Ever play Chrono Trigger? I'd like to see that.

Originally posted by PukeBucket

Ever play Chrono Trigger? I'd like to see that.

Don't think I have...I'm checking it out though. What's so special?

i would use a  thrust/chop/slash combat system.

combos could be mad by combining the weapon type with the attack type.

a standard mouse can accomplish it if it has a mousewheel. (left mouse/wheel/right mouse)

3 successful attacks opens up a power move based on the combination of three attacks and the weapon.

each weapon would have different effects in the slash/chop/thrust department.

very simple but kinda complext at the same time and no need for screen icons.

For instance , using a 2handed hammer as an example.

i have many combinations to choose from ill use 1,2,3 as the slash,chop,thrust so i can do alot with three buttons.

111, 222, 333, 121, 112, 122, .....The list goes on for a bit but you get the idea. There are many permutations and each one triggers your fourth attack, which has a special effect.

so  3 chops in a row with a 2 hand hammer triggers earthstrike, which is an aoe hammer strike that knocks players back.

3 thrusts in a row ( and thrusting with a hammer is a defensive move) would trigger block knocker, a stunning effect

and three slashes in a row would trigger the knockdown effect.

with a 1 hand weapon and a sheild or two 1 hand weapons it works exactly the same except that 1 hand weapons only have 2 modes (depending on the weapon it would have two of slash/chop/thrust) and you offhand would only have 1 move. the combos would still have the 3 components

this allows for amazing complexity in a very simple 3 button system.

if we use a similar system for magic we can achieve a similar effect.

each button, depending on your weapon(s) is a symbol and three symbols makes a spell. With a staff equipped you get certain spells and with a wand you get another set of spells. Mixing and matching the symbols changes the nature of the spell.

so lets say your using a staff  and you have three symbols with  lets call them earth, wind and fire.

i cast  earth earth earth and i get earthquake, i cast earth wind and fire and i get meteorstrike. The button presses take the place of casting times, you have to press three buttons to get an effect, and the effect you get is dependant on the order pressed and weapon equipped.

even with only 3 buttons, which everyone has on their mouse, you can accomplish an amazing number of spells.

as far as i know its never been done in a mmo so your unique status is there for sure.

i thought about it a bit and i have a refinement of it to make it a little more streamlined.

Melee weapons

Each melee weapon can perform  up two three possible attacks. Slash/Chop/Thrust

your mouse with a 3 button configuration can perform either of these three attacks

the series of attacks determine the end effect. Depending on your selection for attack 1 and 2 your third attack is modified ( rather than the fourth, third would be more fun i believe)

Attack 1 + Attack 2 + (Attack 3 +Ability)

Two Hander Sword: Slash + Slash + (Slash)*, * your third slash is replaced with "omnislash".

The same principle would be applied to magic. Your mage would equip 3 symbols and the third symbol would be the spell based off of the selection of the three. Magic would be slightly different in that there would be up to 5 or 6 different possible symbols but you can only have three active at a time.

it would take a little getting used to but i believe that combinations of three give maximum flexibility with the least amount of buttons and would reduce the need for onscreen "buttons"

I would use a will meter that is basically a combined mana/stamina/health pool so you will actually have to think about what your doing because buttonmashing will deplete your health. A shift button could shift you between melee and magic abilities

Action based combat is pretty amazing. That is the only thing that kept me playing Tera for a while. 

Depending on were you would stand the enemy would target and do an attack, the player had the choice to dodge out of the attack or take the hit depending on the boss or mob it was fighting. Some of the monsters had a fast hit rate so one had to choose which hits you would take or dodge depending on the circumstance. Now the abilities were in a combo based system so the player could customize their combos to their play style (players had default combos or could glyph or change combos as they chose from the list they were given). This let the player customize the way they played. 

Tera has been the best combat system i have played in an MMORPG in a while... I hear that Blade and Soul will be pretty good too so lets see how that turns out.