Weapon use combo system
A weapon use combo system is utilized instead of a traditional auto-attack ability in Ashes of Creation.[1] No traditional auto-attack system is present in Alpha-1.[2]
- Players can spec into weapon abilities on their combat skill tree, based on their preferred weapon types.[3][4][1]
- The more skill points that are allocated to the combat skill tree, the greater a player's weapon familiarity. This in turn unlocks various proc effects on weapon use that can offer synergy with other active skills.[3][1] This synergy also applies to active skills from other characters.[5]
- Let's say a dagger has some slashing effects that bleed the target or that cripple the target... Every time you attack you have a chance to proc that effect. That effect then can synergize with what your active skills tree has available to it. So let's say your backstab deals 30 additional damage to a bleeding target. If you attack with your main weapon first and the target gets the bleed proc off and you do your backstab skill then you're synergizing your effects.[3] – Steven Sharif
- Let's say backstab that you can apply to deals damage to the target and it'll have a conditional modifier on that damage if you're behind the target, and it'll have a conditional modifier deal additional 50 damage if the target is under a bleed effect. So you want to synergize essentially your weapon proc conditions with your active skills so that you're timing your certain active skills appropriately with the status conditions that the target has taken.[4] – Steven Sharif
- Using a skill/ability will in general reset the combo.[6]
- The developers are considering specific abilities might be able to be used without resetting the combo system.[6]
- The combo system will not have the quicktime event that was seen at PAX West 2017.[1]
It acts similar in the sense of you know the core loop of what an auto attack is so to speak; where you know typically your other skills have a cooldown period, they have a rotation or whatever: Our combo system is a repeatable you know skill effect that you can continually attack with but it's a little bit more involved than what a traditional auto attack is; and it has components from a from an advancement standpoint when it comes to the types of procs that your weapon can have during that combo system... It's not going to have the quick time event that you know you guys saw early on in PAX and gave great feedback on, but it is going to have development with regards to the power of the weapon the type of weapon you're using, the additional proc effects that you can skill into: Those types of things are going to make it a little bit more complex of a system capture.[1] – Steven Sharif
| Skill | Icon | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow's combo | 
|
Target an enemy and use your bow to strike with two arrows. Dealing damage and powering up your focus with this weapon attack.[7][8] | Prepares four arrows.[8] | Prepared shot works on all arrow attacks.[8] |
| Longsword combo | 
|
Target an enemy and use your sword and shield to strike with multiple blows. Dealing damage and powering up your focus with this weapon attack.[9] | - | - |
| Spellbook combo | 
|
Target an enemy and use magic missiles from your spellbook to strike with multiple blows. Dealing damage and powering up your focus with this weapon attack.[10] | - | - |
| Staff combo | 
|
Target an enemy and use your staff to strike with multiple blows. Dealing damage and powering up your focus with this weapon attack.[11] | - | - |
Status
A revised weapon use combo system will be present in Alpha-1.[1][12]
- The weapon use ability that was originally shown at PAX West 2017 was reduced to a basic form in Alpha-0.[13]
- The new combo system will not have the quicktime event that was seen in PAX West 2017.[1]
Weapon progression
![[2]](#cite_note-steven-auto-attack-definition.png-2){kind=link}
![[7]](#cite_note-ranger_poster.jpg-7){kind=link}
![[9]](#cite_note-tank_poster.jpg-9){kind=link}
![[10]](#cite_note-mage_poster.jpg-10){kind=link}
![[11]](#cite_note-cleric_poster.jpg-11){kind=link}
Weapons will have their own progression paths and their own applicable types of skills.[1][15]
- The weapon use combo system determines special effects that proc based on weapon progression.[1][16]
- Players can spec into weapon abilities that change what combinations are available, based on the type of weapon.[1]
- Ancillary effects proc based on enchantment types.[16]
- Gear enhancements (power stones) can be applied to add elemental or energy types of damage.[16]
- A skill tree is used to grant effects: making them better or branching off into different directions.[1][16]
- Passive skills will enable players to work toward mastery of a weapon.[17]
- Weapon proficiency (based on length of use of a weapon) is not a planned feature.[17]
- Q: Are weapons balanced towards a proficiency system (i.e. the longer I use a sword, the better my damage will be), or will it be a normal RPG stat system with no long-term scaling?
