Combat System - Feature Spec No.1

Combat

Feature No. 1g [Basic combat]

Importance: +++++ / difficulty: +++

Decide, test, and balance the attack range, damage

Players could use a Basic attack unique for each weapon type

Brief

Vision Canvas: players will feel excited and challenged while fighting with a computer or other players and improving their skills and strategies 

Core Pillar: The user has a large choice of cards for weapons, skills, and spells which promotes different styles of play. 

Players have to choose a specific kind of weapon to bring with them during the battle. Different from the cards which correspond to the magic spells, the weapon is related to the basic attack a player could use. Players could choose from various kinds of weapons and each weapon category has its own unique basic attack methods, including the weapon range, weapon damage, critical chance, and attack speed. Players could have their own strategies to choose which kind of weapon to use and cooperate with the cards they bring. 

Spec

• Players choose one kind of weapon to bring during the combat
• Some weapons would enable players with one extra skill to use, for example, if the players choose the shield as the basic weapon, they could use the Shield strike as a basic attack but could also use the unique skill to parry
• Players could use the right click to operate a basic attack in the real-time combat
• Players could also use the corresponding hotkey to operate the basic attack and the special weapon skill.
• Players should be able to review the range of their basic attack during the fight.

Beats

• Before entering the combat, players choose a weapon to bring with them.
• The combat begins, set the UI in order to display the character bring the right weapon.
• Players use the right click or the key board to operate the basic attack.
• Check the distance between the target and the player to see if it is within the attack range of the weapon.
• Play the basic attack animation and cause damage

Assets

• weapon graphics / 
• basic attack sound effects, animations / 
• weapon choose UI / 
• weapon descriptions and gameplay / 
• damage calculation

Additions

• Indicator of basic attack range

 

Feature No. 1c [danger alerts]

Players could see alerts when they are taking damage or have a low health

Importance: +++ / difficulty: +++

Brief

Vision Canvas: players will feel excited and challenged to operate cards and skills while playing battle

Core Pillar: The user has a large choice of cards for weapons, skills, and spells which promotes different styles of play.

Players could get alerts when they are taking damage, get stunned, or have low health. This feature is intended to alert the players and increase the playability for real-time combat.

Spec

• Change the health bar in real time if the player is taking any damage. 
• Display the damage value the player is taking, and use different colors to differ from physical damage, magic damage and element damage.
• Players could see special UI for stick damage to alert them.
• Highlight the window border to indicate the player is being stunned.
• Players could hear the heart beat while they are in low health (less than 10% of maximum HP) to alert them.

Beats

• Players take the damage
• Change the health bar in real time and play the animation of health bar change
• Display the damage value with different colors
• If the player is in low health, play the back ground music of heart beat

Assets

• Health Bar UI / 
• animation system / 
• sound effects

Additions

• In battle damage display

Feature No. 1d [minion casting]

Certain cards may able to cast minions (minion AI should be included)

Importance: +++ / difficulty: +++++

Brief

Vision Canvas: players will feel excited and challenged to operate cards and skills while playing battle

Core Pillar: The user has a large choice of cards for weapons, skills, and spells which promotes different styles of play.

As introduced in feature No. 9a [in battle cards operation], some of the cards would have the ability to summon the minions and help players to fight during combat. The minions summoned should be able to follow certain “logic”, the minion AI ensures the minions to make simple decisions about which target to attack automatically. Players should also be able to command the minions they create.

Spec

• Players could command the minions to move or attack by pressing the hotkey on key board and right-clicking.
• If not controlled by players, minions should also have certain logic and fight smart. The minion AI should ensure minions to make simple decisions about which target to attack automatically.
• It is best that different species of minions would have special AI to fit their background setting. For example, guardians would prefer to stay with players and first attack the enemies that are trying to attack the summoner. Beasts would focus on enemies that are closest to them and Goblin would find enemies with low health.
• Minions also have attack speed, attack range, HP etc.

Beats

• Players summon the minions using the card play
• Minions cast at the target location or near the summoner
• Minions would follow the order to their summoners to attack or move
• If no instructions are made, minions would follow their own minion AI to choose the right target 

Assets

• Health Bar UI / 
• animation system / 
• sound effects

Additions

• Health bars for minions

Feature No. 1f [visual and sound effects for gear/skill/card]

certain skill/gear/card may have special effects when active

Importance: ++++ / difficulty: +++

Brief

Vision Canvas: players will feel excited and challenged to operate cards and skills while playing battle

Core Pillar: User has a large choice of cards for weapons, skills and spells which promotes different styles of play.

Certain skill/gear/card may have special effects when active and combat system should display them correctly in real-time.

Spec

• Some skills or cards would have visual or sound effects to alert or remind other players. For example, chant sound effects are made while some players are trying to cast wide range spells.
• Some of the cards/skills/gears would special effects including change the terrain, summon minions, create buildings etc.
• The combat system should display those effects correctly.
• Once the effects are made, other players could have interaction with them, like experiencing the change of map, kill or heal the minions summoned by enemies or teammates, destroy or repair the building created by enemies or teammates

Beats

• Players use the special cards/skills.
• Sound and visual effects are displayed to other players
• If necessary, some special skills are made to change the terrain or the map
• Once the spells are used, other players could have interaction with the new objects.

Feature No. 1a and 1b [card combat] and [skill attack]

Players could use Special attacks and magic from cards

Importance: +++++ / difficulty: ++++

Brief

Vision Canvas: players will feel excited and challenged to operate cards and skills while playing battle

Core Pillar: User has a large choice of cards for weapons, skills and spells which promotes different styles of play.

Details is included in feature No. 9, the [in combat cards]. Thus is not specified here.

Feature No. 1e [HP & MP system]

One of the fundamental systems represented by the UI.

Importance: +++ / difficulty: +++++

Brief

Vision Canvas: players will feel excited and challenged to operate cards and skills while playing battle

Core Pillar: User has a large choice of cards for weapons, skills and spells which promotes different styles of play.

Magic points are used to cast spells and health points are the major wining condition.

Spec

• Health and magic points will be indicated by the UI element, located both right above the players’ characters and at the bottom of the screen. 
• Magic points are used to cast spells, use cards etc.
• Magic points have a generation speed which depends on players’ levels
• Health points are the major wining condition. If the health points of a certain character drop below zero, the character is died and need to revive to back into the game.

Beats

• Players join the combat and the game begins.
• Characters refill the HP and MP bar.
• While casting the spells or use cards, players cost magic points and display correctly in UI
• While taking damage, the health points drop and display correctly
• If the health points of a certain character drop below zero, the character is died and need to revive to back into the game.

Assets

• Health Bar UI / 
• animation system / 
• Magic Bar UI

Additions

• Health bars for players