AQWorlds
Artix Krieger
| Wednesday, June 12, 2024
AdventureQuest Worlds: Infinity is running the most experimental test yet. All testers will log in with the new DragonSlayer class skills which uses the new combat system. This new combat system has no auto attack and no targets. You press your skill and your attack goes whichever way you are facing. It is very different from the target based combat of the original game. Based on your feedback we will be determining if every class in the game will work like this.
I will post everything that is happening as it happens right here. Refresh this page during the test to get the latest info!
"First.... Meet Immortal Joe! He is going to take over from here" - Artix
Hello everyone, Immortal Joe here. Spider and I have been hard at work designing and developing a new and improved combat system for AQW Infinity, and today I'd like to share a few details with you all!
Fun fact about me, I actually grew up playing AdventureQuest Worlds, starting all the way back in 2009. I played non-stop, logging in every day after school and on the weekends. I remember grinding all the way to level 20 to get Nulgath's (or Miltonius') Void armor when his zone first released, and then spending way too much time trying to farm Diamonds to evolve it. I remember when Necromancer first released, and how crazy it was to have a class that could solo bosses. One of my fondest memories however, was when the Ledgermayne boss fight first released, and how cool it was to actually be able to dodge one of their attacks by physically moving towards one of the circle pads on the map, rather than having to rely on my Dodge stat to avoid an attack. As the years went by and I got older, I got the opportunity to join the AQW Team as a Bug Hunter, then eventually becoming a Class Designer and Release Balancer a few years later. During my time on the AQW Team, I've learned a lot about the systems that are in place for creating classes (and monsters) and how limiting they are, and while I've strived to make my class designs as fun and unique as possible, I've always felt like there's a lot more that I've wanted to do, but just couldn't. But with Infinity, that's where things change.
Our goal with the combat revamp is to make combat more fun, interactive, and expressive. We have several plans in place to achieve this, with some having already been implemented, and many more on the way. I won't be going over everything today, but here are the most important details.
Hitboxes
In AQW, the way a skill "hits" a target is entirely based on a Hit Chance/Dodge Chance system, which essentially boils down to "either a skill hits or it doesn't based on a calculation that the player has no control over". This is a very un-interactive system that we're experimenting with abolishing in Infinity, instead primarily replacing it with a hit detection/hitbox system.
The way hitboxes work is that when a skill is used, an animation plays like normal, except the damage from the skill isn't dealt until both a). A certain point in the skill's animation is reached, and b). The animation collides with the target at the point where damage would be dealt. Due to the fact that hitboxes will be a primary source of damage, we want them to be relatively easy to land (because let's face it, missing sucks), so in most cases we'd have animations and hitboxes be generously sized.
In the future, we may also implement different types of hitboxes, such as moving hitboxes (Mage's Fireball for example), lingering hitboxes (for example, leave a field of poison on the ground that damages a target as long as they're standing on it), and summons.
While hitboxes will be a primary source of dealing damage, they won't be the only source. Some skills may still use a "direct hit" system that doesn't require a hitbox to deal damage, similar to what AQW has, but this will depend on if a class skill calls for it or not.
In the future, we'd also like to implement this hitbox system of monsters so that their skills and abilities can be interacted with (somewhat similar to how Legdermayne, Nightmare Carnax, and The First Speaker work in AQW). While monster combat won't be featured in the next Tech Demo, it's the next core game mechanic we plan on implementing, so there's a good chance that a future Tech Demo will heavily revolve around monster combat.
New Resource Bars
Mana (and HP) no longer have to be the only resource that classes use. When we design classes, we want them to use a resource that feels appropriate for their respective playstyle and theme, and sometimes Mana doesn't fit that criteria. Now that classes don't need to be designed around a sole resource, there's a lot more we can do with them now. For example, resource bars could now start at 0 and accumulate as skills or used, or a class like Skyguard Grenadier or Ranger could reload ammunition. Basically, different resource bars are another way to make classes feel unique from one another!
