Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Combat system input
As a part of the community the combat system doesn't look as interesting. You got my interest when you guys try to increase the skill level but the way to do it doesn't seems as interesting in game as it looked on paper.
The combat system look slow and also makes it feel as it will be unresponsive during large fight event such as raid. I do enjoy the idea behind it which was (to my opinion) to create an unfriendly macro environment where player have to show skill rather then good programming skill but still.
In the end perhaps I hope to see something more focus on the idea of targeting instead of timing. To my opinion, the combat system does not feel as it was a priority and even if the idea behind the game, the overall game design and the world mechanics seems to be a blast, I do wonder if there was a clear vision for the combat system. Personally, I would love to think the combat as an end-game feature and focus on developing something that would later on become a trademark on how to fight in group. As far as the actual combat system goes, I think it needs to be re-evaluate too.
The combat system look slow and also makes it feel as it will be unresponsive during large fight event such as raid. I do enjoy the idea behind it which was (to my opinion) to create an unfriendly macro environment where player have to show skill rather then good programming skill but still.
In the end perhaps I hope to see something more focus on the idea of targeting instead of timing. To my opinion, the combat system does not feel as it was a priority and even if the idea behind the game, the overall game design and the world mechanics seems to be a blast, I do wonder if there was a clear vision for the combat system. Personally, I would love to think the combat as an end-game feature and focus on developing something that would later on become a trademark on how to fight in group. As far as the actual combat system goes, I think it needs to be re-evaluate too.
Perhaps by doing an evaluation of the end-game content and how you want player to fight during hard fight. Here are some personal vision :
First, I would love to see a limited amount of passive that could be use at the same time. Why, because it would increase the overall manageability of each build while also creating different gameplay adapt for each content. As an example, I would love for the ranger to get a bonus if he stand still but if that bonus becomes a thing for the class it would make it worthless in dungeon. The idea behind a limited amount of passive is to increase the performance of each class in order to feel welcome inside different game related scenario.
Second, targeting more then timing. As stated by DeathsProxy in his youtube video of august 31, the timing system seems as it would become the main complain during large scale event. This has to be revamp in order to create a better fighting solution for high-mobility fight. Why, because no-one wants to fight while looking at the bottom of his screen. Bringing any type of mechanics that follow that logic isn't going to work. The UI could be revamp in order to bring this as a center reticle, that could work for some player maybe but I would likely suggest that most skill get revamp in order to deal gain a more targeting base approach instead of a timing one. Maybe some class could use the timing one or some type of skill such as the ''ultimate'' but overall I don't think bringing this mechanics as a full-time gameplay mechanism would work.
Third, Crowd Control system, is something that has more or less quit the pve world for a long time. A lot of answer can be given as why, but the main reason is because most player don't need it in order to achieve their goal. Now, I've seen the footage where the mage can cast single CC ice skill and I feel this is also one of the reason why. Most of the time, CC ability are use in order to limit the amount of damage receive while inside a group, instead of being a way to increase the amount of damage dealt. With the more then one mobs at the time thing which is now going on in most Mmo I would like to see Mei's (from overwatch) icewall. This skill could be use to bring mobs inside a tighter area where they could be burn off, or in order to cut the line in between two packs of mobs. I think that's where the CC system is going nowadays from a single targeting approach to a world modifying one.
Four, the Synergy system, this is something some of you've worked on in EQ2 which to me was a great idea coming from EQ. I would love to see some synergy such as if an enemy is slow you can activate a synergy to immobilize him as a ranger. If the enemy is immobilize you can active a synergy to burst a 3 critical shot as a rogue, if the enemy is bleeding you can use a synergy which would boost your group power as a summoner, if one of your companion is stun you can use a synergy to lower the damage taken as a bard, and so on. Bringing interaction among player while fighting is to me something which the mmorpg world has lack for a while, and even if some had created their own way to deal with that I still feel as the one from EQ2 was the more likely to bring player together.
