Brainstorming: Combat animations

[keshire]

Time for some public suggestions.

 

Here are what you have to work with.

 

scripted saber locks.

 

These will randomly replace saber locks with a scripted sequence of attacks.

 

here is an example

 

Melee and Grab attacks mixed in to the saber attack chains/combo's

 

and finally

 

Counter attacks after blocks and parries.

 

I need ideas references, balancing traits, etc...

[Master_Keralys]

Try the sequence where it's just Qui-gon and Darth Maul fighting at the end of TPM: those would be a lot more controlled and not as spinny, which would make for some variety.

 

If you're going to toss Melee and Grab in between saber combos, the defender needs a defense against it; I'm not sure what that would be (and it would obviously be a coding issue as well) but you'd need a block anim for those - since it doesn't make sense to see the saber blocking hands and doing no damage...

[razorace]

Well, my thoughts on counter defense is that the saber should have full attack damage even when idle, since you're technically jumping onto the blade. But this wouldn't apply if you knock your opponent into a knockback first.

 

This way you ever have to be really good, or knock your opponent into a knockback before attempting a counter attack/melee attack. However, to make up for this, melee/counter strikes would cause a nasty fatigue hit and either knock you on your butt or make you stumble across the room.

 

For that to work, we'd also probably need some stumbling animations (where the player stumbles but doesn't fall over).

[PerfectJamie]

so how does the player get any control over this sequence? like the saber lock, mashing on the fire button to win, or is it just some fancy sequence (I kind of like it though) and a way to improve saber combat is I think make it like enter the matrix; where the player locks onto another player and have a teken style fighting camera angle. and have a block button (use button like ETM) and have it so if you time it right you can counter (just like ETM) I dont know if this is possible but I would love to see it!

[lonepadawan]

ETM= Pure evil. Nothing good can come out of it.

[razorace]

Originally posted by PerfectJamie

so how does the player get any control over this sequence? like the saber lock, mashing on the fire button to win, or is it just some fancy sequence (I kind of like it though) and a way to improve saber combat is I think make it like enter the matrix; where the player locks onto another player and have a teken style fighting camera angle. and have a block button (use button like ETM) and have it so if you time it right you can counter (just like ETM) I dont know if this is possible but I would love to see it!

 

Ok, I see it going like this....

 

Players are going at it, one person is defending and one is attacking. The defender gets a successful parry (by pressing in the right direction while holding down block) and knocks the attacker into a knockaway. From there, the defender has serveral choices...run away, strike at the openning, or use a counter attack.

 

With a counter attack, you'll launch into an attack that physically smashings the attacker causing him to stumble back or get knocked down. Either way, he's going to lose a fair amount of fatigue points and a few hit points.

 

The idea being so that the fighters can get some physical attacks into a fight AND so that a defender can have a very reasonable chance to block/fight without spamming attack like a monkey.

[keshire]

Ya, exactly the only thing the saber will be used in is scripted locks. Because that is what the lock is meant for. everything is with a free hand/hilt, foot or head .

[razorace]

Careful, Keshire, sarcasm is very difficult to get over text messaging. Plus, it's very easy to confuse people that way.

[Gotaiken]

I like the stumbling idea, that could be used in parries as well, instead of the knockback, just a thought.

 

On another note, how customizable is the saber lock animations, cause someone had an idea about using the directional keys to pushthe blade in a certain direction and try to force your opponent off balance.

[razorace]

I don't think that would be doable. Something simple, like left/right stuff, sure but not a whole bunch of directional stuff.

[Gotaiken]

np, sounded pretty good though, lol

[Gotaiken]

One question, how come the blocks snap anyway??? Is it to make the block in time, or just a shotty animating job???

[Ken Kasanagi]

how about a rock scissor paper rock algorithm? the player gets into saber lock; during the saberlock the 2 players gets two choose one action and one action only (possibly by pressing a direction key), then the outcome and the animation used will be dependent on actions choosen by the player. this means there will be about 9 animation depending on who wins the saberlock with what action.

[keshire]

this means there will be about 9 animation

 

Sure, have at it.

 

There's like two animators for JKA. You trying to give me a heart attack here.

[Ken Kasanagi]

lol i forgot there's 3 weapons in JA, that makes 27 animation....

[PerfectJamie]

I was just wondering, what factor chooses which player does which animation? if animation A matches with animation B then obviously two players can't go into animation A. I am asking because I would like to make something like this aswell

[razorace]

You're going to have to be more specific. There's multiple animation control systems going on in multiple layers.

[keshire]

I was just wondering, what factor chooses which player does which animation? if animation A matches with animation B then obviously two players can't go into animation A. I am asking because I would like to make something like this aswell

 

Everything is controlled via code. RazorAce and Renegade have direct control over how its activated and when as well as distance from each other they are activated. Though some forethought is required. If at all possible both sides should start/end close to what you would think would be the best anim to transition to and from.

 

That scripted lock that I made doesn't do that so it will be difficult to plug it in somewhere.

[razorace]

Originally posted by keshire

Everything is controlled via code. RazorAce and Renegade have direct control over how its activated and when as well as distance from each other they are activated. Though some forethought is required.

 

I AM GOD HERE!

[Lei Hng Wei]

And so began the sacrificing of Jawas. And it was good.

[razorace]

NOT ON MY WATCH.

[PerfectJamie]

well I was thinking, I never looked at the animation file so I dont know, but I assume they have specific saberlock animation to match another saberlock animation. (single_leftlock+single_rightlock=a cross made by the two sabers)

then, why won't you replace thoughse anims with these scripted locks? in theory I think it would work if you take out the whole mouse mashing thing (the lock is always a draw)

[keshire]

why won't you replace thoughse anims with these scripted locks? in theory I think it would work if you take out the whole mouse mashing thing (the lock is always a draw)

 

Well I'd like to have both in. Plus this is in relation to Movie Battles. MB already has two lock styles.

 

regular locks

Micro locks (very short locks, or as I call it "sticky sabers!")

Renegade also wants a third layer called scripted locks that are cinematic and not controlled via the player. These scripted locks would be very rare.

 

Also your right every lock has a counterpart.

 

BehaveED has a list of what lock anim goes with what saber and against what saber. We're talking a whole lot of locks as well as transitions to and from.

[razorace]

*shrug* I don't know.

 

The more I look at it, the more I feel that the locks are probably just going to be a sinkhole of effort. While a lot of this stuff would be cool, is it really worth all that effort for the 5 secs that the locks occur in?

 

Secondly, while locks occur, you're losing a good amount of gameplay control, so is it really worth it?

 

Note: This doesn't mean that I'm against any of this fancier saber lock stuff, it's just that I'm worry that all the effort isn't going to pay off ingame.

[keshire]

Well technically thats the longest one I'll ever do. The rest will be a swipe dodge type of thing. My main foucs is goign to be adding in off hand attacks to the saber attack chain as well as a few counter attacks.