This thesis consists of the design and the implementation of a melee combat
system intended for Action RPG-like video games. It focuses on giving the player more
options than the existing combat systems while maintaining the fluency of the most
dynamic titles.
Before diving into the design, the thesis builds a theoretical basis covering the
fundamentals of combat systems, along the analysis of four of the most popular melee
combat systems that had closer relation to the problem presented. The four games
studied for this thesis are: Bloodborne, Nioh, Absolver and For Honor. The analysis of
the games consist of a general description of the combat, a deep dive into the mechanics
composing the system, a list of aspects affecting cognitive load and a description on
what elements made the combat stand out from the others of the same genre.
With the knowledge gained, the project will then explain in depth the design
process followed. The first part consists of covering initial design choices such as
possible approaches or mechanics and setting up the design pillars for the decisions to
follow. For the second part, the initial design of the combat system is developed, with
an explanation of the system structure, the controls, and the definition of all the
mechanics.
For the practical part of the project and in order to put the idea to the test, a
Unity prototype is developed. The project describes the overall structure of the code by
going through the main scripts and covering the different behaviors. As playtesting was
being performed during the prototype’s development, changes in the original design are
also explained after the prototype. The practical part ends up with the description of the
tutorial, implemented to gather specific data from the playtesters.
Finally, with the data gathered from the tests and all the feedback received, the
project formulates a conclusion on the original intention of the design and explains its
future intentions.
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