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Post by Hrungr on Nov 10, 2016 16:56:52 GMT
As I'm sure many of you have heard, the Mass Effect SP game is moving from a more tactical "pause-and-issue-command" style of play to a faster-paced, real-time style of game. To be fair, you can play ME this way now, but in MEA it will be the way to play.
So with the concerns we've heard from some corners about Dragon Age's combat, I wonder if it too will make similar moves in that direction. I can see it moving towards an even more action-style of play like Skyrim or Witcher with active blocks, evasion, manual targeting... Likely still being able to choose your Companions abilities, but they would be largely left to their own and the game would be balanced less on party coordination and more on player skill. Perhaps something like how FF 15 handles it. More self-combos? The game would then be balanced overall with that in mind.
Would you like to see a move in this direction? No?
Any improvements you would make to fit your style?
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Post by eriador117 on Nov 10, 2016 17:31:27 GMT
I hope it doesn't come to that. I hated the combat in Mass Effect and I've never finished a game of it. Skyrim and Witcher I haven't played so can't comment on those.
I liked both DA2 and DAI combat, DAO is okay but seems very slow now compared to the others. But you had tactics, which I liked. A combination of DA2 and DAI with tactics would be good for me.
I want future Dragon Age games to remain what they are and why I bought them: 3rd person rpgs, not action games. And please no 1st person game, I get motion sickness with those ones. I had to return Thief after about 10 mins of play, not fun at all when you feel sick.
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Post by LukeBarrett on Nov 10, 2016 18:41:34 GMT
(I'll preface this whole statement by saying no one combat style appeals to everyone, in fact, it's usually quite polarizing) One of the criticisms I hear frequently about DAI combat is that the fights feel very chaotic - there is a lot going on simultaneously and it's very difficulty to parse it at the necessary speed. This is not to say necessarily that the speed of the PC is the problem; the movements in DAI are actually a bit slower than in DA2 - the problem is the overall pace of the fight as a whole. Personally I think there is a place for active block/dodge and those more action oriented player actions in a combat system that feels slower and more methodical overall. I'm keen to hear other people's thoughts on the topic though
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Post by secretrare on Nov 10, 2016 18:59:37 GMT
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Post by Gileadan on Nov 10, 2016 19:04:05 GMT
As far as I'm concerned, Dragon Age could go full Dark Souls as far as combat gameplay (not necessarily the difficulty!) is concerned - active blocking and dodging, bound to the standard control scheme. I'd still like to have the option to give some general combat guidelines to my companions, like "rush in and melee", or "hang back and shoot", "focus on healing and support" or "rain righteous fire from above".
The chaotic feeling of DAI's combat, in my opinion, came from companions and enemies moving all over the place without any discernible battle plan. If ranged combatants would actually keep their distance from the front lines, the whole thing would probably look more like a real battle already. Maybe some appropriate tweaks could be made to the combat AI for both companions and enemies?
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Post by BansheeOwnage on Nov 10, 2016 19:28:33 GMT
I'm actually a bit confused about the current descriptions of ME:A's combat "changes", because while it certainly gives the impression that it will be a bit more action-oriented, the article said:
"Pausing returns but only for switching weapons or using consumables; powers are instead hotkeyed for quick use in combat while squad commands are in real time" (That's actually been updated since I read it last)
So, beforehand it just sounded like there would be hotkeys and that was the change. I was confused because we always had them as well as the radial menu. This actually makes me quite worried since if you really can't use the radial menu, it means it's going to be like DA:I where you have a skill limit, and even worse since previous games only had 3 hotkeys...
Well, crap. I hope this gets clarified soon, because if Bioware somehow didn't see all of the criticism DA:I's 8 skill limit produced and I can't use all of my powers with the radial menu, I'll be pretty pissed. Also, consumables? In ME? Not sure I like the sound of that.
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Post by DragonKingReborn on Nov 10, 2016 20:40:15 GMT
I'd be very displeased with further movement down the action combat path.
I really enjoyed DA:I, but its combat - in my opinion- was easily the least enjoyable and least challenging of the series. Which is different from saying it was "bad", in case anyone gets their panties in a twist.
Bringing back the overhead camera was great, and slowing down the animation from 2 was great, but that's about it.
The greater complexity available- without being required for inexperienced players or players who just want the story etc - the better.
