Grim Misadventure #21: Soldier Mastery - Part 2

[DeMasked]

A few quick questions:

For “Ultimate Skills” is their a limit to how many you can choose?

Also how many of the skills will be open in Alpha, like will their be an “x” skill that can’t be selected…?

You could theoretically unlock it by level 18. Tales will be sung of your glory if you manage to achieve this without ever dying.

Sounds like a challenge.

[reddog000]

Thanks for the update as usual…can’t wait

[Zantai]

I fully respect a “No comment” for an answer to keep it somewhat spoiler free for us.

No comment!

Also how many of the skills will be open in Alpha, like will their be an “x” skill that can’t be selected…?

Just a level cap.

[DeMasked]

Just a level cap.

So pretty much all skills are available.

What is the level cap again? 20?

[kapxapot]

So…

29.04 Soldier 1
13.05 Soldier 2
27.05 Demolitions 1
10.05 Demolitions 2
24.06 Occultist 1
08.07 Occultist 2

Alpha only in July? Oh, come on!

[mamba]

So…

29.04 Soldier 1
13.05 Soldier 2
27.05 Demolitions 1
10.05 Demolitions 2
24.06 Occultist 1
08.07 Occultist 2

Alpha only in July? Oh, come on!

What class info is published when has nothing to do with when the alpha gets published, as was said in the previous one

[Mihalis]

Like with a charge bar for example, for the skill “Oleron’s Rage”, you can have the player needing to kill a bunch of mobs in combat for the bar to charge up, when it hits maximum, you can use this skill until the bar is depleted. Then you have to do the process again. When out of combat, the charge bar will automatically deplete over time. I just see this type of mechanic more interactive than a simple cooldown and it makes you feel like your skills requires some sought of tactical thinking too it, even though it might be very simple.

This pretty much sounds like what they have done in Van Helsing. Although its not a bad mechanic for Van Helsing, it would be terrible for GD. The difference is the whole skill system that is much simpler and quite different from GD.

Personally i don’t mind cooldowns in certain skills. Being able to spam your overpowered skills makes you feel… well overpowered, but really screws the gameplay imho. Besides when something is not broken, why fix it? I fail to see the need for innovation for this.

By the way, great update guys, thanx! Menhir’s Bulwark reminds me of Stone Form from TQ: but i presume you will be able to move while you have the buff.

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Thanks for the update, looks neat!

Regarding the cooldowns - I don’t mind them that much, but I definitely agree with Nightblaze1 that some skills just should not have it (e.g. in D3, you have cooldown on several damaging abilities that just don’t need it… and I don’t mean crazy dmg abilities, just normal stuff with maybe little bit higher dmg - I want to spam “Frozen Orbs” again too!).

Any word about the issues you are fixing? Have you made any progress?

[okami29]

It is a temporary buff that absorbs X damage.

It 's a good mecanic but I believe it might be hard to scale at hight level according to difficulty (could be overpowered on the first difficulty level and near useless on last difficulty level…).
What about both X damage absorption and a tiny Y percent damage absorption at last level ?
Of course first damage resistance and percent damage absorption reduce damage and then flat X damage absorption (replace life) is applied.

[system]

I think cooldowns are necessary for game balance. Although I can quite understand that it isn’t cool for a 2 minute CD on some active skills in a fast paced arpg. In D3 there is a great mechanic added on for Wrath of the Berserker where you can keep the skill up longer the more fury you gain. I think to add something like this to those active skills is the best thing you could probably do to avoid people not using it. It keeps the game flowing while making it fun and could also be challenging if designed correctly.

Thanks for the updates guys, things are looking great so far!!

[Pelican]

It 's a good mecanic but I believe it might be hard to scale at hight level according to difficulty (could be overpowered on the first difficulty level and near useless on last difficulty level…).
What about both X damage absorption and a tiny Y percent damage absorption at last level ?
Of course first damage resistance and percent damage absorption reduce damage and then flat X damage absorption (replace life) is applied.

Deep breaths…

[system]

Thanks for the update, looks neat!

Regarding the cooldowns - I don’t mind them that much, but I definitely agree with Nightblaze1 that some skills just should not have it (e.g. in D3, you have cooldown on several damaging abilities that just don’t need it… and I don’t mean crazy dmg abilities, just normal stuff with maybe little bit higher dmg - I want to spam “Frozen Orbs” again too!).

Spamming ftw LOL! XD

I do see how cooldowns are effective with certain skills, but yeah, with damaging skills like Frozen Orb, it is far more fun to be able to spam it then having to wait 1 minute or so per cast. Another indirect alternative of cooldowns would just be to have really powerful skills require a large amount of resource to cast. But yeah, I really hope we do get end game spells and such that we are able to spam, and cooldowns are just limited to abilities that it is absolutely necessary for.

I wouldn’t mind a system, that if there are 10 levels per skill, each consecutive level lowers the cooldown. For example: A certain skill has 5 second cooldown, each consecutive level that cooldown decreases by 0.3-0.4 seconds, so at its highest level it only has a 1-2 second cooldown or something.

Another thing I despise is timed summons! :furious: Please, do not do this, PLEASE! When you summon something, it should last until it has no health left and literally dies.

[system]

Another thing I despise is timed summons! :furious: Please, do not do this, PLEASE! When you summon something, it should last until it has no health left and literally dies.

I think they could mix in a bit of both.

Using Titan Quest as an example, in Spirit Mastery you could get “Liche King” which had no time limit. Further in the tree you could pick up the “Outsider” which was incredibly strong but had a limited duration.

But I definitely agree that if you have a pet class, you should be able to maintain at least one summon indefinitely. Kind of the point of a pet class.

[Malpheas]

I have to admit, that when I see the word “Menhir” all I can think of is Asterix and Obelix.

[Zantai]

I have to admit, that when I see the word “Menhir” all I can think of is Asterix and Obelix.

That brings back memories.

[system]

I find in TQ and a lot of RPG games, that the first to middle skills are useless through the late game. Sometimes it even feels like a waste of points.
I really wish that every skill have enough diversity, so I wont pass whole section of the tree because it will become useless after the tenth level.
Also, I hope there will be more emphasis on cooldown, what will eventually result in using more skills/abilities, to fill the cooldown space in combat, just an idea to keep even an inferior damage skills relevant.