Combat & Adventuring

[Detomah]

How will combat work?
Combat in Ages of Athiria is still under development but will partially consist of choosing moves for your character to perform. Each combat move will have different attributes and will be best used in certain situations for maximum efficiency.

What kind of moves can I do in combat?
Your character will be able to perform specialized combat maneuvers based on the skills and abilities of that character. It should be noted that the character will be able to perform complex multiple skill maneuvers once they have gained the appropriate skills.

How do I gain skill during combat?
All characters that use their skills during combat will gain skill points for “honing” their skills. The exact determination of skill gain has not yet been finalized.

Can I group with other players?
Yes, you will be able to group with other characters that you meet throughout the world in order to complete certain quests, accomplish certain tasks, and defeat certain monsters. The maximum number of people in a group has not yet been decided on. Also, multiple groups will be able to “link” together in order to receive credit for accomplishing tasks, quests and slaying monsters.

How will group combat work?
Each member of a group will receive certain bonuses for contributing to the group effort. Details have yet to be decided.

Will I be able to “solo?”
You will be able to play the game entirely by yourself if that is what you choose to do. It is our wish to provide a fun game for those that wish to casually play as well as hard-core gamers that wish to play more frequently. Everyone has a role to play in our world. That role is yours to decide, but be assured that to the best of our ability you will be able to play a given role regardless of your play style.

Will I be able to compare my skills to my opponent before entering combat?
There will be methods of determining your chances of defeating your opponent before you enter into combat with them.

What happens when I kill something that is a lot weaker/stronger than me?
Skill gain is charted on a bell curve. If you fight things that are too easy for you, then there is little chance of gaining skill. Similarly, fighting things that are way beyond your skill level will provide little chance for advancement. In either case, the loot obtained from the combat itself is considered to be the reward for your efforts. Obviously, if multiple players join together to defeat a greater foe, their collective skill levels will be taken into account when determining potential skill gain.

What happens when I take damage?
When your character is damaged, points are reduced from your physical health, physical stamina, or mental stamina. When any of the three heath bars are reduced to 2/3rds of their total, the character begins to take penalties to further skills and attribute tests. These penalties represent the trauma that the body is going through from being fatigued or damaged and distraction that causes to performing a skill.

Won't that create battles that are over quickly?
No. Our skill system for combat is centered on defending those health bars. Unlike the hit point bashing slugfests in many games, we felt that a more realistic approach was warranted to our combat engine. We believe that we can make combat just as exciting using feints, parries, blocks and the occasionally damaging strike instead of the typical hit-centered combat that exists in many games today. Over time, characters get better at defending their health bars instead of getting more health.