do just that."

I don't even know why I bother sometimes. You're complaining about nothing.

 

[knightmawko]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Ive said it once and Ill say it again

BRING BACK SKILL BOOKS!!!!!

 

[knightmawko]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

@ Limiate

Dude, do you understand how ignorant and hypocritical you sound?

"I want the choice to either pick up more gold or health orbs, but not using the current system which lets me do just that."

I don't even know why I bother sometimes. You're complaining about nothing.

Here here good sir

also on a note similar to this, everytime someone sudgests that we be able to customise things not relavent to game play, looks, titles, hair style, voice, I die a little bit inside.

 

[Telzen]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Then don't take the health globe skill. Take the skill that makes your strength more effect and you'll kill faster and need less health. Problem solved. And every class will probably have a passive that ups the globes they need, so its not like its just the Barb that has this kind of "wasted skill".

 

[Chorkstain]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Essentially, OP would deprive players of the the option to have better health replenishment.

For shame!

 

[squid knight]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Very true. My arguement here is that these should not take up skill slots and you're also going to have people who want to play solo. So why not offer a seperate system where you can choose if you want to drop more health orbs or more gold? Maybe I play ultra conservatively and run away from big groups of monsters... sure that's lame but hey, everyone is different. I wouldnt take Scavange as a skill then and that means part of the Barb's tree is wasted.

what do you mean, "skill slots"? do you think that blizzard, when making the game, has to have a certain number of skills per tree? they're not limited by "slots" to put skills in, they can add them anywhere.

and also, just because you don't put any points into a skill doesn't make it wasted. there's going to be a hell of a lot of skills you don't spec into at all.

 

[Ishtor]

Re: Non-Class Specific Skills

Skill Books, A HELL NO! the new spell system is so much better why take a step back....

the next thing is IF YOU DONT LIKE A SKILL IN THE TREE, dont invest in it, there are so many skills you are not going to be able to invest in them all anyways.

I also dont see a down side to the barb having a skill that will make more health orbs drops. for a barb out doing PVM that pretty awsome to me. let me twirl in a circle through you guys, oooh free health, um bad thing is.... nothing you have someting just as broke as Life leech for the barb inside a skill.

what ever passive skill there are need to be put in the tree, if you want the bonus fromt that skill, you will have to invest your skill points into it. Added a full other tree is just over complicating a simple thing. and to me that is what diablo has always tried to be. (point and click, need i say more?)

also with respec its not like you are going to have to waste point for a pvm and pvp build, at the same time this really depends on how the respec system will work. but we will only be able to comment on this more when we no more about how the game works.