COOP amongst the party

[Malkaven]

Have the devs mentioned anything about party members working together for additional benefits? For example, two wizards both concentrate and cast Fireball which produces a larger fireball. Perhaps a ranger could light his arrows on fire by shooting through a wall of fire that was cast by a wizard in your party. Similar to class combos on in Guild Wars 2.

 

I think it would add a fun element to the game where you get the feeling the party is working together rather than all doing their own thing.

[evdk]

No, they have not mentioned anything about it.

[Ieo]

I remember Sawyer (I think, maybe a dev post instead of interview/Q&A) mentioning that spell combos are great and they'll try to work it in (like casting grease and then setting it on fire), but beyond that, dunno.

 

Beyond that, I don't understand the reasoning of your post. "Doing their own thing"--I mean, you're fully controlling your party anyway. By virtue of party members performing combat together, none of them are off "doing their own thing." Wait, I think I know what the problem is--

 

You cannot compare party dynamics in a single-player game to an MMO.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Ieo

[UncleBourbon]

I've not seen anything, but I do think it would be pretty cool. Something like synergistic casting (iirc, it gave something like +2 to defensive casting bonuses, and halved the penalties, so long as two wizards were in proximity) or tandem fighters (if two fighters are trying the same combat maneuver on one target, they gain circumstantial bonuses). It might be a bit hard to implement, but I think it would certainly make the companion system more unique and cool, while helping to curb the "Well, I'm a mage, so I'm not going to take the mage companion" logic.

[Malkaven]

I remember Sawyer (I think, maybe a dev post instead of interview/Q&A) mentioning that spell combos are great and they'll try to work it in (like casting grease and then setting it on fire), but beyond that, dunno.

 

Beyond that, I don't understand the reasoning of your post. "Doing their own thing"--I mean, you're fully controlling your party anyway. By virtue of party members performing combat together, none of them are off "doing their own thing." Wait, I think I know what the problem is--

 

You cannot compare party dynamics in a single-player game to an MMO.

 

Attacking the same target isn't "working together" in my book.

[Ieo]

I remember Sawyer (I think, maybe a dev post instead of interview/Q&A) mentioning that spell combos are great and they'll try to work it in (like casting grease and then setting it on fire), but beyond that, dunno.

 

Beyond that, I don't understand the reasoning of your post. "Doing their own thing"--I mean, you're fully controlling your party anyway. By virtue of party members performing combat together, none of them are off "doing their own thing." Wait, I think I know what the problem is--

 

You cannot compare party dynamics in a single-player game to an MMO.

 

Attacking the same target isn't "working together" in my book.

 

You first need to get out of the MMO headspace for this.

 

In quite a lot of IE-style tactical combat, there are multiple targets anyway. Taking out a party of 6 using a party of 6 is an example of the height of IE tactical combat.

[UncleBourbon]

That, or, say, taking out wave after wave of gibberlings with a party of six

 

I'm in favor of one companion perk for having them, and perhaps a different one if you have them and share the same class.

Edited October 19, 2012 by UncleBourbon

[Ieo]

That, or, say, taking out wave after wave of gibberlings with a party of six

 

I'm in favor of one companion perk for having them, and perhaps a different one if you have them and share the same class.

 

The gibberling masses are great too.

 

Having two wizards may seem redundant, but given how grimoires will work (supposedly), it will be Vancian-style in that we choose which spells to put in there, so you could ostensibly have two wizards casting totally different spells (except for the "basic" ones, which we know nothing about at the moment). As for the special physical/magic combo effects, such an implementation seems more appropriate for a 3D zoom free-rotating camera environment.... i.e. MMOs (or any other SP game of that technological style).

[rjshae]

Giving rogues perks for fighting the same target as another party member might be a nice touch. Individually a rogue wouldn't be as effective as a trained fighter, but he should be better able to utilize distraction and sneakiness.

[Ieo]

Giving rogues perks for fighting the same target as another party member might be a nice touch. Individually a rogue wouldn't be as effective as a trained fighter, but he should be better able to utilize distraction and sneakiness.

 

What kind of mechanics would that be? We know there will already be positioning bonuses... Although I'm hoping enemy AI will be good enough to try to compensate for backstab attacks after the first jab. Rogues also have a ton of utility outside combat, besides which the flexible classes probably means we can create a fighting build somehow.

[Merin]

I am not a fan of MMO's, so let's get that red herring out of the way.

 

Here's a box. Toss your red herrings in it. All done? Good.

 

Okay.

 

I like the idea of party members enhancing each other's attacks. You COULD say that flanking, buff spells, etc., are this... and you'd be right...

but I mean, and I think the OP means, game mechanics for classes working together to create effects that either alone couldn't.

 

A priest is able to cast a holy rain spells, for example, and a bunch of enemies are soaked in divinely charged water. A wizard follows up with a bolt from the blue spell, and a lightning bolt streaks from the sky and strikes one of the soaked enemies - and it reacts with the divine water for a blinding flash of holy energy exploding amongst the doused monsters.

 

A fighter enters his "come at me" attack routine, pulling a large enemy into fighting him and not letting the enemy's attention stray away. The rogue then slips behind the enemy and is able to land a "crippling disarm" attack, one that is only possible on enemies "held" by the fighter's routine.

 

That kind of thing.

[Justinian]

I'm pretty sure Tim confirmed cross class combos were planned.

[Malkaven]

Yes Merin, I was thinking along those lines.

[rjshae]

Giving rogues perks for fighting the same target as another party member might be a nice touch. Individually a rogue wouldn't be as effective as a trained fighter, but he should be better able to utilize distraction and sneakiness.

 

What kind of mechanics would that be? We know there will already be positioning bonuses... Although I'm hoping enemy AI will be good enough to try to compensate for backstab attacks after the first jab. Rogues also have a ton of utility outside combat, besides which the flexible classes probably means we can create a fighting build somehow.

It would depend a lot on what type of combat mechanics the developers are going to implement. I'm looking at it as rogues getting an attack bonus that makes them almost as good as a fighter, but only when attacking a target as a member of a team.