Making KILLER COMBAT for my ACTION MECHA GAME | RAPID Devlog

[@mistermamamia]

I love the idea of player mastery, but the real sauce behind making memorable combat: enemy design. You can have the most amount of moves and high skill mechanics like parrying, but nooone of that matters if the enemies don’t challenge every aspect of your abilities. Remember, combat is competitive, so the enemies should be trying their best to kill you as you are to killing them. I recommend thinking about everything you can do, and making enemies that counter one aspect each, then try experimenting with putting them together and seeing how it feels. Then whenever you add a new mechanic, you can add a new enemy to balance it, or vice versa.

[@roznetakiefajne]

Totally agree. Combat is always choosing best tool to fix a specific problems. And if u dont know what the problem is you cant choose the solution. If there is no enemies, most of the well crafted player abilities feels useless. But i think that Lev is on a very good path to make this combat awesome if he focus on enemy design now.

[@noonoox12]

case in point: The NG++ secret boss, Ayre, & IBIS. They really push you to the ABSOLUTE LIMIT and I LOVE IT

[@Sorain1]

As an addendum to your solid advice, there is value in soft rather than hard counters. Example: The original Megaman games had a bosses weakness deal huge damage but have no other distinction from the basic attack. Some of the Megaman X games had using the weakness allow you to chain stun the boss, which was extremely unsatisfying to do. However, other Megaman X games had using the weakness counter or temporarily disable part of the bosses moveset (usually a really difficult attack or effective defense.) which introduced an addition element of strategy while rewarding the right tool for the job being used without negating the bosses entire threat to you. Soft counters are especially important for when multiple 'use X to deal with' enemy types confront a player at once, as the contrast in difficulty from 1v1 is nowhere near as drastic.

[@mistermamamia]

@@Sorain1 Oh I am in no way proposing a "1 lock, 1 key" kind of game design. Don't literally make abilities that are designed to deal with 1 singular problem and have no application anywhere else, that's supremely boring. I'm talking about that abstract kind of theory pushing, taking the on paper strengths and weaknesses of all of your options and making enemies that challenge those in a similar risk reward manner. Like your melee swings, they are at a disadvantage at the majority of ranges but can still deal with ranged enemies by walking up to them. It doesn't have to be the optimal way to do it, it just has to be a way to do it. Lock and key design says that melee just doesn't work at all or is so unbearably bad against certain enemies you're stupid for using it, maybe even going as far as to have the mechanics reflect that idea by having enemies some enemies resist your swings. That's the kind of counter balancing I don't enjoy, there will always be preferred options, but having hard blocks like resistances quickly makes it very easy and very boring to figure out the optimal way of play. Play around with more abstract concepts like spacing and distance and whiff punishing and frame advantage. That's the juicy stuff.

[@azure98]

"I am making a game inspired by Armored Core, Vanquish, and even Metal Gear Rising." You just said 3 of some of my favorite things, im in. Ill be looking forward to this one.

[@deltaxeno7807]

You had me at Vanquish.

[@Ethanol3310]

Here before this blows up. I predict this is gonna be the newest Indie success story

[@hypemann8085]

If not, its definitely will become a Cult Classic game

[@amonniyvii9226]

Yeah, for shure

[@CatDaber3142]

Yeah this looks so cool

[@ShepardCD-wu7fw]

Oh, we all putting our tickets in?

