Vapourware Sui Generis + Exanima Early Access

[Saark]

It always feels great to just smash your opponent in the head with a 2handed mace after feinting an attack and bumping into them to push them a little away for an immediate followup. Almost as good as having them trip accidentally and crushing down on them with an overhead attack. I don't know why, but for some reason I like the rather messy approach to combat more than your typical attack-riposte style of melee gameplay.

 

[Mustawd]

Fair enough. I can see how it might be more fun than it looks.

Does the combat hold up with multiple enemies or does it turn into a cluster fuck?

 

[Zdzisiu]

I love the arena mode in this game. I admit, Im a noob and only do well with 2h sword but I managed to get to the penultimate enemy on expert arena. Some of the hits and dodges you can pull will make you go "Woow, that looked really cool, I just made a halt turn and slashed the dude in the face!". Or if you are in a mood for some Mongo Smash fun you take the big two handed hammer and try to one hit enemies. I once managed to one hit two enemies in a row in the novice arena.

 

[Siveon]

This game is just so much fun. To celebrate the new update, I beat the expert arena, against the evil cosplayer.

Seriously, if dicking around the arena is a blast, I can't imagine a full blown crpg. Also polearms = win.

 

[Saark]

Fair enough. I can see how it might be more fun than it looks.

Does the combat hold up with multiple enemies or does it turn into a cluster fuck?

It largely depends on your grasp of the combat controls. Simple one on one situations can be a clusterfuck already while it is entirely possible to contain multiple enemies by fighting in doorways or close to objects that can get in the way. Chairs and barrels are easy to trip over during combat, and one overhead attack usually takes care of enemies that have fallen to the ground. Getting swarmed is one of the easiest ways to get flanked though and without any decent equipment you will be taking critical damage rather quickly.
The two biggest issues early on when starting the "story mode" will be that your enemies are undead, which means that they behave a little differently and more recklessly than the opponents that you trained against in the arena (which is a great way to get a handle on the combat itself). The other issue is actually seeing your opponent. Light-sources are rather rare, most of the time you will throw down the torch to get some vision while you handle the enemies with a twohanded metal bar or a makeshift shield/axe. A couple of weapons are also hidden inside barrels or just hang on the wall and are therefore quite easy to miss.

Seriously, if dicking around the arena is a blast, I can't imagine a full blown crpg. Also polearms = win.

Besides the obvious RPG/Roguelike possibilities I would personally like a full-blown Multiplayer game that uses this engine. Imagine the amount of raging idiots that died because you got a lucky strike on them or they fell down and you crushed their skull open with a mace.

 

[Merlkir]

Polearms being useful and deadly is a good sign the simulation is solid. I also play the arena most of the time, though I'll try and play the campaign soon. (now that there's a lot more content to go through)

 

[Alienman]

Anyone use the two-handed axe? I find it really hard to do well it. I want to use it though.

 

[Siveon]

Pfft, two handed axes are just unwieldy halberds. Get yourself a polearm, son. Or at the very least a warhammer.

Also, maces are fantastic. I love games that don't make swords the best weapon type.

 

[Neanderthal]

Can you thrust in the game?

 

[Alienman]

Not yet, but I read that it is coming.

 

[Neanderthal]

Cheers, pretty much needed for spears and longswords i'd think, hopefully be able to make a Hoplite or Legionnaire like character hiding behind the shield and thrusting out from behind.

 

[anus_pounder]

I too desire to thrust my weapon at my enemies.

 

[moraes]

I just remembered I donated to this. Is it out already? I did not receive any mail...

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Just so you get a picture of scope of this game, here is the map of just the first level. Each tile is probably 3mx3m

Super spoilerific map of first level

Spoilerific notes to the above map

---------------------------------
GROUND FLOOR
---------------------------------

<1,16> Two-Handed Sword

<1,19> Circular Prison

<2,11> Sledgehammer, Roaming

<2,12> Polearm, Roaming

<3,9> Opened with Orange Key

<4,3> Wood Debris, Roaming

<4,18> Two-handed Sword, Roaming

<4,26> Unhappy with Hamon

<5,3> Two-Handed Axe, Roaming, Key!