While there is certainly a learning curve to the Witchers combat, it is not complex and deep. And going further down that path would erode - in my view - an important difference between the two games.
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Post by PapaCharlie9 on Nov 10, 2016 20:53:49 GMT
Moving towards? I thought it had already arrived. What happens with ME doesn't necessarily have to happen with DA. ME has always tried to be a good cover-based shooter. That's in ME's DNA. ME's evolution has trended towards improvement and refinement without deviating from that original trajectory. The evolution in DA combat isn't as clear cut to me. It's pulled in a lot of directions: traditional D&D, JRPG turn-based, WRPG action. Ironically, from DAO I would have predicted a deepening of the tactical AI and a move more towards JRPG style combat, as I considered the novel style of customizable AI combat as being DA's DNA. But it didn't work out that way. So, sure, it's possible that DA could get more Dark Souls-like (not Skyrim-like, since Skyrim is usually run first-person), but I say that not because that's consistent with the trajectory of DAO, more because it's too hard to predict where DA will go, so any direction is as good as any other. Would I like that? I dunno, I'm not all that picky about combat systems. I liked DAO and ME2 and Skyrim and Dishonored and Fallout and DAI. I haven't played Dark Souls, but I've watched way too much LP of it, enough to have a general idea of how combat works. I'd probably like that too. It's much more important to me for the combat to work seamlessly with the mechanics of encounters and storytelling. And also, there should be a reward for min/maxing investment. "Git gud" shouldn't be required, but if you invest in it, the combat system should reward you. That's what's important to me.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2016 21:33:17 GMT
(I'll preface this whole statement by saying no one combat style appeals to everyone, in fact, it's usually quite polarizing) One of the criticisms I hear frequently about DAI combat is that the fights feel very chaotic - there is a lot going on simultaneously and it's very difficult to parse it at the necessary speed. This is not to say necessarily that the speed of the PC is the problem; the movements in DAI are actually a bit slower than in DA2 - the problem is the overall pace of the fight as a whole. Personally I think there is a place for active block/dodge and those more action oriented player actions in a combat system that feels slower and more methodical overall. I'm keen to hear other people's thoughts on the topic though Yes, I believe that the fights are too chaotic. However, I think this is a problem (pacing) that is specific to DAI and other real-time party-based combat system, such as FFXV. You can convert DAI into Dark Souls, however, the team AI needs to be extremely solid. Or you could simply go the simpler route; slow down combat to a crawl, nerf the enemy's movement speed and make the overall combat look more sluggish, yet still realtime...
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Post by Wulfram on Nov 11, 2016 0:39:35 GMT
I think DA combat generally suffers from trying to please everybody, and ending up something of a confused muddle. I eventually found a way of playing DAI that worked for me, but it took rather a lot of time, and only really works when I play a warrior - I need their tanking abilities to control the fight so that I'm not forced to constantly babysit the AI.
I'd rather the game went full action-RPG than that it stayed where it is, though I'd prefer if it went to a more tactical system.
Some specific suggestions to make the game less "chaotic"
1. Bring back DA2 style Tactics. If the AI can be trusted to do more or less what I want without me holding its hand, then that helps a lot. 2. Give me a way of quickly seeing what's the state of other characters cooldowns. This is crucial information, but I have to look at every character individually to see what's available. Might be less necessary if we brought back Tactics, but would still be nice. 3. Reduce the amount of melee AoE used by enemies, so that melee DPS doesn't need to be constantly micro-managed to stay alive. 4. Make Ranged characters better at staying where they're put, or at least away from the melee, rather than seeming to charge into the middle of the battle at random.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 1:48:12 GMT
Some interesting points already, which I want to get to in a bit.
But first up, how would people feel if the number of active companions went from 3 to 2?
Would having fewer people to keep track of help in reducing the chaos in fights? Assuming everyone is a little more self-sufficient, with better AI and being able to evade/block attacks as core abilities...?
Perhaps at the same time remove hard class-specific barriers (picking locks, kicking down walls), in lieu of having a "preferred class" solution to those obstacles. Eg. If there's a locked door, a Rogue could pick it quietly and not draw unwanted attention. But if you didn't have one, a Warrior or Mage could bash/blast it open, but perhaps draw the attention of guards/monsters from the surrounding area. That sort of thing.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 2:17:21 GMT
Would there be a way to switch out active members, or is setting something like that too difficult? If you have 2 active slots can there also be 2 or 3 reserve slots to trade out unconscious or improper party members for fresh or suitable party members? Removing class-specific barriers works too though.
