Combat (gameplay)
- This article is about an in-game mechanic. For the talent, see Combat (talent)
Combat is a form of engagement between players and mobs (PvM), or players and players (PvP).
Combat is based on players dealing damage to their targets by depleting their health or completely soothing them. To engage in combat, target a mob or player by clicking on them, then select a skill. Combat requires the player to constantly select skills to use on their adversaries. A player can flee from an encounter with a mob or player by sprinting, flying, or teleporting away.
Different races in combat
Each race has unique combat aspects. Unicorns can use magic to attack from a distance, however they have lower defense so they are relatively more vulnerable to attacks. Pegasi are able to dodge attacks relatively better, however, they deal relatively less damage as compared to the other races. Earth ponies have greater base energy regeneration, attack, and defense. Earth ponies can also have their pets aid them in combat with the animal talent.
Combat equipment
Combat equipment in Legends of Equestria is mostly armor. No weapons exist in the game which are not merely cosmetic items, such as the wooden sword. Whimsical weapons such as pies and horseshoes have been hinted by developers to be added to the game.
Combat variables
Several variables in combat affect how players and mob deal and receive damage:
Health — How much damage a player or mob can withstand before fainting.
Energy — The capacity for players to perform skills or moving (sprinting, flying, and teleportation).
Attack — The base damage that players can deal.
Armor — The player's defense against attacks.
Dodge — The player's ability to avoid attacks.
Magic Resist — The player's capacity to withstand magical attacks.
Combat experience
The player receives maximum experience from a mob when their combat level is within 5 levels of the mob's combat level. Otherwise, 2.2% of the experience awarded is deducted for every increase in combat level difference unless the difference is greater than 50. The percentage of the maximum experience from a mob can be calculated with where x is the player's combat level and m is the mob's level. This formula is written as a decimal so to convert to a percentage multiply by 100%.
where x is the player's combat level and m is the mob's level. This formula is written as a decimal so to convert to a percentage multiply by 100%.
If the player is in a party, 5% additional experience is awarded for every additional player, up to a maximum of 7.
The ratio of the number of times skills from a talent were used to the total times skills were used determines the amount of experience is awarded to a talent (experience awarded to talent=maximum experience from the mob*number of skills from talent used/total times skills were used). All skills used are recorded then experience is distributed among talents based on how often they were used.
Moves which affect how much experience is given are cleared every time experience is awarded even if those moves are still active. For example, candy shower can still be active but partying experience will only be awarded the first KO after it is used.
The Tension system
While mobs are engaged with the player in combat, they can either be more angered or soothed. The varying tensions that a mob has will affect how they behave in combat. Angered mobs have increased attack but lose health faster, while a soothed mob has higher defense but do less damage. Different skills used by the player can either soothe or anger a mob. Completely soothing a mob will put them to sleep (knock them out).
Maximum tension is equal to 70% of mob's max health.
Combat instances
PvM (Player-versus-Mob)
Most combat in Legends of Equestria is PvM. Players can initiate combat with a mob by attacking them, although aggressive mobs can attack players first without prior provocation. Upon defeating a mob, the player can retrieve the mob's drops, as well as experience. Multiple players who engage in combat with the same mob will receive the same, undivided amount of experience from the mob, in addition to bonus experience.
PvP (Player-versus-Player)
Player-versus-Player combat, commonly abbreviated as PvP, occurs when two players fight each other. PvP is restricted to specific zones, such as that in The Heartlands. Players can initiate combat with another player by using a combat skill on them, though it is up to the other party whether to retaliate.
PvP was added to the game on April 3, 2015.
Combat strategies
Different strategies can be employed by players to avoid being hurt by mobs.
Outrange
Certain mobs are confined to roaming within a certain region of the map. By standing at a strategic location, such as on a high ledge which mobs cannot climb, players can easily cast ranged attacks such as Magical Arrow and Rough Terrain to damage melee-based mobs while taking possibly zero damage themselves.
Such a strategy is effective against melee mobs such as the Forest Dryad, Hornet and Timberwolf, while it is less effective against mobs that have ranged attacks, such as the Dragon.
Disorientate
The disorient strategy takes advantage of mobs' limited movement speed. This strategy involves running in a circle around a cluster of mobs, and executing attacks quickly. In doing so, slower mobs may end up spinning on the spot instead of chasing after the player.
This strategy is more suited for slower, melee-mobs such as the Husky Diamond Dog, as faster mobs such as the Lantern Monster may be able to effectively pursue the player and land a few hits on them.
Trivia
- Combat was implemented in pre-alpha 2, where players could attack Husky Diamond Dogs within the Gem Mines.
- The combat system was significantly improved in pre-alpha 9, introducing new modifiers and a combat level system, alongside the Combat talent.
- The first ever PvP fight was between developers Aabicus and Rattletrap on April 3rd 2015.