Anyway, here is just a little update as to what we have been up to: Warhammer sort of fell through the floor, atleast for Balcloth and myself. We went back to World of Warcraft to meet up with Stormrider (AkA Senuq/Uxmal/Ibana) and get a little arena, pvp, action in. For now that is where we will be. Just needed a finished MMO, and Warhammer is great, but it just needs alot of work. We might come back, but in the meantime I picked up my Priest and have been kicking ass. For the Horde…

Unlike the warlock in WOW, the warlock in DIII is NOT a spell-caster class. Rather, he is a “knight class”, a fallen/unholy paladin that fights the unholy powers of hell with his own. (Resembles a death knight from warcraft, but h is not inherently evil, though his powers are really dark.)

Skill trees include:
• Arms: This tree is the main combat tree that is mainly dedicated to weapons skills and physical combat abilities. Though a cursed warrior, the warlocks were originally paladins and, as such, are well-trained in the use of weaponry.
• Demonic: Demonic skills, dark spells and unholy auras and curses. This tree also contains skills to summon demon minions and, at high tiers, grants the warlock demonic shapeshifting abilities.
• Hellfire: This tree mainly contains fire-oriented spells, scorching abilities, burning auras and weapon enhancements (like Immolation).

Appearance:
Dark-skinned race. He looks a lot like the paladin from DII. He is an anti-holy warrior.

5. Elfstone (Hunter/Amazon/Nature-Type): The elfstones (not elves, but humans) are masterful and skillful hunters. They rarely, if ever, come near civilized society. Familiar with the wild places of the world, rumors say that elfstones call-upon the spirits of nature to do their bidding.

Skill trees include:
• Hunt: Ranged combat using bows, spears, and javelins (sometimes with Nature-Type Enhancements). Tracking abilities. Several traps skills.
• Ambush: This tree mainly has a lot of defensive abilities, efficiency skills, and survival skills. Several traps skills.
• Sylvan: This tree mainly consists of nature and healing spells (much like the Keeper of the Grove in WCIII)(Treants, Entangle, offensive and defensive nature-type auras and spells).

Appearance:
Light-Haired, European-Type. The elfstone seems to be a direct cross between a keeper of the grove and an amazon with a few traps abilities. While first and foremost a “ranged (bow) class” she is also somewhat of a “nature-priest” similar to a WOW restoration druid.

Classes Planned for Expansion:

6. Skin Walker (Shapeshifter/Melee Warrior/Supernatural-Type): Originally hailing from the nomadic druid tribes, the skin walkers were exiled for embracing the darker and often sadistic primal forces. Shunned by the rest of the world, the skin walkers became the denizens of the darkest forests, where the ghostly whispers of the night would hide their supernatural rites and predatory rituals. Over the centuries, people began to believe skin walkers to be phantoms, ghost stories told to children - but I have seen one and they are made of flesh and bone like you and me. Cruel and cunning, they no longer derive their powers from the harmonious presence of nature, but from the twisted horrors of nightmares.

Skill trees include:
• Ghost: Ghostly, supernatural enhancements to melee combat and abilities (Ghost Venom), ghostly summons (Summon Wraith), and debuffs (Banshee Wail, Haunt), supernatural shapeshifting abilities (Ghost Form).
• Blood: This tree primarily consists of blood-drinking/bloodletting skills, critical strikes and gaining supernatural powers from drinking the blood of fallen enemies (Vampiric Instinct/Blood Bath) or purposefully spilling your own (Blood Ritual).
• Nightmare: This tree mainly consists of shape-shifting/beast skills (werewolf is returning but is much darker and sadistic), supernatural attributes, enhancements, and spells (like Spider Swarms). This is similar to the druid shape-shifting tree, but more supernatural.

Appearance:
Native-American Type. The skin-walker is a lot like a shape-shapeshifting druid, but is much more evil/nightmarish with her abilities and powers. She is not nature-oriented, but more closely resembles a “vampire/supernatural-type melee” character.

