Suggestion: Shields?

[shingouki]

Simple Idea I had, but might there be an expansion on the combat system with the addition of craftable shields for blocking?

I figure that the Right Mouse button has no use in the game other than dropping held items (another idea that might work by the way! Right click to drop items in your inventory ). So maybe it can have a use such as blocking with a shield?

The shield would have health, Only block in one direction and only equippable while using a one handed weapon (such as a spear). Not a pickaxe/shovel/axe since those are wielded two handed.

Later versions of shields would absorb more punishment than armor does, and early versions would be equivalent to armor's defense.

Shields could be offset by the fact that they can only block in one direction and would be harder to make (maybe requires flint, rope, AND wood). So if you're hit from behind or your sides then your armor will take damage instead of your shield.

Blocking could also increase your hunger rate a little bit to simulate stamina drain.

Also, getting hit by different things will drain your shield's health at different amounts. A spider may inflict 4 damage on your shield, while a larger enemy might inflict 15 or more. But the concept is just to have a backup option to defend yourself when in a bad situation.

Maybe early shields can be something like this:

http://i.imgur.com/J1sC4.jpg

And later, shields might be like this:

http://i.imgur.com/0LZks.jpg

And as they degrade start to look like this:

http://i.imgur.com/uZKMN.jpg

Edited November 12, 2012 by shingouki

[NippleKing]

Naaah the logsuit already provides enough protection.This games it it so that monster are supposed to be feared.Add a shield and you practically can take on a village of werepigs. Perhaps things can surround you but against a tree guard it's easy game.I personally deal with the tougher ones by using cunning tactics.Against werepigs i run from them and hid behind small walls of trees I've placed before hand to keep them stuck.I take care of the other one or two were pigs that managed to get by.My buddy optimus pine basically has,"lead me to the swamp to kill tentacles or lead me to a pig village so i can make free meat for you." written on his bark.Spiders, hit and run.Pigs,hit and run.tall birds also hit and run.Just adding a shield i think it would make it too easy.

[Bogpad]

I must agree with NK here.

Our available character choices are a Scientist, two little girls and a "world's strongest man" from a 18th century freakshow. Non of them are fighters. Using a shield is a tricky thing to do, and needs a lot of learning to provide protection, and not make you even more vulnurable. Too much fighting equipment just does not fit with the character options the game gives us. While a normal person would indeed be able to make a makeshift spear and tie some wood together with a rope to make something like a protective wood skirt thingy is still reasonable, making a shield and efficiently using it to fight... nah, thats just too much.

[yigru]

I think the combat system could use some depth and adding shields would be a very good first step.

To me, combat feels very binary right now.

1. You and the monster either "latch onto" each other and deal blows, over which the player has very little control, except to click very fast, with lots of stunlocking involved on both sides, which is never a good mechanic.

2. You run, and are perfectly safe since nothing can shoot you or catch up to you.

The enemies' attack animations are also pretty long, and you can simply walk away from them before they finish "charging up" their attacks. Often simply taking a few steps away is enough. This to me feels exploitative and not very skill based.

"Just adding a shield i think it would make it too easy."

Obviously, they wouldn't be "just adding a shield". The entire combat system would need to tweaked.

Adding shields would encourage players to fight toe-to-toe and offer a deeper system than "both sides take random damage -> hope you outlast them".

Just as an example, they could speed up monster attack animations but still have visible tells. This would mean that you'd get hit in the back if you try to run or move around too much, but if you stay and fight, facing the enemy, you have a chance to block the damage with a well-timed block.

And maybe add stronger attacks with slower windup time (similar to how it is now) that go through your shield, and which you WOULD need to walk away from. But it would be fine since it would be just a part of a deeper system.

Maybe spiders could have a move where they jump 180 degrees behind you and you'd need to reorient yourself and block in their direction.

I think that such a relatively simple system as directional blocking could lead to much more unique and more intelligent enemy behaviors, and the player would need to "learn" how to fight each enemy type. Right now the biggest difference between mobs are their damage and health. But since the damage can be completely evaded, a bigger health pool just is just their to lenghen a fight in which you never, or barely get hit. (because of the stunlocking, or cheap hit and run tactics)

But whether Klei even wants a deeper combat system at all in a game that's not really about combat is a different question. I hope they at least tweak things a little.