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It's also particularly great for C-classes in that same situation - I could retreat with S while facing the enemy, but I know i'm going to take way more damage than I can give, especially when outnumbered and low on health - but if I sprint away, I might be able to find some help from teammates and survive. Better yet, with 180' spin I can pop off some burst damage without sacrificing much ground, and by the time I reach my teammates they can deliver the finishing blows, and inevitably I'll have more health than I would have had if I had retreated in a more blunt way. In other words, a little skill can be rewarded. I can't say enough good things about 180' spin.
Ultimately, I think that the pace of basic walking, the speed/distance of dodge, its recharge, the 180' spin ability, the general concept of dodging in short, straight lines on a grid, the rate/height of jump fuel all work together in a magnificently flexible way. I always feel "free" and capable, especially in A class mechs, but even in hulking C class mechs - the balance of weight/armor/mobility is very finely tuned already, even before the open beta; it's really awesome how good it is in its current state and it can probably still get better. The maps perfectly compliment it too - Sahara/bazaar's little nooks (often used for repairs) are just the right size to dodge into and out of even when i'm not looking at them; the general size and features of the maps are ripe for careful, chess-like, grid-based positioning. The game feels fluid - you can move all over the place, and if you have good awareness you can turn a clunky mech into something graceful that can jump backwards and float onto a platform and get control over an enemy in a clever way, for instance. It's amazing that it manages to feel both intuitive and strategic; fun and rational at the same time. Quake and Unreal Tournament are the only shooters I can really think of that had similar fast, hopping styles of play, but those are still very different from hawken obviously.
Dodge recharge is also pretty damn in sync with most of the burst weapon recharges - TOW and GL can pop off one shot, enemy can dodge it, and if their timing is careful, they can exactly dodge the next volley; I've had great A class 1v1's where neither of us can even land a shot on the other because we're each being so precise about our dodging. So fun. Careful timing can also dodge every shot of a SABOT, even though it's hitscan - if you're just conscious of weapon reload times, you can work magic. It's beautiful.
Likewise, if you watch an enemy carefully and learn the precise distance his dodge takes him, you can predict where he will be and use the dodge recharge time as a window of opportunity to shoot him - fast enemies are most vulnerable immediately after finishing a dodge. My point is, the game lays out all the mechanics in front of you, and if you learn to be keenly attuned to them, you can win with wits instead of brute force.
That said, I know that dodge like this has been a staple of lots of japanese mech games, but I haven't really played much Front Mission or Armored Core, and I haven't enjoyed what I have played too much - I think that implementing it in a straight-up MP FPS is unique and fits the mold perfectly. Bravo devs. Plenty of room for improvement in the game with things like upgrades/sidegrades, but most game mechanics are just straight-up good even in this early stage. I really hope you guys get lots of positive attention after release.
Woo go Hawken!
Edited by wat, December 01 2012 - 08:05 AM.
