witch DOCTOR?

[angers]

I think that the Witch DOCTOR should at least have some sort of healing spell included; otherwise the name is completely deceiving. What do you think?

[kontankarite]

I think the witch doctor is already spliced enough from old superior classes.

We don't need the Witch Doctor to take the thunder of the pally as well.

Everyone knows this class so far seems to have dumbed down the druid, the necro, and a part of the sorc. Why should it borrow once again from another class?

Sheesh, there is really nothing original about the WD so far as I've seen.

[prion]

Dr. Jackson and Dr. Carter don't heal people

[Hello Jim]

I like it. The WD 3rd tree (other than summoning and plauges&fire) should be Healing. Or the P&F tree will have P attack and the 3rd tree will have Healing and Sickening. That has a nice name to it.

[Es Mors]

Dr. Jackson and Dr. Carter don't heal people

:yes:

On topic: I don't think I would like it. Doesn't really fit with all the cursed flesh and disease spreading.

[Hello Jim]

Might be but
1. We need some kind of a healer
2. The main job of the original WDs is to cure people.
3. Medicine works both way- If you know how to make someone sick, you'll know how to make someone else better.

[angers]

I'm not sure if any of you have played DotA (Defense of the Ancients), but there is a hero in the game that is called the Witch Doctor.

Out of the 4 spells of the hero, there is one that is for healing. For each point of mana used, a point of hp is regenerated. But most important of all, the health is given in an area of effect, therefore everyone surrounding the Witch Doctor is given 1 hp of regeneration per second.

[Erwwwd]

The guy just is a witch with a degree. He doesn't need to have healing powers.

[Sequitur]

Might be but
1. We need some kind of a healer
2. The main job of the original WDs is to cure people.
3. Medicine works both way- If you know how to make someone sick, you'll know how to make someone else better.

Why do we need some kind of healer?

How many healing classes have ever been in Diablo? (if you say "the Paladin has Holy Bolt and healing aura, or that the three original classes has minor healing spells", I will scream...)

[Erwwwd]

How many healing classes have ever been in Diablo?

Well you answered your own question, but I'll repeat:

The paladin has holy bolt (+ FOH) and 3 healing aura's. He also has some protective aura's versus elemental damage and such.

In Diablo I there was a healing spell you could use on yourself and others.


(if you say "the Paladin has Holy Bolt and healing aura, or that the three original classes has minor healing spells", I will scream...)

*protecting ears with my hands*

[angers]

maybe the word Doctor is ambiguous. It could very well be that the buff given to his mongrels is his way of 'healing'.

[Ethika]

Witch Doctors IRL are spiritual healers who cure disease, illness and pshycological problems. However I don't think healing is suited to the Diablo universe, no thanks!

[Animation]

According to Wikipedia, the term was originally used in Europe and England to refer to quacks and faith healers and people who exorcised demons and charged you for it. Con men and nut jobs.

Somehow the term later got associated with African Shamanism.

So the Witchdoctor in Diablo 3 looks to be a fantasy roleplaying version of a tribal shaman, maybe from Kurast (I havent actually read the class info on Blizzard's site yet). I guess comparing the WD in D3 to a real one is about like comparing a fantasy roleplaying Cleric to a Catholic Priest. They dont REALLY have cool powers but if they did, and you went over the top and thematic with it, you'd get a fantasy priest.

The D3 Witchdoctor is the over the top fantasy tribal shaman. All the powers fit perfectly with the layman's comic book view of what Fantasy Shamanism and maybe Voodoo would be like. Undead, spirits, powders and medicines that make disease and burn and blind and confuse, fire potions that explode ... awesome.

I think the witchdoctor is great, and I'm looking forward to it.

Lewis

[Crazygeorge]

Healers in Diablo? Thanks but no thanks...

Quoting Paul Barnett on this one 'If you're really one of those people just want to be a medic, you like sitting at the back not doing anything, going -and I heal, and I heal, and I heal- go away'

[5zigen]

I like it. The WD 3rd tree (other than summoning and plauges&fire) should be Healing. Or the P&F tree will have P attack and the 3rd tree will have Healing and Sickening. That has a nice name to it.

His third tree is curses... Didn't you watch the gameplay video?

