What animation cancelling is - detailed explanation

tist

Good explanation. Canceling is awesome in PVP because it allows you to get abilities off that you might not have otherwise. EG: Shield before a fear. People seem to think it allows players to do absurd DPS or something. The only real increase you will see is by light/bash canceling and this is very easy to do.

One thing to note is that when you get hit by 3-4 snipes at the same time it is not animation canceling.. just desync/lag.

NBrookus

HeroOfNone wrote: »

As for the permanent lock down that's a seperate issue with various reasons, some intentional and some done by accident. Hopefully it's high on the ZOS list of things to fix.

Agreed. NBs should be able to hit hard from stealth -- really hard, even hard enough to counter glass cannon builds. But gank = win? That's just messed up.

I'm leveling magelight now; I didn't need it tanking, but if my tank is going to get caltrops I'd better have it in PvP.

ToRelax

Most_Awesome wrote: »

AC is a load of dog crap, I can set up macros on my naga mouse to block cancel every skill I use, yes it can be done manualy but why bother.
Like what has already been said

Player 1 NB spams SA
Player 2 NB spams SA/ with a block cancel

Player 2 wins every time

Macros can make pull off flawless combos every time

On my Sorc I could macro say my 12 button for my oh shite button that will swap to my restro staff and cast healing ward,block,hardend ward,block,harness magica,block

Are you seriously trying to argue that a mechanic, that requires enough skill that not literally everyone can pull it off nearly as well as if they wrote a macro for it, is somehow bad for the game?

Manoekin

ToRelax wrote: »

show previous quotes

Most_Awesome wrote: »

AC is a load of dog crap, I can set up macros on my naga mouse to block cancel every skill I use, yes it can be done manualy but why bother.
Like what has already been said

Player 1 NB spams SA
Player 2 NB spams SA/ with a block cancel

Player 2 wins every time

Macros can make pull off flawless combos every time

On my Sorc I could macro say my 12 button for my oh shite button that will swap to my restro staff and cast healing ward,block,hardend ward,block,harness magica,block

Are you seriously trying to argue that a mechanic, that requires enough skill that not literally everyone can pull it off nearly as well as if they wrote a macro for it, is somehow bad for the game?

Also good luck with that macro when you get stunned in the middle of it. Do sorcs even still block cancel? It prevents your regen.

mook-eb16_ESO

I would like to see animation cancelling removed from the PVP game. There's nothing more exacting than watching an opponent you are in combat with show no animations for any attacks only to find you've been it by multiple attacks, then drop dead. Combat just becomes a game of guessing and spamming as a many attacks before your opponent can; this is not fun combat. Not to mention that some skills were meant to have cool downs for a reason which can be side stepped by this technique. I think removal of animation cancelling, though maybe not initially welcome like the removal of the camps in pvp, might in the long run improve the games playability.

TankHealz2015

Very informative and helpful post.
I need to learn AC.
Thanks!

altemriel

Asmael wrote: »

This is a compendium about Animation cancelling. Too many times, people complain about it, complain about macros making it overpowered, and downright not understanding animation cancelling, macros, and GCD.

This is NOT a "animation cancelling is great! Keep it ingame!" thread, this is a post made to prevent misunderstandings, and avoid posts like "animation cancelling allows people to use 5 skills in less than 1 second, it should not be ingame". I, myself, use animation cancelling all the time, and it has pretty much become second nature to me. What follows exists so that it is clear when animation cancelling is involved, and when it's not.

What is animation cancelling and how does it work?

Animation cancelling, let's call it AC for short, is the act of interrupting an action's animation to quickly chain various actions. For instance, if using a light attack takes 0.5 seconds to execute, but the damage happens 0.3 seconds after the start of the animation, you'll wait only 0.3 seconds, then execute another action, ignoring the remaining 0.2 seconds and earning some precious time.

The possible actions are, as follow:
- Light / Heavy attacks
- Abilities (Lava whip, Surprise Attack, Wrecking Blow... pretty much everything)
- Block / Bash
- Dodge roll
- Weapon Swap

The current system uses the notion of GCD - Global CoolDown, for every action mentioned above, as well as a priority system. Basically, you want to start using the lowest priority actions first, to gain maximum benefit out of those, which is why you'll use a Light / heavy attack (lowest priority), an ability (medium priority), and then, depending on the situation, a bash / dodge roll / block / weapon swap (high priority).

