I'd probably post this big, long comment on how you haven't even tried to think of player motivation or anything like that, but it'll likely be white noise against the other, monstrous amounts of complaints people have to your idea in the first place...

So instead, here's a picture of a puppy...
In response to D-Cire
D-Cire wrote:
Ter13 wrote:
It was a rhetorical question. Your inability to describe why it's a good thing indicates that your ad-hoc reasoning wasn't a selling point, but an indication of a serious, serious design flaw.

We really need a like feature.

Yea or nay! *shivers*
Haha, yes.
Well I have thought about motivating the player by using skills and items which can be unlock by multiple ways.

-The first way is by grinding and getting the few extra stats along with skill points which you use to buy new skill within your skill tree.

-Second would be by play the global storyline which run on the game for anyone to play at a given time. This doesn't just mean playing the main storyline. As the storyline changes so does the NPCs in the world and they will give side missions or new villain NPCs will come up in a different area which have chances of dropping different type of weapons that can't be bought.
(So here in the main storyline you are able to get both weapons and new skills.)

-Third would be events. Just joining any of the many type of events can earn you weapons, items, and even skills.

-Forth would be a random even or condition must be met to learn a skill. Which is another way to say you will randomly learn hidden skills, which are not advertised just by being on the game. At the right time. Kind of a afk training but for skills. The chances are not high but just using a skill or walking or just anything would give you a new skill. I have it to where it is any action at this point but it will be moving on to time after I found an efficient way to do it.

wow...
Didn't really expect to type all this when I got on here today... but that puppy motivated the shit out of me.

What did you settle on for a combat system?
I haven't really settle on the combat system stat wise yet. The numbers seems to high and turn out can cause a never ending, well not never ending but hour long fights between two new people.(This is mainly an issue when the player is new and only have a few very basic skill set.) So for example if you start with 1500 health and damage is about 50 that would be 30 hits you must land on your target and this the weakest projectile attack which isn't that bad but can be annoying to many people. The second lowest is 15 hit which sound about where I want it to be and it pick up after that.

The problem is when your using hand to hand combat where the health is that high and damage is the difference between str and def with other variables into it will put like 10 points of damage into it or even worse someone def is higher then someone else attack. Which would only do like a damage amount of a random number 1 to 10.

So at this point I still deciding to keep the numbers as they are because i'm fine with how to projectiles numbers worked out and just changing how hand to hand damage is done. For example having a higher base amount of damage like 20 to 35 and stack any other damage on top of that.
Did you not read any of the advice? :I
Yeah but I tried to block most of it out :-).

But yeah i've read it and I get I should spend more time on trying to make the combat system entertaining instead of worrying about stats. I just don't get how everyone can take the stats so lightly. It seems like an important part if the game which could help improve the combat system.

For example, the is a lot of Auto features in the game which allows the game to help you encase it's to much for you to handle. For example the countering system. When attacked the auto system will let you block, dodge, or counter depending on what your presets are. But you also have a by pass button which lets you block, dodge, or counter which is bases on timing and will work no mater what as long as you timing is right. Which is like a half of a second before the skill hit you. If you use this by pass it will turn of auto counter for a few seconds. Personally I think it's a pretty cool system. But the auto part is based on stats so if stat are just way out there it would mess up the auto countering system.

I guess it can just be a poorly made system on my part but how else would you do something like that with out worrying about stats.

But for the combat system I have a general idea of what I want to do with it and have a good amount of it already program. The type of combat system I'm looking to do is a fast system where you able to get assistance from the game is your falling behind but able to override it at anytime. But even though it is fast I wanted it to drag out longer then 10 seconds.
Sounds interesting. At least the blocking/countering.
In response to Archfiend Master
Archfiend Master wrote:
Yeah but I tried to block most of it out :-).
I just don't get how everyone can take the stats so lightly. It seems like an important part if the game which could help improve the combat system.

Super Marios Bros. You get hit. You lose 1 point of HP. You hit 0 HP you lose 1 life. So Much Statz.


In response to D-Cire
D-Cire wrote:

Super Marios Bros. You get hit. You lose 1 point of HP. You hit 0 HP you lose 1 life. So Much Statz.

