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

[SnakeBites]

Im a jedi shadow, my main attack is shadowstrike which means I have to get behind a target then use it, now if I press the button 100 times in a row the attack wont go of, press it ONCE and it goes of beautifully, then again and then again. I suggest you learn to play the game.

 

If you think this issue is caused by "button mashing" then i have no idea why you're even in this thread because you don't know what you're talking about. But hey, you can keep acting as if you're an awesome player telling others to "learn to play the game". It really does make you look cool, honest.

[fallenvirtues]

I think the easier explanation is that a) animations are slightly out of synch now and hence a bug that needs fixing, and b) that the UI/cast bar is not synched with the server so the animation is the true cast time while the cast bar is out of whack.

 

Besides the UI not working properly when hitting a button..i.e hitting the ability and nothing happening, I think this whole mess is with the sync of everything...

 

If everything was sync'd properly for you all experiencing the problem drastically, would that have the animation ending right on time you think???

[Zakumene]

gee why would i be hateful? after waiting for over a year and listening to mythic hype warhammer only tog et a steaming pile of crap.

 

And now, after waiting YEARS for swtor, we get combat that is similiarly unresponsive, just like warhammer.

 

And you are telling me this is a coincidence?

 

Because what we need is before I finish doing my lightsaberslash somersolt - i want to interrupt that flip with a second one. Then everyone will complain that its not realistic enough.

[myrmexaw]

It's not the animation, it's the INTERRUPTION/PROLONGING of the animation due to your character being under stress. Nothing is wrong with the animations, but getting pummeled and expecting your abilities to insta-cast is NOT the way to go in this game.

 

 

Okay then explain to me what alacrity will do if there is no auto attack to boost and you have to wait for skill's animation to finish ... do you think if you gain +2000 alacrity you will end up looking like bugs bunny doing your jedi tricks ?

[Llenyd]

I think were talking past eachother.

 

Im all with you on the adjust animations.

 

Speeding them up to fit within the timeframe of the GCD (for the instant skills) would be perfect.

 

I am just lead to believe that BW would never speed up animations cause they would make them look faster than they were supposed to ot look weird which leads me to believing they would rather do a completely new animation to every skill lasting the correct amount of time.

 

Im just saying that it could be a problem in the FUTURE in case they want to change the casttime of abilities.

 

Well, they already speed up cast times; this happens regularly through talents, procs, and Alacrity. There are really two parts of the cast animation, the build-up (standing there with glowing hands) and the flourish (waving hands, jump and strike, etc). Talents, procs, gear that speed up cast time do so by reducing the build-up animation. The main problem is the ability affect happens after the flourish animation and the flourish animation happens after the cast is "complete". What they need to do is reduce the build-up animation for every ability such that the flourish animation occurs DURING the cast and the flourish animation completes concurrent with the cast completion. For instant abilities which don't have a build-up to cut into, effect needs to be frontloaded so that the effect is instant.

[Paganini]

How about this

 

1. Learn the timing associated with the animations each of the abilities you use when you roll your face across your keyboard and then COMPENSATE or use the abilities at the appropriate time.

 

2. Not and issue for everyone - so it must be you, your software, or your hardware.

 

How about this

 

Bioware creates a game that allows me to use my abilities when the GCD is up.

[PlagaNerezza]

Ok.... so mashing buttons is half of what's jacking up you people's animations/attacks... and instead of just stopping it and keying effectively, you're gonna keep on mashing and keep on complaining that it's "not working right?"

 

 

Do you drop a glass of water, then complain that the floor is wet?

 

 

It seems to be coming more and more apparent: much of this has nothing to do with anything being broken per se; it has everything to do with a lot of people just not liking this system.

 

 

 

 

Play on a slow laptop. Just PvE casual. It is a joke. Not button mashing is not an option because the UI lags so badly you just hope it executes 1 move.

 

I've launched things and it doesn't start. Then retry because the animation and screen are not keeping up. Then get stuff canceling and re queuing again. Then some long effect getting canceled midway as something else executes.

 

You honestly have no idea on slower machines what the UI is doing until something or you are half health. Because of the combat mechanics.

 

It's better with higher fps and better graphics engines, but if you WZ even on good machines it gets clunky and unresponsive.

 

Because of the animation mechanics.

[MaceTowani]

I love people who think that this isn't a crippling technical issue but a matter of changing your approach to the game, ie not button mashing, anticipating more, etc.