Animation cancelling does NOT allow you to break the GCD of an action: if Surprise Attack has a GCD of 0.9 seconds, you CAN'T cast it more than once every 0.9 seconds. All abilities share the same GCD (some abilities have a longer channeling time than GCD tho), so you can't chain different abilities faster than usual.

However, each action's GCD is independent of other actions, which allows you to almost instantly use a light attack, an ability and a bash, because they run on different cooldowns.

Why do you have to start using lower priority actions first?

Higher priority actions will override any lower priority actions and prevent their use, which means that you can't dodge roll, and cancel it with an ability or light attack, you can, however, use an ability / light attack and cancel those with a dodge roll.

What abilities may or may not be cancelled?

EVERYTHING can be cancelled, even channeled abilities, tho channeled abilities work slightly differently (and sometimes bug out, see Crystal Frags).

The usual rotations with a non-channeled ability areLight attack > ability > bash, light attack > ability > dodge roll. With channeled abilities, you're rarely using the bash, but usually use a medium / heavy weave at the end of the channeling, so if you were to use Jabs / Puncturing Sweep, you would go with Jabs > Medium weave, and repeat.

I'll not detail every single possible rotation, because of the sheer number of those. Best way to go is just to try it yourself.

--

Now for misunderstandings of AC and comments I keep reading, and that should not be!

"I died because of animation cancelling and that dude just fired like 5 skills at once."

Nope, see above, not possible because of GCD. AC does increase your overall DPS (and make generating ultimate slightly easier, since we currently get ultimate only from light / heavy attacks), but canno't break it.

Note that it is possible to have many different attacks hitting the same target all at the same time, which makes it look like it was all fired at the same time, one such rotation is: Focused Aim > heavy bow attack > Poison Injection > Ambush (+ Camo hunter procs), which makes it look like as if 5+ attacks were fired at the same time. In that case, AC is used here to cancel the Focused Aim animation.

"Animation cancelling in combination with macros allow people to fire multiple skills at once."

Once again, false, but this is a double misunderstanding here, of both AC and macros. Macros allow you to realize multiple actions in succession with a single press of a button, but it doesn't allow you to bypass GCDs and do things otherwise not possible without its use.

Note that using macros is forbidden. Don't do it. You shouldn't delete AC because of macros, because you can use macros for everything. Note that thanks (because of?) to GCD, you gain no extra advantage using macros with AC (but you do risk the banhammer).

"Animation cancelling is an exploit."

I'll just link this thread and the following video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ThZtwhYkKSs

TL;DR: No, it's not an exploit, more like an unintended side effect of the combat engine, accepted by the devs. The devs are very well aware of it and don't intend to delete it anytime soon. You can still, of course, discuss whether they should change delete AC.

"Animation cancelling doesn't exist in MMOs, ESO shouldn't have it."

Oh my, not only it exists in other MMOs, but it also exists in completely different games, solo and multiplayers: many FPS (Borderland), RTS (Starcraft I & II), MMORPGs (SWTOR), TPS / RPG (Mass effect), and I could go on for a long time.

"Animation cancelling is required to be competitive."

I'd be lying to say this is false. Yes, AC does increase your DPS, especially with SnB builds, and overall allows your action to be chained pretty quickly. So, yes, AC is required to be competitive. Whether it should or not be required is another question.

"Animation cancelling can break your fingers."

Yes someone made that comment once. I don't need to say this isn't even close to truth. I'm hitting 400 APM on Starcraft II (which is much faster than what I do on ESO) and have yet to break my fingers.

"There is no tutorial for animation cancelling ingame, there should be one."

It's part of the "fix AC or make it available to everyone" question and can't be answered objectively. Pass.

"ZoS says AC is not an exploit just because they can't fix it."

They didn't mention they couldn't fix it, so anything on this matter is nothing but rumors and wild guesses. Let's avoid that kind of things, it brings nothing constructive. Discussing whether or not AC should be changed is not a rant and can lead to constructive critcism, make the diff.

"AC makes it so that animations aren't visible, so it's hard to react right when someone cancels everything, because you don't know what someone actually does, such has a DK cancelling the animation of his wings."

This is an interesting one, which leads to the question "what abilities are not recognizable at all if cancelled?". Turns out there are very few of those, mostly weapon skills with effects that are hardly visible, or no effects at all (Rally, Ransack, Heroic Slash). Do note that this is only true if you use an animation cancelling action after using an ability (e.g bash / dodge roll for non-channeled abilities), using only Light attack > ability will make the ability play its animation for its full length.

