First fighting test

Alpha 100 has the most important update so far, which is the first playable prototype of unarmed striking. I will describe it in more detail, but first, just watch the video demo!

I am starting the combat system with an upgraded version of the Lugaru system, and then I can experiment with new additions like air attacks and grappling.

Compared to other fighting systems, the biggest difference is that you don't attack when you press the attack button. Instead, you hold down the attack button to signal the intent to attack, and then the attack is launched once you're in range. This allows you to concentrate more on tactics and strategy, and less on basic timing and move memorization. It also makes fights look cooler and flow better because there are fewer "whiffed" attacks. There are a few whiffs in the video above, but that is because the system doesn't yet compensate for minor post-attack position changes caused by sliding or hit reactions.

There are three attacks: a spin kick, a push kick, and a leg sweep. You launch the spin kick if you're holding a direction key, the sweep if you are crouching, and the push kick otherwise. You can also control the direction of horizontal attacks by holding the left or right movement key. If you preorder, you can try it out now!

Damage is inspired by the Smash Brothers series, in that enemies get knocked back harder based on how much damage they have accumulated -- this should help allow for combination attacks without complicating the control scheme. This method is reasonable because a fresh fighter can guard effectively and block attacks, but as he gets tired, he starts to let his guard down and take more hits.

There's still a lot of work to for the basic fighting, but this is an exciting step! Most of the basic technical features are in, so now I can focus more on gameplay. For those who preordered, do you have any thoughts about the fighting controls so far?