After the announcement of WASD movement in PoE2, does Last Epoch have any plans to make this an option for players? Personally, I’ve always been baffled why this isn’t the norm in ARPGs and with the need for computer games needing to show that they are willing to grow with the times (now more than ever after recent events within the industry), are there any plans to allow these basic controls within Last Epoch.
I am personally routing for PoE2 because of the WASD movement and I think it’ll be a pivotal time for ARPGs. I would hate it if Last Epoch became old so shortly after its release! I’ve seen numerous videos and all of the creators have praised the WASD movement after a short adjustment period.
I’m really hoping we can do this. When I say “we” I mean you. I’m just carrying the Pom poms all excitedly.
WASD movement isnt bad but point and click is more effective in terms of combat, skill and gameplay vs casual. However, I don’t think not having this implemented currently is the reason why this game is going downhill.
A lot of things such as this falls on need to deciding which route they are trying to go. >10k or <10k players game.
Of course, they can always just add the option to use WASD for scenarios and times where you want to just chill out and laidback farm. And if you were to try that in HC, i guess you can always make it to a usable/safer rate where its plausible as long you tone down and backtrack a couple of corruptions and levels behind.
WASD movement is (in my opinion) do not fit well with ARPG, Diablo-like game, you need to move fast, while use your other hand to spam skills, now imagine, on 1 hand, you have to use WASD to move, other hand to click mouse to interact, so which hand can help you spam skill?
As for your question, I would assume it’s the same hand you use WASD for but then again, they would still need the mouse to skillfully target and what not so I do not see a huge point in it unless that many players just find it that much more enjoyable with the WASD which I personally don’t and enjoy the old fashion point and click… WASD only works for ARPGS that doesn’t require a mouse, simple hack and slash games aka console but PC games are usually more advance and requires a bit more skill with your placement hence needing a mouse. Console >< PC
This of course be somewhat useful/beneficial for certain scenarios and classes such as melee but wouldn’t you still want/need the mouse in many other scenarios such as certain mobility skills?
This ofc would be optional!
Feedback, from what I’ve seen, is largely supportive of this feature on YouTube after the PoE2 meet up. People said it felt strange at first but then more preferred after a short time. I know it’s human nature to not want to change but if this implemented as an option people could take it or leave it.
Quote from EHG_Mike from the above linked Discord post incase you don’t use Discord:
“This is a long story, the timing of which is just comically bad. The short version is that we had a small influx of people (less than 5) ask about it just before WASD blew up as a thing. We decided we didn’t want to do it. The community sentiment shifted, we had moved on and locked in our 1.0 features. Then we delayed launch but it was too late to even consider WASD as an option. Now we are going to discuss it again once things have calmed down. We aren’t guaranteeing that it will or won’t be in the game yet but it’s back on the list of things to talk about at a design meeting.
The one big misconception that I like to clear up is that this is a very major feature for us to implement at this point. There is currently no way to move in one direction and use an ability in another direction at the same time. This might seem trivial but it impacts so many other nearby systems that those systems are what cause the real work in implementing this.
OK, not so short version but I skimmed over a bunch.”
Optional is not an option…ah…
Listen to the devs of PoE2 and what they had to change after implementing WASD movement. They had to redo all monster abilities and movement.
I personaly want to be able to use skills while moving. I never played an ARPG with WASD (is there any out there) but can’t imagine liking it.
I’m a big WASD-fan. BUT: Depends on implementation. ARPGs without a followup first person view implement it as I see it as NEWS movement, as the map is not turning with movement. D4 does that. For me personally, that is useless, as it makes me dizzy. So I do not use it in D4. MMOs implement it relative to character. So it’s a real forward, left, right (turn) and backwards allowing archers for example to fight moving backwards. But those games do not reduce their skill use to 6 to be controller compatible. But I play DDO for example with controller regardless and WASD is on a stick there. There you can program 15 buttons + 2 sticks. That’s not PlayStation like, which is sadly reducing options for PC players today, because they want multi-platform gaming. It’s even worse: Many games give controller users auto-target or auto-select, and mouse-keyboarr-users have to aim. Total crap for archers. If you get WASD formovement, and need mouse for targeting still, that might make it even worse. D4 is unplayable for me at least that way. Maybe some more tallented players can do it thow.
Aye, I’ve seen a lot of support for MMOs for controller too. It’s great playing with a controller during the fighting, I just hate traversing menses and bags with the controller. ARPGs are very basic an easy games to play, the complexity is in making the build work with talent points etc so, the easy of use of the controller thumb sticks is perfect for combat but targeting for traversal skills suffer. It’s the trade off I guess.
I enjoy playing both range and melee but, it’s frustrating as ranged to move the curser around like we do. I’m 100% positive that some like this though, so I’m not expecting it should be mandatory but optional would be a great place to be.
No need for PoE2 style of combat. Diablo IV does WASD as it is. No need to redo monsters.
If the devs would do it just like Diablo did it I would be content!
Would someone explain to me what WASD would accomplish for them?
To me, mouse-steering feels way superior. In WoW I mostly moved with autorun (or pressing down W) and the mouse. So holding left-click and steering with the mouse like in D2 feels only natural.
Are you coming from a MOBA background where you have no direct control over your character? I’ll never understand why they use those RTS controls where you can only make suggestions to where your character may go if he feels like it.
Being able to move and shoot more accurately in opposite directions, ie shoot forwards whilst walking backwards or side wards is the biggest one.
I personally come from a background of many different styles of games, as I’m old like that and grew up when computer games weren’t a thing!
There’s a lot of gamers that don’t conform to any specific genre and play a variety of games, though typically on forums you get a less variety of people like that and you have people that only play a single game ie like WoW, CoD etc.
If you Google videos about the WASD movement in PoE 2 you’ll be able to see feedback on it. People were sceptical but then much preferred it. In order to properly value it, it’s something you’ll have to try for yourself, as things like this are subjective in nature. Having the option would go a long way to finding out more accurately what people prefer, as typically on forums people will tend to lean on a bias or argue for arguing sake.
Ah that makes sense, thanks. I come from a background of playing mostly melee so the notion of running away and attacking at the same time isn’t very present in my mind.
So we can establish that this would improve gameplay for ranged characters, which leads me to the issue that they already have a natural advantage over melee which we shouldn’t stretch needlessly.
It also creates an advantage over dot builds, whose trademark is damage while moving.
Also, in WoW the options of damaging the opponent while moving are severely reduced by cast times forcing you to stand still for a few seconds to cast/shoot. Do you want that in LE?
As explained moving and shooting is the best. For LE though I don’t want to move while attacking, I just want WASD and the mechanics stay the same. Diablo IV does it. No need to rebalance the game. Imagine: You send a move command to the right and you want to shoot to the left after that. In this case you need to move your mouse from right to left through almost all the screen. It’s tiresome after a while to keep bouncing the mouse all over the screen. With WASD you can keep your mouse more static and it releases the strain on jittering the mouse all over the screen. Also it could potentially free left click for another skill.
I repeat…while shooting and moving at the same time would be dope, I really only want WASD as it is. Controller already does it with the left stick. The implementation is trivial, the advantage is minimal on ballance.
Not all abilities in wow are static. Hunter springs to mind in this case. 100% mobile ranged. Also melee can also kite and reduce the amount of mobs attacking them, ie using hamstring on warrior whilst strafing or hunter wing clip.
So it’s not a big deal but it does make the controlling of your character more smooth like using a controller stick.
