Combat Mode should drain focus

Players can currently run around in combat mode without any penalty (other than not healing or regenerating focus as quickly). I think this is wrong and needs changed.

What I'd like to see is that players in combat mode very slowly drain focus. I'd also like to see players with NO WEAPONS or SHIELD or ITEMS in their hands, do not drain focus while in combat mode.

There are two reasons I think this is important.

1. Players running around in combat mode is a bit of an advantage in PVP and in PVE because skills and spells have a cool down when you first enter combat mode. By staying in combat mode, players currently get an advantage without paying a price (once they're at full health and full focus).

2. There's currently no reason not to throw a weapon of some kind in your hands if you're a "pure mage". This means being a mage that doesn't use weapons (that's what I like to play) is a playstyle that's not really supported. I'm effectively nerfing myself by playing this way, and I think that's wrong. There should be some advantage to casting spells while not using anything else, like a weapon that I really don't have any skill points in.

I would also include Staves and Wands in this mix, as both of those items grant a significant advantage without requiring ANY skill points. (by the way I'd like to see Staves and Wands require skill points)

 

The reason I run around in combat mode is because if you don't, then starting combat you have no cards at all, no abilities to fight with, and it takes a while for the bar to fill up the first time. The enemies don't have that disadvantage.

As for staves and wands, I think they should be set aside as mage weapons and increase the effectiveness of spells rather than doing a ranged attack.

 

I disagree on both points.

Again, there's no reason to make this combat system about DPS. Every solution is not a damage tweak waiting to happen.

The OP covers both of the thing you mentioned in detail.

 

Well first off there should not be a cool down drawing your sword. Cool down is post-usage, most martial forms have a drawing attack except for seriously cumbersome weapons.

That would solve your issue there.

I also don't see why someone couldn't run around with their sword out or bow in hand

 

They can, it should just slowly drain focus.

 

NO they really shouldn't. You're not swinging the weapon and striking enemies or using it.

 

You have it READY, which is not some kind of unconscious ability that requires no thought. It means you're LITERALLY ready to fight at any moment. That requires focus.

 

NO, you don't have it ready. You are not running AND fighting.

 

I agree, there shouldn't be a cool down for drawing your weapon out. The cool down should happen Post Use. If it worked this way, once attacked you just hit Z if you aren't holding your weapon and boom you're ready to defend yourself. There shouldn't be a penalty for holding your weapon or not holding your weapon.

 

If you're in combat mode, you're ready to fight. There's no denying that. It's like saying the sky isn't blue.

 

Maybe you should be able to draw weapons without going into combat mode

 

When you hit "Z" it draws your weapon and gets you ready for combat. It does not put you in combat. Focus is burned in combat, not preparing for it.

 

Yes, that's how it currently works. I'm saying it shouldn't work that way. I'm saying that once your glyphs begin to charge up, you should slowly drain focus. If we disagree, that's fine. But I'm pointing out that currently going into combat mode requires nothing, and it gives players an advantage.

If you're in combat mode and I'm not, you have all your skills ready to go. That should require focus, in my opinion.

 

Why would someone want to do that?

 

Well if combat was done realistically your skills would already be available. Focus only burns when in combat, you are only in combat if your fighting someone. If I'm in the middle of no where and hit "Z" I am not in combat. It doesn't matter how the glyphs act, you don't just remember how to fight because your toolbar pops up.

If I have my sword drawn and you don't. that's called surprise.

 

If you have your sword drawn for 6 straight hours it's called "my arm is going to fall off". Holding weapons and standing in a combat stance requires focus. Give it a try sometime, you probably wouldn't be able to hold it while multitasking. It's not like you're casually walking down the street, you're in COMBAT MODE.

It should require a slow focus drain.

 

@Drocis,

A dagger wouldn't be a problem. If they did something like that, it might as well work by the drawn weapon adding to your encumbrance by its weight (dual-wielding more so). But just having the weapon on your body should add to encumbrance, which I think the devs said will end up penalizing players.

 

I'd still rather like to see a fizzle rate multiplier the more hands you have occupied. So one weapon increases your fizzle rate, two more so.

I haven't used wands or staves yet, don't know how they currently work. But I believe they said that a mage will have to store a spell in a wand or staff, and it would have a certain number of charges before it runs out and they have to store a new spell there. So I don't see major issue there, if there's enough of a cost to do that.

 

I agree... as long as the slow drain comes after some period of non-combat activity while in combat mode. IRL, you draw a weapon with the intent to use it, you ramp yourself up, you pay more attention to your surroundings, your muscles are tensed somewhat, and adrenaline starts pumping. Stay that way for too long, and the crash when the adrenaline wears off is not going to be fun. Stay that way longer, and as Drocis said, muscles begin to fatigue and you will be less focused on what is going on.

I like prepping when I know I am going to fight, but I agree that if you are just running around in combat mode, you gain the advantage of being ready, but should pay a penalty of some sort for consciously taking advantage of that situation.

 

I think that skills should be ready when you draw weapon. The random deck should be full of glyphs too. The delay makes little sense.

As for the focus draining, I would be satisfied with no focus regeneration. Though someone leaning on their halberd is case where focus regeneration makes sense.