Tackling/Tripping/AssassinThemes/CombatBehavior/Dialog

[Gonehome]

I love Kenshi, (not the moment I played it) but the moment I figured it out. I've seen this game a long time ago and am glad to finally hopping aboard and to see it progress further. There are a couple nice features that I could see being a really good addition to the current game.

Tackling: A selection much like passive/chase/ect that when active will attempt to tackle the target and bring them to the ground. When an target is fleeing with their back turned.

How it would work: Checks str/athletics/direction faced, to determine the outcome. If majorly successful the target will be planted on the ground in an unconscious state but attempt to instantly get up as if recovering from unconsciousness. One could suffer leg injury after a big tackle or be knocked unconscious for a period of time.

Defending a tackle would be simple. It would check your agility/athletics/str/direction faced. If you pass the check well enough you could evade the tackle, or suffer only a stagger. If you are targeted by a tackle while standing still and your weapon ready, the tackler most likely will just engage you in combat or risk being impaled or easily dodged aside.

Reasoning: What this would be used for is catching escaping prey. Their backs are turned and they are just running, there is literally no stopping them. Plenty of times have I been chased by guards, as they move in front of me to hit me you can wait for their animation and dodge their attacks while running right by them. There is no punishing just mindlessly running around being cased, there needs to be more risk involved while being chased.
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Tripping: Much like the other passive/chase/tackle selection. Tripping would be another one. When a target moves around close to your body while in combat with them, they will be tripped.

How it works: When selected on, a target moves into your personal space and then proceeds to move out of it you have a chance to trip them. Checks agi/weight/athletics to determine if you do trip them. Tripping can cause a stagger or full knockdown.

Defending: When running through a field of enemies take caution to when you decide to move away from the targets, this could be punishing unless you are fairly agile. Checks agi/weight/athletics to determine if you nimbly leap aside a sweep, or suffer a slight stagger. Higher your weight, the less chance to be tripped. Walking has low chances of being tripped as well.

Reasoning: It is far too easy to simply dismiss a group of enemies and run straight through them. This would add more of a thought process to when you move your units through others and adds risk. This will also fix units running through your line to the back. There is a reason why a Hammer and Anvil tactics work in combat. You put pressure on your foes in two directions surrounding them. As of now you can simply walk through the other's units and surround them, but it does very little unless your bodies and positioning feel like they mean something. This kinda would clean up a 'deathball' battle into nice tactical lines and formations.
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Assassin Themes: (broad name for broad ideas) Climbing claws, dagger/dirk slit throat, Close quarters stealth, Plains stealth.

Climbing claws & boots: Simply a utility item for an equipment slot like backpack and boots. They would allow the wearer given low encumbrance to scale walls and to the top of buildings. Checks heavily on your ability to be agile and nimble as well as your stealth skill. Target that see you do this will act like they are picking up stones and throw them at the target to knock them off.

Dagger: a weapon II equipment or placed in weapon I along side a narrow weapon. This will allow for a silent kill, think grab the head and slit throat instead of KO. This checks heavily on all things agile and assassination. The helmet and armor would be a major factor, but less of a degree to a seasoned assassin.
A more difficult variant of the silent kill would be the standing noticed kill. The unit will jab the knife into the target. If face to face would be much more difficult than face to back. If they are a seasoned warrior your face to face attack may only weaken him or be pushed aside and be staggered for the attempt. This option would only be visible when having a high leveled assassin as a selection.
A dirk or dagger designed for defense may be put in the off hand to provide defensive bonuses to agile characters. Chance to disarm an attacker at a high stealth/agi level. This may not fit the katana theme but suggest is a suggestion.

Stealth mechanics. A slower moving stealth for close quarters. Reducing the chance to be spotted at the cost of movement speed. This would be able to scale upwards to a decent walking speed if a very skilled ninja is using this. Out in the open this would provide superb stealth.
Plains stealth. A general stealth out in the field ability. It would allow faster movement while not trading too much move speed for concealment. It would provide decent stealth from a distance, allowing you to close in on patrolling troops while stealth. Up close this wouldn't be suggested.

