[Interview] WildStar: Carbine Speaks on Combat and Targeting

BillMurphy

Carbine Studios and the WildStar team are ready to blow the lid of the game and all its heretofore hidden secrets. We managed to corral Hugh Shelton, Class Designer and Chris Lynch, Lead Combat Designer to talk about both combat and the targeting system that WildStar will feature. See what they had to say before heading to the comments to discuss.

The team mentioned right away that they have been playing a lot of games lately and some of the telegraphing abilities in combat have become much more common vs. the old point and click single target systems. MOBAs may have had some influence on the design they explained, but really they wanted to give players more options on how they use their skills in a better range. Two and a half years ago when they started on the system the PvE combat used area of effect decals to create more movement in combat. Monsters would hit a certain area and players would be forced to move and counter. This constant motion led some of the developers to ask about adding these designs into player skills as well. The result created a very fast paced PvP style combat which the entire team embraced quickly.

Read more of Garrett Fuller's WildStar: Combat and Targeting.

SomeOldBloke

Originally posted by DMKano

Telegraph city central, they should consider renaming the game.

 

What, to Morse Star ?

Four0Six

Sounds positive.

I like the aiming system in DF:UW, even though I am a "baddie" and cant hit shit.

 

Again I am obligated to comment that this is NC, and I have no love for them. It will have to get a huge success for me to give them another shot.

(RIP CoX, and TR. Boooooooo to NC)

Timassin

The one thing holding me back from caring about this game was tab targeting. If they car pull off free aiming it will be awesome. sandbox, free aim, scifi and mmorpg those are all the things I want it's only competition for me is the repopulation.

Wizardry

I originally thought the design was cool but after playing similar i soon realized it is nothing more than painting a decal on the ground to tell players to move.I already experienced this in other games including FFXI,the difference is FFXI did not paint the ground red to hand hold you.You had to actually get a feel for your player's spell range and learn how the different mobs react to various positions and range.

Really that is all this system does is show you the exact range,so hand holding.This is typical of Blizzard and these guys are former blizzard,they like lots of hand holding,something many of us despise.Why exactly did they feel the NEED to paint the ground red,it would not take much IQ to actually fight 1 maybe 2/3 times to learn the range yourself.Other games are doing it as well ,painting the ground ,they might as well add a system message that says in bold type "MOVE you dummy".

I already find it an awful immersion ruining effect when i click targets and this ugly colored hue surrounds that target,we do not need any more immersion ruining effects in games,we actually need NONE.Or how about arrows on the ground or markers over NPC heads,all of that ruins immersion just like painting the ground red does.It is simply NOT needed at all,it is like game developers are saying players are really dumb or we would cry if we didn't have our hand held.

bcbully

Fire the marketing department. Take a page out the GW2 book. Call the telegraphs "Perception Fields", or "Destruction Blocks". People would love that.

 

I can hear it now. "Man you don't understand How Destruction Blocks work!! You need to know how to stack them l2play"

 

MondoA2J

Originally posted by Wizardry

I originally thought the design was cool but after playing similar i soon realized it is nothing more than painting a decal on the ground to tell players to move.I already experienced this in other games including FFXI,the difference is FFXI did not paint the ground red to hand hold you.You had to actually get a feel for your player's spell range and learn how the different mobs react to various positions and range.

Really that is all this system does is show you the exact range,so hand holding.This is typical of Blizzard and these guys are former blizzard,they like lots of hand holding,something many of us despise.Why exactly did they feel the NEED to paint the ground red,it would not take much IQ to actually fight 1 maybe 2/3 times to learn the range yourself.Other games are doing it as well ,painting the ground ,they might as well add a system message that says in bold type "MOVE you dummy".

I already find it an awful immersion ruining effect when i click targets and this ugly colored hue surrounds that target,we do not need any more immersion ruining effects in games,we actually need NONE.Or how about arrows on the ground or markers over NPC heads,all of that ruins immersion just like painting the ground red does.It is simply NOT needed at all,it is like game developers are saying players are really dumb or we would cry if we didn't have our hand held.

Chances are....you can probably turn them off.

Which brings me to....BETA PLEASE!!!

gr0und3d

Originally posted by Wizardry

I originally thought the design was cool but after playing similar i soon realized it is nothing more than painting a decal on the ground to tell players to move.I already experienced this in other games including FFXI,the difference is FFXI did not paint the ground red to hand hold you.You had to actually get a feel for your player's spell range and learn how the different mobs react to various positions and range.