 

When you press a button, your ability fires later than it should, or not at all, and this creates an overall gameplay that is objectively less fluid than other popular MMOs of similar size and aspiration. These are facts. Disputing them means you either:

 

If they were facts then why don't I have the same problem?

 

A. Do not have extensive experience with other AAA MMOs, namely WOW, which has the most fluid gameplay in the genre

 

LOL, now you're sounding like a WoW apologist. Sorry but I TRIED WoW(free trial of course, no way I was paying for it) and I quit. Months later, I tried it again, and I quit again. If it was nearly as good as you claim then it would had stuck with me, but it DIDN'T.

 

 

B. Are blindly defending the game because you enjoy it.

 

I enjoy it because I have adapted to it and tried to learn about the game instead of trying to fall back to what I'm used to.

 

 

TOR is not WOW, it is its own game. The thousands of People who are here posting WANT this game to succeed on its own terms, otherwise why bother posting at all? But TOR will absolutely be relegated to a second class MMO if they can't improve the most basic and fundamental functionality of the game.

 

 

You're right, TOR ISN'T WoW. Then why don't you try to play the game for what it is instead of what WoW is?

[MaceTowani]

Guys, we have a troll. I repeat, a troll.

 

Cease all communication.

 

Over.

 

I'm the troll, yet you have no intelligent arguments to back up your claim.

[Sylverlokk]

I too would much prefer a more responsive feel to the game.

cheers OP.

[Khoranth]

Spamming is exploiting. There's no two ways around it.

 

But more importantly, you have to learn to anticipate and think several moves ahead. Learn to use strategy and planning and learn to rework your plans when new situations arise.

 

This takes time and practice, NOBODY has a COMPLETE understanding of the combat system despite what they may tell you, we can only learn as we go and THIS is what I've learned.

 

Once again, you refuse to explain why pressing a button more then once while CC'd, in the hopes of activating the ability immediately after said CC wears off is an exploit.

 

Once again, you refuse to explain to me what I should do in the situation i described, being CC stunned, with melee beating on me, and i want to use force wave asap to avoid death.

 

Looking at the debuff icon and seeing the time left on CC is not an option, seeing as how the debuff icons are tiny, and you generally have 5+ on you with a few melee beating on you. Please explain to me how to activate force wave immediately upon CC break without pressing the button more then once.

 

It is not possible with the current debuff icons. at least not for me, I am not sitting with my face 2 inches from the screen to decipher tiny debuff icons.

 

You are basically saying nothing.

 

Please, give us real answers.

[Zakumene]

How about this

 

Bioware creates a game that allows me to use my abilities when the GCD is up.

 

Works on my computer, you sure you installed everything right?

[tcander]

I love people who think that this isn't a crippling technical issue but a matter of changing your approach to the game, ie not button mashing, anticipating more, etc.

 

When you press a button, your ability fires later than it should, or not at all, and this creates an overall gameplay that is objectively less fluid than other popular MMOs of similar size and aspiration. These are facts. Disputing them means you either:

 

A. Do not have extensive experience with other AAA MMOs, namely WOW, which has the most fluid gameplay in the genre

 

And/or

 

B. Are blindly defending the game because you enjoy it.

 

 

TOR is not WOW, it is its own game. The thousands of People who are here posting WANT this game to succeed on its own terms, otherwise why bother posting at all? But TOR will absolutely be relegated to a second class MMO if they can't improve the most basic and fundamental functionality of the game.

 

 

 

 

I came here to post my opinion but this guy already nailed it. I underlined the most important part.

 

 

10/10 perfect post.

[fallenvirtues]

How about this

 

1. Learn the timing associated with the animations each of the abilities you use when you roll your face across your keyboard and then COMPENSATE or use the abilities at the appropriate time.

 

2. Not and issue for everyone - so it must be you, your software, or your hardware.

 

FIRST OFF...slow your roll homie...I am not really having this problem...I'm speaking for those that are...My machine plays the game pretty perfectly but I do experience a problem here and there wth response time

 

Secondly, I love the way the combat and animations and etc work and I hope the sync is fixed so it works perfectly because I feel thats what the REAL problem is, BUT telling people to learn the timing associated with the animation and completely ignore the casting time and GCD is NOT the solution...Even with a person like me not really experiecing the problem knows that the sync for these players is out of wack and response from when hitting the key to when the ability starts needs to be instant and perfect

[Khoranth]

I'm the troll, yet you have no intelligent arguments to back up your claim.

 

You dodge my questions and refuse to answer them. You are not even trying to argue, you are just attacking

[Zakumene]

Looking at the debuff icon and seeing the time left on CC is not an option, seeing as how the debuff icons are tiny, and you generally have 5+ on you with a few melee beating on you. Please explain to me how to activate force wave immediately upon CC break without pressing the button more then once.