Weight System & No More Global Cooldowns
No don't worry, we're not adding an equipment load system. The type of weight I'm talking about has to do with class skill animations. When you use a skill in Infinity, you'll be committed to your animation, meaning that you can't use another skill, and in some cases even move, until the animation of the skill that you're using finishes. However, this isn't entirely the case, as most animations will be cancellable in some form, meaning that if you're near the end of a skill animation, you'd be able to cancel that skill's animation by using another skill, immediately playing that new skill's animation. A system like this allows for a wider range of class play styles that we can create. For example, a class like Chaos Avenger, might take some time to swing its weapon, then have some recovery time afterwards, whereas a class like Rogue would swing its weapons fast, and then be able to use a dash to quickly cancel its swing animation.
Additionally, since skill usage is now determined by another animation being active or not, in this experiment we've removed global cooldowns from all skills as they didn't mesh very well with the new animation system.
No More Auto Attacks
Perhaps one of the most significant changes outside of the hitbox system is that this AQW Infinity experiment will have no Auto Attacks.
The main reason for this is simply because they don't really fit well with the new systems in place. One example being that with the addition of the "weight" system on most skills, Auto Attacks would be very disruptive as they would fire off at unwanted times, restricting your movement and the use of your skills.
With the exception of classes such as Chaos Avenger and Chrono ShadowSlayer, Auto Attacks don’t require any interaction, which goes against one of our goals of the combat revamp, which is to make combat more interactive.
The removal of Auto Attacks also frees up a skill slot, allowing us to create more interesting and unique skills that we wouldn't have been able to otherwise.
Keyboard Controls
You can now move your character around with the WASD and/or arrow keys! You can still use your mouse to walk around, click on monsters, and use skills, but for the best combat experience, we recommend using your keyboard!
Multi Part Skills
We've added functionality that allows us to have a skill turn into a completely different skill when it's used a second time. This feature is huge, as it allows us to create some super unique and interesting classes, even with the limited amount of skill slots we have at our disposal!
Charge Attacks
Some skills can now be charged. Simply put, the longer you hold down a charge skill's button, the more damage the skill does when you release it.
Dashes
Tired of walking? Well some classes may have Dashes. When a Dash skill is used, you'll quickly move from Point A to B, which aims to both help you traverse maps quicker and to also help with evading enemy hitbox attacks (once they're implemented). Dashes can also be chained into, and/or chained from certain skills. We've had a lot of fun with this in testing, and hope you will too!
If you played the previous Tech Demo, you're probably familiar with Umbra, a Tech Demo only class that was created to showcase some of the new class mechanics coming to Infinity. While Umbra won't be around for future Tech Demos, we made a new class to demonstrate these new mechanics, DragonSlayer.
Class Design & Power Scaling
Farming and Bossing are the two most popular types of combat in AQW, and we'd like to further expand upon them in Infinity. I'll get into specifics regarding Farming and Bossing shortly, but for now, I'd like to mention some changes we're considering in terms of class design, which involve making all classes both viable for farming and bossing, and making all classes scalable so that you can use your favorite class well into the endgame, even if it's a starter class like Warrior. If we go this route, that means all classes would eventually have relatively equal footing in terms of performance, but there would also be several new systems in place that you could make use of to increase your power level.
Farming
Farming mobs can be boring, but we also understand that a lot of you don't like to think about what you're doing in-game while farming. We'd like to keep farming relatively low maintenance so if you're the type of person who enjoys watching Netflix on the side as you farm, you can still do that. However, with that being said, we'd also like to add some new mechanics to farming to make the experience more interesting and engaging. We don't have specifics on this yet, but when we do, we'll let you know.
Monsters & Bossing
As stated above, we'd like to implement the new hitbox system on monsters, but we'd also like to change the way they navigate around players. For example, monsters currently "zoom" into your melee range when you attack them. This would make sense if the monster is something like a bird or an airplane, but why does a turtle move so fast, and why does a mob with a bow move right up into your face? We're looking into the possibility of changing the way monsters approach a player before attacking them, as this would add another level of depth to combat.
We'd also like to add more intricate boss fights with unique mechanics. The difficulty of boss fights will be kept on the more reasonable side for story based content, while the more challenging fights will be kept as optional content.
We know that some players prefer soloing bosses, while other player's prefer fighting bosses with a group. To satisfy both types of players, we may look at experimenting with a "party scaling" system of sorts which if implemented, would allow for bosses to be doable both solo, and in a group without being made too easy.
