While looking into the Witch Doctor, he has a skilled called Soul Harvest. With this skill he basically has an AoE attack that kills the monsters around him, releasing their souls which he then "absorbs". I was wondering what type of damage is this considered. I doubt it is considered physical for obvious reasons but at the same time it doesn't seem to fit the known damage types in the game; fire,poison, lightning, cold and arcane. Are they planning on including a new damage type "spirit" or are they going to include its damage into one of the already existing damage types?

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Q u o t e:
While looking into the Witch Doctor, he has a skilled called Soul Harvest. With this skill he basically has an AoE attack that kills the monsters around him, releasing their souls which he then "absorbs". I was wondering what type of damage is this considered. I doubt it is considered physical for obvious reasons but at the same time it doesn't seem to fit the known damage types in the game; fire,poison, lightning, cold and arcane. Are they planning on including a new damage type "spirit" or are they going to include its damage into one of the already existing damage types?

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I think that the description of the power was a Low-Damage AoE that, if it kills an enemy, absorbs the soul as Mana. So i'm pretty sure it will be either Arcane or perhaps Shadow damage. I know that Shadow damage has not even been mentioned yet in combination with DIII but you never know. It would definitely be a Dark/Shadow Magic sort of ability.

This seems to be a problem. The spells right now are hard to tell what they really are. Soul harvest is like a shadow or death type, disinigrate is like a magic spell. My suggestion is to combine posion with shadow damage and make a new type of resistance: Death magic or dark magic. Combine the energy of disinigrate with arcane to form a resistance called: High magic or light magic.

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Q u o t e:
While looking into the Witch Doctor, he has a skilled called Soul Harvest. With this skill he basically has an AoE attack that kills the monsters around him, releasing their souls which he then "absorbs". I was wondering what type of damage is this considered. I doubt it is considered physical for obvious reasons but at the same time it doesn't seem to fit the known damage types in the game; fire,poison, lightning, cold and arcane. Are they planning on including a new damage type "spirit" or are they going to include its damage into one of the already existing damage types?

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you forgot about magic damage
which would suit this

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Q u o t e:
This seems to be a problem. The spells right now are hard to tell what they really are. Soul harvest is like a shadow or death type, disinigrate is like a magic spell. My suggestion is to combine posion with shadow damage and make a new type of resistance: Death magic or dark magic. Combine the energy of disinigrate with arcane to for a resistance called: High magic or light magic.

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disintegrate is arcane

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Q u o t e:
This seems to be a problem. The spells right now are hard to tell what they really are. Soul harvest is like a shadow or death type, disinigrate is like a magic spell. My suggestion is to combine posion with shadow damage and make a new type of resistance: Death magic or dark magic. Combine the energy of disinigrate with arcane to form a resistance called: High magic or light magic.

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Why confuse things?

There's no explanation necessary for, example, fire resistance.

If you look at something that says "+7% Fire Resist" you know what it means. If you get an item that says "+7% High Magic Resist" then you have no idea what that is supposed to mean.

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Q u o t e:
disintegrate is arcane

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Obviously you have missed my point completely. It doesn't look like arcane. It's a red beam. Arcane is purple. Magic Missile is an arcane spell. My point is they do not look like each other. When describing tornado they said it was a tornado made out of energy. Except that skill will be in the weather tree. There just is not enough consistancy. If they continue this path there will be like 6 different spells that look different and all will be classified as arcane. So thus my point is that they should classify these spells into a more broader resistance type.

I see no problem with 6 different looking spells classified as arcane.

Anyways, I think soul harvest would be classified as magic damage. The way I see it is that if something isnt classified as an element or poison, its magic.

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Q u o t e:
Originally posted by Jynxed-oblivion

If they continue this path there will be like 6 different spells that look different and all will be classified as arcane.

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Yeh and?
Arcane doesn't have to be purely purple. I don't know where you got the idea that every single arcane spell has to be purple.
Every single cold spell must be blue.
So forth with ever other spell and damage catagory. I wouldn't mind some variance in spell design.

And hey, after you play the game for some time, you'll gain knowledge about what spells do what kind of damage. It's all part of the fun.

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Q u o t e:
Originally posted by Jynxed-oblivion

So thus my point is that they should classify these spells into a more broader resistance type.

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It'd be far less complex to just make broader spell animations then to make 15 different kinds of damage.

