What Combat System Works Best in Isometric RPGs?

What Combat System Works Best in Isometric RPGs?

  • Real-Time with Pause

    Votes: 14 29.2%

  • Turn Based

    Votes: 32 66.7%

  • Real-Time

    Votes: 2 4.2%
  • Total voters
    48
  • Poll closed .
Couchpotato

Couchpotato

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As I promised from the last poll here is the next question. With the recent successful kickstarters, and with Wasteland 2 just released.

I have to ask, "What Combat System Works Best in Isometric RPGs?"

 I offer three choices, and the poll will be up for two weeks.
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Divinity: Original Sin just showed me how great a turn based tactical RPG can be. In real-time with pause games I find I have to pause like after every action, hoping I didn't wait too much and wasted my chance of a well placed spell. So my vote for turn based.
 
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No brainer. Turn-based is the awesome sauce of isometric games. I loves me some Skyrim, but not in isometric, especially party isometric. If you go single character then I don't suppose it matters that much.
 
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Turn based definitively, but I like RTwP pause also.Also would like to see more game that use WEGO turn based system(simultaneous turns) just to mix things up a bit, last good game I played that uses it was Frozen synapse.I like diversity.
 
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Since so many of my favorite games are real-time-with-pause, that was my instinctive answer. But the fact is, when playing those games I almost always do pause after every person's action, so I pretty much play them as completely turn-based.
 
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It depends on what you mean 'works better.' I prefer RTwP because it doesn't break the immersion when you have an otherwise real time game. I find it extremely distracting to be real time until the combat comes around (an exception could be made where the combat screen is a separate thing from the regular world screen).

In terms of tactical play, I would say that turn based probably wins, but tactical play doesn't hold that much appeal for me.
 
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I was seriously torn by this one. Seriously torn.

D:OS did their turn based combat so well, and it gave you a little better sense of control over your fight. But I think that's what a fight is, isn't it…you don't really have all that much control over it once spells start flying and swords are flashing. Combat is a messy, dangerous business and anyone involved is a second away from gruesome death at any moment.

And I think that's why I voted for Real Time with Pause…kind of on impulse, because I think the turn based in D:OS was more fun, but I think my nostalgia (Baldur's Gate/Infinity Engine) and sense of realism voted for me on this one. :)
 
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I voted for RTwP for reasons similar to blatantninja and Aubrielle.

I've only played (well, playing) one TB RPG (yep, D:OS) and I'm having a blast, but TB really breaks the immersion for me. Also, my love for IE games means RTwP will always be a winner for me :)
 
Aubrielle said:
I was seriously torn by this one. Seriously torn.

D:OS did their turn based combat so well, and it gave you a little better sense of control over your fight. But I think that's what a fight is, isn't it…you don't really have all that much control over it once spells start flying and swords are flashing. Combat is a messy, dangerous business and anyone involved is a second away from gruesome death at any moment.

And I think that's why I voted for Real Time with Pause…kind of on impulse, because I think the turn based in D:OS was more fun, but I think my nostalgia (Baldur's Gate/Infinity Engine) and sense of realism voted for me on this one. :)
Click to expand...

I would agree with this, except for the fact that you're controlling multiple (4-6?) characters at the same time. If it's only one character then yes, I agree, but having to control in real time what multiple people are doing, depending on their different abilities and capabilities, that is out of the scope of combat just being messy.
 
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My answer is "it depends". On what the game mechanics are, what kind of game it is, what combat feels like- etc., either one could work well. For example, I don't see why Diablo-style action games like Grim Dawn would ever go with turn based, it would be silly and not fun, because the combat in those type games is meant to be fast and furious. On the other hand, in more hardcore rpgs, where there may be lots of tactical options, spells, counter measures, and so on, and combat is intricate, then turn based systems make a lot of sense.

I don't have any hardcore opinion or preference. I find it amusing how some seem to be very aligned with one camp or the other, and will argue about it until the cows come home.
 
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It depends.

Biggest factor, for me, is whether it's multiplayer or not. If a game has cooperative multiplayer, real-time almost always works best.

D:OS might be the exception, because it's limited to two players. Two player TB combat just might work, but if you get beyond that - it would be unplayable.

Also, if a game has too much filler combat (all Bioware games) - TB combat can become a true pain in the ass. But that's less about the combat system, and more about lazy padding.

ToEE was borderline in the filler combat department, though the game was highly focused around tactical combat - so you sort of accepted it. But if a game is story driven and has a lot of exploration, I tend to get sick of combat unless it's very, very interesting. As such, TB combat is too slow in that scenario.
 
I agree with the sentiment that it strongly depends on the number of player-controlled characters.

I prefer real-time if we're only controlling a single character. A party-based game really needs turn-based or RTwP though.

Choosing between TB and RTwP for party-based games is a bit harder. I guess the biggest factor would be the amount of combat and overall length of the game.
 
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Definitely in the 'it depends' camp as well - I voted Turn-based because I tend to reorient my games to be more turn-based when given the option (something I started when I had little kids in the house and never stopped! :) )

Also, why is it that with games like Divine Divinity, Sacred, Diablo, etc ... that 'action based' doesn't get a full entry?
 
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txa1265 said:
Definitely in the 'it depends' camp as well - I voted Turn-based because I tend to reorient my games to be more turn-based when given the option (something I started when I had little kids in the house and never stopped! :) )

Also, why is it that with games like Divine Divinity, Sacred, Diablo, etc … that 'action based' doesn't get a full entry?
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
TLDR: Now Hiring a Poll Maker as it will save me a headache.
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The following link has a good article about the options in the poll.

Link - http://corruptedcartridge.com/rpg-weekly-turn-based-vs-real-time-combat/
The enterprising gamer may again ask, “Why not both?” I’ve probably already shown my hand in that some of my favorite RPGs are the Dragon Age and Baldur’s Gate games, a compromise between real-time and turn-based combat. It’s my feeling, however, that games of the future will do best by leaning towards real-time, only integrating turn-based elements as far as they advance strategy. Until then, I’m happy to keep both apples and oranges in my +1 basket of RPG combat.
Click to expand...
Update: New option added to Poll.;)
 
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Real-time deserves to be in the trash-can that is called "Other" IMHO ;)
 
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