Absolutely not. You do not need to stand around for a second to "charge-up" an attack in real life. This is an extremely gamey idea that I don't think fits a system that tries to be realistic-ish in any way.
While I agree that being able to choose in how big an arc you want to attack would be desirable, charging up some stupid meter by holding your attack button is a horrible way of going about it.
A different, still flawed, but imo much better approach would be to add stances similar to what was done in Jedi Academy way back in the day. You had your light stance for quick attacks in short arcs, your balanced stance, and your heavy stance for wide and powerful swings. Those stances could be changed pretty much instantly on the fly.
But we know that neither of the ideas has even a glimmer of a chance of being implemented so who really cares...
Here's some examples of why this is bad:
- charging up an attack but the opponent runs the other way now you've just wasted your time
- or while you charge an attack while someone snipes you with a bow because your a stationary target
- or better yet have people wasting time trying and not contributing to the team just to stay hidden most of the match in hopes they can maybe sneak attack someone with a charged attack.
Charged attacks are gamey and have no place in a multiplayer game. Multiplayer games are suppose to be about coordination and teamwork not some silly gimmick just to "broaden gameplay".
Did I specify a charging time?
What if I said 0.1 seconds maximum?
All your comment would have been useless.
Before answering someone with a counter-argument you should think about the BEST of their arguments set IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITIONS, and possibly making it explicit.
Or, set two conditions, the best (or tolerable) and the worst (intolerable) and respond to both.
Having closed this controversy, I present the example of the solution in a neutral situation:
The game animations are AS CURRENTLY THEY ARE.
Let's assume that when the player moves the mouse in one direction and presses the key to attack the arc covered by the arm that goes from angle 0 to the maximum angle theta-max is completed in a certain time Tmax and from there on the player decides whether to keep the key pressed or to release it.
Currently in play, regardless of when the key is released (therefore also for t <Tmax), the arc traveled always goes from 0 <theta = theta-max.
(for now we ignore the heavy attack mechanic in the game)
My solution implies that:
If the player releases the attack key in a time of 0 <t <Tmax, then the angle traveled by the arm during the charge of the attack will be 0 <theta <theta-max and it will be theta = theta-max only if t = Tmax.
In summary: the BIGGEST AND LONGEST animations that I am placing are only THE SAME WITH WHICH YOU ALREADY PLAY.
This means that generally the arcs of the attacks will be shorter the shorter the charge time, the maximum value of which is Tmax, ALREADY PRESENT IN GAME.
Since I have also suggested a minimum arc under which one cannot descend, this implies that there is also a time Tmin, which is equal to the length of the arc divided by the speed (expressed in radians) of the weapon.
Even if the button is released in a time t <Tmin, the arc traveled will still be theta = theta-min.
Regarding certain counter-arguments that I don't know where they came from:
-by charging the attack I do not mean anything other than what the character is currently doing in play when he brings his arm, with the weapon in position and then launches the attack.
If it is not clear, what I am proposing SPEEDS the game, not the other way around.
And in addition to speeding it up (balancing its damage), it makes it deeper.
And by deep I mean those damn spears can be used as a player wants them to be used.
If he wants to use them slowly by charging attacks, he can do it, but if he wants to perform faster but less effective attacks in terms of damage, he can do it as well.
And if he wants to attack from the left or right, he can do it.