Very Familiar, User Friendly, Combat
Pretty early on new players will learn the difference between what to do and what not to do during combat in Wildstar. The use of “Telegraphs” visually explain effect range, hurt box and hit box zones, and beneficial and deteriorating effects. Telegraphs are basically colored shapes that appear on the field signaling attacks and abilities.
Dodging is one of the more basic features in Wildstar, which like Guild Wars 2 and Blade & Soul, uses double tapping keys to trigger the ability. The dodge function can also be mapped to a different key separate from the movement keys. I don’t recall the guys at Carbine or lead combat designer Chris Lynch saying that it would make the player 100% invincible during the animation, but I’m sure there are some invincibility frames during the action.
Double Jumping!
Yes, we’re playing Rayman! This being a completely new mechanic to modern MMO seems like one of the cooler features to the combat system in Wildstar. As gimmicky as it may sound, double jumping does provide variety and options during certain situations. Since movement is a key aspect of the game, being able to create opportunities while airborne will impact how players go about reacting to fights and terrain. In the past, jumping in MMO is borderline useless. I’m glad to see that it will function as a viable tool for players to interact with the environment.
There’s also a sprint function, which again, plays up on the importance of movement in the game. The developers want players to recognize the battlefield and it’s functionality, react to the many different situations, and be rewarded for dodging or maneuvering away from danger and into battle. Players have the option to play aggressively with a high-risk high- reward approach, but also have the option to play very defensively, calculating and planning for the best method of approach to avoid damage and deal as much damage during a span of time.
Movement Is Key
Carbine studios did an amazing job laying down the foundation of movement for Wildstar’s combat system. Being able to use all of the tools you posses in battle makes for a more interactive, action based game experience even though the game itself is not true action. Everything from dodging to strafe away from attacks to jumping while you’re jumping (in before XSIBIT memes), it’s just really well integrated and fabulously designed.
