زیر ترقی: توانائی
"Developing" (yes, basically Vkontakte) is back with you. This time, while choosing a topic for the review, I didn’t think for long. Blizzard shared their ideas on energy for the Demon Hunter with the public, so after some thought, I decided to integrate this news into the article. Everyone who doesn’t want to know anything about Diablo III other than the release date - go away! For the rest - please read on.
ENERGY IN THE DIABLO SERIES
The Angel and Demon of Health and Mana - a classic of the series.
Historically, it has developed that the heroes of many computer games (particularly in the RPG genre) are not only cool warriors of flesh and blood but also magicians with a sensitive soul. Well, something like that. Two opposing pillars of fantasy are the sorceress and the knight. In other words, someone has a focus on the soul, and someone on the body. Naturally, when developers began to craft various heroes, aside from basic health, mana (formerly energy) could not go unnoticed. Thus, the concept of two small spheres - blue and red - was born.
In the first two parts of the game, everything was simple, like day. When the blue sphere empties - we cannot cast spells and use special skills. When the red sphere depletes - we beautifully perish with screams and cries. In seasons of color. All three characters in Diablo and seven in Diablo II had the same life and energy in terms of concept, differing only in basic parameters and their growth per levels and points. Energy was blue everywhere, called mana by all, and demanded no special treatment.
However, by the third installment, Blizzard decided that it was inappropriate to give all characters the same energy. The idea didn’t come overnight, I presume, but in the course of developing Barbarian skills, who was the first to obtain his unique energy. Gradually, the other heroes caught up with him. Actually, this is what our further discussion will revolve around about these energy resources. In order...
BARBARIAN: FURY [FURY]
A Barbarian without combat = A Barbarian without Fury.
Fury is the Barbarian’s energy in Diablo III. It is generated in battle when the character deals damage to enemies or suffers damage from their swords and spears, and is spent on special strikes. The Barbarian releases Fury while using special abilities, however, if he deals significant damage during this time, he may easily restore all spent Fury.
• DEVELOPMENT
Fury, as a type of energy in the Diablo series, first appeared in the demo version at BlizzCon 2008. At WWI 2008, where the game was announced, Fury did not exist yet. As you can guess, Fury’s roots go back to battle. Successful strikes and hits on enemies fill the corresponding sphere of the Barbarian with Fury, allowing him to deal truly devastating blows that require a certain amount of energy for their use. If the Barbarian does not attack enemies or receive damage from them, Fury gradually diminishes. This type of energy was designed to keep Barbarian players constantly attacking, always engaged in battle. Here’s what Jay Wilson said about this in December 2008.
Jay Wilson: "The Barbarian and mana are incomparable concepts because the energy that this warrior uses has nothing to do with mana. We came up with something interesting for the Barbarian, altering his gameplay to make it more intense and aggressive, since this hero is a great warrior. He wants to move forward because battle fury overflows him, pushing him into the heat, and without battles, it simply runs out. Fury makes the Barbarian a combat aggressive contact fighter, which is what he should be according to our plans."
A Barbarian who doesn’t fight is a lethargic boring Barbarian because all spectacular cool and deadly skills inevitably require energy that accumulates only in battle. The Fury that he invests in powerful high-level attacks is quickly replenished in combat, allowing the Barbarian to rush forward and smash enemies once again.
• VISUALIZATION AND MECHANICS
Quite another matter!
Initially, the visualization and mechanics of Fury replenishment were simple: it filled the energy sphere and was spent exactly like mana. It’s important to note that at the very beginning of the game, the Barbarian has no Fury, and only by passionately smashing zombies does he acquire his first energy points. As the energy reservoir fills up, new attacking skills could be utilized; however, according to the developers, players might not comprehend when they could use a particular skill.
Thus, Blizzard came up with a so-called "traffic light", when there were three Fury spheres, each subsequent one unlocking access to new, more powerful skills. Some skills deplete only one sphere, while others deplete all three at once.
