Ability Delay -- Character Responsiveness (This will make or break SW:TOR)

[Kashley]

BUMP to keep this at the top.

 

BioWare needs to do something about this. It is a game breaker for sure and only becomes more glaringly obvious as you level. (As does the lack of auto attack, but I will leave that to another thread )

[Kilarn]

My main in SW:TOR atm is an Arsenal BH, so i'm very aware of this issue (casting 3x tracer missile particularly) when trying to maintain a rotation it never feels very smooth.

 

Where its even more noticeable, is with a SI Sorc, cast a Lighning Strike then use Force Lightning immediatly after the strike goes off and the cast bar for FL will be half way done before the animation kicks in.

 

As a WoW player (not so much atm ) and a Warlock player at that, i can only imagine how hellish it would be to play that class with this amount of delay. So yeah, it definitely needs sorting.

 

Though having said that, i'd prefer BW work on the bugs that are preventing players from playing the game at all before they start with these "quality of life" type issues.

[Korialstrazs]

Yes the developers made commentary about this system about 5 months ago when announce it and how it would improve balance, and provide smoother game play even at higher game play, allowing more people to play.

 

The benefits outweigh the other trade-off, by far.

 

I wouldn't call spamming a button several times to ensure the ability goes off smooth. I wouldn't call a cd that lasts longer than the cast bar or gcd a good thing. There is no way to track exactly when you can cast the next ability with this current system.

[TheJmoney]

That's a world-wide, user limitation, hence being able to heal faster than the animation would in actuality break the class by gimping it beyond balance.

 

Maybe, deal with it? I can't fire a 50 cal like a rail gun either.

 

It doesn't break the class, it breaks the game.

 

What don't you understand about me using a specific example. This is happening to ALL classes with casted moves.

[samdbtto]

1 thing about doing a video where you are showing that it doesn't work is most of the fact that it doesn't work is felt. You can see it if you really really look closely and know what you're looking at; however, it is very discernible if you are the one actually playing.

 

I do see it in the video though.

 

tried your suggestion of spamming new ability during grenade animation but it didn't get a negative effect due to the animation being shorter than the gcd. I recorded it but it has no value to this thread i think.

[Teloss]

That s fine at least your GCD matches how you fire the 50 cal.

 

That's the idea with this as well. proficiency is not dependent on the quickness of repetition in most of SWTOR. That is something I like.

 

Instead, give everybody a level playing field and then work off from there through how well you know the abilities and how to use them. This creates a more accurate truskill imo. Besides, if BW timed animations with GC's, the game would look awkward as hell because where does it make any sense that a "GLOBAL" cooldown would match "All animations"?

 

Yet, part of the combat experience is those very animations! The game will work as balanced as long the GCD and animation timer is prevented from being exploited.

 

"No more facerolling"

Edited December 27, 2011 by Teloss

[paryn]

I agree with the op. The responsiveness could use a lot more work. Please fix this bioware.

[CynicalByDesign]

Having the same issue. Probably just spent a full second after hitting force speed for it to go off. Wasn't even in PvP.

 

I also noticed earlier when it was really bad my animation wouldn't go off until my global cooldown was almost reset.

[baznasty]

tried your suggestion of spamming new ability during grenade animation but it didn't get a negative effect due to the animation being shorter than the gcd. I recorded it but it has no value to this thread i think.

 

Not a biggy, your original video does a good job showing the difference. The WoW video shows the move being cast immediately while your video shows the instant cast taking almost an entire second to initiate.

[McTurbo]

i dont understand why after a 100+ pages we dont have a customer service representative in here at least stating whats going on and that they are looking into it.. right now.. it just seems like an ignored issue.. and honestly as a healer it should be priority #1 unless thier is a server stability/connection issue.

[ShaoKahn]

While I agree that the responsiveness is an issue I find it really irritating that you would talk about games like SWG and EQ as if you played them. Their responsiveness was perfect and natural and really ruin your credibility for any meaningful argument, but luckily for you responsiveness in SWTOR cannot be argued.

 

Get the fix in here soon Bioware, your population will dwindle but not nearly as much as the OP is claiming.

[Xcore]

Thanks for the video feedback

 

Video has been added to the OP, tyvm Baz!

[Teloss]

i dont understand why after a 100+ pages we dont have a customer service representative in here at least stating whats going on and that they are looking into it.. right now.. it just seems like an ignored issue.. and honestly as a healer it should be priority #1 unless thier is a server stability/connection issue.

 

It's not an issue, unless you WANT the animations to look like Dark Fall.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Teloss

[samdbtto]

Not a biggy, your original video does a good job showing the difference. The WoW video shows the move being cast immediately while your video shows the instant cast taking almost an entire second to initiate.

 

Feel free to post both links together to illustrate one vs. the other.

