What do you enjoy about turn based rpgs?

[Leah Prime]

Is it the way battles are played out in a calm and deliberate way?

or is it nice and fun skill systems/trees that make you want too get ALL the skills?

or is it something else?

post away!

 

[ccoa]

I like turn-based rpgs for the following two reasons:

• Victory is based on my intellegence and strategizing, not on my reflexes and muscle memory.
• They can easily be interupted and left running, which is important for the way I game these days.

 

[Andar]

the above counts for me as well, but I also found too many action RPGs which replace story with gameplay reflexes.

The turn-based, slower RPGs are usually a lot better when it comes to stoy implementation.

(on average, there are few action-RPGs who have good storys, and several turnbased with bad stories - but the chance of finding a story is higher with a turnbased RPG)

 

[CWells]

Is it the way battles are played out in a calm and deliberate way?

Exactly. Just sit back, relax, take your time. More puzzle...ish.

 

[cabfe]

I'm so bad at RTS games (I fail at the tutorials... true story ) that turn based is a prerequisite for me.

I like to pause and think what the best strategy to defeat that mob/boss could be.

But I know someone who can control several characters at once using keyboard shortcuts. And he can't bear turn-based combat games !

 

[pawsplay]

One big draw for me is that the pace of the game can match how I feel. If I feel in the zone, I can run through battles as fast as I can, if I'm feeling tired after a long day, I can kick it at my sown speed. 

 

[orochii]

"Active" or "turn-based", it all depends on the mood I think, and the personality. Since a lot of time, there are always existed both tendencies. Active games like most sports. Turn-based like board games. Every people has a taste for both I think.

Their differences on videogames often reflect a stereotype. "Active" games are harder to do, as it needs to manage dynamically all information, whereas turn-based pretty much can offer a basic GUI, then do calculations, and reflect them accordingly and based on set rules. Harder == more money, higher costs, higher product retail sale, better incomes, seal of approval! MMORPGs for example, where action-gameplay is harder to make because of lag, it gets converted into a tendency because it depends on technology advances (internet connection speed and servers). If your MMORPG isn't on the tendency, then it's outdated.

It's like 3D or 2D. They are just two kinds of representations for an inner ruleset. 3D is not over 2D, neither the opposite, at least in the gameplay aspect.

So, putting all those things aside, what do I think about active or turn-based? I like both in the same way. I don't think it depends on a simple design factor, it depends on the whole group of decisions made when creating the game. I like NES FinalFantasies. And I like SNES FinalFantasies too. I don't consider ATB from FFIV+ as an improvement, I see it as a nice remix between the turn-based and the action games that already existed.

Next we have complete action RPGs, like, let's say, Seiken Densetu (Final Fantasy Adventures). It's gameplay pretty much was like a Gauntlet, without random generation. It's also fun! AIs always suck, but it's fine if you forget that you have allies at all and just let them die >=D.

Something like that,

Orochii Zouveleki

 

[cosmickitty]

I sometimes get nervous in active gameplay, things jumping out of nowhere and attacking my characters... where turn based is nice and fairly predictable

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

I really like both... Action based gets you more into the battle than turn based... that's what I like about it... but enough of that as the question is for turn based...

Is it the way battles are played out in a calm and deliberate way?

or is it nice and fun skill systems/trees that make you want too get ALL the skills?

or is it something else?

post away!

1) Yes

2) Not all turn-based battles have that and even action games can have that... and seriously, that's a skill system and it is a separate entity than the battle system itself...

Also, I prefer it to action types where you cannot pause mid-battle since I can plan easier in the middle of battle [because I'm not time pressured]... but if the action type I'm playing is pausable, then this pro is not applicable...

 

[Kes]

Having the time to find the skill I want to use, rather than having to grab the first one I can think of to get my turn in before I'm smashed into the ground.  Turn-based allows for much more strategic thinking and doesn't rely on the speed of reflexes.  A reasonable half-way house is the option for semi-wait (or whatever it's called) which pauses while you do the skill and target selection.

 

[Milennin]

Turn-based is nice because

-it's relaxing

-you can leave it on and do something else for a bit without penalty

-it allows for more strategic thinking than when you get rushed in some ATB system.

