Combat/Skills/Spells video chat!

What does Dex do exactly? and anyway to dodge spells? Maybe make it where if u roll or backflip it could dodge a spell? things like sun ray have no counters and smelling salts CD is to long for confusion spam.

 

Can we get a copy of that slide show posted?

 

• Could we have better control over character movement and the camera which is probably the primary problem with the combat system? Currently changing the character's direction requires moving the character which breaks stillness and makes combat maneuvering difficult. Could a key be added for Interact/Steer [Character's POV] that when held down would allow the user to steer their avatar in the direction of the camera? Could there be an option of replacing the character name with a targeting reticule to show the character's central point of view?

• Would it be possible to have a small picture in picture for the character's 1st person view while zoomed out which would then switch cameras when zoomed in? Could the 3rd person view be indicative of the soul ball/willow wisp shown when dead with maybe the option of tying it to a summoned tamed creature?

• Could we have more shortcut keys for hand usage?
  1. main-hand attack (with weapon or spell implement)
  2. off-hand attack (with shield, weapon, spell implement, or buckler [basically brass knuckles with a small shielding guard and maybe sharp studs which is traditionally the weapon used to train dual wielding])
  3. main-hand defense (parry)
  4. off-hand defense (block or parry)
  5. Defense could be a single toggle switch followed by 6.1 and/or 6.2, however having two separate keys provides more options

• There are many skills and combos that can be simplified by tying them to keys or situations. Could we see some of the following?
  1. Riposte as simply an attack quickly following a defensive move (current animation is ridiculous [Why is the character looking at the player after the attack?])
  2. Ranged spells (like Fire arrow) that are simply ranged versions of their prerequisite skill (Flame fist) should simply vary in focus cost based on target range
  3. Holding down(charging) a hand key can modify spell properties like area and power. For example one hand charging could target the spell on the caster (Immolation) while the other charging would target an enemy (Fireball), and charging both could create a mass area effect (Ring of Fire).
  4. Pressing both defense hand keys at the same time could either cross swords if dual wielding swords, create a defensive V shape when wielding sword and shield, or making an intimidating swash and drumming noise on a buckler (think triangle or wood block), and could also be used for other percussion instruments like coconuts or cymbals (which could also be sharp deadly weapons). I think most percussion instruments are simply safer versions of old weapons.
  5. If weapons are sheathed then the characters should be able to defend themselves with bare-hands, instruments, or tools (if attacked while gathering then the tool should replace the current instrument unless another slot is added)
  6. Tumble should simply be tied to combat rolling.
  7. Dodge could simply allow the ability to quickly move out of the way when attacked.

• Could light armor skill tree be changed to Martial Arts and the Shield tree changed to Offhand?

• Is there a chance of having fully optional Hot-bars like below?
  1. Overland utility bar
  2. Non-combat utility bar
  3. Offensive variable bar
  4. Defensive variable bar
  5. Ability to choose which bar slots can be hidden and under what circumstances they are visible. For example a mage could use locked spells on a half-hidden Offensive bar with random deck slots only available when their wand is unsheathed.
  6. Able to move visible slots around based on play style.
  7. The above versatility of keys and situations adds greater option in play style with features from both fighting games and first person shooters along with less reliance upon hot-bars.
  8. Players can play with as many hot slots as they want. For example a player may want something similar to the Offensive bar in an earlier release. A player could have three visible random slots. All other available slots would be hidden and either empty or accessible through shortcut.

• Will we ever have truly clickable items within variable sizing bags (of different names)? Could we have different bag displays that are changeable for each bag? Could bags be shown as lists, physical objects with sort-able sections, or as a deck of cards for use with hot bar slots? Therefore you could have a bag/deck for creatures, food, thrown weapons/traps, and even spells (however they may need to first be written on a piece of paper).

• Could there be traditional sorcery with variable woven spells using more focus/less reagents and wizardry with the current locked spells using less focus/more reagents? Could there be chaos magic with chaos stone roulette (IE current unlocked slots) with chaos stones placed on armour/weapons and true scroll cards (with non-repairable full durability) which use reagents for crafting and use little or no focus? Could there be summoning cards created for players and pets(possibly with a mercenary fee for helping summoners)?

