#1 - Aug. 27, 2013, 10:02 a.m.
Here's the video I'm going to base this discussion around:
http://youtu.be/rYbt27bRMqs?t=4m
Josh presents a Wizard-specific legendary centered around the Hydra Skill. And this is the step in the right direction that Diablo III needs as far as loot is concerned. Take a skill from a class and discuss how to make a build focused on that skill fun, diverse, and viable. This should be at the center of thinking when offering build changing loot.
Here's the issue. The Serpent's Sparker, albeit powerful, is NOT a build changing loot. Wizards may use this for their character at some point to see the effect, but it offers little in the way to make anyone focus their entire build around the Hydra. What this particular item is lacking -- is other loot and other affixes that make the item worth having for a Hydra-specific build. And this is the important part of how itemization needs to be improved upon to allow build changing loot.
Here's what I'm proposing, and hopefully you agree with me, what will allow for build changing loot. New affixes... starting from all Rares and moving their way up. I'm going to use the Hydra as the primary example for this discussion, the numbers are just examples -- don't take them to heart...
Nightmare+ Affixes: can appear on all RaresHydra Arcane Power Cost -1 Hydra Damage +5% Hydra Duration +1 second Hydra Critical Strike Chance +2% Hydra Critical hits grant 2 Arcane Power
It's important that affixes pushing in the direction of one skill as a focus start appearing early (in Nightmare). While leveling into your character, you can make the decision to start acquiring loot to focus on the skill you like/want to use the most. These are examples of affixes that will start to appear on affixes in Nightmare, and will continue to appear in higher difficulties with different ranges.
Hell+ Affixes: can appear on Rare Wizard Hats, Sources, and WandsHydra Amount +1 Hydra Damage to Elites +2% Hydra Critical Strike Damage +10%
By the time the Player reaches Hell difficulty, they will start to see loot specifically tailored not just for their class, but for their build -- helping to make them a more powerful character. It is usually by late Hell that players decide they need to start sacrificing the skills they like for skills that will simply keep them alive. Instead, players should be offered loot with affixes that start to make their favorite skills more enticing.
Inferno Affixes: can appear on Legendary itemsHydra Amount +1 Gain +25 All Resist per active Hydra Gain 100 Health Regeneration per active Hydra Hydra Attack Speed +75% On Death: Summon 5 Hydras
When a player enters Inferno having stuck with their favorite skill -- they should be encouraged to finalize their build. Legendary items are not supposed to be Build Changers, but Build Makers. The difference being that all your other items and affixes should help shape your build and your play-style; But Legendary Items should bring that build and play-style into viability. By Inferno, you should be able to proudly say "I'm a Hydra Wizard", "I'm a Mirror Image Wizard", etc etc.
Approaching loot in the manner I've etched out above does a few things for players.
1. It makes the journey to Inferno worthwhile 2. It improves the item hunt across multiple items. 3. It helps brings varying skills into viability across multiple difficulties. 4. It makes the pool of affixes more diverse. 5. It increases the amount of viable builds.
TLDR: More skill specific affixes, more diverse affixes, more powerful affixes, appearing on more items.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this -- and I encourage you to post your own ideas for affixes that might make for build changing loot.
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EDIT: In light of the blue post by Travis Day and the data mined info -- I've started making a compendium of affix effects I'd like to see for each class. They are listed below...
Wizard Affixes
Demon Hunter Affixeshttp://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/9793109384?page=5#82
Monk Affixeshttp://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/9793109384?page=7#128
Witch Doctor Affixeshttp://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/9793109384?page=10#190
Barbarian Affixeshttp://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/9793109384?page=13#245
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/9793109384?page=14#274