Later, they abandoned this system as well, deeming it too complex and not suitable for the fast pace of the game, so by 2010 Fury became spherical again. In a vacuum. While fighting enemies, the Barbarian not only could generate more Fury but also increase the damage dealt by his weapon. There were even ideas about an unlimited Fury reservoir. What the Barbarian’s energy represents today and how it all works is still unclear because all these ideas are in constant flux. It’s possible that the final Fury will have nothing in common with Fury today.
• SKILLS AND PREFERENCES
In this section, the skills and preferences of the character that may influence the level and regeneration of Fury are listed.
SKILLS
Battle Cry [War Cry] Generates a certain amount of Fury and increases the defense granted by armor.
PREFERENCES
Bad Temper [Bad Temper] Increases the amount of Fury received and decreases its consumption.
Inner Rage [Inner Rage] Increases the amount of Fury received and decreases its consumption if attacking the same target.
Originally, there were a few more skills that influenced Fury, but as development progressed, they disappeared from the game. Most of the Barbarian’s attacking skills cost energy, however, there are a few that require very little Fury, such as Cleave [Cleave], Bash [Bash], Rend [Rend]. With their help, players can boost their damage dealt and then switch to truly deadly attacks.
In principle, one could write and talk about Fury for a long time; however, this is rather a topic for a separate material. So, brimming with effects of this energy, let’s move on. To the Witch Doctor and his Mana.
WITCH DOCTOR: MANA [MANA]
Did something nasty - ~~~heart~~~ mana joy.
Mana is the standard energy of many action RPGs, however, in Diablo III, the only character that can use it is the Witch Doctor. Players know quite a bit about Mana, and there were no significant stages in its development, as you can imagine. Blizzard, having invented Fury for the Barbarian, gradually reached the idea that each hero should have their own energy. And, to not throw Mana away, they assigned it to the Witch Doctor. Although, in my opinion, something else would suit him better. For example, ectoplasm. ^^
• VISUALIZATION AND MECHANICS
Currently, Mana is the familiar blue sphere filled with energy. The mechanics of its operation have undergone no changes. The character can still restore Mana on his own (the rate of restoration depends on items, bonuses, and preferences). Additionally, by having special skills, one can restore Mana by collecting health spheres (!) or just by killing enemies. Mana itself is consumed by spells and special strikes, and some enemies can drain it, causing furious anger in the player and a desire to swiftly punish the creature.
• SKILLS AND PREFERENCES
In this section, the skills and preferences of the character that may influence the level and regeneration of Mana are listed.
SKILLS
Soul Harvest [Soul Harvest] Previously, this was a nova attack that granted Mana for each enemy killed. Now this skill is a regular damage-upgrading skill and unfortunately does not influence Mana.
PREFERENCES
Spirit Vessel [Spirit Vessel] Grants a certain amount of Mana for each Health Sphere used.
Mana Regeneration [Mana Regeneration] Increases the speed of Mana regeneration.
Ritual of Blood [Ritual of Blood] 50% of spell cost is drawn from health.
Meditation [Meditation] In development. Some skills return 30% of their cost over a period of 10 seconds.
Spiritual Attunement [Spiritual Attunement] Increases the maximum Mana of the character.
In my opinion, it would be interesting to see skills with Mana return for kills, as it was before the rework of Soul Harvest. Or a skill that allows a certain amount of Mana to be replenished based on the damage dealt, ala Fury for the Barbarian. At the very least, that would be intriguing.
MONK: SPIRIT [SPIRIT]
New screenshot of the Monk. Beauty - terrible strength!
Spirit is the unique energy of the Monk, generated during the use of combo skills and spent on other actions. Visually, the spirit resembles swirling gas. Like the Barbarian's Fury, Spirit is generated in combat, encouraging the hero to deal more damage during combo hit series. According to the developers, this is currently the best energy in the game.
