Attacking commits you. You move at half speed from the moment you swing a melee weapon until the blow lands, then speed comes back over the rest of the swing. Drawing a bow, crossbow, staff, wand or tome slows you to 70% until the shot leaves, and instant melee abilities slow you briefly too. A dodge roll cancels the swing and the slow. Hit-and-run on a creature far above your level no longer works.
Smoother strafing while you fight. Your game now predicts the swing and draw slow exactly, so circling and shooting no longer makes your character snap back a step.
Creatures fight in combos. Melee creatures sometimes follow a swing with a quick second strike (elites, creatures of level 40 and up: three hits; bosses: four). They step in, re-aim and strike faster. Follow-up telegraphs flash in and their warning rises in pitch. Roll, block, or parry a hit to break the string; after the last hit the creature is open for about a second. Combos never stun you and never continue while you are stunned.
Stronger creatures wind up faster. Telegraph wind-ups get shorter as a creature's level rises and when it is far above you, never under about 0.4 s (0.65 s for charges and big area attacks). The shape and its warning sound always finish exactly when the hit lands. The skeleton's Bone Slash and the alpha wolf's Rending Bite are a little quicker.
