Community Vote: Shoulder Bash/Dash Attack

[Pricey]

This idea was inspired by Yopa's thread of a similar nature.

A dash move is something that has been talked about in the community for a while now. A dash attack/shoulder bash is an attack that would primarily be used to catch people running away from you, it would only do a little damage and would have a little cooldown before the move was initiated.

Here are two threads that go more in-depth on the subject (I highly suggest you read these before voting). All credits go to the authors.

Dash Attack by Lunatic
Shoulder Bash by Vitamin E

My next question is: would you like to see a shoulder bash/dash move of sorts implemented in a future version?

[Splinter]

Just a little suggestion, *if* it gets implemented: I think the shoulder bash/dash attack should cause the enemy to stagger, like kicks do.

[Esper]

A shoulder dash would have a pretty cool animation though

[Lunatic]

I just like the shoulder bash idea since it doesn't need to be balanced around each and every weapon. It could be a flat damage amount and would also only require like one animation for the move.

[Jojopeterjohn]

I like the idea, I just don't want SFD to get too full of cool little ideas likes these.

[Pricey]

After (nearly) a week of the poll being open, the results are 17-4 in resounding favour of a shoulder bash or dash move being added into SFD. Hopefully the devs actually read/reply to this topic and we can get something done from there.

[Splinter]

To be clear, I don't agree with how the shoulder bash was described in this post, I just agree with a shoulder bash/dash attack being added to the game, because I have my own ideas of how it should work (for example, I don't think it should have an initiation delay). Maybe we should discuss this stuff only when (and if) the devs agree on implementing this move.

[Elite Hunter]

Shoulder bash attack is pointless, even if it's used to catch up to people running away from you.There are many ways to attack a runner, such as the make-shift weapons that are scattered across the map, or shooting them, or literally throwing whatever you have in your inventory. This idea would just be a waste of the devs time. Plus if you miss the dash then you wont be able to run making your enemy run even further then what you wanted. Can't we all wait for the planned features such as whips and boomerangs and such.

[Lunatic]

Adding new weapons and throwing things isn't a good solution to this problem, however. An on-the-move attack to hit people without slowing down adds to what the devs want (a mobile, dynamic melee fight) while giving the players more to work with. It also doesn't require you to have anything, can be used no matter where you are in a fight, and doesn't risk you losing your melee weapon (which is huge).

This is in no way a detriment to the game, and people that are against additions and changes are against progress.

[Pricey]

Shoulder bash attack is pointless, even if it's used to catch up to people running away from you.There are many ways to attack a runner, such as the make-shift weapons that are scattered across the map, or shooting them, or literally throwing whatever you have in your inventory. This idea would just be a waste of the devs time. Plus if you miss the dash then you wont be able to run making your enemy run even further then what you wanted. Can't we all wait for the planned features such as whips and boomerangs and such.

But you see we're looking for a melee move to balance this out, you can't have a gun to bail you out all of the time, perhaps in early-game where guns are rare. Most weapons don't go far enough to be able to reliably catch a runner and this move will give you a better chance of catching someone who is running away.

[...]such as the make-shift weapons that are scattered across the map

What you're describing here is a situation where the runner is very close to the chaser, makeshift weapons simply don't have the range nor power to be able to catch someone, and in the rare situation you manage to actually connect with a makeshift weapon, it breaks anyway, leaving you unarmed and the runner with an easy path away.

Plus if you miss the dash then you wont be able to run making your enemy run even further then what you wanted.

I personally agree with this the least, if you missed the dash you most likely didn't execute it correctly or the runner dodged the attack, missing the attack should punish you and the runner dodging the attack gets rewarded. Its kind of like grabs - miss a grab, opponent gets a pretty much guaranteed grab off of your cooldown; miss a jump attack and they get a free move off of your kneel, I don't see how this situation should be any different.

We also can't just hope the devs will add whips and boomerangs to the game, in fact I can't really see it happening. Like Lunatic said, adding more weapons to the already plentiful bounty of melee weapons in the game is not the solution to the problem (a whip is a chain, really, whats the point of a whip). What we need is unarmed moves for more variety in melee fights, not more weapons that keep the already somewhat boring melee at bay.

[Noble]

it would only do a little damage and would have a little cooldown before the move was initiated.

What? That's completely nonsense, it's like trying to stop a runner with a grab.

This move, at least, must not give any breach to the opponent or a so big disadvantage after missing. It can be easily evaded jumping? It will alarm the opponent that the dash is coming?

I don't like the idea in general, but if is going to be added, it shouldn't be like that. After the move, instead of taking down the enemy, which will lead to nothing after all, should cause a stagger or something like that. The enemy would have a slower recovery time than the dash user and would be in melee range. He could not just shoot after the recovery (like you can't shot in the middle of a 3-hit punch combo), he would be forced to sheathe and defend the opponent's attack.

I'm saying, taking down the opponent makes not any sense, it won't help the player at all, any kind of cooldown too. After missing the movement, the player would already lose some stamina from it. Could be like after shooting – you can't run or kick – what will already stop your chasing plan. Totally stopping the player with a cooldown punishment or blocking his possibility to roll (ok, no roll won't be so bad); attack; jump or anything after missing is a bad idea.

This is a good way to see it, but, restarting to the first thing I said, if that move don't have any cooldown before initiating, we can imagine players using that in the middle of a melee fight, making the opponent stagged and obrigated to defend his attack. It's not all that bad tho, it will be a good way to bring players who use the weapon range to a closer combat, maybe. So, that move's damage should be like, a kick? More? 3-6 damage looks good I think.

Don't tell me you think the move will be too OP. Of course you can't do that move twice, the cooldown between two Shoulder Bash/Dash Move could be higher than between two grabs. And also, if you want that move, live with the possible consequences, right?

[Elite Hunter]

What you're describing here is a situation where the runner is very close to the chaser, makeshift weapons simply don't have the range nor power to be able to catch someone, and in the rare situation you manage to actually connect with a makeshift weapon, it breaks anyway, leaving you unarmed and the runner with an easy path away.

But doesn't the chaser have to be close to the runner anyways to activate the dash attack? If not then how far will this attack be able to go, and how fast? Also I always tend to rely on those makeshift weapons to slow down a runner, all you need is a good old run-jump and throw and it will easily slow down the target. Plus you can pick up the debris from some of those weapons like the chair and bottle and throw it again.

Also to what lunatic said about not adding new weapons and being against change. Imagine if a grapple hook has implemented to the game. it would 'hopefully" latch on to any surface and also players. Maybe you can use such hook to drag the players to you which would be cool to stop runners. Or also catch up to runners by latching on to surfaces. Or just simply add a speed power up to the game. I want change and progress to the game as much as any other player, but at least think it through more because I don't think this is the progress that is needed.

[Pricey]

But doesn't the chaser have to be close to the runner anyways to activate the dash attack? If not then how far will this attack be able to go, and how fast?

Not necessarily, the move should cover a good distance.

[Noble]

As that move — to fill up with the main proposite of it — is probably going not to have an initiating cooldown, it must be adequate to everything, like close combat. If it will be a really fast move, I must reinforce it's really weird to just take down your opponent really fast like that in the middle of a melee fight, but it's plausible if it causes stagger, as I already said, like 3-6 and the opponent should defend after being hit by that dash move.

we can imagine players using that in the middle of a melee fight, making the opponent stagged and obrigated to defend his attack. It's not all that bad tho, it will be a good way to bring players who use the weapon range to a closer combat, maybe.

That's a point, it won't be really possible to do it (or not so easily), but it's like to kill two birds with one stone.