Also, I've said before I liked the DA2 gameplay, but if I were to pick another game fighting style, the controls of Shadows of Mordor was fun, so was the controls in Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time. I found the Skyrim fighting style a bit stiff, but I haven't tried the upgraded version so I don't know if they fixed that. And please don't laugh, but I think I had the most fun with the game controls in the first 3 Ratchet and Clank games.
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Post by dragontartare on Nov 11, 2016 2:42:48 GMT
I would rather have more companions with me than fewer, honestly. The chaos isn't really a problem if you can pause combat to issue orders and if there is a good tactics system in place that allows for complexity at higher difficulty levels, but that can be used in a more basic way by new players. As much as I have come to love TW3, I hate the combat system because I'm just not quick enough to use many of Geralt's abilities in real time. Sometimes, I even found it difficult to keep him alive in Storymode. Part of solving this is learning the potions and abilities, and constructing a solid build, but another part is that I tend to freeze and start button-mashing when real-time combat gets tough. I hope DA4 combat stays DA-style, with pausing to allow the choosing of abilities and ordering party members around, as well as a usable tactical camera and tactics that can be set ahead of time.
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Post by DragonKingReborn on Nov 11, 2016 3:08:45 GMT
Yeah, the 'chaos' is really only present in 'action' cam, for me, at least. The overhead camera, even when not using pause allows what seems like plenty of time.
I, too, would prefer more companions that less, although I concede that would probably lead to pathing issues.
I would love the idea of allowing warriors to bash and mages to blast and have both those choices draw attention. That is exactly the kind of choice and consequence that makes for replayability, but a 3 person party? I loved KoTOR, but....yeah, stick with 4, please.
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Post by PapaCharlie9 on Nov 11, 2016 3:12:42 GMT
Some interesting points already, which I want to get to in a bit. But first up, how would people feel if the number of active companions went from 3 to 2? Would having fewer people to keep track of help in reducing the chaos in fights? Assuming everyone is a little more self-sufficient, with better AI and being able to evade/block attacks as core abilities...? Perhaps at the same time remove hard class-specific barriers (picking locks, kicking down walls), in lieu of having a "preferred class" solution to those obstacles. Eg. If there's a locked door, a Rogue could pick it quietly and not draw unwanted attention. But if you didn't have one, a Warrior or Mage could bash/blast it open, but perhaps draw the attention of guards/monsters from the surrounding area. That sort of thing. Big no to reducing squad size. If I had my way, squads would be size 6. Two snipers, overwatch, demo/grenades, rifleman and tank. Big yes to removing class-specific everything. Why not go the way of Deus Ex? Every problem has multiple solutions and at least one of the solutions fits the style of build you've put together: whether you are a run-and-gunner, a stealthy hacker (read, lock-picker), a ninja assassin, or a biotic wizard. So a special room can have a locked door that can be picked/hacked, AND it can have a weak wall a tank can bust through, AND it can have a dark energy field a Biotic can manipulate, AND it can have a sneaky way to get in through a ventilator shaft, AND it can have a bunch of mooks guarding it if all you want to do is kill fools.
