Continuation of Abilities
Now let’s consider what SE may have been doing with the team attacks of old and consider the combo system.
The only class in 2.0, in my opinion, that plays the way I hoped the combo system would be like is the Pugilist.
The PGL begins a combo, however, has multiple options for the second step. Even after completing those options, they have intercrossing options for the “finisher”. Going so far as allowing the opening move to continue.
Considering a weaponskill combo system, which was not in my original fantasy, I would hope for something like this.
Openers - Chains - Finishers
with an extra fluff of Reversals (think Reverse in Uno).
During a Reversal state, Finishers become Openers, Openers become Finishers. A Reversal can be used after a Opener or a Chain. After the combo completes (or fails), the combo order is reset. Unless, as mentioned, a player is in a reversal state.
Opener - Chain - Finisher
Opener - Reversal - Opener (which becomes a Finisher)
Opener - Chain - Reversal - Chain - Opener (which becomes a Finisher)
Reversal State - Finisher - Chain - Opener
Reversal State - Finisher - Opener
Reversal State - Finisher - Reversal - Finisher
Reversal State - Finisher - Chain - Reversal - Chain - Finisher
Sample Combos using Sword:
If Fast Blade and Red Lotus are considered openers, these weapon skills will gain additional properties when used as finishers.
Attacks such as Flat Blade, Savage Blade, or Riot Blade can be used as a chain to connect an opener to a finisher.
Attacks such as Rage of Halone and Goring Blade can be used as finishers, also gaining additional properties when used as finishers.
An attack such as Spinstroke may be used as a Reversal.
As a combo extends, it may have greater effects on the finisher.
Let's assign arbitrary numbers a little further.
Fast Blade: Slashing attack potency 110. Increases Skill Speed by 20% for 8 seconds.
Flat Blade: Blunt attack potency 100. Interrupts a spell or ability. If interrupt is successful, afflicts 1 stack of Delay. When used in a combo, increases blunt attack potency by 20 and afflicts 1 stack of Delay even without the interrupt.
Rage of Halone: Slashing attack potency 250. Accuracy penalty of 50%. When used as a finisher, reduces accuracy penalty by 10% for each step in the combo.
A sword-user may take advantage of Rage of Halone's destructive power, he/she would need exceptionally high accuracy or be facing enemies with low evasion. However, a sword-user may end up sacrificing steady damage and a variety of attacks if they rely on this tactic.
Spinstroke: Slashing attack potency 110. When not top enmity, increases slashing attack potency by 70. Reverses the flow of a combo.
Fast Blade (finisher): Slashing attack potency 110. Increases Skill Speed by 20% for 8 seconds. When used as a finisher, increases auto-attack speed by 20% for 8s, duration increased by 4s for each step in the combo (max 22s).
A typical combo may go: Fast Blade -> Flat Blade -> Rage of Halone, with an attack potency of 480, with the Flat Blade and Rage of Halone executing with shorter GCDs due to the Skill Speed boost, afflicting at least 1 stack of Delay, and executing Rage of Halone with a 30% Accuracy penalty instead of 50%.
An extended combo may go: Fast Blade -> Flat Blade -> Spinstroke -> Flat Blade -> Fast Blade, with an attack potency of up to 650, afflicting 2 stacks of Delay, and granting an auto-attack haste of 20% over the next 22 seconds (effectively increasing a sword-user's damage output if no interruptions are to be had).
So yeah... rambling and such. And like I said, arbitrary numbers. A lot of balance and tweaking would be needed. Considerations for TP costs, cooldowns, combo conditions, and the like.
