Defense

I don't really understand why this is the case...but all video games favor offense over defense.

Maybe it's because initiative is so important. Or maybe it's because players get frustrated when their offensive attacks are stopped cold by other players. Whatever the reason, it's a fact. It's why you can't play defense in an RTS, it's why there's no defensive maneuvers in 3rd person shooters, it's why the O in MMO should stand for offense.

Defense, and the players (like me) that try their very best to use defensive tactics, get stomped on. We never win. A good offense is always better than a good defense.

I'd like that to change.

I'd like to use a shield in a meaningful way. I'd like parry or disarm to actually "work". I'd like to be able to "defend" someone or something and have that matter strategically in combat. I would like to be rewarded for being conservative and thoughtful. I would enjoy it if being fast and using some combination of power moves was not always enough to beat whatever logical defense I can come up with.

In short, I'd like defense to be valid in SotA. I'd like "player skill" to be much more than it's ever been...I'd like it to be real.

 

In another game, I raised my melee defense and magic defense to their max, and I got to where I could fight the highest level mobs to a standstill. I couldn't kill them, but they couldn't kill me. Unfortunately, you have to kill the mobs to win. They don't have to kill you. Just stop you. However, I didn't have Captain America's shield moves.

 

I don't think this is true at all, particularly in most MMOs that feature class based characters. I generally play a tank, which is heavy on defense, but has limited DPS. I'm hard to kill, but it takes me a while to kill anything when playing solo. In GW2 for WvW, I played mace and shield, and selected traits that would allow me to stun lock opponents. It wasn't easy for me to kill another warrior with that build, but in combination with other KGB players, it was devastating in that I could keep an enemy stunned while a DPS configured partner would rapidly dispatch them.

 

On the funny side: You would have to take that up with Sun Tzu Goblin King, he was the one who started the trend
On the serious side: I agree that defense skills should have a meaningful impact, just like the offensive skills.

 

In AC you are actually more likely to win a fight if you wait for the opponent to attack and then counter

 

Ahh, Sun Tzu. Maybe a collection of rules, how to field an army, for instance to get one loaf of bread supplied to an army, 10 are needed. nine consumed by the supply line. Few ideas of tactics needed to achieve the rules/ suggestions. The question of defense vs offense is/needs to be balanced. A good tactic for a thief is being well dressed. lol

In reality, if a fighter has no or little defense and all attack, then in attacking if he takes a few good hits, he's then dead.
I have played characters/games where attack and defense mitigation were equal in importance, as it should be. A decent attack should be blocked by a good defense.

Edit: Tzu does talk of foraging, my bad.