Melee 3.0: What to expect and what we know

Hey everybody, with Melee 3.0 hopefully showing up inside a month or so I thought I’d try to gather up all the bits rumored and shown since the idea first came to be. My editorializing will be in italics

Eleven months ago DE gave us the Ranged Weapon Rework. For those too new to know, this was essentially retying and adjusting damage, status, and critical to MR with a few other tweaks thrown in. Weapons too good for their MR got it raised. Weapons too weak for their MR got buffs a plenty. To note, some weapons got their MR increase with no other change, a few others got sidegrades. But for most it was pure buffs and (I don’t recall) a single weapon that got stat nerfs.

Of course the obvious followup question to this release was “wen melee”, to which the response was “sorry, we’re not planning on it at this time. A melee rework would be more than just stat adjustments”. After a brief disappointment they announced in the very next Dev Stream that they had changed their minds and started work. Estimated Time of Release: Fortuna.

In that stream they laid out their plans.

• Stat Rebalancing as per ranged
• Combo simplification. Instead of each stance having it’s own button combination for the moves, there would be only one list to learn for your stances
• The extremes of melee range would be brought down. A buff to low range weapons but a nerf to long range melee
• Channeling would be removed. It was never used enough or really did what the devs wanted. But since Melee damage was partially balanced around the idea of people using Channeling, all damage would be increased a bit.
• A few new toys: we were shown Slam attacks becoming directional rather than straight down
• Daikatana: Revenant’s signature two-handed nikana*(?)* would use a new stance. Since they did not want to create the stance just to remake it for Melee 3.0. the weapon would be put on hold until the system released
• Scythe weapons will be upsized and merged into the Heavy Blade category
• ability to equip all one handed melee weapons with single pistols, like we do with glaives currently
• Dev Workshops to come near release for feedback

First iteration

The next stream to show off the new system had some updates.

• In the process of going through the stances they found some parts of combos that weren’t registering hits properly. Will be fixed
• All stances would have some similar tools like gap closers.
• Heavy Attacks that use up some combo counter for more damage. (Never really defined, insert panic over Blood Rush here) The new directional Slam would be the heavy version of a Slam attack. Normal version would still be straight down
• Instead of completely dumping Channeling it would be replaced by a temporary “super mode” like out of Devil May Cry. (dunno, never played it. Also what does that mean for the universal damage buff?)

2nd Iteration

“Sooo, we were gonna release it in a few, but we had an idea that requires all the work on stance animations to be re-done… again. Sorry, Joe ^{the animator} “

• Instantaneous Melee switch. Instead of being limited to Quick Melee with your guns equipped you’ll push the button and have your weapon drawn and chopping immediately. Pull the trigger and you’re shooting without hesitation. (no more quick melee? I don’t really want every few attacks to launch me forward)
• Not discussed but we caught a glimpse of what Range might be. During play a Reach mod dropped that was a flat 0.3m at rank zero. As opposed to our current percentage based increase.

Dev Stream 121 Update

We’re nearly there, but the project has gotten so big it can’t be released whole. May have to ship a few Weapon Types at a time, starting with most popular for better feedback and adjustment. Whoops, didn’t mention this idea to Joe before he left for the holiday. Sorry, buddy!

(Whew, biggest post I ever made. Who remembers something I missed? Lemme know)

Original Link – Continuation of discussion