Favourite Combat System in an MMO

4507

Please assume that each of the systems has an equal quality level of implementation. If your favourite system isn't an option, please vote other and specify in a comment.

nerovergil

tab target is pretty much a fps with aim bot (aim assist)

sunandshadow

Specifically tactical turn-based.  I want another MMO with combat like Dofus (or better, Disgaea).

Heretique

Action combat, hands down (done right).

gkb3469

FlyByKnight

For the record tab target is ok when done right. Archeage is tab target but it doesn't make you feel like a dweeb. Action is where it's at for me though (for combat).

Loke666

Tab targeting for ranged attacks, markers you place for AoE and collision detection for melee thanks. AoC for instance uses this (ignore the silly shield and combo system).

Now, if they just could make it so parrying or hitting someone stops a thrusting weapon instead of continuing through weapons, people and objects things would be peachy. One would think that the collision detection should make it easy to abort the animation but no...

Quizzical

Your poll options don't even make sense.

I tend to prefer combat based largely on mitigating damage by getting out of the way.

rvhausen

Action, Black Desert style.

Loke666

Quizzical said:

Your poll options don't even make sense.

I tend to prefer combat based largely on mitigating damage by getting out of the way.

That sounds like some kind of action combat to me, parrying and dodging certainly belong in that category.

BeansnBread

I like good old tab targeting. I play action games sometimes (and in the MMO scene I really liked TERAs combat), but if you made me choose for an MMORPG, I prefer tab target style combat like EQ or WoW.

Caffynated

I have a mild preference toward action combat but it depends on the game. For example, I don't think GW2's class designs would have worked as anything other than a TAB target game, so I wouldn't want them to change to action combat.

As far as action combat games go, I think you have to split them into different categories.

True action combat: TERA, Dragon Nest - with a few exceptions your abilities go where you aim them and don't track enemies.

Soft target combat: BDO, B&S - Basically TAB target games where you have to keep your cursor pointed in the general area of your target to keep them locked.

Quizzical

Loke666 said:

Quizzical said:

Your poll options don't even make sense.

I tend to prefer combat based largely on mitigating damage by getting out of the way.

That sounds like some kind of action combat to me, parrying and dodging certainly belong in that category.

You could call it action combat, but it can also be tab targeting.  And when people talk about "action RPGs", they usually seem to mean "point and click a mouse all over the screen really aggressively", which is quite far from what I'm looking for.

Phixion13

Action - I might get hate for this but Wildstar. With an MMO mouse it felt so fluid with their movement system. Double jumping and dodge rolling between abilities just felt good.

4507

Quizzical said:

Your poll options don't even make sense.

I tend to prefer combat based largely on mitigating damage by getting out of the way.

How does not having a poll option for something that you don't even have a name for not make sense?

I have a feeling that I'm misunderstanding your post...

Mikeha

Action combat but where you are locked on your target.

I do not like having to aim a cursor like I am playing a FPS.

nerovergil

Recore said:

Action combat but where you are locked on your target.

I do not like having to aim a cursor like I am playing a FPS.

that is tab target...

Mikeha

nerovergil said:

Recore said:

Action combat but where you are locked on your target.

I do not like having to aim a cursor like I am playing a FPS.

I am talking about combat like Blade And Soul.


It has a soft lock where you are not always having to aim like TERA. 

Loke666

Quizzical said:

Loke666 said:

Quizzical said:

Your poll options don't even make sense.

I tend to prefer combat based largely on mitigating damage by getting out of the way.

That sounds like some kind of action combat to me, parrying and dodging certainly belong in that category.

You could call it action combat, but it can also be tab targeting.  And when people talk about "action RPGs", they usually seem to mean "point and click a mouse all over the screen really aggressively", which is quite far from what I'm looking for.

That would be a hybrid system, yes. In that case it wont be "pure" classic tab targeting but neither wont it be full action combat.

Most systems are not the extremes though, some use action combat for melee and tab target for range while others mix in a little FPS like mechanics and so on...

So you voted right.

nerovergil

Recore said:

nerovergil said:

Recore said:

Action combat but where you are locked on your target.

I do not like having to aim a cursor like I am playing a FPS.

I am talking about combat like Blade And Soul.


It has a soft lock where you are not always having to aim like TERA. 

its like im selling chocolate moist cake and u want cheese chocolate moist

MrMelGibson

My favorite combat system in an mmo so far is Tera.  I really want to see a western mmo made with this combat system.  As much as I love SWTOR.  Imagine if it had Tera combat in it. 

Loke666

MrMelGibson said:

My favorite combat system in an mmo so far is Tera.  I really want to see a western mmo made with this combat system.  As much as I love SWTOR.  Imagine if it had Tera combat in it. 

Teras system is pretty good but the locked animations annoys me a little, particularly after playing GW2. To be fair though was it years ago since I played Tera.

GW2 have that spot on but it's group mechanics feel a little fuzzy, people stacking in the same spot feels uninspired and that have become far worse with time.

I also like AoCs collision detection, mixing those 3 systems could be rather interesting.

centkin

Combat Systems I liked:

Vindictus -- this was the action style combat done right -- more simple and clean than say Tera.

Warhammer -- I loved my swordmaster.  The moves he could do were uniquely different from the other tanks.  I also played a few other classes and they were also good.

Early Beta Vanguard -- back before they messed with it.  Disciples when it was use a power every turn and each chains into others like a flowing river.  By mid-beta they ruined it.

Everquest 1 -- you had 8 things you could do -- pick em.  No you can't have the 9th you want -- make a choice.  So much better than 5 hotbars of spammables.  Classes were distinct and mostly useful.

Jill52

I like the traditional tab target interface but I agree with the action fans about it being boring. However, I'm not a fan of having my own ability to quickly push buttons deciding how good my character is at fighting...

I'm going to be in the minority who actually remembers and enjoyed the interlock combat system from 'The Matrix Online'. It felt very actiony for a 2005 game yet still kept character stats and player choices as the deciding factor rather than the player's twitch skill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqytbIC-O8k  <- cheesy very basic MxO combat tutorial video.

I was a gunner but I believe the system was a melee fighter's dream come true. If you engaged a target in interlock they couldn't run away unless they won a combat roll to escape the interlock. No archers or mages running backwards shooting arrows or casting spells at you while you chase them to get in melee range to hit them. As a gunner, not having that tactic available to me was a welcome challenge since i found it unrealistic and hated having to do that. MxO's interlock made me adapt my build to include pistol skills specifically for interlock fighting to go along with my rifle/sniper skills for free fire damage. (free fire in MxO worked just like any tab target system)

Some liked to write MxO's combat off as a simple 'scissor paper rock' game. It appeared that way on the surface but it was far deeper than that in reality. A good fighter learned how to use their skills at the right times in a fight and the combat stances to set up for their next moves. You found yourself thinking several moves ahead and attempting to predict your opponent's moves. It was easy to learn but not so simple to master. Basically it was action combat for someone who prefers a thinking game to a twitch-based one.

Sadly, MxO was ruined and shut down by SOE in 2009 and the combat system died with it. I don't know of anything with similar combat ever coming after it.

xyzercrime

Ever heard Risk Your Life MMO?

Not quite action-ish, not quite FPS-ish, but something between them. One of the earlier MMOs who tried different way to do the combat besides Darkfall. You almost can't look behind your character without turning your sight backwards, makes PvP more engaging and certainly require more awareness than today MMOs.

holdenhamlet

nerovergil said:

tab target is pretty much a fps with aim bot (aim assist)

Yeah, why would you want that?