Delayed, but not lost, the 29th report is out!
And today we will talk about the “Combat System” 2.0, part 1. It includes a small video clip featuring the main elements and a text description.
Here is the video clip:
We begin with comments on the video.
I 1H weapon & shield
We applied the semi-active system of blocking. The main difference between our system and a typical blocking system familiar to us from other games is in the reduced amount of data exchange between clients of the attacking player and his target via computations on the server.
How does it work?
All defensive items for the left hand have the defensive indicator represented by two values: passive and active defense.
Passive defense increases the defense indicator for a character as the main characteristic when one equips this item.
Active defense is an indicator of bonus defense, which is received by the character in case of successful blocking. It is activated upon pressing the RMB not instantly, but after 200 ms. This is exactly how much time it takes to display the animations of lifting and dropping a shield from the 1st or the 3rd person view.
It is forbidden to use blocking during sprinting or leaping out of the way. In other words, if a character has been running while blocking, he presses and holds SHIFT (sprint), then he leaves the state of blocking. We plan to introduce a similar restriction for leaping out of the way.
What does a successful blocking mean?
In the game, there are two types of shields: a regular shield (buckler) and a long shield. The video features only the regular shield.
Both shield types protect the character only from the frontal side and only within their dimensions.
The difference is that the regular shield protects only the body part, while the long shield protects also the head. The video clearly shows how blows to the head, legs, from the sides, and at the back ignore the regular shield.
Once we introduce squatting into the game, both shield types will also protect the legs during squatting
What will it take to carry the long shield?
It is completely forbidden to sprint, jump or leap out of the way when the long shield is equipped.
How much will the active blocking cost?
The active blocking expends energy:
- 2 points of energy to lift or lower the shield;
- 2 points/sec while in the state of blocking (energy stops being replenished)
Why the energy is used like so and not for successfully blocked attacks?
The energy in ROG is primarily a limiter of movement speed. Under the conditions of full non-target, it is also dynamic vitality. The testing of combats even during the prototype stage showed that the energy is often more important than the defense, since an immobilized character becomes very easy prey. When energy drops below a certain value, a character’s state is switched to waking its partial restoration.
Under these conditions, the consumption of energy for successful parrying of attacks can lead to a situation when the blocking results in immobilization of the character if he receives more blows than he has anticipated. Such computational model of energy consumption would significantly increase the risks of application of such blocking and it would adversely affect the popularity of this combat stance.
On the other hand, we did not want all the characters with shields to move with enabled active blocking by default.
II 2H weapon
We talked about the AOE attack before, which this weapon type got as an alternative for a regular blow.
How does it work?
Upon pressing the RMB, the character lifts hands with the weapon up. This is how the preparation for the blowing phase is done.
The time needed for the preparation depends on the characteristics of a sword used. It is 1/3 of its reloading time.
After the successful preparation stage, the AOE is executed by pressing the LMB while still holding the RMB. If one simply releases the RMB then the preparation is cancelled and the character returns into IDLE stance.
It is forbidden to sprint of leap of of the way during this blow or any of its phases.
How much will such an attack cost?
- the preparation costs 5 points of energy;
- the blow costs 10 points of energy;
- holding the RMB after the preparation stage is done costs 3 points/sec (energy stops being replenished);
The interruption of the AOE swing
The video shows the interruption of the AOE swing when it hits an immovable unbreakable object.
The active blocking with a shield will interrupt the AOE swing in a similar way. Thus, we want to make such an attack inefficient against a target, which not only uses blocking actively, but also positions it in the right spot.
Also, this attack is poorly applicable in narrow places, since one might graze a wall or a column or something like that right in the beginning of the blow.
III 1H weapon only
This stance receives buffed piercing attack bind to RMB click. It has more lingering (deferred) timings for computation of the hit, which will require certain agility for its use.
The reloading time is the same as for the regular attack and it depends on the characteristics of the weapon.
The attack will grant 30% extra bonus damage which makes it comparable to the value of damage dealt with heavier, slower, and more demanding two-handed weapons.
Apart from that, when using this attack when lunging after the sprint, the character receives 20% extra bonus damage.
However, one must remember that flight phase of the jump in ROG is predetermined by setting the trajectory and the speed when pushing off the ground. So, there is no control in air. This is why it will be much easier to dodge such attacks.
This attack will consume 10 points of energy without taking into account whether one needs to extract the maximum damage from it.
The attack will be the most useful when it is aimed at the head (i.e. increased crit. chance) with bastard swords, which are rather heavy and have high spread values.
IV Crossbows
There is nothing really special here apart from that there will be buffs based on different zoom when aiming. An accurate hunter might discern every wrinkle on the face of the target from hundred yards.
V Spotted bugs / flaws on the video during filming:
- (already fixed) the penetration of the hand model through the shield;
- (already fixed) rolling of the shield when equipping it;
- (already fixed) absence of video/audio feedback (SVX/VFX) on successful hit or successful blocking;
- absence of video/audio feedback (SVX/VFX) on the interruption of the AOE attack of a two-handed weapon and very abrupt, rapid interruption of the animation;
- incorrect bending of limbs when a character dies (ragdoll);
- (already fixed) incorrect lighting of TrueSky (diffuse textures intensity is 2 times higher).
VI Conclusion
Simply some good news: by the end of the week, we are planning to upload an update of the pre-Alpha for testing by ROG Club.
Also, we hope for your understanding with the regularity of reports. Now it has a lower priority, because we direct all our efforts to bug-fixing in the pre-Alpha build.
In the next report, we plan to tell you about the second part of the combat system and controls 2.0.
Also, we will try to transition to the video format with a voice-over, so there will be no need to write commentaries to the video.
The Monday Evening!
It’s Friday evening - ROGgoms up, friends!
Kind regards,
The team of Reign of Guilds