Feedback Focus: Combat II

Sunless Skies
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[color=#6666ff]Sky-Captains![/color]
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[/color][color=#6666ff]It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, but we’ve made some big changes to Agent behavior and armaments in the Combat II build and we’re looking to gather feedback on how it feels as an experience. [/color]
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[/color][color=#6666ff]Please take the time to read over the patch notes which includes the known issues for the new features. Once you’re aware of all the new features, load up the game and go on the hunt for some beasties. After you’ve gotten into a lot of fights around the high Wilderness we’d appreciate your thoughts. [/color]
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[/color][color=#6666ff]What we are looking for[/color]
[color=#6666ff]We want your experience of combat as it is now in the Combat II build. Below are some suggestions for the type of things you could tell us. Don’t limit yourself to this list, it’s just a guide to give you a starting point, but please stay on topic. [/color]
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[/color][ul][li][color=#6666ff]What’s been your favourite combat encounter so far? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]What Agents do you like doing battle with and why? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]What Agents do you try to avoid fighting and why? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Is combat too punishing or is it not punishing enough? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]What locomotive and weapons are you using? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Are you able to strafe effectively to manage your combat encounters? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Are you using the wrath crescent in combination with your headlight to successfully avoid Agents? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Are you using the default control scheme for the keyboard/mouse? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]How does combat feel when using a controller rather than the keyboard? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]How does combat feel? Tense, boring, fun, exciting [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]What are your favourite Agent weapons/attacks? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]On a typical run from a hub to a non-hub port and back, how many Agents do you tend to run into on average? Of those, how many do you engage? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Have you encountered any difficulty spikes (as a guide the inner circle of the Reach should be relatively easy with the outer ring containing tougher beasties. Albion should be tougher than the Reach, and Eleutheria should be tougher still. [/color][/li][/ul]
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[/color][color=#6666ff]What we are not looking for[/color]

[ul][li][color=#6666ff]Bugs - if you think you’ve found a bug that’s not on the known issues list then send details to Skies@failbettergames.com [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Suggestions for unrelated features or ideas for new locomotive slots or engine upgrades/speed boosts, etc [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Requests for features that are on the way:[/color][/li][/ul][color=rgb(102, 102, 255)]* New [/color][color=#6666ff]and unique weapons

  • Arcing on player weapons
  • Combat difficulty settings[/color]
    [color=rgb(102, 102, 255)]* [/color][color=rgb(102, 102, 255)]Agents losing wrath and not attacking the player when docked[/color]
    [color=rgb(102, 102, 255)]* [/color][color=rgb(102, 102, 255)]Knockback on small asteroids and space debris - this is currently being considered and is not a definite confirmation[/color]
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    edited by FailbetterFuzz on 8/29/2018
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In general, i am killing every new (for me) agent 3-4 times just to check what it drops and how it behaves. After that i am almost always ignore them because rewards for killing are barely worth resources and time. There are two exceptions. Quest requirements, like bee souls. And fluke farming in SSea (but i haven’t found worthy prey in SSkies yet).
edited by Waterpls on 8/31/2018

3

I can’t really do combat on autopilot now, and I like that. The most dynamic enemies I’ve encountered so far have been Star Maddened Explorers, since they have a few tricks to keep you in shotgun range but lack the Hull to be a boring slugfest. I also like fighting Tacketies more now, they do a lot more damage and they’re slippery like eels but they also die relatively easily when pinned down. By contrast, Guests are a huge pain since they’re as nimble as Tacketies but have enough Hull to be a slog to kill when I can hit them. Scrive Spinsters can be annoying as well, their movements make them oddly hard to hit for me and their wails can cut a run very short with the Terror increase.

I find myself trying to kill all Enduring and Deranged Dreadnaughts as possible, since those drop the best loot and nametags. Tacketies are prime for the same reason, even though their loot is worse - I think their caches could be buffed since they’ve been. As for turning off the light, I found it’s important when I’m too low on health to deal with a nest of enemies or, paradoxically, if I need to save Terror and fighting enemies is not the way to do so. Weapon wise, I’ve been dual wielding Grimalkins most of the game, since they have low requirements and deal good enough damage. That might change when I sample some of the weapons in Eleutheria or get better stats, since shotguns may help with some of the game’s more slippery foes.

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[color=#6666ff]I know the questions are just meant to be a guide and not a whole structure, but it’d give me peace of mind that I hadn’t missed anything to use them. [/color]
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What’s been your favourite combat encounter so far?[/color]

I was hanging out around Port Prosper, and three Enduring Dreadnoughts found me; with some strafing and other such nonsense I took them down one by one in my shiny new Moloch-class.

