Is Traditional MMO Combat Too Stiff?

Something I’ve often wondered, as I see more and more MMO players ask for games with action combat, is if the reason for the move away from traditional tab-targeting systems is that they are simply too stiff, too unrealistic. A holdover from the era of MUDs, the traditional tab-targeting system is the best approximation that could be made for the semi-realtime combat that many MUDs made use of. However, the question remains as to whether it’s really the best option or not.

I once spoke with an MMO developer who insisted that real-time hit detection on a large scale simply isn't possible. Supposedly, connections just aren’t fast or reliable enough yet. The gold standard was to use prediction algorithms to trick players into believing that actual hit detection was going on, and that that was what lead to some of the oddities in real-time combat. Perhaps this is why the developers of APB opted for a mere 100 players per server.

Regardless, most MMOs eschew the aforementioned system entirely and opt for simpler systems, testing the distance from a target and line of sight—essentially doing a client-side check to see if there are any obstacles between you and your target. Any projectiles that are seen can be handled client-side, traveling along strict pathways, because they ultimately have no bearing on accuracy or damage. The result is simulated after a specific amount of time, even if line of sight breaks right after you have cast your spell and your projectiles end up going right through a tree. The game doesn’t care at that point because it’s already approved the action.

This sort of system leads to a lot of oddities due to checks not occurring after the approval of the action, including collision detection. One of the most glaring issues is that there are many times when hits don’t actually connect with your opponent. Sometimes, you can even be standing next to your opponent, swinging your weapon, with no hits connecting. Other times you can be standing too far away, just within the reach of the distance check but too far for your weapon to connect. Personally, I find that this damages immersion greatly. It can be odd to watch your character swing his weapon at thin air and somehow kill monsters.

The other problem with this form of combat is that it isn’t hands-on enough. Other than minor dodging back and forth in the few MMOs that have enemies with areas of attack shown on the ground, such as MMORPGs. In fact, some MOBAs have more sophisticated combat systems than MMORPG's, allowing you to aim your attacks and see the area of attack on the ground in front of you.

Simply introducing an action combat system isn’t the solution. For example, while I am quite fond of The Secret World’s combination—faster casting times, the ability to move while using most attacks, and the need to move around to avoid attacks—I am not fond of Neverwinter’s combat system. Many of your attacks will leave you rooted in place, despite being an action combat system.

Skyforge follows similar principles and ends up feeling more like Phantasy Star Online (where even firing a gun would root you in place) than it does a “real” action game. This has a number of issues, the largest of which is the fact that combat devolves into what feels like a system of predictions and trading blows, even if it isn’t necessarily one. Active dodging may even be possible, as in Skyforge, but it will mostly be used for larger blows. The strict limitations on dodging and lack of the ability to dodge smaller attacks will leave it feeling more than a bit useless for the majority of your time playing.

It is on the right track in of skill bars, however. Skyforge is an action game with an abbreviated skill bar and it makes the experience much smoother. All of the skill hotkeys are easy to reach. Some are even letters surrounding the WASD keys.

Personally, I found TERA’s healer classes to have a good balance between the systems, with active targeting that allowed you to move around, followed by a small amount of time rooted in place while you cast the spell. The consistent active dodging and movement of the Slayer class and the Lancer’s blocking followed by quick jabs had a similarly nice system. Hits always connected, improving immersion immensely. But it was still too close to traditional systems at times. You're forced to use a full skill bar to take advantage of your character. Also, there are still skill casting timers thatroot you in place. The action combat was almost undermined by having to use so many buttons while moving around.

Games on the horizon are aiming to streamline combat by a large margin. Gloria Victis are looking to largely forego such systems in favor of a more realistic form of combat that looks like Mount and Blade. Of course, these are all unproven and it remains to be seen whether they will actually make MMO combat visceral and immersive, or if their systems will end up being cumbersome once the full range of skills is implemented.

It’s hard to say whether MMO combat hasn’t evolved because it’s cheaper and easier to stick with the old ways, or because it’s difficult to devise a system that works quite as well. Perhaps there are even some developers concerned that simplifying combat and will ultimately fail.

It’s a bit hard for me to feel connected to a character when I can only watch what they do while they slowly work towards carrying out the action(s) I have assigned to them. I personally play Elder Scrolls Online in first-person because it helps improve immersion and gives me a better sense of being the character. Even simple screen effects, such as screen shake or rain that hits the screen, improve the experience. Perhaps future games will work on this. For the time being, it seems the traditional system isn’t going anywhere, and its effects will be felt across the genre, even in action-based systems.