Assuming players are using a 16:10/16:9 widescreen window, with the character's feet pointed 12 o'clock to the top of the screen, the color-coded sectors show the areas on screen you can click to get the corresponding swing.
Current:
Proposed:
Sectors accounting for thrusts:
Explaining to a beginner, "Click to the side of your character to swing from that side. Click in front of your character to perform an overhead. Click further in front to perform a thrust."
Hi. Popping in to say that I love your game. Haven't played anything this original and refreshing since the first Mount & Blade alpha. The underlying combat system is amazing, something I can see players getting into for years. So far I've been completing Expert with every weapon, next, naked runs!
That said, the controls are the number one most common complaint, and the greatest barrier of entry for players trying to get into the game. I think this could be solved with a few tweaks.
Issues with the current input system:
-Less drunken spinning since the swing quadrants are divided equally (you don't have to turn as much to register a left->right swing, especially when your character is already rotating).
-More intuitive since there aren't multiple systems for input (double-clicking and quadrants), and swing inputs are weighed equally. Less guesswork as to what swing you have queued.
Current:
Proposed:
Sectors accounting for thrusts:
Explaining to a beginner, "Click to the side of your character to swing from that side. Click in front of your character to perform an overhead. Click further in front to perform a thrust."
Hi. Popping in to say that I love your game. Haven't played anything this original and refreshing since the first Mount & Blade alpha. The underlying combat system is amazing, something I can see players getting into for years. So far I've been completing Expert with every weapon, next, naked runs!
That said, the controls are the number one most common complaint, and the greatest barrier of entry for players trying to get into the game. I think this could be solved with a few tweaks.
Issues with the current input system:
- Clicking on your character's shoulder while it's spinning and wobbling around is imprecise. Generating power for swings requires a lot of character rotation, especially if you're using blunt weapons like the maul, to smash through defenses and cause knockdowns. You have to click on the correct quadrant to get the swing you want, at the same time this rotates the character. This causes players to fight with the controls.
- Swing input guesswork. Lack of instant feedback for the swing you have queued. Players are never 100% sure what swing they have queued, until they see the arms physically chamber into the correct position. This is especially bad when you're using heavier weapons, as you're frequently rotating/caught in the momentum of swings.
- Feinting, or anything revolving rapid inputs is especially clunky and imprecise. Because double-clicking causes overheads, it's physically impossible to pull off skilled, instant reactions and adjustements to your opponent's movements. All these situations conflict with each other: feinting left->right swings multiple times, or switching your swing direction to react to your opponent's weapon/arm position, or doing multiple overhead feints, or trying to keep a swing chambered.
- Lack of a unified, intuitive control scheme. Double-clicking for overheads naturally adds input delay, at the same time the double-clicking window to register an overhead is overly long. Left->right swing inputs have roughly 1/4th the input area of right->left swings, causing a lot of unnecessary/accidental rotation.
- Equally divide the quadrants for left->right and right->left swings. Add a quadrant for overheads.
- Add an option to disable double-clicking for overheads, or adjust the input window.
- Let players bind keys/buttons to individual swings if they so desire.
-Less drunken spinning since the swing quadrants are divided equally (you don't have to turn as much to register a left->right swing, especially when your character is already rotating).
-More intuitive since there aren't multiple systems for input (double-clicking and quadrants), and swing inputs are weighed equally. Less guesswork as to what swing you have queued.
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