- A: We will not be using a proficiency system as described, but players will have passives available in their skill tree that will increase effectiveness of certain weapons. Becoming a master of swords will be something that is possible, just not in that particular manner.[17] – Sarah Flanagan
Ashes of Creation is all about providing many progression paths... The reason why we don't like the term endgame is because with the amount of progression that's available with the amount of diversity and player agency that that impacts the world... We kind of want the the weapon system and add an element of that as well... You can determine special effects that proc from currently the combo system right; you can determine ancillary effects that proc based on enchantment types; you can power stone weapons to add different either elemental types of damage and/or energy that kind of play rock paper scissor with player defenses ... and then you can skill tree out how those effects that are granted ... you can make them better you can branch them off into a different direction.[16] – Steven Sharif
Ultimate skill
The ultimate skill is a very powerful skill.[18]
- Can be used when enough focus has been accumulated from using the Weapon use combo system.
| Skill | Icon | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine form | 
|
If your focus is at 80%, use this skill to increase heals and damage of your skills by 25% for 8 seconds. Applies an AoE heal over time to friends and damage over time to enemies.[11] Pulse AoE heal and damage around the caster.[19] | Reduces hate for the caster on enemies hit by the pulse. Enemies targeting the caster lose target.[19] | Increases effectiveness of all heals while cast in this form.[19] |
| Hail of arrows | 
|
If your focus is at 80%, use this skill to summon a template and launch multiple arrows within the template.[7][20] | Adds movement slow.[20] | Adds damage over time to targets in the area.[20] |
| Quake | 
|
If your focus is at 80%, cast this spell to split the earth itself before you, launching a line of AoE damage.[10][21] | Knock down those hit by your arcane might.[10][21] | Reduces focus cost and cooldown for the skill.[21] |
| Righteous fury | 
|
Use your ultimate when your focus has reached 80%, to launch spears at all targets within your forward arc. Dealing damage and pulling them to you.[9] Pulls targets in a cone to the caster and does damage.[22] | Adds target lock and hate. All targets pulled now target lock the Tank and their hate is increased.[22] | Increases the arc radius to 360°.[22] |
| Ultimate Defense | 
|
Provides increasing mitigation based on missing health, up to full invulnerability. Reduces movement speed while active.[23] | Increased duration.[23] | Increased duration. Now applies a large mitigation increase to nearby group members.[23] |
Ranged weapons
A character may equip up to two hand weapons and also wear a ranged weapon on their back.[24][25]
![[25]](#cite_note-weaponslots.png-25){kind=link}
- Characters performing ranged abilities will switch to the ranged weapon, then can switch back to the melee weapon and shield or two-handed melee weapon.[24]
- The weapon held in the main hand slot determines the active weapon ability.[24]
Do I want my main hand to be my ranged weapon or do I want my main hand to be my melee weapon with regards to skill usage. For example, with the Ranger, if you have a range skill it'll automatically swap regardless of what your main weapon hand is, but for the combat ability for the "Auto Attack" feature it would be your chosen weapon.[24] – Steven Sharif
Rangers are going to have a minimum distance requirement where they are eligible to use their ranged weapons.[26]
While melee characters have a max distance proximity where they're eligible to use their sword and melee weapons, Rangers are going to have a minimum distance requirement.[26] – Steven Sharif
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Livestream, 30 January 2020 (1:28:40).
- ↑
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Interview, 18 July 2020 (1:07:51).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Interview, 19 July 2020 (53:59).
- ↑ Interview, 29 July 2020 (55:44).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Livestream, 28 February 2020 (1:10:21).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 PAX West 2017 Ranger poster.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (45:21).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 PAX West 2017 Tank poster.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 PAX West 2017 Mage poster.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 PAX West 2017 Cleric poster.
- ↑ Podcast, 11 May 2018 (57:42).
- ↑ Livestream, 18 January 2018 (22:46).
- ↑ Livestream, 30 May 2019 (58:28).
- ↑ Livestream, 4 May 2018 (45:37).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Livestream, 4 June 2018 (1:11:19).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 February 8, 2019 - Questions and Answers.
- ↑ Livestream, 30 June 2017 (29:13).
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (34:26).
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (45:37).
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (40:14).
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Livestream, 16 October 2017 (24:37).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Livestream, 31 July 2020 (1:14:33).
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Interview, 11 May 2018 (16:32).
- ↑
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Livestream, 30 June 2017 (47:14).
