devtrackers.gg
I have been brainstorming a way to simplify and articulate what made certain combat systems and experiences so fun to me, in order to give the most clear feedback possible while combat is still in its early design phase.
I think the main aspect that was fun to me was when there were multiple proactive and reactive offensive/defensive/movement related options baked in at various ranges between combatants, in order to provide a plethora of varied situational tools to strategize around and engage with. Since combat revolves so much around the combat options available at different distances in order to
1. defend and/or attack at various ranges
2. the ability to move toward an advantageous distance between combatants/manipulate distance between combatants
3. the ability to be unpredictable with the timings of when options will be used at a given distance
It is very important to have the combat options/tools to do these things. This approach would ensure that players have counterplay available at various different distances which will provide a more engaging experience and the ability to strategize around those distances.
How this fits into current design:
This would be more of a combat design approach rather than a class design/visual aesthetic kind of thing. Some of these examples would suit some classes better than others, and not fit at all aesthetically, but with some creativity there could be variants made that fit conceptually for each class while adapting it to fit within the intended aesthetic of the game.
This also wouldn't have to hinder any existing class design approach, as each class would still be able to augment these abilities and specialize in them as desired.
List of example abilities:
This approach could manifest in different ways, either through the effect of the skills directly, through direct buffs/debuff effects, or through ancillery effects attached to the skills themselves, that possibly activate when using a completely different kind of skill (such as a defensive skill that has a movement based ancillery effect). This is basically taking one of the core aspects of combat (attack/defense/sustainability/movement) and mixing/matching their effects at various ranges to provide interesting options.
Offensive (deals damage):
1. skill- this could be
A) a short/mid/long-ranged casted skill that deals direct damage, such as a rapid-firing icicle barrage that can mow enemies down in direct line of sight- or a flamethrower with a controllable stream of fire
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/2/2d/Gatling_Arctillery.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20190505232711
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/7/78/Burn%21.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170621161033
B- a mid ranged dash that deals damage upon contact
C) a damaging ki-blast/electric shockwave that has a short range but wide cone-effect.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/9/9b/Ki_Thrust.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170625114422
D) a mid/long range skill that deals direct damage but can indirectly target behind cover, such as a slower firing meteor barrage/laser
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/2/2f/Flare_Burn%21.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170621161604
2. debuff/buff- this could be
A) a damaging debuff effect applied by a long-range skill that deals more damage over time the further the enemy is away from you
B- a mid-range skill that applies a damaging status effect
C) a damage over time status affect that can be applied through a weapon enchantment/passive weapon procc at close-range
D) a damage over time status effect that can be applied to a dodge skill, which has a small area of effect applied to anyone who enters in that vicinity during the dodge
3. ancillery effect- this could be
A) a trail of fire/lightning/icicles/sharp stones/etc. left by a mid-ranged dash that deals damage when stepped on
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/6/64/Thunder_Dart.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170624104334
B- a long-ranged skill that upon successfully landing it, it causes a cluster of nearby patches of land to react and damage an enemy within its area of effect
C) a close-ranged dodge/weapon skill that summons aggressive minions/bombs around the player at close-range that react to enemies witihin a small vicinity.
