Mounted Combat
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:26 pm
Been meaning to for a while, and figured now was the time.
So, first of all mounted combat still seems a bit buggy in regards to engagement. Your horse might end up in engagement, or the rider, but it doesn't seem to always flawlessly work if one manages to but not the other. I've not managed to hammer home where it is bugging out.
Few things then. In general, I find mounted combat a mixed bag. It's interesting, but it doesn't generally feel "better" than being on foot. Currently, you end up with more rerolls for the rider's attacks but without any effective tools to reduce your opponents. This often ends up meaning lots of missing attacks/hoping your horse lands a hit instead of any actual combat strategy.
Few oddities/things that might make combat more interesting/fun
1) You can order your horse to do things, putting it into RT, and then go into RT yourself. Have the horse kick for example then immediately attack. You can't however, order your horse if you're in RT. Not a huge issue, as you likely want to have your horse attack first anyway due to its knockdowns, but at the same time it creates a very rigid flow. I'm always command stacking, and it just doesn't feel... great? Not sure how else to describe it.
2) Despite the extra rerolls for the player, the horse is fairly limited in their capability. They don't get a reroll, and instead have an attack value based on the player's riding. This means against most mobs, they're going to be going up against 1-2x rerolls so these attacks very rarely hit. As it is, my horse attacks with higher attack than the mobs I'm fighting, but my horse is capped in skill. Mobs will only get harder. When they do hit mind you, they're super effective keeping in mind that the player can immediately attack after. Part of me is concerned about what would happen if they did land more regularly but then I think how easily & quickly the right setup works with abilities. Circle/Feint/Tackle/Kill. Brutally efficient, and a *lot* less uncertainty because the player goes through the motions of stacking the situation instead of trusting to luck. It's a lot more enjoyable.
3) Currently, warhorses mostly have two attacks that do the same thing. They both use normal attack mechanics, and the best thing about them is that they do a knockdown. It would be nice if they mixed up a little. Perhaps kick is more of a melee attack, that doesn't always knockdown like it does now but it does reduce opponent balance. Trample works better if done from a distance, and is less effective when already engaged but uses maneuvers instead and causes balance damage like other dedicated knockdowns. Some ability for the rider to also steady themselves in the saddle maybe, taking time, but gaining some balance. Charge should also work better, or only work when not currently engaged but have an almost guarantee of getting into combat vs non-mounted opponents.
4) Oh yes, mounted guys should also have huge engagement bonuses vs non-mounted. For keeping at range, if they want to, or getting close.
This was mostly a ramble, but I can't quite pin down on what would make mounted combat feel as involved as what it means to fight on foot.
So, first of all mounted combat still seems a bit buggy in regards to engagement. Your horse might end up in engagement, or the rider, but it doesn't seem to always flawlessly work if one manages to but not the other. I've not managed to hammer home where it is bugging out.
Few things then. In general, I find mounted combat a mixed bag. It's interesting, but it doesn't generally feel "better" than being on foot. Currently, you end up with more rerolls for the rider's attacks but without any effective tools to reduce your opponents. This often ends up meaning lots of missing attacks/hoping your horse lands a hit instead of any actual combat strategy.
Few oddities/things that might make combat more interesting/fun
1) You can order your horse to do things, putting it into RT, and then go into RT yourself. Have the horse kick for example then immediately attack. You can't however, order your horse if you're in RT. Not a huge issue, as you likely want to have your horse attack first anyway due to its knockdowns, but at the same time it creates a very rigid flow. I'm always command stacking, and it just doesn't feel... great? Not sure how else to describe it.
2) Despite the extra rerolls for the player, the horse is fairly limited in their capability. They don't get a reroll, and instead have an attack value based on the player's riding. This means against most mobs, they're going to be going up against 1-2x rerolls so these attacks very rarely hit. As it is, my horse attacks with higher attack than the mobs I'm fighting, but my horse is capped in skill. Mobs will only get harder. When they do hit mind you, they're super effective keeping in mind that the player can immediately attack after. Part of me is concerned about what would happen if they did land more regularly but then I think how easily & quickly the right setup works with abilities. Circle/Feint/Tackle/Kill. Brutally efficient, and a *lot* less uncertainty because the player goes through the motions of stacking the situation instead of trusting to luck. It's a lot more enjoyable.
3) Currently, warhorses mostly have two attacks that do the same thing. They both use normal attack mechanics, and the best thing about them is that they do a knockdown. It would be nice if they mixed up a little. Perhaps kick is more of a melee attack, that doesn't always knockdown like it does now but it does reduce opponent balance. Trample works better if done from a distance, and is less effective when already engaged but uses maneuvers instead and causes balance damage like other dedicated knockdowns. Some ability for the rider to also steady themselves in the saddle maybe, taking time, but gaining some balance. Charge should also work better, or only work when not currently engaged but have an almost guarantee of getting into combat vs non-mounted opponents.
4) Oh yes, mounted guys should also have huge engagement bonuses vs non-mounted. For keeping at range, if they want to, or getting close.
This was mostly a ramble, but I can't quite pin down on what would make mounted combat feel as involved as what it means to fight on foot.