Getting in and out of combat

[LaRaj]

Despite many changes to the time between engaging/disengaging during combat there always seems to be room for improvement. Furthermore depending on where you are at getting in a out of combat can be even more difficult (Certain locations seem better or worse than other). I feel that maybe a new look at how a person enters and exits combat should be considered. I like that there is a difference between in combat regen and out of combat regen, I like that you are locked into selected skill while in combat (unless you happen to forget you have an instrument equipped), I like that there are effects like poison and fire that effect you even while out of combat. The real issue seems to be inconsistent timing.

I feel that it might be helpful for a player to be able to self engage/disengage when not actively being attacked. There have been many many many times I have been stuck in a combat stance although I have not been attacked and nothing seems to be near me for quite a while. While I am waiting to try to refresh my power and health -BAM- something will respawn and then I am in trouble because I haven't been able to regenerate appropriately. If I were about to turn of combat manually when NOT being attacked I could have more control of my environment. Another consideration could be an automatic engagement when attacked with an option to manually engage or disengage. If I was prepared to attack something I could already be engaged and ready to attack, if I was NOT engaged and forced into combat that something like a monster surprise attack bonus might apply. In either of these scenarios I would/could disengage to regenerate after the battle and while not being attacked.

One reason that currently might not work with a manual engage/disengage combat key would be due to poison/fire effects. I like these effects as I think its an interesting layer and consequence to battle. One change that could be implemented to work with a manual engage/disengage would changing an effect to prevent or reduce the effected stat from regenerating while the effect is active. If I am on fire (which seems like it should only be effecting my health) I should lose health and prevent it from regenerating, but still be able to regenerate my power and armor while disengaged and not being attacked. Mitigation could be taking into consideration for the overall negative effects of the poison/fire effect as well. If I was being burned by acid my armor and maybe health could be reduced while still being able to regen power when out of combat, if I had fatigue my power might not regenerate, but I would be able to regen my health and armor.

Another issue I have notice with regeneration involves group hunting. One or two people are low on power but because someone in your group with full power runs ahead and is engaging in battle the people with low power are unable to regenerate. Being able to manually engage/disengage when the individual player is not being attacks allows for a lot more freedom within a group. An individual could sit out of a battle if needed to regen unless directly attacked. I also feel, if I am not mistaken, if someone is on fire everyone else will also be stuck in battle unable to regenerate. If this is in fact the case how does my fellow burning to death prevent me from regaining power/health/armor. If there is concern that a non-active participant would try to leech xp it should not be a problem as long as an attacker at least gets a hit in as it is now. If the person trying to regen would engage in battle and is being attacked or directly around a engaging beast then it would be at the player regenerating discretion.

I like the combat system with the exception of being uncertainty of being forced to wait to regenerate for an unknown amount of time due to an unknown cause. There has been many times I have been killed or seriously unprepared due to ineffective regeneration. Thank you.
-LaRaj

[Elenoe]

Don't invent a wheel again.

Other games don't have problem with this at all and so many have the exact same mechanics. No "manual" key needed. Just following the standard way of doing things would be enough.

[Greyfyn]

While being stuck in combat is a frequent occurrence, I was wondering what skills you were using for regeneration while being in combat.

For example, is the power regenerating basic attack, for whatever skills you are using, part of your rotation? Lots of players have said they didn't use those skills, but I use them in my repertoire and find the recovery useful.

Also, I have sidebar skills that aide me in situations like those you mention. Dig Deep is the best! If I'm stuck in combat and have low power, I hit Dig Deep and use my basic attack for more power refresh. Then, if I'm low on health, I hit Push Onward for a quick heal. And if I'm going to stay in trouble, I replenish the armor that Push Onward transferred to health with either Armor Patch or Toughen Up, depending on what form I'm in. Sometimes I also have first aid or a potion on my side bar as well.

These sidebar skills are more important when I don't have a more supporty skill like psychology, mentalism, pig or cow as my second skill. Psychology, for example, has Positive Attitude. The best!

These suggestions don't address your observations about staying in combat longer than expected. But for me, it's been part of my problem solving in those situations.

[cratoh]

I find some of the mobs in Ilmari really very annoying for keeping you combat locked with their DoTs. Kill them in a second, stuck in combat for 15.

[srand]

Despite many changes to the time between engaging/disengaging during combat there always seems to be room for improvement.

And how very true that is!

We made a lot of tweaks to how "in combat" is determined with the last update, both to fix bugs and to tweak the logic, but there certainly bugs with the fixes, bugs with the tweaks, and more tweaks that need to be made. Right now the two things that can help us the most are:


For specific situations: Bug reports! If you are getting caught in combat when you shouldn't be, send a report from that location with any info you have that might help us isolate the problem: Did you just finish a fight? What DoTs are on you? Are you using a Shambling Corpse? Were you innocently running and got aggro'd by a stuck bunny? Many people have sent us these reports, and all those go into the next round of fixes.


For general situations: Threads like this! It's not just the specific suggestions that are valuable, but your thoughts on what that suggestions would improve - because even if we can't use a specific suggestion for whatever reason, your suggestions call out aspects of the problem we may not have thought about from your viewpoint.


... All of which was basically to say, "Keep it coming!"

[Dmdtt2]

I find some of the mobs in Ilmari really very annoying for keeping you combat locked with their DoTs. Kill them in a second, stuck in combat for 15.

if you are talking about fire dots try 25-30s stuck in combat. even if you are being dealt 0 damage by a DoT effect you are still trapped in combat until it is finished.

[LaRaj]

Don't invent a wheel again.

Not trying to reinvent the wheel just trying to make an octagonal on more round.

[Crissa]

WoW has lots of problems with getting stuck in and out of combat. And every time maps are redrawn there'a always some cases they have to work around because ranges and times and such.

It happens ^-^