<5,9> Bill, Aggressive

<5,10> Guard Duty Logbook

<5,18> Metal Bar, Roaming

<5,21> Binding of the Dead

<6,7> Leather Vest, Patient Diary

<7,7> Crutch, Roaming

<7,19> Two-handed Axe

<7,20> Forgotten, Disappointed with Progress

<7,26> Sword

<8,3> Dusty Logbook

<8,4> Prostethic Leg, Crutch

<8,9> Cleaver, Roaming

<8,22> Resentment for Thaven, Life of Linus Fendrick

<8,24> Naiss Mechanism Workings, Note to Darrin

<8,26> Random decent armor

<9,4> Necromancer's Diary

<9,5> Deconstructing Humanity

<9,7> Patient List

<9,9> Polearm, Roaming

<9,16> 1 Lever

<9,17> 4 Levers

<9,23> Velvet Tunic, Velvet Shirt

<9,27> Random decent armor

<10,9> Bedpan, Roaming

<10,27> Naiss' Mechanism

<12,6> Healing Jar, under crates

<13,0> Barricade

<13,6> Skull & Bones warning sign

<14,2> Sledgehammer, Hatchet

<16,0> Leather Vambraces

<16,1> 3 Levers (LtR):
1: Flame burst from floor
2: Near Gate Locked when UP
3: Far Gate Locked when UP

<17,0> Bill

<17,5> Fine leather Boots

<18,2> Sword

<18,15> Handsaw, Roaming

<18,17> Metal bar

<19,4> Strongbox

<19,8> Polearm

<19,13> Candleholder, Roaming

<19,14> Compass

<19,15> Sledgehammer

<20,5> Wood Debris

<20,14> Metal bar

<20,19> Mace

<20,21> Not 001

<20,22> Under the table

<21,7> Double-handed Axe, Roaming

<21,12> Wooden Stak, Iron Spike

<21,15> Wood Fragment, Roaming

<21,16> Leather Vambrace, Sledgehammer

<21,21> Cloth Tunic, Leather Boots, Cloth Trousers

<21,22> Cleaver, Metal Bar

<21,23> Door hidden behind barrel, couldn't open (barricade?). Chest of drawers.

<22,11> Sledgehammer, Roaming

<22,16> Wood Debris, Metal Bar

<22,19> Piece of Wood, Roaming

<23,5> Parchment, Ghost Book

<23,16> Order Book

<23,17> Cage Bar, Blacksmith's Hammer

<23,23> Candle Holder

<23,24> Wood Debris

<24,5> Metal Bar

<24,12> Hatchet

<24,15> Sledgehammer

<24,21> Delivery Log

<24,24> Couldn't open from twin monster side, blocked?

<25,3> Wooden Stake, Roaming

<25,5> Two-handed Axe

<25,23> Buckler

<26,5> Sledgehammer

<26,14> Handsaw

<26,16> Sledgehammer

<26,23> Key 001

<26,24> Dead Mathias: Cloth Shirt, Cloth Trouser, Waistcoat, Leather Boots, Letter

<27,4> Drawer (empty?)

<27,7> Wood Debris

<27,8> Iron Spike

<27,17> Handsaw

<28,5> Chest of drawers, Chest

<28,6> Chest of Drawers, Chest, Machete

<28,13> Handsaw

<28,16> Machete

<28,28> Book, Plant Catalogue

<29,7> Barell Lid (shield)

<29,13> Hatchet

<29,14> Handsaw, Machete

<29,25> Two-handed Axe, Roaming

At some point I did stop writing down locations of "crap" weapons.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Pfft, two handed axes are just unwieldy halberds. Get yourself a polearm, son. Or at the very least a warhammer.