[@victorsolomon-vr7wl]

I was saying the same thing

[@boxboblin4178]

*sigh* another wishlist

[@khoelindawati6716]

I mean at least it exist tho

[@remor698]

That boost jump sending you upside down in this really smooth animation and then being able to stay like that for a bit while shooting looks so satisfying! And just the whole combination of Armored Core thrust and Vanquish slide moves is just really cool, both in concept and execution. Good combat is also very reliant on good enemy design though, so I hope to see at least some foes among the cannonfodder that would pose a more tactical challenge to the player and their tools. Just as an example, here's one enemy design idea that popped into my head just now (feel free to do with it whatever you will): A relatively big, heavy, grounded unit with a forward facing shield and heavy, but also predictable weaponry, specifically something like a grenade launcher and a big sword or other sweeping melee weapon of its own. The goal here would be to make it a walking mobility challenge of requiring a well lined up boost jump over top or a dodge in the opposite direction of its melee swing to get around its shield and hit it hard. Perhaps it could even have different stances that each would best be exploited by a certain movement option and can be baited out (aforementioned melee attack when the player gets in close, beaten by a dodge; planted shield when the player is grounded, beaten by the boost jump; raised shield when the player is airborne, beaten by a komet drop into slide, etc.). Worth noting, it would need to have a deliberately crappy turn speed and a weakpoint on the back so it doesn't wind up as a repetitive damage sponge when you are skilled enough to reliably get around its defenses. Either way though, hope you have fun!

[@inuxys]

Thank you all for the support! I do read all comments and take your points into consideration. Im cooking something that im sure you will love. next devlog probably in like ~2 weeks? Please look forward to it! NEXT VIDEO FOCUS IS CUSTOMISATION

[@bocahdongo7769]

I have some some opinion. How about forcing the player to learn and master lock-on break mechanic like on Armored Core? Making most enemy bullet move fast enough to warrant hit with bit powerful target tracking, but you have boost just enough to fool the enemy line of fire with no i-frame. But the booster need to be recharge on fly to not punish the fly-by player. For the I-frame skill, I suggest treat it as "ultimate skill" that you need to earn but also super powerful and worth the try. So it still forced player to learn lock-on break mechanic but if the skill is active, you let the player whatever shenanigan they want.

[@rocad_guitar]

This looks insanely cool - really love what you added with the timed-dodge/counter! Can't wait to see how your game grows!

[@rej3ktstudios986]

I love the anime cell shaded look and the highlights on the energy weapons. I'll be more than happy to by this. Good luck friend and stay strong.

[@nixonscherbarth1974]

Really entertaining devlog, on top I really like your editing! Also the explanaition sequences make sure to include all your viewers! Keep it on, Looking forward for the next one :)!

[@robatiron557]

This looks so promising and cool !!! Really keep going like this, you are on the right path ! ^^

[@gatorsoup]

This looks absolutely stellar. It's giving rollerdrome meets vanquish and that is absolutely my kind of game.

[@jjhe3899]

That boost jump animation is soooo satisfying...

[@BlackFire363]

Rarely comment on stuff like this but looks really sick ngl will keep an eye on this devlog

[@inuxys]

thanks for the support. Im just trying to make it fun !

[@pretzel1313]

KZbin randomly recommended this to me and it's entirely my vibe. I'm looking forward to learning more about it with time! Best wishes!

[@3bomb]

I love when devs spend tons of time cooking on the player controller and giving it layers of depth and a level of mastery. Project looks sick so far!

[@DarkuGaming]

The game looks great visually, but the thought behind the controls and gameplay is so GOOD. Looks super fun to play!

[@ch33suscrust17]

Definitely wishlisting this when it comes out

[@NaughtyDuck]

Have you played Zone of the Enders? This definitely gives vibe of Zone of the Enders. Looks good keep it up

[@cesare_1302]

Very nice combo of inspiration. Also great design for the main mech/character

[@jinenjipeke]

i love how this game is taking shape, it looks very fun

[@trabalhogames2410]

i love the graffics and how much style there is in any movement, i want to see something alike that shows grace with lethality. A dance per say, or a just a moment for me the player to show off my abilities and the character embodies it perfectly

[@LIQUIDSOLID6655]

clicked because i thought that the character looked like Sam and his reaction suit , then i heard Vanquish and then i saw the movement , i might me hooked. It looks so good to play already , when you add every mechanic that you want and polish it up a bit , it will certainly be in my library. Good luck man

[@Metalcorn999]

You engaged me at the core gameplay mechanic, like "that's my sh#t, go on"

[@matthewschoen9827]

Stylistically, the character design reminds me of patlobor with the movement of full metal panic, and I'm here for it.