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Post by Nightscrawl on Nov 11, 2016 12:41:35 GMT
(I'll preface this whole statement by saying no one combat style appeals to everyone, in fact, it's usually quite polarizing) One of the criticisms I hear frequently about DAI combat is that the fights feel very chaotic - there is a lot going on simultaneously and it's very difficulty to parse it at the necessary speed. This is not to say necessarily that the speed of the PC is the problem; the movements in DAI are actually a bit slower than in DA2 - the problem is the overall pace of the fight as a whole. Personally I think there is a place for active block/dodge and those more action oriented player actions in a combat system that feels slower and more methodical overall. I'm keen to hear other people's thoughts on the topic though I'll start off by saying that I DO enjoy the combat in these games, consider it fun, and do want it to remain. Even if there were some sort of story mode, I wouldn't take advantage of it. DAI's combat was perfect for me and it was DA2 that I felt was too chaotic. I have never played these games in tactical mode or used the isometric camera in either DAO or DAI for anything other than minor movements. I play on lower difficulties, not because the higher ones are "hard," but because I prefer to play my own character and only to worry about my PC during combat. For this reason, I really missed the more elaborate tactical setups for abilities from DAO/2. Having meticulous arrangement of those skills, and under which conditions the party used them, enabled me to play the way that I like because I knew the AI could handle it. It was nice having the templates to build on or leave as default for more inexperienced players, but those of us who wanted could make elaborate setups and coordinate things to our preference. I thought the choice that gave was great. DAI had no choice. That said, even though I generally prefer to play only my own character, I do like the ability to switch to a party member occasionally and want that to remain as well. One advantage of this is that it allows you to test drive a different class or spec without making a new character. I never would have discovered how much fun DA2 dagger rogue was if I hadn't played Isabela for a bit. I couldn't stand the DAO rogue, so would have likely never bothered to make one on my own in DA2 without that test drive. Even though I play the combat with the standard camera, I do switch to use certain skills or for more accurate positioning. In DAI, I made use of this most often with dragon fights. I played a SnS warrior, and during dragon fights I would usually switch to a ranged person and let the tank AI handle it, which did a pretty decent job. I did this because I felt awkward trying to control the movement of the fight with such a gigantic enemy and having a screen full of dragon was not fun at all. It also allowed me to see the epicness of the fight, which was cool. As far as active block and dodge goes, I think combat would need to be slower and there would need to be a better indication that such things were required. It has to be obvious that a mage is casting or that a melee is getting ready to do a power attack. In Skyrim, they slow a bit as their weapon is raised over their head so you can raise your shield to block, or do a shield bash to interrupt. I actually like this style of play in Skyrim, and also play an SnS warrior there, but I'm not sure it has a place in Dragon Age. One of the reasons it works in Skyrim is because there aren't a lot of active abilities. The melee classes don't have any, and the mages can only use two at a time (one for each hand) and must continually switch using hotkeys or the favorites menu. The classes in Dragon Age have always had numerous abilities, even more than can fit on the bar in both DAO and DA2, and also in DAI, even with the amount of ability pruning allowed by the upgrade mechanic. I want to see those numerous abilities remain. It lets players customize their play experience and combat style to have access to those abilities. Because we have limited skill points, especially at the start, it means something to put your mage's skill points into support (party buffs OR debuffing enemies) versus damage. I would be concerned that a move to more methodical combat would just make it feel tedious, and frankly more like DAO-style combat. I know there are people for whom that would be a dream come true, but it's not mine.
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Post by Nightscrawl on Nov 11, 2016 13:05:56 GMT
I think the four (PC + 3) size we have now is good. I'm coming at this from an exploration and story point, rather than a combat point, but I have reservations there as well.
For the former, story and exploration, it would feel too busy to be wandering around with more, say six people, hearing all that banter, seeing all of them in cutscenes, having to worry about their pathing while wandering around, and so on. As for a reduced size, I wouldn't like that either for the simple reason that the current size allows me to bring a less optimal group because the deficiency is made up by having four people. I always bring my LI with me, regardless of their class or spec, and how well that matches with my own or the rest of the other party members. Having fewer people might make that more difficult.
For the latter, the combat point, having more would necessitate balancing the game around having that many, which means that you then need that many. Yeah, there are uber players that solo the game on Nightmare. Good for them. I'm not one of those. And to be honest, given how important these characters are in the overall enjoyment of the game, I don't want to play solo, and wouldn't even if I could. I'd prefer the game to be balanced around having a smallish party size. For the reduced size, you run the risk of feeling like a party isn't needed at all. Heck, I always play In Your Heart Shall Burn with just myself and Dorian for RP reasons, but I play on Casual. With the crafted gear boost I give myself (not anything too insane, I promise), and the level limits I put on myself, I get to that mission at around level 5-6 and still go through it with minimal challenge with only two people.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 17:01:02 GMT
(I'll preface this whole statement by saying no one combat style appeals to everyone, in fact, it's usually quite polarizing) One of the criticisms I hear frequently about DAI combat is that the fights feel very chaotic - there is a lot going on simultaneously and it's very difficulty to parse it at the necessary speed. This is not to say necessarily that the speed of the PC is the problem; the movements in DAI are actually a bit slower than in DA2 - the problem is the overall pace of the fight as a whole. Personally I think there is a place for active block/dodge and those more action oriented player actions in a combat system that feels slower and more methodical overall. I'm keen to hear other people's thoughts on the topic though It'll be an interesting balancing act. I've played a ton of Skyrim/Witcher and I like that style of play (even though I don't think either have really nailed it). Active Blocks/Dodges/Targeting in addition to ability/power usage would require more of the players' time and attention and I think it lends itself to sticking to a more real-time style of play. Balancing this with companion management in a combat system that feels less chaotic than DAI sounds like quite a challenge. Slowing the pace down part of the answer? I know it was sped up in DA2 as people felt DAO was too slow, but as you mention it was then slowed down a tad in DAI. What the sweet-spot might be with more active block/dodge/etc. elements in play is a good question. Pausing and being able to survey the battlefield as we can in DAI helps. Also, with dedicating buttons to block and dodge, would that mean we'd have fewer powers available to use? (As most know, I'd prefer to have more abilities ) Maybe implement an Ability Wheel like ME3/Witcher?
