Better Boss Battles? (Suggestion)
I’ve watched all the footage of Alpha 1 and pre-Alpha, and one of the things that stuck out to me was the dungeon boss battle, with the pyroclastic wyrm.
DISCLAIMER-I am aware that things are still in production and are likely to change, and my concerns may naturally be resolved. This is meant strictly as a suggestion while things are being developed.
Ashes has talked about how important engaging content is to their vision of the game, especially combat. However, I feel like the boss battle left a lot to be desired. Since boss battles from dungeons or raids are the primary and most challenging kind of content for the PVE side, if it is lacking then the PVE side of the game may be as well. (PVE combat that is).
There was a lack of boss mechanics, especially movement. The pyroclastic wyrm took maybe three steps to reach the players once aggro was gained, and stood in the same spot for the duration of the fight. I feel like, one, not only is this fairly boring, it is a missed chance to use and show off the beautiful and large boss room that the dungeon has. It has been said that the AOC world should feel huge, with large sprawling dungeons, and in this dungeon, there was a huge cavern, but the boss stayed in one spot the entire time, and only changed which direction it faced a handful of times.
I think one, the boss could have skills that cause it to move, from a couple steps forward or backward to repositioning itself to take a swipe or use a breath attack. In my experience there are many mechanics, from leaps, dashes, teleports, going underground, climbing walls, and flying (especially for the wyrm). Not that I think every boss should make players chase them around the room, or run, but I think some movement is important, whether dodging, chasing or avoiding aoe attacks, being forced to move because this giant monster is pushing you around, or environmental hazards. There was also a general lack of skills for the boss, only 3 main ones that I noticed, that only targeted the immediate space around or in front of it. I could see especially for this dungeon, a use of room wide breath attacks, attacks from flight, maybe falling stalagmites from the ceiling. There could also be a use of the environment, while there is lava, there could be a rise in lava, causing players to run to islands, or dodging falling rocks, crumbling surfaces, etc.
There was no mutli-phases for this boss battle, it was essentially the same, just spam skills in the same spot until it died, (other than mobs) no change in tempo or the rhythm of the battle. I feel like this also causes a lack of Boss personality, it doesn’t feel like a real enemy, its robotic, predictable, and frankly boring. In my experience the best boss battles were those with changing phases of the battle, and a personality, some games like Vindictus even classify the different behaviors of boss, from DPS, to a kiting type, or ranged.
The Boss room, is supposed to be the Boss’s lair, its home and I feel like some evidence of it living there tells a story and adds to immersion. This mighty creature, this huge wyrm, should feel like its fighting for its life, not just an angry piñata. An increasing desperateness as it loses health, changing skill sets through different stages of battle.
Some of the best examples I have are mainly from Vindictus, (also an example of action combat in general), like the battle with the Juggernaut (impactful, very memorable, suspenseful, heavy movement, crawling on walls, strong boss personality), Guardian of the East (flying around, shooting lightning from the sky, leaps, active fighting creature), Havan, (environmental hazards, pillars to take cover with, because of sandstorm, and things flying through the air, hard to see because of storm) and the Blood Lord (mobility, changing phases, change of pace) just to name a few. Another one of my favorites, especially for action combat is Dragon Nest. Extremely fluid, unique skill trees that required skill, thought and engagement. The bosses were also challenging, interactive and memorable, such as the Manticore Nest Boss, (moving around boss, avoiding attacks, reading its moves, varied skill set), the Typhoon Krag Nest, (movement, taking cover, utilizing space).
I also point to Skyforge’s combat and boss mechanics, like Thanatos (multiple phases, party cooperation, environmental hazards, environment interaction, usage of the whole room, massive epic boss battle). An example of hybrid combat is Revelation Online, and the DarkFall Dungeon Boss (movement, have to pay attention to boss mechanics, and trophy from boss body). These bosses were memorable and made me feel accomplished, had their own unique character and challenges, the immersive feeling of being in their lair or home, and just having fun and feeling winded afterwards. Feeling like you earned that win, and worked for it.
Now I understand these have instanced areas, which AOC does not, among other differences that may cause different challenges and hurdles. I also realize what I’ve seen is still in production, and the team may be working on implementing a lot of this, and/or more, I just wanted to add a perspective that I’m not sure if has been voiced yet, while the game is in the developing stage where it will be most constructive.
All respect and credit to the hard work and effort the AOC team has been putting into the game. Your passion for the game and its player base makes me hopeful and so excited to play, so thank you so much for making this dream, I think many tired MMORPG players have had, a reality. I just want to help make the game the best it can be, so thank you for having an open conversation and feedback with your community. Much love and support, I can’t wait to play!
