Combat animation timing and combat effects.

[Doc || Allegiant Gemcutters]

So, I know that the animation system is undergoing improvements, so this isn't a complaint post, more of a suggestion/idea post.

I was watching my dwarf in combat using an axe and noticed a couple things.

1. While I entered combat in a "Ready stance" before each animation of a strike with my axe, the animation had my character lower the axe downward, then raise it back up overhead, and then finally achieve the downstrike for the hit.

2. During this animation sequence, damage to my opponent mob was dealt immediately, even though the actual strike portion of the animation was yet to occur.

3. It seemed to me, the animation was somewhat (maybe just my perception) drawn out in order to fill some of the space of the combat action cool-down period.

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Thoughts:
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The timing mismatch of the animation and the damage being dealt means that sometimes the enemy dies and falls down before I technically hit them for the killing blow. That looks weird.

--> The animations should have the initial "lowering of the weapon" part of the removed, and the strikes need to be sped up so that they sync better with the actual dealing of damage. Make the combat animation sequence shorter and faster in general.

I think if this change was made the combat animation system and combat in general would seem much more fluid, and there would be less cases of animation stuttering.

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I know that some of these heavy weapons cannot realistically be swung about lightning fast, but the other alternative is to have damage dealt be delayed and timed with the actual perceived landing of the blow. This could create other issues with players moving out of range and yet hits still landing, etc.

[Doc || Allegiant Gemcutters]

Another issue is that when I run up to go kill a wolf or some mob, it seems that in every encounter, the first attempted strike I try does nothing. I'll click the button or press "1" but nothing happens.

So, I end up mashing the "1" key in an attempt to get that first strike to fire.

Since there is no auto-attack mode like in WoW, and you have to manually initiate each attack, this first strike really needs to be fluid and work as expected when called.

When it doesn't it basically means I lose a fight with an equally matched opponent because they get in several hits before my first one finally fires.

[Bringslite of Fidelis]

That animation "desync" is still common with archery also. As Doc says, not terrible, but when ammunition becomes a factor, that might become more frustrating.

I feel for GW. Any project like this is going to have 1,000,001 things that need adjustment.

[DeciusBrutus]

Doc || Allegiant Gemcutters wrote:

Another issue is that when I run up to go kill a wolf or some mob, it seems that in every encounter, the first attempted strike I try does nothing. I'll click the button or press "1" but nothing happens.

So, I end up mashing the "1" key in an attempt to get that first strike to fire.

Since there is no auto-attack mode like in WoW, and you have to manually initiate each attack, this first strike really needs to be fluid and work as expected when called.

When it doesn't it basically means I lose a fight with an equally matched opponent because they get in several hits before my first one finally fires.

Wolves in particular will cause knockdown with their initial attack. Most archers will interrupt your attack if you are granting opportunity.

[Doc || Allegiant Gemcutters]

I'm aware of the knockdown, which is really just looking like my dwarf is bowing his head. I'll have to look more closely for an interrupt.

If that is the case, there needs to be a more obvious animation associated with being interrupted, like a sort of flinching animation so that I get a visual queue as to why I'm not attacking.

However, this happens so regularly across all types of enemies that I suspect something else is at play.

[Jo Jampa]

The issues described pretty much affect all attacks on all classes.

As for the initial attack against a wolf not working, that is because of the wolf's initial attack disrupting your initial attack. At least that is how it was explained to me.

There is one scenario though that I do find very perplexing and annoying. If a wolf is in the process of covering ground to me and I cast anything, the entire casting animation can complete and the wolf will still disrupt the attack. IOW .. I see the entire attack animation except for perhaps the fireball itself which is always lagging the damage in other scenarios, but the moment the wolf is in range, I am disrupted and my attack fails. Not sure if this is due to the built in delay for game synching (300ms?) or not.

In some ways this is the reverse of exploiting windrider by initiating the attack while slightly out of range and then it fires immediately (because it was queued?) once the mob enters the 4m range. The enemy never gets their attack off.

[Doc || Allegiant Gemcutters]

Checking against skeletons and bandits, my initial attempt to perform a melee strike in range almost never does anything until after I have been hit once by the enemy.

[Saiph]

There is a delay between when you activate an ability and when it actually fires; it reminds me of Warhammer Online.

[Doc || Allegiant Gemcutters]

I'm sure, but what I'm talking about is that many times I come into melee range, press "1" and nothing happens. If I press no other keys or buttons, nothing continues to happen till I die.