And no healing classes in D3 please. He has a healing spell already, it's called soul harvest.

[MooCQ]

Nobody ever cried fowl.. when a barb let off his BO.... this argument stinks..

[Machina]

Dr. Jackson and Dr. Carter don't heal people

:thumbup:

The operative word is Witch by the look of it...

[Hrus]

It's sad that everyone speculates what is "witch doctor" when you have one right in D2.

Witch Doctor Endugu is a Flayer Shaman superunique down in the Flayer Dungeon lvl3.
It's a "Shaman". That would be much better description than pathetic "Witch Doctor"

[5zigen]

It's sad that everyone speculates what is "witch doctor" when you have one right in D2.

Witch Doctor Endugu is a Flayer Shaman superunique down in the Flayer Dungeon lvl3.
It's a "Shaman". That would be much better description than pathetic "Witch Doctor"

I disagree. Shaman doesnt sound right, and it has too many wow connotations. (one of the reasons I don't think we'll see paladins return).

[Hrus]

Yeah, I can care less about WoW, but I can imagine those people actually playing WoW would whine about not having their skills all the time.

[lionheart]

I disagree. Shaman doesnt sound right, and it has too many wow connotations. (one of the reasons I don't think we'll see paladins return).

So?? The shamans in the jungle of kurast where in d2 before wow, so now we have to get rid of all names similar to ours that wow took from us?

[5zigen]

So?? The shamans in the jungle of kurast where in d2 before wow, so now we have to get rid of all names similar to ours that wow took from us?

Well, yeah basically. The shamans were an NPC though in D2.

The thing is, a LOT of people will be coming from WoW for D3, whether they play it between their WoW raids or switch over completely.

I think blizzard at least partially learned their lesson with Paladins. The name of a character can have HUGE implications on what people expect from it. And to be honest, it's simply easier and more creative to use a different name for the character for everyone involved.

Which is why I also don't think they'll use mage or priest as character classes, but they may carry over druid because in reality the druid in WoW was just an extension of the roles of the druid in D2, more or less.

[lionheart]

Yea but the thing is that there were some fixed classes in sanctuary. What is the point of changing a lot of different names for characters that in essence do the same thing? Just because of WoW players that might come? I dont think they should get any favouritism since the game is more for diablo fans, at least i sure hope so

[Brother Laz]

Sheesh, there is really nothing original about the WD so far as I've seen.

Other than being a cackling maniac with zombie walls? What is original about the WD is that he's a necromancer that actually works. The AI curses may actually be useful for a change. Bone wall does damage now. Corpse explosion isn't based on monster kills so it won't pose all those weird and wonderful scaling issues that plagued the skill from 1.00 all the way to 1.10.

The necro tree was one of the best designed trees in D2, but it was so poorly balanced that 90% of the skills were useless. Throw out the barbarian tree for all I care (which is exactly what they did!), but keep the necro tree and fix it (which is exactly what they did!).

......

Also, look at the unit model. The necromancer was supposed to be a priest, except he looked like a biker in light armor and an astronaut in heavy armor. Yay?

[Hrus]

Also, look at the unit model. The necromancer was supposed to be a priest, except he looked like a biker in light armor and an astronaut in heavy armor. Yay?
So very true..... ;)

Anyways I will take a look at necro in median...

[AxlStrife]

@Laz: lol, so true about the Necro.

@whomever: Comparing characters in the Warcraft games to characters in Diablo games to argue that Diablo 3 is a ploy to attract people that play WoW or make the transition from WoW to D3 is silly. Each had an established fan base and while WoW was a different take on Warcraft. Shaman and Witch Doctor, from a flavor standpoint, are synonymous. We, as gamers, should not always have the final say in what goes into a game simply because the majority of us are not game designers and are not experts when it comes to the respective worlds in which these games take place.

[5zigen]

Also, look at the unit model. The necromancer was supposed to be a priest, except he looked like a biker in light armor and an astronaut in heavy armor. Yay?

SOOOO TRUE.

He sounded like a pansy too.

[Apocalypse]

I think the witch doctor is already spliced enough from old superior classes.

We don't need the Witch Doctor to take the thunder of the pally as well.

