Physical Combat Mechanics

[dorn956 43]

Okay, so it may have been suggested and I may have missed it (I seem to feel that way about every post..) , but even if it is, I don't think the mechanics I'm about to explain are like what people would expect.

 

 

First of all - blocking. How are you gonna hold your fists up and not be able to block a punch? 

Easy to add this one.

 

Left click = Punching , Right click = Blocking. I'd be happy with at least that...

 

But let's get into some detail, shall we?

 

Okay, so we have space bar as the key to lift and lower fists. That can't be changed.

What about right click and left click being two different fists?

 

Here's how I would complicate the combat system. It seems pretty confusing, just a warning, but it all does work in the end without disturbing default keybinds (or so I believe).

 

Left click = Left punch

Right click = Right punch

Hold Q + left/right click =left/right hook

Hold E = Guard

 

-{ Hold E + Left click = Left roundhouse

|

-{ Hold E + Right click = Right roundhouse

|

|

\___ [ These two functions will cause your player to break their Guard ]

 

The kicking is a little complex. It will be treated with the same force of a baseball bat (because roundhouse kicks are actually equivalent to the force if performed properly). The guard function will easily block this, but only if you face your guarded arms on the same side as the kick. When you move your crosshairs left, your arms and your guard swing left with it (vice versa for right direction).

 

 

As for the actual left/right kicks, I don't feel they should be able to knock players out. That may be too complicated (am I a hypocrite for that one?).

 

Guarding: Guarding can be broken after x amount of punches/kicks, determined by a % chance.

The lowest number of hits you can take are say... 10 hits before your guard breaks maybe... and you can take up to 20 if you get really lucky with your chance of endurance. The number is halved by kicks, but kicks take longer to wind up, throw, and reset before throwing another (which gives combat advantage to the defender if they successfully block the kick).

 

The biggest part of this is FLINCHING. Which I probably should put at the top of the post, but I mean if you haven't read this far down yet then it probably doesn't even matter. Flinching means you've sustained damage and were unsuccessful in guarding an attack, or you've been blind sided from behind.

 

In my opinion, I think that this combat system should only be available in first person to avoid being able to know when someone is behind you while focusing on a fight.

 

*Notes: 

 

• Keep system in first person
• How about a combat slide? When sprinting and then going prone (while holding sprint) it will cause a slide (and possibly ware down clothing).
• Flinching is vital and breaks guard
• First person view should also flinch
• Type of clothing (long sleeve or short sleeve, military fabrics or civilian fabrics)
• What weapon strikes the guard and breaks it
• Axes + sledge hammers break guard in a single blow/ and fracture
• Recharge rate on how many hits you can take over time
• Recharge rate on how many hits decreased based on damage dealt
• Cuts/gashes from sharp objects decrease guard recharge speed before and after breaking (you could have your guard broken and lift it back up immediately after, but then it will break in a single hit because it hasn't regenerated life yet, and it will not regenerate its durability while bleeding from the arms, every time guard is broken it takes longer to raise it because of stamina and fatigue).

​

My apologies for being so complicated, but the system does work. Feel free to point out flaws! Keep in mind I do not prioritize this change. I would actually prefer many other changes before this one, for I think it does not have a large impact on players based on item/weapon economy at the moment. More often than not, my encounters with players result in them being armed, and hand-to-hand combat is not available.

 

Thanks for reading my long, drawn out, and completely unnecessary idea c:

 

 

 

[pilgrim* 3514]

^

this is cool - but there is a problem at present

 

if you punch - for instance

- you send the command to hit, it goes to the server

- the server calculates the strike, hit or miss - and calculates the damage

- at the SAME TIME it sends the command back out to the players software to launch the punch animation

 

So currently you can't see a punch coming and block it - it's already too late. This has been the problem with zombies hitting players "after" the player killed the zombie.

It is a problem with the time needed to start and play an animation.

The calculation of hits has nothing to do with the animations.

 

I don't know what the development plan is for this

(and hey if I'm wrong I'd like to hear about it)

Edited May 27, 2015 by pilgrim

[dorn956 43]

^

this is cool - but there is a problem at present

 

if you punch - for instance

- you send the command to hit, it goes to the server

- the server calculates the strike, hit or miss - and calculates the damage

- at the SAME TIME it sends the command back out to the players software to launch the punch animation

 

So currently you can't see a punch coming and block it - it's already too late. This has been the problem with zombies hitting players "after" the player killed the zombie.

It is a problem with the time needed to start and play an animation.

The calculation of hits has nothing to do with the animations.

 

I don't know what the development plan is for this

(and hey if I'm wrong I'd like to hear about it)

 

 

Good point. Well there's an idea at the least!

[pilgrim* 3514]

Good point. Well there's an idea at the least!

 

Since the early days plenty of people have asked for and suggested better combat ideas. Many players want melee combat - more players than have ever argued about camera positions etc..

 

I think a few melee moves would be a really great advance .. it's something we need in the game sooner or later IMO. If possible.

Edited May 28, 2015 by pilgrim

[Evil Minion 943]

I think having two modes of attack and one mode of defense should be enough. Flinching makes the whole thing more thoughtful as you cannot simply spam attacks until one drops. For defending the hit detection might need to be refined - or you just defend by holding an object between you and the strike and let the object take the damage for you. Also having dexterity rates similar to guns would add depth - long and heavy weapons would do more damage at greater distance but are cumbersome at very close range.

 

Another thing might be different bleeding amounts depending on the weapon/attack used (instead of flat blood damage). This way you can use different attacks for different purposes: slashes for high health damage and heavy bleeding, stabs for more range and a higher bleeding chance (penetration of protective clothes), blunt strikes for high shock damage etc.

[OnionOfShame 138]

This is a good idea, but personally I'd prefer something a bit more simple, such as this:

LMB: Primary attack

RMB: Secondary attack

LMB+RMB: Block

Of course different weapons would have different attacks. For unarmed it would be a standard punch and a push, for an axe it would be a standard swing and an overhead strike with the side of the head (to knock people out), for a pitchfork it would be a thrust and a push, etc, etc. This way each Melee weapon has its regular attack plus some form of unique utility, and the system is still fairly simple.

Edited May 29, 2015 by OnionOfShame

[pilgrim* 3514]

Now if you had any single-handed weapon in your RIGHT HAND (as usual)

And a police riot shield - or a dustbin lid - or maybe just a chunk of wood in your LEFT HAND

Then that should give you greater protection, at least.

 

This is not an answer to "melee moves" or the way damage is calculated, or synchronized attack/parry animations

But maybe could add a little extra interest and variety to face-to-face.

[OrLoK 16185]

 

I don't know what the development plan is for this

(and hey if I'm wrong I'd like to hear about it)

Hello there

 

Take this with an enormous taker of salt, not just a pinch, as I say this as a gamer not as a Mod or any other "official"...thing.

 

...but in an informal chat with Dean, back in the Mod days, he mentioned that he always wanted to greatly expand on and make melee combat viable but this is waaaay back in time before SA etc.

 

So, one can assume it was likely in his mind (with a billion other things) once the mod went "viral" and then the SA.

 

Whether that "dream" was carried through once everything went "official" who knows?

 

It hasnt appeared in the mod AFAIK and melee was always a problem back in A2 mods which attempted it.

 

But knowing the devs and those that surround them (i have web cams everywhere, not just in the loos) I can imagine that a more fulfilling melee has been considered.

 

That and the public tidbits that have been revealed regarding animations etc (look in the dev area) *might* mean that exciting things are to come.

 

Again, I could be wrong. Vastly wrong. But I think we have a lot to look forward to.

 

Rgds

 

LoK