Thread by @jasondeheras

How do 3rd person melee combat games communicate GAME and HIT feel? Combat design is one part rules/goals and one part FEEDBACK. Let’s examine some popular techniques that enhance moment-to-moment interactions. #gamedesign #combatdesign 🧵 - PART 1 -

ANIMATION - In 3rd person melee games, animation readability is the FOUNDATION for game/hit feel. Properties like sound/vfx/etc enhance the animation. Attacks are authored with gameplay CONSTRAINTS (hit timing/attack distance) that focuses the construction of the animation. 1/10

In Street Fighter V, Ryu’s jab hits on frame 2 (or 0.03s) giving the animator literally NO TIME to include certain traditional animation principles. The 12 principles of animation have to be modified or even ignored depending on gameplay needs. 2/10

Melee combat animations showcase personality, intent and motion within a small window of time. EXAGGERATED POSING is a way animators can manipulate the body posture past normal range of “real life” motion. This is key to creating ACTION POSES that catch the player’s eye. 3/10

Nero’s attacks in DMC5 hit FAST. The combat is built around mixing up attacks to achieve a better rank. The player can chain moves together via combo strings and attack canceling. In the video, notice how exaggerated posing allows FRENETIC action to be readable. 4/10

The ANTICIPATION portion of an attack is considered the “wind up.” Generally, its purpose is to reach a pose that flows seamlessly into the FOLLOW THROUGH where the kinetic energy is “stored”. Its other purpose is to communicate attack intent (power, direction). 5/10

The HIT FRAMES are poses that trigger reactions, sound/VFX/cam shake/controller rumble/etc. Tekken 7 has some of the hardest hitting attacks due to animation design. In the video, the mid kick HOLDS the hit pose for a few frames to sell the aftermath of the impact. 6/10

The hit frames FEEL powerful because the end of the follow through frames do not rely on blending or excessive in-between frames. The hit frames are PRECISELY authored to show the transfer of kinetic energy from the attacker to the victim. 7/10

HIT REACTION - Newton’s 3rd law of motion states for every action (force) there is an equal/opposite reaction. Hit feel wouldn’t be BELIEVABLE without reactions that sell attack intent/KINETIC energy. Directionality/displacement are key characteristics for selling a hit. 8/10

In the video, attacks hit from various ANGLES (low/mid/high), POSITIONS (standing/crouching) and STRENGTHS (small/medium/hard). The reaction system supports a variety of attacks. Also, notice how the enemy SNAPS to a dynamic pose for an INSTANT SILHOUETTE change. 9/10

Proper SPACING between the attacker/victim ensures the hit collision makes contact in the “sweet spot.” Most melee games use game physics to IMPULSE the victim backwards a set amount based on attack strength. This kick SETS UP the next attack perfectly due to LARGE impulse. 10/10

VISUAL EFFECTS - Particles can IMPART a feeling of energy release when the directionality, shape and intensity matches the attack strength. In DMC5, Nero’s basic attacks triggers radial particles that are camera facing and can be seen at angle the player attacks. 1/4

In contrast, Nero’s heavy attacks trigger layers of fx that sell strength/directionality. Particle effects size can also be exaggerated to communicate the importance of the hit. In Hollow Knight, getting hit is a big deal as evidenced by the full screen particle impact. 2/4

Designers can use visual effects (VFX) to communicate the player’s power level. In Street Fighter V, there are normal and special attacks where the animations are shared between them, but the VFX is key to making the attacks feel more powerful/unique. 3/4

In the video, Zangief’s normal piledriver has NEUTRAL colored swirls during the piledriver. The EX version adds a unique RED trail along with the UNIVERSAL yellow highlight that signifies EX moves. The animations are shared but the layered VFX makes it feel special. 4/4

SOUND EFFECTS - Authoring sounds in the CONTEXT of gameplay rules ensure the sounds serve a ROLE. SFX can contribute to game/hit feel by conveying player states/enhancing abilities. Stylized/non-diegetic sfx have the benefit of standing out to catch a player’s ear. 1/10

In Bloodborne, Parrying is a risky ability where the player must shoot the gun as an enemy has started to attack. If the player timed it correctly, the enemy will enter a stun reaction. The sound conveys the feeling of knocking out an opponent or “ringing one’s bell”. 2/10

Stylized sounds can also be used to reinforce the THEME of a game mechanic. The Witch Time activation sound CONVEYS the actual functionality of the Witch Time mechanic which is slowing down all enemies. The “powering down” sound is something most people are familiar with. 3/10

Gameplay sounds can also reinforce UNIVERSAL rules. In Sekiro, the parry success sound is the same whether the victim is human or an animal. This RULE makes interactions with all types of enemies less confusing when the player pulls off a technical move like parry. 4/10

Non-diegetic sounds can be used to great effect to convey critical gameplay STATES. In Sekiro, the posture broken sound is used for both player and enemy since the posture system rules are the same across the game. The ominous sounding drum conveys a sense of doom. 5/10

In SFA3, an explosion-type sound plays when the player’s guard is depleted. The player is highly vulnerable during this state. The sound’s design ALIGNS with the player’s state. The sound itself also conveys a sense of destruction. 6/10

In Breath of the Wild, the player can hold the attack button to “charge” up attacks. The longer the button is held, the more powerful the attack. In addition to the animation supporting this build up, the sound conveys PROGRESSION by increasing the intensity of the “ping”. 7/7

GAME FREEZE - Freezing on screen actors is a technique that has been around for decades. Pac-Man, which was released some 40 years ago and, arguably the 1st melee game ever, froze all actors (except the Power Pellets) for ~1s when the player ate a ghost. 1/6

The freeze gives the player a moment to locate the other ghosts and strategize which direction to move in order to eat more ghosts. Pac-Man himself disappears revealing the amount of points gained which provides another layer of positive reinforcement. 2/6

Super Mario Bros freezes all actors when Mario touches a power-up but compared to Pac-Man, Mario’s animation plays out. In both games, the sound of each interaction is played in real time to create arguably two of the most iconic hit feel moments in video game history. 3/6 CONT.