Poll: Do instant-kill knives/melee need to go?

[Jaime_Wolf]

They add a nice humiliation factor and some variety to a genre that often has trouble finding ways to inject variety.

Pah. Humiliation kills are when you frag a guy with a piss weak weapon, not an 'I win' button.

Except that you need to get up close to someone and we're talking about a genre that, by definition, involves every enemy having guns.

If you're knifed in an FPS, it's pretty much always your own fault.

Assuming that the map is a large one with plenty fields of fire, then yes, getting knifed is your own fault. However, if the map is small and claustrophobic, like many CoD maps so up close is almost default, and your guys can take several bullets to the face and still knife you, then no, it is often not your fault. Add to that the fact that you can extend the range of your knife attack in CoD and buff up to take many bullets before you go down, having an instakill weapon without any sort of counter is not fun.

But in many of those games you have ways of seeing enemies around corners (UAVs for instance), teammates who can potentially help flank enemies, and buffs of your own. I'm not saying that knife attacks aren't win buttons in certain situations, what I'm saying is that getting into those situations in the first place is the problem.

Though I actually agree that a counter would be nice, the problem is that it would be really, really hard to make a counter that gave a reasonable chance at successfully avoiding death without making knife attacks pointlessly easy to defend against. Putting in a way to preemptively block rather than counter would perhaps work to preserve the surprise utility though.

Of all of the melee attacks, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I think Halo probably does the best job. Enough damage to justify its use over guns in close-up firefights and you can still get an instant kill for surprising someone.

 

[himemiya1650]

CoDs knifing system is the only one i ever liked, and think is OP. I think if you can close in or sneak up on someone, they deserve the insta kill

 

[WanderingFool]

YES!!! YES, YES, YES, YES, YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only insta-kill should be from behind, and should have a long animation to make it a dangerous prospect for the one doing the melee.

I also think the melee button should be changed into a smash with the gun, and no knife. but that is mostly for COD.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

No melee is a vital part of FPS games now. The first person to melee in any situation, whether it be a distorted aim or beaten to the floor is usually going to be the victor so why waste time with making them shoot them after for the sake of bare minimum realism?

Having to shoot them after or beat them several times slows the pace of the game and ultimately makes it a worse experience. If you've ever played a 'one in the chamber' wager match you know how important being good with you knife is and how important the connection quality is. You'll also know that missing the first knife is a big panic from then on. You have multiple 'oh knifed you, oh wait missed' moments because it doesn't work all that well. Having to do that over and over would make for a horrific game.

Compared to the alternative messy, clunky fist fights you guys are suggesting, instant knife kills are far superior for the pace and enjoyment the game brings.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Anyone who thinks that insta-kill knives aren't fun AT ALL are missing the bigger picture...

When my friends and I play CoD 4 over the LAN, we always make time for a match in a really enclosed area where the only weapon allowed is the knife. Conventions breaks down, gameplay rhetorics are thrown out the window, hilarity ensues. The sight of armed elite military commandos running around playing tag evokes memories of checkpoint races in Midtown Madness...

Oh me and my mates used to do that all the time on MW2. It was hilarious to see two guys swap positions with simultaneous lunges and then one other to come in an take both out. If you managed to jump from the highest point of the map onto a guy and knife him you'd 'creeded' him. The fun we had was unreal.

 

[thedeathscythe]

I think in FPS games it should stumble them or knock them over, giving you a chance to shot them. They could still shot back of course you hitting them would just throw off their aim.

I like how Left4Dead does it, how it stumbles the zombies and pushes them back. Conversely, I also like it as a one hit kill, but I think it depends on the game I'm playing. If I had to choose a universal melee system though, it would Left4Dead's melee, but also if you melee someone from behind, it's a one hit kill.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I think it would be best if it was a bit like Reach, where holding the melee button when you're behind them is an instant kill, but otherwise it takes a few hits.

Yeah pretty much this. A knife shouldn't do more damage than a firearm, but a coordinated sneak-attack should rightfully be lethal.
Of course, melee should still have it's purpose. Slow or weaken an enemy perhaps, making firearms and such more viable. Just damage-wise it seems off.

this, i think with games like call of duty you should HAVE to have it set as a tac knife setup up and have to get a headshot knife for it to be considered a one hit kill, otherwise if they get some kind of body shot they should just get stunned a little bit from it for the first hit.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I like the Halo system. Melees take two hits to kill unless shields are down or you get the other guy from behind for the assassination.

 

[icame]

Its only an issue where a melee class in an FPS is just, if not more powerful then, you know, shooting.

*cough*MW2*cough*

 

[Nouw]

2 words.
Bad Company.

The first one nailed it and the second one I'm not sure because I haven't played it. Knifing is wonderful in that game.

 

[Hosker]

They should go back to CoD 2's style of melee: where it kills in one but is harder to pull off.

 

[nin_ninja]

As many people have said, it should disorient the player unless the place hit was fatal.

 

[SnipErlite]

I'd say go the old Battlefield route - You have to switch to the knife before you can use it. So an element of stealth is involved if you don't want the other guy to turn around and shoot you in the face. It should be about skill, not reactions.

And if you've run out of ammo and sprint screaming towards an enemy tank, a knife may be all you need!

 

[thestig1214]

I think it should remain an insta-kill, but a bit more cinematic like in HALO: Reach. The character would deliberately aim at an artery/nerve on his own and the whole process would take 5 seconds. A little bit more balanced. But personally I believe that COD should rebalance it's entire scheme considering all the meat-cunts playing nowadays.

 

[Flac00]

I personally don't think knives or melee attacks in general should ever instant kill because a pistol or shotgun should be the first thing you use in close quarters combat, not a knife.

If it were up to me, slicing people in arteries would be the only way to get knife instant kills and there would be no commando lunge.

What would be best is if the melee was only at point blank (no lunge or anything), otherwise it would be better just to shoot.

 

[MagicMouse]

I think that they should always be a kill, but give the stabbed player 5 seconds to live once stabbed.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Depends on the other weapons, player speed, level design and plenty of other factors. I cannot give you a definite answer without more information.

 

[toastmaster2k8]

Yes, seeming how getting hit with a knife is apparently more deadly then getting shot with a Barret 50. Cal Three Times in the chest.

and I agree with doing it like Reach does.

 

[Hashime]

I think they should unless the halo reach system is used. It is also funny I stumble on this thread whilst sharpening my knives.

 

[zehydra]

In a game where it's really difficult to get close to somebody, an instant kill knife attack makes sense. Why not reward a player for managing to sneak up that close to the enemy?