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Shield usage and action combat

I don't think a melee character trailer has come out but we have some hint about the kind combat. 

It seems to have some element of action and not simply, like in old times, a continuous tapping on the same button until your fingers start to bleed and your falanxes fly up up and away with a big pop and a beautiful spinning on themselves. I know, it happened to me. Now I have bionic hands.

BUT, ther's a but that sparkles my curiosity: if you have a shield?

Of course you can't move your character arms in all possible directions so it could be very simplified but even in a version similar to Dark Souls, could you possibly parry or deviate enemy blows with your shield?

Most MMORPG intend shields as a mean for certain stats to rise, such as AC,  at best they have some dedicated skill, maybe for stunning, but they are never actually "used". They hang there and somhow end up mitigating the damage you receive.

It would be better, I think, if you could not avoid, for example, full damage from a backstab, or if you just used your shield to parry a blow from an enemy in front of you and can't use it to cover yourself from the blow coming from the flank.

Things like this may seem impractical but in fact, not only they are more realistic, but they should incentivate teamwork, as you would need a fellow tank to cover eachother back and be really impenetrable.

Also, that would make a shield wall of a guild possible to overcome with a little bit of strategy.

Comments

  • It would be nice to say have a "guard stance" activated with RMB, the character can't move but receives extra defence buffs, so the warrior, would raise their shield, if they go warrior/warrior they would get a forward movement added to "guard stance".
  • It would be nice if there was at least a little sense to where you aimed your shield :) But having a full out parry/block system might be a little hard for an MMO. Imagine being a tank in a siege, you would be flanked/hunted down immediately, unless you stand in formation with other tanks (which I'm all for btw).
    Maybe it would make sense, maybe it wouldnt. It all depends on the final system :)

    On a side node, you mention "backstabbing" it would/could be fun if you could "sheathe" your shield and then you back would be protected. Meaning when the shield is put away its not just cosmetic, but still a little functional.

  • On a side node, you mention "backstabbing" it would/could be fun if you could "sheathe" your shield and then you back would be protected. Meaning when the shield is put away its not just cosmetic, but still a little functional.
    You, sir, just had a very good idea.
  • This is a topic of great interest to me, as I've wanted to see real shield mechanics for a long time.  Much of it would really depend on if the game is going to be "skillshot" for abilities or not.  IE: If I tab onto you with an archer, while you have a shield is my arrow just fire and forget? Or am I going to have to actually fire my shot where I think you are going to be at the time.  I've always wondered in action why it's not handled like an FPS would handle such things.  The player itself has hitboxes - a shield would ideally cover up a section of the hitbox.   A sword being swung would be in an arc, the shield either stops/deflects the blow, or the blow hits it's target. Which would make things such as flanks for daggers much more important due to the piercing/jab nature of them. The idea for a shield on the back preventing a backstab is absolutely amazing. 

    But even if this were the case, would the shield use a stamina based system for how many concurrent attacks you can block? Having a weapon slam against it is sure to make that shield arm a bit tired.
  • and it would wear down, after a battle you would, like it should be, need to repair your gear. 

    That would put player in the mindset of: no stupid battles, only rightful battles where the status of my shield/armour is worth the glory of my node/guild.
  • TERA has a really good combat system where certain class have a certain skill. For example warriors have the roll where they can roll in a certain way, however the skill itslef has its own mana and you cannot just roll forever. Maybe with the shield you can have it up, but having it up constantly drains the mana of holding the shield? Also you could just turn while having the shield in order to protect from other sides if you are getting hounded by other players
  • Tigey360 said:
    TERA has a really good combat system where certain class have a certain skill. For example warriors have the roll where they can roll in a certain way, however the skill itslef has its own mana and you cannot just roll forever. Maybe with the shield you can have it up, but having it up constantly drains the mana of holding the shield? Also you could just turn while having the shield in order to protect from other sides if you are getting hounded by other players
    +1 for constant mana drain during usage
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