"Wait 'til your power is at 100% before attacking!"
Sets the pace, makes positioning important.
Got a theory that it enabled emergent technical play from just walking around at the right times.
No one is talking about this!!!! Why?
I'm convinced it's under-explored.
Got a theory that it enhanced the party-based rhythm of Mana/Evermore! Is it still worth it with solo hero?
Mess around w/ on-screen indicator, have a theory that a reload circle might work better.
Whips are cool and underutilized in top-down, ain't really seen one since SoM.
Copy that "tip is crit" thing from the one weapon in Dead Cells.
Grapple across gaps
Electric power: temporarily juice up machines (active timer counts down)
An idea from CrossCode: use block-push puzzle elements to bridge gaps in order to power up a machine from a distance, so you can get to the activated door within the time limit.
Blocking and dodging: how?
SoM had random block/whiff, so it was just a nice bonus you could receive but couldn't count on. Doesn't feel technical, and that fit with the whole design of the game (although it had some like, emergent technical qualities).
More common options:
Guard button with a stamina meter
Dodge-roll
Parry timing
Variant from Vernal Edge: block but you gotta time it bc you can't hold down the button, and then you get to choose whether to riposte.
Position-based guarding
Zelda LttP
Ys 1&2
Dead Cells has all of the above! (Well, no stamina meter for shields, but the guard tanking was imperfect.) Souls has all of the above. Hyper Light Drifter has dodge-roll. Zelda 3 had position-guard when not attacking. Ys 1/2 was arguably a variant on position-guard.
Is there an interesting way to rehabilitate random block?
Maybe! You could make it deterministic by: if you're at 100% balance, you will block one head-on attack for REDUCED damage and lose 50%? of your balance. (and not get knocked down.)
Add parry timing?? If you attack within the first three frames of your block animation, you counterattack for big punish and ZERO damage (costs 100% of balance instead of 50%).
Balance For Attack System
Whips are cool and underutilized in top-down, ain't really seen one since SoM.
Blocking and dodging: how?