Really that is all this system does is show you the exact range,so hand holding.This is typical of Blizzard and these guys are former blizzard,they like lots of hand holding,something many of us despise.Why exactly did they feel the NEED to paint the ground red,it would not take much IQ to actually fight 1 maybe 2/3 times to learn the range yourself.Other games are doing it as well ,painting the ground ,they might as well add a system message that says in bold type "MOVE you dummy".

I already find it an awful immersion ruining effect when i click targets and this ugly colored hue surrounds that target,we do not need any more immersion ruining effects in games,we actually need NONE.Or how about arrows on the ground or markers over NPC heads,all of that ruins immersion just like painting the ground red does.It is simply NOT needed at all,it is like game developers are saying players are really dumb or we would cry if we didn't have our hand held.

Painting the ground tells you more than just "MOVE you dummy".  Heals are painted too.  Just because a skill is painted doesn't mean you can easy step out of it either.  If you want non-hand-holding go play darkfall.  They have shown the idea and basic examples of telegraphs, how you use them will show your skill. 

Rogosh

Originally posted by Timassin
The one thing holding me back from caring about this game was tab targeting. If they car pull off free aiming it will be awesome. sandbox, free aim, scifi and mmorpg those are all the things I want it's only competition for me is the repopulation.

It is not sandbox at all.

Razeekster

The one thing I'm worried about this game is that NCsoft will push the Wildstar team to have a cash shop with RNG or gatcha like items like they did with the Guild Wars 2 team (ArenaNet).

CrazKanuk

Man, if "Blind" literally makes you blind that will seriously mix it up. Can't wait to see the finished product. *salivate*

Vorch

Originally posted by Razeekster
The one thing I'm worried about this game is that NCsoft will push the Wildstar team to have a cash shop with RNG or gatcha like items like they did with the Guild Wars 2 team (ArenaNet).

If it's pure aesthetic or pointless convenience like GW2, that's not the worst thing that could happen.

 

I'm just awaiting the pay model.

monarc333

Looks pretty good to me. Def want to see more of the Spellslinger and Esper. And they have 2 more classes to reveal, should be interesting. War still looks clunky to me. Those 1 sec pauses after each swing is throwing me off.

stragen001

Originally posted by CrazKanuk
Man, if "Blind" literally makes you blind that will seriously mix it up. Can't wait to see the finished product. *salivate*

Yeah, when I saw the quick teaser of blind in the video I just thought "Hell Yeah!". Blind actually making the affected players vision into a slit is very cool

kanokills

This game looks  awesome, been singed up for beta for quite a while, hopefully I will get to try it out soon.

 

 

dontadow

Pretty sure that, like GW2, you'll be able to control the opacity of telegraphs. They really aren't much different than other games. Fantastic video, really looking forward to seeing more. 

slikeytre

Sigh another Tera / NWN combat type system... Really dislike it when it comes down to more than 5 players running around... then its just a pain in the ass...  Another button / mouse spam fest to kill stuff... ug    

The raiding better not be limited just because of this system, skill shot healing should be removed... 

Arskaaa

dont like combat system. skill and rpg just not fit together, tis also makes klling mobs painfull becouse u need all time aim and move. no relax combat.

Mad+Dog

Originally posted by Arskaaa
dont like combat system. skill and rpg just not fit together, tis also makes klling mobs painfull becouse u need all time aim and move. no relax combat.

plenty of other tab target games you can relax with. Good that some of us that want more action type combat are finally getting it.

GoldenArrow

If you want an interactive and interesting combat system in a mmorpg, make it reactive.

Following decals on ground while strafing doesn't seem that "exciting".

 

Hope NCSoft pushes this pile of wowbage out of the way ASAP so we can get a real action mmorpg ( Blade and Soul ) launched in the west.

Nephelai

Why do they using the term expert player and then include a telegraph system that paints colors on the ground five seconds before anything happens?

 

So its an expert aiming system underpinned by a toddler avoidance system?

 

 

 

 

 

Hatefull

Originally posted by mbd1968

Originally posted by DMKano

Telegraph city central, they should consider renaming the game.

 

What, to Morse Star ?

No, World of Warcraft; Space.   would be far more fitting.

Mikeha

Wildstar is going to be a really good game. The combat system is exactly what I have been wanting.

Chrisbox

Still a WoW clone, don't care how many telegraphs you throw into combat.  

steamtank

could be fun

as long as there is very strategic movement for raiding ill be happy.

 

i want the tanks to have to actually sacrifice some dodges to keep mobs in the right place.

 

i like having to land mah heals! Silly tank... dont run behind the column!

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