This got me thinking about punching mechanics and the difference between nearly all games and real life. In all games punching is just an animation and usually it is an area effect disguised as a strike because there is no way with typical controls someone is going to hit a head accurately with an animation that does the same thing every time. But this is boring. In real life people miss punches. Did you know that humans are the only animal that can throw. The best any other animal can do is fling. There is a difference. Throws have accuracy and a deliberate intended outcome. It's theorized that humans developed that ability at the same time as punching as related skills. We are also the only animal that can throw a good punch. Other animals can swing. They can kick as not a very accurate attack. But striking at a specific target with coordinated lead up to get full power is uniquely human. My point is this. If you want an accurate punching mechanic you need the same inputs you would use for throwing since they are the same skill. You could use wasd for walking and have a pre-pressed key binding to indicate that the mouse is directing a punch and then a click determins if it is left or right punch. Then the power is a combo of how far away the mouse is from the player (adds a trade off for power and ease of hitting accuracy) as well as how much lead up we got from the keyboard and orientation to the body (if I try to punch in a direction I'm not facing squarely it will be weaker. If fact that could lead to some realistic effects with body orientation and power difference between a jab and a cross. Also throwing a punch with the mouse very close to the player could be a faint. But that would mean not having simple punch animations.
That is a good point and good mechanic. I am working on cities right now before compiling into a combined project. Right now all 3 scenes (dungeon, city, overworld) are all their own project, and i think i will get a lot more out of it if it combine it and see what works and what isnt. I do like the dungeon, thats dope. Then i can refine the combat system more so. I like your idea, what do you think about this? Keep a long of the last n inputs to build your combo, but each hit must A) connect and B) be in that moves sweet spot - which changes in distance from the user model. This may increase engagement beyond a simple rock-em sock-em robot experience - forcing the user to consider where in the move set xir is and what the next punch would be, maybe a cooldown timer for how long you can "hold" your punch for the combo, decreasing the further you are along that chain. Weapons and items could modify what flow you have.
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Did you know that humans are the only animal that can throw. The best any other animal can do is fling. There is a difference. Throws have accuracy and a deliberate intended outcome. It's theorized that humans developed that ability at the same time as punching as related skills. We are also the only animal that can throw a good punch. Other animals can swing. They can kick as not a very accurate attack. But striking at a specific target with coordinated lead up to get full power is uniquely human.
My point is this. If you want an accurate punching mechanic you need the same inputs you would use for throwing since they are the same skill. You could use wasd for walking and have a pre-pressed key binding to indicate that the mouse is directing a punch and then a click determins if it is left or right punch. Then the power is a combo of how far away the mouse is from the player (adds a trade off for power and ease of hitting accuracy) as well as how much lead up we got from the keyboard and orientation to the body (if I try to punch in a direction I'm not facing squarely it will be weaker. If fact that could lead to some realistic effects with body orientation and power difference between a jab and a cross. Also throwing a punch with the mouse very close to the player could be a faint.
But that would mean not having simple punch animations.
I am working on cities right now before compiling into a combined project. Right now all 3 scenes (dungeon, city, overworld) are all their own project, and i think i will get a lot more out of it if it combine it and see what works and what isnt. I do like the dungeon, thats dope. Then i can refine the combat system more so. I like your idea, what do you think about this? Keep a long of the last n inputs to build your combo, but each hit must A) connect and B) be in that moves sweet spot - which changes in distance from the user model. This may increase engagement beyond a simple rock-em sock-em robot experience - forcing the user to consider where in the move set xir is and what the next punch would be, maybe a cooldown timer for how long you can "hold" your punch for the combo, decreasing the further you are along that chain. Weapons and items could modify what flow you have.