[@xylvnking]

Animations are absolutely killer, especially that boost jump. Really awesome devlog!!

[@Forgetthereality]

AC, Vanquish, Revengance AND You got some visual Pat Labor styling going on? underrated! Let us know when you go for monetary backing! Take your time though! Love to see where this goes!

[@Dahlia-ip1lu]

thanks for keeping the quality so high across all your videos!

[@animationcatalyst8123]

I’m not a game animator so I don’t understand the complexities of implementing combat with another humanoid enemy but it’s the first suggestion my brain ran to. I think it would be great to fight other mechs and it opens a lot of possibilities in terms of combat, including satisfying finisher animations. Hope this helps and I love your work!!

[@arctiformgames]

The game looks very cool, ill be looking forward to giving it a play!

[@levelNeroZero]

Add a really cool Sprint Boost! It will be cool to see Scifi Suit/Mech run as fast as it can

[@Senko1800]

WOW , you did this alone? Very impressive, don't give up bro . Never . God bless.❤

[@Stratharde]

What you have so far is a fantastic start to something beautiful.

[@brolicanklesanonymous]

i have a little bit of a suggestion/reminder/gripe when thinking of the admittedly few games ive played in the mecha genre. i think it would be good to make sure enemies react/are affected by being hit by the sword. with the few mecha games ive touched, i feel like most of melee weapons have no impact on the enemies in the games. basically i think it would be nice if enemies wobble/stagger when hit with a melee weapon. i understand this is a work in progress. for all i know you already have enemy melee damage reaction in mind for future progress. all in all this looks pretty neat so far

[@sukiabo645]

Very cool. The mecha and his weapon design,and movestep.

[@antares3030]

I love the combination of all the cool mecha combat ideas in one game! Thanks for sharing, this looks great

[@timmight8087]

I don't know why but the world you've built, along with the style, made me think of the indie game Zineth. That was a game that really made me fall in love with movement. I think maybe you should add a way to chain that downward dive back into a slide. I don't know what button you press to descend faster, but if you could interrupt the fast fall with like a boost/dive kick to go back into the slide, instead of the crash that would be very satisfying. I don't know your plans/scope. But if you're at all going for an open world. Doing like what wind waker did between islands. You could have the main combat areas, then when you want to travel from one area to the next. instead of marching through the barren landscape. You could call down/summon an attachment (Wings, a big booster, etc.) and do a more high speed form of movement to travel between locales in a more freeskate type movement.

[@PhirstyMehn]

This video is great, I love that you identify and explain industry terms.

[@draganoidept]

This game is looking real good! This core loop seems to be out of this world! You are taking what made Vanquished that fun to play and unleashing it further! I will be following this development from here on!

[@jayceetacticalartistvtuber2902]

Ooorah!! A mecha indie dev log!! Finally!

[@BmikroB]

Perfectly timed dodge with a brief slomo applied to the animation while dodging is like the most satisfying thing to pull off (not to mention how AWESOME it looks!). However, I just have to ask that one question that burns me inside out since I first saw AC6 trailer, then I saw people play it, and then I even finally got the game myself, and I played it extensively - will your character have some sort of alternative to boost/thruster sliding, like uh, running using legs with the same speed of boost sliding - but using actual legs running animation instead? I mean, instead of your typical 'legs locked, slidey feet go brrr' character sliding pose/state. I get it it's like that in Armored Core by design, and it pretty much became a meta movement in the series, however, ... it might sound crazy but I'm gonna be honest with you I think it looks boring & becomes dull & lifeless pretty quickly. Even when playing AC6 I just can't shake this feeling away, good thing I was able to paint AC6 as a kinda 'roller shooter' (instead of an actual mecha game) in my head, so that 'imaginative technique' elevated the problem for me, haha. Well, kind of. But then I remembered my ANTHEM days (and man, I played that game pretty much 24/7 back then), and comparing ANTHEM's movement to AC6 I would always prefer the former with its highly dynamic, energetic & kinetic-filled movement on the ground. It doesn't just look great, it feels & telegraphs the action & speed so much better than Armored Core's surprisingly static boost sliding imo. Please note that I don't actually criticize either your or AC's animation works and stuff, those are all excellent, I'm just describing how the boost sliding feels to me in general, and how I think having another option to it might benefit the movement from my pov, that's all. Good luck with your project! Peace!

