Gauging Community Combat Preference [Tab vs. Action, thoughts on Hybrid]

I was wondering, AoC seems to be appealing to both tab target fans and action combat fans. But I've personally not really met anyone who would choose tab targeting over action combat (and was even of the opinion that action combat is simply a modernized and improved version of the other), even as someone who split my time between WoW/FFXIV and BDO/Tera. For me personally, Tera's combat was the SOLE reason I played the game - literally nothing else, which makes me think that a game with good outside mechanics AND a good combat system is all you need to have the golden MMO.

What does the community here think?

~~Nalifi

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Dygz

I prefer action.
We will have to play to know how hybrid feels.

mcstackerson

I prefer action/free aim systems over tab. I don't think there is anything wrong with hybrid as a concept, it comes down the how it's implemented.

Nalifi

another thing is, the clunkiness of WoW and Tera largely seems to be from the concept of having a GCD, which is really just clunky and causes the "floatiness" of combat and also is even worse for players with high ping than not (because of rubberbanding, inability to properly meet each GCD rotation, etc). So maybe tab targeted systems with fluid combat could be okay... but my personal opinion also favors action combat.

ZeekMystic

I personally have always preferred tab-targeting, as for the hybrid I’m interested, we’ll have to try it first though

Magic Man

As someone who prefers action, I must say, the second iteration of hybrid combat looks pretty good. Whether we'd have to press tab to select targets while on action stance was something I was wondering. Apparently it's like GW2 which I really appreciate. The melee seems to flow well for the hybrid combat tho I'm not sure about ranged. Although it is nice to go for accuracy, I believe ranged will require some precise aiming (speculated on the fact that how the crosshair looks atm + APOC gameplay) - This may not go well for the MMORPG genre and its player base in general who aren't used to such gameplay. It'd be nice to have it requiring a little bit of less precise aiming as that's something NW testers have been struggling with as well (weird strategies such as bunny jumping and running sideways to not get shot are utilized). I believe Intrepid will come up with a nice combat system that will satisfy both kinds (tab/action) of players.

TLDR: The hybrid combat footage was nice and made many people, including me, more confident that they'll make it work. However, Although I prefer action, I do believe that the hybrid combat will need to feel more fitting for an MMORPG and less of a third person shooter for ranged which is yet to be seen.

Hurf Derfman

If I had to pick between BDO/Terra vs WoW/FF based solely on combat and not class building...

I'd pick Gw2. (But get rid of the downed state)

Tab targeting with avoidable skill shots and limited active blocks. Short duration cc that were either skill shots or had obvious tells.

I loved ESO's questing but really didn't enjoy it's sloppy haphazard combat system.
Couldn't really get into ArcheAge was playing BDO at the time and stuck with that.

And it's worth pointing out that even BDO had a soft lock.
And Terra's Archer had to get in close to do it's best damage.

That being said Gw2 relies on the doge roll too much.

So BDO would be a close second. I hated the gender locked class system and didn't like the fighting game approach to doing certain moves, despite growing up on Street Fighter.

Since it's an MMO I don't want 100% intense try hard combat 100% of the time. I've got action games and shooters for that.

Promptling

Action, like Wildstar, but with greater depth and weight.

Dreoh

Of all the MMO's I've played, GW2 and Wildstar I found the most fun combat-wise. I find them both the gold standard of hybrid MMO combat.

Both of them are just solid and you always feel like you are in control and have something to do. You have options and the ability to move while casting leads to intense and skill-based combat, contrasted to the stale combat of immobile, tank and spank games. Plus no global cooldowns is amazing. Global coodowns give an artificial feel.

For those unfamiliar, GW2 is hybrid, leaning towards Tab but functionally entirely action. Wildstar is hybrid leaning towards action and full of telegraphed abilities.

Caeryl

I’m rather pleased with the current hybrid implementation we saw in the vid yesterday. Free camera was my biggest thing I needed to for combat to feel good. Being able to use tab abilities while free aiming is a pleasant surprise and I think I’ll get used to right-clicks to lock if I need to.

Hystorix

I’d prefer 100 percent tab target I have handicaps so it’s just easier on my body ... I’m not good at twitchy ... just hoping the 80/20 doesn’t gimp me so bad it’s unplayable or I get kicked from groups all the time becuase I’m not using the 20 percent action skills

Nalifi

Interesting opinions from both sides, thanks everyone!

CaptnChuck

I think I'm more of a 40-50% action & 50-60% tab target kinda guy. I do like having skillshots, but at the same time, I do like having consistent abilities as well. Think of Malphite, Mundo, Chogath and Illaoi in LoL.

BaSkA_9x2

I don't think there's a right answer to what's better, it depends on many factors such as skills, classes and game optimization. Some games have shitty action combat while others have great tab-target and vice-versa.

