Dhruin
SasqWatch
The Final Dungeon has a piece titled Turn-Based Combat in Western RPGs - A Eulogy. Here's a snip:
More information.We could argue endlessly about how to define the RPG genre, but in my opinion, one of its key identifying characteristics is the separation between player skill and character skill. If my desert ranger in Wasteland is an awesome marksman, then he is likely to hit his target, regardless of my mouse and keyboard skills. In an action RPG, though, this distinction is minimized. My Infiltrator in Mass Effect 2 may have great stats, and those stats will definitely help his aim. But no matter how high his level, he will always be a better shot if controlled by a veteran FPS gamer.
Combat in Mass Effect 2
Don’t misunderstand. I enjoy pausable combat and real-time combat. Some of my absolute favorite RPGs, such as Dungeon Master, Ultima Underworld 1 and 2, and The ElderScrolls series, demonstrate how fun real-time combat can be. All I’m saying is that I like turn-based combat, too, and I miss it. One play-through of EA3D’s excellent (and free) browser-based RPG Dragon Age: Journeys reminded me how much I miss this game mechanic.