A few questions for developers

[Gnep]

In your game, combat is built around dodging very active bosses. Why then does dodging take 8 seconds to recharge? Maybe then the bosses active jump skills wouldn't have multiple in 1-2 seconds? That's really dumb. Try thinking that dodging enemies that jump at you much more often than your 8 second dodge skill, it doesn't work
One more time. Dodge n a game with fights about dodges restors for 8 seconds.
Weapons are pumped from boss to boss by metal, and through acts. But in the end, players are pumped to always be weaker than the average NPC who has skills deadlier than the pathetic player weapon skills, which dont have enough damage for enything. What's the point of that?
Ideally, each boss should give something that allows you to kill subsequent bosses. So, how a hedge or chest do helps to deal with next bosses, which are stronger and stronger, which also like to run and regenerate with no reason. Or there are copper or iron weapons, which cannot be upgraded in current act, very useless, but there is no any way to change ur equipment. But we have new walls for castle to deal with another boss. That is progression without progression. In the end, to start enjoying the game, you have to go through it all and be left without any active challenges, and just quit?
And the most thing I dont understand. You made room and workbrenches system at base, but to craft eny item, player must run in and run out a lot of times to each room with current chest instead of making it a function to keep track of all the items on a particular base.
The idea is very interesting, but it feels like the game wasn't in early access

[Suzaku]

WASD can dodge most attacks. For those that can't, you have your veil, 2 spells which can be a counter or barrier, and 2 weapons abilities of which some have i-frames or quick movement. You can also feed on enemies mid-fight as another potential dodge. You can effectively be invincible for the entire fight if you roll your cooldowns properly.

This is not your typical dodge-spam action game. You have many options. Use them all and you'll be untouchable.

[Gnep]

Originally posted by Suzaku:

WASD can dodge most attacks. For those that can't, you have your veil, 2 spells which can be a counter or barrier, and 2 weapons abilities of which some have i-frames or quick movement. You can also feed on enemies mid-fight as another potential dodge. You can effectively be invincible for the entire fight if you roll your cooldowns properly.

This is not your typical dodge-spam action game. You have many options. Use them all and you'll be untouchable.

You can't dodge most attacks from active enemies, or enemies attacking by area, because the character is too slow, perhaps the player is the slowest character in the game, to move out of the attack zone.
Active skills can be used, but they too have a time limit, which is not enough to parry the attacks of bosses who use their skills rendlessly constantly jumping, depending on the boss.
Feeding on enemies in the middle of combat sounds very interesting, if only those enemies didn't deal damage to the player that the player can only dream of with their pathetic equipment.
I noticed that this isn't your typical dodge-and-dash action game. It's a turn based game where there is a skill cooldown time only for the player.

[Suzaku]

One day you'll learn. Or a true vampire will saunter through your ashes.

[Wulfies]

I have to agree with most of the things said.
Octavius is a boss that spawns archers and consistently attacks you via sword attacks. You can either dodge the archers, and focus on them... or ignore the archers and dodge them as well as dodging the boss.

This quickly drains your dodges even if you use counters and weapons to travel. What ever you do to minimise damage will come at the cost of dealing damage and you will basically have your health run down until he does the whirlwind which has no warning, a massive AOE... travels faster than you and can navigate around to hit you with the only thing you can do is use the door ways to cheese him.

This is horrible game design. It is done to facilitate Co-op play at the cost of Solo play.

And to add to the point of the progression: Levels 40-60 are completely arbitrary... you are unlocking hedges and hanging mirrors as a reward with like a jewel cutting table that allows you to turn crude gems into regular... despite the fact that farming regular gems is easier.
It literally gives you NOTHING useful to kill the further bosses, its like the bright archer drops a holy resistance so you can kill the Shepard... that rewards you with useless items ultimately.

The astral forge and radium is the next tier and nothing helps you get there... The only way to defeat bosses at this point is to Co-op them to mitigate the damage and regain dodges.

When i defeated octavius with a friend... I didn't feel good about it... the amount of balancing they did to make it a challenge to Co-op completely ruins Solo. If they want it to be fair... solo players should get 4 second dash cooldown... because the only reason its feasible in Co-op is becasue your doubling the amount of dodges you can do and you can have 1 focus the archers whilst the other attacks the boss. I felt like I was cheesed by the boss and It was unfair due to the aim to make it co-op.

The game is so stupidly difficult to solo and the rewards are just uninspiring.

[Suzaku]

Took me 3 tries to beat Octavius on brutal. First try was learning the moves. Second try I got caught by the spin due to my bad positioning. Third try he died.

Observe, learn, adapt. Take responsibility for your actions and you'll control the fight. Assume the game is unfair and you'll just get run over, and over, and over.

[Skillo]

I am still progressing through act 2 on brutal. So far most fights are reasonable, and sometimes require different skills to make your life easier. Sometimes running two counters, sometimes a form of summoning to take aggro, sometimes more AoE clear. But all very doable.

Tristam is hard though, even with two counters i struggled to get used to the moveset and his extremely aggressive nature.

[Noop]

Get good? If you don't play on brutal the game is piss easy and I agree balance on brutal is trash cuz you are forced to use very specific builds or you will get clapped. But let's be real here you aren't playing on brutal.
But yea instead of thinking how you could improve you blame the game for being bad while you are the one who is bad at the game and probably ignores core mechanics.

[UdderJuice]

Some people don't want to be forced to min-max or research a specific build to even have a chance at winning and there's nothing wrong with that. Jesus you "git gud" elitist snobs are such a bore.

Having said that, you can adjust the difficulty settings so that you can almost face tank any boss in the game as long as you have geared up. And there is no shame in that if you just want to play to have fun.

[Evilsod]

Originally posted by UdderJuice:

Some people don't want to be forced to min-max or research a specific build to even have a chance at winning and there's nothing wrong with that. Jesus you "git gud" elitist snobs are such a bore.

Are we reading the same comments?

The only comments that specifically highlighted the need to use specific counters were in relation to Brutal. And yeah, if you're playing that, you probably do just need to git gud.

Everything else is telling the OP that the "dash" ability is not the only way to avoid an attack, and that you are going to be punished for picking two skills you liked 30 minutes into the game, and never, ever changing them, no matter what.
That isn't research or min/maxing.

[paradigm1393]

Stunlock just wanted to you shout you for making a stellar fame and I hope you will continue to additions to to prolong its longevity, that said I do have a little nitpicking & some requests to make, they are as follows:

1: The removal of shard power ups for a amulet that cannot be used to transport is a step in wrong direction & is not a QoL feature, I request that this be reverted to how it was before.

2: To maybe consider the addition a feature to subdue creatures like the wolves or bears into your arsenal to be able hold them in stables to feed and experiment on to mutate them into slightly more powerful mutant beasts to be used in battles with a risk that if they die, you can always subdue more and in process of mutating them that you may lose them like you with your prisoners when trying to raise their blood quality,

3: The ability to kidnap cultist to use as prisoner/blood bags or convert them to vampire thralls. also any gear attached to your thralls, changes their appearance making more unique .

Just some things to consider as am addition to an otherwise brilliant game, cheers