"AC is extremely buggy with some skills."

This is true, and this mostly affects channeled abilities: Crystal Fragments, Dark Flare, and WB are the most noticeable. In some cases, the end of the animation of the ability doesn't play at all, and instead play the heavy attack animation. These should definitely be fixed visually.

--

Next time you see someone saying something incorrect about AC, feel free to point them to this thread.
...And of course, correct me if I am wrong in any fact (not opinion) stated here.

Thank you for reading.

UPDATE : Added video showcasing the issue with Wrecking Blow.

these are very good AC guides:

Alcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZYoEztDilE&feature=youtu.be

Lefty Lucy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLZzGoPp9Ug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTb2YpuRsP4

Tamanous

It can be done using keyboard and mouse without even thinking and with no use of macros. It is no different than learning how to play any mmo combat system. With time you get better at it and it becomes habitual and without thought.

I have no experience with a controller so can't speak for that.

I suggest people just learn the system optimally. It is very easy and opens up many tactics otherwise not available. It is easy because all builds only have 2 bars with 6 powers and tactical use of light and heavy attacks and defense maneuvers. It isn't a complex power spread like other mmos.

Once you play one build for a very long time all of this should become instinctual.

If you learned to play one way ... relearn! It is a new rhythm to combat. It is the same way one learns how to do new things in all areas of life if willing to become the student again.

altemriel

Tamanous wrote: »

It can be done using keyboard and mouse without even thinking and with no use of macros. It is no different than learning how to play any mmo combat system. With time you get better at it and it becomes habitual and without thought.

I have no experience with a controller so can't speak for that.

I suggest people just learn the system optimally. It is very easy and opens up many tactics otherwise not available. It is easy because all builds only have 2 bars with 6 powers and tactical use of light and heavy attacks and defense maneuvers. It isn't a complex power spread like other mmos.

Once you play one build for a very long time all of this should become instinctual.

If you learned to play one way ... relearn! It is a new rhythm to combat. It is the same way one learns how to do new things in all areas of life if willing to become the student again.

that is true. you don`t need to use macros to do that. I even think that using of macros is prohibited by ZOS and can get you banned.
The only thing you need to do is to learn the rhytm of how fast you have to press the keys (skill-block, light attack-skill, heavy attack-skill, skill-dodge roll, skill-swap weapons). As deltia said it, it takes some time "to re-wire your brain" to learn to do animation cancelling, but after some time as you practice, you learn it.

Minno

altemriel wrote: »

show previous quotes

Tamanous wrote: »

It can be done using keyboard and mouse without even thinking and with no use of macros. It is no different than learning how to play any mmo combat system. With time you get better at it and it becomes habitual and without thought.

I have no experience with a controller so can't speak for that.

I suggest people just learn the system optimally. It is very easy and opens up many tactics otherwise not available. It is easy because all builds only have 2 bars with 6 powers and tactical use of light and heavy attacks and defense maneuvers. It isn't a complex power spread like other mmos.

Once you play one build for a very long time all of this should become instinctual.

If you learned to play one way ... relearn! It is a new rhythm to combat. It is the same way one learns how to do new things in all areas of life if willing to become the student again.

that is true. you don`t need to use macros to do that. I even think that using of macros is prohibited by ZOS and can get you banned.
The only thing you need to do is to learn the rhytm of how fast you have to press the keys (skill-block, light attack-skill, heavy attack-skill, skill-dodge roll, skill-swap weapons). As deltia said it, it takes some time "to re-wire your brain" to learn to do animation cancelling, but after some time as you practice, you learn it.

Lefty Lucy's guide is superior IMO. He shows animations before AC and after so players can see how it looks when you get it right. He also shows the current cocktail of AC combos that honestly makes AC less of an exploit.

While AC debate continues, you need to weigh in why have animations in the first place if they will be bypassed by the player. Since ZOS mentioned it was a cleaver use of mechanics, I wouldnt be surprised if they did the following actions:

- make all skills AC compatible (they already mentioned templars skills being retooled for efficiency)
- remove AC compatibility since it renders animations useless when used as a "con" for high dmg skills.

Yes, its here to stay (for now). I just think its neither fair nor aligns with the games current design intent/balance system.

altemriel

Minno wrote: »

show previous quotes

altemriel wrote: »

Tamanous wrote: »

It can be done using keyboard and mouse without even thinking and with no use of macros. It is no different than learning how to play any mmo combat system. With time you get better at it and it becomes habitual and without thought.

