Dead Bodies everywhere .. guess not

[kamille]

There is a thread in the battle.net forums, where they are talking about how in the trailer the corpses of all monsters are slowly fading away.
I just rewatched it, and it's not even slowly. You just have to move some and they are gone!

Away from liking the new coloring or not, I definitely think this is something which takes some of the typical Diablo atmosphere.

You might argue, that this is only a demo, and it can be patched in later, but Blizzard responded to this concerns:

The main reason for the corpses not being able to stay permanently is the potential number of them on screen at one time, and specifically that each corpse is affected by physics, allowing them to be blasted and thrown all over the place by the force of player abilities.

It's one of the trade offs when integrating new technology, you can get really awesome effects, but they do have a cost. In a 2D world, a sprite of a dead creature doesn't really cost any more (system requirement-wise) than a sprite of something that's alive. Probably less. In a 3D world where a creature dies and then needs to have physics calculations thrown onto it so it can bounce and fall and fly around, they cost substantially more.

We remember fondly those situations where you've just completely obliterated a camp of Fallen, and as you're picking up items - marvel in your destruction. That's a feeling and part of the gameplay where if we can realistically keep some of it without sacrificing features or having insane system requirements we'd definitely like to, but no promises.
http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=d3-general&t=221827&p=1&#post221827

I for myself will miss the dead bodies all around a lot, especially when I have to walk back to town, because I forgot to take TPs with me :doh:

 

[Renzokuken]

I'd much rather the cool physics engine so i can see enemies get flung around the screen than persistent bodies.

Persistent bodies in D2 only helped me to figure out where i've been before, but i can always just look at the map i have to keep discovering (**** you battle.net), and in D3 i can look at the destruction i've wrought upon the scenery.

 

[kamille]

I'd much rather the cool physics engine so i can see enemies get flung around the screen than persistent bodies.

Persistent bodies in D2 only helped me to figure out where i've been before, but i can always just look at the map i have to keep discovering (**** you battle.net), and in D3 i can look at the destruction i've wrought upon the scenery.

The physics are indeed pretty neat. Thinking about it, the best solution would be, to include an option, so you could switch the dead bodies on and off. People with decent machines then could have both.
The user client could handle the calculations completely, because the position of a corpse should be of no relevance for the over all gameplay, since it looks like the loot is just dropping on the floor.

 

[Emperor Pan I]

The physics are indeed pretty neat. Thinking about it, the best solution would be, to include an option, so you could switch the dead bodies on and off. People with decent machines then could have both.
The user client could handle the calculations completely, because the position of a corpse should be of no relevance for the over all gameplay, since it looks like the loot is just dropping on the floor.

Well that means that dead bodies in no respect can be used in spells, or interacted with since anyone with a bad machine is at a disadvantage to those who can handle lots of bodies on screen.

 

[Renzokuken]

I guess they'll stay on long enough to use spells like summon skeleton and corpse explosion (Assuming they will exist in D3).

 

[Vadriel]

So far it seems like the bodies fade away too quickly...corpse-based skills probably won't exist, or if they do they'll be quick-react things like the Druid vines that automatically did what they do quite rapidly.

Player corpses seem to hang around longer though, and have more dynamics applied to them. In that final boss fight against the siege beast, the dead Witch Doctor was sent flying by a missed punch from the big critter, after it had been sitting there for a while.

I wonder if a mechanic may be integrated where living players can interact with dead ones...perhaps to pick the corpses up and move them to a safe point at which you can resurrect the player or even rifle through its belongings for loot. It'd be interesting to have skills that activate on-death, such as a Witch Doctor resurrecting as a sort of Lich if its corpse remains undisturbed for a set timespan...or a Barbarian channeling the spirit of the Ancients to return in some sort of spectral form. Could be interesting.

Whatever the case, there's a lot of potential for corpse mechanics, both player and enemy. Enemy corpses seem to be generally inconsequential, so they probably won't play much of a role except perhaps to be used as missiles directly following their death...such as knocking a zombie so hard it flies into and damages another zombie.

 

[torrid mind]

From the official site,
"Contrary to what I had assumed, a reanimated skeleton is actually constructed from bits and pieces of any number of different skeletons, not a single one. Their diverse composition gives them the ability to form and reform, and makes them easily summoned, permitted there is adequate raw material at hand. Still, this is not to say that a skilled necromancer could not call forth a cadre of skeletal warriors to do his bidding anywhere he chooses. He merely requires less effort to construct a skeleton army in a graveyard than in the middle of a forest."

?

 

[Renzokuken]

Looks like you wont need corpses for skellies anymore.

 

[Glowy]

hmmmm is that from d2 or d3 torrid?

 

[Vadriel]

It's from the D3 site, I remember reading it. I believe it's in the monster profile for the Undead.

 

[McGorilla]

Looks like you wont need corpses for skellies anymore.

Good point...but then again, there might not be any skellies in D3.

I don't know about the whole fading corpses...I quite liked having masses of bleeding dead demons But then again, one only really noticed that kinda thing during Baal runs. Most people don't stand around and go "Oooh wow, dead ****. Awesome".

 

[Ninja_Blue]

No skeletons defies all laws of fantasy games.

You can summon skeletons without a corpse, but there will probably be a cooldown, but the skellies will be more powerful most likely.

 

[Speedy]

I'd much rather the cool physics engine so i can see enemies get flung around the screen than persistent bodies.

No, fields of bodies are most definitely cooler.