Here are some suggestions. First of all, light attack, medium attack, heavy attack and block. That's all the buttons you really need for melee. You could make throws by simultaneously hitting light and heavy, you can stun an enemy by blocking at just the right time ( similar to a flawless block in MK ). And you could have so many combos with just those.

The rage meter, OK, so rather than one misstep killing it, here is my suggestion. First, I really really don't like the way it is now where you're getting pounded on and you just have to punch reeeeeeal reeeeal slow. That doesn't make sense to me. So here's what I think. After four successive strikes at any speed, the meter will start to fill. Landing more strikes fills the meter more, being struck reduces it. Jumping reduces it by say 30% but won't nullify it necessarily. Blocking strikes will neither cause it to fill nor to drain. Pulling off a counter attack ( by first blocking at just the right time, then taking advantage of their stunned state to launch strikes ) should fill it by 30%. Also, landing a successful throw should increase it as well.

When the meter fills and you're in rage mode, it drains like an hourglass but faster. Launching successful throws, combos, not getting hit and landing counter attacks are all ways to stay in rage mode. Being hit too many times in a short amount of time will drain it very rapidly. Also, using guns in rage mode should make them wildly inaccurate and cause the meter to drain faster. If you launch a throw but it is tekked, you lose some rage, but if you are thrown, it reduces by half.

As for stats, I think any successful combo should yield an increase, even if it's a very very small one. They'll add up over time. In rage mode, successful combos, throws, and counter attacks could multiply the stat gain by a certain amount.

If a player can manage to stay in rage mode for all of the enemies in a level, it's not balanced right. Rage mode should be relative short if you don't work to keep it up, and even then, that should only slow the drain. Unless someone's really damn good, they won't be able to over turn it and start building back up.
I see your kickstarter got smashed within like two days. That's really cool and I'm glad to see that, because this game definitely deserves to be made. I just want to see the melee system match the rest of the dopeness that this game is, and I think that will happen.

@127. I'm not in favour of a light edium heavy system because that kind of complexity is seen mostly in fighting games. Beat em ups really only need one button, maybe two at best... but again, that's just imo. No need for anything other than a basic block, either. Hybrids that try and combine complexity of fighting games and beat em ups are usually more style than substance... and I like your suggestionabout the rage meter, other than te fact that jumping will decrease it. That's franklyunnecessary... and I lso think that a really good player, in point of fact, will be able to keep rage mode activated for the duration of a whole area if they're skilled enough and if the rage system is properly done.

Agreed with 129... a three attack system isn't strictly necessary IMO. Maybe two at best, depends what you guys wanna go for. Light and heavy? Also means you can have better control over a combo system.

To be honest I am more a fan of the 3 button attack system. I have the feeling that creating combos or different attacks with directional inputs might be better with a multy button system. Sure, you could use one button with different hold times or tapping it multiple times, but I really like the 3 button system together with possible directional inputs for more attack variation.

Greetings Moritz.

Well, you don't want to source keys from all over the keyboard for things you can use your attack buttons for, but yes, some variant of one of your attack buttons plus up would work. I would also loooooove to see controller / gamepad support as well... here's hoping. Not just that, but with proper rumbles as well when you get hit hard, block a heavy attack or land a damaging blow.

If anyone can, I'd recommend trying either Battle Circuit, or Warriors of Fate, from the Capcom Beat Em Up bundle, as these two demonstrate the combo system we're on about, including the mashing the air thing, but once you start hitting, each hit is then timed, it's not four rapid hits at any time, there's a little delay between each one that the game forces, I don't really know how to describe it. So even if you mash, the game will still delay it. It's not about timing the button press, but it's the game that does the timing for you. Also, these two have stereo sound. The fourth hit always acts as a knockback. Although, back then, I don't think there was a rage meter, so if the melee system does get some sort of revamp, I'm wondering how rage will, eventually, be factored in. Cheesewheel idea is also fairly interesting but if you're trying to get to different positions and things, I don't know if you want too many keys especially with an arrow keys for movement setup. YOu can't exactly use up arrow to jump then j k j k j for a combo or whatever.

Hi.
In the level 1.3, do the soldiers just endlessly spawn at you, or are you able to kill them all eventually?
Cheers.

Hello,
First of all I want to apologize to those who have been sending emails, it appears our smtp server is having issues.
To those wondering if 1.3 does eventually end, yes, it does. You just have to survive long enough. Of course, that's way easier than it sounds...
So @assault freak, @Aaron, @BlindNinja and the cheese wheel.
One of the first things we're going to focus on after the campaign ends is stripping the combat systems down to simple punches, then rebuilding it with at least 3 possible combos.
Just trying to think of a system that would work and make sense in a game like this where your often swarmed on all sides, and you don't often have time to reload your weapon.
I really like what all star batnet did where you had A and b. I figured out that if you were running and held A then really quickly added an opposing arrow, you would jump back a few squares. I got really good at being able to charge enemies that way, though unpredictability of it was what really made it something worth trying.
Not saying that will or won't be our combo system, but that's what Lauren and I initially thought of when improving combos and the melee mechanics in general.
Since you 4 seem to have the most experience in mainstream games, I would really love to sit down with you some time in the future whenever the campaign ends to brainstorm some mechanics that would make sense and be fun and addicting in a game like this. I can already tell you (meaning everyone) that I've seen some players get immense enjoyment out of kicking enemies sending them flying halfway across the screen.
Really passionate about developing this game to it's fullest potential, within reason. At most, I think the combos will be limited to 2 buttons. Adding the arrow keys would do things, although I don't want to get into a system where you have a hole cluster of buttons to memorize.
That being said, all of you are more than welcome to continue leaving feedback here. Although we are putting development efforts on pause until the campaign ends, suggestions will be noted down for when the campaign ends and we can get to work.
Best,
The phantom Creations team.

@PhantomCreations, just dropped you an email as I thought it'd be better to take this off the forum. But definitely willing to sit down and talk about thi, for sure.

Definitely have items that can heal you, in a mainstream beat em up you'd just pick them up and get health back, for the most part. So no inventory as such.
If you pick up a knife, the attack button will of course use that. You either: keep that weapon until it breaks, or you're knocked down, or die, whichever happens first. There are other items like barrels which are one use, I don't know if knives can also be thrown or not. When I had a knife, tapping the attack button kept on using it until I was knocked down, so that's the use I definitely know about.