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After a couple weeks of playing Slay the Spire, one thing really stuck out to me about its battle system, and it had nothing to do with the fact that you fight using collectible cards.
What I really liked was that the game shows you each enemy's General Intent for this coming turn, before you take your action. The Intent is clearly shown in a GUI symbol above the enemy's head, and will always be one (or two) of the following: Deal Damage, Inflict Status Effect, Aid Allies, Defend, or ??? ("???" means it's a special enemy-specific mechanic, but never dealing damage).
A bad implementation of this system could result in very reflexive decisions (they're going to attack? defend. they're going to heal? attack first), but the way that enemies within a party usually have different Intents from each other, and the way that bosses generally do two things at once, means that you often have to decide between different priorities on your turn, which (in addition to the semi-randomized "skills" available to you each turn) keeps things from getting stale in StS.
Since it inspires such a strategic and rewarding dynamic, I'm wondering if enemy Intent could be added to RPG combat systems to create a more satisfying experience. It would remove a lot of the frustrations of AI Roulette, specifically giving the player an indication of whether it will be wise or wasteful to use their defensive tools, such as Guards and Heals. It would also remove some of the frustration associated with bosses blindsiding you with moves you don't expect, giving you a turn to prepare for whatever's coming, and create interesting decisions about whether you want to take down Slime A or Slime C first.
Do you think that enemy Intent could move traditional RPG combat systems forward? What do you think needs to be done to ensure that it creates good play experiences?
Discussion of other types of "Intent" systems (such as Xenoblade's "Visions") is also welcome here. Discussion of "Aggro Systems" might even fit the conversation, as well, if you feel those can bring the same dynamics that Intent systems offer.
What I really liked was that the game shows you each enemy's General Intent for this coming turn, before you take your action. The Intent is clearly shown in a GUI symbol above the enemy's head, and will always be one (or two) of the following: Deal Damage, Inflict Status Effect, Aid Allies, Defend, or ??? ("???" means it's a special enemy-specific mechanic, but never dealing damage).
- "Normal" enemies usually do one of these things per turn; "Boss" enemies usually do two per turn, such as Deal Damage + Defend
- The actual skill the enemy will use is not forecast. For example, a boss with a Strength Buff and a Dexterity Buff might use either one when "Aid Allies" is shown as their Intent
- The player always goes first on each turn, so that they can use tools to prepare for the enemy's forecasted move
A bad implementation of this system could result in very reflexive decisions (they're going to attack? defend. they're going to heal? attack first), but the way that enemies within a party usually have different Intents from each other, and the way that bosses generally do two things at once, means that you often have to decide between different priorities on your turn, which (in addition to the semi-randomized "skills" available to you each turn) keeps things from getting stale in StS.
Since it inspires such a strategic and rewarding dynamic, I'm wondering if enemy Intent could be added to RPG combat systems to create a more satisfying experience. It would remove a lot of the frustrations of AI Roulette, specifically giving the player an indication of whether it will be wise or wasteful to use their defensive tools, such as Guards and Heals. It would also remove some of the frustration associated with bosses blindsiding you with moves you don't expect, giving you a turn to prepare for whatever's coming, and create interesting decisions about whether you want to take down Slime A or Slime C first.
Do you think that enemy Intent could move traditional RPG combat systems forward? What do you think needs to be done to ensure that it creates good play experiences?
Discussion of other types of "Intent" systems (such as Xenoblade's "Visions") is also welcome here. Discussion of "Aggro Systems" might even fit the conversation, as well, if you feel those can bring the same dynamics that Intent systems offer.