[Seismax]

That's the idea with this as well. proficiency is not dependent on the quickness of repetition in most of SWTOR. That is something I like.

 

Instead, give everybody a level playing field and then work off from there through how well you know the abilities and how to use them. This creates a more accurate truskill imo. If BW timed animations with GC's, the game looks awkward as hell.

 

"No more facerolling"

 

Yet you're still ignoring the fact that the UI doesn't match your input. That's the disconnect that people feel.

 

No one complains when they're playing Street Fighter and they can't input their next attack until it's finished, the gameplay flows smoothly and encourages that style of play. This game doesn't.

[Arkimor]

i dont understand why after a 100+ pages we dont have a customer service representative in here at least stating whats going on and that they are looking into it.. right now.. it just seems like an ignored issue.. and honestly as a healer it should be priority #1 unless thier is a server stability/connection issue.

 

You haven't been on the forums long, huh? They aren't responding to anything right now.

[Teloss]

Yet you're still ignoring the fact that the UI doesn't match your input. That's the disconnect that people feel.

 

No one complains when they're playing Street Fighter and they can't input their next attack until it's finished, the gameplay flows smoothly and encourages that style of play. This game doesn't.

 

Then how would you suggest streamlining it like streetfighter, when you have over 20 active abilities with different animation cycle times, without destroying the animations all together?

 

Why don't we come up with ideas, rather than asking for a magic fix which is obviously can't exist without good ideas.

 

I'm pretty people would be more inclined to quit the game if saber animations begin look like harry potter wand poking.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Teloss

[bvalley]

I just watched the video in the OP, and all I have to say is thank you again. You described it perfectly.

 

Fluid, precise controls.

[Myrddon]

This has been my major complaint with the game as well.

[shuffell]

You haven't been on the forums long, huh? They aren't responding to anything right now.

 

I haven't been on here, why are they not responding to anything?

 

This isn't an attack just curious.

[McTurbo]

It's not an issue, unless you WANT the animations to look like Dark Fall.

 

its not an issue? have you tried healing with a 5 second cast time on a 2.5 second ability?

 

it has a cast timer.. at end of cast timer spell goes off. healing person.. not pausing with hand held out waiting 2-3 seconds then healing the person.. so that i can then select another person. its that pause of 2-3 seconds that are killing people that im suppose to be healing or putting me behind on incoming damage vs out going heals.

 

as someone said earlier.

 

animation length shouldn't be any longer than cast timers.

[Seismax]

Then how would you suggest streamlining it like streetfighter, when you have over 20 active abilities with different animation cycle times, without destroying the animations all together?

 

Why don't we come up with ideas, rather than asking for a magic fix which is obviously impossible.

 

Pretty easy, throw out the GCD that doesn't work anyways and simply lockout all skills when they aren't available.

 

*Edit* Easy to say anyways, Coding it, not so easy. Problem all the same.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Seismax

[Korialstrazs]

Then how would you suggest streamlining it like streetfighter, when you have over 20 active abilities with different animation cycle times, without destroying the animations all together?

 

Why don't we come up with ideas, rather than asking for a magic fix which is obviously can't exist without good ideas.

 

Make the cast times actually match up the the amount of time you can't cast an ability afterwards. If its going to take 3.5 seconds before I can cast an ability, the cast time shouldn't be 3 seconds, because it's not. No matter what the cast bar, or the game is telling me. If I cant activate my ability until 3.5 seconds, then the ability has a 3.5 second cast.

[Arkimor]

Yet you're still ignoring the fact that the UI doesn't match your input. That's the disconnect that people feel.

 

No one complains when they're playing Street Fighter and they can't input their next attack until it's finished, the gameplay flows smoothly and encourages that style of play. This game doesn't.

 

Don't mind him. He somehow thinks he (and only he) knows the truth. One of "him" is bound to show up in every thread.

 

Nice Street Fighter reference, lol.

[Teloss]

its not an issue? have you tried healing with a 5 second cast time on a 2.5 second ability?

 

it has a cast timer.. at end of cast timer spell goes off. healing person.. not pausing with hand held out waiting 2-3 seconds then healing the person.. so that i can then select another person. its that pause of 2-3 seconds that are killing people that im suppose to be healing or putting me behind on incoming damage vs out going heals.

 

as someone said earlier.

 

animation length shouldn't be any longer than cast timers.

 

That's IMPOSSIBLE unless you destroy GC, which the ENTIRE COMBAT SYSTEM is built off of. You propose destroying the game, and gimping every single ability beyond playability or even a shred of balance.

 

What we have now is FAR better then what would happen if a "magic fix" this thread wants were to happen.

 

Sometimes you have to roll with what works best, and the current system is obviously better than breaking animations and destroying every bit of balance. If the combat system is to be made better it should be done in small steps because you can't cut exceptions for classes in SWTOR, this combat system is a delicate case.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Teloss