Combat Mechanics
(WORDING STC) (Actions = Skill/Forte, Attack, Guard, Rest) (“Move” encompasses both Skills and Attacks)
Turns: After using an action, an entity no longer has their “Turn” and they gain “Fatigued” which prevents the entity from having their “Turn” and using any further actions for a set duration along with slowing their movement. “Select” actions generally grant a longer duration of “Fatigued” compared to “Open” actions. The duration of “Fatigued” will not progress if the entity is moving. After “Fatigued” is over, the entity will regain their “Turn”. Entities with their “Turn” can use actions and move, an entity cannot have their “Turn” if they are “Stunned” or “Fatigued”.
Base Stats
Vitality: Dictates MHP and “Posture” count.
Agility: Dictates “Fatigued” duration, movement speed and “Evade” difficulty.
Strength: Dictates scaling of “Physical” attacks.
Arcana: Dictates scaling of “Magical” attacks.
Selection Types
- Select: Action selects an entity in range. When a “Select” action is played, the user and target are unable to be selected by other entities, act or move until the action is over.
- Open: Action is played without selecting an entity, the direction and/or position of the attack is done manually.
Skill Rules
Skill Types
- Melee
- Ranged
- AoE
- Target
- Summon
- Placement
Charging | Block/Evade
Using a skill places an entity in the “Charging” state, where they complete a minigame (stc) to increase damage/activate effects/do the skill (stc). Some skills skip this phase. “Open” skills have a shorter “Charge” duration than “Select” skills.
If an entity is put into the “Charging” state before performing an attacking skill, the entity selected by the skill (if it is a “Select” skill) does a minigame to decide if they take the hit, “Block” or “Evade” it. Some skills cannot be “Blocked” and/or “Evaded.” If an entity “Blocks” a skill, their posture is decreased. Entities can be “Guardbroken” in this way. If the entity is already “Guarding” during this minigame, they will automatically block the skill. Entities cannot “Evade” skills if they do not have any “Stamina”, “Evading” a skill becomes more difficult the less “Stamina” an entity has. Successfully “Evading” a skill depletes some stamina.
Counter
While an entity is in the “Charging” state, If the entity is attacked by another entity from an “Open” skill/attack while performing a skill, the skill will be cancelled, and they will be briefly stunned. (Duration: 5s). Attacks may have certain effects if countering, some skills may not be “Countered”.
Follow up skills/variations
Certain skills may be played in conjunction with another entity, some skills may require being played as a follow up. Some follow up skills/variations can be used on themselves. Skills may have a follow up variation, which are “Select” type skills, even if they were originally “Open” type skills. If skill is an attacking skill, select an enemy. Then, select an ally. This skill will immediately play after selected ally does a skill or attack, and the follow up skill will be cancelled if the ally is “Countered”. Follow up skills that can be used will be highlighted for the player if an ally is “Charging” a skill, allowing follow ups to be quickly added before the skill is launched. If multiple allies select one ally for a follow up skill, an order will be given. The first follow up skill will play after the selected ally skill, and the second follow up skill will be played after the first follow up skill and so on. While follow up attacks are being launched, all players and enemies cannot move or act. Follow up skills ignore the “Charging” phase but can be “Blocked” if the selected enemy is already “Guarding”, they may also be “Evaded” if certain conditions are met.
Status Effects
Status effects can tick at the beginning of a turn, end of a turn, when performing certain actions, moving, blocking, evading, countering, pretty much at any point.
- Fatigued: Entity is slowed and cannot act. Duration decreases in increments of 0.25s, duration does not decrease if moving.
- Stunned: Entity’s cannot move or have their “Turn” and “Fatigued” does not decrease while afflicted with this status.
- Staggered: “Posture” cannot be regenerated. All moves towards this entity are considered “Staggering” attacks. Removed if “Guardbroken.”
- Knockdown: Variation of stun, entity is pulverized onto the floor and has all their “Stamina” depleted. “Knockdown” is removed if inflicted with “Uplifted.”
- Uplifted: Entity is risen into the air. “Uplifted” entities cannot move or “Evade” skills but can cast “Air Variations” of moves and can guard. Cannot exceed 5 stacks, when reaching 5 stacks, automatically applies “Knockdown”. “Uplifted” is removed if inflicted with “Knockdown,” dealing %MHP damage based on distance fallen.