7. Monk (Assassin-Type with Holy Powers): The warrior monks are well-trained and disciplined fighters, walking a fine line between the presence of light and the domains of shadow. Monks use their divinely-granted abilities and combat prowess to assassinate from the shadows or to blast their enemies apart with holy fire.

Skill trees include:
• Martial Arts: This tree is primarily for monks specializing in ranged combat (throwing weapons) or martial arts (hand-to-hand). It also contains a lot of your agility abilities (Evasion) and survival abilities (Suppress Pain) and efficiency abilities (Meditation).
• Light: Light abilities, blessings, and divine powers (mostly buffs for throwing weapons or martial arts combat enhancement). For example, this tree has abilities to enhance your ranged combat and martial arts skills with holy power and holy fire and to bless yourself and your allies with divine protection. This tree also has several offensive and defensive holy spells and a few healing abilities. This tree also has many target buffs, including Soul Infusion which allows the monk to infuse his soul with the powers of heaven. The main difference between the light tree and past holy trees is that it is much more offensive and combat-oriented, much less healing and defensive oriented. Healing abilities are really reserved to the elfstone (a nature type priest) or the warlock (an unholy warrior). (Light powers are generally used to enhance combat prowess and damage, like Raiden from Mortal Kombat).
• Shadow: This tree mainly includes stealth and critical strike abilities. This is an assassination, ninja-type tree, though there are no poison skills. Most of the skills revolve around critical strike abilities with throwing/ranged weapons and martial arts (often enhanced with shadow powers that blind or somehow debilitate enemies).

Appearance:
Asian-type. The Monk is an entirely new class to the Blizzard scene and the closest thing you are going to get to a “holy” character, other than the warlock which is the opposite of holy. I really have nothing to compare him to in past games - although he reminds me of a mix between Lui Kang or Raiden from Mortal Kombat, only more bad ***. Dress appearance has a lot of Asian influence.

Excuse the cynicism, but if there is something I have learned from Blizzard in the announcement of Diablo 3 it is this….

1) Blizzard made alot of money off of World of Warcraft. 2) If it worked once, it will work again.

Let’s look at this critically: Diablo 2 was wildly popular with their 5 characters + 2 from the expansion. Blizzard then announced in July that there were going to be 5 classes for Diablo 3. Surprise there. One of them was the return of the Barbarian. Not even a new one. It is hinted that it is the same damn guy. The Witch Doctor, which is clearly a Necromancer knock-off with zombies instead of skeletons, just admit it. And recently announced, Wizard. Aka the Sorceress.

So what do we have to expect? Well we are missing knock offs of the Amazon and the Paladin. The idea of the “Warlock” would fit into the lore well. Call it what you want, a reverse Paladin, but the idea of a plate wearing “knight” is going to be one of the 5 classes. The final one the “elfstone” (hopefully the real name is pending) will come out as a range DPS. And for the expansion? Expect some sort of shape-shifter (the Druid), and then some sort of quick attack close range DPS without as much HP as the Barbarian (Assassin).

And again, let us not beat around the bush, this game is built on virtually the same platform as World of Warcraft. Blizzard has down and out admitted this, and the D3 scene burst in outrage from all of the light coloring and divergence from Diablo’s darker theme. The itemization is even colored exactly like WoW (not to say Mythic didn’t pull that with Warhammer Online). Does this make it a bad game. None of the following things I have made comment lead me to a positive yes. But I am concerned about the games lack of creativity. Show us something new Blizz! Turn our perceptions of Diablo on it’s head! Why more of the same? I honestly that without people like Bill Roper in there infusing the series with it’s trademark style, Blizzard is scared to death about proper execution, which will lead D3 into an early grave with all the other Diablo clones. They need a right balance of brand new and familiar.

