Turn-Based Tactics Tactical games with a focus on generating bonus actions?

[J1M]

Most tactical games seem to have limited combos or interactions between different player-controlled units. Are there any games out there that place an emphasis on generating bonus moves or other actions as a way to increase the effectiveness of your team?

The only example I can think of is Grimante (https://store.steampowered.com/app/734450/Grimante/). In that game the Rogue character can get free hits for flanking or an extra turn for killing an enemy. There's also inspiration effects that all characters can grant for performing a killing blow along the lines of a damage or movement bonus to the next unit to act.

Seems like a very unexplored area for tactical games, but I imagine others here have a more comprehensive play history.

 

[bertram_tung]

Gears Tactics does this

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

Gears Tactics does this

was about to say this, gears tactics combat is actually very cool. I wish their between mission strategy layer and itemization stuff was better, it would be one of the best tactical games ever released-- as it is its still very fun IMO and one of the few turn based games that also has 1st rate graphics.

 

[StaticSpine]

A lot of stuff here goes around generating bonus AP in combat.

 

[Nortar]

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics.


Aside from normal Action Points, there is a shared pool of Momentum Points (MP) which are required for special attacks.

The highest-ranking soldier provides a number of MP each turn, based on his leadership stat.
So if your Captain goes down, the burden of command would fall on the trigger-happy Sergeant, and you will be getting fewer MP.

Some actions, like killing enemies, can generate additional MPs.
So it is possible to generate a stock of MPs by 3 of your squad members, so the 4th could unleash a torrent of death.

At first I was just going to mention a game that fits your request.
But thinking about it, there's more than one similarity between Cthulhu Tactics and the aforementioned Gears Tactics.

Skill tree, it's in sectors, not square blocks, but overall presentation with icons and "retraining" available with progress is very similar.

Weapons with mods, loadouts, 4 units per mission.

Even overwatch cone:

I don't know if some devs migrated between Auroch Digital and Splash Damage, but I'm certain the later drew some inspirations from the former.

 

[laclongquan]

Overwatch action in, I dont know, Jagged Alliance2, Fallout Tactics, UFO Extraterrestrial etc.

Basically you set a soldier facing a direction, and end turn with that soldier still have spare AP invested in overwatch state. Enemies appear or move or shoot will generate a response.

Neverwinter Nights 2 engine, from OC to MOTB to fanmade modules. That Flanking action, trip bonus that autogenerated if requirement is met.

 

[ValeVelKal]

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics.


Aside from normal Action Points, there is a shared pool of Momentum Points (MP) which are required for special attacks.

The highest-ranking soldier provides a number of MP each turn, based on his leadership stat.
So if your Captain goes down, the burden of command would fall on the trigger-happy Sergeant, and you will be getting fewer MP.

Some actions, like killing enemies, can generate additional MPs.
So it is possible to generate a stock of MPs by 3 of your squad members, so the 4th could unleash a torrent of death.

At first I was just going to mention a game that fits your request.
But thinking about it, there's more than one similarity between Cthulhu Tactics and the aforementioned Gears Tactics.

Skill tree, it's in sectors, not square blocks, but overall presentation with icons and "retraining" available with progress is very similar.

Weapons with mods, loadouts, 4 units per mission.

Even overwatch cone:

I don't know if some devs migrated between Auroch Digital and Splash Damage, but I'm certain the later drew some inspirations from the former.

The banner saga has this : "Willpower". Willpower acts has a one-off bonus to an unit actions (1 WP = +1 damage, +1 movement, +1 "breach shield) AND is necessary for spells or special attacks. You can boost up to +3 which is VERY significant (imagine +3 movement to reach and enemy that you then hit like a truck), but it depletes fast for most classes.

You gain willpower in 3 main ways :
1. Resting, which is rarely a good idea in combat and is very slow to recover willpower anyway
2. Whenever you kill a character, a "horn" fills up. You can then transfer willpower from the horn to the characters
3. There is a class called "Skald" ; if they witness a kill [=are less than 2 tiles away], they will distribute willpower to all characters.

I think items #1 and #2 fit with OP's definition, and it is pretty close from the "Momentum".

 

[J1M]

Thanks for the responses. Is Gears Tactics the same as Cthulu Tactics in that it has a shared resource pool for bonus actions?

I don't think reaction abilities like overwatch really count as bonus actions since they cost an action to ready. There would have to be something like another character with tracer rounds granting a free extra shot to their target from someone in overwatch mode. The Skald example is more in line with what I was referring to.

I had forgotten about Mechanicus. Was interesting that so many bonus moves came from the environment.

 

[Nortar]

Thanks for the responses. Is Gears Tactics the same as Cthulu Tactics in that it has a shared resource pool for bonus actions?

There is no shared action pool in Gears.
Instead, when a character executes (special action) a downed enemy each other character gets an extra AP.

There is a number of synergetic interactions between characters in Gears.
For example, there is a skill that gives another character an AP.
At first, it's 1-to-1 trade, spend 1 to give 1, but can be upgraded to 1-to-2.

Another skill allows to mark a character and get an AP for each enemy that character kills.
Needless to say that these two skills work pretty nicely together.

And some kinds of action, like killing an enemy with "melee" attack, replenish spent AP.

It always feels good when all this together - AP-exchange, free attacks, execution APs - snowballs into clearing a bunch of enemies before they can even act.

