[Oxnardo]

The melee system needs something to make it more interesting, specially when it comes to PvP, the melee combos between players feel way too flat, the prediction system to counter melee actions lacks a lot of depth; and furthermore there's a hard tendency of raiders bunching up on the antagonists leaving no options for the antag but to die.

Hence I come with an idea that I believe would make the melee combat a more interesting, deep and balanced mechanic; I suggest to experiment with the addition of a brand new melee action: blocking.

Adding a fourth option to the melee fights would make the prediction game a more skillful  dynamic instead a random lottery with broken patterns.

Now how would blocking work? Well I wanna take an approach to it focused on the PvP fighting; given the way the players behave in CQC. And as it is, I think it is fair for the melee to be just as asymmetrical as the PvP is at large.

>Blocking will give you a bonus of melee resistance and will stagger the attacker in a similar way than when they hit an immune target

>For antags; blocking melee attacks consecutively will build up an "over-stress" gauge; which will apply some sort of bonus/buff if it fills (This will encourage the raiders team to take on strategic & thoughtful offensive approaches rather than just surrounding the antag and spamming Q or E alternatively to get an easy kill).

>Blocking a grapple will stagger the enemy and build up part of the over-stress gauge.

>This new dynamic would give the stealth play-style a higher relevance & interest since finishing enemies with a surprise grapple would be a lot more rewarding time-wise.

>Blocking without receiving a hit quick enough will weaken the effect of the blocking; incoming hits will break it and grapples will have a normal effect

**please note that the purpose of this suggestion is not directed to buff antagonists but to make the PvP gameplay more tactical and thoughtful**

[Engelsgaard]

so instead of "rock paper scissors" some "rock papers scissors lizard spock"?
the antagonist should try to lure some players out, or surprise them. The mobs help him deal damage while he is attacking a player. The game is not really balanced that way, and that's fine for me.
Also think about Xbox players, they don't have that many buttons (I believe). And the game is plently complex as is.

Anyhow, this is just my opinion and the devs posted a video with melee weapons, so they are changing something up.

[Tekato]

Yeah I don't think this is a good idea it's just going to encourage block spamming since it stops both strikes and grapples. Most antags don't really melee anyway unless they have a one punch card, usually they just one shot down you with their gun and finish you off.

[Angeles2099]

I think the game For Honor is the best example of a perfect combat system that best matches this games style of Gameplay.


The Differences here is that SP's doesn't have the option for:
*Hyper-Armor (for the more Heavier and slower Characters)
*The option to Block as you mentioned which in For Honor attacks can be angled around someones block and Vice-Versa.
*Dodges CAN help you escape almost anything if done with precision.

The only thing you said that sounded kind of Iffy was the Over-Stressed part. Already in-game when getting shot while having Aleph, will causes anyone to Over-Flow uncontrollably and blow up.

But anyway Mercury wants to keep things "Unique" which is all well and good but I think might be unnecessary. Batman Arkham Asylum introduced a Unique combat method that was Successful, and since than you see it in other games like  the Mega-Successful Spiderman. Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series borrowed Heavily from other games and blew up cause of it. Darksiders borrowed from God of War and The Legend of Zelda and they have a trilogy so far.


My point here is I don't think gambling it all on making things Unique is always the best way to go but if there going to stick to there guns then lets keep brainstorming.

Rock-Paper-Scissors is the idea right? So something like Engelsgaard said Rock-Paper-Scissor-Nuke-Cocaroach.

If blocks beat melee than Grapples should instead be a guaranteed kill for Blocks. Strikes should stagger out Grapples.
Block > Melee > Grapple > Block
But get this…Dodges are universal. (Nani!?)
You can dodge out of a Strike as usual as well as smoothly dodge around a Grapple like in Bloodborne.
How do you beat Dodges? Why you shoot the hell out of them is how. Dodges will have an increased range to them to prevent striking or grappling from them as your just shy of hitting them back, cancelling out dodge melee chains.