Weapons

Weapons are the players' primary means of interacting with everything in the world. Weapons refer to anything that the player can hold and swing in their hands, not just damaging items.

Weapon Classes
Each weapon will be a member of a subtype which will determine its attack pattern, secondary ability, and base stats. We should keep the number of total subtypes low, and try to have at least 10 members of each subtype. This will allow us to give the impression of a lot of variety, while still allowing us to focus on balancing a core experience that will be similar for most players. Each weapon should function similarly on a base level, but weapons from different classes should still offer noticeably varied play styles. The current Weapon classes are as follows:

Melee Weapons
This "basic" weapon type will serve as a base that we'll build all the other weapon types off of. Consisting of weapons such as Swords, Hammers, or Bats; melee weapons will be solid all-around weapons: Medium-high melee damage, medium-high average attack range, and medium-high attack speed, and varying knockback. Melee weapon users will have to get closer to enemies than any other player, so they'll be able to deal the highest amount of sustained damage in exchange. The secondary abilities should emulate the nature of the class, and will likely consist of a combination of close-range, high-damage attacks, and dashes.

Polearms
Polearms are weapons whose heads are at the end of a long pole or chain, eg. Halberds, Pikes, Flails, etc. Polearms will have a mid-high attack range, but as a cost, will be ineffective against enemies in immediate melee range with the player. They should have low base damage, and medium knockback. Polearm users will have to maintain a short distance from themselves and enemies in order to remain effective in combat.

Lobbed
Lobbed weapons are currently our only ranged option. Able to deal moderate damage to enemies from a medium-long range away, Lobbed weapons deal their damage in a circular area of effect. When charged, lobbed weapons bounce, increasing their effective range and area of effect. By forcing the projectiles to bounce and only affect certain areas, we prevent players from simply standing still and attacking continuously in the direction of enemies, a problem that is common for games of our genre.

Blocking
Blocking weapons are just as they sound: Large, sturdy objects which players can use to deflect and defend against enemy projectiles and attacks. When blocking, players should generate a small zone of safety to their sides, and behind themselves, allowing them to defend their allies as well as themselves. When attacking, blocking weapons will have a low attack speed and damage, but extreme knockback. While charging, a player with a blocking weapon will absorb all incoming projectiles and attacks originating from the front arc and the shield, gaining a bonus to the charged attack based on how much damage they were able to prevent. By allowing the blocker's defense to have a major role in their offense, we can hopefully mitigate the feeling of being a sidekick that usually comes with playing a support role.

Potential Weapon Switch
We're currently considering focusing more heavily on single-weapon mechanics over dual-wielding. Although this will allow for less variation in gameplay, it will help us to more closely control the action loop and player experience.