Combat animations

ssantiagox · January 2013

Something I noticed when watching the Great Weapon Fighter reveal video was that if the target was in the middle of an animation... then your attacks had no affect from an animation perspective. Now in some cases such as knock backs or killing blows the target will animate in reaction of course, but for the most part they don't "flinch" in reaction.

The Secret World had this problem in combat (I believe it was TSW) and the feedback was pretty negative as it reduced the visceral feel of combat significantly. When you swing your 2h sword and it slices into an opponent you expect them to at least flinch

I'm not sure if this has already been discussed and if changes are coming to add these types of animations, but I do hope they are. It's important that combat feel realistic and a lack of impact animations greatly reduces the experience.

Thanks,

Santiago

deathssickle · January 2013

I thinks I remember something about this, but I could not say which thread give me a few minutes and Ill look, A mod may have to close it if I find it because it would prolly be a necro

quorforged · January 2013

On the other hand, flinch animations can be tricky for game balance. One problem I had with Kingdoms of Amalur, an action-RPG, was that monsters flinched so much that they were barely able to fight back at all, making it way too easy.

And flinches on players can easily become frustrating, and detract from the action combat experience.

deathssickle · January 2013

This is the old thread we had on combat animation, If you post on it you die.*You hear faint voices coming from the text.*

ruinedmirage · January 2013

quorforged wrote: »

On the other hand, flinch animations can be tricky for game balance. One problem I had with Kingdoms of Amalur, an action-RPG, was that monsters flinched so much that they were barely able to fight back at all, making it way too easy.

And flinches on players can easily become frustrating, and detract from the action combat experience.

I concur. In a single player setting, all fair when you're winning, but put some realistic animations behind being hit and you're setting up for exploits for combo chains. Then comes the PvP crowd saying it's unbalanced, then comes the nerfing and the hate associated with it.

It's almost like a no win situation, actually...

zylaxx · January 2013

I personally like the animations, they look authentic while keeping that aire of the fantastical.

ssantiagox · January 2013

ruinedmirage wrote: »

I concur. In a single player setting, all fair when you're winning, but put some realistic animations behind being hit and you're setting up for exploits for combo chains. Then comes the PvP crowd saying it's unbalanced, then comes the nerfing and the hate associated with it.

It's almost like a no win situation, actually...

I fail to understand how this applies to PvE animations. But in any case I probably should have been more clear, I meant NPC/Mobs not players. The NPCs absolutely should have flinch animations when hit. Most of the better MMO's have this for a reason... realism

But for PvP I don't express to understand the issue that you are speaking to either. I seem to remember games from the past where the actual combat skill was tied to the animation in such a way that it wouldn't work if the animation failed... to me that just seems like bad coding.

In addition you don't ALWAYS have to have a flinch, there should be logic that makes determinations as to when to override them, such as if the model is doing a special ability for example.

In any case just my opinion and we all know what those are like!

kfmc · January 2013

I've played an mmo where even players flinched, but it's animation was quite low on the priority list. As in, you don't flinch while actively attacking, such as in mid-swing of your sword, or in the middle of doing something like great weapon fighter's whirlwind attack - you know, where part of the "razzle-dazzle" is the physical animation of the character's body.

But if you're just standing still, or are in mid-casting or mid-channel (the kind where you're standing still unlike in a whirlwind), you would flinch. But even then, the flinching didn't hamper your character and the channel/cast bar still filled up as usual.

And if you were just running, you would flinch, but only a little, like your head bouncing up.

iamtruthseeker · January 2013

Interesting, keep up this discussion here folks (but as DS said not there!)

wildheartz12 · January 2013

good combat animations are important

Combat animations

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