Suggestion For A New Melee System (Reuses The Animations From The Current.)

[KF5AQX]

As the title says, I was discussing this in clan chat with some friends, and we hashed out a system for melee that doesn't force DE to delete all the animations they've currently made. This system would require a large amount of animation work, but would make melee viable and powerful, as fits with the apparent them Warframe is working on. So, without further ado.

 

Overview:

 

This system adds what I've dubbbed "Melee stance." While in this stance, melee damage is increased, guns are placed on the frame and unable to be fired, and the melee weapon is drawn and held. During this state, melee attacks are mapped to mouse 1 and mouse 2, with combos being applicable by altering the input of the two. However, mouse 2 is not a heavy attack. It's merely a different form of light attack, possibly doing a different damage type. I'll go into this further down. The current system of "Press E to melee," would not be removed. This suggestion doesn't touch on this, as quick melee is still needed, and I doubt DE wants to just throw away all the work they've put into this.

 

 

Melee stance:

 

 

This is where things get interesting. Melee stance would be entered by holding down E, in place of a charge attack. The Warframe would holster their rifle/pistol, draw their melee, and enter a balanced martial arts stance. While in this stance, the delay on stamina recharge would be removed, as melee would use a large amount of stamina, and putting a limit on it would make melee play painful. In addition, weapons that normally only hit a single target become multi target, IE, longswords can hit multiple enemies in a swing. The possible exception to this would be weapons like the Kogake or Obex, which are fist weapons and would only hit one target. Possibly these weapons would gain a 4X damage boost, to balance this.

 

During this stance, blocking would be automatic, and only drain stamina while actively blocking. This would use the same coding as with Reflex Guard, but would NOT lock the player into the animation. If they decide to attack in the middle of a block, the animation is canceled, and they attack normally. Possibly add animations for over the shoulder blocking, or sideways blocking, but this is not necessary. For those of you who've played it, picture the system from Jed Knight 2: Jedi Outcast.

 

While in this stance, melee damage would be increased. This would require some tweaks so as to be balanced vs gun play, but I think it should NOT be less than a 2X modifier. Melee is a high risk, high reward system, and should never take more than four attacks to kill a standard grunt. Period.

 

 

The control scheme:

 

When you have your weapon drawn, the aim and fire buttons would be replaced with melee one and melee two buttons. These two attacks would not deal more or less damage than the other, but would use different animations. Their main purpose would be to make combos. The different attacks MIGHT have different damage types however. If melee one is a slash, it would do mostly slash damage, while melee two is a stab, so it would do mostly puncture damage. I'm still not sure on this point though, as it basically removes the need for specialized weapons.

 

Now for the good stuff. Add a bash/stun/kick key. This could default to Q, or possibly middle mouse. This could be anything form a hilt bash, to a headbutt, to a kick, to a straight arm punch. The animation doesn't matter. What does matter is what it does to the enemy. The bash/stun/kick would ALWAYS cause stagger, in any target, including bosses. This would be to give it utility, and keep those damn Chargers from killing you while you slash them. The main purpose of this attack however, would be setting up the enemy for executions, which is where the REAL meat of this suggestion is.

 

Executions:

 

Finally, the good stuff! This is what would truly make melee into a high risk, high reward style. When an enemies health is low enough, say below 30%, they would glow red/blue/yellow/bright pink, and stagger back. While in this stat, bashing them would activate an execution. These attacks would INSTANTLY kill the enemy, with no chance for escape. You are immune to stagger and CC during the animation, but not damage. These would be quick, brutal, violent finishers, involving removing limbs, slashing guts, and breaking bones.

 

By this point you're probably thinking that this whole suggestion was to add fancy finisher moves. To an extent, you would be right. However, these moves have far more than flashiness on their side. They also restore a portion of health, possibly 15 or 20 points, and fully refill your stamina. In addition, they are so brutally violent that any enemy within a set distance, say 4 in game meters, would have a chance to be terror struck, or even staggered, from the sheer violence.

 

Enemies that are "Terror struck," would turn and flee for a set amount of seconds, exactly like Nekros's Terrify. They would not fire on the Tenno, and would be in a perfect position for a backstab kill, as covered below.

 

 

Backstabs:

 

This is mostly a quality of life suggestion. Enemies are very difficult to backstab currently, as you have to be precisely behind them to engage it, which is difficult to do without brushing them and alerting them. So, assuming the bash move is added, bashing an enemy from behind would automatically engage the animation. A side affect of this is that you can use backstabs to kill enemies foolish enough to turn their back on you in melee combat!

 

 

I'm open to ideas and input. I know this system is by no means perfect, and would need some balancing work. And there is no TL;DR. Stop being lazy and scroll up.

 

Also, community mods. I wasn't sure where to put this, so if you deem I've put it in the wrong place, please move it to wherever you feel it belongs.

 

I await your feedback.

Edited November 26, 2013 by KF5AQX

[Soopineer]

tl;dr
but okay

[Raptorator]

Sounds very cool, +1

 

I personally think that the execution on 30% of health is to strong. Why don´t perform them if you would need less than two remaining hits to kill the enemy?