Move Types
- Staggering: Increases stun duration when “Countering” an enemy. Instantly depletes “Posture” when used on a “Guarding” enemy. Applies “Staggered”.
- Knockdown: Applies “Knockdown”.
- Uplifting: Applies “Uplifted.”
Movement: During combat, movement is unrestricted, but there is a limit to how far away a player can move away from the battlefield, indicated by barriers. Movement depletes “Stamina” at a slow rate, if the player has no “Stamina,” they can no longer move. Actions cannot be taken while moving, there is a very brief delay before an action can be used after an entity stops moving.
Basic Attack: This is considered an “Open” action. Can be altered or given other effects. After using a basic attack, the entity cannot use another attack until they perform a different “Action”. Can be used to “Counter,” altering the animation and mechanics. (“Fatigued”: 2s)
Guard: This is considered an “Open” action. Will allow the user take on a defending stance, making them stationary and unable to move or act. Using this action immediately drains 10% of the entities “Posture”. They must assume this stance for a minimum duration “Posture” will not be reduced unless hit during this duration, if the entity were to run out of “Posture” to use this action, they cannot use this action. After the minimum duration is finished they can continue to hold it until they run out of “Posture” or stop guarding. (“Fatigued”: 2s) “Posture” dictates guard strength and damage mitigation. “Posture” slowly depletes while guarding and is slowly regenerated while not guarding. “Posture” can also be depleted by being hit while guarding. If “Posture” is fully depleted while guarding, the user will be considered to have been “Guardbroken,” stunning them. (Duration: 7s).
Rest: Counts as an “Open” action. Ends the current turn and replenishes all “Stamina”. (Duration: 5s).
Move Prototypes
Rapier
(Status) Poised: The amount of “Posture” taken from blocking attacks is decreased based on stacks (5% per stack). Gain a stack of “Poised” when successfully blocking a move. Lose all stacks if “Guardbroken”. Your basic attack becomes “Embroider” while you have at least 3 “Poised”. Poised can stack up to 8 times.
Embroider - Open: Melee Attack. Unleash a quick flurry of successive stabs, granting 1 “Poised” if hitting a target. If you have less than 3 “Poised”, this attack sets your “Poised” stacks to 3. Skips “Charging” phase.
Engarde - Open: Melee Uplifting Attack. Strikes upwards and applies 1 stack of “Uplifted” to yourself and the hit target. Grants 1 “Poised” if a target is hit. Skips “Charging” phase if the user has at least 3 “Poised”.
Flowing Needle - Select: Ranged Attack. Cannot be used on the ground. Air Variation: Skips “Charging” phase if user has 8 “Poised” stacks. Consumes all “Poised” to launch an attack on an enemy that is “Uplifted”. Strike once for each stack of “Poised”, and apply a stack of “Uplifted” for every 2 hits up to a max of 4 stacks of “Uplifted”, then clear all your own stacks of “Uplifted”. Follow up variation: Can be used on the ground, requires 3 “Poised”. Consumes 3 “Poised” to quickly strike the enemy that is “Uplifted” 3 times, applying 3 stacks of “Uplifted”, then return back to your original location.
Butterfly Decadence - Follow up Exclusive: Ranged Knockdown Attack. Emerge from the enemy inflicted with at least 2 stacks of “Uplifted” as a butterfly, before materializing as yourself and swinging down, applying “Knockdown”. Gain 1 “Poised”.
Roadmap
- Entity data registry + movement system + rest action
- Basic attacking (inc: fatigue system, hitbox system, damage system) (ActionsModule → AttackLogic(Shared attack components) → AttackLibrary(attack functions)
- vfx system and animation sync / Rest&Attack player implementation
- Skills (ActionsModule → SkillLogic → SkillLibrary) (OPEN SKILLS FIRST)
- Guarding (ActionsModule → GuardLibrary)
- Hitstun/Counter system
- Skills Select type / Charging system
- Block/Evade system
- Follow up skills
- Advanced Animation Marker System (FUTURE)