Videogame Blocking Animation Follow-up

#sword #gaming #videogames #hema #fencing #martialarts #shorts

[spookyshark]

Something about the hanging guard just looks inherently cool.

[devanbrowne]

In movies and games, you always want characters' poses and movements to clearly illustrate their actions and intentions. You want dramatic, full-body movements with distinct silhouettes and clear lines of action.

In actual fighting, you typically want the exact opposite. You want to be moving your body as little as necessary to conserve energy, and not giving your opponent any clues as to what you're going to do next.

The solutions that people come up with to try to resolve this conflict is always fascinating.

[enkiimuto]

"This looks too threatening"
"Sir, this is a sword, it is its job"

[drdank]

You just gradually started adopting Cloud's combat pose.

[TITANia]

Honestly, the hanging parry is probably the best one, just because how obvious it is

[wheatleyede]

This is why I LOVE Sekiro, the game uses the hanging guard so you know you're blocking, but the game makes it better by having a parry animation for each attack you block

[MrRynox]

The hardest part to reconcile is in real life you don't want to telegraph what you are about to do but in a videogame you HAVE to telegraph what you are about to do! If you don't tell the player what's happening, or happened or what's ABOUT to happen then their success or failure is about luck and no longer about skill, and ppl hate that.

[Midoran]

Yup. The man knows what he’s talking about!

[shoutykenneth]

Longsword: How do I make this defence visually distinct in a fighting game?

Sabre: Hanging guard go brrr.

[MasoTrumoi]

I think Sekiro's use of Kasumi no Kamae (Ochs or vera Finestra in German and Italian Longsword) was the best use of guard-for block/parry.

In Sekiro the main character is smaller than all the other characters so the camera can look over them and at the enemies, but that also means that his Window guard covers from most attacks as most enemies strike down towards him.

It's a real guard, and the guards in Sekiro are called "Deflections" which is what Window guard is for. You match blades, move into Window, and displace the enemy blade up while bringing your point at them. In Sekiro the finishing attacks are almost always thrusts too so it still fits.

Kasumi/Ochs/Finestra is such an intentional stance, still point forward but to an untrained person it looks defensive and rigid and fancy. If the character's standard guard is Woman's guard, Iron Gate, or low point forward like Boar's Tooth or Short guard then the high guard is also a visual contrast and easy to tell when you're blocking.

So I say that if we need a "standard" block position, my vote is for Kasumi/Ochs/Finestra.

[BeastSlayr]

This is great

When i learn to code games this channel will be a god send for European/western swordsmanship so thank you and keep up the amazing work

[AtreVire]

Exanima handled this very well where you always passively block, and only slip out of guard when you prepare for and execute swings.

[the_well-known_stranger]

Damn, Robin is rocking some incredible drip right now

[waffler-yzgw]

the hanging parry is probably the best imo, looks cool and is real

[wolfflamekindl]

The remake of Lords of the Fallen used hanging parry for blocking with short swords and longswords! The attack animations also have this balance between realism and gaming that just scratch that HEMA itch.
It's so refreshing to see a successful attempt at realism in a game... As long as you don't try to dual wield anything.🤣

[mingodingo]

Guy acknowledges that the real guard stance is too subtle for video games and follows up with a suggested improvement that is subtly different.

[AllTheOthers]

I like active animations which adapt based on where the attack is coming from, I've played only a few games with a system like that, but I think a fools guard is a great position to show off how great and powerful your character is. He can be so relaxed when defensive. Maybe that gets deeper into a context that games don't want to delve into, but imagine a Sword Fighting game where you customize your characters moveset... I drool for the day that may happen.

[bladeRoller]

Hanging gaurd is a great gaurd for visuals and irl

[bobtehdinosaur]

Warden in For Honor uses real stances, the attack animations are atrocious though 😂

[chrisca]

I'd point out that by creating that kind of blocking animation, then you'd need to animate every type of encounter (sword vs dagger, vs sword, vs mace...) in order to have somewhat realistic blockings. Meanwhile, by just crossing the sword sideways, its one fits all. PS: If any dev is reading, make it so in order to parry you need to be put in a blocking stance first and then pressing the parry button, then depending on your timing you can get a failure, tiny counterattack damage, or a full riposte