Skill Calculator Updated - New Features

It's been awhile since we've last updated you guys on what we we have been working on. Rest assured that we've been coding tirelessly since launch and we have some really cool things on the way. You'll only get one of them this morning though as I'm pleased to finally release something on you guys that's been cooking for a couple weeks.

With our old skill calculator, we wanted to accomplish a look & feel that matched the in-game experience. We achieved this by emulating the functionality very closely and using some of the UI assets from the beta. The main problem we noticed was users didn't know that "elective mode" was available, and thus felt limited in their skill options. Another problem was the disconnect with saving a build and sharing it  - with only giving you a URL and sending you on your merry way, we didn't support you with the tools needed to spread the word about your build and get feedback.

The goal of the skill calculator update was to tackle those 2 challenges. So without further delay, I'll introduce the new features added in our calculator update.

• New Interface
  We have completely overhauled the look of the calculator. We wanted to create something that was unique to the website, but still felt familiar and easy to use by Diablo players. The main difference is that when you're filling a slot, you can view every single skill for the class rather than having to click the arrow keys to cycle through skill categories.
   
• Build Categorization
  When you are ready to save your build, you'll be asked to categorize it by the playstyle the build encourages and the difficulty it's intended for. This data is used to support the build list (described further down).
   
• Build Ratings
  Saved builds can now be upvoted & downvoted. When a build has been rated 5 times it will be measured by an "Approval Rating" to give build architects an idea of the community's reception to the build. The metric will also allow other users to easily gauge how good a build is for the playstyle & difficulty it's categorized under. 
   
• Build List
  We've added a build database to the website that can be filtered through to make finding new builds to try easy.
   
• Build Commenting & Videos
  Members can now add comments to saved builds to theorycraft and share their thoughts on the composition. More ambitious members can also add videos to help others visualize the build and how it's played.
   
• Build Grouping
  Identical builds that are saved under the same difficulty and playstyle are now grouped together. This allows build crafters to get instant feedback on their build. For example, if you unknowingly put together a build that already exists and has a 78% approval rating, 23 comments and a video, all of that data is applied to your build once you save.
   
• Joined Skill Rune Tooltips
  Skill Runes have been updated to be embedded inside the parent skill's tooltip rather than have its own tooltip. This change allows you to more easily compare how a rune affects a skill without having to hover back and forth.
   
• New Site Achievements
  We've added 7 new site achievements that can be earned by adding builds to your profile and voting on other members' builds!

Like what you see? Give it a spin!

• Barbarian
• Demon Hunter
• Monk
• Witch Doctor
• Wizard

Your contributions are vital to these features, so we greatly appreciate any members that go out there and add / rate builds. You can leave feedback in this post or in our suggestions forum. 

Note: Builds saved on the old calculator will have to be imported and re-saved to be accessible once again. You will see an import button at the URL of the old calculator. Old builds will remain available on your user profile's build list until August 1st, 2012, after which any builds that haven't been imported to the new calculator will be unavailable.