 

[Deep Thought]

This probably comes from my platformer background, but I've rarely found turn-based RPGs relaxing or strategic. Whenever I play, it's less "develop complex strategy and outwit the computer Garry Kasparov-style" so much as "grind until you think you're powerful enough to fight the computer, then pray the Random Number Gods don't screw you over". In action games, I (usually) know what's coming at me and don't have to rely on--or fear--random chance.

Because of that, I prefer roguelikes and tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons. Most CRPGs just frustrate or bore me.

 

[Tai_MT]

My actual personal preference is either something akin to Final Fantasy 6 in which your "speed" stat determined how fast a meter filled up to let you act.  I liked this as it allowed me not just a certain level of freedom in planning how I was going to act when my turn came up, but also let me have a bit more strategy in how I dealt with enemies.  I went out of my way to give Locke a bunch of speed as well as equipment with Haste just so I could have him steal 3 times before anyone else got a turn.  For me, that was fun.  The other thing I really like is what Secret of Mana did with its battle system.  You could make low damage attacks frequently, but high damage attacks took time to charge up.  Its system revolved more around learning how to navigate a battlefield as well as simply dodge enemies.  It also required a lot of "reading of enemies" so you knew what they were using next.

But, those are just the kinds of battle systems I like.  I like options and strategy, even against basic enemies.  I like to be able to take what I'm given and develop a measure of skill or unique playstyle based upon it.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

personally, I like the time pressure of semi to full auto ATB, if I have the freedom to set up which skills to bring in battle... because that way, the planning starts even before the battle which for me is really fun... it's just like playing trading card games, you have an initial plan which reflects in how you set-up your deck, then just adjust during gameplay depending on the situation...

and I like the rush of needing to create strategies dynamically and quickly... because making a strategy without time pressure is simply boring... and you'll learn a lot more from the time pressure...

but if I only have a definite set of skills which the creator had set-up, then it simply becomes a game of "determine which skill the creator wants you to use" type of game, which is boring... or in some cases it becomes a case of "just increase your attack power so that you can just mash up attack" since normally, attack is the default command...

Though seriously, I kinda like every battle system that I tried... it all goes down to how well it's executed and how it fits the game...

but the best thing that I like with turn-based? well, the fact that my chars won't die even if I just stare at the screen!!!

 

[orochii]

but the best thing that I like with turn-based? well, the fact that my chars won't die even if I just stare at the screen!!!

Best if the game has nice music. You can not just stare, but take your time hearing something nice C:.
Still, most ATB stop inside menues, so you can get the same effect getting to skills, then start thinking/listening/staring,

Orochii Zouveleki

 

[Cozzer]

As basically everybody said, strategy. Also, they can give the player the sensation of "teamplay"; of course there's only one player, but victory is gained by combining the characters' abilities.

 

[jeff105]

I like turn based games for the following

• storyline
• occasional side quests
• random battles
• traveling to different areas to level up for larger battles
• or treasure hunting when low on money
• building a team with different attack methods to best suit your style of fighting
• the strategy to preparing for and use in major battles
• the choose-your-own-pace of the game
• quality music
• sometimes seemingly unbeatable bosses
• taking time to equip the proper armor, weapon, magic...I just feel more involved in the growth of the char. in turn makes me get into the storyline

I would love a game that combines something like legend of dragoon with suikoden with final fantasy...I have so many ideas...

 

[ExtremeYandereWolfychu3]

I like Turn based games for the strategy you can develop.

 

[TheoAllen]

I like both action and turn-based games. I came mostly from action games, but I can still appreciate turn-based, however, not all turn-based games are okay though. A turn-based game with agility based turn order, I find myself not liking it. It is not really that strategizing. Your defeat is assured when the enemy has higher agility than you that they act first without you have a chance to do something. ATB with global meter (not in each individual bar) and has wait mode (not continuous) is better than the default. However, I don't like when both (turn-based and action) are mixed, like when you have QTEs.

 

[ExtremeYandereWolfychu3]

What are some nice Rpg turn based games ?