Suggestion: Complete Overhaul of Combat System

I'd like to suggest a complete overhaul of the combat system--specifically glyph stacking.

It requires incredibly manual dexterity which a lot of older players likely do not have.

Glyph stacking also slows down combat and requires the players' eyes to be on the combat bar when they should be focused on everything else around their character.

I think glyph stacking is the game's greatest flaw and combat is unnecessarily cumbersome and deck building is complex and not thoroughly understood.

I suggest getting rid of having to stack glyphs: for example, if a skill such as soothing rain has been leveled up to x 5, then it will be drawn into the deck as its most powerful version without having to stack 5 dynamic glyphs.

I also recommend providing players with some auditory or visual cue when monsters get hit with an attack.

 

I think they simply need to make charging skills more competitive with unlocked decks.

 

ABSOLUTELY !
Well said and spot-on, @Barugon

 

100%

Fix charge speed, dont destroy the stacking, it's one of the coolest things our combat system has to offer. As someone who have been stacking for yeaaaaaaaaaars now, i can say, you dont need to stare at the combat deck once you master the deck.

 

Just to expand on that, stacking not only bypasses the charge time but you can also have multiple skills stacked and ready to go, which is a huge advantage. I personally feel that they should cut the charge time in half across the board without changing the casting time, lock time or cooldown time.

 

Basically, you want skills available on demand. I get the dexterity argument. The whole point of the system was to lock you in. You could have 10 static skills at a time, or you can have multiple. The problem people have is not liking that the multiple is random and not of their choosing. The other problem people like this have is not understanding the system of deck building.

I would honestly recommend looking into some of the deck building videos out there (likely on player made resources here in this forum). Yes, on the surface, it is complex. But with some understanding people can get a better handle on deck building. It's like theorycrafting, if you are into that sort of thing.

 

The fact that it isn't thoroughly understood is exactly why it should remain. As you experiment with it you find things. Some are useful such as sacrifice off the combo tree. If you take out the stack component, that will be taken too and other viable tactics and combos suddenly disappear. It can be chaotic sure. But that means I am overextending what is happening on the bar and need to change it. IT is not the fault of the component that offered it to me. How I controlled the chaos is to make bars that focus on one card I want strong and am willing to wait for. NOT all 10 cards, I started there, realizing quickly it is too much and worked downward. Mind lock and Spellbinder are key to making it work. Removing stacks means now I lose that functionality. I do not feel that is a step in the right direction for a unique combat system like this one. Personally, I'm tired of simplistic game play of most MMOs and that's how I landed on Shroud. I mean, besides playing Ultima 3 in 1983 on a Commodore and been hooked ever since.

 

Absolutely... +100

 

Absolutely not, to all of this. -100; is that how this works?

 

The fact that deck building isn't easily understood is exactly why there should be change---to have better product documentation online or tutorials created by Portalarium. A company has a responsibility to its consumers to help them better understand their products. It is 100% the product's fault if it doesn't meet consumer expectations and if it isn't user friendly.

It seems you've become accustomed to playing a defective combat system and very resistant to potential improvement; that is unfortunate for you.

 

I watched Minmer's video's as recommended by Coswald. Minmer is doing Portalarium's job. And, there's no way we know for certain if the info in those videos are accurate.

I am an expert on deck building and glyph stacking. Glyph stacking still sucks. It isn't necessary. Many games much better than SotA in terms of sales and player base--Guildwars 2-for example--have a superior combat system without glyph stacking.

 

It's an interesting point about documentation. If you manufacture tire chains you have a responsibility to inform your customer on how to affix them safely and securely to a vehicle. If you manufacture a jigsaw puzzle the inclusion of precise instructions would baffle consumers far more than a lovely seascape cut up into 1000 interlocking pieces ever could; it defeats the purpose.

I think that's the two sides of this argument. Personally I am here for the satisfaction of assembling a puzzle, though I do recognize that some folks just want better traction in snowy conditions.