Suggestion: Turnbased combat & afteraction replay video

[Sabin Stargem]

One of the bigger problems that can plague a modern RPG is the division between keeping the gameplay fun, understandable, and presentable. As much as I enjoy turnbased combat, it is often true that it doesn't lend itself to being exciting, mostly because the shiny bits have to be stalled in order for the player to dole out commands, assess the situation, and so on.

 

While I really liked The Witcher and Fallout New Vegas, I would like to see a turnbased game that is also attractive. To my mind, the key would be to seperate the gameplay and presentation by having the player conduct the entire battle in turn-based fashion, and then give the player the option to watch a video that replays the entire battle, with the option to save the recording, to check the combat logs, and so forth. This would be a very good way to make battles fun to play and watch in my opinion, and would grant Let's Players the ability to show off their battles.

[Vandoon]

I personally like turn based combat however to get the excitement a twist could be simultaneous. Both parties enter the orders for the turn then execute and all action animations play resolving the turn.

[evdk]

That's been done too, see for example Albion. Or any jRPG.

[catmorbid]

Phase-based combat like Frozen Synapse. Yes, I think that would work pretty well. And how does it differ from pausing every turn? You can't change orders once you press "Go!".

[Darkpriest]

I personally like turn based combat however to get the excitement a twist could be simultaneous. Both parties enter the orders for the turn then execute and all action animations play resolving the turn.

 

As much as I like Frozen Synapse, the more "fun" TBS is X-COM for me. So if TBC would be implemented, I'd like to see rounds that are no simultaneous, but is either team based or individual based on some initiative ranking.

 

I do not agree that TBC is not attractive... It can be very attractive. If anyone remember Panzer General series or even the most recent re-imaging of X-COM (it looks very cinematic at times)

[Stephen Amber]

I'd have preferred turn based, rather than yet another IE type game, as there have been only a few notable turn based rpgs in the last 15 years or so... toee being the last. Also, as Trent Oster seems to want to re-release every old IE game ever made a true turn based game would have been a nice complement to those efforts. I just hope this new game can make some improvements over the old IE model... especially the fog of war which I really couldn't stand.

[Sabin Stargem]

Ye old X-COM is definately the gold standard when it comes to simultaneous combat...but I still would like to see turn-based combat revitalized for the WRPG. I really enjoyed BG2, but having BG2's encounters mixed with a system similar to D&D 4th Edition would be sweet in my opinion. That is why I suggested the after-action replay feature, because I know that presenting exciting combat sequences while retaining the fidelity of turn-based combat is difficult. I have not seen any game that has tried this idea, so I am curious if it could work.

[Darkpriest]

Ye old X-COM is definately the gold standard when it comes to simultaneous combat...but I still would like to see turn-based combat revitalized for the WRPG. I really enjoyed BG2, but having BG2's encounters mixed with a system similar to D&D 4th Edition would be sweet in my opinion. That is why I suggested the after-action replay feature, because I know that presenting exciting combat sequences while retaining the fidelity of turn-based combat is difficult. I have not seen any game that has tried this idea, so I am curious if it could work.

 

In the new X-COM, they have this feature they call "glam cam", which basically shows a more "action themed' execution of orders. If the combat would be turn based, imagine the possibility with combat animations and zoom-ins on such.

 

I would be a one very happy man :D

 

Almost like when I discovered the Dawn of War RTS series with the awesome sync kill animations... RTS with super eye candy and great game play mechanics.. I fell in love in that one :D