I love swinging a huge weapon with a melee char, so i'm really looking forward to playing the barbarian as I also mostly did in D2.
But I can't get rid of the impression that the Barbarian will be kind of lame. I think it's mainly because of the fact that the big attacks like whirlwind (earthquake, seismic slam) presumably won't be spammable anymore. WW cost 2 of 3 fury orbs, as this resource system was still in discussion. Correct me if i'm wrong here. And the more simple attacks like bash or cleave are .. well, not really weapons of mass destruction. Frenzy looks cool though.
This bad impression is created by different sources:
Flux' Hands-On report:
http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/com...ort-barbarian/
Already in the first two paragraphs flux explaines how it sucked being killed in the arena constantly. In his conclusion at the end of this pvm report its said that barb simply lacks multi target attacks which I regard as crucial.
Several sobering movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrUQeZ98RhA
- 0:15-0:24 Sorc. roasts Barb without even moving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c2r3ZNNmO8
- 15:30-15:40 standard attacks with pretty much no effect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWTpZoi3RI
- 3:45-4:15 unsuccessful struggle with a crowd of mobs spamming ground stomp and cleave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TpedK9V2R8
- 0:08-0:35 Barbarian having a hard time even getting close to the sorc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWTpZoi3RI
- 9:30-10:30 Barb + Sorc pvm. Sorc pwning almost everything and Barb fighting the few leftovers.
To list just a view scenes.
Maybe I am to harsh but my expectations are pretty high. I don't want to feel useless i a group of ranged chars or being able to kill mobs only half as fast.
So I invite you to share your impressions or even experiences to rebuild the picture of the barbarian being as strong as all other classes or even stronger.|||Delete this thread!|||You really can't judge balance based on alpha gameplay. The Barbarian, design wise, has an insane amount of AoE attacks and the highest number of mobility skills available to any class.
PvP wise, well, again - it's alpha gameplay and it was mostly inexperienced players playing a melee character against ranged.|||Quote:
Delete this thread!
Not sure if you're joking or not. But it is probably better not to say anything if you don't have anything constructive to say about the OP's opinion.|||Before responding, my bad impression about the barb is how terrible the player was. I'd like someone with at least a little skill to show me the barb's combos. I'll hold my final judgment until I can personally execute those combos. From Ghosts to BvCs, the tactics are second nature already. The guy in the video didn't look like he was even trying. It could be the limited skills they were given, or it could indeed be him. I know the other skills, and will make my personal build reflect my style anyway.
In a nutshell, I don't think this gave barbs any justice. Anyway:
Quote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrUQeZ98RhA
- 0:15-0:24 Sorc. roasts Barb without even moving
Well, he was moving, but was stuck in WW. This is precisely why Barbs should never do a long whirl--you're predictable. When obstacles come into play, you are stuck behind them (classic D2) or delayed for a while and eventually get out (LOD). In both cases, it's your own undoing. When played correctly, tight whirls will be devastating. It's unclear if we can shoot off multiple WWs at the end-game, but the strategies will try to make it possible or capitalize on the ones you can do. Always will they be with caution, and avoid long-whirls like the plague.
Quote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c2r3ZNNmO8
- 15:30-15:40 standard attacks with pretty much no effect
The barb was also Whirling, as well as mixing in a stomp. If it's a shout or a slam to stun, I cannot determine yet. Once I'm familiar with them more, i'd tell, but it seems to have mixed either a buff or debuff with the attack. Moreover, it didn't seem like a normal attack, since it occurred slowly and grew in speed (much like Frenzy would). It uses a similar animation to be sure, so requires more knowledge to ascertain the skill. Nevertheless, it was more than purely attacking. Standing there's good for a little while, but not that long. Even when escaping, WWing away is typically not done directly in the projectile's path.
This is also where I say I'd like someone with some Barb skill to show me their combos. I did get a good hint at something though. If WW can be cast into the attack, then only a few done, and another WW done so carelessly, could WW be more frequently used than I previously thought? Tri-whirls just might make a comeback, and I'd say that's a far better strategy than standing and using whatever stationary attack it was.
God I hope I can build a BvC XDQuote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWTpZoi3RI
- 3:45-4:15 unsuccessful struggle with a crowd of mobs spamming ground stomp and cleave
Here's what I'd like to know: Where's the leap? Why spam your ground stomp on those that Cleave cleared just as easily?
Here's what I'd have done: Cleave a few, maybe if it's required to get the Fury for Leap. When I can, I'd leap into the caster's midst and cleave some more. If I have the Fury, I'd use Ground Stomp. Once stunned, I'd kill a few before melee comes, maybe using another GS for good measure. The casters should be mostly dead or the rest injured, so not as much of a treat. That guy nearly died, and seemingly wasted his sources on the meat shields. I was not impressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TpedK9V2R8
- 0:08-0:35 Barbarian having a hard time even getting close to the sorc
Quote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWTpZoi3RI
- 9:30-10:30 Barb + Sorc pvm. Sorc pwning almost everything and Barb fighting the few leftovers.
Unfortunately, this will be an issue for all melee and caster mixing (Monk + DH, Monk + Wiz, Barb + WD, etc). The ranged can hit first. However, even the melee have some quick mobility that can help them. Like before, where's the leaping here? There's another stomp, thankfully in the middle where it's effective. However, I'd have some the same AoE by just leaping. Even the Monk has a solution via SSS or the Hundred Fists.
All in all, it may have been this guy's (or multiple guys'?) personal style taking things slow and cautious. That's okay, but not as something to display skill combos and power. I'll need a good barb player in the vid, or use myself to determine how well the skills mesh together. PVM may not be a rush, but I feel it should still have a quick pace to it. In that quick pace, tactics should be smart and play to strengths rather than be the aforementioned sitting duck.
In terms of my "stronger barb", Leap will be pretty integral to pretty much all of my Barbs.
When I play melee, I want to feel like I'm rushing into battle. My Monks will be especially guilty of this.|||Poorly skilled players and unbalanced alpha gameplay pvp. Don't worry, the barb will be fine |||Yeah that's a good point. What we see aren't any real builds. Plus, what I realized later, all the items which were used in the vids surely are pretty basic and a better equipped barb will propably be much more effective.|||It's too early to even deduce anything, exactly why I've been distancing myself from most of the D3 threads and arguments.
There isn't really a point until the game is out and you've actually played it.|||Quote:
It's too early to even deduce anything, exactly why I've been distancing myself from most of the D3 threads and arguments.
There isn't really a point until the game is out and you've actually played it.
Yeah but it's fun to speculate.
|||Barb looks pretty sick in this game, I must admit.
No comments:
Post a Comment