I believe the hybrid combat style Ashes is going for is the best option for nowadays because we have a lot of information from other games about what's good and what's bad combat design. My only worry is that you have to choose 80% of one and 20% of the other.

Regardless, as Steven said in the latest Development Update, if they have to remove hybrid combat they'll go for a high mobility tab target system, which is fine by me since that's my personal preference (as long as it's balanced).

Jubilum

I am a pure tab target kind of player. I have no desire to memorize a bunch of key combinations to activate a skill, this is why I couldn't play BDO, I spent more time looking at the skill tree between fights to remember the combinations than playing the game. I have a hard enough time remembering WASD to move around. I use my mouse to click skills on my hot bar to activate skills, I set up my rotation from left to right on the hot bar and move down the line to the end and move back to the left to start over skipping those still on cool down. I also rarely move during combat, only when standing in nasty stuff, since I also use my mouse to turn that means downtime on my rotation. This may not be the most efficient play style for all but it works best for me. I'm always about KISS.

Rhaelah

Tab target. I enjoy a slow, risky play style. GW2 had an interesting combat system, but too few abilities at your disposal besides the elementalist which I solely played. But yeah, its more fun to get your spells/abilities timed correctly than spam auto attacks and rotations mindlessly.

Lfmr

I played ESO the most out of any MMO, and there is a sort of creativity that comes with limited abilities, that's why I like to see that AoC only has one bar. I really do hope that this 'hybrid' combat system is truly hybrid and not action combat with a forced 20% tab target abilities. What I mean by this is, I hope the tab target abilities are going to be viable in their own way.

I drew this example before, a tab target stun is always going to be better then skill shot stun, even if the skill shot lasts longer or travels farther, because the reliability of a guaranteed stun is just too good to pass up. It also synergizes well with action combat skills, since once a stun hits, aimed skill shots are all but guaranteed to hit following.

Micromegas

I would choose Action, but with very few dodgeable lock-on skills like in TERA.

For me Hybrid/Tab feels very weird since I am not traditional mmorpg player. I only have experience of 3-4 years of playing mmorpgs like Bdo, Dragon Nest and Tera. Since I grew up with action combat later I could not get into games that has tab target combat

Dreoh

jubilum wrote: »

I am a pure tab target kind of player. I have no desire to memorize a bunch of key combinations to activate a skill, this is why I couldn't play BDO, I spent more time looking at the skill tree between fights to remember the combinations than playing the game. I have a hard enough time remembering WASD to move around. I use my mouse to click skills on my hot bar to activate skills, I set up my rotation from left to right on the hot bar and move down the line to the end and move back to the left to start over skipping those still on cool down. I also rarely move during combat, only when standing in nasty stuff, since I also use my mouse to turn that means downtime on my rotation. This may not be the most efficient play style for all but it works best for me. I'm always about KISS.

I mean no offense, as I support everyone having their own opinions and preferable systems and gameplay options, but in what way is this fun or engaging?
Not having any desire to learn how to play a game is a completely alien concept to me. Why are you even playing if you aren't going to learn how to play?
If you're not actually playing, and you're just pressing buttons in order, not even moving around, then you aren't really playing a game imo.
It makes sense if you see combat as just a means to reaching other content like crafting or something, but otherwise this just sounds very stale.

Edit:

Lfmr wrote: »

I played ESO the most out of any MMO, and there is a sort of creativity that comes with limited abilities, that's why I like to see that AoC only has one bar. I really do hope that this 'hybrid' combat system is truly hybrid and not action combat with a forced 20% tab target abilities. What I mean by this is, I hope the tab target abilities are going to be viable in their own way.

This is interesting, because I constantly see people complaining that there is no variety in builds in ESO. Everyone always picks the same setup because there isn't enough variety or usefulness in other setups which stems from so few ability slots.

Dummo

Definitely action.

Xenotor

Ever since i tried my first action combat MMO (Terra) I could no longer play pure tab target.
I am avarge at best at it but i have yet to see a tab target combat that feels truly fluid and immersive.
Gw2 was borderline ok for me but pure oldschool WoW tab target is something i can no longer play with.

I always thought that it was strange that the archer shot at me but the arrow curves to follow me even as i run or roll sideways.
Skill shots in short make the combat experience so much more immersive.
Having to choose ability's as combat progresses rather then doing the same rotation over and over again.

After checking out the last Dev video regarding hybrid combat, i have to say it looks ok.
Not super great as action combat fanatic but not bad either.
Maybe i will see Tab target combat that actually feels like combat rather then just standing still and doing the 1 - 9 rotation on my keyboard.
Steven did say they want to make it fluid and that combat is one if not the most important key stone to an MMO.
That there is no auto attack is already great.
At least your left click spam will be locked to action combat.

The right click to target someone in action combat mode is also a really good idea.

So far it looks promising, just have to wait for Alpha 1 and 2 to confirm this

Child Item