D) a short ranged shield skill that adds spikes to the shield, in order to block damage while also simultaneously dealing damage
https://64.media.tumblr.com/4a9204c2ea929a6fae4da68382e03b2c/tumblr_mul1nrS26i1qau6z9o1_500.gif
Defensive (provides protection):
1. skill- this could be
A) a univeral active block that just mitigates damage, available at any range
B- a timed parry that negates all damage if successfully performed, available at any range
C) a magic spherical barrier that encases the user, being a skill that nullifies all damage for a short period of time, available at any range
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/4/47/Guard_Sphere.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170622093730
D) a skill that allows the user to position a protective barrier
E) a skill that directly summons distraction decoys that could potentially be manually placed within an area at varying distances
F) a short ranged defensive "ki-deflect" that can deflect/nullify certain attacks within a short area
G) A life-steal ability that drains health upon succesful contact with a cluster of projectiles/block/melee strike
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/d/d8/Essence_Drain.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170627135622
2. debuff/buff- this could be
A) an Increased damage mitigation buff at any range it is used, that you can apply either independently or through successfully landing a skill
B- a weather effect that increases damage mitigation if the player is in that particular weather condition at any distance away from the opponent
C) a terrain effect that increases damage mitigation if the player is positioned in a specific location, at any distance away from the opponent (similar to how an RTS game would do "cover bonuses"
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66301761/CoH.0.jpg)
D) a type debuff you can apply to cause the enemy to not be able to attack periodically. this could take many forms such as electrified, petrified, frozen, sleep, silence, staggered, etc., that you can apply either independently or through successfully landing a skill
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/d/dc/Freeze_Frame.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170625102902
3. ancillery effect- this could be
A) a skill that upon landing on the enemy creates a close range ring of damage mitigation/invulnerability within the vicinity of contact, or maybe spawns random rings at other ranges that offer invulnerability when you are within their vicinity
B- a block skill at any range, that also forms ice/rocks in front of the user that break after blocking incoming projectiles, either by creating a trail of ice/rocks that follows the path of a movement skill used, or through manifesting them upon a successful block, etc.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/5/58/Brisk_Barrier.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170625103018
C) a close-ranged shield/dodge skill that upon successfully blocking/dodging the attack, distraction decoys are spawned within the players vicinity
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/a/aa/Toxic_Revenant.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170630091829
D) a long-ranged attack that upon successful contact, surrounds the enemy with projectile blocking obstacles, until broken
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/0/02/Snow_Flawke.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20221127143101
Movement (manipulates distance between combatants):
1. skill- this could be
A) a basic short-ranged dodge that can be used at any range to reposition
B- a mid/long-ranged dash/teleport that is mainly used for repositioning
C) mid-ranged tether that pulls the enemy to close range
D) a long-ranged chain that tightens to hold both combatants together at a mid-range distance but has slack to allow them to move closer
E) an aqua/rock wave summoned up close then used to push enemy to mid-range, but then turns into a barrier to prevent passage toward each other, but allows movement in the opposite direction
F) a short-ranged shockwave/wind/ki blast that pushes enemy to long-range
2. debuff/buff- this could be
A) a "cold" status condition you can apply either independently or through successfully landing a skill on the enemy that slows/snares them, allowing you to better manage distance
B- a "haste" buff you can apply to yourself either independently or through successfully landing a skill, to better manage distance
C) maybe an effect that causes you to "glitch" where you sporadically teleport periodically, to help or hurt positioning/distance control- this could be applied either independently or through successfully landing a skill
3. Ancillery effect- this could be
A) a long-ranged attack skill that creates a "wind current" after-effect along its path, that can quickly relocate a player that gets caught inside of it (something similar to the mechanic from sonic riders on gamecube)
B- a long-ranged attack that upon successfully landing the hit, the player is teleported/propelled forward very close/very far from the enemy (similar to the tank tether except the the user is the one that relocates, rather than pulling to the enemy to themselves). This could be either pull you closer to the enemy, or a teleport you there. This could potentially be somewhat similar to how certain long-ranged attacks can be canceled into air-dashes or instant transimission follow ups, from the game dragonball fighterz
C) a short-ranged dodge or an active block that upon successful usage, it freezes the ground along its path/within its vicinity to create a "slippery path" after-effect, that can boost the speed of players that slide on it.
D) a short-ranged block skill that upon successfully blocking the attack, allows the player to be teleported/knocked away to a different position
E) a retreating mid-ranged dash that can create debris/walls/elemental effects that can impede movement until broken
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/7/70/Indigo_Rush.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170622171244
F) a long-ranged attack that upon successful contact, surrounds the enemy with movement impeding obstacles, until broken
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/2/24/Frigid_Flawke.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20220723162450
G) melee attack that can cover a mid/long ranged distance and is maneuverable while being used
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/f/f7/Tesla_Waltz.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170627095812
E) a block skill that can cover a mid/long ranged distance and is maneuverable while being used
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/c/c2/Azure-strike.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20220628192337
Possible methods for implementation:
Obviously, these are just examples following the original premise, and these could be combined, added too, adjusted, etc. as needed.
There are various ways this could be implemented, some examples are:
A- simply adding the options as skills into the skill pool
B- having existing skills be adaptable- such as having these various effects being tied to a particular "character state" that is managed, such as through "stances"
As I believe I read somewhere, stances are likely to be included in the game- this could potentially be a good system to tie this idea to.
This would involve having these various effects be pre-organized into different stances, so when a skill is used, its effect would vary based on the stance that is active at the time. This would require players to strategically manage which stance they are in, in order to get the desired effect when a particular skill is used.
