GDD - Combat

Description

1. Combat Mechanics

1.1 Basic Elements

• Movement
• Attack
• Interact
• Dodge/Roll

We will go for a quad directional combat system (4 Directions).

1.2 Melee Combat

• Primary weapon: Axe/Spear
• Basic attacks: Combo system with every subsequent hit causing more damage
• Charged attacks: The spear already has a running thrust, the axe can be a wider swing or a complete 360 degree spin.
• Parrying: Timed block mechanic for deflecting enemy attacks or a similar mechanic where timing your counter right feels super rewarding.

1.3 Equipment and Items:

• Secondary weapons: Bow and arrow, bombs, traps and tools
• Consumables: Health potions, buffs, temporary weapons

1.4 Enemy Variety:

• Basic enemies: Melee attackers, ranged attackers, and shielded enemies
• Mini-bosses: Larger and more powerful enemies with unique attack patterns
• Bosses: Epic encounters with distinct phases and mechanics

2. Combat Encounters

2.1 Encounter Design

• Placement of enemies: Strategic positioning to create interesting challenges
• Environmental hazards: Traps, obstacles, and hazards that affect both the player and enemies
• Puzzle integration: Combat encounters intertwined with environmental puzzles to encourage creative solutions

One thing to consider would be stagger states and internal poise numbers. Every enemy should have a limit to where if they take a certain amount of damage, they get staggered. We have discussed environmental staggering as well but that has yet to be implemented.

We also have to consider a cooldown for attacks. We can’t have enemies repeatedly attacking us without taking a break.

Based on this document, here are the proposed example behavior traits of some enemies for combat.

• RABBIT

  • No internal stagger number which basically means if you hit it, it gets staggered. It pounces once and then has a cool down of 2 seconds before it does another pounce.

• WILD BOAR

  • It has a stagger which takes about 2 or 3 hits. It charges towards you in a linear direction and if you are in its way, it damages you. If you dodge and it hits a wall, it gets staggered. If it doesn’t hit a wall, it keeps going for a little distance and then halts for 2 seconds before turning around towards you and starting to charge.

• DIREWOLF

  • It has a pounce combo that you have to dodge. It will pounce on you 3 times before it takes a rest, but even when it takes a rest, it maintains a distance that you have to cover up before attacking it. It has a cooldown of about 3-5 seconds before it does another combo. It’s internal stagger is again 2 hits worth of damage.

2.2 Player Reaction

This is something we will have to discuss. But we need to figure out how the player reacts to difference damages and whether it is in the production scope to make it variable or do we just make it a - damage hit + few moments of i-frames

3. Player Progression

3.1 Experience and Leveling:

• Experience points: We could have a skill tree that unlocks various moves or craftables rather than just stat increases.

3.2 Skill Trees:

• Axe/Spear: Enhance axe/spear techniques and combos
• Archery: Better archery skills (like piercing arrows, triple arrows etc)
• Traps and tools: This can be a stat based thing where we can incrementally use stat boosting

3.3 Equipment Upgrades:

• Crafting system: Collect materials to craft and upgrade weapons, armor, and items
• Unique items: Discover rare and powerful equipment through exploration and quests

4. User Interface:

4.1 Heads-Up Display (HUD):

It is always good to take into account things like screen shake, low health red vignette.

4.2 Combat Feedback:

• Visual and audio cues for successful attacks, blocks, and dodges
• Damage indicators to show hits taken and dealt or a health bar.

5. Progression and Rewards

5.1 Quests and Objectives:

• Main storyline quests
• Side quests and optional challenges

5.2 Exploration:

• Hidden treasures: Secret areas with valuable loot
• Lore collectibles: Discoverable items that reveal the game world's backstory

5.3 Achievement System:

• Reward players for completing specific challenges and milestones
• Unlockable cosmetics and bonuses