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

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Tacualeon

Rhaelah wrote: »

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.

Rhaelah wrote: »

Tab target. I enjoy a slow, risky play style.

Rhaelah wrote: »

slow, risky

Dude

About the topic, I prefer action.
Cdr management with physical and tactical abilities.
Tab targeting for variety.
Aoe for afk aoe farming after work in a slow paced downtime.

smeez1

Action all in.

Seems they have spent so much development and progress on hybrid so I am afraid they have already committed to this and thus, game already lost me on this "design decision." (Do both so they did not need to choose which)

Also, after watching the YT video where Steven explains the hybrid combat system and demonstrate, he did not sound really so sure about it and he had to say, we could have gone more for tab targeting, if.

maouw

NelsonRebel wrote: »

...

Hence why the market is now catching up with current and modern gamers. Action combat is objectively more engaging, and the games are advancing to reflect this across the board.

This!! We all want games to be as immersive as possible - this is the huge advantage that action has over tab.

BUT

I do agree that there are times when you need to focus on other aspects of gameplay that tab targetting frees your brain to do. (Also, when you're a healer, action targetting is THE WORST)

HOWEVER

To be honest, I think the main chunkiness from tab targeting to me at least comes from the unanimity of mechanics such as GCDs and lengthy animation locks in the pre-eminent tab targeting games right now, referring to WoW and FFXIV - it literally just feels like you're pressing 1-9 on the keyboard while waiting for the circle to finish moving around the skill icon.

^This is also my experience of tab targetting in MMORPGs and why I don't like them.

reminds me of Xenoblade Chronicles - I had a giant laserblade sword that I never got to swing around myself. So dissatisfying.
I just wanted to end each combat encounter as quickly as possible coz it was tiresome:
skill to stun -> skill that knocks down a stunned opponent -> skill to deal bonus dmg to a knocked down opponent
rinse repeat with other random skills coz of cooldowns.

So yeah, unless I'm healing (I probably will be going healer LOL), I'll think I'll end up using the action targetting more. I'm glad they're giving us a flexible system

Nalifi

Knytemaire wrote: »

Being in that 30+ crowd of MMORPG gamers that has played since early EQ1 and all, I prefer tab targeting. I live in an area that doesn't have super speed internet with super low ping no matter where the servers are. I have played GW2, ESO, WoW, FFXIV, BDO, etc etc etc. I even tried out New World and it is ok... if you are a melee person. I am a healer... I don't like having to aim at everything and a FPS/action style camera makes me physically ill due to the motion.

Definitely see your point here, that being said I've felt that tab targeting games are actually worse for high ping because A) the entire PvE combat (well, as a dps at least, can't speak for healers) comes down to meeting tight cooldowns for a rotation, and if you miss this due to ping or rubberbanding it gets thrown off to a much larger degree than an action combat system - I never saw such a high demand for VPN until I started playing FFXIV.

I guess the hybrid system would be good for this healing issue - although tera at least had a soft-lock action-based healing, which felt pretty smooth imo

Twang

How is BDO’s action system completely different from tab target lock. BDO has ‘action’ combat that you can’t miss even if you aren’t exactly aiming at someone due to target lock. The only change I could see BDO’s action system to make tab is the ability for hitting someone based on proximity and not facing them directly. That game also features the same evasion, accuracy, DR n more that people seem to be writing off if you played action because it’d be replaced by an active dodge and aim punishment? Won’t cast time and animation remove the space for advantage since you can't jump around in a fight like WoW, a lotta people seem to be labeling action combat as dark souls style with AoE but ESO n BDO aren’t that. I didn’t play apoc so I don’t know how invested they are in requiring specific aim like CSGO. Could Hyperspaces aim Zone be amiddle ground.

burl3yb0y

People preferring action seem to be forgetting this is an MMO where people put in hundreds of days in /played. I don't want to play God of War or Street Fighter for that long, sorry. All the arguments about action being more skillful or more fun are true, but that gets draining, people don't want that for their mindless farming and grinding.

Merek

burl3yb0y wrote: »

People preferring action seem to be forgetting this is an MMO where people put in hundreds of days in /played. I don't want to play God of War or Street Fighter for that long, sorry. All the arguments about action being more skillful or more fun are true, but that gets draining, people don't want that for their mindless farming and grinding.

This is a prime example of why the game should be action combat, it forces lazy players to actually try at the game. No longer can you mindlessly grind, gaining power without actually putting some effort in and I'm all for it. A glaring flaw with modern MMO's.

Dreoh

Tab-target is 100% better for single-target healing, with some exceptions

burl3yb0y wrote: »

People preferring action seem to be forgetting this is an MMO where people put in hundreds of days in /played. I don't want to play God of War or Street Fighter for that long, sorry. All the arguments about action being more skillful or more fun are true, but that gets draining, people don't want that for their mindless farming and grinding.

How about let's argue for compelling combat, AND grinding/farming that ISN'T mindless instead of arguing that combat SHOULDN'T be compelling because it makes the mindless grinding tedious/exhausting.

NelsonRebel

Dreoh wrote: »

Tab-target is 100% better for single-target healing, with some exceptions

burl3yb0y wrote: »

People preferring action seem to be forgetting this is an MMO where people put in hundreds of days in /played. I don't want to play God of War or Street Fighter for that long, sorry. All the arguments about action being more skillful or more fun are true, but that gets draining, people don't want that for their mindless farming and grinding.

How about let's argue for compelling combat, AND grinding/farming that ISN'T mindless instead of arguing that combat SHOULDN'T be compelling because it makes the mindless grinding tedious/exhausting.

I think it makes healing easier for sure.

But with aoe heal effects (done without needing to aim) it probably wouldnt be very hard.

Like creating a heal that heals anyone in your group within x amount of range, or within a pre-set aoe area in a cone like effect outward from you that creates a "sticky" heal over time.

I'm not arguing that tab shouldnt be an option btw, just listing some ways it would be just as good without it

Demidreamer

I am 38 years old at the end of this month. At times, at work my hands feel like i might be carpal tunnel, even sitting at the good ole computer, sometimes my hands go cold for no reason. Action combat to me is a big "?". Sure i would enjoy the challenge of figuring out the game but i am worried the mouse will be all too intensive for every aspect of combat. With Tab combat i can still play move and attack all from my left hand if my right goes cold and vice versa for being a dreaded clicker. I would not be able to say the same for Action if i need to keep clicking the left mouse button for basic attacks.

Idk, just a concern i have with getting older. Things don't work like they use too even at 38..

Magic Man

burl3yb0y wrote: »

People preferring action seem to be forgetting this is an MMO where people put in hundreds of days in /played. I don't want to play God of War or Street Fighter for that long, sorry. All the arguments about action being more skillful or more fun are true, but that gets draining, people don't want that for their mindless farming and grinding.

That's a fair point. Since it requires more mechanical skill, it can be exhausting for some people - especially in a game like Ashes where PvP is an integral part of the game. Good thing Intrepid will allow players to play however they wish so people aren't disappointed.

Abominatus

I’m pretty ambivalent on the choice. Either can be good, but the key for me is that the combat feels fluid and responsive. One of the biggest criticisms leveled against the recent New World test was that the action combat was vulnerable to lag and sync issues as well as feeling clunky because it locks you into animation sequences when you use abilities. If the combat feels like it did in New World, I will be very unlikely to stick around.

And given my geographical location I will most likely be playing with about 100-200ms ping. Believe me, I noticed that In New World, and it wasn’t a positive play experience.

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