PTS Update 48 – Feedback Thread for Combat Animation Memory Reduction

MashmalloMan

If you want to improve the flow of combat like you stated, these animation changes ain't it. Focus on other area's that actually effect us on the day to day. There was a time where you couldn't Block + Weapon Swap without dropping it briefly, that's an example of the type of changes we're looking for.

1. Allow synergy use during cast/channel times.
   • The potion change this patch was a great idea, this always felt clunky and had no purpose of ever being there. Synergies are in the same boat.
2. Lower all 1.0s cast/channel times to 0.8s.
   • Eg. Dark Conversion.
   • Better fits the 1s GCD and has become widely accepted amongst the playerbase as feeling 'just right". You're obviously aware of this because it's present on most previous 1s cast time spammables, but also you just changed Templar's Jesus Beam this year to 3.8s. Same princible.
3. Remove the slow effect and intertuptablilty of ranged heavy attack and cast/channel time abilities:
   • Ranged attacks already have 0.3s minimum travel time in melee range which goes up to 1~1.7s at 28m, these 2 factors cover the balance of range vs melee counterplay. Interuptting/bashing is not exclusive to melee and has been added to ranged attacks defeating the original intended purpose. Melee can also utilize gap closers and movement speed bonuses, in conjunction with the new 7m range, and typically 10% stronger tooltips, this is hardly worth the added penalties.
4. Remove all short duration (0.2s~0.5s) cast/channel times.
   • Eg. Dawnbreaker, Poop Fist, Death Stroke, Abyssal Impact.
   • With how short these are, it serves as a nuisance rather than counterplay because the average human reaction time is 0.25s, this is already close to these short cast times, but even worse when you consider ping, response time of monitors/keyboards/controllers, frame rate, refresh rate, and physically pressing the key you need to. Aka, it's entirely random if these attacks succeed or not, true counterplay comes from predicting your oponents next move which has nothing to do with cast times.
   • If you absolutely must have damage delayed, make the cast instant with delayed hit registration. This happens with the 0.3s minimum travel time on instant ranged projectile attacks, skills like Volley, Contingency, Leashing Burst, and Bound Armaments. Ranged attacks have different travel speeds. There is so many better ways to introduce counterplay without it feeling clunky.

DarkStrifeYT

So I tried this and I absolutely dislike the new animations as it heavily throws me off and does not look good at all. Please do not add this into the live game. If this goes into live a lot of players will be upset. This has made animation canceling impossible to upkeep 100%. Why did you even think this was the way to go? This isn't even causing issues on memory.