I'm giving up on the game

[Stratohero]

For the past 2 hours I've been playing Exanima arena with various weapons, after having watched youtube tutorials and...it's not working at all.

I think that people who say that combat is amazing are greatly underestimating the randomness of it.

If there will not be a robust ranged combat system, via either bow/crossbow or spells, I think the game will be a bust.

There is much greater excitement, skill and fun to be had in a game such as Dragon Nest.

 

[El Maco]

I think that people who say that combat is amazing are greatly underestimating the randomness of it.

This game has the most organic/player skill based combat system I have ever seen in any game. There's not much "random" about the combat at all. The only random aspect is the exact height of your attack when you perform a horizontal swing. Probably even that can be affected by balancing the character a certain way.

 

[burgzaza]

Well if combat is very random, how do you explain experienced players to reliably beat the arenas on almost each run ?
It's not random, it's just that there are physics that influence your attacks, sutch as your characters position ( your feet are moving a lot ), the speed you place in the hit ( dragging mouse ), and I might forget one thing there.

So if you want to make exaclty the same hit as the previous one, you have to make the same movements, with is difficult to make, but with practice it's doable.
But anyway the game isn't about doing the same attacks everytime. The joy of advanced physics is at the contrary the variety that it allows. You can miss an opportunity of a hit, because you don't pay enough attention to your surroundings, or to your footwork/inertia. And that's beautiful.

It's not for everyone for sure, and yeah we do enjoy it a lot.

There will be thaumaturgic powers, and ranged combat aswel !

 

[Parco]

what part of it is random? the right word is dynamic imo, it may look random thx to various physical factors and player input affecting the characters movement/attacks.

i looked into the game dragon nest, it got so flashy spells its almost impossible to see whats going on, not my kind of game.

 

[Tony]

What is more logical and/or likely... that thousands of players whom combined have spent literally hundreds of thousands of hours playing the game are incorrect about it being skill based combat, or a single player whom is new to the game (and has spent only a few hours playing) doesn't yet understand how it works?

The game is quite complex and a new player can't possibly hope to learn everything there is to know in a few hours. Keep practicing, take some breaks in between playing to let things sink in, experiment, etc.; eventually it'll make more sense and you'll realize it is not as random as it may at first seem.

 

[Pilluminati]

This game has the most organic/player skill based combat system I have ever seen in any game. There's not much "random" about the combat at all. The only random aspect is the exact height of your attack when you perform a horizontal swing. Probably even that can be affected by balancing the character a certain way.

Yep, this is the only random component as far as we know, controls might feel clunky at first but they're very much skillbased. I think you @Stratohero just haven't figured out exactly how they work yet and can't make the character behave as you want. Practise a bit more and you'll get a feel for how they work, you might even grow to like them.

 

[Stratohero]

Expecting people to spend dozens of hours just to get the hang of the basics is not very reasonable.

That's not how the customer base who buys games works.

I predict a huge amount of steam refunds if ranged combat will not be satisfactory and available right from the start.

 

[Pilluminati]

Expecting people to spend dozens of hours just to get the hang of the basics is not very reasonable.

That's not how the customer base who buys games works.

I predict a huge amount of steam refunds if ranged combat will not be satisfactory and available right from the start.

Except a lot of people are buying the game regardless, even in its unfinished state.
Review score is ~81% positive.
Will it be a mainstream hit? Prolly not cus of the learning curve.
But it will still have an audience, you might just not be part of it.

 

[Tony]

Expecting people to spend dozens of hours just to get the hang of the basics is not very reasonable.

That's not how the customer base who buys games works.

I predict a huge amount of steam refunds if ranged combat will not be satisfactory and available right from the start.

In a way you do have a point: most gamers nowadays expect games where you can mash buttons and be successful with almost no thought required. Bare Mettle is quite intentionally not making a game like that. It is mentioned on the Steam Exanima page that the game is not like anything else and that is has a steep learning curve.

So far it seems most people on Steam appreciate the game since it has a "very positive" rating. Not everyone is looking for another mindless button mashing game (which there are plenty of). What is rare nowadays is finding a game like Exanima which actually requires carefully considering your actions and a bit of skill.