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Post by tmjfin on Nov 11, 2016 17:12:41 GMT
I really don't like what I've heard about changes of combat in Andromeda. I don't play BioWare games for action. While I can play ME trilogy without pausing, I like to manage my squads powers from wheel and do combos.
Dragon Age series really need tactics back like in Originsin and 2. There isn't enough game company's that do "BioWare" style games (if any) and I'd hate to see BioWare become just another action game maker :'(
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Post by LFS on Nov 11, 2016 17:25:27 GMT
I really don't like what I've heard about changes of combat in Andromeda. I don't play BioWare games for action. While I can play ME trilogy without pausing, I like to manage my squads powers from wheel and do combos. Dragon Age series really need tactics back like in Originsin and 2. There isn't enough game company's that do "BioWare" style games (if any) and I'd hate to see BioWare become just another action game maker :'( Agreed on both accounts. I can probably handle the more highly action-oriented combat for ME, because there's one less companion to worry about for a start, and the more "traditional" party roles don't apply so much, but I would truly hate to see Dragon Age go down the same road. I mostly only used the tactical cam in DAI during boss and dragon fights, but I could get away with it a bit more because I was playing an archer. If I was trying to play a tanking warrior, I would live in tactical mode. Alternatively, if they want to push us away from having to micro-manage IN combat, then boy-howdy do we need better AI control and full-spectrum tactics back.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 17:26:54 GMT
I really don't like what I've heard about changes of combat in Andromeda. I don't play BioWare games for action. While I can play ME trilogy without pausing, I like to manage my squads powers from wheel and do combos. Yeah, this is where I feel MEA made a mistake. Having a good AI is important, and I can understand they want a more seamless action game... But it's supposed to be a team, not a solo game, so I want to be able to step in at any point and say, "Hey - this is gonna be a tricky fight, so here's what we're gonna do. YOU do this, and YOU do that. And that'll give ME the opportunity to do this." ME3 with its "pause and issue orders to specific targets" got it right for a squad-based game.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 17:53:02 GMT
I'm actually a bit confused about the current descriptions of ME:A's combat "changes", because while it certainly gives the impression that it will be a bit more action-oriented, the article said: "Pausing returns but only for switching weapons or using consumables; powers are instead hotkeyed for quick use in combat while squad commands are in real time" (That's actually been updated since I read it last) So, beforehand it just sounded like there would be hotkeys and that was the change. I was confused because we always had them as well as the radial menu. This actually makes me quite worried since if you really can't use the radial menu, it means it's going to be like DA:I where you have a skill limit, and even worse since previous games only had 3 hotkeys... Well, crap. I hope this gets clarified soon, because if Bioware somehow didn't see all of the criticism DA:I's 8 skill limit produced and I can't use all of my powers with the radial menu, I'll be pretty pissed. Also, consumables? In ME? Not sure I like the sound of that. Essentially, MEA is moving to a faster paced, real-time style of game. The idea is that you largely just take care of yourself, the squadmates largely take of themselves, and the action is seamless. You can assign specific powers/abilities for your squadmates, but you don't control how/when they use them in combat like you could in ME3. You can pause the game, but you can't move the camera around or target specific enemies that way. I can see why they've done it this way (to keep the flow of the game going). But as I said above, I don't agree this is the best way to go for a team-based game.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 18:35:23 GMT
Moving towards? I thought it had already arrived. What happens with ME doesn't necessarily have to happen with DA. ME has always tried to be a good cover-based shooter. That's in ME's DNA. ME's evolution has trended towards improvement and refinement without deviating from that original trajectory. The evolution in DA combat isn't as clear cut to me. It's pulled in a lot of directions: traditional D&D, JRPG turn-based, WRPG action. Ironically, from DAO I would have predicted a deepening of the tactical AI and a move more towards JRPG style combat, as I considered the novel style of customizable AI combat as being DA's DNA. But it didn't work out that way. So, sure, it's possible that DA could get more Dark Souls-like (not Skyrim-like, since Skyrim is usually run first-person), but I say that