QoL and balance suggestions for card combat.

[springyb]

In light of world reset possibility here's some combat feedback.

Combat is too random at the moment. Using a deck with multiple types of cards can often get you screwed over with no cards you're able to play. 5 card decks perform better in most cases, and it's a bit sad that we have a wide variety of actions but no clean way to utilize them all. Another issue is that, after a certain amount of armor class, you can just face tank animals with no worry while you punch them down for a cleave. Here are some ideas for these problems.


- Discarding a card should not cost the same cooldown as playing it. Additionally, having an option to discard the entire hand at once would be nice.

- All unarmed attacks should have their grievous damage as armor penetration instead. More animal attacks should as well.

- Add a "starting hand" feature that starts you with the same 5 cards each time combat begins when using a deck.

- Dual function cards to help with deck clutter. A card like "Left hook / Low Blow" that functions as left hook until you get 8 IP, and then it's low blow.

- Add in strings of cards or combos that are customizable. For example, if I set up a string like [Feigned Dodge > Quick Dodge > Parry] so that when I draw a feigned dodge the next cards drawn are the ones in the string. This lets me use parry and quick dodge to protect feigned dodge with some degree of reliability.

The idea is to help the random factor that card combat brings.

[DaniAngione]

- Discarding a card should not cost the same cooldown as playing it. Additionally, having an option to discard the entire hand at once would be nice.

- Add in strings of cards or combos that are customizable. For example, if I set up a string like [Feigned Dodge > Quick Dodge > Parry] so that when I draw a feigned dodge the next cards drawn are the ones in the string. This lets me use parry and quick dodge to protect feigned dodge with some degree of reliability.

I really like these two suggestions.

I do like the others, too - just not entirely sure about the dual cards, though.

The only idea I disagree is the Starting hand feature. I think it could add useless clutter to the UI and would probably become another 'perfect build' scenario where people would come up with ultimate killing starting hands or something like that.
I agree that the 'randomity' of cards can be annoying. But I think some other solution could be more elegant. So... if you allow me, let me add an idea I just had:

What if 'rare', elusive cards were to be added? Making the "card acquisition" mini combat game more fun? Perhaps these rare cards could only be acquired under certain conditions, like... facing a bear with bare hands, facing 3 bats at the same time, things like this, &tc...
And what would the rare cards be? Well, cards like the ones we already have, but with the "Cunning" prefix added to it. Cunning Take Aim, Cunning Left Hook, etc... And the fun part: Cunning cards always start on your hand. So if you manage to get the 5 Cunning cards you want, you can make it so you always start with them, for example. Of course - in the end it becomes the same thing you suggested. But adds a bit more of a challenge to get there

[springyb]

The only idea I disagree is the Starting hand feature. I think it could add useless clutter to the UI and would probably become another 'perfect build' scenario where people would come up with ultimate killing starting hands or something like that.
I agree that the 'randomity' of cards can be annoying. But I think some other solution could be more elegant. So... if you allow me, let me add an idea I just had:

What if 'rare', elusive cards were to be added? Making the "card acquisition" mini combat game more fun? Perhaps these rare cards could only be acquired under certain conditions, like... facing a bear with bare hands, facing 3 bats at the same time, things like this, &tc...
And what would the rare cards be? Well, cards like the ones we already have, but with the "Cunning" prefix added to it. Cunning Take Aim, Cunning Left Hook, etc... And the fun part: Cunning cards always start on your hand. So if you manage to get the 5 Cunning cards you want, you can make it so you always start with them, for example. Of course - in the end it becomes the same thing you suggested. But adds a bit more of a challenge to get there

I think it's a good idea but it's something that a 5 card deck can already accomplish. The intention was to not encounter situations where your starting cards all require IP causing you take hits while you discard them trying to find a defense, which is currently why only using 5 cards is better for hunting most of the time.

[DaniAngione]

I think it's a good idea but it's something that a 5 card deck can already accomplish. The intention was to not encounter situations where your starting cards all require IP causing you take hits while you discard them trying to find a defense, which is currently why only using 5 cards is better for hunting most of the time.

Well, it does allow you to have decks with more than 5 cards AND having the 5 you want at start. Let's say that your deck has 15 cards, but you always want to start with at least A, A, B and two random cards. You need to find 2 'Cunning versions" of card A and one Cunning B. That way, you always start with A, A, B but you can also enjoy all the other 12 cards without risking to start with only IP cards or something

Like I said, the final result is the same as setting up a "starting hand". It just adds the challenge of finding the cunning version of the cards you want for starting hand.

[Potjeh]

There was an idea floating around a while back for making each of the five slots use it's own separate deck. I think that could work pretty well for allowing you to incorporate some of the more exotic cards while still being sure you'll have your bread and butter cards ready when you need them.