This would require being able to change stances very quickly on the fly in order to gain access to the desired situational tool associated with that stance, otherwise it would be impractical to tie it to this kind of system.
I think the main aspect that was fun to me was when there were multiple proactive and reactive offensive/defensive/movement related options baked in at various ranges between combatants, in order to provide a plethora of varied situational tools to strategize around and engage with. Since combat revolves so much around the combat options available at different distances in order to
1. defend and/or attack at various ranges
2. the ability to move toward an advantageous distance between combatants/manipulate distance between combatants
3. the ability to be unpredictable with the timings of when options will be used at a given distance
It is very important to have the combat options/tools to do these things. This approach would ensure that players have counterplay available at various different distances which will provide a more engaging experience and the ability to strategize around those distances.
How this fits into current design:
This would be more of a combat design approach rather than a class design/visual aesthetic kind of thing. Some of these examples would suit some classes better than others, and not fit at all aesthetically, but with some creativity there could be variants made that fit conceptually for each class while adapting it to fit within the intended aesthetic of the game.
This also wouldn't have to hinder any existing class design approach, as each class would still be able to augment these abilities and specialize in them as desired.
List of example abilities:
This approach could manifest in different ways, either through the effect of the skills directly, through direct buffs/debuff effects, or through ancillery effects attached to the skills themselves, that possibly activate when using a completely different kind of skill (such as a defensive skill that has a movement based ancillery effect). This is basically taking one of the core aspects of combat (attack/defense/sustainability/movement) and mixing/matching their effects at various ranges to provide interesting options.
Offensive (deals damage):
1. skill- this could be
A) a short/mid/long-ranged casted skill that deals direct damage, such as a rapid-firing icicle barrage that can mow enemies down in direct line of sight- or a flamethrower with a controllable stream of fire
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/2/2d/Gatling_Arctillery.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20190505232711
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/7/78/Burn%21.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170621161033
B- a mid ranged dash that deals damage upon contact
C) a damaging ki-blast/electric shockwave that has a short range but wide cone-effect.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/9/9b/Ki_Thrust.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170625114422
D) a mid/long range skill that deals direct damage but can indirectly target behind cover, such as a slower firing meteor barrage/laser
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/2/2f/Flare_Burn%21.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170621161604
2. debuff/buff- this could be
A) a damaging debuff effect applied by a long-range skill that deals more damage over time the further the enemy is away from you
B- a mid-range skill that applies a damaging status effect
C) a damage over time status affect that can be applied through a weapon enchantment/passive weapon procc at close-range
D) a damage over time status effect that can be applied to a dodge skill, which has a small area of effect applied to anyone who enters in that vicinity during the dodge
3. ancillery effect- this could be
A) a trail of fire/lightning/icicles/sharp stones/etc. left by a mid-ranged dash that deals damage when stepped on
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/6/64/Thunder_Dart.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170624104334
B- a long-ranged skill that upon successfully landing it, it causes a cluster of nearby patches of land to react and damage an enemy within its area of effect
C) a close-ranged dodge/weapon skill that summons aggressive minions/bombs around the player at close-range that react to enemies witihin a small vicinity.
D) a short ranged shield skill that adds spikes to the shield, in order to block damage while also simultaneously dealing damage
https://64.media.tumblr.com/4a9204c2ea929a6fae4da68382e03b2c/tumblr_mul1nrS26i1qau6z9o1_500.gif
Defensive (provides protection):
1. skill- this could be
A) a univeral active block that just mitigates damage, available at any range
B- a timed parry that negates all damage if successfully performed, available at any range
C) a magic spherical barrier that encases the user, being a skill that nullifies all damage for a short period of time, available at any range
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/4/47/Guard_Sphere.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170622093730
D) a skill that allows the user to position a protective barrier
E) a skill that directly summons distraction decoys that could potentially be manually placed within an area at varying distances
F) a short ranged defensive "ki-deflect" that can deflect/nullify certain attacks within a short area
G) A life-steal ability that drains health upon succesful contact with a cluster of projectiles/block/melee strike
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/d/d8/Essence_Drain.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170627135622
2. debuff/buff- this could be
A) an Increased damage mitigation buff at any range it is used, that you can apply either independently or through successfully landing a skill
B- a weather effect that increases damage mitigation if the player is in that particular weather condition at any distance away from the opponent
C) a terrain effect that increases damage mitigation if the player is positioned in a specific location, at any distance away from the opponent (similar to how an RTS game would do "cover bonuses"