not because that's consistent with the trajectory of DAO, more because it's too hard to predict where DA will go, so any direction is as good as any other. Would I like that? I dunno, I'm not all that picky about combat systems. I liked DAO and ME2 and Skyrim and Dishonored and Fallout and DAI. I haven't played Dark Souls, but I've watched way too much LP of it, enough to have a general idea of how combat works. I'd probably like that too. It's much more important to me for the combat to work seamlessly with the mechanics of encounters and storytelling. And also, there should be a reward for min/maxing investment. "Git gud" shouldn't be required, but if you invest in it, the combat system should reward you. That's what's important to me. It's tricky to know what to do with DAI because you have a relatively large number of companions in a game which is not turn-based. The more action-based elements you add to the game, the more the AI for your companions has to be rock solid and behave they way you want them to behave. Super-deep tactics customization would be fantastic, but I just can't see them doing that in this day and age. And you still want to be able to issue commands and set up coordinated attacks for efficiency/difficult fights. Dragon Age has always rewarded your knowledge of the systems and how they interact. At the same time, I like variety for the sake of variety. Because we had limited slots in DAI, I tended to focus only on the most broadly applicable powers and efficient strategies. My approach to combat was nearly always the same. The only time I'd bother swapping abilities out would be for boss fights. That's one of the reasons why I liked having "unlimited" slots in DAO. On a whim, I could shake things up with powers I wouldn't normally even look at in a limited slot system.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 18:49:19 GMT
(I'll preface this whole statement by saying no one combat style appeals to everyone, in fact, it's usually quite polarizing) One of the criticisms I hear frequently about DAI combat is that the fights feel very chaotic - there is a lot going on simultaneously and it's very difficult to parse it at the necessary speed. This is not to say necessarily that the speed of the PC is the problem; the movements in DAI are actually a bit slower than in DA2 - the problem is the overall pace of the fight as a whole. Personally I think there is a place for active block/dodge and those more action oriented player actions in a combat system that feels slower and more methodical overall. I'm keen to hear other people's thoughts on the topic though Yes, I believe that the fights are too chaotic. However, I think this is a problem (pacing) that is specific to DAI and other real-time party-based combat system, such as FFXV. You can convert DAI into Dark Souls, however, the team AI needs to be extremely solid. Or you could simply go the simpler route; slow down combat to a crawl, nerf the enemy's movement speed and make the overall combat look more sluggish, yet still realtime... I'm not sure I'd want to see combat speed slowed down to a crawl again, but AI will certainly need to be very, very solid going forward.
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Post by Hrungr on Nov 11, 2016 19:09:22 GMT
I would rather have more companions with me than fewer, honestly. The chaos isn't really a problem if you can pause combat to issue orders and if there is a good tactics system in place that allows for complexity at higher difficulty levels, but that can be used in a more basic way by new players. As much as I have come to love TW3, I hate the combat system because I'm just not quick enough to use many of Geralt's abilities in real time. Sometimes, I even found it difficult to keep him alive in Storymode. Part of solving this is learning the potions and abilities, and constructing a solid build, but another part is that I tend to freeze and start button-mashing when real-time combat gets tough. I hope DA4 combat stays DA-style, with pausing to allow the choosing of abilities and ordering party members around, as well as a usable tactical camera and tactics that can be set ahead of time. If they plan to implement more action-game elements like dodge/evade/targeting it'll mean you'll be spending more time directly managing your character. If that happens, I don't know if I'd want more companions adding even more work on my part. But I'd still want to be able pause and have direct control of them as needbe. The "chaos" issue is an interesting one as I was a little surprised to hear it too. But I have so many hours in this game, I can sleepwalk through it. So I have to wonder if being too familiar with the game is the reason I don't see those issues. But adding more active companions I think is just going to make it tougher on less experienced players. That said, I've love for their to be a huge battle (or two) of armies in the next game, which just throws you into the deep end...
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