I agree with both of your what-it-can-do-betters:
- I ran out of time for the background -- I will add one.
- I wanted position and facing to matter in combat. I also wanted the player to feel like they were moving around.
- But the current implementation doesn't give the player any meaningful reason to do that. It's on the simple side.
- Ultimately, I wanted it to feel like it looks: but there isn't a compelling combat mechanic in place to reinforce why they are doing it.
Appreciate the playthrough and the feedback! Cheers!