Fixing the Limbus Company Combat System Understanding Clash Calculations and Ability Effects
The Limbus Company combat system can be difficult to understand at first, but with a bit of observation and time, it is possible to figure out how it works on an attack-by-attack basis. Many players, including myself, have had a hard time grasping the clash calculations and ability effects in the game. This article will explain how the combat system works and offer suggestions for improving regular encounters.
Understanding Clash Calculations and Ability Effects
Every attack in the game has a set number of “coins” that can add to, subtract from, or multiply the initial attack’s value. During a clash, any coins that land on heads will apply their effect to the move’s final calculation. However, it is not clear until later that during any clash, all coin slots are checked for heads/tails at the point of calculation. Some moves result in more than one clash as all coins present in a move have to be “exhausted” before the winner of a clash is determined.
A clash between two moves will continually occur until either side has no coins left on their move. If there is a draw in clashes, a reroll occurs, but no coins are lost on either side. Once the winner of a clash is determined, damage calculation begins. This part is pretty straightforward, but one thing of note is that moves are not restored to their full versions after winning a clash; moves will only have as many coins as they had kept after a clash during damage calculation.
Multi-coin moves function differently. Once damage calculation is reached, if an attack has multiple coins, they are NOT all rolled at the same time as they are in clashes. Coins are rolled one-by-one and will change the attack value based on the coin modifier (add/subtract/multiply).
Improving Regular Encounters Encounter Improvement Brainstorm
The regular encounters in Limbus Company leave a lot to be desired in terms of player autonomy. Oftentimes, it feels like “big number better, me take bigger number” due to the fact that there is no way to redirect attacks at will. One of the things that made LoR (Library of Ruina) such a tactically deep and satisfying game is that all of the systems were made so that the player could use them to their advantage if they knew how to. However, the problem with normal encounters in Limbus Company is that possibly the most quintessential part of the game, combat manipulation based on speed, has been practically gutted entirely, aside from abnormality battles.
One potential solution is to make the chain area 3 lanes wide and only allow connections to adjacent nodes, but that still wouldn’t fix the core issue of non-player autonomy. A better solution would be to give every identity an uptie-scaling, identity-specific defensive move that makes defensive moves more viable and makes each identity more unique.
Conclusion
Limbus Company’s combat system can be confusing at first, but understanding how clash calculations and ability effects work is crucial to playing the game effectively. Improving regular encounters is a matter of enhancing player autonomy and bringing back the tactical depth and satisfaction present in games like Library of Ruina. Whether it’s changing the chain area or introducing identity-specific defensive moves, the development team at Project Moon can make Limbus Company a great game in the long run.