I'm done making excuses, combat is just terrible.

[MarQan]

I was making excuses for hours on the basis of "realism" and "just not being good enough", but I'm done, the combat is just bad in this game (at least parts of it).

Lock-on is the worst thing.
Makes the camera shakey. Focus jumps randomly between enemies when unnecessary.
But when I do want to change focus with the dedicated button, then half the time nothing happens, most other times it doesn't focus the target I want. Enemies keep getting on my side or even behind me without me being able to look at them. Even winning combat is unenjoyable because most of my focus and efforts have to be put towards actually looking at the right enemy, not the combat itself. I'm not fighting the enemies, I'm fighting the camera.

Dogs are really hard to hit for some reason, even though often I'd just need to hold my weapon in front of them and they'd run into it. Locking on them is a nightmare. The way they grab Henry's arm is often absolutely insane, Henry literally puts his arm into the dog's mouth.

I keep hitting enemies randomly even though my weapon doesn't even connect with them, not to mention sometimes I'm not even looking at them.

Combat moves/mini cutscenes all over. These are the occasions when an animation plays and you lose control for a second, not sure how else to explain them. They are so overdone, especially in group fights, and they're almost never advantageous for the player. They look stupid, because they're easily avoidable, and most of the time 1 of Henry's hands would be free to hurt the enemy or to prevent that move in the first place. Henry is often just magically pulled into those animations as well, not by the enemy, but by an invisible force.

Plus enemies are keep running in front of eachother, as if they're trying to get hit by their mates.
Then there are the enemies who literally run into my arrows, head first, not even trying to block with their weapon or arms.

All these are much worse in tight spaces.

I'm sure some of you might think it's about my personal skill and experience (or lack of them), which might be true as well, but that doesn't really change what I wrote above. So imma just go ahead and tell you that my combat results range from defeating 4-5 armored cumans barely losing any health, to dying to 3 poorly equipped bandits (even less if there's a dog). As far as I'm concerned the enemies are just too easy/stupid by default and the only thing that's truly difficult is to make the camera work properly. In fact the only time I thought I was outplayed was relatively early on against a travelling knight in a 1v1 (although he also had superior gear).

This combat system would be good for 1v1, and sure, it's kinda unique and I did have fun learning it, but group fights are a core part of the game, and the combat system just fails there. Also I'm not even doubting that you can learn to consistently win every single fight in this game, I might even get there myself. But I want to learn to fight tricky, smart and strong enemies, not the camera or the ridiculous animations.

Otherwise I really enjoy the game and it's quite realistic (compared to most other games), but combat just ruins both.

[Vilab]

they started with a great combat system ( for 1v1 at least ), then added the unavoidable master strike mechanic

make sure to map the unlock control on your mouse or in a good spot on your keyboard

you may look for combat mods, they may greatly improve your experience ( no slow motion, no master strike unless you strike where your opponnent is ready to strike back... same applies for you, etc... )

[MarQan]

Since I'm still trying to make excuses for the game I went in testing myself against Rattay guards. Turns out those are actually difficult enemies, at least in groups of 3+.
However I just found more problems:
- When I start the fight the first 2-3 of my hits just go through them doing no damage while they're drawing their weapons.
- Guards literally go through eachother in tight spaces.
- They can hit me clipping through eachother, while their arms and weapons going through another guard.

[vine]

You're Better off Bowling, Bob..

[MacSuibhne]

Originally posted by vine:

You're Better off Bowling, Bob..

LOL

[vine]

Originally posted by MacSuibhne:

Originally posted by vine:

You're Better off Bowling, Bob..

LOL

i learned from the best XD

[Noeat]

Originally posted by MarQan:

This combat system would be good for 1v1, and sure, it's kinda unique and I did have fun learning it, but group fights are a core part of the game, and the combat system just fails there. Also I'm not even doubting that you can learn to consistently win every single fight in this game, I might even get there myself. But I want to learn to fight tricky, smart and strong enemies, not the camera or the ridiculous animations.

Otherwise I really enjoy the game and it's quite realistic (compared to most other games), but combat just ruins both.

dont make excuses, dont make u feel bad..
just grab game what is on your player level and play it.. and u will have fun
especially when ur stunned when u see a dog on monitor and u cant push keys on keyboard..

the combat is perfect for 1 vs many and is close to reality..
its just not easy, when u need fight against more than one opponent IRL
in game, try use hardlock and softlock (learn how to use it properly to help u) its not combat who fail in group fights, it is you who fail there and u need just learn it.

but.. if your effort is complain on forum and not learn to play, then as i say, just grab some game what is dumbed down, like Skyrim.. u dont need learn anything there - just blindly running and spamming left click.. thats all what u need to do in Skyrim.

btw: its ok, when u dont like something, but isnt ok pretending its a objective opinion, because ur probably from External Gaming Observer International Supervisor Team

you just dont like it.. its ok.. play something what u like, u just fail in combat versus more opponents.. its ok, if u dont like it, u can make effort to learn it, or play another game..

but this your post cant help u at all..

and like bonus - here is how looks IRL combat 2v1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUIoMreBQa0

[Yuz]

Originally posted by MarQan:

Henry is often just magically pulled into those animations as well, not by the enemy, but by an invisible force.

