your thoughts on turn based combat?

N

Neon Gear Games

Guest
Some of my favorite all time games are RPGs most fall under the Action RPG banner, games where you explore worlds, collect goods and fight enemies without having to deal with random encounters and the screen transitions that follow. That being said, i have a soft spot in my heart for a bit of 2D turn based combat mechanics.

Considering my first attempt at game making was with rpgmaker2000 and having to deal with its default battle system, i've developed a fondness for custom/innovative turn based combat.

Understandably, in this day and age these kind of mechanics seem to have fallen out of favor and replaced with more action oriented/ input based combat, but i feel that there is still room for innovation when it comes to Turn Based battle systems

something i'd like to see more of in this kind of system is the ability to have combo strings - , kind of an expanded triple tech system like Chrono Trigger had.

Lab Zeros' Indivisible features a battle system where every party member's attack function is mapped to a face button on the controller and if timed right one character can launch an enemy into the air and another party member can attack it, creating a pseudo fighting game mechanic within the bounds of a turn based system.

i could talk about this all day, but what are some things you would like to see in a new turn based combat system and what are some of your favorite systems of the past?
 

andev

Member
All of the turn based games that I enjoy have one major setback, and that's how long it takes to decide on your move(s). For a singleplayer game where the CPU can calculate a move instantly, it's fine. But for an online game this often is not the best thing, as there's nothing your opponent can do while they wait. If they go do something else, they will likely forget all the strategies they had in mind, so they just have to sit.

I think part of the reason we don't see many single player turn based games is because of the sheer amount of work involved to build a competent AI. And if the AI is easy to code, it's probably not a very fun game as there's no deep strategy involved.
 
W

Widget

Guest
Though college has halted my development right now, I'm working on game with a pseudo-turn-based combat system. During the enemy's turn you're able to perform defensive moves to avoid damage (jumping, blocking, parrying and dodging), you have to be observant of the attacks the enemies will do, like you can't jump overhead attacks and you can't parry or block grabs. You have to learn the enemy movesets to get the right counteraction and timing.

Basically, I like seeing ways the player can avoid damage by being smart but also have the skill to do so. It's a bit disappointing to see just a basic "Guard" option in JRPGs, all it really does is reduce the amount of damage you'll take during the enemy's turn, I always felt like it can be taken further.
 
Understandably, in this day and age these kind of mechanics seem to have fallen out of favor and replaced with more action oriented/ input based combat,
Unless you're saying the general public has 💩💩💩💩 taste, I don't see how this is "understandable." A ton of the best games ever made used turn based combat to great effect. The style seems to be making a comeback lately, too. Turn based JRPGs are hotter than they've been in a decade.
 
N

Noblezim711

Guest
I don't really like it, but have enjoyed games that use it. It feels fine when done right, and like chess or checkers when done wrong. Empire Total War did it well, but Games like Advanced Wars left me wanting more.
 
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