Turn based Combat in MMORPG?

Kormac

That sounds like a challenge, doesn't it? Quite a chore, even. This thought comes from the concept of a Final Fantasy MMORPG (I know there is one).

Most of the time one would be moving and acting real time, which makes the transition quite challenging. When in a single player game it doesn't affect anybody else that somebody gets into a fight.

Somebody gets into a fight. Their presence is now turn based. What happens?

• They fight it out, nobody can interfere. They may be warped out of sight, or they may be visible objects fighting in their location, the second option being by far the best. Good: Others can stay realtime - Bad: They cannot affect the encounter, help their buddies, save the innocent...
• Everybody who's close enough is entered in turn based mode. Anybody who approaches gets the choice of entering turn based mode or going away. Good: Pepole can join the fray - Bad: People's gameplay will be disrupted by fighting they're not involved in.
• Whoever is targeted by the one who initiates combat is captured in turn mode. Others are not, unless they become targeted with a combat action, at which point you'll be drawn into that particular battle. People who are nearby are realtime, but may be drawn in. They may also join actively, but they will not be part of the combat until the next round (and nothing will be announced before that).

I like the third option for flexibility.

Why bother? Combat won't suffer from lag. You have time to make strategical decisions, experiencing another kind of suspense. Maybe there's more.

Entering combat under this system

Action: "Target" person - not turn dependent, activates at the beginning of the next round if already in combat, starts combat if not. Designated allies of either participant are automatically joined.

Action: "Join" battle - Has the same effect as if a member of that battle had targeted you at that time, you'll be joining the next round.

In  both cases you need to be within range.

You get your turn in combat based on some initiative roll or plain stats, this regardless of who initiated combat. Maybe assassins and thieves could have a trick to gain a free round, or a quick action before the full combat initiates.

Range

"Front line", "Second line", "Rear"

Selecting one of these positions could be part of the initiate combat action. Position in the real world will affect positioning. Melee range and near melee range will give the alternatives "Front line" and "Second line". Longer ranges, up to within reach of your readied ranged attack cause "Rear" to be the only available selection.

• Front line - attacking
• You can attack with regular melee weapons, targetting Front Liners of the opposing side.
• You can attack with pole weapons, targetting the Second Line.
• You can attack with pole weapons, targetting the First Line at a slight penalty.
• You can charge to attack the enemy's second line with a regular melee weapon.
• You can charge (any melee) in hopes of breaking through both lines and getting a strike in on the archers
• Your ranged attacks have a slight bonus
• Front line - defending
• You are maximally exposed to attacks
• You are in position to make defensive attacks (you have one defensive attack for free each round). These must be melee attacks.
• You get to choose one ally from the second line and two far off. Whenever one of them is charged you spend your defensive attack on the charging enemy.

 

• Second Line - Attacking
• Pole weapons may attack the enemy's frontline
• Ranged weapons may attack
• Second Line - Defending
• One target from the "Rear" may be chosen for protection, same manner as with front line.
• Slight defense bonus against ranged attacks

 

• Rear - Attacking
• Ranged weapons may target any enemies at a significant penalty
• Rear - Defending
• Significant bonus against ranged attacks

 

Not handled: 3 way combat, betrayal, stray attacks...

That's probably not all of it.

tigris67

You my friend have never played Rubies of Eventide.

Gameloading

Fairyland uses a combat system that looks a lot like that. works pretty well.

Anofalye

I am a big fan of GBT myself.

 

However, GBT and only having 1 character and peoples playing...well, I see many rules that must apply.

 

- To save time and reduce waiting:

A- Peoples play their turn simulteneously, it is a little complicated but you wait only for the slowest member instead of waiting for everyone.

 

I could write more ideas...but saddly, I am not in the mood ATM.  Just consider that this A-rule is the first basic rule from which to start in multiplayers GBT.

Darkchronic

I personally wouldn't count Rubies of Eventide combat as completely turn-based, but sort of.
Fairyland, yeah, that's cool.

A few others: Era of Eidolon an MMMO, has arena turn based combat.
Dofus Meh, it's...odd.

Well, there would be more, but I can't think of any.

Elnator

Bleh turn based combat sucks. Tic/timer based combat is much much better in my opinion. (which is what most MMORPG's use). I never enjoyed turn based combat.

Kormac

I'm not sure I'd enjoy it myself. Worked for me in non PvP FF / D&D styles. But in MMORPGs? Well, more of a "how would it be" and "could it be done"?

To the fellow who said I'd never played a certain game. I certainly havent. Does it have turn based combat, is that what you're getting at?

Darkchronic

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Originally posted by Kormac
I'm not sure I'd enjoy it myself. Worked for me in non PvP FF / D&D styles. But in MMORPGs? Well, more of a "how would it be" and "could it be done"?
To the fellow who said I'd never played a certain game. I certainly havent. Does it have turn based combat, is that what you're getting at?

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Well, I pride myself on knowing stuff about RoE.

Basically, instead of a target'n'wait system, Rubies uses a thing wherein if you get in the attack range of an enemy, it creates a mini instance, people can see you, but to them you just stand there with crossed swords above your head. There's a bar with all the enemies you can attack on it, you click one of the enemies, and it starts a timer, when that timer ends, you hit the enemy. Press F2, and it changes to magic spells.

Rubies is shareware, you can play for free, but if you pay $15 you become a patron for 3 months, which grants you instant server access and some other stuff.

Try it out: Click this link

LrdHades

Tactica Online is currently in development. It reminds me of the turn based combat I used to love before the modern zerg based games, and its setting is similar to old UO (knights, magic, etc).

I think its got potential.

www.tacticaonline.com

Cleffy

I love turn based combat. It allows yourself to deploy multiple strategies, rather then what you see in mmo's today. It either click hit until dead, or tank in front, healer behind, and nuker. With Turn-based you have the time to think out what your next move is. However, there should be a timer for how long you can take in a turn (for stuff like if someone disconnects). Also you need to up the amount of exp gained per battle/kill since fighting a turn-based game takes longer then fighting a real-time game.

Elnator

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Originally posted by Cleffy
I love turn based combat. It allows yourself to deploy multiple strategies, rather then what you see in mmo's today. It either click hit until dead, or tank in front, healer behind, and nuker. With Turn-based you have the time to think out what your next move is. However, there should be a timer for how long you can take in a turn (for stuff like if someone disconnects). Also you need to up the amount of exp gained per battle/kill since fighting a turn-based game takes longer then fighting a real-time game.

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You have obviously never played DAOC if you think that... it's a lot more than "tank in front/healer behind". There are reactionary, positional and followup styles. You CAN play it as a standard 'tank here healer here blah blah" game but you'll get oblitterated by people who understand and can use the real strengths of the combat system. There are so many permutations to be thinking about in combat in DAOC that it can be mind boggling to those new to PVP which is why a vet who knows what they're doing will almost always demolish a new player in PVP, even if the new player has a better toon overall. DAOC isn't JUST about equipment or character abilities... it's about knowing how to use them... and when... and where... and the right timing....

Turn based combat, to me, is entirely too simple. It's not hard at all to figure out what to do next in turn based combat because you have all friggen year to think about it.