I call this the Henry's crazy ballerina suicide spin move.

I hate when this happens, when the game forces you to be in the middle of the mob when i'm trying to keep all in front of me. Maybe they have invisible elastic arms... or maybe they can cast mini black holes.

No there is no one behind me, and no, there is no way a normal person with a normal arm could reach my arms and pull me when i'm keeping distance, and yes, i know how to play this game, probably better than most of here, and probably better than the guy that will try to point where i am wrong about what i'm writing now.

This combat move is just bad implemented, that's it. Someone thought it would be cool, but failed to make it work properly.

[Yuz]

Originally posted by MarQan:

Plus enemies are keep running in front of eachother, as if they're trying to get hit by their mates.
Then there are the enemies who literally run into my arrows, head first, not even trying to block with their weapon or arms.

Yes, it is fun to watch and exploit... combat AI needs improvement.

[CalicoJack]

Originally posted by Yuz:

, and yes, i know how to play this game, probably better than most of here, and probably better than the guy that will try to point where i am wrong about what i'm writing now.

if you knew how to play this game you wouldnt have these problems you described.

[Vilab]

knowing "how to play the game" =/= enjoying unrealistic gamey mechanics built to bypass the limits of the AI

[CalicoJack]

saying "i know how to play this game, probably better than most of here" while describing personal struggles with the game =/= saying "i dont enjoy this"

[MacSuibhne]

I'm not going to pose as any kind of expert... I did, however, pay attention to the specs, the admonitions to not use mods and the instructions/tutorials that appear throughout the game.

I play this game successfully, engage multiple opponents (and win) and don't have the kinds of problems the OP and others describe.

There's a bit of wisdom that always comes to mind when I read these whinging accusations: "What one man has done, another may do."

And it makes me wonder why some people have problems that I and a number of others don't have. I suspect it says more about the people having problems than about the game.

[MacSuibhne]

As far as that goes, (and again, I've never seen npcs teleporting or walking through walls to get behind me), opponents do get behind me. That's their job. That's also what happens in real life.

But just for the sake of patience, let's say it's all true--foes will teleport to you and will walk through walls and have arms that are ten foot long.

So what? Their job (as determined by the AI) is to get behind you. To kill you.

What's your job? All the OI (organic 'intelligence') that is you has to do is remain focused and take the bastards out one at a time, not to get so distracted that you can't play or win.

I win... against 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. No bull, no posing, no self-vicitmizing hysteria.

Why is that, do you suppose? Why is it that I (and many others) don't see the problems that the OP has? Why is it that we love the combat? Why is it that we don't have game breaking bugs if the game is so flawed and the devs so ♥♥♥♥♥♥?

Is is because we are stupid and unperceptive and not as intelligent as the whiners? Or is it the other way around?

Why is it that I/we can do what you can't?

[MarQan]

@Vilab
Thank you, I'll look at the mods!

@Noeat
My friend, most of the things you say completely backfire on you.
"its ok, when u dont like something, but isnt ok pretending its a objective opinion"
Same goes for "just because you like a game..."

"the combat is perfect for 1 vs many and is close to reality.."
Have you even read what I wrote? Do you live in an alternate reality?

You have not addressed a single point I made, so I'll just assume you agree with them.

"It's ok if you can't make useful comment, just go to dumbed down meme reddits, it's okay."
That's how you sound, my misguided friend. I hope that comment was just fueled by your love for the game and you're not actually that stuck-up.

@MacSuibhne
I'll just assume you were extremely lucky to not experience any of the problems I described, because the other options I see are either you assume I'm lying, or that you're lying by denying it. Which would mean we can't have a productive discussion.

I'm not sure where you got the teleporting enemies thing. I don't think that was mentioned in this thread before.

What you wrote at the end just tells me that you haven't even read what I wrote: "Also I'm not even doubting that you can learn to consistently win every single fight in this game, I might even get there myself."

[MarQan]

I'd also like to point that despite what MacSuibhne is trying to imply, I did not say a single negative thing about the devs. Not even sure where that came from..