 

The second meele button could be somthing like a "special" strike, which has more crit chance, higher attack speed or a longer reach than the normal strike.  

[KF5AQX]

Sounds very cool, +1

 

I personally think that the execution on 30% of health is to strong. Why don´t perform them if you would need less than two remaining hits to kill the enemy?

 

The second meele button could be somthing like a "special" strike, which has more crit chance, higher attack speed or a longer reach than the normal strike.  

 

Yeah, the exact time period when you can execute will need some tweaks. But I think it should be high enough that it's not simply better to slash them one more time and move on. Executions are supposed to be a way to quickly finish a stunned enemy, not a way to show off in the middle of a fight.

 

Maybe they play the execution animation at 50% health, and then don't play it again, so you have to nail them during the two or three second time period they're open.

[Banansa47]

 

I personally think that the execution on 30% of health is to strong. 

 

Dude you need that for some warframes that have low health!!!!!!! i mean look at Valkyr and the damage 2.0! we need some rewards for putting up with this baloney!!!!

[KF5AQX]

Dude you need that for some warframes that have low health!!!!!!! i mean look at Valkyr and the damage 2.0! we need some rewards for putting up with this baloney!!!!

 

I think you misunderstood. When I say executions are activated at 30% health, I mean the enemy's health, not the Warframe's. Otherwise everyone would stay below 30% health for the insta kills it provided.

[DeadScream]

I like the melee stance idea for better combo opportunities. 

 

I don't know if DE is planning to make something huge out of their melee system, but I like yours.

[NinjaXthreeX2]

I think the whole idea was great but i think it would be better instead of having just 2 types of diff animation, we'd rather have the 2nd for a special attack or weapon skill for example glaives slash or default combat attacks are mouse 1 and throw on the 2nd this way speciallized weapon would have their value and for weapons lacking a special function for example fangs would have normal attacks as puncture with increase proc chance and a swift hard hitting single target multiple attack with higher crit chance with less proc chance also this special skills will drain a bit more stamina this can also create combos or chain attacks depending on combinations while other weapons such as heavy will retain one full swing of charged attack as a special attack with increase resistance to kd,cc,and damage resist during charge time again increase either crit damage or crit chance or proc depending on your creativity. other heavies such as orthos or scythe have a lunging fast multiple hit attack for a special attack creating opportunities for multiple melee combos, this are just suggestions to both improve and preserve specialized weapons. another point id like to make to balance things out between range and melee is by allowing the current special moves to be done while equipping your range weapons like the spin attacks and jump attacks wall run attack, etc. the reason this things must be kept is because some players like the fast phased game play which is achieved by creating multiple possibilities in combat such as shooting after a jump attack or a spin attack, also this will not sound unfair provided engaging to full melee stance will allow you to use special and more hard hitting melee attacks plus the stance should give resist from kd, stagger from physical proc as well as it should have added speed running and attacking to compensate for its lack of range and to be fair to range, melee stance should not be able to block during attacks since it already has resist from stance + the kind of attack the weapon he is using this will make blocking a skill since he has to press it when doing combos but to make it worth the effort blocking should have counter attack effect example creating stun or if in case a shield weapon in the future, while attacking pressing block at the right moment during combat will create a counter attack animation for example the shield will slam the ground creating  kd or staggering shock-wave this will open opportunities like access for executions or finishers, other weapons may also benefit by creating other counter moves or other special attacks only achievable during counter attacks for example whip weapons can trip oponents or throw them to other enemies ragdolling the thrown enemy and knockback or knockdown the target.

 

Lastly is that allowing this new finishers or backstab animation be accessed even if not using melee stance the reason is simply to create a fast and dynamic combat system where you can still engage to melee even when using range. How will this work simply you can just activate this animation using a button based on the enemy status for example kd from puncture proc or fear from nekros skill even without engaging the melee stance one should be able to execute the moves solely based on the enemy status in addition you should be able to engage melee stance from this animation by holding or pressing E or melee button during execution this way it would be dynamic in the sense the access to the stance is not limited by just holding the E button but simply by doing execution or backstab animation as you go along your mission this is critical because weapon unholstering should have delays so that mods increasing weapon switch speed will be viable and this melee stance access will improve the feel of the fast phased game-play rather than a Hollywood Kung Fu Movies that Enemies will stand still while changing stance or form like hell in real life will some one with an intent to kill you wait for you to change stance, the delay of unholstering or holstering weapons should be included in the animation. there should be no debate as to which is better between range and melee the thing is both weapons should add up to the game-play experience rather than choose which is the best both melee and range should be viable on their own grounds, what i meant is if range weapons are useful up to rank 60 killing mobs 1-2 sec each at least make melee if not equal at least very close to effectiveness or have it in such a way it gives a different experience like hp and stamina recoveries after finishers or back stab animations we can incorporate both the melee and range aspect of the game to achieve effectiveness and great combat experience.