Combat
Combat in HighSpell shares many similarities with RuneScape Classic, but with some key differences. Notably, players are not locked into a minimum of three combat rounds before they can flee—this makes combat more flexible and generally safer. Even the strongest non-boss enemies in the game max out around 15 damage, so exploring at low levels is viable as long as you carry a bit of food and avoid fighting multiple enemies at once.
Multi-Combat World
The entire game operates as a multi-combat zone, meaning you can be attacked by multiple NPCs simultaneously, or by other players while in the Wastelands.
Tick-Based Combat
Combat is based on the game's global tick system, where 1 tick equals 600 milliseconds. Each weapon type has its own attack speed based on this system:
| Weapon Type | Attack Speed |
|---|---|
| Scimitars | 4 Ticks (2.4s) |
| Bows | 5 Ticks (3s) |
| Hatchets | 5 Ticks (3s) |
| Pickaxes | 5 Ticks (3s) |
| Longswords | 5 Ticks (3s) |
| Battleaxes | 6 Ticks (3.6s) |
| Staves | 6 Ticks (3.6s) |
| Fishing Rods | 7 Ticks (4.2s) |
| Great Swords | 7 Ticks (4.2s) |
Longswords are generally considered the best all-around melee weapon. Scimitars excel when fighting weaker enemies due to their speed, while Longswords provide better Accuracy—useful against tougher enemies. Battleaxes, although stronger on paper, are often less efficient due to their slower speed and marginal Strength benefit compared to the consistent value of Accuracy.
Experience and Training
Players should avoid training all three melee styles simultaneously (i.e., using "Controlled" mode). Experience is distributed as follows:
- Single Style: 4 XP per point of damage
- Two Styles: 2 + 2 XP per point of damage
- Three Styles: 1 + 1 + 1 XP per point of damage
Training all three results in a net loss of 1 XP per hit, meaning you're losing 25% of potential experience overall. It's more efficient to focus on only one or two styles at a time.
Combat Triangle
HighSpell loosely follows a "combat triangle" reminiscent of other fantasy MMOs:
- Range bonus appears to determine Magic defense. This means heavy metal armor (with low Range bonuses) leaves you vulnerable to Magic.
- Magic tends to counter Melee users due to their poor magic resistance (unless they remove armor to reduce vulnerability).
- Melee can overpower both Range and Magic users, but must close distance to deal damage.
Note: Your Defense level and bonuses are applied universally across all combat styles—both in PvP and PvE. This makes training Defense a valuable investment regardless of whether you specialize in melee, ranged, or magic.