[@censheard7019]

0:12 I LOVE vanquish. You have my attention good sir 🎉

[@darkrai_chu0002]

I've never been so sold in the first 5 seconds of a video

[@Tekkenandgaming]

About time we see games be inspired by the legendary Vanquish, keep up the good work!

[@mayronoliveira157]

man really good job! cant wait to try your demo and see the full game! Keep going! btw do you have any suggestions, docs or even tutorials ?

[@sprites4ever482]

Here's a suggestion for a mechanic: Since this game obviously has copious amounts of slow-mo, what if you needed to keep hitting enemies to maintain the effect? This way, you could bring back the antiquated arcade-style high score system, which is also common in the Character-Action games your game is inspired by. While you would need the slowdown to avoid getting overwhelmed, here's a twist: Your character is also affected by it! Inputs would process as normal, but you'd be just as slow as your enemies, until you build up the combo meter to higher levels, at which point your character gets affected less by the slow-mo. If this doesn't fit into the main game, it could make for an awesome equippable challenge accessory or difficulty setting. Also, I think it would be awesome if you were to, at some point, add a replay function, since that is something I feel like a lot of Character-Action games lack.

[@speedstriker]

Firefly, Tekkaman and Samus fans just woke up

[@josiahegelhoff1813]

This looks great so far. One idea is your gun flashes when charging, each flash equals more damage before you release the trigger.

[@trexzp6210]

You had me at the inspiration and first secounds of gameplay

[@shoukaiser]

This is lovely, and damn do I Love Cascadeur. I combine that with my motion capture equipment and get some great action. Great work so far. I'm looking forward to more!

[@Romanian901]

this is a dev with a vision. this game is HYPE

[@withertempestprime8718]

This is amazing. Can't wait for the final result.

[@Atmos_Glitch]

3:20 Boost jumping kinda reminds me of bullet jumping in Warframe, in that game you also have a glide mechanic which can allow you to keep the momentum of your bullet jump mid air, or it simply just keeps you slowly descending for a limited time when moving or stationary when you choose. But the glide mechanic is almost strictly momentum based, with your movement slightly influencing the direction, and the direction you input your dodge greatly influencing it. This could be useful if the player just simply wants to cover distance more efficiently. I think also having grounded enemies will help with enemy variety and maybe a difference in playstyle. They could be more melee focused and rush you down or something, deflecting your bullets as they approach? Maybe incentivising melee combat from the player? Though I don't know if that would work lol

[@RATIK_SAMPLE]

Looks as a cool and unique game, can't wait to play!

[@kalter3773]

You're doing good my friend, keep the motivation on, and don't you dare go hollow

[@Atmos_Glitch]

Oh damn, this looks real Awsome! Nice going

[@HaWeLu]

the game looks really fun and cool, cant wait to play it when its buyable

[@paulpantorilla6121]

Looks really solid! Excited to try this out someday.