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Q u o t e:

Obviously you have missed my point completely. It doesn't look like arcane. It's a red beam. Arcane is purple. Magic Missile is an arcane spell. My point is they do not look like each other. When describing tornado they said it was a tornado made out of energy. Except that skill will be in the weather tree. There just is not enough consistancy. If they continue this path there will be like 6 different spells that look different and all will be classified as arcane. So thus my point is that they should classify these spells into a more broader resistance type.

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Variation in spell colors within the same spell type allows for a more diverse gaming experience for my precious eyes. If they go on your path it'd be visually boring, much like Diablo 2 after a month. Sorceress has blue spells and red spells.

Nowhere is there a law that states "Arcane is purple". We all know that fire can have different colors based on the intensity of the flame, perhaps arcane turns red when it's really concentrated and intense? You act as if having a whole six different spells that look different but are all arcane is a horrible evil thing and throws the precious game balance completely off.

Really all it means is that at the point of playing when you've seen every spell in the game and know what they are you have variety in visual effects.

Well arcane is like High Magic. Magic that isn't based on the elements.

Especially if you can link all of them to dealing with energy.

Disintegrate - Beam of energy
Magic Missile, Arcane Orb - Balls of energy
Soul Harvest - Steals energy(mana) from enemies

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Q u o t e:

Obviously you have missed my point completely. It doesn't look like arcane. It's a red beam. Arcane is purple. Magic Missile is an arcane spell. My point is they do not look like each other. When describing tornado they said it was a tornado made out of energy. Except that skill will be in the weather tree. There just is not enough consistancy. If they continue this path there will be like 6 different spells that look different and all will be classified as arcane. So thus my point is that they should classify these spells into a more broader resistance type.

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You are basing the entire spectrum of arcane magic off of one spell which we've seen in early development all the while being a subject that has not had enough information released to even be speculating on it.

Also, if every arcane damage skill was always purple, then it would take away the theme of some skills. Disintegrate sounds like it's fiery and powerful, so they gave it that rough reddish color. Also the sound of the skills in the game play a large part in their feeling. Sometimes, it's better to color a skill according to the skill itself rather than according to it's damage type.

Consistency shouldn't be an issue when using skills. That's what you do with skills. You use them. If it feels right, sounds right, and looks amazing, there should be no need to "color-code" the skills. It just isn't as "smooth".

it seems to me the answer is obvious. i think PURE damage is the best type of damage, so it has no elemental associations, i mean, if somebody is going to take your soul, you cant really have any resistances to block it, other than maybe your will, and magic immunity, but it does target like a MAGIC MISSILE, i mean spell. so it'd make sense for magic immunity to negate its effects, but most often, when souls are being sucked or absorbed, it's very rare to find something that can completely resist it, HENCE A UNIQUE RARE MONSTER.

so basically, pure damage, if it says 160 damage, then there's no bonuses or penalties, but if something is magic immune, it shouldn't really affect it

To assume what type of damage is done from an attack, you must definite what in the spell actually damage or kill the target.
Let's definite what we have for damage (I might be incorrect at some points.):

-Physical: Use of any force that use the force of impact in order to damage the target. This include weapons, self, wind, etc.

-Fire: Use of a force that use the target as a combustible in order to consume itself.

-Cold: Use of low temperature or elements at low temperature to affect the target by freezing and also something physically. But, even if it physicaly affect the target, it will still be considered as cold damage since the freezing aspect is the source of the physical aspect.

-Lightning: Use of electric charge in order to damage the target.

-Poison: Use of substances to biologically cause damage to a target's organism.

-Arcane: Arcane is the essence of magic. So, this is the use of raw magical energy to affect the target by lots of means such as physically or maybe even etherally. But, even if it may share the same means to damage as listed above, they do not, however share resistances. For example, you can't resist arcane by physical means.

Now, about the Witch Dortor's skill, Soul Harvest.
What is Soul Harvest? It is a skill to try to force the target's soul to leave his physical self to be absorbed by the spell's user to restore mana.
Now we are sure that no Fire/Cold/Lightning/Poison based damage is done in the process.
Also, souls are not part of the physical world, but instead, they are part of the etheral world. The only way to physically affect it is by killing the target's body. But, in this spell, no force of impact is used, so physical damage is exclude.
Now we must know. What cause the damage, because damage is done in this skill, which means the skill won't always kill the target, releasing the soul in the process.
Soul Harvest is from the Spirit Skill Tree, which means spirits are the key of this spell.
Spirit forces = Etheral forces = Magic forces = Arcane

My bet is that it make sense that Soul Harvest should do arcane damage.

