Impactful Attacks

[Ralts]

Will they ever make it so that our attacks feel like it's dealing damage to enemies? Our skills look nice and all, but it's more like fireworks than real impactful attacks. Lately, it feels like my attacks doesn't hit the enemies, and the damage numbers are all over, it's hard to tell who dealt which damage.

[Martin_Arcainess]

Those small numbers you see are your party members/other peoples damage yours is clearly stated by the name of the attack you done with the damage you done next to it in orange letters.

As for the animation of the attack, it depends. I mean what do you want fast blade to do? Trigger a flare like kaboom? Fast blade! BAAM! lol jk bud.


But as how the animation gose, what is a impact or pain dealing supposed to look like? I know where WOL but I'd still like to feel like a human not some over the top anime super one punch man hero.


It all falls down to preference.

[Rufalus]

I think it will always be like that without proper physics and collision, like an mmo limitation. Not just your attacks but your whole body clip through enemy and you can stand inside them. Can never hug friend because we all ghosties /o\

[Enur]

Its the sound design that fails in FFXIV imo, all attacks sound weak. no "oomph" to anything just "pat pat pat pif" (bootshine)

While im no sound technician im guessing its a lack of bass in the attack sounds. you cant feel it like you can in gw2. that game knows how to mae satisfying sounds

[Meeka19]

My husband had your exact complaint. He tried all the classes and he didn't find any that entirely satisfied him. I feel similarly it just wasn't as immediately noticeable to me.

Its the sound design that fails in FFXIV imo, all attacks sound weak. no "oomph" to anything just "pat pat pat pif" (bootshine)

While im no sound technician im guessing its a lack of bass in the attack sounds. you cant feel it like you can in gw2. that game knows how to mae satisfying sounds

They're reworking the way skills work for the next expansion (apparently summer/mid 2017 or something). So if anyone else has ideas as to the why's of that feeling do tell, they may read the thread.

[VanilleFang]

Jumps feel pretty impactful.

[Welsper59]

Jumps feel pretty impactful.

That thump when you fall can sometimes feel uncomfortable.

For that "impact" type of feel, it heavily relies on proper sound effects and (sometimes) camera angles. A perfect example is the Rocksteady Batman Arkham games. Attacking as Batman, be it hits/blocks/cape stuns, have a connection to the feel of impact. Add to it those close-up shots of the final blow and you have a satisfying feeling of combat.

Obviously, camera work isn't exactly something to expect here (since we control it) and skill/spell animation also has a hand in it. What they can do though, is add those SFX to a proper degree. It's quite possible, as even WoW has some skills that have a decent "impact" feel to it (e.g. Rogue's old Envenom shink sound).

FFXIV often fails to emphasize its use of sound. I've said this many times in the past about the music in this game, but it also carries over to effects. To be clear, this is not a dig at the music, as I think it's mostly great. This is a comment on the use of it, or in the case of the effects, the proper sounds for some skills. Archer/Bard have a decent impact feel when the attack connects with the mob, with that sharp thud sound. NIN, however, feels disconnected with its generic short blade SFX, as though you're just slicing air.

[Dzian]

I've said this ever since beta. In 1.23 everything skill you used felt like it had power and impacted the battle. But since beta that's disappeared.

The problem is skills are spammed and there ridicously weak. Even an open world trash mobs an take a dozen plus skills to kill. A monster so weak it could beat on you for several minutes and still not dent your hp.

Why does it take so many of your skills to kill something so weak... only further emphasises the lack of power or weight they have.

To this day I still say the 1.23 attlee system was a lot better than what we have now

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

I can't say I've particularly noticed any particular lack of impact, when it comes to sounds. Personally, I'd like to see more pronounced stagger effects on pc's. Like, an attack that deals 2/3 of the pc's HP bar in damage caused them to take a few steps back, or knocks them down to one knee.

[Naunet]

Its the sound design that fails in FFXIV imo, all attacks sound weak. no "oomph" to anything just "pat pat pat pif" (bootshine)

While im no sound technician im guessing its a lack of bass in the attack sounds. you cant feel it like you can in gw2. that game knows how to mae satisfying sounds

Have to agree 100%. There is way too much treble in game sounds overall. That's one of the big reasons the main combat music is so grating on the ears, too (aside from the fact that you here it constantly). A deeper sound playing when a large attack hits helps it "feel" heavier and stronger. Both GW2 and WoW I think are MMOs with very good sound and effect design as far as how satisfying abilities are to use.