Why is dodge roll the only Animation Cancel?

TL;DR:

The Issue: Combat flow is currently limited because we can only animation cancel with Dodge Rolls.

The Fix: Allow attacks to animation cancel directly into other skills (not just rolls).

Movement: Remove "animation locks" on movement skills; let us steer or cancel them fluidly.

Result: A higher skill ceiling and faster, more fun gameplay without needing to buff damage numbers.


---
Motivation:

The state of PoE2 gameplay is as follows: We are canceling literally everything with a Dodge Roll.

This raises a question: Why can't we cancel a skill into another skill???

Currently, roll-canceling is effectively mandatory to shorten the recovery animation of melee attacks or to remove the movement slow after using ranged skills.

*In games, Animation Cancel shortens downtime after the damaging part is already finished. It also often allows to atleast partially skip animation windups.*

GGG's "Vision" already points in this direction with instant dodge rolls, combo-based gameplay, and deadly enemies that require constant repositioning. This is the missing piece.

In almost every top-tier action game (Fighting games, LoL, DMC, BDO, God of War), animation canceling is a core form of skill expression. You discover combos and learn what flows into what.

For a proof of concept, look at Elden Ring. It has a similar combat flow to PoE2. Now, look at it with the IMCO Mod. The difference in fluidity is night and day.

---

What needs to happen:

Universal Skill Canceling: Anything that can be canceled by a dodge roll should also be able to flow directly into other skills. (To prevent mindless spam, a skill probably shouldn't cancel into itself).

Risk/Reward: If you cancel too early because you panic, you cancel your damage.

Better Movement Control: Players need more control during traversal skills (Gathering Storm, Leap Slam, Frost Locus, Wave of Frost, etc.). Being locked into a trajectory or speed feels bad. Rolling Slam is a decent start, but it needs to go further.

Contextual Fluidity: Movement skills shouldn't just be "travel." They should bridge abilities.

Example: Flame Dash might have a clunky windup on its own, but if cast immediately after a spell (e.g., Fireball), it should be instant.

---

The Outcome:

Well-implemented animation canceling adds engagement and raises the skill ceiling without changing the stats of the game.

Skill Expression: Players could choose to just sprint, or move 20% faster by executing high-APM combos (e.g., Fireball -> Flame Dash -> Fireball).

Viability: Many skills that currently feel too slow or clunky would finally become usable.

Fun Factor: The game becomes faster and more responsive purely through mechanics.

Crucially, the game doesn't need to be balanced around this increased skill ceiling, but it gives players the tools to feel like masters of combat rather than just rolling everywhere.