11-03-2009, 03:57 PM
I would just implement better melee vs melee systems. How "archer vs melee" works out doesn't interest me as much as how group combat works out. Archer vs melee? Meh. 1 melee and 2 archers vs 3 melee? Now it's interesting.
I would like to see melee vs melee to be a tighter engagement, basically. Like...
You're approaching Diggles, who is shooting at you while hiding behind Vllad.
You get in front of Vllad and it's normal melee combat (Diggles can't really shoot you now either because Vllad is actually providing cover between both of you now -- Diggles will have to move, switch to melee or start shooting someone else further away).
You want to get at Diggles so you try to go around Vllad. This could be handed in a few ways...
1) You find that when an enemy melee is facing you, you are basically blocked from moving in any direction except to the side or backwards -- Vllad basically has a collision model that's as wide as his armspan would be, representing his ability to impede your progress.
2) Take EVE's "transversal velocity" idea and use it sort of like a football game model. If you have a high transversal velocity relative to a stationary melee (e.g., you are trying to run around him), he gains a massive bonus to knockdown/knockback on you. Trying to run around a melee would be bad.
3) You find that if you move around Vllad and are no longer facing him, he gains big bonuses to damage and special attacks, so even if you can get around the melee, you probably will wish you hadn't.
So ranged will have its uses but it's going to rely on position or teammates rather than being a type of combat that just kites people to death -- some force is going to have to stop the charging enemy melee from reaching you, or you'd better be able to switch to your own melee skills as backup.
I would like to see melee vs melee to be a tighter engagement, basically. Like...
You're approaching Diggles, who is shooting at you while hiding behind Vllad.
You get in front of Vllad and it's normal melee combat (Diggles can't really shoot you now either because Vllad is actually providing cover between both of you now -- Diggles will have to move, switch to melee or start shooting someone else further away).
You want to get at Diggles so you try to go around Vllad. This could be handed in a few ways...
1) You find that when an enemy melee is facing you, you are basically blocked from moving in any direction except to the side or backwards -- Vllad basically has a collision model that's as wide as his armspan would be, representing his ability to impede your progress.
2) Take EVE's "transversal velocity" idea and use it sort of like a football game model. If you have a high transversal velocity relative to a stationary melee (e.g., you are trying to run around him), he gains a massive bonus to knockdown/knockback on you. Trying to run around a melee would be bad.
3) You find that if you move around Vllad and are no longer facing him, he gains big bonuses to damage and special attacks, so even if you can get around the melee, you probably will wish you hadn't.
So ranged will have its uses but it's going to rely on position or teammates rather than being a type of combat that just kites people to death -- some force is going to have to stop the charging enemy melee from reaching you, or you'd better be able to switch to your own melee skills as backup.