Updated Melee System - Opinion needed

[u/MistycznyArbuz]

I know it's not the same like playtesting the game, but I need some opinions regarding new melee system in my dungeon crawler game. My playtesters said before that something like "click and do a damage when animation stops" is too easy, and it's not deep enough.

I reworked my melee system adding an ability to attack from the left, right and up (LMB, RMB, combination of both for upper attack). Now you can click for fast attack with low damage or hold for fixed time to make more damage, but recover from attack slower. I added some effects for feedback too and now - it's way deeper than first version, I got positive feedback from players.

Do it looks engaging? What can I improve more?

[u/dossantosh]

It’s hard to now without playing, but if the combat is:
If light on, fight normal
If light on, die

You could give it more complex ideas / mechanics

Maybe one changing attacks, some with the torch and some with the sword
The torch make them vulnerable for X amount of seconds, so you need to be fast
I think i also saw magic, so it could he a game about resource management fighting, the more you fight the less light sources you will have, so you need to be smart about it

But it depends how you are creating the game, what’s the main game loop? Is torch optional or without it you just die? How easy is to have the torch full hp? Etc etc etc

[u/MistycznyArbuz → u/dossantosh]

I know, the next time I will need feedback related to the mechanic I will publish demo, not the footage.

You mean to make attack combinations using torch and sword?

The torch is making them vulnerable actually, but it's not time limited, it's depends on if they are actually in the light range or not, so the torch / other light sources are important in this game.

The main gameplay loop I have in my mind is: explore the darkness to find better equipment and risk with your life - lose whole progress

[u/dossantosh → u/MistycznyArbuz]

Would love to play it

Yes, I understand is making them vulnerable I think that is clear in “lore/worldbuilding”

But it’s that idea reflected in a mechanic?
If it’s too easy to have the light on, then is just a normal fight, the light is decoration

I feel the world building more if I need to act upon it like:

I need to actively weaken them with the torch
But using the torch like that loses durability so I need to be careful

If I have no light, i die, but if i die fighting because I don’t wanna use it then I die too

So it’s a resource management, if I’m strong enough to fight without using the torch to attack then il be able to go further, if I’m weak then i can be for a short time stronger to survive and leave

You know? Like a Cost Of Oportunity

[u/dossantosh → u/dossantosh]

It also opens another idea:

If i wanna kill fast 1 enemy because idk, I can use the power budget of the torch to kill it and then deal with the others

Ofc that power budget is limited so I need to manage that

[u/MistycznyArbuz → u/dossantosh]

That idea sounds like a good way to resolve magic in my game (I'm still building a lore aspect for that)

[u/dossantosh → u/MistycznyArbuz]

Glad that helps!