Noob question

[gugand]

I played Exanima about 160 hours (i play it since the first release), but i have still a lot of doubts about how things works.
I can't yet understand if pointing an enemy body part and push the LMB change the aiming of the attack.
I am able to hit the head or legs of enemy. I am not sure if aimed attack happens when i am pointing to the body part i want hit or it happened randomly, or it depends on mouse movement. It is hard to understand cause sometimes enemy block or avoid my attack, sometimes i am not 100% of my pointer position and/or the movement i am doing during the thrust.
I remember that devrlopers talked about something about aimed attacks. I think that the vertical movement of attacks depends on mouse movement. Usually i point to head and move my mouse a bit far from me also. It seems works cause often i hit head, but i am asking: i am doing that right?

 

[Kasper]

Aiming at the specific body parts works only with thrusts. Ltr and Rtl strikes height is random. You can only determine when your attack is going to connect with enemy but not actual trajectory. There's only one exception: if you swiftly turn your characters body while using overhead, vertical strike, you change it to be more diagonal.

 

[Jimmini]

"Random" is a word you should delete from your Exanima vocabulary. Although the exact position of the cursor has no effect on swings, their height can still be controlled through the way you turn your character, but depends on the weapon used. Thrusts, on the other hand, are always directed to the exact spot you are pointing at.

Edit:
Maybe I should refrain from using such bold statements in the future.

It's part random and part what you do

there isn't a specific simple mechanic in place for it

 

[gugand]

I see. It sounded weird that there was something random.
I can't say i am mastering the fighting system, but it happen often i hitted where i want also if i don't understand what i was doing.
I am sure 100% that if i don't move the mouse the swing is horizontal at the same height of chest, if i move mouse height change. Lack of precision on mouse moving made me confused on how mouse influence the trajectory.

 

[Kasper]

Well, but it is random - you can't decide whether your Ltr/Rtl attack will be horizontal/descending/ascending, can you? You can only determine at what point of your swing's arch your weapon is going to connect with the enemy. Having this in mind, with for example, Rtl 45 degree descending attack I can hit opponent's either head, arms, torso or legs.

 

[Kaladin]

You can sort-of decide that, but you need to be pretty intuitive with the fighting system to do so. For example, some fluid feinting from side to side - depending on how you sway with your body and manage the range from which you launch your attack - will result in a slash to the knees/shins or into a soaring slash that will strike over shields and slash up your opponent's face. I am planning on making a video about momentum and aiming strikes in Exanima that will be more in-depth and intuitive, when I have time.

 

[Syllabear3]

Side to side attacks are fixed but can be modified with movement. Over heads are pretty accurate and can be modified with movement too. Thrusts are deadly accurate and you can regulate the altitude of your blow.

By practicing you can mostly hit your oponent as you want, taking advantage of their exposed body parts (the ones not covered by armor).