Current Events > What is the appeal of turn-based combat in RPGs?

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's boring and the gameplay is literally just cycling through menus. At least try something like the Mario and Luigi games where it's based on timing.

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It's awesome planning things out like an elaborate chess game

Fun. Try having better tastes

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Th3Truth posted...

Is your gimmick making bad takes?

No that's Garioshi

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TC you have this recurring thing where you have a hard time grasping why people like stuff uou don't like.

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Simultaneous turns FTW

Anyways, the appeal has to do with the fact that the game isn't based on your reflexes but on your strategic thinking skills. Not everybody is a fan of that obviously, but that's the appeal.

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Doom_Art posted...

TC you have this recurring thing where you have a hard time grasping why people like stuff uou don't like.

are you gonna help him understand what he actually asked or just attack his username

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Why does more than one thing exist? I don't understand why everyone isn't satisfied with just one thing. You don't need another thing since one thing is already enough to get the job done.

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The same reason people like card games.

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cringe

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How come people like chess when both players cant move their pieces any time at will?

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The appeal is that combat is not the core focus of these games so a combat system that is functional and relatively engaging, but not trying to re-invent the wheel is appreciated.
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radical rhino posted...

How come people like chess when both players cant move their pieces any time at will?

That actually sounds kind of fun

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Depends on the game. Sometimes there is significant depth to it and it functions like a multi-layered puzzle. See Divinity: Original Sin/2. Position matters a TON, and you are given many ways to manipulate yours and the enemy's (my favorite ability in the games is Nether Swap, a very fast spell that swaps the position of any two targets, living or dead, including yourself if you desire) and you have many ways to set up devastating combos using the environment, pools of water/blood/oil/etc., working with allies to strip a specific armor type to be able to use status effects, etc.

I agree that there is very little appear to most of the systems which are literally just "use the attacks that do damage efficiently and heal often enough that you don't die", though.

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^ came in to recommended Divinity: Original Sin 2.

some tactical turn-based RPGs actually have compelling gameplay, IMO.

like, positioning, distance, barriers, elevation, environmental hazards, etc. can have a notable effect on the combat.

but I agree, turn-based RPGs where you just cycle through a menu until the battle ends aren't that fun.


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i dunno, it's chill. you can take your time and think and have food and whatever else

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DeadBankerDream posted...

The appeal is that combat is not the core focus of these games so a combat system that is functional and relatively engaging, but not trying to re-invent the wheel is appreciated.

This sounds most right to me as someone who enjoys turn-based RPGs. I'm generally not playing them for the gameplay but rather the world, characters, story, etc.

I hear the "strategy" argument a lot but it doesn't make sense to me in games where your level is the most important indicator of whether you'll be successful. Even then, the "strategy" is usually use fire on ice guys, light on dark guys, etc.

I find them fun and don't like action based gameplay or timing stuff much either. People just like different stuff.

Because that's how people fight irl and we gamers want realism

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turn-based anything lets the player focus on the strategic depth of the game in question. the dexterity requirements aren't there. players don't have to wrestle with complicated inputs.
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I was never a big fan of turn based RPGs and only liked Pokemon and fire emblem, but then I played Octopath traveler and ffx and saw how fun it was.

Some do it better than others

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Part of the appeal to me is, well, for example, take Earthbound.

Me selecting Fight and then New Age Retro Hippie, in the game, is represented by a cartoon sound effect and a line of text. But it tickles some part of my imagination so that that line of text is almost as good as actually watching Ness whack the shit out of some ruler-wielding hippie.


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They're low-effort.
I can just turn my brain off and enjoy the game for what it is.

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DocDelicious posted...

They're low-effort.
I can just turn my brain off and enjoy the game for what it is.

Low effort when it comes to hand eye coordination. But some turn based games require a lot of planning and indepth knowledge of the mechanics especially for bonus levels.
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This guy has some very interesting things to say about RPGs and combat systems. I strongly recommend watching it:

https://youtu.be/ZwlT0fMIiXo

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GiftedACIII posted...

Low effort when it comes to hand eye coordination. But some turn based games require a lot of planning and indepth knowledge of the mechanics especially for bonus levels.

Eh, not in my experience. The most depth I've ever seen is weaknesses/resistances, and that's easily managed.
I think the only turn based game I would consider at all difficult is Resonance of Fate, and even that is just a matter of picking the right angles/paths.


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Mike_Stanton posted...

Simultaneous turns FTW

Anyways, the appeal has to do with the fact that the game isn't based on your reflexes but on your strategic thinking skills. Not everybody is a fan of that obviously, but that's the appeal.

There's no strategy in spending countless hours grinding weak monsters. If it weren't for the plots Turn-based RPGs might be one of the worst genre ever.

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I honestly couldn't tell you, but my interest in an RPG shoots up if it's turn based.

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Mike_Stanton posted...

Simultaneous turns FTW

Anyways, the appeal has to do with the fact that the game isn't based on your reflexes but on your strategic thinking skills. Not everybody is a fan of that obviously, but that's the appeal.

cuttin_in_farm posted...

The same reason people like card games.

These


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Turn based strategy is where its at TC.

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This topic displays a weird phenomenon of the internet. I would bet that if I made a topic simply saying, "I like turn-based combat in RPGs" I would get a post saying "Me too," maybe a post saying "That's nice," and it would be the end of the topic.

But some scrub shows up and insults them, and the result is an in-depth discussion on the merits of the system. Crazy stuff.

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nice sig pengy. vegh is a legend.

There's no strategy in spending countless hours grinding weak monsters.

this is why i didn't specify turn-based JRPGs in my post. JRPGs are meant for you to win.
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you can dunk your tendies in ranch at your leisure

I have no illusions about the "difficulty" of JRPGs, though some systems allow you to be pretty creative. What I want out of a JRPG is a very leisurely gaming experience. I want to mostly relax and play through a story. Very few non-JRPG games offer this because they are action/skill based.

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I have no illusions about the "difficulty" of JRPGs, though some systems allow you to be pretty creative.

to be clear i'm not saying that them being meant for you to win is inherently a bad thing. these are story-driven games; stonewalling players is a good way to take them out of the flow of it.

iirc ff6 let you keep exp and levels after you took a game over.
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Whats with trolls thinking fun is the same for everyone?

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I tried playing the new Dragon Quest last night, and boy oh boy is that some hot trash.

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I don't understand the appeal of non-turn-based RPGs. They have even less strategy and more grinding than the usual ones.

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You can eat while you play.

VitalGetPrank posted...

There's no strategy in spending countless hours grinding weak monsters. If it weren't for the plots Turn-based RPGs might be one of the worst genre ever.

these two lines don't really have anything to do with each other

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Fluttershy posted...

nice sig pengy. vegh is a legend.

Thank you, it just so perfectly embodied the poor loon that I had to sig it.

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MisterPengy posted...

Thank you, it just so perfectly embodied the poor loon that I had to sig it.

0/10, doesn't mention bloody armor. Eight out of ten posts from him was about it, after all.

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It's fun.
If you don't enjoy it, there's several other genres for you to look into.

DocDelicious posted...

Eh, not in my experience. The most depth I've ever seen is weaknesses/resistances, and that's easily managed.
I think the only turn based game I would consider at all difficult is Resonance of Fate, and even that is just a matter of picking the right angles/paths.

Have you played Bravely Default and Etrian Odyssey?
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Honestly I think RTS is the big brain time stuff. turn based strat is around the corner though

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GiftedACIII posted...

Have you played Bravely Default and Etrian Odyssey?

Or SMT?

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