Post by gorirah on Oct 7, 2016 9:44:04 GMT -5
Taunt;
This can be quite unreliable, it is ignored often enough and the factors that affect its resistance are not clear. After selecting a target to taunt, the character sometimes turns to face a different enemy (maybe the last one blocked sometimes) and taunts that one instead. Even if it is successful and against the right target, then the target will usually break off engagement immediately after the effect. With a full round taken to use it for only two rounds of effect, its abilities are not really an effective means for controlling attention in combat.
Another issue came up recently too. A plan was made for one group to engage and hold the bulk of enemies, and another group to taunt off one at a time from the engaged group and deal with them. This required the use of single target taunt, but if the character has the higher level abilities, then they have no choice but to taunt groups. To have a degree of control here would be beneficial.
Finally, and unfortunately, an aspect of taunt feels exploitative too; that it can lures one enemy out of a group and leave the others stood ignorantly on their spots.
- Some feedback on the taunt resistance would be useful, and for the higher level abilities to give a significant bonus to the success rate too.
- I'd be more comfortable if it would pull the target as well as aggrivate their nearby unengaged allies also, feels less 'dirty'.
- The single taunt and group taunt would both be useful if accessible at higher levels.
- Either an increase in duration of taunt, or if it were somehow decoupled from the combat queue (Taunting is independant of physical comabt activities)
- Taunt always affecting the tab/right click selected enemy.
Durability and shield fighters;
Regarding the durability of blocking front line characters, it may be worth offering abilities that allow a trade off generally, or within block mode; reducing attack bonus, damage and movement speed, for increased minimum armor and critical resistance. The loss of offensive capability would mean this does not lend itself to solo play, but it does work in groups, allowing the blocking character/enemy to hold out more reliably in what is their central combat purpose.
Also, a character who has specialized abilities shield fighting only has limited defensive bonuses over the more casual shield user. This comes in the form of a bonus to maximum armor and resistances.
Covered Strikes state that they are from a defensive position, though the abilities cannot be used with block mode. This is not entirely surprising as it would be highly potent without a heavy stamina cost. The increase in dodge is not really adding much to one in heavy armor who has sacrificed dodge for armor. So unless I'm missing something, the abilities seem to allow you a series of attacks in place of a series of attacks, the only real difference being some added effects where multiple hits connect? Are these abilities going to be taken by anyone, or maybe I'm missing the point here?
This leads to the more general question of attacks from within block mode, Shield Bash for example. I'm aware of the high level ability to be able to bash without dropping block mode, so I guess it can be scheduled as an instant and thereby not jam the combat queue.
- I think it would be more practical if the shield bash abilities were all allowed to work within block mode, just given a higher stamina cost to reflect the improvement. That stamina cost can be reduced somewhat as higher level abilities are taken, keeping it as effective at higher levels, but also usable at lower levels.
- Covered strikes, unless I'm missing the point, could be replaced with a more passive defensive function that aids durability of specialist shield fighters. I'd suggest it gave a bonus to minimum armor, at +1 per ability level, that compliments what can be gained from the armor aspect. Also a small bonus of +2/+4/+6 to critical immunity or +1/+2/+3 to block. With this being targeted at defensive use, I'd be comfortable with it imposing a penalty on offensive capability and affecting combat damage by -1 per ability level.
Shield Hook;
This seems that it could be a little unbalancing. An enemy with two shield hooks would render block mode useless, and thereby nullify a host of opposing combat abilities. This coming from weapon modifications, with no ability investment, and still being able to deal regular combat damage whilst at it.
- If the function is to remain as an unsupported weapon modification, then it'd seem more balanced to reduce it to just -2 block modifier and not stackable with dual wielding.
- Any chance of negating block mode entirely, which is a useful mechanic, should surely be scheduled as a combat ability instead. While forced deactivation of block mode is instant, manual reactivation of block mode is not trivial, it takes a full round and so if it is disabled at the start of a round, then it'll be down for two rounds at least. So in effect this ability is akin to a knockdown.
Combat queue and Immovable;
The combat queue can be another obstacle to defensive fighting, though in some respects that obstacle is not necessarily a problem. When trying to throw a grenade within block mode, for example, it is a matter of timing and that is not all bad because it would be rather tricky to do that while parrying with weapon and shield. This also is a mechanical barrier to making more than one non-blocking option within a round which may help keep things within reason.
- For defensive abilities such as immovable which is not so much an action as stance, maybe they should be instant effects that are decoupled from the queue. Though Immovable often goes through the queue okay, I have also seen it cause the queue to stall.
- It has the feel of Defensive Stance, so another approach for immovable could be a combat mode if that can be implemented? Here, Immovable could offer the same benefits as it currently does. Maybe instead of a stamina activation cost, it prevents stamina regeneration or even drains it slowly. Thus it can reward high stamina charcters or those who are not spending it in other actions.
