Game Development: Nothing but Testing

[dafels]

Interesting patch, Bjorn

[loftar]

Cute patch i suppose. Any info on what other area of chsnge you’re going in the future with combat?

We have several thoughts, but the one we intend to try the soonest is adding more structure to the system; that's the reason why the changelog mentions having added support for combat-relation-local buffs. We didn't get around to using them for anything yet, but basically the intention is to add attacks/moves that need to be built-up to.

While most if it is too loose and early to be meaningfully discussed yet, I will say that the amount of ideas we have for extending this system is one of the things that make me the most hopeful about it. During several other combat remakes we have often had much greater dearths of ideas for expansion.

Also... thoughts on scrapping the archery system entirely as it exists and remaking it into an extension of the current combat system

Yes, we do entertain such thoughts

Also, since dash skills can be stopped by slows, there is good territory for a skill (low blow, punch the bollocks?) that slows people after being hit, providing a healthy dynamic for chase situations.

We've been considering such effects, but I'm not too sure about the ability to put slow on opponents, since once you've been given it, you may be unable to get away ever. It's much more forgiving if you can only subject yourself to it.

[Zentetsuken]

[wonder-ass]

really like the art goodjob jorb! i can actually tell what people are doing now

[Mary_CZ]

I don't like the 2d animation. That 2d pics are nice, but they make the fight messy and they hurt my eyes. All is chaotic with them. Sometimes less is more.

[Archiplex]

I will say that the amount of ideas we have for extending this system is one of the things that make me the most hopeful about it. During several other combat remakes we have often had much greater dearths of ideas for expansion.

The excitement is shared both ways! There's so many different directions I could see this combat system going, and I honestly have no idea which would fit best.

We've been considering such effects, but I'm not too sure about the ability to put slow on opponents, since once you've been given it, you may be unable to get away ever. It's much more forgiving if you can only subject yourself to it.

In most games, the more 'counterplay' exists around mechanics, the more interesting and skill-expression based combat can become. Like the zig-zag maneuver suggested hinted at last time, unique effects that interact with existing mechanics can also exist. For example, an ability that can be used to remove the slow debuff in turn can be used to rid of yourself of it when someone is spamming it while you are running (but not quite if you're chasing someone, since the cooldown inflicted by 'dash' skills would be long, whereas you would otherwise not have much of a cooldown if you are running without spamming attacks.


In general, I would heavily encourage y'all to take an approach of "large amount of attacks, moves, maneuvers and IP skills" that are balanced out by only being able to use a deck of 10 cards at a time, rather than the legacy approach of being able to use any move whenever you want, but having a fairly small amount. One of the things I loved about w8 pvp was that decks were constantly built against each other, and the 'meta' (if i'm larping as jordan, anyways) evolved over the course of the world as people noticed people would use specific types of decks in combat, and in turn used a deck that was normally weak, but worked very well against the meta deck.

I know that's basically what currently exists, but obviously there's been no confirmation whether it will stay that way and use the deck/delta system that currently exists.

I did want to say that because everything is so skill based, that I think openings can be changed somewhat so that ALL attacks deal damage (meaning that your first attack on someone with 0 opening will sitll hurt, unlike now), as currently the pace of combat is certainly slow- but thats also because of the low amount of attacks. I think anything that reduces damage to 0 should in itself be a form of skill, whether like Quick Dodge or some shield-based move or similar.

Also... thoughts on scrapping the archery system entirely as it exists and remaking it into an extension of the current combat system, with moves that can only be used if you have a now, but that are very long range?

Archery is too slow realistically right now, it's only when you have massive stats and qualities that you can reliably aim, change aim directions, and land hits. If it were made quicker so that you could more reliably aim and fire in real combat situations I feel like an instant damage chunk may be too much. It could be cool if the first hit did a bit of dmg and a larger slow/reeling effect which would make follow-up hits deal more dmg

Yeah, basically. Archery would need to be changed to be very quick, although half the reason it's so slow is because of the quality:marskmenship scaling mechanism that was added in... w10? I would so much rather have archery work off an opening system than be so piss awfully slow, and unlink marksmanship from aiming speed entirely, rather having it based off a stat instead (dex? agi?). MM vs defense weight for opening % on hit, and have bows hit 0-100% relatively fast, but deal less damage.

As a reminder, aiming a bow at 10q with 90 marksmen is pretty fast but not actually all that incredible. If you want to aim a 100q bow at the same speed, you need 900 marksmen.

[maze]

can you add some pokeballs to summon animals/monster in Valhalla. It would be nice to test PvE. maybe some dummys too? and/or maybe something to summon a dungeon?

[jock]

And for those of you who are not pvp and enjoy the peaceful hermit experience, we have......?

Private servers in the works.










Hopefully

[Archiplex]

can you add some pokeballs to summon animals/monster in Valhalla. It would be nice to test PvE. maybe some dummys too? and/or maybe something to summon a dungeon?

Something like this would be really nice.

And for those of you who are not pvp and enjoy the peaceful hermit experience, we have......?

Private servers in the works.










Hopefully

I know i'm like, semi-hypocritical here since I do it with archery too, but is the only thing you talk about private servers?

[jordancoles]

And for those of you who are not pvp and enjoy the peaceful hermit experience, we have......?

Private servers in the works.










Hopefully

Private servers would split the population and make the empty worlds of late game even emptier

You can already play a private server if you go north enough and that's true nearly every world