Combat in The Witcher 3

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I want the one where twirls like a tornado heeeee.

Mmmm, could be an upgraded skill or something.

Or perhaps it just received the same treatment as the backstep, where they slowed the animation down since they thought it looked a little too fast/crazy.


On a different note, just finished watching Jesse's Wraith video. He abused the hell out of Quen, rolled a little too much for my liking and yet the combat still looked fantastic. I can't express this enough, but as someone who really enjoyed W2's combat, W3 just looks fucking amazing. Signs are just beautiful. Also it was nice to see a level 1 Geralt being able to take on a level 7 enemy (And it didn't look crazy difficult), as that gives hope for being able to go take on really insane challenges and level differences and have it be both doable and really enjoyable.
 
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I've actually yet to see anyone use the forward pirouette in videos, or at least I don't remember the timestamp of one. However the Pirouette definitely still exists, it just seems like they've slowed it down a touch.

https://youtu.be/94R0Ji39E68?t=6m15s

How could I miss that. Maybe the old pirouette animation stuck on my mind so hard that I ignore different variation of the move. But the pirouette dodge is certainly gone. It seems that it was replaced by a back-step dodge.
 
Jesse uploaded his fight with a wraith. He's level 1, the wraith is 7. Check the Links thread if you didn't notice.

I think he relied a bit too much on Quen. Personally, I plan on making very little use of it since I find that when I'm left without that carefree defense, I have to fight more creatively. It also convinced me that I'll really want to be prepared with bombs, oils and potions when I'm chasing foes stronger than me (he didn't use any and struggled with the battle - which is good, I like that the game encourages us to make use of all the tools at our disposal).

Another thing is that he abused rolling, and I feel that the hit vigor takes from it - those few tiny moments of pausing its regeneration and the small penalty to it - is noticeable. It requires a few more seconds for the bar to fill, and if he were fighting more than 1 enemy, I imagine he would have wanted that vigor back as fast as possible. I think he wanted it even sooner with this single enemy fight. I get the impression that side-stepping is much better as the default evasive maneuver, and I'm happy about that.
 
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But the pirouette dodge is certainly gone. It seems that it was replaced by a back-step dodge.

Huh?

The dodge backwards was always a back-step and not a pirouette. Pirouette was only for dodging side/forward, and it hasn't been removed, just looks like they slowed it down based on the new footage.

Another thing is - he abused rolling a lot, and I feel that the hit vigor takes from it - those few tiny moments of pausing its regeneration - is noticeable.

Yea the vigor regeneration pause seemed perfectly fair. He kept getting himself stuck where he wanted to Quen but couldn't because he was rolling around too much, this lead him to just keep rolling and it wasn't until he finally attacked where his vigor had enough time to fully regen, but he was putting himself at a big risk to do so.

Looks fantastic. Can't wait.
 
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Jesse uploaded his fight with a wraith. He's level 1, the wraith is 7. Check the Links thread if you didn't notice.

I think he relied a bit too much on Quen. Personally, I plan on making very little use of it since I find that when I'm left without that carefree defense, I have to fight more creatively. It also convinced me that I'll really want to be prepared with bombs, oils and potions when I'm chasing foes stronger than me (he didn't use any and struggled with the battle - which is good, I like that the game encourages us to make use of all the tools at our disposal).

Another thing is that he abused rolling, and I feel that the hit vigor takes from it - those few tiny moments of pausing its regeneration and the small penalty to it - is noticeable. It requires a few more seconds for the bar to fill, and if he were fighting more than 1 enemy, I imagine he would have wanted that vigor back as fast as possible. I think he wanted it even sooner with this single enemy fight. I get the impression that side-stepping is much better as the default evasive maneuver, and I'm happy about that.

I still think that the roll should consume vigor, at least a part of it.
 
I'm not talking about the free flow combat mechanics, I'm talking about the way its structured and the underlying logistics of its design.

The point is that free flow can get away with it strictly because you only ever fight humans. In those games it makes perfect sense to build a very sophisticated animation system just for human enemies because 95% of the time that is exactly what you are doing. In this game you spend as much time fighting monsters as you do humans, which really diminishes the amount of financial and design sense it makes to throw so much of your resources behind such a thing. Nothing in game development is free, everything has both a cost in $$$ and an opportunity cost. So the question is what would they have to give up? And is it worth it? Geralt's riposte is no where near as central to TW3s design as it is in those other games. In those games it is the primary method for damage avoidance, in TW3 its a reward for a well timed block.

you are right, of course, that such elaborate animation system is costly, but i still wish it was in place against humans (while monster fighting remained the same as it is now, give or take) and i'd give up something else, the the card game. while it looks nice i am pretty sure everyone would spend a lot more time fighting than playing cards, so IMO it would have been worth it.

but that's my own personal taste and preference.

and i really hope that the parry+kick is done by well timed press of the parry button and that it is NOT(!) holding parry and adding attack like it was in TW2. the way it was in TW2 meant that you can turtle behind the guard stance and if you time the attack button well than you can a riposte, if you dont - it's still OK cuz you didnt get hurt. there is almost no risk there. however if a parry+kick (or shoulder slam) is done by pressing parry at the last moment (like in AC:U) than its risky - if you miss time it - you get hurt. THAT's cool. that's what i like.

