Melee - An Unexplored Genre

[Nimbus]

What about Savage and Savage 2?

 

[Altorin]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

 

[axia777]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

 

[Altorin]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

I read it wrong. I was just imagining a game with no ability to heal.. nvm. I'm out ;P+

 

[Fruhstuck]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

COD4 isn't a melee game - it's FPS

 

[Mr_Powers]

It still leaves me wondering why nobody has really tried to launch a skill based melee game though.

Can't believe I am the first one to say this but: Mount & Blade.
That game has the hands down best skill based combat system of any game out there.

That said however, I don't know how well it would stand up to multipayer, my guess is not very well as the combat is a bit repetitive, but is is still the best melee combat game.

 

[Tarakun]

Pirates, Vikings, and Knights.

I used to play this game all the time. It's a Half-Life 2 mod, and it's a lot of fun. The combat is based around parrying your opponent and a skilled player will tear through a novice.

Technically it has guns (pirates have pistols and blunderbusses), but they're really inaccurate and you can't reload very quickly. Other than that, there are bows and throwing axes, but the focus is mostly on melee.

 

[axia777]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

COD4 isn't a melee game - it's FPS

You miss my point. I know COD4 is a FPS. But like I said, it is very realistic and hardcore. Most times getting shot in COD4 is very, very bad. Sort of like getting slashed with a claymore realistically would be very, very bad. See?

 

[fepayton]

If there is a problem with melee games, it is interface.

Consider an FPS:
Point and shoot almost intuitively becomes point and click.

The game has simplified actual gun combat into easy to master, but still realistic controls. For example: walking is smooth and we never trip over stuff. Jumping is easy and requires no build up. These simplifications make for a fun experience without completely sacrificing realism. A melee game has much more to consider as to what is sacrifices for the sake of fun and simplification.

Also, in 3D is is difficult to judge depth effectively. In half-life we all ran screaming toward something madly swinging the crowbar until it is dead instead of waiting until it is just within range to smack it. Even in half-life two I have walked over to something, picked it up and sent everything on the shelf flying because I was standing too close and am now swinging the object wildly.

2D fighting games are great melee. (Heck I even like house-mate removal combat in the sims) But these experiences are far remove from actual fighting.

I imagine that it will take something like a force feedback Wii / DDR pad combination before melee feels truly satisfying.

 

[Fruhstuck]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

COD4 isn't a melee game - it's FPS

You miss my point. I know COD4 is a FPS. But like I said, it is very realistic and hardcore. Most times getting shot in COD4 is very, very bad. Sort of like getting slashed with a claymore realistically would be very, very bad. See?

I do apologise - gradual health regeneration'd be nice and "final attack" thing would be nice for me once you've taken so muh damage (rage meter maybe) and if you get a slashed arm those attacks are disabled, slashed at the legs you go slower, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah

 

[Deschamps]

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but take a look at Toribash (www.toribash.com)

It's a fighting game, but not in real time. You are able to take as much time as you want to move each body part.

I shouldn't say too much about it though, since I've never actually played it. I only heard about it recently.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Condemned and Condemned 2 have the most brutal melee combat I've ever experienced. It's almost a shame when you get access to guns. If you love your melee, they are well worth checking out.

 

[SaintWaldo]

MGS Online has pvp melee elements in a shooter. You can choke, punch, deflect, throw to the ground, lots of stuff. It's not the focus of the game, but the melee that exists is larger than the typical, "here's a chainsaw analog, go nuts". you can even play it like a full FPS instead of the TPS for which the series is known. Also, the classic (unfortunately single player) FPS dungeon crawlers Ultima Underworld I and II had FPS melee, it you wanted to play a tank.

I think I see the gap you are trying to outline. Full physical pvp FPS hth combat is an interesting proposal. It might be a refreshing departure from headshot fests.

 

[axia777]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

COD4 isn't a melee game - it's FPS

You miss my point. I know COD4 is a FPS. But like I said, it is very realistic and hardcore. Most times getting shot in COD4 is very, very bad. Sort of like getting slashed with a claymore realistically would be very, very bad. See?

I do apologise - gradual health regeneration'd be nice and "final attack" thing would be nice for me once you've taken so much damage (rage meter maybe) and if you get a slashed arm those attacks are disabled, slashed at the legs you go slower, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah

No need to apologize my man, we are just discussing an idea. And yes, gradual heath regen would be cool. The rage meter is a good idea too. Especially for Viking type fighters. Going berserk and all that.

 

[Fruhstuck]

My other condition for a Melee game is also NO MAGIC OF ANY KIND. Healing is done the old school way with leeches, bandages, and herbs.

you have fun with that, I'll be over here playing games that are actually fun to play

Re-spawning would take care of the death issue. And if you need "magic" in a melee game to have fun you must not ever play COD4 or any of the Battlefield games on-line. My idea is like COD4, which is VERY realistic, but with no guns.