Five, the buffing system, you haven't talk much about it but I do hope you guys will focus on a buffing system that doesn't imply doing huge stack of player. Why ? because it's awful. The buffing system is something that needs to be as much as possible self related, maybe get some class such as the priest, the summoner, the bard, the mage to get some kind of way to buff player but try to stick to an open field buff system. Try to avoid streamline buff which usually create stacks. Use v-shape, circle around player, circle around enemies stuff like that which will help player avoid the stacking system.
As part of the self related buff system there could be, bonus for standing alone as rogue, bonus for standing in near other ranger as a ranger, bonus to a specific element if you stand in one as a mage. Bonus for keeping summon active as a summoner, etc. Those kind of buff would help establish the playstyle while distributing player around the map. There could also be malus which are derive from those bonus such as loose 5 percent accuracy if you are moving as a ranger, loose 5 percent damage if you stand in the opposite element as a mage, loose 5 percent crit chance if more then two player are near you as a rogue, increase cast time by 10% for 10 second while you summon a familiar.
Six, the skill bar, I like the idea to have a limited, yet high amount of skill on a bar. I do believe player should be given a decent amount of skill probably 6 + Ulti, not 8 because all the time there's 8 skill or more the combat rely on a lot of toggle ability and useless non-combat buff. To me, seven makes it more focus on active combat and harder to expend so you have to choose.I could also see a player getting more then one bar while keeping the bar swap to a minimal with something as a long bar swapping time. That could help create a great teamplay further in the game. Why ?, because if bar swap is a thing with no malus player will use it in order to fulfill a single role if the malus is sufficient to make it a liability in a fight while healing, dpsing or tanking then player will use it as a hand-on approach on combat for example an 8 sec bar swapping time which can be cancel by blocking could work for dispensing each player a second gameplay bar.
First, I would love to see a limited amount of passive that could be use at the same time. Why, because it would increase the overall manageability of each build while also creating different gameplay adapt for each content. As an example, I would love for the ranger to get a bonus if he stand still but if that bonus becomes a thing for the class it would make it worthless in dungeon. The idea behind a limited amount of passive is to increase the performance of each class in order to feel welcome inside different game related scenario.
Second, targeting more then timing. As stated by DeathsProxy in his youtube video of august 31, the timing system seems as it would become the main complain during large scale event. This has to be revamp in order to create a better fighting solution for high-mobility fight. Why, because no-one wants to fight while looking at the bottom of his screen. Bringing any type of mechanics that follow that logic isn't going to work. The UI could be revamp in order to bring this as a center reticle, that could work for some player maybe but I would likely suggest that most skill get revamp in order to deal gain a more targeting base approach instead of a timing one. Maybe some class could use the timing one or some type of skill such as the ''ultimate'' but overall I don't think bringing this mechanics as a full-time gameplay mechanism would work.
Third, Crowd Control system, is something that has more or less quit the pve world for a long time. A lot of answer can be given as why, but the main reason is because most player don't need it in order to achieve their goal. Now, I've seen the footage where the mage can cast single CC ice skill and I feel this is also one of the reason why. Most of the time, CC ability are use in order to limit the amount of damage receive while inside a group, instead of being a way to increase the amount of damage dealt. With the more then one mobs at the time thing which is now going on in most Mmo I would like to see Mei's (from overwatch) icewall. This skill could be use to bring mobs inside a tighter area where they could be burn off, or in order to cut the line in between two packs of mobs. I think that's where the CC system is going nowadays from a single targeting approach to a world modifying one.
Four, the Synergy system, this is something some of you've worked on in EQ2 which to me was a great idea coming from EQ. I would love to see some synergy such as if an enemy is slow you can activate a synergy to immobilize him as a ranger. If the enemy is immobilize you can active a synergy to burst a 3 critical shot as a rogue, if the enemy is bleeding you can use a synergy which would boost your group power as a summoner, if one of your companion is stun you can use a synergy to lower the damage taken as a bard, and so on. Bringing interaction among player while fighting is to me something which the mmorpg world has lack for a while, and even if some had created their own way to deal with that I still feel as the one from EQ2 was the more likely to bring player together.
