Fighting animations

[vuk]

While I like a lot of additions Warband makes, I must say that the new fighting animations are pretty awful. They seem extremely unnatural. The other ones were not perfect I know, but they really were a lot better. I was wondering if there is any plan to change them, because they kind of ruin the game for me. If you are going to keep them, please make it easy to switch back to the old ones. 

 

[sadnhappy]

While I like a lot of additions Warband makes, I must say that the new fighting animations are pretty awful. They seem extremely unnatural. The other ones were not perfect I know, but they really were a lot better. I was wondering if there is any plan to change them, because they kind of ruin the game for me. If you are going to keep them, please make it easy to switch back to the old ones. 

That's because the game's physics were just switched to Havok engine and the animations haven't yet been updated. Lock the thread

 

[vuk]

They switched to these animations when the first Warband beta came out, and they have only been mildly altered since. Are you saying that they plan on changing them?

 

[Tibertus]

I think the current animations, while they should be improved upon, are much better than the original tennis racket swing animations.

 

[vuk]

I think the current animations, while they should be improved upon, are much better than the original tennis racket swing animations.

The problem is that they are held too close to the body and brought back too far. It kind of looks like when my brothers and I used to fight with sticks when we were 6 years old.

 

[Weren]

I think the current animations, while they should be improved upon, are much better than the original tennis racket swing animations.

Yeah, same for me. When I tried to play regular M&B for a change, I just couldnt do it. The old animations just felt so clumsy and robotic. 
I like Warband animations mucho better, but they're not perfect either.

 

[vuk]

Really? That suprises me, because I thought that Warband's were horrific. I see that we will need a poll here, lol.

 

[Orion]

These new animations make more sense. While you still draw them back a bit too far, they're nowhere near as bad as they were. You're supposed to keep your swing close to your body because you're supposed to rotate your body with your swing for more force. The new animations are fine.

 

[kingofnoobia]

I think the current animations, while they should be improved upon, are much better than the original tennis racket swing animations.

Yeah, same for me. When I tried to play regular M&B for a change, I just couldnt do it. The old animations just felt so clumsy and robotic. 
I like Warband animations mucho better, but they're not perfect either.

Exactly this. While Warband anims surely need some getting used to, once you get used to them they feel natural. And they are much much more beautiful compared to vanilla.

 

[vuk]

Stickle bats, it is me against the world. Darn, I was hoping that there were enough people who agreed with me that someone would make a mod to restore the original animations. Oh well, guess I will either just not buy Warband or suffer through the animations they have. (depends on what comes with Warband )

 

[Tercero]

i prefer the new animation too, had the same problem, sometime i tried out vanilla agin and couldnt play it, it was awlful haha

 

[Plazek]

I really disliked them when I firt got Warband but now I agree they are better.

They are just very odd when you first get the beta. Of course there is still much room for improvement.

 

[HTAPAWASO]

Yep they're rearlly weird when you start...

But now after exclusively playing warband for many months, I tried to play native again.... arghhhh. The Warband ones are much better once you get used to them.

 

[Scorch!]

This is the classic response of "OMG its different to what I am used to, change it back PLOX!".

I hated the new animations when I first joined Warband as well, I felt clumsy and awkward playing it. But once I got used to it, they are mucho better than the originals. I am another person who went back to play Vanilla and almost pulled my hair out at the cyborg movements.

 

[Night Ninja]

The new animations are mostly ****. The old ones had the advantage of clarity, at the least.

The one handed animations look limpwristed and rather sloppy and the two handed chamber positions make no sense. Don't get me started on the polearms and attack arcs.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Yes. To be frank, whatever we think of the old ones, the new animations are mostly quite poor. Not what I'd call retail standard unfortunately.

For example, in the combat animations many of the static positions are uncomfortable (try copying them). I think they're actually freezeframes from motion-captured movements, so it makes sense that they look strange when held for a long time. Also, some of the animations have the character doing unnatural things, like looking away from the opponent (ready positions for side swings) or bending forwards a long way (release animation for the two-handed overhead).

There's a few actual mistakes in the animations as well. Like in the two-handed overswing, where one of the frames is posed incorrectly so that one hand jumps out of place in the animation. Or in the overhead block position and attack ready position for one-handed weapons, where the elbow is above the shoulder while the collarbone is still parallel with the ground (for real humans, the collarbone naturally angles upwards when the elbow is raised).

Basically, many of the combat animations are technically bad (talking about fighting technique), or involve uncomfortable, unnatural, or anatomically impossible positions.

Still, I don't know what effect this actually has on players. Maybe no one cares and having proper animations wouldn't improve sales or enjoyment.


By the way, I posed some new ready positions to help make a suggestion post about the animations. The poses can be seen in this thread if anyone's interested.