What will combat mechanics be like?

[Lucien1337]

I'd like to know what actual combat mechanics are going to be like in Project Eternity. In update 16 of the kickstarter (Combat with Tim) Tim mentions things like countering and flanking, different stances and charging, and refers to it as a close-combat system. Since watching the video I've been pretty interested in how combat mechanics are going to be implemented in the game (you know stuff like left mouse is melee attack, WASD movement that kind of thing). Is combat going to be like:

 

Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 (real-time tactical pause classic D&D)

 

Planescape Torment (real-time tactical pause massively downplayed combat omg wisdom ishouldvelistenedtomybrotherthosespellsdatdialogue)

 

Fallout (turn-based action points stat rolls)

 

Temple of Elemental Evil (turn-based D&D)

 

Neverwinter Nights 2 (real-time tactical pause modern D&D)

 

Dragon Age: Origins (real-time tactical pause D&D-free)

 

Or maybe even:

 

Dungeon Siege III (isometric hack/slash action rpg)

 

Mount and Blade: Warband (3rd-person action rpg hack/slash combat)

 

Oh by the way, I'm Lucien1337 just joined and also donated to the kickstarter, 2 years is a long time but frankly I can't wait!

[Dronios]

Neverwinter Nights 2 (real-time тактической паузы современных D&D)*

[Sensuki]

I wouldn't mind a bit more RTS style combat. I do not want MMO/Dragon Age style combat

[Micamo]

Dragon Age combat wouldn't have been that bad if they hadn't abused ability cooldowns as a cheap design tactic.

 

Anyway we already know the broad outline: Real time with pause, original mechanics. Though what we know so far sounds like a random homebrewer's attempt at "Fixing" D&D 3rd edition, truth be told...

[Sensuki]

It's just really stale, it feels really slow, the character movement is clunky.

 

A more RTS feel is a lot more lively. I don't know but Baldur's Gate and BG2 felt smoother than the Icewind Dales as well.

 

Smoother combat movement like Warcraft 3 or something is what I would be looking for, not a really clunky system.

[Lucien1337]

Well to be honest I was hoping for a more action oriented combat system, I have an extreme dislike of the way spells are handled in all D&D games (rest, pick spells you want to use for next day, hope that you're lucky enough that you won't have to use them 'til they run out) and I was hoping they wouldn't resurrect it. The clunkiness of the old D&D systems really gets to me, I couldn't even get through ToEE recently because that ridiculous circle menu just broke my brain.

 

Admittedly it'd be pretty difficult to implement a hack/slash system in a game where you have to essentially play 4-6 different characters at a time. Something like Dungeon Siege III with Dragon Age's (admittedly shallow) Tactics system is the feel I'm looking for. I'll return to this once I give it more thought...

[Halric]

Spellcasting in the IE games had some pretty rough edges, and I've always thought that was due to the fact they tried to adapt the table top rules into a cRPG. D&D 2e, and to a lesser extend 3e were not meant to be easily melded into the dynamics of a cRPG.

 

I may regret saying this, but 4th Edition D&D caught a lot of flak for the system they proposed, but the truth is the 4e system was changed fundamentally to fit more easily with cRPGs. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate design choice by WoTC to increase the licensing revenue opportunities of their game engine, or just a coincidence when they moved to a "power" system in an effort to appeal to an emerging younger audience.

 

For anyone not familiar, 4e changed all abilities into powers that fell into one of three categories: At-Will, Encounter, Daily. This worked for spells by saying some back-bone spells were At-Will (weaker but you were never without them), Encounter (more powerful, but only usable once per encounter) and Daily (traditional once a day and have to rest to get them back, but they were the most powerful and often would do something even if they "missed")

 

This allows the character to have a few At-Will spells available at all times, like magic missile (which in 4E is not a guarenteed hit anymore), and other more powerful spells only useable once per combat, and the big "I'm really in trouble" spells only usable once per day.

 

For table top, this system really wasn't recieved very well, but for a cRPG it's some food for thought.

[sodaTwo]

While I agree that the the old DnD magic system leave much be asked for. Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 have the most epic and intense magic duels ever created in cRPGs bar none.