Let's settle this once and for all. Card combat, Good or Bad

You mean, I can have a mini game going while crafting? Might actually be funnier than what's in place now. Can I also have better made stuff when it happens though - you know, reward me for being good at it? And maybe those that don't like it can stick to the traditional craft button.

And I'm joking.......maybe.......

 

You should have kept reading my reply then. The point of my reply was to point out how ESO has a somewhat similar skill tree system (multiple skill trees, freedom to mix and match what you want) but very different combat mechanics. Let me repeat the relevant bits, ESO has active blocking and bashing, used not only for damage reduction, but also in reaction to certain attacks by your opponent to leave them stunned and off guard. ESO also has various AoEs in every shape to watch for and dodge, aka "stay out of the red circle". I forgot to mention that ESO also has actual light/strong attacks that aren't tied to auto-attacking, and skill cooldowns were not "short" they were non-existent. ESO has zero skill cooldowns. Zero. Zip. Nada. Ultimates (one per hotbar) do require you to build up points first but that's not the same as a cooldown. It is completely different from SotA, and I would argue ESO actually gave you more options.

SotA has as much in common with ESO as either of them do with Guild Wars 2. They all to 2 hotbars full of skills that you switch between. That's it.

 

And it's still being brought up, two years later.

 

Actually arguing about combat system is more fun than trying to get used to it.
Its so obvious at this point that this is not the game that UO players where expecting.
After 17 years UO skill and combat system still beats any new game out there, sad but true.

 

Yes, it is. And we are all hoping for improvement in one form or another. However, it is perfectly clear that the fundamental system is staying.
The only foreseeable significant change was hinted to in a recent hangout where Chris or Starr (don't remember which) said that they have some ideas they may prototype in dev+ for feedback. I don't remember if there was a date on that. But it was clear that it was a HUD change, not a functional one.

I was most surprised in the last hangout when Chris said that the green borders was a compromise and that is was not wanted by some because the combos are supposed to be hard to do. That is why I said, combo easy buttons are likely out as well. I think that it is the combos that provide the greatest level of distraction.

However, no matter what is done, the game play will just be the SOTA game play. Some will quit and others will join over it, but the overwhelming majority will just accept it. New players will never even know there was a debate about it, nor will they care. That is why I say it is a bump in the road.

 

When the best opinion about this combat system is " I like it" or "I m getting used to it" and you read things like "players will just accept it because its here to stay" don't you think there is enough evidence something is wrong?

 

Strangely, i don't think there is a lot of debate about that.

 

As for "constructive" criticism: I'm not a game designer so I can't come up with an alternative combat system (although many backers have done just that). I think it's important for people to continue to speak out on the things that they both like and dislike about this game. If the backers who are opposed to something just shut up and go away (as many have already) - then the developers may get a false sense that everything is going just fine. The reality is that things are not ok for a lot of people. There is a sizeable group of us that have a huge problem with the combat right now.

We, the backers, want this game to succeed. We've invested in it both financially and emotionally. So, I think it's important to speak out on something that we disagree with while this game is still being developed. Speak now or forever hold your peace - because it may be too late to change things once it goes to final release.

 

I don't think they will. It isn't like SotA has a ton of players backing it already, and the game won't appeal to the general gaming populace. Even the most avid fans still talk about this being a "niche" game. The problem is, if it falls short of offering an immersive and deep single player experience, there are a lot of people who won't play it. They might play Episode 1, sure, because they already spent money on it, but they're setting this up that a lot of cool content is slated for years down the line. They don't get to work on those games if people don't pre-pay for it, and a lot of this money ain't comin' back around if the combat doesn't make most people happy.

Last I heard, SotA isn't planning on letting people host their own servers, either, so if the servers go offline, so does that $1,500 digital house.

 

@By Tor [MGT]
I am sure the developers got the message. As a passionate game player you're as qualified as anyone to suggest changes. I think the best ideas come when the implementation details are put to the side anyway.

 

Card combat as it stands today? (which is going to change for certain) or in general? This is purely personal preference and not something that can be settled one way or another.

 

So far the trend of this poll has been 1/3 for, 2/3 against. I get a feeling a few of the negatives are due to the wording of the poll "in its current state" - seeing as how even the developers aren't happy with it 'in the current state' it makes sense that would draw a few more negative votes. I'm just not sure how many.

Ah well, it's still an interesting poll. 1/3 - 2/3 isn't nearly as one sided as some had expected. 66% isn't enough to vote something off the table, but it is a good visual reference the Devs can quickly look at to consider their direction.

 

Strongly disagree the overwhelming majority will just accept it. Over time the casualties and defectors rise and rise.

 

you also have to consider the people that abstained from the vote with no confidence in it.

 

Just for the record, at the time I voted the numbers were 36.9 yea, and 63.1 nay. I think it's fairly well known which way I lean.

That being said, this won't be the end of it. This won't be once and for all, and I doubt we will even accomplish much, except to get today's barometer reading.

The devs have to do some serious self searching before the combat system can change.

 

This has been going on two years. The concerns today echo the ones from 2013. This isn't a system they threw together and said, "Hey, let's try it this way"; this is the system you will play at launch, guys. How it is, right now, is how you will be playing in 2016 if the combat isn't fundamentally changed. They have time to make the UI "better" (yet they haven't proposed any ideas on how they'll do that), but aren't planning much else. Chris has said as much they compromised on the green outlines for combos on the hotbar; they never wanted the system to be "as easy" as it is now.

I'm gonna' repeat that, because it bears being repeated: they originally planned on the UI giving less feedback than it already does, meaning you would have to look even harder to see what combos were available. Once more combos are in the game, all the green outlines won't make much of a difference (since you'll still have to compare highlighted glyphs), but even that was too much for them.

 

It's also worth noting that if we changed the wording to be "pending it's final fixed version" then the voting would indeed swing massively towards yes votes, because it's always easy to sell people hope. "The Future" is full of wonder and awesomeness, because in The Future, we all get what we want. Only, The Future still isn't here, and people have been waiting with breathless anticipation since the dawn of recorded time.

We should discuss what we have now, and let the devs know how we feel now.
If Portalarium releases a new version of the UI, I'll play it. If they release a version that I think is fun and awesome, I'll like it, and I'll back it.
But until they do, I'm going on the assumption that they won't.

 

Yes its not as one sided as I thought, I thought for sure that it would be the mirror image because so many of those who hate it either wont buy it or have given up and left. The fact that the negative is that much higher says something when the bias is always going to be towards those in favor

 

Who knows.

 

I think we all agree passion is better than apathy, so even a long debate can be good as long as it remains civil

For some of the points in this thread we'll obviously just have to agree to disagree, distortions or otherwise

One thing about the Internet that may never change: public forum ultimatums gotta love 'em

I support Portalarium even if they don't act on any of my suggestions (and I've made a lot the last few days) - plus I support the community (but I didn't vote on this poll) - is support a virtue? ... I forget