Yeah but Super Mario Bros. isn't a pvp game. Also if you think about it... the 1hp is a stat. You start at 0 and look for that item to give you up to 2 and every hit you lose 1hp. That is just a very basic stat system.

But yeah I have put some thought into how I want the combat to work I've even thought of ways to avoid having stats all together. But it seems to leave wholes in the system.

Ideas without stats.

-For example I've thought about instead of using stats from the player for dodging each skill would have a hit percentage. So let's say a skill have a 70% chance of doing damage, after it bumps into the player. The other 30% would be countering.

-Thought about giving you like a small given amount of hp let just say 10. And skills will do 1 for a normal punch up to 4 which is a epic skill. And while in fights you are healing kind of like call of duty. If you are not hit after like 10 second you will gain health back.


Problems I can't seem to get around.

-Health with damage. How to factor any of that with out stats.*(For both projectiles and hand to hand combat. They both use different formulas.)

-Also without using stats it kind of take away the sense of growth. Not just stat wise like now i have 1000 Attack i'm going place ;-). But I've made it to where the cost of the skill will always be the same. But damage is based on a percentage of your max energy. So as you are gaining level and stats you will notice yourself get stronger. When fighting an NPC when you first start it might take 10 fire balls to kill it. But as you gain stats it will take less fireballs and you will still be using the same amount of power which kind of gives you the sense of moving up.


-Boost with at stats I really don't see how you can boost players for a given amount of time without it.


This is kind of a short list because I kind of just got home from work so yeah...



We're not saying to get rid of stats, as they are useful for the actual technical side - but the way you write seem to place disproportionate value on stats.

Honestly, if you could link a demo to your combat system it'd be more useful.
Well I will need a few days before I can put out a fully playable combat system. But yeah I try and put out a small demo on Saturday(or before then if finish early) for a few hours and see what kind of feedback I can get from you guys.
You can call any variable in your source a "stat". You don't have to show every variable to your player, though. They don't have to know. They can remain ignorant of the hidden "stats" and have fun.
Ask yourself how the combat in your game is supposed to flow. Is it a strategic turn-based game that requires intelligent moves and counter moves, much like Chess, or is it a fast-paced, real-time battle? And if it's the latter, does the win ratio depend more on the player's experience or their skill?

If it's based on experience, a stat-based system would be better because at this point it's just comparing numbers to see who beats the other person. If it's a skill-based battle system, you should try not to use any kind of progressive statistics at all and just give players a slew of abilities to use against the opponent that does x amount of damage, relying more on timing and accuracy than any real number crunching.

In my opinion, the turn-based method is the most fun because it invokes careful strategy and planning, catering best to the puzzle gamers and chess players, making the best moves and picking the best routes to achieve success.

I'm honestly tired of seeing the same MMO-esque mechanics constantly being poorly laid out on every other game on the site. I'd love to play a game that utilizes more mechanics like Fire Emblem or Pokémon, allowing you to build your character or team up in a progressive way, but also giving the bulk of the win ratio to those who can out-think and outplay their opponent simultaneously.



In the end, however, if you're letting PvP carry your gameplay: you are going to fail. And I say that from several standpoints, one of them being that a solely PvP game is extremely hard to get right, which is why you almost never see them in mainstream gaming. You have to stop and think about that a lot of people don't really appreciate getting "lulkilld" by every other passing douche with a superficial superiority complex.

It's fine to have a game with PvP elements, but try to cater to all parties by giving players more stuff to do than PvP. Adding questing to your game doesn't excuse this, by the way. Questing is mid-game filler that you use to generate pacing and progression, but you really need good end-game content that's doable by the average soloist.

Also, remember that people love showing off. They love their name being shouted to the heavens with monumental lights in the skies in their honour and what's more is that other people HATE not being that centre of attention and will do everything in their power to tear that person's head off in order to put their name up there instead.

Motivating players with accolades is often a great way to generate competitive interest, even in a non-PvP setting, such as being the fastest to beat a particular dungeon or something.



But, that's just my rant. You should try asking questions on other game development sites as well to get a broader input. No offence at all to the BYOND community, but more often than not you'll find a lot more experienced game developers on other forums.

Wait, crap, things are getting too srs for me up in here!... Uh... uh... QUICK! LOOK AT THE PUPPY DOGGY!
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