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

Thanks for the responses. Is Gears Tactics the same as Cthulu Tactics in that it has a shared resource pool for bonus actions?

There is no shared action pool in Gears.
Instead, when a character executes (special action) a downed enemy each other character gets an extra AP.

There is a number of synergetic interactions between characters in Gears.
For example, there is a skill that gives another character an AP.
At first, it's 1-to-1 trade, spend 1 to give 1, but can be upgraded to 1-to-2.

Another skill allows to mark a character and get an AP for each enemy that character kills.
Needless to say that these two skills work pretty nicely together.

And some kinds of action, like killing an enemy with "melee" attack, replenish spent AP.

It always feels good when all this together - AP-exchange, free attacks, execution APs - snowballs into clearing a bunch of enemies before they can even act.

yes its quite detailed and involved and you can mix and match character abilities and classes and attributes to chain long kill streaks in situations that at first may feel impossible. Its quite addictive and fun, and not really similar to anything I have ever seen anywhere else. I guess I have seen sort of similar ideas before, but never to the scale it was done in Gears Tactics, whose entire system seems built around and balanced with the idea you will need to extend your turns with these chained reactions, especially at higher difficulty levels. Gears Tactics is the only reason I have even kept the XBOX PC subscription going and not cancelled it already.

 

[serf]

Dungeons of Naheulbeuk. Mostly +AP for killing blows

 

[JarlFrank]

Chroma Squad does this. You can use your characters to act as support to increase movement range for the others, or to perform coordinated attacks on one enemy for bonus damage. You get bonus points for finishing off boss enemies with a super finisher where all your characters perform one coordinated strike.

 

[Polyphemus]

A lot of stuff here goes around generating bonus AP in combat.

I was going to say this. Mechanicus is easy and lacking in tactical depth, but the atmosphere and music are truly great. AP are shared across all units, and the combat is focused on the production of additional AP (it doesn't replenish automatically). I would not buy it at full price though. I received it for free.

 

[Savecummer]

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics.

You and I have been lied to!
This trash regenerates Momentum every turn, based on max Leadership. Its a turtling simulator.
What happens is that your magical wymbyn can cast a 18 dmg, 100% cth, unlim range spell every turn while you play sitting duck. And your Momentum just regens.
Absolutely ZERO incentive to move or generate bonus actions.

There is also "funneh" stuff like the magical pistol having better/matching acc than a braced machine gun...
Costing no action points to shoot, having medium range and recovering Momentum (getting a shot back) every third hit which causes a crit. LOL.

Gameplay devolves into my machine gunner using his Discover ability on corner to see twice as far (enemies have something like x2.5 your default view range...) and the wymbyn caster casting her spell at the uncovered shit. And now, since using an Action still allows you to move, both the gunner
and the caster step away from corners to break LOS completely and the dumb AI runs closer...

 

[Nortar]

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics.

You and I have been lied to!
This trash regenerates Momentum every turn, based on max Leadership.

Um... I said this in the 3rd line of the post you've quoted.
But how is it different from characters getting their APs renewed each turn?

The point was, there are ways to generate extra Momentum with one character and to use it with another, thus
creating synergetic cooperation between units.

 

[Savecummer]

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics.

You and I have been lied to!
This trash regenerates Momentum every turn, based on max Leadership.

Um... I said this in the 3rd line of the post you've quoted.
But how is it different from characters getting their APs renewed each turn?

The point was, there are ways to generate extra Momentum with one character and to use it with another, thus
creating synergetic cooperation between units.

Thats true, Im still disappointed.

 

[Galdred]

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics.

You and I have been lied to!
This trash regenerates Momentum every turn, based on max Leadership.

Um... I said this in the 3rd line of the post you've quoted.
But how is it different from characters getting their APs renewed each turn?

The point was, there are ways to generate extra Momentum with one character and to use it with another, thus
creating synergetic cooperation between units.

So, which one would you recommend between Gears and Ctulhu?

Btw, it always feels weird to have Tactics at the end of the title. RPG usually don"t feel the need to mention their own genre in the title...

 

[Nortar]

So, which one would you recommend between Gears and Ctulhu?

Btw, it always feels weird to have Tactics at the end of the title. RPG usually don"t feel the need to mention their own genre in the title...

Choosing between the two - definitely Gears, it's just a better game in every aspect.

Yeah, Tactics sounds a bit off, but not nearly as jarring as "ATOM RPG".

 

[Norfleet]

Most tactical games seem to have limited combos or interactions between different player-controlled units. Are there any games out there that place an emphasis on generating bonus moves or other actions as a way to increase the effectiveness of your team?

Well, I was playing X-Piratez and happened upon builds that could potentially result in infinite action point generation, enabling you to instakill the entire map on a single character's turn if the cards aligned.

There's plenty of games, tactical or otherwise, which have infinite-move chains like that, generally known for being perfectly balanced and having no exploits.

Dungeons of Naheulbeuk. Mostly +AP for killing blows

Can you get a bag of rats to unleash to increase these killing blows?

 

[sser]

Berserk skill in Battle Brothers, something that actually used to be gamebreaking back in the day.

It's a common design archetype in a lot of roguelikes with bonus actions given to things like movement, shooting, reloads, etc.

As others have said, it's a core component of Gears Tactics & Mechanicus, both of which are alright games IMO.