• DEVELOPMENT
According to the developers’ comments, they had the most success with Spirit. This type of energy was ready and functional by BlizzCon 2010, and, as I mentioned earlier, is the favorite mental power among Blizzard themselves. Here’s what Jay Wilson said about this.
Jay Wilson: "The energy of the Monk is Spirit. We are most satisfied with this type of energy. It came together very quickly. The Monk’s combo attacks generate energy, and it is used in subsequent skills. You can’t perform such attacks too often. These can be powerful attacks, escapes, recovering moves. And all of this works excellently."
• VISUALIZATION AND MECHANICS
Successful combo - and your Soul will sing...
Visually, Spirit hardly differs from Mana, with the difference lying solely in color and animation. Spirit, according to its description, is a sort of ether, gas that swirls in the reservoir. Unlike the Barbarian’s Fury (more damage = more energy), Spirit accumulates differently. When the Monk uses combo skills, he receives a certain amount of energy. For instance, each of the three hits of Hands of Lightning [Hands of Lightning] added 3 Spirit points at level 9. The amount of energy the character receives also depends on other skills, preferences, and item bonuses.
• SKILLS AND PREFERENCES
In this section, the skills and preferences of the character that may influence the level and regeneration of Spirit are listed.
SKILLS
Hands of Lightning [Hands of Lightning] A combo of three fist strikes with additional electrical damage.
Long Reach [Long Reach] A combo allowing hits on several enemies from a distance that exceeds melee range.
Crippling Wave [Crippling Wave] A combo that slows enemies and puts them into a state of paralysis.
Dashing Strike [Dashing Strike] In development. A combo allowing the Monk to quickly traverse the distance between him and the enemy.
Way of the Hundred Fists [Way of the Hundred Fists] A combo that deals many powerful hits to all enemies in the area of effect.
Exploding Palm [Exploding Palm] A combo that turns the enemy into a timed bomb. Once the monster explodes, damage is dealt to all nearby enemies.
Sweeping Wind [Sweeping Wind] A combo that deals several hits to all enemies nearby.
PREFERENCES
True Spirit [True Spirit] Accelerates Spirit regeneration.
Currently, there is only one known preference that grants bonuses to Spirit. The Monk’s preferences are still in development and refinement. As for the skills, all known Monk combo hits are listed above, but they may still change.
SORCERESS: ARCANE POWER [ARCANE POWER]
Everything secret becomes clear. Or harms someone.
Arcane Power is the special energy of the Sorceress, which is spent on spells and spells and is relatively quickly replenished. True to its name, Arcane Power appears as a collection of purple energy, sparkling and shimmering. I remind you that this is the same color that the corpses of monsters take when they receive arcane damage (this is a separate type of damage, not to be confused with energy).
• DEVELOPMENT
Initially, the Sorceress had no Arcane Power. Instead of Mana, this class used Instability [Instability], which was later replaced by Arcane Power in mid-2010. A little about Instability. Initially, Blizzard planned to create such a type of energy for the Sorceress that would allow her to fight continuously, making the game fast-paced and dynamic. Here’s what Jay Wilson said about this in 2009.
Jay Wilson: "We thought about making the Sorceress some kind of 'glass cannon'. I don’t think players enjoy sitting without mana. The Witch Doctor has energy all sorted since he has skills that allow for excellent restoration. And he isn’t defenseless when his mana runs out: pets and minions constantly attack enemies, and mana isn’t always needed. If mana runs out for the Sorceress, she becomes a walking robe. And that’s sad. So we decided to make gameplay with her different. The Sorceress attacks first, then asks questions to the remains. She is fragile and vulnerable, and we emphasized that. And it greatly improved the gameplay."
However, apparently, it didn’t improve it that much, because by BlizzCon 2010, Instability was already gone from the game. Its place was taken by Arcane Power, but the developers emphasize that it’s quite possible that Mana may return to the Sorceress if they cannot balance and carefully consider the current energy system.