I have no experience with a controller so can't speak for that.

I suggest people just learn the system optimally. It is very easy and opens up many tactics otherwise not available. It is easy because all builds only have 2 bars with 6 powers and tactical use of light and heavy attacks and defense maneuvers. It isn't a complex power spread like other mmos.

Once you play one build for a very long time all of this should become instinctual.

If you learned to play one way ... relearn! It is a new rhythm to combat. It is the same way one learns how to do new things in all areas of life if willing to become the student again.

that is true. you don`t need to use macros to do that. I even think that using of macros is prohibited by ZOS and can get you banned.
The only thing you need to do is to learn the rhytm of how fast you have to press the keys (skill-block, light attack-skill, heavy attack-skill, skill-dodge roll, skill-swap weapons). As deltia said it, it takes some time "to re-wire your brain" to learn to do animation cancelling, but after some time as you practice, you learn it.

Lefty Lucy's guide is superior IMO. He shows animations before AC and after so players can see how it looks when you get it right. He also shows the current cocktail of AC combos that honestly makes AC less of an exploit.

While AC debate continues, you need to weigh in why have animations in the first place if they will be bypassed by the player. Since ZOS mentioned it was a cleaver use of mechanics, I wouldnt be surprised if they did the following actions:

- make all skills AC compatible (they already mentioned templars skills being retooled for efficiency)
- remove AC compatibility since it renders animations useless when used as a "con" for high dmg skills.

Yes, its here to stay (for now). I just think its neither fair nor aligns with the games current design intent/balance system.

wait, you say "make all skills AC compatible", I thought that you can cancel the animation of all the skills.

and yes, lead combat designer Eric Wrobel said about AC:

"Animation cancelling, we are embracing it, and animation cancelling is part of the game and it`s an interresting sort of skill mechanics and the timing is little bit different between different abilities, it is just kind of interresting thing. So it is fully ok if you do that. It is not a hack nor exploit nor cheating or anything, So continue to animation cancel and do more damage."

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThZtwhYkKSs)

Wreuntzylla

mook-eb16_ESO wrote: »

I would like to see animation cancelling removed from the PVP game. There's nothing more exacting than watching an opponent you are in combat with show no animations for any attacks only to find you've been it by multiple attacks, then drop dead. Combat just becomes a game of guessing and spamming as a many attacks before your opponent can; this is not fun combat. Not to mention that some skills were meant to have cool downs for a reason which can be side stepped by this technique. I think removal of animation cancelling, though maybe not initially welcome like the removal of the camps in pvp, might in the long run improve the games playability.

I don't agree that combat is so dumbed down that it's just ability spamming. However, I do agree that animation cancelling in its current form dumbs down the game. If you can't see the animation, or enough of it to determine what skill is being used, you cannot react appropriately, and skillful play largely disappears.

Animation cancelling is not skillful play. It's muscle memory. The most important part of animation cancelling is probably your skill-to-button assignments to maximize APM.

PrinceBoru

It's something I will always be trying to master.
I think AC should stay and dare say removing it would disastrous.

Lylith

invisible combat, what could be better?

i got hit with an alleged combo today that showed absolutely NO animation other than the player turning slightly and moving his arms.

2 (12k) wb's with a hvy atk in the middle mixed in with 2 atks that i did see from another player.

i wasn't knocked back, i wasn't cc'd, i just died. i thought the other player had killed me until i looked at the recap.

Jowrik

What we need is flawless animation transitioning between
- Light / Heavy attacks
- Abilities
- Block / Bash
- Dodge roll
- Weapon Swap

This will make it seem like all animations are blended together perfectly.

They will need to make additional character animations for this as your characters limbs come from different angles (couldn't explain it any other way..) depending on what ability was used next to what is done after the ability finished.

Minno

altemriel wrote: »

show previous quotes

Minno wrote: »

altemriel wrote: »

Tamanous wrote: »

It can be done using keyboard and mouse without even thinking and with no use of macros. It is no different than learning how to play any mmo combat system. With time you get better at it and it becomes habitual and without thought.

I have no experience with a controller so can't speak for that.

I suggest people just learn the system optimally. It is very easy and opens up many tactics otherwise not available. It is easy because all builds only have 2 bars with 6 powers and tactical use of light and heavy attacks and defense maneuvers. It isn't a complex power spread like other mmos.