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Q u o t e:
To assume what type of damage is done from an attack, you must definite what in the spell actually damage or kill the target.
Let's definite what we have for damage (I might be incorrect at some points.):

-Physical: Use of any force that use the force of impact in order to damage the target. This include weapons, self, wind, etc.

-Fire: Use of a force that use the target as a combustible in order to consume itself.

-Cold: Use of low temperature or elements at low temperature to affect the target by freezing and also something physically. But, even if it physicaly affect the target, it will still be considered as cold damage since the freezing aspect is the source of the physical aspect.

-Lightning: Use of electric charge in order to damage the target.

-Arcane: Arcane is the essence of magic. So, this is the use of raw magical energy to affect the target by lots of means such as physically or maybe even etherally. But, even if it may share the same means to damage as listed above, they do not, however share resistances. For example, you can't resist arcane by physical means.

Now, about the Witch Dortor's skill, Soul Harvest.
What is Soul Harvest? It is a skill to try to force the target's soul to leave his physical self to be absorbed by the spell's user to restore mana.
Now we are sure that no Fire/Cold/Lightning based damage is done in the process.
Also, souls are not part of the physical world, but instead, they are part of the etheral world. The only way to physically affect it is by killing the target's body. But, in this spell, no force of impact is used, so physical damage is exclude.
Now we must know. What cause the damage, because damage is done in this skill, which means the skill won't always kill the target, releasing the soul in the process.
Soul Harvest is from the Spirit Skill Tree, which means spirits are the key of this spell.
Spirit forces = Etheral forces = Magic forces = Arcane

My bet is that it make sense that Soul Harvest should do arcane damage.

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*applause* Nicely done my man. Couldn't have said it better myself. You just need to make bigger ideas people don't understand and makes baby steps down to a point where they can understand and follow it back up.

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Q u o t e:
it seems to me the answer is obvious. i think PURE damage is the best type of damage, so it has no elemental associations, i mean, if somebody is going to take your soul, you cant really have any resistances to block it, other than maybe your will, and magic immunity, but it does target like a MAGIC MISSILE, i mean spell. so it'd make sense for magic immunity to negate its effects, but most often, when souls are being sucked or absorbed, it's very rare to find something that can completely resist it, HENCE A UNIQUE RARE MONSTER.

so basically, pure damage, if it says 160 damage, then there's no bonuses or penalties, but if something is magic immune, it shouldn't really affect it

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Hell NO!
Its Blessed Hammer all over again.
The biggest issue with Blessed Hammer and Hammerdins in general is that 98% of all characters and enemys have no way to defend themselves because they can't resist it and its hard as hell to dodge because it flys all over the place.
This spell is even LESS dodgeable then Blessed Hammer was!
I'm sorry but all damage types in this game NEED to have some way to be resisted or dodged or avoided somehow or it will turn into nightmare.

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Q u o t e:

*applause* Nicely done my man. Couldn't have said it better myself. You just need to make bigger ideas people don't understand and makes baby steps down to a point where they can understand and follow it back up.

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Are you saying that my post is too complex to be understood by lesser mortal?
It took me half an hour to write it, I hope people will consider or at least understand my point of view.

By the way I forgot about poison-type damage. This has been updated.

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Q u o t e:
Consistency shouldn't be an issue when using skills. That's what you do with skills. You use them. If it feels right, sounds right, and looks amazing, there should be no need to "color-code" the skills. It just isn't as "smooth".

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If there is no need to color code spells then what is the point of having different classifications of resistances. If fire could be all colors of a fire then it could be red, orange, yellow, blue, and white (I googled white fire and yes it is true). So fire could also look like magic, cold, arcane because of disinigrate. Cold can blue, dark blue, white. So it can also look like fire, and magic. There could be small variations in the colors of a certain type but none should overlap other types of resistances because they look too much the same and become confusing.

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Q u o t e:

If there is no need to color code spells then what is the point of having different classifications of resistances. If fire could be all colors of a fire then it could be red, orange, yellow, blue, and white (I googled white fire and yes it is true). So fire could also look like magic, cold, arcane because of disinigrate. Cold can blue, dark blue, white. So it can also look like fire, and magic. There could be small variations in the colors of a certain type but none should overlap other types of resistances because they look too much the same and become confusing.

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Why do resistances have to be based on a colored code? Why can't they just be numerical in nature, as it pertains to a UI?
It isn't like they really have a graphical representation in the game as it is. Where in D2 do you see icons for resists? Where are they color-coded?

Why does this matter?