So, over the years, we've done quite a few new things - and we're working on a few combat related things. However, once in awhile in the past, we've heard people comment that our combat is really quite stock and boring, just heaping skills and weapon flags onto automatic spam.
Now, all of our players here are used to this. You're relatively fine with it I assume. Many of you are quite content just cruise-controlling it through quests and combat, and that's cool.
However, the idea has come up a time or five to have a manual input combat system. If you don't type anything, you stand there and get beaten on. However, if you input types of attacks and spells, they all take place in sort of a turn-based sequence of events. The potential to slow down combat is quite a bit greater. A rough example of what I mean is below:
|Round | |What Player sees | |What Goblin Sees |
|----- | |---------------------------------------- | |-------------------------------------- |
|1 | |> engage goblin ['Wait: 4, Balance: 100] | |Player approches you. [Wait: 0, Balance 100] |
|2 | |Goblin backs away from you. [Wait: 3, Balance 99] | |> disengage player You back away from Player [Wait: 10, Balance 95] |
|3 | | | | |
|4 | |> engage goblin You still have 1 round to wait. [Wait: 1, Balance: 99] | | |
|5 | | | | |
|6 | |> engage goblin ['Wait: 4, Balance: 97] | | |
|7 | | | | |
|8 | | | | |
|9 | | | | |
|10 | |You are at pole range. [Wait: 0, Balance 96] | |Player is at pole range with you. [Wait: 2, Balance 96] |
|11 | |> slice goblin You are not within range for a sword attack. [Wait: 0, Balance 96] | |Player swung his sword at you, but was too far away. [Wait: 1, Balance 96] |
|12 | |> engage goblin You continue to approach the goblin. ['Wait: 4, Balance 92] | |Player continues to approach you [Wait: 0, Balance 96] |
|13 | |Goblin tried to back away but you are still closing. [Wait: 3, Balance 91] | |> disengage player You try to disengage but fail. [Wait: 10, Balance 85] |
|14 | | | | |
|15 | | | | |
|16 | |You are at melee range. [Wait: 0, Balance 96] | |Player is a melee range with you. [Wait: 7, Balance 87] |
|17 | |> Slice goblin You hit the goblin. He takes some damage. [Wait: 4, Balance: 80] | |Player slices you. That hurt! [Wait: 6, Balance 70] |
|18 | | | | |
|19 | | | | |
|20 | | | | |
|21 | | | | |
|22 | |> parry goblin You move into parry position and your balance improves. [Wait 9, Balance 95] | |Player moves into parry position. [Wait: 1, Balance 75] |
|23 | |Goblin charges you, which knocks you back a bit, but you keep your sure footing. [Wait 8, Balance 85] | |> charge player You charge the player and knock him back a bit, but he stays on his feet. [Wait: 10, Balance 45] |
|24 | | | | |
|25 | | | | |
|26 | | | | |
|27 | | | | |
|28 | | | | |
|29 | | | | |
|30 | | | | |
|31 | | | | |
|32 | |> Charge goblin You charge the goblin and knock him down. [Wait: 10, Balance 75] | |Player charges you and you fall to the ground. [Wait: 1, Balance 20] |
|33 | | | | |
|34 | |Goblin is trying to stand up. [Wait: 8, Balance 96] | |> stand You try to stand, but you are carrying too much to do it quickly. [Wait: 45, Balance 20] |
|35 | | | | |
|36 | | | | |
|37 | | | | |
|38 | | | | |
|39 | | | | |
|40 | | | | |
|41 | | | | |
|42 | | | | |
|43 | |> stab goblin You score a direct hit to the goblin's chest. Goblin is dead. [Wait: 4, Balance: 80] | |Argh! Player scored a direct hit to your chest. You are dead. |
Anyways, this is the basic idea. Is this something you would be interested in or not? Let's discuss the notion here, and we'll eventually put it to a poll on the MUd and see what overall opinion might be.