RPG Battle Systems - your opinions and favourites

[Deleted member 157129]

What is your favourite kind of battle system for RP games, both consoles and computers, and why? Here's a little list that covers a lot, but it's probably a lot of other variations I haven't heard of out there, feel free to explain those and what's great/bad about them.


1. Real-time battles with complete manual control
Games like Morrowind, Two Worlds and Oblivion where you cast spells manually and attack more or less manually (as far as I recall, how you chose to attack in Oblivion affected the damage, so you had more than just attack)

2. Real-time battles with automatic aid
Most MMORPG utilize this method, you attack automatically as long as you've chosen a target and stay in range, while you manually use spells and abilities

3. Real-time battles with manual control of one unit in a squad or party
Right now I can only think of one game, and that's Mass Effect, where you control one character completely and the AI controls the rest of your squad according to your commands or if not given any command, what the AI deems right

4. Real-time battles with manual control of all units in an army
Well, to be frank, this would be an RTS approach. You control every unit directly, and they continue to do as ordered until given new orders, some actions can not be repeated automatically

5. Turn-based/Active-time battles with manual control of all units in a party
Typically Final Fantasy and other console games with parties. You give all your characters one order per turn (or when they're ready) and if they are given no order they will wait.

6. Turn-based/Active-time battles with manual control of one unit (in a party)
Final Fantasy XIII is an example of this; you control one character while the AI controls the other members of your team. The difference between this and number 3 is that the battle is isolated here, while number 3 is real-time. They do potentially offer the same amount of control.

7. Turn-based/Active-time automatic battles
I don't know if this exists, but the closest example I know would be Final Fantasy XII; only you let the "Gambit" do everything and don't interfere at all. You simply watch the battle go, possibly with influence on roles (like the Paradigm-system in FFXIII or more directly shifting one characters class like in FFX-2).

 

[neku99]

I really liked the gambit system and it really made it challenging for me (in a gambit building way) And it was like programming^.^ But if I remember correctly you could still execute orders for each party member. The gambit system helps with some stuff that is too difficult for the player to do at once.

EDIT:

I also like the card battle system of kingdom hearts: CoM though most people hate it. It maybe because that was the first kingdom hearts game I played.

I also like the system they used in The World Ends With You. It definitely made use of the touchscreen and made you feel like doing the different gestures in battle (e.g. if you raise your hands ice spikes will rise from the ground = slash(?) the touch screen upward to make ice spikes rise from the ground.

In general I like unique battle systems but that doesn't mean i hate real time battle systems. I enjoy them and are very challenging.

 

[Tyranid]

I don't care as long as it's well made.

 

[Tleno]

If its an RPG you play, you have to have the complete feel of your character.

 

[The_wand_mirror]

I chose 1, but i meant it more being like Fable or Risen where you can also raise up your shield with the left trigger for example and with the right one you swing your sword and with some other buttons you cycle trough spells etc.

 

[Adiktuz]

I choose 1... the battlesystem of the TES series is good...

but my favorite BS was that of the KingdomHearts series, especially the new system of the PSP version.

 

[Rao Dao Zao]

I like the manual lone swordsman of Morrowind (or lone gunman of Unreal), but I also like the real-time-turn-based of Baldur's Gate (where turns happen but they're behind the scenes) -- I suppose this is almost the RTS approach where you directly control six party members.

Mass Effect-style is also good, assuming the AI can handle the pressure. Most of the time, though, they can't and I'm back to being a lone wolf. It would be nice if the AI members used different tactics depending on their personalities...

 

[Geazergimli2]

i choose 1 because thats the only kind of rpg that i enjoy to the fullest, dragon age was fun... but i really dislike the auto attack system unless its dungeon siege, and with that game there is a huge acception... but for turn based... i will never play one again... hehe

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

5. The Final Fantasy-games of old had my favourite type of gameplay, along with a few other select titles of that genre.

 

[Chizume]

For method seven I believe DinoRPG and MyBrute has it, even though these are web browser mini-games. My Life as a King, for Wii has one too.

I like this system for smaller games, but with RPs in general I'd go with method one.

Yours,
Chizume

 

[Callahan]

1 is nice although it's too generic.Some manual control are very badly done like LoCo.

2 is aweful I can't stand it.There's miriad of (korean) MMORPG clone using this same old recipe.It's instant revocation for me.

3 is nice.

4 is nice.It's the system used by most wc3 Singleplayer Rpg maps that I like.

5 can be nice if it has unique features and if it's very instinctive and smooth UI.If it's the old FF UI template then it was quite nice at the beginning but I think it's painful now there's too many menu traveling.

6 It's the system used in Star Ocean and it's good.

7 I think there's a Digimon game that used this system.The digimon is autonomous and you character can only give him general instruction in real time like agressive behevior or defensive behavior.It seems boring to me.

 

[leet.firefox]

I prefer 2 as most RPs I play are Biowares or Black Isles' and their games, with a few exceptions like Mass Effect, play out in this style.