Blocking is useless currently

[Chiptune]

I'm guessing it'll be tweaked later as this is only an early build, but I've sunk a decent amount of hours in the game and after finding good success with builds that just use aggressive methods with sharp weapons I thought it'd be really cool if I tried to play defensively, sniping hands and blocking hits.

As it turns out, the reason aggressive playstyle works so well (aside from the obvious lethality of a real fight which this game tries and mostly succeeds to emulate) is because everyone's arms are limp noodles essentially.

In HEMA, an important early lesson everyone must learn is about structure. You extend your arms in a way that is strong and won't easily be knocked over before you step in to strike. With this game's ragdoll system, you can swing a wooden shovel around and pretty much knock aside a guard, there's no incentive to try blocking anything since you'll get hurt either way, it's better to just attack.

I feel like that's one of the biggest issues current gameplay has, it's too easy to knock enemies around and it's too easy for them to ignore your own defense. Blocking a wooden shovel or a small hammer with a polearm shouldn't send you to the ground unless you're facing a behemoth I feel

[Chiptune]

Originally posted by Kashra Fall:

I've actually had a pretty good amount of fun trying to deflect/parry/block. Most of my fights are won because I slapped the weapon away and advanced forward. Sure, you can win by just swinging your mouse like a madman with two weapons outstretched infront of you, but where is the fun in that?

Manipulating the physics to do some pretty fun stuff, is pretty damn great. Using the hoe to slip behind their leg, pull forward, make them kneel before you and them switch to the haft, to smack their weapon away, leads to them literally begging you for their life. He was on his knees, grabbed my arm and was begging me, he even hugged me lol. I know this wasn't actually happening, but it looked that way and it wouldn't of happened, had I just cleaved in twain =P.

There was another fight last night, pretty much just as I had started, where it was my wooden shovel, vs a candlebra and the amount of "Ding! Ching!, Bing!" going on from the weapon connections was just awesome.

Yeah I like doing that too, even if it's not nearly as effective (and doesn't work at all, actually). Knocking weapons away is simple as long as the AI doesn't actually do anything (AKA trying to attack you), as soon as they do their swing if you're in range you cannot block no matter what you do. I've found it's easier to dodge and to outrange, but I still enjoy trying to manipulate the AI's weapon so long as they aren't swinging it

[Kashra Fall]

Originally posted by Chiptune:

Originally posted by Kashra Fall:

I've actually had a pretty good amount of fun trying to deflect/parry/block. Most of my fights are won because I slapped the weapon away and advanced forward. Sure, you can win by just swinging your mouse like a madman with two weapons outstretched infront of you, but where is the fun in that?

Manipulating the physics to do some pretty fun stuff, is pretty damn great. Using the hoe to slip behind their leg, pull forward, make them kneel before you and them switch to the haft, to smack their weapon away, leads to them literally begging you for their life. He was on his knees, grabbed my arm and was begging me, he even hugged me lol. I know this wasn't actually happening, but it looked that way and it wouldn't of happened, had I just cleaved in twain =P.

There was another fight last night, pretty much just as I had started, where it was my wooden shovel, vs a candlebra and the amount of "Ding! Ching!, Bing!" going on from the weapon connections was just awesome.

Yeah I like doing that too, even if it's not nearly as effective (and doesn't work at all, actually). Knocking weapons away is simple as long as the AI doesn't actually do anything (AKA trying to attack you), as soon as they do their swing if you're in range you cannot block no matter what you do. I've found it's easier to dodge and to outrange, but I still enjoy trying to manipulate the AI's weapon so long as they aren't swinging it

Actually, that is when it is easiest, that is the point of a parry. You counter their action, with your own. Know the distance of your weapons and swing at the right angle and profit. Be it a hand cut, an arm cut, or an actual weapon connection/knock away, it is easier when the weapons are in motion.

I don't expect 100% success in a physics based game, but when it works, it is awesome to witness and it feels great. I watched my friend on discord play this by just swirling his mouse in a figure eight with 2 hatchets, that isn't fun to me lol.