COD4 isn't a melee game - it's FPS

You miss my point. I know COD4 is a FPS. But like I said, it is very realistic and hardcore. Most times getting shot in COD4 is very, very bad. Sort of like getting slashed with a claymore realistically would be very, very bad. See?

I do apologise - gradual health regeneration'd be nice and "final attack" thing would be nice for me once you've taken so much damage (rage meter maybe) and if you get a slashed arm those attacks are disabled, slashed at the legs you go slower, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah

No need to apologize my man, we are just discussing an idea. And yes, gradual heath regen would be cool. The rage meter is a good idea too. Especially for Viking type fighters. Going berserk and all that.

*Posh british accent* I hear that suggestion good sah! and heartily suggest that this could even show DMC4 a thing or too about "Stylish" combat

Aaii

 

[Epifols]

Anyone with a finger can kill someone? Well if you let them walk up to you and point a gun at you, both in game and in real life.

Guns still take skill. Both in in real life and and in game. But with melee, it might take skill in real life, but in game it's just a bunch of button mashing as fast as possible.

 

[axia777]

*Posh british accent* I hear that suggestion good sah! and heartily suggest that this could even show DMC4 a thing or too about "Stylish" combat

Aaii

Precisely my man. Hyper realistic combat with controls crossed between DMC and Soul Caliber. This would be really fun as far as I am concerned.

 

[ZakuII]

While this is true of two or more people who are untrained, a trained swordsman would shred a novice like cheese in any sword fight. Highly trained knights and samurai were the special forces of their time. They common public was simply no match in combat against these men. It is like trying to say that any man who can swing his fists can get in the ring with a veteran MMA fighter like Houston Alexander, Chuck Liddell or Brock Lesnar. The simple fact is that the average guy would get devastated in ways that are embarrassing to think about.

Hence why i used the word 'unskilled'. In a modern gunfight, i'd personally bet on the person that'd had training in how to handle the gun, how to aim, how to draw, how to duck, weave, take cover and so on. Yes, a complete novice could, by luck or natural talent, kill that trained gunmen. Likewise with swords or anything else though. The common public devestated knights on many occasions, often with simple pitchforks. The fact of the matter is any combat is dangerous, no matter how much training you've had. No man is invincible, and no one can fully understand that which would make him invincible.

From your absoloute comments about a skilled swordsman 100% of the time trouncing an unskilled one, i apologise. I've never been in or witnessed a dozen or more to the death sword fights between novices and masters, what with having been born in the later part of the 20th century. It sounds like you have though so i'll defer to your superior experience.

I realise you don't want any guns, but don't lose faith in 'The Crossing'. I can honestly say the stuido made a superb close combat game in DMOMM single player, and as far as i know, this is likly as close as you're going to get to what you orginally asked for. Just stick to the medieval parts and don't play in multiplayer matches that're modern.

 

[axia777]

While this is true of two or more people who are untrained, a trained swordsman would shred a novice like cheese in any sword fight. Highly trained knights and samurai were the special forces of their time. They common public was simply no match in combat against these men. It is like trying to say that any man who can swing his fists can get in the ring with a veteran MMA fighter like Houston Alexander, Chuck Liddell or Brock Lesnar. The simple fact is that the average guy would get devastated in ways that are embarrassing to think about.

Hence why I used the word 'unskilled'. In a modern gunfight, I'd personally bet on the person that would had training in how to handle the gun, how to aim, how to draw, how to duck, weave, take cover and so on. Yes, a complete novice could, by luck or natural talent, kill that trained gunmen. Likewise with swords or anything else though. The common public devastated knights on many occasions, often with simple pitchforks. The fact of the matter is any combat is dangerous, no matter how much training you've had. No man is invincible, and no one can fully understand that which would make him invincible.

Sure a unskilled villagers could kill just about anyone with pitchforks. I never denied that one. I must have missed you saying "unskilled". But, on average, unskilled villagers often got killed by the dozens by skills knights or Samurai.

From your absolute comments about a skilled swordsman 100% of the time trouncing an unskilled one, i apology. I've never been in or witnessed a dozen or more to the death sword fights between novices and masters, what with having been born in the later part of the 20th century. It sounds like you have though so I'll defer to your superior experience.

No, I just read a lot of history books.

I realize you don't want any guns, but don't lose faith in 'The Crossing'. I can honestly say the studio made a superb close combat game in DMOMM single player, and as far as I know, this is likely as close as you're going to get to what you originally asked for. Just stick to the medieval parts and don't play in multiplayer matches that are modern.

It seems like a cool game, maybe. What is DMOMM though? I have no idea what it is.

 

[Anarchemitis]

What of Olympic Fencing?