Faster Combat
A major goal of Combat Revision 2.0 was to “speed up” combat by eliminating
pauses in the action. Rounds have been shortened along with animations with the
result of smoother, faster combat rounds.
New Combat UI
The combat user-interface has been updated to give better feedback without
having to take your eyes off the combat itself. Interlock rings appear under
both opponents’ feet while in Interlock that flash red when that character is
going to be hit that round. Slot numbers in the hotbar flash red when an Ability
has been selected and go solid red when that Ability will be used in the next
combat round. When an Ability is used, a special effect plays on the hotbar
icon: red for a miss and green for a hit.
New Combat Styles
Each branch of the Discipline tree now has access to special Styles that
grant combat bonuses appropriate for that branch. While the combat-focused
branches get their own Styles (such as Aikido or Handguns), Hackers, Coders, and
Spies also get their own Styles.
Modified Weapon Classes
Since Combat Revision 2.0 rates everything on a Damage Per Second (DPS)
basis, we’ve made some modifications to available weapon classes. Handguns,
Rifles, and Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs) now have varying rates of fire that
significantly affect they way they play. Rifles do the most “up-front” damage,
SMGs have the highest rate-of-fire, and Handguns are the best Interlock weapons.
Melee Free-Attacks
Under the original combat system, Martial Art specialists (Karate, Kung Fu,
and Aikido) were only left with one option outside of Interlock; to pull out a
weapon and fire. The addition of Melee Free-Fire attacks allows martial artists
to use their primary strengths to affect combat from outside Interlock.
More Customization from Stat Development
Character Stats (Focus, Perception, Belief, Reason, and Vitality) used to
have little impact on character development and putting all your points into one
could leave your character “crippled” at high levels. Now, each Stat has a list
of Attributes (such as Melee Damage, Ballistic Resistance, and Maximum Health)
that they impact, giving players the opportunity to focus development on what
they want their characters to excel at. In addition, players may now take a
special mission at any time to earn an item that allows them to reconfigure
their Stats at any time.
Second Hotbar
The original user interface had one hotbar with ten slots for players to put
links to frequently used Abilities and items. Combat Revision 2.0 adds a second
hotbar with an additional ten slots for quick access.
More Hotbar Space
With the extra usable hotbar comes additional hotbar space. Ten more rows
have been added for a total of twenty possible hotbar configurations. Players
now have enough room to make specific hotbars for almost any Ability loadout
imaginable.
No More Zero-Sum Combat
Under the old system, there was one loser and one winner in any Interlock
round; both attack numbers were compared with the highest number winning. Now,
attack numbers are compared to the opponent’s appropriate Defense score. Each
round, both opponents have the opportunity to deal damage.
No More “Always Hit/Always Miss” Scenarios
Because the attack numbers are directly compared in the current combat
system, a high-level character can effectively “lock out” a lower-level
character because his attack numbers are so high. Changes in the combat formula
now make it possible for even a level-one character to hit a level-fifty
character. Everyone can contribute something in any combat scenario.