Timing is everything in our new combat system in Empires and Tribes. On the one hand, the classic attacks like sword thrusts and slashes are one possibility to keep your opponents at bay. On the other hand, if you act at the right moment, you will have the opportunity to prolong your attacks and cause considerable damage within a very short time. Similarly, if you act at the right time, you can block enemy attacks with the shield or with an evasive step. Remember your stamina, though, as it can not only save your skin with a long sprint, but is also crucial to your defensive combat tactics such as shield defense. There are three basic types of attacks available for now, which can be activated by different movements with the mouse or by double-clicking:
Sword strike to the left: LMB and dragging the mouse to the right
Sword stroke to the right: LMB and drag the mouse to the left
Slash: Double click
Each attack activates a short time window at the end in which the attack can be extended. Furthermore we have improved the attack animations a little bit by adding more motion to the game. On the one hand we have added a swing animation to the hands, which is based on the movements of the player in order to make the animation less static. On the other hand, the camera movement is now influenced by the animations. For example, the camera pans upwards for a short time when swinging out to strike and then rushes down with the sword.