[@zaviusfirerave]

I think the sound effect is going to be very important. The gun's sound and the sound when sliding and dashing need to sound really good

[@andremonteiro5413]

Yes please do make a video on how you achieved this graphical look, it looks gorgeous 🔥🔥🔥

[@gabrielemolteni5177]

if i had to say one important characteristic in a game has to be player customization being able to build different mechs or equip different weapons is definitely the coolest part about armored core

[@ronboprime]

that's cool as hell man. I see a lot of the ingram: patlabor influence. but the movement is crazy fluid. nice. I'm making something kinda like this. too... but I went with gundam, and transformers. lol. cheers

[@slepey]

instantly supported, i understand it’s a huge undertaking for a small team but PvP in a mecha game with such complex movement mechanics would be HUGE and i hope at the very least its being considered for implementation

[@inuxys]

Thank you so much for the support! if the game reaches production phase in a publishing deal - then pvp could be seriously considered

[@slepey]

@@inuxys glad to hear it, looking forward to what you have to offer 😁

[@thetriathigamer1544]

Hell yeah, this looks sick! Can’t wait till it blows up

[@thedarknessinu3151]

well, am I the only one who also sees a game that is inspired by DmC? Well I guess he already said this with MGR whis is also a DmC inspired Game but guys slap that combo and Style meter in and you got yourself the next big Character Action Game!

[@rokeeh]

so underrated, keep on going brother

[@everettewebber5680]

Love the choice of Amored Core 6 music for the video

[@christopherjones5827]

Exactly looks good. This kinda looks like Robotech.

[@pokitcheze7274]

I sense promise, I’m excited to see where this goes

[@dempa3]

I'm not very familiar with these types of games, but it looks fun! I wonder if destructible environments could elevate the action "kick-butt-hell-yeah" feeling.

[@skam6112]

I feel like movement needs more illusions of speed. Everything feels little gooey. May be you should take into account some effects like blur in the monitor corners (like in redout). Air wobble (from high temperature) around MC during boosting can also add for the speed illusion.

[@leucis8248]

Everything about this looks extremely fun and promising! If I could give two pieces of feedback: The jump should either burn energy or have some other limit/player choice to it. As an Armored Core player, details like "every time you see thrusters activate, you're burning stamina" would be very important to me and make the game feel more "legit" for lack of a better term. The artstyle. I know this is very early in development so the artstyle might not be anywhere near how the end product will look but I think this sort of game lends itself more towards darker, gritty looking graphics. The cel-shading and flat textures kind of make it look very "cheap" even though you've clearly put a ton of work into this already. Maybe a mix of the two? Idk. Would love to see you succeed and will be keeping a close eye on this game :D

[@SwizzleMix]

Bro this is looking slick as hell, good luck and keep on truckin'

[@theblackdragonemperor2132]

For the dodge, I recommend maybe an option for either a ranged or melee retaliation. Some situations might call for a ranged option instead of a melee option. A ranged enemy might be easier to counter with melee because they can’t defend themselves too well up close (a lack of options in one category and not the other), whereas it’s the opposite for melee enemies. For enemies with both attack types, you might need to keep an eye on what they’re using when you perfectly dodge their attack and use the opposite of that attack type. If you dodge that enemy’s fire: You melee. If you dodge that enemy’s melee: you fire a precise charged shot. Of course, this choices are up to the player. Maybe the enemy can parry you, too, so it becomes a short brawl, but one very brief, as to not annoy melee specific players. If you include bosses, though, it might be good to loosen that a little bit. It might make the combat just that bit more exhilarating.

[@lemniscatelogos7917]

Talk about everything you can this is amazing

[@wowKyl3]

I absolutely would buy this! I love how you focus on movement and animation to be more stylish and cool. If I could offer some feedback I would say give more than 2 slashes with the sword. It feels incomplete to only do 2 swings. Most combos are fundamentally 3 swings as a minimum requirement. Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, and mostly any game with a sword has a basic 3 slash combo. One more thing to add would be cool as well, a charged up power slash. It would provide another dynamic to the combat for players to be more aggressive in combat. Using a sword appeals to the gamers who like a more competitive style of playing. You can even allow for a charged sword dash where the player does a homing attack with more power but at the cost of taking incoming damage from bullets. That way you have a trade off that allows people to be more strategic with their combat approach. I really hope you read this and implement these moves, as a gamer this is what I picked up on immediately. Everything else is incredibly satisfying to see and I look forward to buying this when you release it!!!

