Diablo III Systems: Runestones (New)

[six26]

Blizzard posted some additional (new) content on their D3 website regarding Runestones. The customization in this game is (hopefully) going to make for a lot of fun and variety. It's hard to notice the change in some the skills with the different runestones without actually playing it (e.g. Whirlwind when socketed with the Golden runestone reduces the fury cost). But I'm happy with ANY glimpses into gameplay at this point. Can't wait.

http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/runestones.xml

 

[Necc]

Ok thats awesome, but what about Wizard (sorceress) and other classes that use magic? how would implementing these runestones help there magic?

 

[Texashiker]

So its like the rune system of diablo II, but under a different name?

 

[six26]

Ok thats awesome, but what about Wizard (sorceress) and other classes that use magic? how would implementing these runestones help there magic?

If you scroll down a bit on the linked page it gives an example using the Wizard's Ray of Frost spell:

Ray of Frost is a wizard spell that damages and freezes enemies caught in the beam, slowing their movement and attack speed.

Crimson - Beam increases in damage the longer it remains in use, to a cap.
Indigo - Wizard is surrounded by a swirling vortex of sleet, damaging any foes that come into contact.
Obsidian - Decreases beam damage, but increases reduction in target movement and attack speed.
Golden - Arcane Power cost reduced.
Alabaster - Enemies slain by Ray of Frost have a chance to leave an area of ice on the ground where they die, damaging other enemies if they move through it.

There's A LOT of ways implementing them will help magic-wielders spells... we just won't know what most of those ways are until the game's released.

Here's another example and some explanation on how runestones will affect some of their skills (Wizard and Witch Doctor in particular). The quality sucks... but I am on a crappy connection in Iraq and am too lazy to find a better quality one .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyIwEm_ueI

 

[Zenoth]

Awesome.

I just noticed something though, about the Barbarian, for his Whirlwind, it says:

"Golden - Reduced Fury cost."

I never noticed in previously released Diablo III game-play videos if it was the case or not, I'll have to check, but "Fury" for a Barbarian seems to refer to a new (for Diablo I mean) "stamina" system, at least as far as the Barbarian is concerned. In Diablo II even the Barbarian used Mana for his skills. In the Diablo III game-play videos I remember watching there IS a Mana orb to the right side for the Barbarian and it IS being depleted partially whenever he uses a skill... but those videos are old, most of them two years-old or so, so I don't know if they just "added" that Fury thing for very specific skills and that Mana is still being used for several skills... OR... if they completely removed Mana for the Barbarian (which would completely make sense, no sarcasm by the way) and replaced it with a fast auto-replenishing Stamina Orb (labeled "Fury") just as much as various warrior classes in other RPGs use (especially MMORPGs).

If they removed Mana for the Barbarian which is what I suppose is the case then all I can say is HELL yeah! I remember I often had to get freaking Mana-leech gear for my Barbarian in Diablo II exactly because Mana pots were annoying to use and never replenished the Mana fast enough for the pace at which I was using my skills, in fact I often ended up using the famous Shako cap due to the amount of Mana it gives (because otherwise Barbarian with proper builds NEVER had a SINGLE extra stat point into Energy, and that was a given, so the Barbarian had to use gear with Mana or Mana-leech to compensate), and the issue with most Mana-leech gear (not all, there were some exceptions), was that other than the actual Mana-leech there was mostly nothing else being useful for a Barbarian on such items.

So if that "Fury" thing is in fact a Stamina system then I think that most Barbarian class veterans like me will cry out of joy for that one... that is IF it is the case, since I'm just assuming it is as such, I might be wrong, I just wish I'm not, never really understood why the Barbarian used Mana in Diablo II in the first place (as a side note, Stamina does exist in Diablo II, but it's only there for running, determining how long you can run before being exhausted basically, it has nothing to do with using skills).

EDIT: I just thought, or perhaps Fury might not be referring to any form of stamina system at all, but in fact may refer to a new "force build-up" energy. In such a case then somewhere on or near the action-bar GUI for the Barbarian there would be some sort of an empty gauge that would "fill up" with "Fury" points when using specific "Fury build-up" skills, and when Fury reaches a certain percentage or number of specific points then a new array of skills "unlock" on the action bar that can only be used when a specific amount of Fury has been built-up.

I never played World of WarCraft, but I do think that the warrior class in that game does have something along the lines of such a system. There is such a system in another F2PMMO I'm playing called Allods Online, in which the warrior class has an empty "sword" placed horizontally above the action bar in which "Combat Advantage" points (shown as a fiery energy building up inside the sword) are accumulating after using specific skills (such as "Powerful Blow"), and once a specific amount of "CA" (Combat Advantage) is built up then new skills can be used on the action bar.

So it's either a stamina system, or some sort of an energy that needs to be accumulated to be able to use specific skills that can only be used when a certain amount of that "Fury" is available, which would explain what a specific Rune would reduce the cost of Fury for specific skills, in that case including the Barbarian's Whirlwind.

 

[Zeze]

....

In Diablo III, every hero has their own UNIQUE 'mana system'.

Barbarian = Fury system where.. more you attack, it builds (upto 3 charges), then you can spend it anytime to use your spells.

Wizard = Arcane Power The arcane power regenerates quicker than mana but it is a flat amount it cannot be increased statistically or by items, some Skills empower it.

Monk = Spirit...similar to Fury, but is not persistent. Monk's regular attacks are combos, and the powerful finisher can be delivered using the very Spirit you built up from that specific combo. I'm thinking this is just like DII Assassin's Phoenix Strike.

Witch Doctor = Conventional mana system we know from Diablo I/II.

All in all, each system will be balanced so you won't be spamming Whirlwind 24/7. And hopefully each unique system brings out more dynamic game play.

 

[Zenoth]

In Diablo III, every hero has their own UNIQUE 'mana system'.

Barbarian = Fury system where.. more you attack, it builds (upto 3 charges), then you can spend it anytime to use your spells.

Wizard = Arcane Power The arcane power regenerates quicker than mana but it is a flat amount it cannot be increased statistically or by items, some Skills empower it.

Monk = Spirit...similar to Fury, but is not persistent. Monk's regular attacks are combos, and the powerful finisher can be delivered using the very Spirit you built up from that specific combo. I'm thinking this is just like DII Assassin's Phoenix Strike.

Witch Doctor = Conventional mana system we know from Diablo I/II.

All in all, each system will be balanced so you won't be spamming Whirlwind 24/7. And hopefully each unique system brings out more dynamic game play.

I see, good to know, thanks!

So it'll be similar to the CA system of the Warrior class in Allods Online (which itself is most likely a renamed copy/pasted WoW Warrior system, since AO is pretty much a WoW clone from what I've heard even though I myself have never played WoW, but I can surely believe it), and that in my book is going to be awesome.