Played a bit today, so far I'm not liking sabering changes. I will keep my feedback very brief as to focus on the most important things in my opinion.
NOTE: There were things I liked, for example some perks and maunal backstab.
Let's start with this one
Change: Hitting too early in an attack animation reduces the damage by up to 30% depending on animation timer.
Every change must have some intention behind it, right? I'm not a part of mb2 team so can only guess. But let me guess anyway.
So: we have some problem to solve, then solution, expected outcome and actual outcome. Let's go.
Problem
Yawing can be confusing for new players, as it makes it less clear what opponent is doing. Not only that but swings also come faster than most new players can react, thus obstructing their engagement PB mechanics.
Confused new player can become frustrated player and leave the game. So, it's bad and i guess we have a problem on our hand.
Current solution
As much as it is fun to shit on people, I say our community is actually in a sense can be a very nice place. It's actually amazing how many people are eager to help new players with learning game mechanics.
So yes, current solution is that we sometimes try to teach new players to help them understand the system and be better.
It might not be a technical solution but it is there, it evolved naturally over the years, and so far helped many-many new players to fall in love with this game.
Expected outcome
Damage reduction when hitting too early in an attack will make people yaw less thus making it easier to see and block.
Actual outcome
It's not going to work like that, because, you see, you simply cannot reliably break through someone who can PB with just normal fully extended attacks. You need to mask, you need to yaw, else you will be doing no damage at all.
Against top players (myself not even remotely included) even masking and yawing should be on the whole different level to be effective.
It is also not about a choice: "Am I doing faster attack that does less damage or make fully extended attack with nomral damage?".
No you don't. You're either doing your fastest and most unpredictable shit you can pull off or not doing any damage at all.
In other words, actual outcome of this change cannot really help with visibility, because duelist's goal is to make swings as unpredictable as possible. Junk is INHERENT to current aimed PB system. And me personally loving this junk and the depth it creates.
What this change actually will do is make high level duels slower because of reduced damage and that's it.
Blocking
- Instead of triggering a Perfect Block in the return (if not feinting), now does the following:
- 0.75x damage multiplier
- Builds partial ACM for the attacker
- Has a yellow blocking indicator for the defender
- Can only be done if you've landed some kind of hit on your opponent (no whiffs).
Problem
I cannot fathom what problem this change tries to solve. This cannot be to help new players in any way, because, generally, people who can reliably PB on returns - are not new players. And new players won't get anything out of occasional single 0.75x damage swing against a player who can PB on returns.
Or is it to create some pressure for defensive playstyles? So that when they attack no matter how good they are with PB they will recieve some damage anyway. Maybe but this feels absolutely unfair to punish people for perfectly executing PB. That actually requires skill, that some players cherish.
I was also going to rant about how this change is probably made to cover up for some other unneccessary change but i will refrain from this. Simply to keep this conversation civil. No, im not liking these sabering changes as you might be able to tell.
As I cannot reason why this change is made I cannot then deduce expected outcome out of it.
Change: Consecutive swings are no longer instant across the board.
Problem
Same as before, visibility and readability. New players suffer a lot in this game.
Expected outcome
Same as before, I think this change is made to help people better see whats happening. Im not entirely against this one, but kinda iffy.
Actual outcome
Don't worry duelists will adapt to it, and will find a way to make combos as fucked up and unpredictable as possible, or they will simply leave. Because, and I will repeat myself, the problem you're trying to solve here is not with combo speed or yawing, it is inherent to aimed pb system, as long as it exists people will try to make themselves unpblockable to get through it.