Munchkin9
Sergeant
I hope this hasn't been suggested before, a search didn't bring back anything concrete.
Here's my idea:
It is safe to say that Mount and Blade's combat system is the most interesting complex and yet intuitive combat system that exists and has existed. There is controlled yet simple attacking, similar blocking that requires speed and control, there is an even tougher set of moves known as chambering. And all this is filed perfectly into something that doesn't out right seem complicated, but contains a depth never seen before in computer games. And even things that were not directly written into the code play an important role, such as moving properly in combat, out stepping weapon ranges, hitting from sides, and confusing players with feints. And all this adds up to a game that one can spend months if not years trying to master (I know I have).
However, in all this is one critical thing missing, you guessed it: dodging. This, properly done, would add not only a new depth to the combat, but also turn fights that are already impressive, into something epic. Imagine for a second: Two men face one another, one has a large, heavy, two hand sword, and the other holds a light quick short sword. The first man brings his two-hander down and the second man blocks skillfully with his short sword. However, this blow is heavy and the second man doesn't have time to recover, so the first man brings the sword around striking horizontally. The second man sees this attack, but doesn't want to be stunned again, by the heavy weight of the weapon. So instead he ducks down letting the sword pass cleanly over his head and strikes the first man in the stomach with a short powerful jab of his sword. The combat has ended.
Now in more understandable words: a dodge much like chambering would avoid any stuns and would allow you to avoid attacks with weapons that cannot block like daggers and bows. However, the difference would be that a dodge can avoid two different types of attacks with the same move, a crouch can avoid any horizontal attack, and a sidestep can avoid thrusts, and overhead swings. Also technically, though this could be tough to get in, a dodge should be able to dodge the same things from behind, and a crouch should also dodge things from the side, but that is another story. This dodge would allow the dodger to attack immediately, however, it probably wouldn't stun the attacker so that they still have a chance to block, just like chambering is now.
As for how this should be controlled there are a couple options:
1. Use the same system as chambering but for a right click instead. So in the middle of an enemy attack you right click block in the desired direction and the character will make that dodge. Issues with this is that these could be done too accidentally.
2. A new button would have to be introduced, something accessible, so either on the mouse (middle mouse button? but not everyone has one, and that causes issues with weapon switches), or more preferably the spacebar. So it would work like chambering (like the above) except instead of the right mouse button it would be the spacebar so you are 'jumping aside'. This sounds like the best method too me as jumping is rarely used in combat and when it is, it's not during an enemy's swing, and it sounds pretty intuitive as shown by the above words 'jumping aside'. Issue with this: failed dodge results in jump (ouch and looks bad in a fight).
3. The last option I can think of is double tapping a movement key, 's' being a crouch, and 'a' and 'd' different sidesteps, and I don't really see what 'w' could be, except maybe a shield bash or something as other people have suggested. The issue with this is that, at least for me, double taps are very hard to pull of especially in a heated combat, and also accidental double taps would just be a pain, and I know they would happen.
That is all I can think of for now, if I think of something else I will add more. Sorry about and spelling or grammar mistakes but I didn't have time to read over this. And sorry about making such a long post, but when you got to go, you got to go.
Here's my idea:
It is safe to say that Mount and Blade's combat system is the most interesting complex and yet intuitive combat system that exists and has existed. There is controlled yet simple attacking, similar blocking that requires speed and control, there is an even tougher set of moves known as chambering. And all this is filed perfectly into something that doesn't out right seem complicated, but contains a depth never seen before in computer games. And even things that were not directly written into the code play an important role, such as moving properly in combat, out stepping weapon ranges, hitting from sides, and confusing players with feints. And all this adds up to a game that one can spend months if not years trying to master (I know I have).
However, in all this is one critical thing missing, you guessed it: dodging. This, properly done, would add not only a new depth to the combat, but also turn fights that are already impressive, into something epic. Imagine for a second: Two men face one another, one has a large, heavy, two hand sword, and the other holds a light quick short sword. The first man brings his two-hander down and the second man blocks skillfully with his short sword. However, this blow is heavy and the second man doesn't have time to recover, so the first man brings the sword around striking horizontally. The second man sees this attack, but doesn't want to be stunned again, by the heavy weight of the weapon. So instead he ducks down letting the sword pass cleanly over his head and strikes the first man in the stomach with a short powerful jab of his sword. The combat has ended.
Now in more understandable words: a dodge much like chambering would avoid any stuns and would allow you to avoid attacks with weapons that cannot block like daggers and bows. However, the difference would be that a dodge can avoid two different types of attacks with the same move, a crouch can avoid any horizontal attack, and a sidestep can avoid thrusts, and overhead swings. Also technically, though this could be tough to get in, a dodge should be able to dodge the same things from behind, and a crouch should also dodge things from the side, but that is another story. This dodge would allow the dodger to attack immediately, however, it probably wouldn't stun the attacker so that they still have a chance to block, just like chambering is now.
As for how this should be controlled there are a couple options:
1. Use the same system as chambering but for a right click instead. So in the middle of an enemy attack you right click block in the desired direction and the character will make that dodge. Issues with this is that these could be done too accidentally.
2. A new button would have to be introduced, something accessible, so either on the mouse (middle mouse button? but not everyone has one, and that causes issues with weapon switches), or more preferably the spacebar. So it would work like chambering (like the above) except instead of the right mouse button it would be the spacebar so you are 'jumping aside'. This sounds like the best method too me as jumping is rarely used in combat and when it is, it's not during an enemy's swing, and it sounds pretty intuitive as shown by the above words 'jumping aside'. Issue with this: failed dodge results in jump (ouch and looks bad in a fight).
3. The last option I can think of is double tapping a movement key, 's' being a crouch, and 'a' and 'd' different sidesteps, and I don't really see what 'w' could be, except maybe a shield bash or something as other people have suggested. The issue with this is that, at least for me, double taps are very hard to pull of especially in a heated combat, and also accidental double taps would just be a pain, and I know they would happen.
That is all I can think of for now, if I think of something else I will add more. Sorry about and spelling or grammar mistakes but I didn't have time to read over this. And sorry about making such a long post, but when you got to go, you got to go.
