Abilities that apply damage at the start of their animation...

**cloudwolf** · 07/04/2007 09:10:24

Normal rounds of combat apply their damages after the combat animations have played and the next round is calculated.

As should abilities.

However, there are some abilities that have their damage actually applied as their animation begins.

This raises a couple of serious issues:

I've heard this is the reason (or at least one of the reasons) behind the extra round of combat bug that so furiously destroys the effectiveness of IL in pvp as well as its attraction in PvE.
Abilities that apply status effects (such as powerless) designed to effect the next x rounds of combat are applied too early, messing with the timer design of said abilities.

Think this could get a looking at?

Fatmop

The reason for the extra combat round is the abilities that apply their damage at the end.

Because either the client or the server doesn't catch the damage in time, so it thinks both players are still alive.

The trouble is just non-standardization, both of damage timing and of animation time. Some abilities have much shorter animations than others, especially sky high sidekick and the knife throws. And yeah, the knife throws still aren't fixed. MKTs and Master Assassins can easily pull off three knives in a row in interlock, 2 per round, and cancel opponent's queued specials.

**GoDGiVeR** · 07/04/2007 02:11:37

Actually, this view isn't true.

Every ability applies damage (and the debuffs before the damage already) SOMEWHERE INSIDE the animation. Only a few abilities apply the damage at the very beginning or at the very end. I know that pistol barrage and counter-throw apply the damage pretty early. Can't remember one off-hand that applies the damage at the very end.

The reason why abilities have different times when the damage is applied is because, they'll apply damage when you "hit" the enemy with it. E.g. Extreme Falling Kick. You don't do damage at the beginning or at the end but when you hit him with your foot (somewhere near that stage). They did it for the looks, apparently.

**cloudwolf** · 07/04/2007 04:28:29

Thanks for clearing things up a bit, i have to say i wasn't 100% and was kinda looking for some clarification so SMILEY

But then whats up with normal attacks applying it at the end? =P

Non-standarisation is weird.

**cloudwolf** · 07/04/2007 11:06:22

K, so the more i think about this the weirder it becomes...

So lets say an attack is set to apply a certain status effect for 4 seconds (basically a way of saying 'the next round of combat' SMILEY and the damage (and thus status) is applied at the start. That effect is effecitivly usless because it will run dry during it's own attack's animation.

In the same way if it's applied at the end of the animation it won't effect the intended round's calculation and will run dry during that, again, invalidating the status effect.

Things'll get more complicated as you move into longer lasting ones.

Theres also the philosophy of CR2 itself whereas 'a combat round will last exactly 4 seconds', while that may (or may not according to kellner) be true, damage on the other hand is not being applied at set balanced intevals.

Surely this isn't good for the calculation system... heck, it might even have something more to do with the extra round bug.

Bah, the whole things rather silly. Have a set damage period of 2 seconds into another animation, nice and in the middle.

**GoDGiVeR**

After the ability gets accepted, it doesn't matter if the state runs "dry". It got accepted and it goes off (except outside effects like powerless / etc affect you before the damage is applied).

And please, don't make my head hurt anymore than it does already, stupid exams >_<

**cloudwolf**

Status' (which is what i was mainly referring to in my post btw) apply at the same time as the damage, not at the start of the round.

Not sure about states.

**GoDGiVeR**

What is a "status" in your eyes?
States = Daze, Stagger, Off-Balance (, Stun, Powerless, Confuse, Pacify)

**cloudwolf**

States = Daze, Off Bal and Stagger

Status = Powerless, Blind, Confuse, etc.

**9mmfu**

cloudwolf wrote:

Theres also the philosophy of CR2 itself whereas 'a combat round will last exactly 4 seconds', while that may (or may not according to kellner) be true, damage on the other hand is not being applied at set balanced intevals.

Damage for Interlock combat rounds are calculated as if they were 4 seconds long. In truth a round takes exaclty the length of time for all animations for that round to play. We really tried to make the rounds come out as close to 4 seconds as possible however events beyond our control took our animator from us before everything could be truely polished which is why Bullet time animations appear so messed up alot of the time.

**cloudwolf**

Ah so basically our combat is an ugly and non-standardised shamble because SOE stole our animator for another project.

Woo ¬.¬

Really now, it seems a lot of problems are stemming from this animator issue...

**9mmfu**

SOE didnt take the animator he chose to move on to other endeavors. He was a great guy and I was sorry to see him go but life, responsibilities, and desires of others we really dont have control over.

**GoDGiVeR**

There is no animator >_<

**Sphairo**

9mmfu wrote:

SOE didnt take the animator he chose to move on to other endeavors. He was a great guy and I was sorry to see him go but life, responsibilities, and desires of others we really dont have control over.

When did our animator leave? And why havn't we hired another one? Most of the problems stem from animation issues so by hiring a new one we could actually get somewhere. :)

spha x

**cloudwolf** · 07/05/2007 13:56:03

Thanks for clearing that up Fu, have to say i felt a bit bad for making assumptions but you know, bad track record and all that.

But yes, i resound Sphairo, new animator is a must. DEMAND I SAY. DEMAND!