D) a type debuff you can apply to cause the enemy to not be able to attack periodically. this could take many forms such as electrified, petrified, frozen, sleep, silence, staggered, etc., that you can apply either independently or through successfully landing a skill
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/d/dc/Freeze_Frame.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170625102902
3. ancillery effect- this could be
A) a skill that upon landing on the enemy creates a close range ring of damage mitigation/invulnerability within the vicinity of contact, or maybe spawns random rings at other ranges that offer invulnerability when you are within their vicinity
B- a block skill at any range, that also forms ice/rocks in front of the user that break after blocking incoming projectiles, either by creating a trail of ice/rocks that follows the path of a movement skill used, or through manifesting them upon a successful block, etc.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/5/58/Brisk_Barrier.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170625103018
C) a close-ranged shield/dodge skill that upon successfully blocking/dodging the attack, distraction decoys are spawned within the players vicinity
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/a/aa/Toxic_Revenant.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170630091829
D) a long-ranged attack that upon successful contact, surrounds the enemy with projectile blocking obstacles, until broken
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/0/02/Snow_Flawke.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20221127143101
Movement (manipulates distance between combatants):
1. skill- this could be
A) a basic short-ranged dodge that can be used at any range to reposition
B- a mid/long-ranged dash/teleport that is mainly used for repositioning
C) mid-ranged tether that pulls the enemy to close range
D) a long-ranged chain that tightens to hold both combatants together at a mid-range distance but has slack to allow them to move closer
E) an aqua/rock wave summoned up close then used to push enemy to mid-range, but then turns into a barrier to prevent passage toward each other, but allows movement in the opposite direction
F) a short-ranged shockwave/wind/ki blast that pushes enemy to long-range
2. debuff/buff- this could be
A) a "cold" status condition you can apply either independently or through successfully landing a skill on the enemy that slows/snares them, allowing you to better manage distance
B- a "haste" buff you can apply to yourself either independently or through successfully landing a skill, to better manage distance
C) maybe an effect that causes you to "glitch" where you sporadically teleport periodically, to help or hurt positioning/distance control- this could be applied either independently or through successfully landing a skill
3. Ancillery effect- this could be
A) a long-ranged attack skill that creates a "wind current" after-effect along its path, that can quickly relocate a player that gets caught inside of it (something similar to the mechanic from sonic riders on gamecube)
B- a long-ranged attack that upon successfully landing the hit, the player is teleported/propelled forward very close/very far from the enemy (similar to the tank tether except the the user is the one that relocates, rather than pulling to the enemy to themselves). This could be either pull you closer to the enemy, or a teleport you there. This could potentially be somewhat similar to how certain long-ranged attacks can be canceled into air-dashes or instant transimission follow ups, from the game dragonball fighterz
C) a short-ranged dodge or an active block that upon successful usage, it freezes the ground along its path/within its vicinity to create a "slippery path" after-effect, that can boost the speed of players that slide on it.
D) a short-ranged block skill that upon successfully blocking the attack, allows the player to be teleported/knocked away to a different position
E) a retreating mid-ranged dash that can create debris/walls/elemental effects that can impede movement until broken
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/7/70/Indigo_Rush.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170622171244
F) a long-ranged attack that upon successful contact, surrounds the enemy with movement impeding obstacles, until broken
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/2/24/Frigid_Flawke.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20220723162450
G) melee attack that can cover a mid/long ranged distance and is maneuverable while being used
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/f/f7/Tesla_Waltz.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20170627095812
E) a block skill that can cover a mid/long ranged distance and is maneuverable while being used
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/crosscode_gamepedia/images/c/c2/Azure-strike.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/284?cb=20220628192337
Possible methods for implementation:
Obviously, these are just examples following the original premise, and these could be combined, added too, adjusted, etc. as needed.
There are various ways this could be implemented, some examples are:
A- simply adding the options as skills into the skill pool
B- having existing skills be adaptable- such as having these various effects being tied to a particular "character state" that is managed, such as through "stances"
As I believe I read somewhere, stances are likely to be included in the game- this could potentially be a good system to tie this idea to.
This would involve having these various effects be pre-organized into different stances, so when a skill is used, its effect would vary based on the stance that is active at the time. This would require players to strategically manage which stance they are in, in order to get the desired effect when a particular skill is used.
This would require being able to change stances very quickly on the fly in order to gain access to the desired situational tool associated with that stance, otherwise it would be impractical to tie it to this kind of system.