Also, maces are fantastic. I love games that don't make swords the best weapon type.

Got the Bar Mace recently, need to try it out.

 

[Thonius]

Pfft, two handed axes are just unwieldy halberds. Get yourself a polearm, son. Or at the very least a warhammer.

Also, maces are fantastic. I love games that don't make swords the best weapon type.

Well in my experience 2h sword is an easy mode. Just do some fancy footwork in you're golden. Swords are balanced and quick.
What I found is that shields and one hand weapons are kinda..meh one hand axe is literally a hard mode. Its good for killing peasants I guess...

 

[throwaway]

Does this support a gamepad (or is it even likely to?)?

 

[Merlkir]

Does this support a gamepad (or is it even likely to?)?

Some people asked, it's very unlikely.

 

[AW8]

Did the patch make the game easier? I actually managed to kill a couple of zombies yesterday, and got further in the arena than I previously had (lost to the first guy with a greatsword). I was using a two-handed axe, by the way.

Did the zombies always do only short-term damage?

The game is really a lot more fun once you've played for several hours and learned the controls.

 

[Merlkir]

I think the AI is actually smarter and fights better, but the controls are so much more responsive it might feel easier.

 

[Zdzisiu]

Did the patch make the game easier? I actually managed to kill a couple of zombies yesterday, and got further in the arena than I previously had (lost to the first guy with a greatsword). I was using a two-handed axe, by the way.

Did the zombies always do only short-term damage?

The game is really a lot more fun once you've played for several hours and learned the controls.

The patch made the game easier in the sense that it made the controls more responsive and the zombies less crazy.

The damage the Zombies do depends strongly on what weapon they use. If it is just a chair leg then they will do mostly short-term dmg even to lightly armoured character, but if they have a more impressive weapon, they will easily hit you for 30-50% of your red hp on a good swing.

 

[garren]

Does the game have dismemberment? Sounds like something that would go well with the combat system.

 

[AW8]

Played the novice arena some more. This one time I actually managed to make the greatsword-guy bleed! He murderized me shortly afterwards, of course.

In the campaign, I found a key. Trying to find myself back to the locked door in the beginning, I accidently ran into two zombies.
One of them was aggroed and tried to hit me, but missed and hit the other guy. I ran in a state of panic, trying to get enough distance between us for me to open the inventory and switch the torch with the sledgehammer.
When I did, they caught up with me, but I noticed that the second zombie was actually ignoring me and only attacking the first one.

So I once again ran off, stopped within earshot of their battle, dropped the torch on the ground and put my character in battle ready stance. When I heard one of them go down, I awaited battle, but nothing came.
I walked toward the place of their bout, and found the survivor patrolling the hallways, ignoring me.

I'm not racist, but all zombies look the same. I don't know if my attacker won and lost his aggressive feelings for me after slaying his kin, or if he got served justice after his pal got tired of his carelessness.
Anyway, I survived and got to listen to my enemies fighting each other. All good. :D

Still trying to find my way back to the beginning, I avoided needless fights and tried to make sense of my surroundings.
Then I saw a zombie wielding my weapon of choice from the arena, the two-handed axe, and started a needless fight with him.
15 seconds afterwards, I lay dead on the ground.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

You need to treat the first 3 levels of the game (there are currently 4) as character creation. You are weak-ass shlub, no skills, no gear. So avoid all the fights you can, get some nice gear (machete is really useful in the beginning, but I also had some success with cage bar). Get some armour on, train Armour skill so that you can wear 3 pips worth of protection without sacrificing mobility (I can't really fight properly with more than 3 pips of encumbrance). If you can survive longer you'll have more opportunities to git gud.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Does this support a gamepad (or is it even likely to?)?

http://www.twitch.tv/murf72 One of the dev forum regulars is supposedly doing a stream of game with a Steam controller. Haven't watched myself, so don't know how he's doing.