Five, the buffing system, you haven't talk much about it but I do hope you guys will focus on a buffing system that doesn't imply doing huge stack of player. Why ? because it's awful. The buffing system is something that needs to be as much as possible self related, maybe get some class such as the priest, the summoner, the bard, the mage to get some kind of way to buff player but try to stick to an open field buff system. Try to avoid streamline buff which usually create stacks. Use v-shape, circle around player, circle around enemies stuff like that which will help player avoid the stacking system.
As part of the self related buff system there could be, bonus for standing alone as rogue, bonus for standing in near other ranger as a ranger, bonus to a specific element if you stand in one as a mage. Bonus for keeping summon active as a summoner, etc. Those kind of buff would help establish the playstyle while distributing player around the map. There could also be malus which are derive from those bonus such as loose 5 percent accuracy if you are moving as a ranger, loose 5 percent damage if you stand in the opposite element as a mage, loose 5 percent crit chance if more then two player are near you as a rogue, increase cast time by 10% for 10 second while you summon a familiar.
Six, the skill bar, I like the idea to have a limited, yet high amount of skill on a bar. I do believe player should be given a decent amount of skill probably 6 + Ulti, not 8 because all the time there's 8 skill or more the combat rely on a lot of toggle ability and useless non-combat buff. To me, seven makes it more focus on active combat and harder to expend so you have to choose.I could also see a player getting more then one bar while keeping the bar swap to a minimal with something as a long bar swapping time. That could help create a great teamplay further in the game. Why ?, because if bar swap is a thing with no malus player will use it in order to fulfill a single role if the malus is sufficient to make it a liability in a fight while healing, dpsing or tanking then player will use it as a hand-on approach on combat for example an 8 sec bar swapping time which can be cancel by blocking could work for dispensing each player a second gameplay bar.
Rundown scenario
With a limited amount of skill and a malus to bar swapping, the average player would be facing a choice which most game no longer offer as the obligation to swap in and out of combat to helps his teamate. As an example let's say there's a fight with a mage, at 75% the mage turn into a fire elemental that has the capacity to spawn smaller flame elemental, as the fight last the flame elemental spawn more and more smaller flame elemental each time. At 30% the big flame elemental explose giving a huge buff to all small fire elemental while killing the big one. (it's a mind run scenario of what could happen, in this scenario if no elemental are up when the explosion happen at 30% you've won the fight)
Cleric, first bar the cleric as the cleric starts the fight he is mainly focus on dps the mage mainly focusing on the tank, but as the boss reach 50% there starts to be way to much damage going on so he swap to a more healing bar with stun ability on. Likely one dps will die during that time, he should maybe have swap at 75% when the boss became an elemental.
Mage, first bar was a full fire bar as these skill do the more damage he focus on the boss but by 75% he swap to an exclusive Ice bar which has a more AOE damage and also some cc to slow the elemental. By 30% he will switch back to his single target as the elemental will have to be burn one by one. Next time he might stick with the single target one until 40% in order to limit the spawn of elemental and then switch to aoe in order to burn as many down before the big explosion, he might as well use some more ice ability in his single target build since those seems to hit harder on fire elemental.
Necromancer, first bar is heavily focus on dot dps, but as the boss reach 75% there's more elemental spawning so he swapped to a pet bar so he can use the dead elemental as pet increasing his dps as the dead pile up. By 30% he use all the elemental body and switched back to his dot bar, next time he will keep his dot bar until 50% so he could have more pet active for the last phase.
Warrior, first start with a single target heavy build because the mage hits like a truck, but as elemental start to spawn he has to gain a more dpsing approach since the elemental doesn't hit as hard as the mage did and the dps is key in order to win the fight at 50% he will switch back to his tank role in order to gather as many of the flame elemental as possible to protect his teammate for the big explosion.
_____
Seven, Skill evolution, I would love that each skill would be given real choice as an example if I have a skill that can siphon ability from an enemy I want to be able to choose at first if it has a offensive or defensive purpose and then as I unlock second stage whether it works on me only and I get a better result or on group. It would also be nice to be able to use the same skill in two different way on two different bar. As an example, as a ranger i get to imbue my arrow, on one bar I get that nice arrow skill to be a fire arrow while on my other bar it will be poison... the same skill using two different morph inside the same build
Well I feel as I've write maybe more then I'm willing to admit. Take car guys
0