Talk:Combat
From Neverend
Single player RPGs are based on turns. Since online RPGs can't use turn based combat, combat is done using automatic turns. To liven things up, a couple extra skills are added that might have reuse timers or other limitations.
People have thought about action based combat, similar to Zelda or other action RPGs. The problem here is not only skill and quick hands, but lag. Online fighting games are hard to design, as precision timing and movements can get delayed or not respond as quickly as a single player game that doesn't have miles of network to go through.
In order to balance auto-attacks and twitch based gameplay, perhaps a hybrid system could be made that wouldn't rely entirely on fast player input, but would still use input for extra strategy.
Imagine the game Punch-Out. You're locked in to combat with an opponent. He punches, you press right and dodge. He punches, you press left and dodge. He swings, you duck. You attack normally, it hits his midsection. You press right and attack to deal a left attack. You press left and attack to deal a right attack. You press up and attack to do an uppercut.
Now assuming that this session is in auto-combat, the player and enemy will keep attacking normally. But the directional input allows specific directional attacks that interrupt the auto-attack sequence. This can include thrusts, stabs, horizontal and vertical slashes, diagonal slashes, upwards slashes. Players can block in the same way, raising a shield that will absorb an attack. Blocking may also happen naturally during auto combat, but at least the player can choose to block. A more powerful attack might knock the shield aside or still do damage, however.
Now imagine Final Fantasy. Players can use special attacks, but these special attacks have an input based element. This might include holding a button down to fill up a guage, hitting buttons in sequence or rhythm, hitting a button within a circle or moving bar, doing a streetfighter directional sequence, etc.
In a MMORPG these kinds of extra attacks can add a sense of focusing and accomplishing an attack rather than just pure luck. A "head slash" might have a target moving back and forth next to an enemy head, and a dead on target equals a hit. An attack might have a target or bar moving along different sections of the body, and a successful hit on a body part will have the character jump and slash that part.
Targetting can also play a role in area and number of opponents to attack. An arc attack might have an angle of attack that can hit three opponents. A targetting line might land on three far opponents, allowing a jump and shuriken throw attack at all three. A circular targetting area can be used for a spell or bomb area. Shooting arrows can use a zoom target that allows headshots or specific body shots.
Strategy RPGs such as Disgaea, Tactics Ogre, and FF Tactics show good use of area based attacks. Some attacks may only be activated when standing far away, allowing a jump attack or a run and jump that retreats back to the original position. Some attacks may require an empty space behind the enemy where the player may be located after the attack, such as a run-through attack. Some attacks may knock back opponents and require empty space behind them.
Even though this is a PC game, I'd like to see controls that can work for a PC gamepad. This will help streamline attacks, as long as melee and magic can be switched between, and macros can be used with a shoulder button. See FFXI for PS2 for an example.
In summary, there are three features to combat: Punch-Out style directional attacking, blocking, and dodging Final Fantasy style input for special moves, including targetting or aiming, direction input, etc Tactical RPG style area effects for special attacks
Also, depending on the level of complexity desired, more input can be used for using special attacks and for combos. For example, a normal attack can have an extra attack from down attack, up attack, or rapidly pressing attack, which would add an extra attack. Or a normal attack could be followed with a kick or a jump attack by pressing a button quickly after the attack in order to create a combo.
More complex button combinations could unleash special moves, such as left right attack, up up down attack, down down up attack, attack attack attack, etc. The level of complexity may frustrate some who prefer not to memorize moves, so it could be limited to three moves per combo.
Aside from direction and button combos are the Xenogears/Tekken style four button combos, which are harder to memorize but may allow a Simon style system of combos that adds some extra damamge without being too unbalanced.
The ability to perform combos and additional moves may be based on stamina, a timer, a power guage, or temporarily earning additional moves through successful combat.
Besides individual combos, there are team based combos. Think of the Double and Triple Techs in Chrono Trigger. They rely on the player using another attack or spell within a short time of each other.
FFXI does something similar called Skillchaining. Players fill up their guage to 100% or more, and can perform an attack based on what weapon their using. But if they all attack within three seconds of each other, they automatically "skillchain" for extra damage based on the elemental combination. Mages can cast spells within 3 seconds of a skillchain to do extra magic damage, called a Magic Burst.
Something similar could be used, where party attacks used within the same tiem create a more powerful attack, or where attacks require party members to have a weapon or spell to use at the same time to do two attacks at once.
Think of the combination attacks in X-Men Legends, such as Colossus throwing Wolverine. Something similar could be used, such as one player doing a dash attack while a mage casts a fire spell, turning the dash attack into a flame sword attack. Or two melee attackers could rush up and both do diagonal attacks or jumping attacks. Or one could use a ranged attack while another uses a melee or polearm attack. Mages could use combined magic spells such as fire and ice, water and lightning, dual fire, dual ice, etc.
For one, combat is entirely automatic -- all you have to do is select your target and let the computer act our whatever commands you give it while the delay number figured into your weapon determines the next moment you can strike. It would have been a lot more interactive and rewarding had the combat engine been more similar to the PS2's other persistent online RPG EverQuest Online Adventures and allowed you to initiate every strike on your own (or at least given you the option to choose between them).
Additionally, there are no advantages for high ground or low ground positioning for heroes or enemies alike, and when it comes to something like back attacks, sneak attacks, and the like, there just isn't any such thing (with the only exception being the Thief's job skill at level 15). In short, if you circle around and enemy and hit it on the back of its neck, it's no different than if you hit from the front -- and what's even more interesting is, that if you're behind and enemy and it swings its weapon at the blank space in front of it, it will still somehow hit you while behind it. Woudln't it have been so much more advantgaeous if your positioning helped dictate your damage?