 

[Parco]

the devs have been very open to everyone that this game is not for everybody and that this game will have a small community is something i guess they have always prepared for, but seeing how large the playerbase have grown since steam release and that the game is in a incomplete state and still only a prelude to a much larger game, i dont find it hard imagining that the playerbase for these games will grow quite large (not to mention the high positive rating it got on steam).

most people grasps the basics in just a few minutes (20 or so maybe), but will still suck at the combat. there are alot of different playstyles/way to play/fight and each person has to develop their own way and that might take some time, but thats something some people really appreciates and find appealing and its those people the devs are targeting the game to.

 

[Stratohero]

Are you saying that you can consistently win battles with skill, or just go "oh well, somehow I won that one".

I played a lot of Dragon Nest, Vindictus and similar true action combat games, and I'm just not getting a sense of accomplishment here.

 

[Bobob]

I wish people would at least try to git gud before complaining.
Yes I routinely complete the arena with no armor on and the sledgehammer. I usually don't get hit. It's a beautiful thing really (the hammer <3) and there's nothing random about it (well except swing height - a minor thing).
I was fairly frustrated when I started playing. I couldn't even land a hit. If you don't have the patience to learn then you're just missing out.

 

[Rod_Lightning]

I wish people would at least try to git gud before complaining.
Yes I routinely complete the arena with no armor on and the sledgehammer. I usually don't get hit. It's a beautiful thing really (the hammer <3) and there's nothing random about it (well except swing height - a minor thing).
I was fairly frustrated when I started playing. I couldn't even land a hit. If you don't have the patience to learn then you're just missing out.

Same for me.

 

[Mikodzi]

God, how it's cool to be a part of such community.
Every comment I just read (except of Stratohero's - no offence) - it's like the words I wanted to say.

@Stratohero you get it? We all are here united on that thing you can't enjoy.

 

[Tony]

Are you saying that you can consistently win battles with skill, or just go "oh well, somehow I won that one".

Yes, hundreds of players can consistently win battles using skill. Many people complete both the arenas and dungeon while wearing no armor just to make it a bit more challenging.

By the way, the NPC's are controlled using the exact same control scheme as players. They don't cheat and anything they can do so can you. The devs even programmed the NPC's to occasionally make mistakes and gave them human reaction times to better simulate a real player.

Here's a video of me wearing no armor, using the worst 2h sword available and dominating the opponents using basic footwork and attacks (nothing fancy).

 

[konggary]

ARMA and Dark Souls- huge learning curve, still extremely revered by their communities. Different games for different people: A person who loves sport games shouldn't expect Demon Souls to play the same way, with extensive tutorials and instant gratification.

 

[Solinarius]

Try this: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=561743494

 

[NachoDawg]

I played a lot of Dragon Nest, Vindictus and similar true action combat games, and I'm just not getting a sense of accomplishment here.

How do you feel that Dragon Nest or Vindictus are comparable to Exanima? Someone who get's a thrill from sky diving might not get a thrill from playing chess, or vice versa. That's almost too obvious to even have to point out.

I checked some gameplay and they look like very generic 3rd person beat-em-up games, not even the general theme is the same. I'm not sure if I follow your narrative?

 

[Greenbrog]

Naw those 2 games are super similar. Ultra grindy gear system, uber-epeen stroking numbers/score, getting grades at the end of instances. Both super repetitive, and can be pay-to-win. Lots of bright colors and flashy unrealistic skills. They are basically the same game.

They are on one hand probably the best games of that genre, and many people enjoy them. Personally I found them boring, and had "no" writing that was creative or special. They are very skill based though. 100% about artificial "magical" movement, that has no foundation in reality. At the higher skill levels they become a game of rock paper scissors and basically class match-ups. There is no way to differentiate yourself from another player other than the numbers on the same gear you're both wearing and the for-real-money clothing you can wear.

 

[InfamousPotato]

The game isn't as random as you seem to think, but I can understand it if combat doesn't click for you. I think most of us here, myself included, were crap at combat when we started, and considering how busy life can be, it's perfectly fine if you don't have the time to learn it all. However, if you are willing to spend a little more time on it, many of the people on this forum have worked on compiling guides to help out folks who are new to the combat system.

If you still find that the combat system isn't working, I'd encourage you to check on the game again in a few months when ranged combat and thaumaturgy has been introduced. Once more playstyles are possible, maybe you'll be able to enjoy Examina as much as the rest of us.