• VISUALIZATION AND MECHANICS
Demonstration of Sparta to the needy.
In terms of visual representation, Arcane Power is the prettiest of all energies, at least for now. This shimmering, glimmering energy of a soft purple color truly looks great and corresponds to the class. Personally, I would be very sorry if they eventually removed it from the game. Arcane Power is something like quickly replenishing mana, the amount of which (attention!) is strictly fixed. In other words, you will always have the same amount of energy, and various bonuses and skills can only influence the regeneration time, not the amount of Arcane Power.
This approach allows the Sorceress to cast spells in non-stop mode, with high-level spells requiring substantial energy costs and, consequently, clever strategy use. The main difference between Arcane Power and Mana is that, as you understand, the first is limited in quantity: 100 points of energy are secured and cannot be altered. However, considering the developers’ position, they may revert to Mana again since the functionality of Arcane Power does not fully meet their satisfaction.
• SKILLS AND PREFERENCES
In this section, the skills and preferences of the character that may influence the level and regeneration of Arcane Power are listed.
SKILLS
Energy Shield [Energy Shield] A certain % of damage goes not to health but to Arcane Power.
PREFERENCES
Arcane Channeling [Arcane Channeling] Accelerates the regeneration of Arcane Power.
Energy Reserves [Energy Reserves] Health spheres restore 10% of the Arcane Power reservoir.
Drain Power [Drain Power] Health and Arcane Power regeneration constitutes 10% of melee damage dealt.
Expanded Mind [Expanded Mind] In development. Increases the reservoir of Arcane Power.
Given the last preference, it’s quite possible that the amount of Arcane Power will be revised multiple times. Although, personally, I like the fact that we cannot level up this energy and will have to make do with what we have.
By the way, Arcane Power is also the name of a passive skill, which was, however, removed from the game in 2009. Its essence was to increase arcane damage (as a type of damage).
DEMON HUNTER: UNKNOWN ENERGY
Hatred as a resource and state of soul is rapidly replenished.
As of now, the energy of the Demon Hunter does not have a detailed description or even a name. Fans will only have to guess how it will work, although preliminary versions suggest that the Hunter will have "double" energy.
In various interviews, developers have constantly emphasized the duality of nature of the Hunter. On one hand, this character is meticulous, particular, intelligent. The Hunter plans his actions and calculates the outcomes. However, when attacking, he falls into a rage and unleashes his anger on monsters. Here’s what the developers themselves have said about it in various interviews.
Blizzard: "We divided the Hunter's skills into two categories. One includes discipline skills, comprising traps, various "preparations", and so forth, in general, everything that requires preparation and foresight. The other includes hatred skills, which set the hero’s eyes ablaze, compelling the character to chop through crowds with multi-hits, fiery arrows, and similar attacks. In this case, the energy system can be interpreted very interestingly, and you are free to choose between hatred and discipline abilities.
We want the Hunter to have quickly regenerating hatred abilities so he can engage in battle at any moment while keeping the game pace fast. However, discipline skills are also important but regenerate more slowly, requiring you to think carefully about the effective use of traps. You will really have to consider when to utilize them to gain a tactical advantage."
In practice, if we think it through, we receive a mix of Mana and Arcane Power. Discipline [Discipline] (in basic understanding - Mana) is a slowly regenerating energy that probably has a larger reserve, but it requires more resources for casting spells. Perhaps the spells will have a considerable cooldown time or something else limiting their use. Hatred [Hatred] (analogous to Arcane Power) is a quickly replenishing energy that allows swift dashes and furious attacks. What will become of this is still unknown, but I would like to hope for the best. At the very least, I haven’t seen double energies yet and would like to experience this firsthand.
SUMMARY
"Cleansing of the soul, not expensive!"
As you can see, Blizzard is not just inventing new types of energy,