Once you play one build for a very long time all of this should become instinctual.

If you learned to play one way ... relearn! It is a new rhythm to combat. It is the same way one learns how to do new things in all areas of life if willing to become the student again.

that is true. you don`t need to use macros to do that. I even think that using of macros is prohibited by ZOS and can get you banned.
The only thing you need to do is to learn the rhytm of how fast you have to press the keys (skill-block, light attack-skill, heavy attack-skill, skill-dodge roll, skill-swap weapons). As deltia said it, it takes some time "to re-wire your brain" to learn to do animation cancelling, but after some time as you practice, you learn it.

Lefty Lucy's guide is superior IMO. He shows animations before AC and after so players can see how it looks when you get it right. He also shows the current cocktail of AC combos that honestly makes AC less of an exploit.

While AC debate continues, you need to weigh in why have animations in the first place if they will be bypassed by the player. Since ZOS mentioned it was a cleaver use of mechanics, I wouldnt be surprised if they did the following actions:

- make all skills AC compatible (they already mentioned templars skills being retooled for efficiency)
- remove AC compatibility since it renders animations useless when used as a "con" for high dmg skills.

Yes, its here to stay (for now). I just think its neither fair nor aligns with the games current design intent/balance system.

wait, you say "make all skills AC compatible", I thought that you can cancel the animation of all the skills.

and yes, lead combat designer Eric Wrobel said about AC:

"Animation cancelling, we are embracing it, and animation cancelling is part of the game and it`s an interresting sort of skill mechanics and the timing is little bit different between different abilities, it is just kind of interresting thing. So it is fully ok if you do that. It is not a hack nor exploit nor cheating or anything, So continue to animation cancel and do more damage."

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThZtwhYkKSs)

All skills are, but not all skills function the same. we have channels, cast times, travel times, etc. For example, AC templar's biting jabs is vastly different than a NB's SA/Ambush combo. This is what im referring to in my previous comment, because instant cast will always be better under AC.

Thank you for linking that video! i didnt know he said that.
Since i now saw that video, ZOS needs to add AC as part of the list of items to fix/adjust. right now it feels plopped into the game (since it was unexpected.) My next issue with AC is why spend time animating at all? should ZOS recruit programmers/lore masters for increased trials/pvp endgame content? most of our issues come from imbalance, lack of endgame content for time based in development, and massive bugs.

For reference here is the list of items ZOS has to address:

1) Champion Point System: review a hard cap scenario/offer streamlined passives/additional counter passives. has to be done before the next two points are addressed. I have confidence ZOS will get this aspect done but little concerned since ive seen no documentation on how they envision the way they want the CP system to integrate with the game.

2) Animation Cancel Integration: review of all skills. certain classes excel with AC than others (DK has lots of skills where AC feels natural but templars do not. not a nerf comment, just bring all classes to a good place) strict balance has to be achieved in order for this to move from imbalance (based on above statements from Wrobel, i moved my stance to "imbalanced" instead of "exploit.") And i believe ZOS knows they need to streamline most of these skills.

3) Class balance: once CP and AC balances are achieved, then we can properly balance the classes.

Im not sure if the rest of the community agrees with me on the above, but those are my thoughts on the direction of the game.

Autolycus

AC is a game mechanic. I don't understand why we're having the debate. If you can't or won't AC, then you can't or won't get the most efficient use of your skills.

Is the use of macros not explicitly prohibited by ZOS anymore? The macros have picked up a lot of pace in the last few weeks. I don't have anything overtly against macros, as I used them in other games. I realize this is subjective, but I don't think setting up one button to do everything for you is in any way a viable measure of skill.

Then again, I don't cry when someone kills me in Cyrodiil using a macro, because using the right skills at the right time takes some degree of player skill. When using a macro, this player skill is removed from the equation. Therefore, I get over it and find someone to fight who relies on their own skill to get kills. I pvp to test my mettle against other players, not to see if I can out-click a macro.

Kemenril

Just discovered this thread -- thank you to the OP for clarifying some issues around AC that I hadn't thought about.

I do have to say that, as an MMO PvPer who is on the cusp of getting into TESO PvP that this is a big turn-off for me. I know a lot of commenters here (as elsewhere, from the threads I'm reading) have drunk the Kool-Aid and already think of AC as being a legit test of skill in the game -- and I guess that in the sense that everyone else is doing it too, that is true.

