(05-16-2014, 02:35 AM)synaesthetic Wrote: tbh I like the "plodding pace" of TERA, Monster Hunter and Dark Souls because it places a lot of emphasis on avoidance, observation and skillful tactics rather than quick combo mashing. Very fast paced hack-and-slash games like DMC don't have (and can't have) the same level of skill-based challenge that games like DS or MH, or even TERA to a degree.
Humans just can't really react that quickly, so the avoidance mechanics are downplayed in favor of swarming the player with zillions of monsters to slaughter, but you aren't going to get oneshot by them.
Games like DMC or MGR Revengeance have a lot more in common with tab-target, even though they "feel" faster and more dynamic, they really aren't. They're rife with lock-on, auto-aim-assist, juggle combos that the computer basically does for you, and it's not about dodging so much as it's about killing everything before it overwhelms you.
They can still be fun, but I definitely prefer the deliberate avoidance-based games. Anyone remember Bushido Blade? That game was awesome. It felt incredibly slow compared to Street Fighter style tournament fighters, but it was much more skill and tactics based, when a single hit had a very high chance of killing you.
I think I brought that up a few times earlier in the thread. Â I loved Bushido Blade, not just because of the pace, but because of the finality of the fight. Â It was great knowing that, even when your opponent was down, one false move could kill you instantly. Â So you had to be wary at all times even in combat. Â You know, like in a real sword fight.
Another game I liked for something of the same reason was Tenchu, a ninja game series by From Software a long time ago (I think PS1). Â Tenchu wasn't a ninja game like Ninja Gaiden. Â You were pretty worthless in a straight up firefight, especially against the enemies you were up against. Â So the game focused heavily around stealth mechanics and ambushes. Â You had to infiltrate castles by climbing the walls and avoiding detection, hiding in shadows, and silently dispatching your enemies. Â You know, like a real ninja.
I think that's why I liked Steel Battalion so much even though I still think Armored Core was a better made and more fun game. Â Steel Battalion had a massive control panel for a controller, the mech you piloted felt massive. Â Turning too quickly destabilized you. Â Your windscreen could be cracked and dirty, forcing you to wipe it off. Â Components of your mech would be damaged, forcing you to shut them off and do without. Â Mechs aren't real, but I imagine that's what really being in a mech would be like.
Not entirely sure how concepts like that would work in an MMORPG, where latency is such a big issue. Â Bushido Blade-style vulnerability might not be possible until the whole civilized world is connected by fiber optics.