Everyone knows this class so far seems to have dumbed down the druid, the necro, and a part of the sorc. Why should it borrow once again from another class?

Sheesh, there is really nothing original about the WD so far as I've seen.



he is newer than the necro would be so go WD

[Christor]

SOOOO TRUE.

He sounded like a pansy too.

But you have to admit, he at least had the best death scream. :yes:

[Gamekk]

I think that the Witch DOCTOR should at least have some sort of healing spell included; otherwise the name is completely deceiving. What do you think?

I think healing classes ruinded every RPG game they were in touch with.

Healing just plain sucks, it sucks to level-up a healer and it's not much fun to heal others. It's just frustrating when that healing guy heals the guy you're about to kill. Healers make the fights last longer and boring, having a healer in your party is imbalance compared to those who doesn't have one. I don't want to want to NEED to search a damn healer for my group if we want to take Diablo.

Healers are a dumb idea. Just think about it, like everything gets inspired from LOTR. Do you see stupid priests gathering at the back and singing healing prayers to illuminate the orcs who gets healed for every hit they take???!!! TELL ME, CAN YOU SERIOUSLY IMAGIN THAT?! Healers have no mean to be. Healers suck.

The ONLY ones who should be able to heal are Pepin, Akara, Charsi, Ormus, Jamella, and that old rag in act V. That's it.

[Jcakes]

I like the idea of each character having 1 or 2 abilities to heal in someway (hunger, cobra strike etc.) but I would hate to see a skill tree (let alone a character) devoted to healing. My guess is that they won't go this path, as from what I can see Blizzard are trying to make Diabl3's game play different to WoW (while stealing some of their good ideas)

oh and charsi doesn't heal ;) you left out Fara and Atma

[5zigen]

But you have to admit, he at least had the best death scream. :yes:

Most memorable for sure. But he wasn't winning any manliness contests, that's for sure.

[raveharu]

I like the idea of each character having 1 or 2 abilities to heal in someway (hunger, cobra strike etc.) but I would hate to see a skill tree (let alone a character) devoted to healing. My guess is that they won't go this path, as from what I can see Blizzard are trying to make Diabl3's game play different to WoW (while stealing some of their good ideas)

You must be insane, that totally kills the reason why healers are important in the game.
And its not like only WoW have healers in the game, almost all fantasy-related MMORPG have priests.

I believed the witchdoctor will be the ONLY class to have healing and anti-undead skills, but in such a way they can be an attacker as well.
In fact, I hope they remove life/mana leech from the game.

Then again, I find it ridiculous that in Diablo2, one could just open a town portal and HEAL while fighting the Lesser and Prime Evils.
Imagine how unrealistic the situation would be. This also applies to the glitch for killing Mephisto, one could just lure him and spam skills at a distance without getting hit.
We are talking about fighting one of the Prime Evil here, not some mindless zombie that follows you for fresh meat.

I hope there will be strategies needed for killing the Bosses in Diablo 3, and the prospect of adding a healer class would definitely be in good light.
Of course, this should be applicable only to multiplayer.

[Tsumaru]

I kinda like the idea of support characters, as long as they can also stand on their own two feet. I mean we're not talking about a healer-specific class; but I think if the Witch Doctor had a couple of skills that could be used to heal would be nice. Debuff-curses would work really well if you're not fond of straight-up regen. I don't know what kind of negative effects you might encounter in D3, or how viable it might be, but you could give the Witch Doctor a skill or two for curing poison/cold etc. I don't know if I would dedicate a whole skill tree to it, but maybe if you had like an "Alchemy" tree, one branch of that could be for debuff cures and healing, and the others can be your offensive damaging stuff.

The main thing you need to consider when making classes, though, is that they can play the entirety of the game in single player on their own, and be fun to play as well. If you make a class which has a lot of support stuff and is predominantly just a healer; that's no fun. But on the other hand, you can also add to these classes some areas which make them useful and fun for parties in multiplayer as well. Not every class needs multiplayer value though, either. We're not making a WoW type setup here, obviously. But it would be nice for maybe 2 classes to be of more use in a group than the other classes.

[lionheart]

Most memorable for sure. But he wasn't winning any manliness contests, that's for sure.

My exact same thought lol :grin: