Controls

[Vuguroth]

Speculation and preferences

 

Key mapping:

 

WASD + mouse is a pretty comfortable setting that most people have gotten used to.

 

along with this, I enjoy browsing skills with Q and E. Browse down with Q and browse up with E. For this to be comfortably functional you like to minimize the use of skills to two main skills and a few secondary skills, possibly alternative ones. Autocast works wonders.

 

Consumable abilities like potions I like to keep on 12345, with possible dire survivals on the higher numbers.

 

Z for picking up all items - awesome!

 

X for status screen, C for character screen

 

 

-- DS2

in Dungeon Siege 2 I use Q for mana potion and E for health potion. It works adequately, with powers on the number keys... I sometimes use X to scroll the party's powers, but I tend to have uneven amounts of powers which causes stepping only in one direction to disharmonize the order....... so I tend to switch powers using the mouse. Also you tend to use a lot of potions, so a comfortable key is befitting.

 

-- Ultimately

My ultimate preference would be if powers could be slow recharging and not as easily wasted like DS2's icicle blast. Slow recharge + fizzle = frustration

if you rarely use powers, you don't need to include them in the core control frame.

Also I don't want to use a zillion potions. You don't gain a big chunk of health from chugging something.

"OH GREAT POWER OF THE CHUG! RELEASE ME FROM MY AGONIES!!!"

I actually made a theoretic build with Sartan as a combat mage using embers and constantly chugging massive amounts of potions. It goes really well with his character... Sartan! Master Chugger! in early game it can actually be quite good to spec harvesting skills aggressively to get high quality potions. Then respec/change character in the expansion.

 

Actual quick to trigger effects are sniffing effects and injections. Sniffing salt to get a higher presence and more combat focus, or stuff like that.

Quickest heals are accepting your injuries and dealing with them. First aid to dispel wounds or poisons. Relaxation and focus to gain actual hit points. One way to focus(gain hp) is to heighten your grade of aggression. Are you supposed to subdue, eliminate or what? You can see this in berzerking abilities giving extra hp, to give an example.

 

I say that it's time to end the era of in-combat potions! Give healing abilities to address to 12345! ^_^

Edited August 2, 2010 by Vuguroth

[greylord]

Speculation and preferences

 

Key mapping:

 

WASD + mouse is a pretty comfortable setting that most people have gotten used to.

 

along with this, I enjoy browsing skills with Q and E. Browse down with Q and browse up with E. For this to be comfortably functional you like to minimize the use of skills to two main skills and a few secondary skills, possibly alternative ones. Autocast works wonders.

 

Consumable abilities like potions I like to keep on 12345, with possible dire survivals on the higher numbers.

 

Z for picking up all items - awesome!

 

X for status screen, C for character screen

 

 

-- DS2

in Dungeon Siege 2 I use Q for mana potion and E for health potion. It works adequately, with powers on the number keys... I sometimes use X to scroll the party's powers, but I tend to have uneven amounts of powers which causes stepping only in one direction to disharmonize the order....... so I tend to switch powers using the mouse. Also you tend to use a lot of potions, so a comfortable key is befitting.

 

-- Ultimately

My ultimate preference would be if powers could be slow recharging and not as easily wasted like DS2's icicle blast. Slow recharge + fizzle = frustration

if you rarely use powers, you don't need to include them in the core control frame.

Also I don't want to use a zillion potions. You don't gain a big chunk of health from chugging something.

"OH GREAT POWER OF THE CHUG! RELEASE ME FROM MY AGONIES!!!"

I actually made a theoretic build with Sartan as a combat mage using embers and constantly chugging massive amounts of potions. It goes really well with his character... Sartan! Master Chugger! in early game it can actually be quite good to spec harvesting skills aggressively to get high quality potions. Then respec/change character in the expansion.

 

Actual quick to trigger effects are sniffing effects and injections. Sniffing salt to get a higher presence and more combat focus, or stuff like that.

Quickest heals are accepting your injuries and dealing with them. First aid to dispel wounds or poisons. Relaxation and focus to gain actual hit points. One way to focus(gain hp) is to heighten your grade of aggression. Are you supposed to subdue, eliminate or what? You can see this in berzerking abilities giving extra hp, to give an example.

 

I say that it's time to end the era of in-combat potions! Give healing abilities to address to 12345! ^_^

 

I can see them using WASD, though I'd also like it for controls to be re-mappable. I can see them using this especially if they are making it for consoles as well (using wasd keys). However on the PC I think I prefer the mouse clicking methods overall, with the keyboard in use to trigger or activate other things.

[HoonDing]

In DS2 I controlled everything with the mouse... I only used the 'M' key for chugging mana potions & 12345 for activating a power. I rarely chugged health potions, since it was inefficient compared to a healing mage autocasting a healing spell & spirit embrace. Oh, and I also used 'F' for focus fire occasionally.

 

For DS1, though, I used to have an entire page of hotkeys. Not that it was really necessary, though.

Edited August 2, 2010 by virumor

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Gold picked up automatically, some sort of list instead of names appearing over items to pick them up, otherwise it's a complete cluster****.

[Gorth]

I'd also like it for controls to be re-mappable.

THIS!

 

Nothing screams wonky console->pc port more than awkward, unconfigurable controls, whether it be mouse or key assignment. Ok, maybe microscopically small, linear hallway levels and graphics that doesn't scale well, but hey?

 

Having just played a few very old games (and some not so old, but with "old school" gfx) like Space Ranger 2, I subscribe to the ideology that the latest shaders and flashy lighting is secondary to good game mechanics AND controls. The latter can within reason make up for less eye candy, not the other way around. Painting a Trabant a glossy red colour doesn't make it a Ferrari.

[LadyCrimson]

I used the mouse for almost everything in both games, except potions & sometimes forcing of spellcasting. I probably used other hotkeys now and then but just not as a primary mode.

 

Keys in DS1 were remappable....were they in DS2? I don't remember. But yes, I agree...keys must be remappable...that way people can have them as they wish.

[KillerGremal]

The hotkey support of DS1 was very good (fully introduced with the LoA addon).

Of course DS1 and DS2 were 'point & click' which allowed you to have the left hand free for all actions (when i'm right, the camera too could be rotated by moving the cursor while pressing the mouse wheel!?).

 

Actually you didn't need many hotkeys for melee or ranged heroes, but for mages they were extremely useful.

The hotkeys gave you instant access to all 12 spells in the spellbook - and if somebody thinks nobody really needs 12 speed during combat, then he probably never havs played a nature mage in DS1.

With e.g. (shift) A/S/D/Y/X/C you could put all attacking/cursing/healing/buffing actions right below your fingers

[pmp10]

Hopefully it will feature some form of blocking/dodging defense system as arpgs should really move away form kiting with mouse.

[Purkake]

That wouldn't be very RPG-y now would it?

 

Does any loot-based arpg actually have a player controlled blocking/dodging mechanic?

[Vuguroth]

In DS2 I controlled everything with the mouse... I only used the 'M' key for chugging mana potions & 12345 for activating a power. I rarely chugged health potions, since it was inefficient compared to a healing mage autocasting a healing spell & spirit embrace. Oh, and I also used 'F' for focus fire occasionally.

 

For DS1, though, I used to have an entire page of hotkeys. Not that it was really necessary, though.

 

The high levels of potions restore more health and do it faster. There's no way healing alone can be more efficient than BOTH healing+potion. There also are quite a few stages of the game where it's more or less impossible to make it without health potions, depending on your build. Try going melee early game for example doesn't matter if you dodge spears like a madman, you'll still need potions.

 

---

outside the box, my topic start of course assumes customizable keys. It's more considering the baseline.

 

Giving an example, Diablo 3's baseline is skillhopping and potion drinking, from what you can see of the gameplay video. It's similar to Diablo 2, but refined and processed to give a better flow

Edited August 4, 2010 by Vuguroth

[pmp10]

That wouldn't be very RPG-y now would it?

 

Does any loot-based arpg actually have a player controlled blocking/dodging mechanic?

The idea of kiting is even less so.

Besides isn't the whole instant & uninterruptible health potion gulping idea a diablo 1 leftover from 1999?

As for defense mechanics there were attempts to use a different solution - all console oriented tho.

I just seriously doubt that any game requiring the out-heal-it tactics will become seriously accepted among console audiences.

[Purkake]

No one is forcing you to kite the enemies, I don't see how blocking would be a better solution against a horde of enemies.

 

Also, we don't know how the health system will work in DS3 or DIII, for that matter.

[pmp10]

Depending on design some games do force you to kite. Even if the alternative isn

[Purkake]

Diablo 2 had automatic percentage-based blocking system. What's wrong with a system like that?

[KO771]

Diablo 2 had automatic percentage-based blocking system. What's wrong with a system like that?

 

nothing. one thing less to worry about while fighting the ugliest monsters

Edited August 4, 2010 by KO771

[pmp10]

Diablo 2 had automatic percentage-based blocking system. What's wrong with a system like that?

It didn

[Purkake]

The Assassin's dual claw block worked for spells. The other things are easily adjustable.

 

While I don't like the more active style of console arpgs I don't see how else DS3 would work, being a multiplatform game and all.

[LadyCrimson]

Pots/healing:

 

They could put a long timer on potions and increase the rate of chr. healing. I don't mind potions but I can understand just mashing the 'chug' button can get old. In the campaigns I've always used the npc healing mage too. Sometimes half my party would just heal.

 

But if playing solo (esp. in MP), in DS1 at least, potions alone weren't as 'awesome' because of the rooted-in-place delay of actually drinking it. When mobbed, they could damage you fast enough to take off a lot of the health gained from the pot before your chr. was finished with the drinking animation..so you'd either have to run away or do nothing but stand & drink pots. Could hardly get a whack in, lol. So I didn't feel like potions were as much of a crutch as the big purple pots of Diablo2 were.

 

I need to play DS2 again to refresh my memory...did it have the same kind of potion-drinking delay animation?

[Purkake]

Life leech all the way.

[Wombat]

Diablo 2 had automatic percentage-based blocking system. What's wrong with a system like that?

It didn

[Purkake]

I wouldn't trust Obsidian's AI as far as I could throw it, probably not the best solution in this case.

[Vuguroth]

I didn't understand why people started talking about kiting at first, but I came to realize...

 

since this is a Dungeon Siege forum, Dungeon Siege is by default the std being used. So when talking about assumed WASD controls, that's for turning the camera, not moving your character. Character is controlled by mouse, and camera by keys

 

Being able to give commands to run is a great idea though. I dearly love those moments in DS2 when you can just click a distant pathground and have your characters travel there, instead of having to renew clicks all the time. Something like a travel(autorun) mode that when activated runs down a path... that would be an amazing feature! :D

[Purkake]

Dungeon Siege is a STD now?

Edited August 11, 2010 by Purkake

[Vuguroth]

Dungeon Siege is a STD now?

 

unfortunately the humor is slightly thrown off since it's "an STD".

 

read in context it's "the standard", but dedramatized language

[Purkake]

We may need more unique acronyms.

 

 

Also, who shortens "standard"?