Afraid that the combat system might get ditched

There is a lot of negative feedback about the glyph combat system. As I understand this comes mainly from MMO players who are used to a WoW style combat system and would like to have this for SotA, too.

My fear is that the devs might at some point give in to all of this negative feedback and switch to this traditional combat system.

I can understand some of the arguments against the glyph system with it being too random etc. But I really hope that if the devs decide to go for another system that they will NOT subsitute it for a classic WoW like system. This would be the worst that could happen to the combat of the game.

I would rather see them create a completely new combat system from scratch, something different, more action oriented, active, faster, more dangerous. Something that feels like combat without button mashing. Don't get me wrong I am not proposing that the glyph system should be removed, if it stays in the game I would be totally ok with that as it is definitely better than WoW like combat, but just in case the devs decide to remove it, then please do not go for a WoW combat. In this case rather create something completely new even if this means delaying the game further.

 

I wouldn't worry to much. You see this with every release, it seems people over react in both directions. Things that make it unplayable for some and things that make it to easy or to hard get modified until they find the proper balance. The Dev's know where they want to go with it, a person who tries it for the first time without any documentation and gives up without puting the time in isn't the person they are using to see what needs to be worked on (other then say documentation and tutorial.).

It is funny to note those jumping on the bus and off the bus and predicting doom and gloom instead of saying well this works and this works but I liked this better. No one likes anything that provides negatives to their characters, but it is part of a system that has to have checks and balances to make it balanced and not just a pew pew fight.

If anything, this dev team has shown they take in a lot of info but steer their own course...I'm hoping that they continue to do that.

 

I think the deck system is brilliant. (I take your point though that you are also agreeing that you like the deck system. Just putting in my 2 cents).

I suck at PvP but am having a blast anyway.

There's clearly a lot of depth to the system, both ahead of time in setting up deck and gear combos, and then in actual combat itself. There's clearly skill involved on both ends, if you see the players that are consistently kicking the most ass (I'm thinking of espada and lord spaz, for instance, being able to consistently tackle 2 or 3 attackers at once successfully)

 

Signed! And this is another reason why we need a firm outline of the game vision.

 

This has been my main problem with this system from the start. the reason its a "traditional system" is because it intuitively works and so people want to use it, its just like the left analog stick for movement and the right for camera on a PS3 controller, that system makes sense. If you leave the game mechanics alone that's more time that can be devoted to the things which DO need innovation like the story and its more immersive because people can sit down and start playing without having to think about how the basic controls work. I am engaged in what is happening in my life because every time I wake up in the morning I don't have to relearn a new way to eat or go to the toilet, I can just concentrate on what is happening

 

This would mean stagnation and then I wonder why we don't have turn based combat in every game anymore...

 

I really enjoyed the glyph based combat system, I'm a big fan of it. It gives much more strategy than most other MMOs - strategy building your deck, strategy during the fight using the right cards as they come up and building a deck that has enough of the right cards in it so they come up when you need.

As you become more skilled with the deck, then you don't need to watch the hot bar as you get better at just glancing at it and instantly recognizing the glyphs. For newbs I would recommend just locking all your cards until you're skilled enough to use the unlocked version without getting frustrated.

Like anything, it just takes practice to get skilled - don't get put off if you're not instantly good at it, practice until you are.

 

Current combat system is great because when it's done and polished it would allow thousands of combinations and tactics, not just boring bot-style key pressing. It allows us continue experimenting and finding new ways to fight even years after release.
I hope devs won't change it to casual rpg style.

 

I am a fan of the system as well. Sure it still needs a lot of work, but what I have seen so far shows me that this combat system can work. We have only tested this combat system for a couple releases anyway. I think it is too early to say ok this will not work lets toss it.

 

I really enjoy the combat system and I will be looking forward to each release wherein I will get to try additional new abilities! It is a lot more interesting than a "WoW" style combat system and I also like that it doesn't require me to be "twitchy". Keep up the great work Dev Team!

 

Just want to say that I'm not a fan of the glyph combat. I don't hate it to death and it has some cool features, but in the end, it just takes too much focus from the rest of the screen. I have trouble tracking enemies when I'm NOT focused on a constantly changing skill bar!

Also, I never played WoW or any mmo for that matter. Strictly a single player rpg kind of guy, so I don't fit your first assertion.

 

Maybe the problem is that we are thrown into the system right now with lots of skillpoints in order to try out a lot of skills. Maybe in the "final" game you start with just very few skillspoints with which to buy one or two skills. And then the system slowly builds from that so that you get used to it more gently and can master it later on when you have lots of skills to manage.

 

Not for me. And maybe I'm the exception and just have to deal with it, but 3d games already have an "almost more than I can handle" feel. Moving the camera, moving my character, coordinating attacks, watching where the enemies are, keeping track of my health and theirs, trying to maneuver. It takes everything I have to do all those things passably at one time. A toolbar that keeps changing is the straw that breaks the camel's back. It's just too much. I don't see how any amount of tweaking and improvements can change the fact that the glyph bar takes your focus away from the rest of the game and runs counter to the goal of minimal UI features with was so touted earlier in development.

I think the reason the static skillbar developed in gaming was to offer a skill interface that allows you to concentrate on the game and not on some menu. If they can come up with some innovative new system that doesn't add another unnecessary layer of complication and focus diversion, I'll be more open to it. The current system is simply "too much."

 

Thing is, thinking about it... you'd need to start with a fair amount of skills right off the bat otherwise you're gonna have a deck with like 5 glyphs and 15 slugs. Which wouldn't be good...

 

But maybe realistic as you are no hero at the beginning of the game but "Harry Potter" coming to a fantasy land. I think if thrust into another realm and being put a sword in the hand would make no one a Conan the Barbarian. Instead you would maybe know ho to swing or thrust a sword but very clumsily. So having just a few glyphs and many slugs is something I would expect.

 

meh wow was so ..... never played it . still not like how the melee fighter is working atm and how npcs interacting

 

I doubt they will ditch the system. However, did you notice any differences between the R8 combat system and R9? I hope they can pull it back together so that it feels more like R8's combat system, but still add the features they need. I don't understand why there are cool downs on the deck system. It has become more of a hindrance in this release than it was in the last release. Very subtle, but it is there none the less. I really didn't enjoy R9.

I was positive about the deck system in R8, but in my opinion there should be some negative feedback about this system in this release. How else will the devs know it was fun for most people or not?

 

I had great fun creating my deck and experimenting with different combinations until I found the RIGHT one for me.
This system will give a great variety of play styles and that is great.

 

How long did you play to do that? Keep in mind when the game is released we won't start out with a whole lot of skill points and have the opportunity to raise and lower our skills, and test them out and keep raising and lowering them again at will.

This system is very complex. We don't know what the skills do before we test them. How does a level 1 person develop an end game career path? How will they know what skills they need to take when they reach the next level without testing all the skills out as if they were level 20 or level 50?

So that needs to be resolved.

In UO I never respeced a character. In WoW I only respeced my character 2x. In this release I didn't bother counting all the changes I made, and I didn't find a deck I liked. I was frustraited and quit trying. Remember this is a game. We aren't forced to play a game because it isn't our job. If new players came in and had this experience dragged out over 20 levels, and numerous respecs... well let's just hope this changes before release.

It may have been great fun for you to experiment with different combinations on your deck, but it won't be possible for new players once the game starts, and not everybody found that enjoyable, including me and I played R8 hours on end and enjoyed the deck system in R8.

 

This pretty much said it all and I agree with it. Anything that takes my focus off my enemy or surroundings during battle, and causes me to glance at a randomized menu, is something that fails.