One-action combat concept

[Dororo]

I'm toying with the idea of having such kind of combat system. What your thoughts about?

RULE 1
Each party (PC and NPC) got an action speed meter. Not all individuals, just one bar for the entire party. Party members increase/decrease the filling speed of the bar by their stats and traits. When the bar is full, that party can act.
While navigating menus and performing actions, meters are paused.
Notice that's a relative speed, so the faster party act each second, the other's relative.
This way a party can act more than once before opponents round.

RULE 2
The PC party is made of 3 individuals. NPC number can vary.

RULE 3
When a party can act, you can pick only one member and perform one action.
So, for example, you can pick the mage and cast a spell. That's the party action for this round. You don't pick an action for every single member (figure out three cards in front of you, you'll pick one alone).
Doing the action empty the action speed meter.
The same is true for opponents.
NOTE: some character can have advantages if not picked that round. For example, a swordman can counter attack. A monster can protect himself with spikes.

RULE 4
There are actions that require more than one party member to be performed.
Such actions have requirements, like an "hyped" status on the required members, or other conditions.
For example, if the 3 party members are hyped, you can perform a triple attack. If you defeated the slaves master alone, all slaves join in a single rush. A party of 3 jellies can unite into a Big Jelly...

RULE 4b
A party member collect HYPE by directly doing actions or being targeted - so in many great battles you can't simply spam your best character, you'll need to alternate somehow to trigger the greatest effects - if required.

RULE 4c
The sum of HYPE points collected by a character in that battle become his collected EXP - another possible tactical choice.

RULE 5
There's a "STUN" status. It does last until that party bar fill up, and recover immediatedly the moment that party should pick the action. At the very moment all opponents are stunned, you win the battle - the same you lose if all PC are stunned.
As the Stun depend on weaknesses and the "strenght" of an attack, not the actual HP lost, you can spoil it to defeat hard opponents, or go for the classical HP depletion route.

APPENDIX
As EXP are gained only by active actions, there could be unfair levels in the party. I'm figuring out a training option that pop up at some circumstance that let you pick two party members and rise lower (example: level 15 and level 4 train together, level 4 rise to maybe 10...)

 

[duty]

This is a very interesting concept.

It feels like you're taking extra steps to even out XP distribution. As it sounds like not all party members will act with the same frequency during a battle, awarding XP by action taken sounds like it will always result in uneven leveling.

It may just be best to let all the party members participating get XP at the end of the battle.

Have you considered using a cooldown rather than a "hype up" on the actions?

You could make each decision more meaningful if party members cannot act two turns in a row. The player would really have to think if now is the best time to use a particular character or another.

More powerful teamwork abilities would mean most of the party is inaccessible on the following turn, which could be problematic if you really need a heal, or to strike when an enemy's vulnerable.

 

[Dororo]

@duty
Yeah, the XP system is something I should consider to change, it does generate more problems than it solve.

The "tap" system - you can't pick the same character twice in a row - will probably solve a number of issue I had in the concept. But it also add a complication. I will think about.

Thank for your feedback!

 

[ScorchedGround]

Just make sure to balance this system so that battles don't get drawn out too much and stay exciting.

If you were to apply this concept to your default game balancing, battles will take considerably longer.

So every action you and the enemy take must be a lot more impactful and meaningful than in your common battle system where all combatants spam their attacks every few seconds.

But in general, I like this concept and it certainly has a lot of potential for integrating unique gameplay mechanics.

 

[Dororo]

Thank you @ScorchedGround , you surely pointed out something important. The single action should deal more impact, representing de facto the whole party round.