What makes you think that a well timed parry is what causes geralt to do a parry+kick\push?

Jesse uploaded his fight with a wraith. He's level 1, the wraith is 7. Check the Links thread if you didn't notice.

I think he relied a bit too much on Quen. Personally, I plan on making very little use of it since I find that when I'm left without that carefree defense, I have to fight more creatively. It also convinced me that I'll really want to be prepared with bombs, oils and potions when I'm chasing foes stronger than me (he didn't use any and struggled with the battle - which is good, I like that the game encourages us to make use of all the tools at our disposal).

Another thing is that he abused rolling, and I feel that the hit vigor takes from it - those few tiny moments of pausing its regeneration and the small penalty to it - is noticeable. It requires a few more seconds for the bar to fill, and if he were fighting more than 1 enemy, I imagine he would have wanted that vigor back as fast as possible. I think he wanted it even sooner with this single enemy fight. I get the impression that side-stepping is much better as the default evasive maneuver, and I'm happy about that.

what video is that? who's jesse? can you give a link to the video you were talking about? there are tons of videos in that thread. i wouldnt know where to look... :\
 
you are right, of course, that such elaborate animation system is costly, but i still wish it was in place against humans (while monster fighting remained the same as it is now, give or take) and i'd give up something else, the the card game. while it looks nice i am pretty sure everyone would spend a lot more time fighting than playing cards, so IMO it would have been worth it.

but that's my own personal taste and preference.

That is not at all how that works. The people who created the card game are not necessarily the same people who work on creature and encounter design. So the people who designed and animated the botchling or any of the other 80+ monsters in the game, would have to divert their time and resources toward animating parries. Again, the games you are comparing this with barely have 5 non-humanoid enemies.

and i really hope that the parry+kick is done by well timed press of the parry button and that it is NOT(!) holding parry and adding attack like it was in TW2. the way it was in TW2 meant that you can turtle behind the guard stance and if you time the attack button well than you can a riposte, if you dont - it's still OK cuz you didnt get hurt. there is almost no risk there. however if a parry+kick (or shoulder slam) is done by pressing parry at the last moment (like in AC:U) than its risky - if you miss time it - you get hurt. THAT's cool. that's what i like.

What makes you think that a well timed parry is what causes geralt to do a parry+kick\push?

Because that is exactly how they've describe it. In fact, Damien talked about it in the interview yesterday:

Damien M said:
Actually parry is the same button as block, but in order to parry you must press at the right time (as you’re about to get hit) only then are you rewarded by a parry (we call it counter attack). Some enemies cannot be parried, like a double handed hammer swing for example is something you should dodge rather than try and block with your face. It's worth mentioning that not everything can be blocked fully. For example, sometimes, if you block a heavy attack, you will get staggered and receive fraction of damage.
 
That is not at all how that works. The people who created the card game are not necessarily the same people who work on creature and encounter design. So the people who designed and animated the botchling or any of the other 80+ monsters in the game, would have to divert their time and resources toward animating parries. Again, the games you are comparing this with barely have 5 non-humanoid enemies.



Because that is exactly how they've describe it. In fact, Damien talked about it in the interview yesterday:

About the animations - i meant that instead of paying guys to build the card game they could have hired additional animators that work on humanoid enemies and geralts animations. human enemies are just a couple types of enemy (one handed animations and two handed animations. that's it. and geralt's animation, of course).
i always said that monsters could have the same animations they have now(the current old tech animation system), since it looks like most of the time you better dodge monsters rather than parry them. if i was CDPR i wouldnt elaborate on the monster parry animation either. but i MIGHT HAVE on the humans animation.

I know it's more complicated than that but you get the general idea. i think there are some tiny touches in the game you could do without and an improved animations system for combat would have gone a longer way. again - my personal opinion.

regarding the interview - can you please link me to it? i really want to read the whole thing. what you quoted from that interview is like music to my ears since it's exactly how i'd design such combat system.
you cant make every parry be time based like in SOM or ACU in TW3 because enemies move much faster than in those games and you cant expect the majority of gamers to have reflexes that fast, so instead you make passive guard something that works and reward better gamers with a counter option. that's the only way i could imagine a combat system that has enemies swing faster yet rewards good timing of a parry :)
 
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Yeah, man. The hit on the Vigor seems OK, now. He really suffered from spamming rolls and not being able to use signs. Great!

I'm stll worried about step spam against hordes, though. But just a little. It seems like the strafing isn't sooo slow, after all.
 
Uhm...I don't think, in TW2 there was the same system...if you are in combat and run away from the combat area for 7-8 metres, mobs turn away from you....

Right, most games use a similar leashing system. In this particular case is seem way too short, which could mean its glitched. At one point hes standing right next to one, it swings at him and then turns right back around. Theres also one that is stuck behind a boat.
 
damn i have no idea what they are talking....

Uhm...the title menas "Game of the Year?"

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Right, most games use a similar leashing system. In this particular case is seem way too short, which could mean its glitched. At one point hes standing right next to one, it swings at him and then turns right back around. Theres also one that is stuck behind a boat.

I hope there will increase the "combat area", because now it is too short, and the enemy encounter is easily exploitable.
 
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