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.
Comments
Even if BDO is a PvP game at its core, the fact that its PvE is so terrible is something that should be addressed. A lot of players do not reach the PvP end-game due to the utter boredom of the process of reaching that end-game.
I do not know how well BDO is currently doing, but I am aware that it could have done a lot better with better PvE systems (along with less RNG and P2W, but those issues are way off topic and not useful to this discussion).
You shouldnt take PvE combat as an example because it only scratches the surface.
In bdo PvE you have stupid AI along with stiffs and knockbacks.
Im quite sure these properties united are brought up as flinch mechanics.
BDO community hates the game devs because they keep degrading the game with poorly thought decisions.
Yet they still play because of the potential they see in the combat system and hope for devs to find reason should say a lot.
Animation cancelling that affects damage is the best Ive felt so far.
The freedom you have in combat is palpable.
Combat should be clear enough so that outside viewers can tell what is going on. That is not the case for BDO. AoC should not be taking any pages out of the chewed up magazine that is BDO.
NOTE: not saying i want BDO combat, just thought this was a bad argument against it.
BDO large scale doesnt work that well because there are too many, too large and too strong aoes.
Most non-range classes are just trying to find smaller battles within larger battles to feel useful.
Ranges would just spam aoes and anyone who wanted through would die.
If the skills had lower range and smaller area of effect we could see large battles like those in movies.
Nefelia you should probably know that zapping isnt as simple as pressing a button.
You have to time the movement skills right if you want to avoid damage, direct it away from damage to where you can retaliate along with micromanaging the cds and stamina.
Saying its just zipping around is only demeaning and an excuse to not study the ground of the argument.
A lot of games have priorities and rotations but in bdo you had to actually learn the combos by practise because of the game mechanics and keybinds.
When you learn the class it becomes literally faster.
Regular vs pro is like a 10% attack speed difference.
Having mechanics like in bdo simply make a game harder by offering a challenge in taming ur class.
I dont think anyone wants another copy of bdo but just bits of the core of combat.
Not the ccs nor abilities, but the mechanics under all that rubble.
Skill flows and ani cancel create a rewarding combat that offers freedom and rewards those who put effort to learn them.
Also you cant see those properties in gameplay vids without learning them first.
For some reason a post I made two days ago, literally just posted.
I have faith that IS can make a combat system better than that.
Normal atks should register output/effect at the end of animations
Channeling casting abilities should register output/effect in accordance with discreption(lol AC and weaving makes channeling abilities useless. Swap them for direct abilities)
Blocking
Dodging
Counter attacking
Teleporting
Gap closing
These actions should cancel any ability used at the moment of the decision to react in a situation.
These actions should cancel the output/effect of any ability used at the moment of the decision to react in a situation.
These actions should cancel the ANIMATION of any ability used at the moment of tge decision to react in a sittuation.
In a proper combat design all abilities, class, race, weapon, other are useful.
In games with weaving and AC only the abilities (classes weapon race other) with the quickest effect are viable in order to NormalatkUseabilitydodgeatk within 0.7s
Brainless rotation, same abilities for all
No reactive combat
No judgment or skill
Meta
Let the best player win in a combat design in which it is impossible to cancel ability animations but still register output/effect
I do judge games via Youtube videos, and I do so shamelessly.
The visual appeal and flow of combat is important on a marketing standpoint. Most people spend a fair deal of time looking at game-play videos before making the decision to purchase a game. Game developers need to keep this in mind when designing their combat system.
When you learn the class it becomes literally faster.
Regular vs pro is like a 10% attack speed difference.
Having mechanics like in bdo simply make a game harder by offering a challenge in taming ur class.
This was the biggest turn-off for me, to be quite honest. Press this and that button for this ability, this one and that other one for to other ability.
Then it is your unenviable task to explain how they add positively to the combat system. Perhaps there is another game with similar systems that can serve as a better example?
Regardless, @Blackhearted, @Soulune, I do appreciate your thoughts, even as I continue to be a stubborn and cantankerous critic.
Overwatch
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Archeage
The fast strategic combat in AA was the most enjoyable by far. It had the pace of LoL but would stay fresh due to the uncertainty of mmorpg fights.
I think updated AA combat would fit very well in AoC. Why that is the case and what I think should be updated requires a much longer post.