Angelo85
Arcane
I'm sure most if not all of us know the feeling when the encounters in a supposedly tactical game feel more like a puzzle that needs solving or even worse it turns almost into a chore.
I have been wondering lately what makes the difference between a good, proper tactical game and a subpar tactical game in this respect. Is anyone able to share some insights in this regard?
For instance while trying out the highly acclaimed Fell Seal I was feeling like doing work / wasting time during the encounters whereas playing Naheulbeuk or all time classics like Jagged Alliance and X-COM I am engaged and have fun even while "mopping up" and taking care of the last few enemies on the map.
Taking up this latest experience on paper Fell Seal vs Naheulbeuk are similar. In both games you have a degree of randomness in hit chance/damage, you have options before encounters in building characters through skills and items, you have story characters you are supposed to be invested in, during combat you have to make decisions be it damage vs heal, positioning or interactive environment yet I had a totally different feeling playing the two games. One felt fun while the other simply didn't and I can not really pinpoint why exactly that is.
But putting this highly subjective personal example aside is there some sort of formula that stands out to you? Things like
Determinism vs Randomness
Available options/decisions before encounters like characters, attributes and gear; options during encounters like positioning, consumables or skills
No optimal strategy/combo/choices that work 100% of the time
Spicing up encounters with different unit types, mechanics, environment interactions, objectives
Timers like in nu-XCOM to create urgency and force the player to make sub-optimal plays instead of waiting for first strike / building perfect trap strategies
Lethality and long term consequences so that even the last few enemies can not be taken lightly
Probably it's always the sum of the parts that have to come together smoothly and form an enjoyable experience as a whole, no matter the specific mechanics - yet I can't help but wonder if there is something I'm missing.
I have been wondering lately what makes the difference between a good, proper tactical game and a subpar tactical game in this respect. Is anyone able to share some insights in this regard?
For instance while trying out the highly acclaimed Fell Seal I was feeling like doing work / wasting time during the encounters whereas playing Naheulbeuk or all time classics like Jagged Alliance and X-COM I am engaged and have fun even while "mopping up" and taking care of the last few enemies on the map.
Taking up this latest experience on paper Fell Seal vs Naheulbeuk are similar. In both games you have a degree of randomness in hit chance/damage, you have options before encounters in building characters through skills and items, you have story characters you are supposed to be invested in, during combat you have to make decisions be it damage vs heal, positioning or interactive environment yet I had a totally different feeling playing the two games. One felt fun while the other simply didn't and I can not really pinpoint why exactly that is.
But putting this highly subjective personal example aside is there some sort of formula that stands out to you? Things like
Determinism vs Randomness
Available options/decisions before encounters like characters, attributes and gear; options during encounters like positioning, consumables or skills
No optimal strategy/combo/choices that work 100% of the time
Spicing up encounters with different unit types, mechanics, environment interactions, objectives
Timers like in nu-XCOM to create urgency and force the player to make sub-optimal plays instead of waiting for first strike / building perfect trap strategies
Lethality and long term consequences so that even the last few enemies can not be taken lightly
Probably it's always the sum of the parts that have to come together smoothly and form an enjoyable experience as a whole, no matter the specific mechanics - yet I can't help but wonder if there is something I'm missing.