Monster Special Attacks (Full Version)

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Vellup -> Monster Special Attacks (12/29/2020 13:36:04)

This is a very simple issue. Over time, the staff have gone in the right direction in making it more fair for the player in showing when a monster is actually about too use a special attack off their SP bar.


However, the feature of warning players when they are about to get boned by a special attack is rather useless you are using a third party source to look up what the monster's special actually is. Until you know what element the monster's super attack will be hitting you with, you're pretty much gambling and guessing, and will almost certainly have to eat the spec at least once if you do not look it up on a wiki site or do an internet search or what not. Sometimes the data is put up on the forums, but oftentimes the forums aren't updated for long after content is released--and they still suffer the same problem as any third party source--we shouldn't have to rely on them to survive against basic mechanics. Some may say that we should be able to tell what spec element will happen based on common sense, but specials really aren't all predictable either. Some of the off-elements the specs hit you with really don't follow from the monster you are fighting. Since the game's specs seem to be getting much more powerful over time even taking this one attack can be fatal depending on the monster you are up against. Yes, there are mechanics that can send you back a turn, but these are useless if you eat a spec that has a chance to outright KO you from full health if you are caught in the wrong resistance setup.


Considering that the game developers clearly want the player to know when they are about to have to eat a special attack, it follows that in-game, there should actually be a way to see what kind of attack the monster is actually going to use on you. Like, let players click on the enemy's SP bar to reveal a tooltip that shows element(s) of the special attack, at the very least. Otherwise, all the warnings are relatively useless unless you've eaten the spec at least once. On that note, adding a symbol that shows what element the monster normally attacks in would not be a bad idea either, as there are a few creatures that attack off-element, or switch elements off their normal attacks.


I'm sure there are people who will push back and claim that the unpredictability adds challenge, but it isn't really a fair challenge to be forced to take a guess, and forcing players to look up data on a third party to survive basic game mechanics is not the best balance design.



Macho Man -> RE: Monster Special Attacks (12/29/2020 14:42:47)

I agree with this. Sometimes it is obvious what the mob is going to do but other times it isn't. I remember asking for the sp notification and others disagreed saying that it added to the challenge, and you should just memorize when the mob would use their special but that takes no skill, just a google search or having extra time to retry the battle and learn with each attempt. As a BM, who already has long battles, time isn't on my side. I wish there was a way that we can be warned about what elements the mob can do but I honestly do not know if it's possible given their old engine.



J9408 -> RE: Monster Special Attacks (12/29/2020 14:57:06)

The purpose of SP bar glows is to notify the player to brace for severe damage.

I'm not sure what you mean by always gambling and guessing. Monsters with two or three SP attacks are usually very special ones like Void bosses or Frostval bosses.

For the most part, boss or mob, once you have seen the attack once, they are mostly predictable.

If time is the issue here, this is seems more like a problem with check points for boss battles than anything else.

I'll admit it frustrates me a little when I get one shot by a powerful(unknown) SP attack and have to start the quest all over.



Legendary Ash -> RE: Monster Special Attacks (12/29/2020 15:14:40)

AQ's engine has very pronounced graphic user interface limitations due to it being old and Devs revealed that some sections are written in Actionscript 1.0 namely the Stat trainers.

There has been dilemmas as to how to handle multi-element equipment and enemy base element icons, history has proved it is inconsistent at best, some display the Neutral "?" element and others select one among several to represent its elements.

Equipment previews in shops are limited to weapons and faces and titles' descriptions only display in the buy items tab, it doesn't display when accessed from one's inventory.

While status conditions were folded to allow stacks to function for those that were previously unstackable, it arrived with certain limitations, icons that become visible on a panel when hovering over one's vitals are limited to five slots, but those that are visible on the character's face on the vitals are limited to the room available in the circular space.

The save point feature in battles in the form of checkpoints is one method to provide a convenience in learning experience as the player can test out the enemies' design, but one notable flaw is that some strategies are potentially unavailable should the player have equipment in storage and one has to leave the quest to access a shop and re-enter the quest.
I would recommend the Devs include an optional shop lacking purchasable items to access such items after the checkpoint is initiated prior to entering the boss battle.

It is not feasible with the current team to prematurely address these design issues not balance issues, it will require a major engine and interface rewrite to include desirable features such as a hosting all elemental icons of an enemy and its attack behavior on a panel similar to status conditions panel, it will occur at its scheduled time after AQW mobile is complete as AE moves to work on AQ2D the remake of AQ.

While third-party media such as forums, videos, chat platforms may be unofficial or reliable, the important point here is that they are the best and sometimes the only means to address such issues when the official source fails to address it themselves, everyone has to learn, adapt and survive, this is a path that every person will encounter in their journey to overcome life's obstacles.



J9408 -> RE: Monster Special Attacks (12/29/2020 15:21:53)

One suggestion I have for this is defensive spells.

Spells that increase MRM or give you a spirit/mana shield. Or perhaps a Substitute spells in exchange for 3/4 of you SP/MP bar. Just some ideas.

We have had some of this, but they are either rare or are GB. I think the game lack options for defensive only equipment.

Unless you have these items, when dealing with SP attacks you are expected to rely solely on your armor and shield defense/skill.



Macho Man -> RE: Monster Special Attacks (12/29/2020 18:27:57)

quote:

I'm not sure what you mean by always gambling and guessing. Monsters with two or three SP attacks are usually very special ones like Void bosses or Frostval bosses.


By that I believe he means when you encounter someone and you haven't seen the mob before, you have to make a guess as to what they will hit you with. If you guess incorrectly the game punishes you hard for not defending yourself.

And yeah I think the best solution is to have checkpoints before fights. I think the engine limitations make that the only course of action. I remember the staff implementing them for a few quests (burning solstice I believe?) but I don't think that we've seen them since.



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