And this forum class post that is creating so much buzz was a good chance to tie this in with my other thoughts. When all of this unfolds you count on me being there to say, “I told you so.” Otherwise I will buy you a beer. =D

He recently posted. And put to bed any speculation, that the Iron Breaker is getting a little silly in To Anaroc. Once again proof that Destruction looks cooler, and Order does more damage. We originally had a 4 man team of Archmage (myself), Bela on White Lion, Ryjel on Warrior Priest, and Balcloth at the center with the Iron Breaker. The combo was brutal to say the least, but was a good testimate to the overdone numbers on the Order side. Hopefully Mythic will look into this.

http://moneyne.ws/2008/10/08/warhammer-online-ironbreaker-golfing/ 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2azMHCaO_k 

I can’t help but figure on this one, that we have the Barbarian (returning from D2), the Witchdoctor (cough cough, Necromancer), and now Wizard as the sorceress substitute. Now watch as we get a conventional warrior (Paladin, or something with a sword and shield) and a long range DPS-non-magic (Amazon).

Hopefully Blizzard proves me wrong.

  Q. My fellow guild officers and I are having a ‘discussion’ about whether or not we should alts in the guild. How does guild leveling work, exactly? Would having a bunch of extra inactive characters cause our guild to level more slowly than if we were all active?

A. No, having inactive characters in your guild roster won’t slow down your guild advancement. A guild gains experience and ranks through the actions of its members. Anytime members earn experience and/or renown the guild earns experience as well. So having a battalion of inactive alts is not a detriment to your guild’s ability to level.

Q. How exactly the does the rested system work? Do you generate the same amount of rested xp no matter where you log out? Can you generate rest xp without logging out by going to a specific area? How much rest xp can you generate max?

A. The most rested experience you can have is equal to one and a half times the experience points you need to complete your current level. The rate of increase depends on your level, so the higher you go, the slower that rested xp bar fills up. As you defeat monsters or players, your experience is doubled until the bar is depleted.

You don’t have to log out in a specific area in order to earn rested experience, but whatever rate is appropriate for your level will speed up by 50% if you log out in a warcamp or chapter hub belonging to your realm. If you log out in a city, this rate is doubled. Finally, if you log out in the “Guild Leader’s Room” in a guildhall, this rate increases to 150%!

This is fine because GreySoul, at it’s core, serves more as the club that houses the different named guilds we have been over the years. I will be setting up a sub domain just for Postal with an explination to clear up this confusion. Greysoul.gs will also still serve as our source of news and message boards at the center of everything we do.

Belastran is currently out of commission in his home town of Houston, TX. with no thanks to hurricane Ike. He was able to log on for a second using a neighbor’s generator to let us know that he is okay and will be with power in a few weeks. Hang in there buddy. In the meantime Worz has joined our cause and is rocking it up with me as a fellow Zealot. Adding Ryjel, that gives Balcloth 3 healers so I hope he is enjoying the extra protection.

Other than that, we have been OWNING scenarios and we will have some images to post later. Time to work on getting my mount either tonight or tomorrow. W00t.

-Ex

In much awaited news, the herald has gone into some depth about guild functions and player taxes. Looks like we are going to have to pull together when we start taking keeps. Trade skills, guild vaults, transportation- they are all going to be linked by the guild so finding the right % to tax is going to be critical.

As far as what side we are going to play, and what server we are going to play on… the decision to go DESTRUCTION has pretty much won by a landslide. And it looks like the server to play on will depend on whoever logs on first.

Following this, we are going to be playing on a “core” server meaning that WAR won’t necissarily be “everywhere.” Just in the areas we choose to travel to. Mark Jacobs came out swining about the new rulesets for RvR and it’s based on the following:

- Players are always RvR flagged from the moment they log in
- Chapter 1 hubs and capital cities are safe
- There is no bolster buff in RvR lakes
- Players will be chickened when entering an area that is two tiers below their level (ex. A Tier 3 player entering a Tier 1 area.)

Since going to tier 1 would turn us into chickens, this seems a little counter productive to guilds, but useful to stop gankers. Needless to say, helping the guild mates in lower tiers outways these options.

Stay tuned, more info later.