Kill KO: A simple kill the target that is KO'd with your weapon or dagger. Doesn't require any skills at all.

Reasoning: I understand the silent kill is under development and balancing. This killing with dagger idea would take into account the quality of the dagger along with skills sets of both target and assassin. It shouldn't be terribly hard to balance, a KO'd solo target is as good as dead when you can just loot everything off him or KO lock him constantly. Any knocked out target should have force attack option or instantly kill, no reason to disallow this. The climbing claws would give a bit more diversity on how you approach a target/loot room. The stealth suggestions would be to allow your scout characters a stealth while maintaining decent move speed while tracking bandits or other targets. The slow close quarters stealth would allow high value assassins to shine while moving decently fast, right now it seems too painfully slow (Granted I haven't leveled up stealth too high so I don't know how much move speed you gain from levels.)
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Combat Behavior: Combat behavior would be a tab just like stats/map/tech/help. You would be able to select individual units to set behaviors, and not just combat related ones. This tab would hold the passive/block/chase all of this along with new behaviors.
Conservative attack: While active provides defense bonus as the unit will prioritize defense while attacking during openings.
Aggressive attack: Prioritize offense of defense, attacking wildly while allow armor to keep one's self somewhat protected.
Back peddle: backs up slowly when engaged with a target, creating distance for a disengagement or a stronger defense.
Push forward: The unit will attempt to push the target backwards if they are dominating them. If not it would be combat as usual. When fighting a back peddling foe, a push forward will seize the space between them quickly and press the attack.
Conditions: Have selected behaviors react to certain conditions some what automating the process. Such as, Unit is being attacked by 2+ units-Activate Back peddle and Conservative attacks. Unit is engaged in a 1v1-Push forward and aggressive attack. ECT ect.
Think about the tactics in a game like Dragon's Age, where you set behaviors of your units to help automate some processes.
Presets: Having a quick preset selection to swap a single unit or entire squad to a pre-saved behavior list.

Reasoning: This would allow more detailed planning of your squad during combat. I think if any other suggestion I, suggest, then this would be my top pick. Micro managing your attacks and switching on the fly would be a great way to spice up difficultly.
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Finally,
Dialog: A quick pause and dialog option would be nice for certain conditions. When you enter a building that would present you as an intruder yet you did not force your way into said building, the game would pause and where ever you are on the map you will be presented with dialog options. One would have your camera travel to said location so you can assess the situation. Others would include, Sorry -And auto leave from the building, Sorry -and remain in the building but given verbal abuse and time before hostility begins, Not Sorry-and piss off people making them attack you on the spot.

This can be used for bandit attacks as well. They would ask you, hand over so and so, or hand over food/valuables and would be listed. You'd have options to auto comply, to not auto comply and buy yourself some time, and to go hostile. Or to even protest the situation, by asking for reduced demands which would piss them off or give you another round of dialog options to play with. Could vary well talk your squad out of a situation (if Charisma becomes a thing).

Being spotted wearing faction equipment or just other pause and dialog options to alert you of the upcoming threat/hostilities. The chance to talk your way out, or ask for forgiveness by turning over said items (which would be clearly listed).

Stealing items could also present dialog options. Talk your way out, say you were just browsing, or attempt to buy yourself some time. Or a non-aggressive form of turning yourself in to the authorities, sure they may beat you a little, but unconsciousness and broken limbs sometimes are not necessary.

Submit option: Having a click button like the passive/chase ect to submit yourself to the will of anyone that wants to take advantage of you could save you from dying to a horde of bandits solo ect ect. Your character would kneel and place their hands on their head or something.

Reasoning: This would be a second personal favorite to add to the game. This gives you more of an RPG feeling, giving your players options when a certain event comes up. This would prevent Honest/buggy mistakes of intrusions. And most of all would alert the player of events taking place. Sometimes I get attack randomly and I never realize these Holy guys were racist and hated them bone boys and just aggro on them or i had on their damn jacket, ect. Although, giving automated options like turning over equipment to bandits or guards after theft would have to be clearly defined. More options to handle situations is always a sign of a good open world game!