Devlog #20

Hi Vampires! In the demo, the game's combat is difficult and somewhat confusing, so we've decided to refine the combat mechanics.

We're working on improving combat so that it's more skill-based. The screenshots below don't represent the finished system, but rather the direction we're heading.

Combat

Currently, the vampire can fight with both a sword and a crossbow. Switching to sword combat allowed us to significantly improve the animations and hitboxes, which are now checked along the sword's actual path (for both the player and NPCs).

Crossbow combat is our vampire's primary skill. Sword attacks allow you to drain blood from enemies, and every skill (including Blood Crossbow shots) consumes blood. Improved automatic targeting eliminates the difficulty of hitting enemies; now the vampire uses skills towards the enemy closest to the cursor.

Both basic attacks and vampire abilities can throw an enemy off balance, giving them a moment of respite or a chance to use a more powerful ability (and later a finisher). Below the enemy's health bar is a yellow bar (placeholder), which, when filled with attacks, stuns the enemy.

Enemies

Combat issues also stemmed from enemy behavior. We've improved their animations, attacks, and movement system to allow for more distributed and dynamic combat.

Damage feedback has also been changed, physics have been greatly improved, and enemy deaths are more "heavy."

Enemy attacks are slower and divided into phases. During the preparation phase (swing), the opponent's weapon illuminates to signal danger.

Enemies now move more deliberately. They're spread out in a way that makes it harder for players to escape, even with a dash.

Even when chasing the player, enemies do so in a more thoughtful way, they can surround the player and run with him, eliminating situations in which running away would cause enemies to be clustered in one place.

Enemies no longer attack all at once; they communicate with each other, so the player is constantly being attacked by another enemy. If an enemy is weakened by the player (e.g., stunned), they move to a more distant position, allowing someone else to engage in melee combat while they use ranged abilities. This constantly changes the battlefield and forces the player to use different tactics.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them with us in the comments or on our Discord.