• Why are most add-on / pledge armor and weapons worse than the starting items? In the case of stretch goal armor (which have not achieved their goals) they should at the very least be the same as starter equipment unless there are plans for cosmetic slots.

 

"Screw you, it's magic." ~Chris 2015

 

Thank you for this video chat, it was very helpful!

 

@Chris

you can always answer all the other questions with a wall of text^^

 

Thanks Chris.

Now i can continue playing knowing that crocodiles (and many other mobs with the same sound effect, or slimes with wolf sounds) will get some love sooner or later

 

I appreciate Chris' time but I was rather disappointed. I was really hoping for some of the difficult questions to get answered. Such as the long term goal of combat and advancement. For the first time, I feel jaded.

 

You seem to call out everyone as rude as soon you do not agree with someone or as soon you get into an discussion with someone and if it ends with you not agreeing.
He wasn't totally rude to you at all. Being totally rude to someone is something very different, seriously.

And btw. both of you did a good job with filling this thread with "back and forth off topic discussion".
Both of you were disrespectful to Chris.

But still, even thought it was the wrong place to do so, Whiskiz made a lot of valid points regarding your replys here.
First you say something about "disrespectful" and "back and forth off topic discussion".
Then, on the same day you keep posting and posting with nearly no questions at all to Chris but a lot of other non related text to this topic.

Now it doesn't matter anymore i guess, video chat is done.

 

Yeah this shouldn't lead to a lot of head trips here
it's like I've Always said


I LOVE THAT!!!

 

Thank you so much for responding Chris. It means a lot. I respect you guys which is why I upped my pledge twice. Not easy to do with a little one running around!

To answer your question/s,

I feel like we do not have meaningful decisions to make. At least ones that make an impact. The trees are rather bland right now and I don't feel like my character is unique in anyway. I think the trees are too small or we have too few trees to promote that diversification. My playgroup constantly brings up that they want to be great at a few things...but the way in which we do those things is limited or at least the skill choice is not appealing.

I really like free form attack and would like to see it improved upon in some way. I have not tried it with dual wielding yet. The one aspect of the video I truly enjoyed was the crowd control part and 'pulling' targets. That, to me, is exactly what I and my playgroup is looking for.

Perhaps creating two subspecs in each tree could assist with some of these items. For example in Blades, we could have two sub trees--Bounty Hunter and Duelist. You could only pick one such specialization but spec into the general trees.

Please let me know if this makes any sense. I am not a developer by any means. I am a Healthcare manager with IT experience, but by no means am I a developer. I have been desperately trying to convey my thoughts in various threads. I spent several hours today in the one thread I made, titled "meaningful combat" over on the combat and skills subforum of game features. https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/meaningful-combat.35679/

Thank you for your time Chris. I did not intend or mean to come off sounding ungrateful.

 

I agree with Padre... Hopefully the trees can become more exciting soon.

 

Thank you Chris.... especially grateful for the slides, now I won't have to watch it over and over taking notes lol

 

Enable the Q&A App in Google Hangouts:
https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2660854?vid=1-635797855195214012-2204379749#questions

 

@Chris Thanks for all the questions you had time to answer. I was really hoping that you would get to more of them also, but I totally understand time was limited and you could only fit so many in.

I wish there was some sort of poll function to determine the order of questions answered too. I also wish I had noticed the thread before BDF did, since he got so many Q's in before me, haha.

Hopefully you can continue answering these posts in other sessions when you have time? Or, maybe you could just reply to some of them in the thread when you can?

 

Thank you, Chris. That was incrediblely informative and helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to do that.

 

Hey Chris, Awesome video lots of things understood! i think a good way to do this next time would be maby 3 questions per person though, there was a lot i looked forward to hearing about but with the time frame a lot was missed. Thanks for doing this! I look forward to future videos!

 

This, this, one thousand times this.

Turning every Q+A in a "single man show", as Chris himself called it is really annoying. I can't really believe some people think all their curiosities are important to everyone, and monopolizing every public place is anything but a abysmal show of narcissism. Self restraint, we hardly knew ye.