Melee System

[BlueThundah]

Is there any way that a deeper melee system could be implemented?

Honestly, the most fun way to play the game is to go completely nuts, hacking people to bits with your sword, yet at this point it just feels supplementary too the shooting.

What I think would be cool are things like being able to draw your sword rather than have a RE4 style dedicated knife button. Also the ability to (when using swords only) lock on to targets, allowing you to circle strafe them, and get rid of all the anoying times enemies just walk past your sword.

Honestly this game would be a lot more fun with the option for a more fleshed out pure melee build. It would diversify gameplay a whole lot.

[PaleMinerva]

I honestly prefer having a dedicated melee button while I'm in combat. If I had to switch to a melee weapon to launch a quick charge attack to take out one enemy, then switch back to a gun and take out an enemy that's a bit more out of reach; I wouldn't be using melee anywhere near as often as I currently am. I'd just gun them both down and be down with it. My biggest complaint with melee is clipping through enemies during the melee animation and dealing no damage - this doesn't happen at any other point, it shouldn't be happening here.

[Malachia]

I also like the fact that theres a melee button, I think this suits this type of game the best.

I agree that the melee in this game is horrible though, especially with the AI.

*stands in enemys face while hes in cover*

"ima charge this here sword attack and slash your face bro"

"SSHHH! im trying to take cover from tho- AARGGHH"

[mesmer]

i agree with the op in that it would be cool if there was even a little more focus on melee or even a basic sword style system. even something as simple as a dmc combo style of xxxx x,xxx xx,xx xxx,x would be a huge difference.

but i also agree with pale in that sometimes in combat you just want to draw and get people off of you. maybe leaving combat as it is while having a sword as a 3rd option alters you into a more sword only focused mode of attack.

[[DE]Steve]

Thanks for the post - melee is an important part of the game, and we will certainly be deepening it. Bugs aside what is there isn't super shallow however, there is a crit system, charge attack, sliding spin attacks, leaping attacks and charge timing combined with movement.

Before we go so far as to change controls, we are intending on adding new melee types, looking at expanding attack styles more and improving the damage model so that blade/blunt is more tactically interesting.

[Innit78]

I also agree that some sort of combo system would be nice.

Also a block/parry system would make the melee better also (in my opinion)

[PaleMinerva]

Blocking, perhaps, though blocking a gun or an elbow strike with a blade sounds a little odd. Parrying, odder still.

[Boffosaurus]

What I want from melee is what I want more of from the rest of the game in general. One of the coolest thing about the games is transitioning between movement states. Running into sliding into a flip then slam into the ground with your sword or running, jumping, then dive kicking through the air and doing a spinning sword attack (seriously, do this one, it's the coolest S#&$ ever, run, jump, crouch, melee).

They could add more stuff like this, like jumping when charging an attack to do a jumping charge attack, cut your enemies in half from top to bottom. Attack while rolling to follow up with a stab (seen this move done in many media, notably games like Soul Calibur where I remember Mitsurugi and Yoshimitsu doing it very distinctly).

I'd also like the ability to charge after a normal attack. Currently you can follow up a normal melee attack with other normal melee attacks, but if I press E, then hold E, it doesn't do anything. I just sorta stand there putting my sword away looking dumbfounded at my target. It'd be cool to run up, stun your target with a normal attack then follow up with a heavy attack to finish them off. It wouldn't be as fast and efficient as charging as you run up, but if you mess that up you have that other option.

I think the dedicated melee button works perfectly fine though- it allows you to mix swordplay and gunplay together with no transition. I am currently using the shotgun (a rightfully glorious weapon in this game) and I love running up to slash opponents to weaken them slightly, then blowing them away with a blast from my shotgun.

I'm personally looking forward to seeing what shenanigans I can get up to when I get my cestus, who's in-game name escapes me (orobably Punchtron with how the current names are...)

Edited January 7, 2013 by Boffosaurus

[Hyakushiki]

I've posted something in a different topic, but one thing that would add to the illusion of depth would be to have differing weapon styles...perhaps certain Frames having different stances and attacks.

Having a uniqie style per Frame would be unrealistic...but perhaps certain Frames could fit within a certain "School or style" of fighting, each style having different animations and stances.

This is from an aesthetics standpoint only..obviously more attacks and melee systems would add to the melee overall.

[CoreyBlueExclusive]

I would love some blocking.but I dont know how it's gonna balance out with the rest of the game.

[Innit78]

I was thinking that blocking would reduce or stop damage altogether depending on the melee attack.

As for ranged perhaps it could stop the weaker weaker shots or if you have a mod it could stop some stronger guns.

[BlueThundah]

I'm only really more interested in whether there will be features making a melee ony route more playable, somewhat more accessable.

[Pruney]

Yeah I like the fact that your melee weapon is always 'ready' but I'd prefer to be able to have it out all the time and then be able to use special combos or techniques that do more damage or do AoE damage, etc...

[Zenhon]

Am I the only one who gets annoyed at clipping into enemies and having the charge attack completely miss them?