[color=#6666ff]What Agents do you like doing battle with and why? [/color]
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I’m not a huge fan of combat, but Enduring Dreadnoughts and Chorister Bees are my preferred targets. It does feel a bit odd how weapons work with the bees though; one imagines that a long range heavy weapon wouldn’t hit all the bees at once, though modelling them as individuals is obviously probably too much work.

[color=#6666ff]What Agents do you try to avoid fighting and why? [/color]
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I avoid Glorious Dreadnoughts because they’re scary, but I get that they’re meant to be. Cantankeri aren’t too bad, but Bull Cantankeri in particular are pretty annoying. Marauders and Star-Crazed Explorers I find the most annoying, because they have so much more speed.
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[color=#6666ff]Is combat too punishing or is it not punishing enough? [/color]
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I thought it was punishing enough. I think the way that every fight turns into a duel to the death is a little punishing, perhaps; maybe give exp bonus from even skirmishes that end inconclusively?
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[color=#6666ff]What locomotive and weapons are you using? [/color]

Bit miserly, only used default weapons, and Spatchcock, bar a recent upgrade to Moloch. It’s hard to imagine what exactly other weapons or ships might bring to combat, I guess.
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[color=#6666ff]Are you able to strafe effectively to manage your combat encounters? [/color]
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Maybe this is purely psychological, but I tend to rapidly strafe repeatedly when under a lot of fire, but just hold it down when I’ve got it all worked out, because it feels like rapidly pressing is faster for a short distance, but the long-press is faster towards the end of the long sequence.

Broadly speaking? Mostly, but it’s difficult to coordinate turning and strafing while your enemy is faster or same speed and also turning.
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[color=#6666ff]Are you using the wrath crescent in combination with your headlight to successfully avoid Agents? [/color]
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Often it seems to be stuck, or something. When it doesn’t seem to be stuck, I usually ignore it and take my chances of outrunning anything because I don’t want to take long detours, but broadly it is useful, especially when it &quotpops&quot and you know they’re going to attack.
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[color=#6666ff]Are you using the default control scheme for the keyboard/mouse?[/color]
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Yep. It’s familiar enough, though I did try pressing m for map a few times.
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[color=#6666ff]How does combat feel? Tense, boring, fun, exciting [/color]
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It gets the blood pumping, but it is basically button-mashing. You remember to turn, to strafe, and to shoot; if you have the mental power to multitask them, you’re alright, otherwise action is elusive. I feel like perhaps
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[color=#6666ff]What are your favourite Agent weapons/attacks? [/color]
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Glorious Dreadnought attacks are glorious to behold. It’s like sky-popcorn, but you don’t eat it, you run away.
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[color=#6666ff]On a typical run from a hub to a non-hub port and back, how many Agents do you tend to run into on average? [/color][color=rgb(102, 102, 255)]Of those, how many do you engage?[/color][color=rgb(102, 102, 255)] [/color]
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A couple, I guess. I rarely engage unless I’m looking for something; it’s not difficult to have some bad luck and slip, and get really quite damaged, so I don’t risk it.
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[color=#6666ff]Have you encountered any difficulty spikes (as a guide the inner circle of the Reach should be relatively easy with the outer ring containing tougher beasties. [/color]
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[color=#6666ff]Albion should be tougher than the Reach, and Eleutheria should be tougher still.[/color]
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Albion was a bit annoying as a diehard Tackety, but generally was quiet enough. Reach was good. Eleutheria I haven’t visited.

On asteroids etc.; could attacks passing through coffins be considered? With a rock it’s probably not much an issue but accidentally shotgunning a coffin at close range produces a terrifyingly large explosion.

Generally speaking; the main issue is when everything feels floaty and you have to put all your brainpower into just not strafing into a rock or running into their side or something. I don’t know how one would solve that though; perhaps reduce knockback a bit, reduce the movement ability of some enemies a bit, faster weapons?

I think some distinctly easier enemies would help encourage people to engage in combat more, akin to the crabs of Sunless Sea.

Also, not sure about calling dreadnoughts dreadnoughts. Enduring Dreadnoughts seem a little weak for the name, to me?

Overall combat is nice enough, but not quite my cup of Eleutherian Gold.

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[color=#3366ff]Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I’m going to unpin this now but everyone is more than welcome to continue to post their thoughts about the combat here. Cheers. [/color]