[@Andorvaelis1]

The movement looks amazing

[@VolkanKucukemre]

Impressive progress in 3 months!

[@censheard7019]

Okay yeah. This game is an instant buy for me. Thiis is EXACTLY the kind of core combat I’ve wanted in a 3rd person shooter for some time.

[@Sorain1]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on enemy design, since that's part of the core combat you are focusing on here.

[@SB0083]

Since we're talking about mecha, have you ever played Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner? I feel like there might be some ideas there that you may like.

[@ardalanghasemian3658]

Hey this looks insane already and just wanted to say your crazy talented man. I would advise you to check electric undergeounds analysis on armored core 6 for a deep dive in mecha game mechanics and also checking out hyper demon for an inspiration about dash stomp multiple attacks and overall combining a few simple mechanics to create an insane depth, hope you blow up brother!

[@JoshKoledoye]

The shading is insane bro

[@fiddlestickjones]

i see alot of potential in this currently, basing alot of your airborne movement off of armored core 6 is a good idea as its movement is very smooth, but one thing id like to see in the future is some sort of customizability, however you may design it

[@Salted-_-]

amazing, i too had an idea of making a mecha game inspired by armored core 6 and hack and slash games

[@puntloosPD]

Holy damn this project is so fun

[@SubzeroBlack68]

Cascadeur is amazing. I have been able to make some insane animations in a single session which would have taken almost an entire week on Blender. I'm using Cascadeur to make animations for my mecha game too. Except its a mix of Armored Core/Absolver/Soulslike.

[@baseddepartment6469]

This looks so cool! Hoping for bossfights, those are the life of a game for me

[@rejectednewtype4241]

Great video love the mech genre and the style you're going with. I'm going have to give Cascadeur a try because I'm also trying to use blender for animations and Its not going so well. Would love to see how you handle tougher enemies with more health or shields that you have to break to land heavy hits in.

[@ViroVeteruscy]

When this goes further, hopefully there are cosmetics. First thought was swapping the chest plate to become a fembot. No real reason other than sexy robot and just for fun. Best of luc with the game :3

[@victorsolomon-vr7wl]

I have a few suggestions of cool features you can add Enemies: you already have drones Land_ crawlers that move like spiders and can pounce at you. If there's gonna be underwater combat then you should add a kind of leviathan Player: Colours customisation of thruster flames or better still different colours should be used for different speeds. It'd also be nice if you have different weapons with different functions that can be integrated with the suit.

[@somerandomsimpilot8451]

Love to see some overview for planned customization if any.

[@tengen_moon7741]

A good idea is build the bosses with the movement and combat abilities in mind, Make the fights cracked out in the coolness factor while making sure gameplay is fun. Think of something like Metal Gear Rising, DMC or any games that allow you to have the most anime fight ever using the core mechanics of the game.

[@p.m3204]

this is ultra kill type, hope you will success like ultrakill too

[@jackfrost884]

Ill be keeping an eye on this one

[@noblephantasms7250]

Would be cool if you could boost off walls when you collide into them to keep momentum. Sort of like in the recent Spider-Man games. Also to touch on the reloading, maybe you could implement Gears of War’s active reloading where timing the reload right gives you a faster reload and increased damage for that magazine for a short amount of time.

[@Kyogre4X]

The slow movements give me Risk of Rain 2 vibes

[@nerophase]

this looks really good man.. keep it up!!

[@noblephantasms7250]

This has a lot of potential.

[@nickdunlap5570]

this looks dope as hell! i'd totally play a steam demo!