Distinct Offensive Categories

[the Langolier]

I am trying to classify categories of offensive abilities that characters can use to damage enemy targets that are distinct from one another. So far I have:

Melee: attacks with a weapon in hand-to-hand combat

Missiles: attacks with a weapon that fires projectiles

Spells: attacks with innate abilities (at any range)

Contraptions: attacks with non-targetable fixtures placed in the environment

Summons: attacks with targetable, persistent minions that follow the character

Enchantments: attacks with passive, persistent effects

I'm not really trying to categorize abilities according to their mechanics (such as DoT, debuff, CC, burst, etc.) but rather into playstyles or archetypes. For example, fire arrow and firebolt have identical mechanics, but they feel very different in use.

Can you think of any other categories?

[Jaffa Tamarin]

Maybe a Mind Manipulation category, tricking your enemies into damaging each other.

Also if your concern is how things feel in play, I think you need to break down the spell category a bit. I would divide it at least into single-target vs AoE spells. Having a single category for all spells is like having a single category for all weapons, including both missile and melee.

[Concillian]

Yeah, you kind of need another layer to this:
- single target
- Arc
- piercing
- area

[Occhidiangela]

Can we add "freakin' annoying timers" and degree of annoyance to this category?

[Crusader]

Can we add "freakin' annoying timers" and degree of annoyance to this category?

No, they're gone as of last patch.

[Occhidiangela]

Can we add "freakin' annoying timers" and degree of annoyance to this category?

No, they're gone as of last patch.

OK, I am in no small way annoyed by certain cool downs on garden variety skills. Not something like "Earthquake" on the barb, of course, but simple things like Leap.

No further comment, I am sure that a certain amount of play balance demands that melee chars suffer along with spell casters. Misery loves company, I suppose.

[the Langolier]

There's one final category and pretty much all bases are covered:

Enchantments: attacks with passive, persistent effects

Think D2's thunderstorm, thorns, or hurricane. I'll post a total breakdown that differentiates targeting (single, multiple, AoE), how damage is applied (projectiles, etc.), specifics of the effect (persistent, channeled) and the application (immediate, DoT).

Pretty much any (offensive/damage) skill from any game you've played can be categorized with a few metrics.

[the Langolier]

Here's a full breakdown of offensive skill categories and effects:

Discipline - general category of type of attack that applies the effect

Melee weapons
Ranged weapons
Spells
Enchantments
Contraptions
Summons

Type - the way in which targets are generally determined

Single target: effect is applied to a single target
Multiple target: effect is applied to multiple targets
Chain: effect is applied to multiple targets in sequence
Path: effect is applied to all targets along a path
Area: effect is applied to all targets within an area

Trigger - mechanism that causes effect to be applied to the target

Projectile: missile that collides with anything along its path
Seeking: missile that collides only with a specified target or location
Direct: effect is applied to specified target or location immediately
Proc: effect is applied in response to a particular event

Behavior - nature of the effect, which is primarily damage for offensive skills

Immediate: specified amount of damage applied at once
Persistent (DoT): specified rate of damage applied for a certain duration
Stacking: persistent effect in which multiple instances can affect a target concurrently

Duration - the nature of the area or path that applies the effect (as opposed to how long the effect itself lasts)

None: area or path triggers the effect once
Persistent: area or path lasts for a certain duration, triggering the effect at a specific rate
Channeled: area or path persists as long as skill is continuously activated

Motion - how a persistent area or path of effect changes over time

Static: the area or path does not move
Dynamic: the area or path moves or changes in a specified manner
Tracking: the area or path follows a target or location