Improvements to Floorhug Readability#335

I was thinking that one of the big things that could be improved about floorhugging is that it needs to be a little more readable. As is, it’s very hard to tell when it’s happening. This leads to it being more frustrating to understand and play around. It also makes it harder to use since it’s difficult to see how a beginner would even learn that it’s a mechanic in the game at all.

I had a couple ideas of how this could be done. To show when a floorhug happens, you could add things like:

1. Unique character animations
2. Unique visuals that are easier to spot than the current blue hue
3. A unique sound effect

A couple of these already exist for crouch canceling, and I think floorhugging should get similar treatment. People will still complain about it being annoying, but it’ll at least be a more clear mechanic. It feels a little too hidden for how important it is.

Here’s what Dan said about that just recently:
https://x.com/danfornace/status/2093057399594909953?s=20

I haven’t seen that post. I think it’s interesting that so many people are independently bringing this problem up at more or less the same time. It’s definitely a hard problem to solve, since fh doesn’t really lend itself towards being visible, but I still think it’s important that they try to figure out how to make it more visible.

Addressing the Dan post: It doesn’t have to be a full character animation. Just have, like, rocks fly out from the ground or something, that would play regardless of what animation comes next. Anything to cue a beginner into the fact that “a special mechanic happened here.” Having a distinct sound is even more important because sounds are more easily reactable and noticeable than visuals.

I like that animation idea! You could even customize it for the character, so it could be rocks for Kragg, smoke for Forsburn, leaves for Maypul, etc.

Ooh yeah! Forsburn fart xD

He’s been eating too many Forsbeans lol