But I'm still curious about why people are still cool with AC and aren't storming the gates. As I said, I PvP in other MMOs and this kind of stuff easily falls into "Munchkin Territory". Also, it looks wack and verges very quickly into exploit territory. I know, TECHNICALLY it's not an exploit, but it's walking a line so fine it might as well be invisible.

I have PvPed in TESO for maybe a total of 10 minutes, which isn't a great amount of time to judge the system. But as someone who loves MMO combat and a test of skill, what do others find the draw to a system that encourages (practically BEGS) the use of Macros -- even though they're clearly prohibited? Like, this is way beyond minmaxing or facerolling -- it's almost hacking the margins of the design. I'm amazed the Devs have declared it WAI, but given that they have done so and AC seems to be here to stay...is this really something people find fun?

Khenzy

Kemenril wrote: »

Just discovered this thread -- thank you to the OP for clarifying some issues around AC that I hadn't thought about.

I do have to say that, as an MMO PvPer who is on the cusp of getting into TESO PvP that this is a big turn-off for me. I know a lot of commenters here (as elsewhere, from the threads I'm reading) have drunk the Kool-Aid and already think of AC as being a legit test of skill in the game -- and I guess that in the sense that everyone else is doing it too, that is true.

But I'm still curious about why people are still cool with AC and aren't storming the gates. As I said, I PvP in other MMOs and this kind of stuff easily falls into "Munchkin Territory". Also, it looks wack and verges very quickly into exploit territory. I know, TECHNICALLY it's not an exploit, but it's walking a line so fine it might as well be invisible.

I have PvPed in TESO for maybe a total of 10 minutes, which isn't a great amount of time to judge the system. But as someone who loves MMO combat and a test of skill, what do others find the draw to a system that encourages (practically BEGS) the use of Macros -- even though they're clearly prohibited? Like, this is way beyond minmaxing or facerolling -- it's almost hacking the margins of the design. I'm amazed the Devs have declared it WAI, but given that they have done so and AC seems to be here to stay...is this really something people find fun?

Animation cancelling is absolutely ridiculous. If such a thing even happened with a SINGLE skill in games such as GW2, WoW, etc. you would hear the shiatstorm from EEUU to China. The mere fact the main balance Dev even dared to say it's working as intended (which is CLEARLY not) is proposterous. More like the fact that it's such an intrinsic issue of the combat system that, sadly, he has no choice but to embrace it. And many players are defending this! Holy fvcking shiat!

The fact there are selfproclaimed pr0 players that brag about 'I'm so gud at AC, you diserv to b beetn'. When in reality you're effectively removing animation cues and therefore reducing counterplay if you don't pertake and embrace the already exploited system, and all of that with just practice in muscle memory exercices that even a trained monkey could do. It's sad really, very sad. It's not a testament of player skill, and it never will.

Autolycus wrote: »

AC is a game mechanic.

It is, it really is, and THAT's the sad part.

Rohaus

Khenzy wrote: »

show previous quotes

Kemenril wrote: »

Animation cancelling is absolutely ridiculous. If such a thing even happened with a SINGLE skill in games such as GW2, WoW, etc. you would hear the shiatstorm from EEUU to China. The mere fact the main balance Dev even dared to say it's working as intended (which is CLEARLY not) is proposterous. More like the fact that it's such an intrinsic issue of the combat system that, sadly, he has no choice but to embrace it. And many players are defending this! Holy fvcking shiat!

The fact there are selfproclaimed pr0 players that brag about 'I'm so gud at AC, you diserv to b beetn'. When in reality you're effectively removing animation cues and therefore reducing counterplay if you don't pertake and embrace the already exploited system, and all of that with just practice in muscle memory exercices that even a trained monkey could do. It's sad really, very sad. It's not a testament of player skill, and it never will.

The ignorance is strong with this one!

alex394053

Asmael wrote: »

"Animation cancelling is required to be competitive."

I'd be lying to say this is false. Yes, AC does increase your DPS, especially with SnB builds, and overall allows your action to be chained pretty quickly. So, yes, AC is required to be competitive. Whether it should or not be required is another question.

"There is no tutorial for animation cancelling ingame, there should be one."

It's part of the "fix AC or make it available to everyone" question and can't be answered objectively. Pass.

You're absolutely right, it can't. Because when the information becomes widely accessible to all players you stop being competitive that you don't want to.

P.S. Regarding SWTOR. I play it. There is no AC in there as there is no blocking/bashing and no regural attacks (everything is an ability). Only queueing one ability in advance.