What Are Those Meters?

[Chthon]

Please forgive me if this has been answered somewhere. Search didn't turn it up for me.

Take a look at the most recent screenshots from the pet friday announcement.
pic1
pic2
pic3
pic4

In each of the pictures there's some kind of meter above the the skillbar.
It seems to be class-dependent, at least in terms of appearance.

What does it do?

[Zidders]

Charge meter, most likely. Charge it up as you fight, then use it to unleash a special attack of some sort, if I remember right.

[Chthon]

Don't suppose you've got a link to any more info?

[hawkn]

It's a mechanic they started talking about a long time ago. If you spend enough time digging around on RGF you'll find something.

[amb2010]

I'll be nice.

http://www.runicgamesfansite.com/showwi ... +mechanics

Should really wander around RGF if you ever want to learn more about TL2.

[Omnifas]

There's always something new to edit :p

The bag system iirc has been removed so I need to update that

[Webbstre]

Yay for Omnifas for helping to keep the wiki updated

The short answer to the OP is that those are Charge bars. Each class builds up charge in some way, and then unleashes it in some other way. Berserker goes into a critical hit speedy rage, Embermage goes into a zero-MP zero-cooldown trance mode, the Engineer releases it with his attacks to power them up, and the Outlander... wait, I still can't remember if anyone revealed what the outlander does.

I'm going to say that the Outlander just builds up until he/she explodes at random, never to be seen again.

[bamb00k]

I'm going to say that the Outlander just builds up until he/she explodes at random, never to be seen again.

Can you tell me, Is Outlander a more range class like vanquisher in TL1, or more rogue like?

[TheLurker]

Those aren't the Meters...

...now, these - are The Meters!

Spoiler: show

(click-y dee image-y)

...with a Funk so deep, you can fall right in. The Meters, FTW!

-----

When the charge builds up for the Engineer, this is what should play in the background...

"E-lec-tro-fy your life!"

Then, when ya finally hit something with that big-ass hammer, you should hear James Brown scream in the background:

"Owwwwww!!! Get down!"

<SPLAT!>

I'm going to say that the Outlander just builds up until he/she explodes at random, never to be seen again.

Can you tell me, Is Outlander a more range class like vanquisher in TL1, or more rogue like?

Yes.

[AttackGorilla]

The bigger question is why does the pet have a meter? (Do we actually get to or want to see the pet spell meter, if that is what it is?)

- I hope that cat keeps its licking to the front and doesn't reach around back.... Or else we might have to mod in a cone.

[gold163]

wait, the pet has a meter? Where?

[amb2010]

The pet has the same bars it did in Torchlight, health and mana.

The Outlander is both bamb00k. You can make it specialize in range or go for the more rogue-esque route (you could do the same with the vanquisher in the first game although I don't know how viable it was..).

[gold163]

I always thought pet health/mana was kind of inconsequential. I mean, your pet never died or anything and fleeing never really took it noticeably out of commission. It also never cast spells nearly often enough to have any sort of discernible mana needs.

[hawkn]

Pets were just healbots for me. Toss a group heal on it, and forget about it.

[Perictione]

I'm going to say that the Outlander just builds up until he/she explodes at random, never to be seen again.

Ha ha. Verrrry funny. I think you've managed to confuse Outlanders (glory incarnate) with a few of Tokyo Electric's nuclear power plants


- P.

[Chthon]

Yay for Omnifas for helping to keep the wiki updated

The short answer to the OP is that those are Charge bars. Each class builds up charge in some way, and then unleashes it in some other way. Berserker goes into a critical hit speedy rage, Embermage goes into a zero-MP zero-cooldown trance mode, the Engineer releases it with his attacks to power them up, and the Outlander... wait, I still can't remember if anyone revealed what the outlander does.

I'm going to say that the Outlander just builds up until he/she explodes at random, never to be seen again.

Thanks.

Hmmm.... I'm not sure if I like this mechanic. If it's potent enough, taking advantage of it will be the dominant tactic, essentially rendering every character a hardcoded D2 Phoenix Strike Sin right out of the box. Boring. If it's not so potent, it will be either a distraction from more viable tactics or screen clutter depending on whether or not you're smart enough to realize it's not so potent. Getting it in the middle ground where it's strong enough to care about but no so strong you have to build around it seems difficult, perhaps impossible. Hope Runic manages to get it right.

[gold163]

how often is the charge mechanic used? I'd rather not have to worry about it but at the same time I don't want it to be a mechanic that i'd never even notice.

[Ulvaak]

Hmmm.... I'm not sure if I like this mechanic. If it's potent enough, taking advantage of it will be the dominant tactic, essentially rendering every character a hardcoded D2 Phoenix Strike Sin right out of the box. Boring. If it's not so potent, it will be either a distraction from more viable tactics or screen clutter depending on whether or not you're smart enough to realize it's not so potent. Getting it in the middle ground where it's strong enough to care about but no so strong you have to build around it seems difficult, perhaps impossible. Hope Runic manages to get it right.

Would definitely have to be careful with this mechanic. On one hand, you don't want to just make combat about filling up charge bars, but in the same time, if one has been in combat for an extended period of time, it would be useful (if not needful) to have something that can speed the character's progress along or at the very least kick it up a gear just to keep things interesting.

I don't really have enough info about this aspect of the game yet to make a judgement about this (and anyway it would just be my own opinion, so really it should not impact other people's experience of the game), but I trust that the devs know what they are doing so I'm just going to go with it. If it really really irks me, there's is always the option to mod it out I'm sure.

[Omnifas]

Varies between classes.

The Engineer, certain skills are amplified by having "charges".

The Berserker, you fill the charge meter and you get a "Berserk State" where you crit more often and attack faster(I think). Don't know if it's automatic or manual.

The Embermage, you fill the charge meter and you get a "Clear-cast state" where Mana becomes less of a concern when casting skills. Again I don't know if it's auto or manual.

The Outlander, I not quite sure, but I think it's a party wide buff.

For the Engineer, the charge increases as you attack with normals. so using the charges are pretty much automatic, but you choose how much charge you want on your skill.

Since I don't know if the "Berserk state" or "clear-cast state" is manual or automatic, if it's manual you would use it in intense situations. If it's auto, it's auto.

What interests me most is the mechanic behind the mechanic which gives characters unique user specified variables. Giving us more options in class creation(modding).

[Ulvaak]

...For the Engineer, the charge increases as you attack with normals....

Does this charge up method apply for the other classes as well? or do the different classes build up charges in different ways?

Also intrigued about the Outlander's ability. Maybe extra random elemental damage? debuffs on enemies? other random spell effects?