This is just some of what we have planned for AQW Infinity's Combat. There'll be several more classes on the way (starting with the starters) and a lot more mechanics to try out. We're really happy with what we've accomplished so far, but most importantly, we hope that you all are! If you're able to play the Tech Demo, we really need to hear your thoughts and feedback (whether positive or negative) so that we can make AQW Infinity the best it can be!
The first AQW Infinity class is… DragonSlayer! When we remake an AQW class in Infinity, our goal is to preserve its themes while at the same time, updating its skills to fit a more modern playstyle. In DragonSlayer's case, we want it to preserve its Dragonslaying theme, remaining a class that's most effective when fighting dragons, but is still very much usable against non-dragon mobs. As for its skills, DragonSlayer utilizes a heap of cool new class mechanics that we talked about in our last post (add link here), including multi-part skills, charge attacks, dashes, and a new resource type!
How to Obtain
During the Tech Demo EVERY player will log in with the DragonSlayer skills already equipped. There are no additional requirements for obtaining DragonSlayer during the Tech Demo!
PASSIVES
Veteran Slayer: Your skills deal 20% more damage to Dragonkin.
Determination: Your skills grant you Determination, up to 100. At 50 Determination, become Determined, causing the next skill you use (except Slayer's Combo) to consume 50 Determination and become empowered with an additional effect. Using a skill while Determined does not grant you Determination.
Instead of Mana, this class uses Determination as its resource. Upon using a skill, your Determination meter fills up. Once you reach 50 Determination, the next you use becomes stronger, either dealing more damage or applying an additional effect. The amount of Determination you gain varies per skill, but the rule of thumb is to make sure you're always using a skill so you can fill your Determination as fast as possible.
Skill 1 - Slayer's Combo
A three-part attack. Hold down the skill key to continuously use the skill:
This is a relatively straightforward skill. When you hold down this skill's key, you'll alternate between three different attacks, with the third attack filling your Determination. Since this skill has no cooldown, repeatedly using it is the fastest way to fill Determination on DragonSlayer, so be sure to use it while your other skills are on cooldown.
Skill 2 - Impale
A forward thrust that deals damage, then pulls regular enemies towards you. Gain 10 Determination upon striking an enemy.
Like the first part of Slayer's Combo, this skill pulls monsters right to you, allowing you to easily follow up with your other skills without having to reposition yourself. When Determined pulling in monsters will also heal you, keeping you alive for longer!
Skill 3 - Evade & Engage
Dash in the direction you're moving and gain 10 Determination. If you're targeting an enemy, you can recast this skill within the next 2 seconds to leap in front of them, dealing damage upon landing.
Currently, the main function of the dash is to quickly move from one point to another, allowing you to get around the map quicker. When monster functionality is added, dashes will ideally be used to assist with evading their attacks as well.
If you're targeting an enemy, you can also use the second part of this skill, a jump strike, allowing you to quickly close the distance between you and a monster, while stunning them in the process if you have at least 50 Determination.
Skill 4 - Scorched Steel
Charge for up to 2 seconds, then unleash a fiery attack. Deals increased damage based on your charge time. Gain 10 Determination upon striking an enemy. If Dragonbane is active, charge twice as fast. You can freely move while charging.
Damage wise, this is DragonSlayer's stronger skill. The longer you charge this skill the more damage it does, and if you have 50 Determination, you deal even more damage! Unlike other skills, your movement isn't restricted while using Scorched Steel, so you can freely position yourself in front of a monster before delivering a devastating blow.
Skill 5 - Dragon's Bane
Raise your Dragon Blade skyward, instantly filling your Determination. For 10 seconds, your Determination gain is doubled, Scorched Steel charges twice as fast, and your bonus damage to Dragonkin is increased to 50%.
A temporary buff that's all about increasing DragonSlayer's damage output. Between instantly maxing your Determination, causing Scorched Steel to charge faster, and increasing your damage to both Dragonkin and all monsters, you're getting a massive power boost!
That concludes the DragonSlayer Infinity Class Design Notes post! We've spent a lot of time designing and implementing DragonSlayer's new skills, and we're ecstatic to have something that we can finally share with you all! We hope you all enjoy your time with the newly re-imagined DragonSlayer, but please note, the class is currently in the testing phases and nothing has been balanced yet, so what you see now may change in the future based on your feedback!
Have fun & enjoy the class,
Immortal Joe
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