Post:Combat 3.0 Update - 02/07/2012 - 16:24

Re: Combat 3.0 Update · on 02/07/2012 04:24 PM CST	1313
> Also all this talk of a 'cooldown' - surely just incorporate it into RT instead of having some invisible, uncertain timer. I've been asked to slow combat down a bit. I -could- just slow down critters by a few seconds and likewise increase player roundtimes by a few seconds to maintain the balance, but I'm pretty sure forcing all-around increased roundtimes would upset...well...almost everyone. To a rather large degree. Instead, what I've done is create a situation where you can still go as fast as always, but there is -incentive- to slow down a little from time to time. So no, I'm not going to incorporate it into roundtimes. Both for that reason, and because that would mean nobody would ever lose balance in combat unless we go back to something like combos, which is also not an option. With that said, there are a few styles that are deliberately set up so that the minimum roundtime is also usually enough to at least prevent balance loss, if not always result in a gain. Jab is the best example of this. It's really not that complicated a system once you play with it, or at least it won't be once all the bugs are out. You launch your attacks. If you are lazy or just don't want to bother, just using ATTACK will be a perfectly valid option for almost all at-level hunting, just not necessarily the best for every situation (but likewise never the worst). If you find your balance getting lower than you like, slow down a little (just wait a second or two after the roundtime ends) and/or switch to a balance friendly attack like Jab until the balance is back up to where you like. I will be completely honest -- it will not be nearly as easy to achieve and maintain high end balance, and doing so will mean both focusing on the lighter more controlled attacks like jab as well as slowing down. Let me explain why; if it is a simple matter to climb right to the highest balance and stay there virtually indefinitely (and that's largely the case now via ATTACK or scripting/macroing/knowing the combos), then there's no real reason to even have balance as a major factor. It becomes something of non-factor when everyone can get to the highest balance and stay there virtually indefinitely after a few attacks. It's not unlike Syndrome's take on super powers -- if everyone is has the highest possible balance, nobody has any advantage whatsoever. Seriously, though, it won't be that difficult to play with once you get the hang of it, especially if you just want to cruise along via a couple of favorite commands like Jab and Attack. Those who want to take advantage of the vast array of pros/cons can do so and will certainly benefit from it and can probably win fights that might normally be a bit beyond them, but it is designed so that getting fancy isn't necessary for at-level hunting under normal circumstances. - GM Dartenian
This message was originally posted in Combat - Weapons and Armor \ Responses to GM and Official Announcements, by DR-DARTENIAN on the play.net forums.