 

You could just look at your character and the animations for the specific CC. The CC's have a specific duration. You can count right?

[Paganini]

Works on my computer, you sure you installed everything right?

 

hahahaha

[WoeToLife]

I've had no problems with this at any time, ever.

 

But then again, 90% of the people who have no problem with the game don't come to the forums.

 

Maybe if all the people whining about this game cry all at once, it'll flood bioware and shut them down for good! Keep trying guys!

[SolidTempesT]

I completely agree with the OP.

 

I really really hope they fix this soon, because the cast animations being this clunky are starting to grate on my nerves.

 

The one great thing about WoW as a ice mage was casting frostbolt after frostbolt and just enjoying the animation over and over again.

 

Currently I can't really do this as a TK sage. I almost never even see my spell animations, they are invisible because I a am chain casting one ability after another.

 

This was a major killer for me in Warhammer and is actually the reason I stopped playing. Where as I find Swtor a funner game, if it didn't have such good story and lightsabers, I would have quit it like I did warhammer simply because of the animations being annoying.

[SnakeBites]

hahahaha

It's crazy, isn't it.

Edited December 28, 2011 by SnakeBites

[HoneyBoy]

This has been asked several times by multiple people in the thread but I've yet to see any of the "ADAPT" crowd answer it:

 

WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALACRITY UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM IF WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANIMATIONS TO FINISH!?

[Zakumene]

FIRST OFF...slow your roll homie...I am not really having this problem...I'm speaking for those that are...My machine plays the game pretty perfectly but I do experience a problem here and there wth response time

 

Secondly, I love the way the combat and animations and etc work and I hope the sync is fixed so it works perfectly because I feel thats what the REAL problem is, BUT telling people to learn the timing associated with the animation and completely ignore the casting time and GCD is NOT the solution...Even with a person like me not really experiecing the problem knows that the sync for these players is out of wack and response from when hitting the key to when the ability starts needs to be instant and perfect

 

Listen to yourself. If you clip the animations to the next one as soon as you press the button it will look like crap and be choppy (as it does in wow) THEN you'll complain that its choppy.

 

There's no pleasing you folk.

[Xzenorath]

Play on a slow laptop. Just PvE casual. It is a joke. Not button mashing is not an option because the UI lags so badly you just hope it executes 1 move.

 

I've launched things and it doesn't start. Then retry because the animation and screen are not keeping up. Then get stuff canceling and re queuing again. Then some long effect getting canceled midway as something else executes.

 

You honestly have no idea on slower machines what the UI is doing until something or you are half health. Because of the combat mechanics.

 

It's better with higher fps and better graphics engines, but if you WZ even on good machines it gets clunky and unresponsive.

 

Because of the animation mechanics.

 

Because you're having visual lag caused by your old computer. It's not a problem with the UI, I run 100FPS in flashpoints and I don't find those bugs to be game breaking. Even in most WZ, I run 60-70FPS and everything fires off fine.

 

The only things that DO suck, is animations on instant-cast with no GCD, that garbage interrupts channeled skills' animations every time. However, the damage still happens, I just have no idea when the channel ends because the bar goes away when my trooper reloads.

 

Again, this doesn't bother me, game's been out a couple days, they'll fix it. It won't make me quit, I love the game and when they'll be done fixing most of the bugs and tweaking the combat animations and GCD's, it'll be the best MMO I'll ever be paying for, period.

[Khoranth]

You could just look at your character and the animations for the specific CC. The CC's have a specific duration. You can count right?

 

Is this supposed to be a joke? You want me to memorize all classes CC's, all CC durations, all CC animations, and the exact moment when every CC in game ends based on the animation? AND have a pefect to the second nuclear clock installed in my brain?

 

You have got to be kidding me, you cannot be serious.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Khoranth

[AkAseo]

 

LOL, now you're sounding like a WoW apologist. Sorry but I TRIED WoW(free trial of course, no way I was paying for it) and I quit. Months later, I tried it again, and I quit again. If it was nearly as good as you claim then it would had stuck with me, but it DIDN'T.

 

 

 

So just to recap, what high level endgame MMO experience do you have that qualifies you to tell everyone that, the system isn't broke we just have to adapt to a non fluid clunky gameplay style? Cos almost everyone on here who is saying it won't work at high lvl pvp or endgame has a great deal of experience with both of those areas?

 

Just curious.