The way I see it is we're probably dealing with a lot of RPG players rather than FPS players, so they're used to their TTK being measured in minutes if they have a pocket healer. It's going to be a constant struggle to push the TTK down to where ranged weapons are actually viable. I pointed the accuracy thing out back when they were saying 5-7 was too short, but I agree it is worth repeating here: a 2 second TTK in theory is often a 10 second TTK in practice. Everybody misses, almost everybody misses a lot. One of melee's key advantages is likely to be a higher effective accuracy because rather than having a single aim point, they can hit anything in the arc of their swing. As far as it not being set in stone: That's why we're arguing about it now, while it's still easy to change.
The accuracy on a target that is trying to get in close quarters with you is going to be a lot higher than the accuracy against guys in Planetside who are often hiding behind cover at a distance. How hard is it going to be to land shots on a melee guy right infront of you? The question here is if it will ever be worth it to equip a melee weapon and try to defy the barrage of ranged fire you have to somehow survive in order to get close to one target (and you'll probably die right afterwards). In Planetside 2 for example, a melee class wouldn't be viable at all because they would be shot to pieces before accomplishing anything, despite the supposedly bad accuracy in that game. Melee classes will need resistance to ranged fire or some amazing gap closers to be viable in EC
Not nessecarily God; since the system uses rolls, dodges and is based on GoW we can use magical chest high walls to avoid the worst of the enemy fire till Melee rolls around or failing that seize advantage of Jump Troops and Termie/Mega Armourto close gaps. No word yet on if HW will have a set-up time but if that's the case then we have our answer, move then they move. I wonder if we'll get Melee Headshots (beheading strikes).
So.. something like Jump Packs? Charging someone head on, on foot, without a shield of any kind should result in your death - if the distance is great enough. Malee-classes should make heavy use on perks like Jump Packs or the terrain. I doubt the map will be one big even plain. It's only natural that guns dominate open areas, while malee dominates the urban regions. Like this, everyone will have his strong points.
Well if someone is runing towards you instead of using cover, jetpacks or trying to flank you he deserves to die quickly... and you are underestimating how hard it is to shoot someone who is on top of you, for real, is a pain to shoot at someone that is dancing around you at just 1 meter distance while is stabbing you in the chest.
My assumption is that there won't always be cover and as far as I know only one class/faction has access to jump packs. I just don't see what an SM or Nob with a two handed melee weapon is going to do in a firefight. Even if they're just 10m away from a target that has a bead on them they only have 2 seconds to close the gap (while the enemy is strafing away) and score the kill before the enemy and his friends kill him. My only exposure to massive shooters is Planetside 1 and Planetside 2 and I struggle to see how melee would work well in those types of games
But is this one class not the malee/assault-class? I thought we could chose between: 1 malee/assault-class 1 heavy-ranged class 1 medium-class (between those other two) 1 supporter I think there could be plenty more options for getting into malee range other than a simple charge. There is so much equipment.. amoured troop-carriers, shields of any kind, drop pods, jump packs, teleporters and maybe some kind of move like one big leap or something like that. There are also grenades: smoke, flash&bang, emp, krak, frag etc.
All of the factions posted so far have access to jump or jet packs of some sort, just as an FYI. Also, if they make the Eldar CC class the Banshee, they should get some form of acrobatics that should help them quickly close the gap. If it's Striking Scorpions instead (which I hope it is), then they'll have a stealth aspect. Other than that, Orks have Rokkit Boyz, Marines have Assault Marines and Chaos has Raptors.
I haven't played Planetside, but from what I gathered, the only difference between factions is the weaponry, right? No aliens, no specific factions mechanics and bonuses/weaknesses like in W40K...correct me I'm wrong, but it doesn't have the variation of W40K... SM's have jump packs, and CSM's...and probably many Lore based bonuses in melee for specific Chapters and classes... Orcs have those guys with rockets strapped in the back ( I always forget the name), and the power of the Waaagh, that could be translated to some dmg resistance for a limited time...and again, specific bonuses for some classes... Eldar have the swooping hawks, but they are not really a melee unit IIRC...but the other aspect warriors can close the distance to melee fast and maybe they'll get some resistance to gun fire, due to their fluid, almost like dancing movement etc(Someone with more knowledge on Eldar, plz correct me if I'm wrong)...and again, melee combat bonuses for specific classes... In short, everyone has the tools to close the distance... This game has to balance things on a very thin line,because it has to satisfy the FPS people, the RPG people AND a well established Lore, all at the same time...compromises will be made and no group will be 100% satisfied in the end, but if the combat is fair, balanced and fluid, it's all good to me...I'm not talking about the usual "X class killed me 1vs1, /insert random whining" balance, I'm talking about fair melee/ranged balance...If your Eldar guardian toon (just and example) got massacred by a terminator with lightning claws 1vs1, don't whine to others, whine to yourself for going against him alone, and go get some people to hunt him down...all the bunny-hoping, strafing and running in the world would probably be futile in this situation...
