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[Ivefan]

...and new skill/rune combinations that affected how my character played. I.e. all the stuff synergies and unlocking all skills by 30 prevented from happening in D2.

(I assume the skills has been balanced by now, considering all the nerfs i heard about.)
Sure, I got new skills and runes, but rather going "ooh a new skill" I was more along the lines of "Ooh, I can finally remove this placeholder skill".
Some runes were skill defining and using the skill before you had the rune was just not worth it.

Really though. The skill progression in D2 & D3 is basically the same, except D3 is handholding you all the way and keeps the good stuff away from you much longer.
I'd rather get the skills I want earlier and improve on them than using substitutes.

What is the current method of powerleveling in D3?

[Darkmere]

My monk is still in normal, so I don't know that much about later on. I thought crippling wave with a staff backed by 7-sided and tempest rush felt very different from shock punch with teleport while dual-wielding, the charge attack, and bell glyphed to nova.

I do know my barb can dual-wield with bash/instigate or frenzy/sidearm, pair either with whirlwind/blood funnel and battle rage, or use the sprint/run like the wind build, or put on a shield and use bash/instigate or bash/punish and seismic slam... or use a 2H and go for cleave and leap/iron impact... all of those work, and they all feel very different, handle different areas and different packs in different ways. I can play what I feel like playing, right now, no fuss.

For that matter, Here are some skill/rune unlock progression charts. Unlocks don't really slow down through progression, and on both the characters I play, runes have very different effects than just art swaps.

Imagining arcane/waller/firechains/vortex isn't the same as trying to kill one in a cave level.

(I assume the skills has been balanced by now, considering all the nerfs i heard about.)
Sure, I got new skills and runes, but rather going "ooh a new skill" I was more along the lines of "Ooh, I can finally remove this placeholder skill".
Some runes were skill defining and using the skill before you had the rune was just not worth it.

I'd describe D2's frostbolt/glacial spike as exactly this. GS is frostbolt, except better in every way. Firebolt/fireball are the same way. Druids' wolves and dire wolves are the same way. Necro golems are the same, except using the lower ones can actually hurt you if you don't know what you're doing. Instead of making the lower ones worthwhile... synergies "fixed" it.

The skill-defining runes aren't like that for all of them. A handful per class are still mandatory, but I can think of quite a few runes that are defined by whatever else you use them with.

Really though. The skill progression in D2 & D3 is basically the same, except D3 is handholding you all the way and keeps the good stuff away from you much longer.
I'd rather get the skills I want earlier and improve on them than using substitutes.

D2 had synergies to handhold you into the proper build, and once you were done with normal you were done with your build. I guess I don't enjoy clicking a + button to add a few %age points as much as the next guy.  I'm also using the explosive cleave rune in A2 inferno and it works fine. You get that one before level 12.

What is the current method of powerleveling in D3?

There used to be some nonsense where players would group up and then leave the game before turning in a boss kill so you could get quest XP 4 times, or something like that. That was removed. I'm not aware of a replacement method at the moment.

[Sordid]

I didn't find that the game called for dramatic re-slotting of skills to meet challenges.

Not only does it not call for that, it actively discourages it with the Nephalem Valor buff. You get that by killing champions and uniques and it goes away when you swap skills. The game actively encourages you to try and find the perfect build that can meet all the challenges the game can throw at you.

[Ivefan]

I didn't find that the game called for dramatic re-slotting of skills to meet challenges.

Although I agree, It was not me that said that.

Lots of text

I guess we can agree to disagree. I'm not defending D2 skill progression as much as I'm pointing out that D3 is the same thing but prolonged.

The boss powerleveling was hotfixed before the first patch i think. Although boring I'd take this over wasting time running through norm-hell with every new character.

[Rez]

Er yea, you've got to pretty far out of the loop in the D3 discussion to not understand the MMO angle people like to come from.  There aren't many non-mmo's that require you to be online to play.

[forsaken1111]

D3 is NOT a MMO

Welcome to the forum. It is always nice to get new people joining us here at Bay12. Perhaps you would care to explain your statement, or contribute to the discussion at hand? Or at the very least introduce yourself?

[Vactor]

D3 is NOT a MMO

Woah, the unabridged diablo 3 design document!

[Roundabout Lout]

D3 is NOT a MMO

Oh, hey it's Jay Wilson.

[Levi]

D3 is NOT a MMO

I agree though, its not an MMO.  I sometimes think that part of the reason that people seem so irate about D3 is that they expect it to be one.

[Sergius]

DIABLO3 Is A Boring Linear Online... 3-pence...

D3 is NOT a MMO

I agree though, its not an MMO.  I sometimes think that part of the reason that people seem so irate about D3 is that they expect it to be one.

No, actually, people expected it to be a single player game that sat in their hard disks and didn't require an online connection unless they wanted to play coop or something. So basically, it has the drawbacks of a MMO with none of the benefits.

I sometimes think that people that like Diablo 3 tend to build strawmen of people who don't.

[Xeron]

D3 is NOT a MMO

You are right.Its even worse than that/

[Levi]

DIABLO3 Is A Boring Linear Online... 3-pence...

D3 is NOT a MMO

I agree though, its not an MMO.  I sometimes think that part of the reason that people seem so irate about D3 is that they expect it to be one.

No, actually, people expected it to be a single player game that sat in their hard disks and didn't require an online connection unless they wanted to play coop or something. So basically, it has the drawbacks of a MMO with none of the benefits.

I agree that the always on connection was nonsense.  But come on, the game has been out forever and most people have played it through at least once or twice and are STILL complaining about it.  Most people only do that for MMO's.  If people treated it as a normal game, they would have just played it through and then be done with it.

I sometimes think that people that like Diablo 3 tend to build strawmen of people who don't.

I didn't particularly like the game either, but I still think people were way to harsh on it.

[Neonivek]

I still think people were way to harsh on it.

I agree. It wasn't attrociously bad or a terrible game.

It was just blaw with a "So absolutely dreadful I cannot believe they even used it so much so that it somehow becomes awsome in its ineptitude" story.

That is really what I think describes Diablo 3 after you play it long enough. Blah blaw blah blaw.

I am surprised anyone can even draw up the emotions to even be bad at a game as soul suckingly empty as this game could be sometimes.

Is it a good game? Possibly... Is it still very blaw? indeed.

[Nadaka]

I was one of the guys who had low hopes for d3.
And it turned out that my hopes were not low enough.

Diablo 3 is a $2 game with $20 graphics that costs $60 + tax.

No one should have had to pay more than $5 to $15 for the game depending on how much they value graphics vs game play.

[Mephansteras]

That's a bit harsh. The basic game play is actually quite good, and running around killing monsters can be quite satisfying.

The story is junk, and I don't see any personal value in doing the end-game grind. But I've gotten more than my money's worth out of it, so I don't really feel that I have a right to complain all that much.

To be honest, I've had more fun with it than I expected.