Melee Combos

[Currystador]

So Im going to keep this short and brief so people would actually read it.

I feel like melee combos should use different keys. For example I'll use the Eleventh Storm stance.

Right now the combos are...

 

1. E E E E 

2. E E (Pause) E E E E E E

3. E E RightClick+E E E

4. E HoldE E E

 

And then those other ones like jump attacks.

#2 and #3 are the most annoying because they require too much concentration on whether you held the melee button or not, or if you paused long enough. The right click ones aren't even combos because you just hold right click the entire time while pressing E.

Heres an example of what it could change to...

 

#1 E E E E

#2 E E R E E E E R

#3 E E (RightClick)+R R R R

#4 E HoldR E E

 

I hate the pause one because you never know if you paused soon enough. And it could even have more than just E and R as combo keys. It could have like E R T (Space) (Roll key) those stuff.

Those combos dont even need to be like that but just having an extra button, and making the combos easier to pull off would be great.

Anyway, what do you think?

Edited July 28, 2014 by Currystador

[Sev7n]

I kinda like the combo system we have now

It reminds me a lot of vindictus except we only get 2 buttons for combos

 

Edit: The one problem i do have with our combo system though is there is no way to cancel an attack animation. There should be a way to cancel attack animations so that you can dodge out of the way of an incoming attack

Edited July 28, 2014 by Sev7n

[Azawarau]

Id rather have a 2 button attack system

 

Having to pause or time mid combat is a bit impractical in a game like this

 

Id rather keep up my hits with as many as possible for the status procs than get a few hits in that are slow and lunky while enemies shoot me down

[-SLX-J3tAc3]

Agreed with OP and Azawaru.

[Hueminator]

I prefer

 

E pause E E E

E E Pause E E

E E E Pause E E

 

Why?  Because there are plenty room for error and you wouldn't do the same damn combo over and over.

[Beas7ie]

OP is right. I've been barking up this tree ever since melee 2.0 was first released.  The use of "pauses" and "holds" is a terrible system, as is the lack of the ability to animation cancel.  We really need a new button for the attack and the reload button "R" is perfect as it's right next to E and doesn't have any use when in melee mode.

 

The R key can be used for slightly slower but heavier attacks and the combos can just be linked together.  A good example of a game series is the Dynasty Warriors series.  All the combos are quick, easy, and flashy looking.  DE should have tried to base the new melee mode off of that system instead of trying(and failing) to go for the "Devil May Cry" look.

[Varzy]

Yeah, I like it. Split combos between E key and R key so they become more reliable, for sure. Combos as they are currently implemented are too difficult to execute when surrounded by enemies.

 

R doesn't have to even be an attack - it can be treated as a 'prepare' button for you to switch into a different combo tree.

[Azawarau]

Agreed with OP and Azawaru.

You missed the A

 

That brings back memories of my favorite forum and people always missing the A in my name

 

They said Azawaru sounds like a drug and since im a cat on every forum they said it was the type of Catnip i used

 

/Off topic

[Brucely]

I agree that it's tough to correctly time key presses in the current combo system, especially when things get really hectic onscreen, but I don't think changing up the keys would really help. What I think would really help is some audio and visual cues.

 

My suggestion is to bring back charge attacks, because they had particular visuals (animations, vfx, sounds) and integrate them into the combo sequences. In a way, they already are in some combos as the 'hold' key press, but without any audio or visual cue to tell you when to release. The pause key presses could have the weapon flash or a certain sound play to indicate when you can start the next key press in combos.

 

As to bringing back charge attacks as a whole, I think it's something important to consider as it gives us the freedom to make our own combos while making melee a less repetitive spam-a-thon. Of course, charge attacks that are within 'official' combos wouldn't use the same animations, or have the same stats, as a plain ole charge attack. Speaking of stats, I think charge attacks are a great way to work more utility/strategy into melee, e.g. giving charge attacks either a very high or 100% chance to proc, stagger, stun, or whatever.

 

One of my favorite games is Jade Empire, which has a great melee combat system. It's actually pretty similar to the melee combat in Warframe, in that both have a variety of stances, though each stance has a charge attack. One of the hallmarks of JE's system is 'harmonic combos', where different stances' charge attacks, each with their own elemental/status effect (e.g. stun, slowdown) play off other stances' charge attacks for spectacular effect. For example, hit an enemy with the stance charge attack that has a slowdown effect, then switch to a different stance, hit the enemy with that stances charge attack, and they literally explode into blood and gore, or turn to stone which you can then break into pieces. It's very fun and I recommend you all try it.

 

One final suggestion I have, which is kinda off topic, is another 'special attack' like the jumping, wall running, or sliding attack, that comes after a roll and goes into a lunging strike. Imagine rolling under a bombard's rocket and then opening your assault with a powerful stab. I also think melee would gain extra viability if attacks from the back did bonus damage, without having to be in a stealth attack state, so that you could quickly roll behind an enemy and hit them from the back.

 

tl;dr: a/v cues to help time combos, bring back charge attacks with added utility so melee isn't so spammy but also more viable, integrate charge attacks into combos, i love jade empire, add rolling lunge attack.