[Chiptune]

That is not when it is easiest, no. The way AI works in this game is that they attack so long as you aren't on the offense, the best way to counter spears for instance is to swing and thrust first which forces them to switch to defense. You absolutely should not wait for them to strike unless you're just trying to have fun at your own expense which I also do, but we can't pretend that's effective in this game.

If you've got a long sword and they're using a short axe sure, go ahead, but in most cases trying to parry just gets you domed in the head. The reason being enemies are aggressive when you're passive and defensive when you're aggressive, and their aggression is not something you can deal with by blocking until you get a proper shield and gauntlets. Your hands will get hit, your arms will take blunt damage and if they're using a polearm's shaft you will get knocked down which is usually a game over.

[Kashra Fall]

Originally posted by Chiptune:

That is not when it is easiest, no. The way AI works in this game is that they attack so long as you aren't on the offense, the best way to counter spears for instance is to swing and thrust first which forces them to switch to defense. You absolutely should not wait for them to strike unless you're just trying to have fun at your own expense which I also do, but we can't pretend that's effective in this game.

If you've got a long sword and they're using a short axe sure, go ahead, but in most cases trying to parry just gets you domed in the head. The reason being enemies are aggressive when you're passive and defensive when you're aggressive, and their aggression is not something you can deal with by blocking until you get a proper shield and gauntlets. Your hands will get hit, your arms will take blunt damage and if they're using a polearm's shaft you will get knocked down which is usually a game over.

Actually the best way to counter spears is to go for the legs. Can't use their length if they can't stand, but I get ya. I do it my way, you do it yours =P. I prefer weapon connections, which does happen quite a bit when the AI is swinging amidst my own swing.

[Rick Hall]

Originally posted by Realm:

Originally posted by Jack Niggleson:

lmao, this isn't a HEMA game, it's third person Exanima. If you want HEMA play Mordhau or Chivalry or something.

Those two games are probably the worst kind of game you could recommend for HEMA, lmao. They're more ballet/dancing than any kind of martial art.

As for OP, you can sort of block but it depends on the weapon. I like the 2Hers since I can knock a spear upwards that's heading my way, and if my 2H is an axe I can use the same grip to give a nasty draw cut across the enemy's body in a follow-up motion.

There is literally a story of a HEMA instructor showing Exanima to his students to help with moves. Seriously, Exanima and Half-Sword are in different leagues when it comes to swordplay, mainly due to how controls work. I'd even go as far as to say Exanima is the most realistic swordplaying game to date. Granted, it's not for everyone, and that's where Half-Sword comes in with it's advanced damage and hit reaction system.

All in all Half-Sword is a very different experience. It's far more arcadey. That could change with time of course, and I really do hope that it does because it has massive potential with just what the game has rn. Imagine something like EFT or Dark and Darker with this system. Seems like a good fit, but MP could be hard to pull off with all the physics.

[MagnusCerebrum]

Originally posted by Jack Niggleson:

lmao, this isn't a HEMA game, it's third person Exanima. If you want HEMA play Mordhau or Chivalry or something.

Nah dawg those two games can be abused to an absurd degree, I watched high level gameplay and its just a mess of whoever can juke the other and game the system hard enough

[Imdrasil]

You can't currently passively parry strikes, you have to meet them with an active parry counterattack combo.

[SamOfSaturn]

I agree heavily. Any amount of force applied to a weapon just pushes it away. Coming from 54 hours in the demo, the only way to "block" is if you're swinging your weapon and it happens to overpower an attacking enemy's weapon. That's not really how blocking should work.

An idea I had was, in a similar manner to how fists close if enough force is behind the movement, your arms could kind of "buckle" (not really the right term, just the best thing I could think of right now) if you're not actively striking. You can still kind of maneuver the blade around without sacrificing the blocking mode, but sudden movements would go back into lenient-wristed striking mode. Not a perfect solution, but any blocking would be good blocking.