This can be quite unreliable, it is ignored often enough and the factors that affect its resistance are not clear. After selecting a target to taunt, the character sometimes turns to face a different enemy (maybe the last one blocked sometimes) and taunts that one instead. Even if it is successful and against the right target, then the target will usually break off engagement immediately after the effect. With a full round taken to use it for only two rounds of effect, its abilities are not really an effective means for controlling attention in combat.
Another issue came up recently too. A plan was made for one group to engage and hold the bulk of enemies, and another group to taunt off one at a time from the engaged group and deal with them. This required the use of single target taunt, but if the character has the higher level abilities, then they have no choice but to taunt groups. To have a degree of control here would be beneficial.
Finally, and unfortunately, an aspect of taunt feels exploitative too; that it can lures one enemy out of a group and leave the others stood ignorantly on their spots.
- Some feedback on the taunt resistance would be useful, and for the higher level abilities to give a significant bonus to the success rate too.
- I'd be more comfortable if it would pull the target as well as aggrivate their nearby unengaged allies also, feels less 'dirty'.
- The single taunt and group taunt would both be useful if accessible at higher levels.
- Either an increase in duration of taunt, or if it were somehow decoupled from the combat queue (Taunting is independant of physical comabt activities)
- Taunt always affecting the tab/right click selected enemy.
Durability and shield fighters;
Regarding the durability of blocking front line characters, it may be worth offering abilities that allow a trade off generally, or within block mode; reducing attack bonus, damage and movement speed, for increased minimum armor and critical resistance. The loss of offensive capability would mean this does not lend itself to solo play, but it does work in groups, allowing the blocking character/enemy to hold out more reliably in what is their central combat purpose.
Also, a character who has specialized abilities shield fighting only has limited defensive bonuses over the more casual shield user. This comes in the form of a bonus to maximum armor and resistances.
Covered Strikes state that they are from a defensive position, though the abilities cannot be used with block mode. This is not entirely surprising as it would be highly potent without a heavy stamina cost. The increase in dodge is not really adding much to one in heavy armor who has sacrificed dodge for armor. So unless I'm missing something, the abilities seem to allow you a series of attacks in place of a series of attacks, the only real difference being some added effects where multiple hits connect? Are these abilities going to be taken by anyone, or maybe I'm missing the point here?
This leads to the more general question of attacks from within block mode, Shield Bash for example. I'm aware of the high level ability to be able to bash without dropping block mode, so I guess it can be scheduled as an instant and thereby not jam the combat queue.
- I think it would be more practical if the shield bash abilities were all allowed to work within block mode, just given a higher stamina cost to reflect the improvement. That stamina cost can be reduced somewhat as higher level abilities are taken, keeping it as effective at higher levels, but also usable at lower levels.
- Covered strikes, unless I'm missing the point, could be replaced with a more passive defensive function that aids durability of specialist shield fighters. I'd suggest it gave a bonus to minimum armor, at +1 per ability level, that compliments what can be gained from the armor aspect. Also a small bonus of +2/+4/+6 to critical immunity or +1/+2/+3 to block. With this being targeted at defensive use, I'd be comfortable with it imposing a penalty on offensive capability and affecting combat damage by -1 per ability level.
Shield Hook;
This seems that it could be a little unbalancing. An enemy with two shield hooks would render block mode useless, and thereby nullify a host of opposing combat abilities. This coming from weapon modifications, with no ability investment, and still being able to deal regular combat damage whilst at it.
- If the function is to remain as an unsupported weapon modification, then it'd seem more balanced to reduce it to just -2 block modifier and not stackable with dual wielding.
- Any chance of negating block mode entirely, which is a useful mechanic, should surely be scheduled as a combat ability instead. While forced deactivation of block mode is instant, manual reactivation of block mode is not trivial, it takes a full round and so if it is disabled at the start of a round, then it'll be down for two rounds at least. So in effect this ability is akin to a knockdown.
Combat queue and Immovable;
The combat queue can be another obstacle to defensive fighting, though in some respects that obstacle is not necessarily a problem. When trying to throw a grenade within block mode, for example, it is a matter of timing and that is not all bad because it would be rather tricky to do that while parrying with weapon and shield. This also is a mechanical barrier to making more than one non-blocking option within a round which may help keep things within reason.
- For defensive abilities such as immovable which is not so much an action as stance, maybe they should be instant effects that are decoupled from the queue. Though Immovable often goes through the queue okay, I have also seen it cause the queue to stall.
- It has the feel of Defensive Stance, so another approach for immovable could be a combat mode if that can be implemented? Here, Immovable could offer the same benefits as it currently does. Maybe instead of a stamina activation cost, it prevents stamina regeneration or even drains it slowly. Thus it can reward high stamina charcters or those who are not spending it in other actions.