Human Shield
Augur
I've been thinking about this for a while (I realize it probably isn't that original), and more so after this great article.
This idea is best for a single player-character and probably wouldn't work for MP.
Look at these two descriptions of battles:
Battle 1 (Normal turnbased as in Fallout)
Player fights enemy A, B, C, D. Everyone has 50 hp.
Player's turn: Clicks to run - Runs for 5 steps; Clicks to shoot- shoots A for 30 damage, Clicks to shoot- shoots B for 50 damage and kill
Enemy A: Shoots player for ten damage; Shoots and misses
B: Dead
C: Shoots burst and misses; Shoots and hits for ten damage
D: Runs for 15 steps.
End of round- PC: 30 HP, A: 20, B:0, C:50, D:50
Battle 2 (Modified)
Player fights enemy A, B, C, D. Everyone has 50 hp.
Player chooses through interface to walk 5 steps, chooses to attack A (given same percentage with movement in acount), chooses to attack B.
Player runs for 5 steps, at the same time D runs for 15 steps, and C fires a burst and misses at your character while he is running.
Player turns and is hit by A for 10 damage.
Player smoothly moves out of hit and fires at A for 30 damage.
Player then dodges a shot by A and is hit mid dodge by C for 10 damage.
Player fires at B and kills him.
Player goes back to interface.
End of round- PC: 30 HP, A: 20, B:0, C:50, D:50 (all positions the same)
Now, which seems more entertaining with less downtime?
This may seem like phase-based but it is turn-based. When the player selects to move the computer already places him there, all his attacks are calulated through. The difference is the animation.
If the player selected to attack enemy D in the above, then enemy D would not move until he is hit, and the AI would probably react differently before playing out the scene. It is not phase-based because the two sides are not planning at the same time, the effects that the player sets in are constant. You don't have the problem in phase-based of an enemy moving behind a wall after you selected to attack him.
The engine would have to coded to be able to play back actions in the best order but it is doable. It is just playing out the actions differently and would be easy to toggle on and off.
The big problems I can't get around yet (feel free to add it) are line of sight and interupts.
With a pre-action selection system new items revealed with movement would be unknown to the player in the planning stage. This could be part of the game to take smaller steps for caution (extra AP into AC or whatever). In Fallout 1 enemies weren't hidden by doors or corners so it could not matter. Or if a new enemy is revealed the players can be given a choice to continue with first plan or change it, although this would mean that no enemies would move before the player is given that choice.
Interupts could be part of the game with enemy interupts calulated and play out as attacks with the animation (wouldn't let player retreat if an interupt did too much damage). Fallout 1 didn't have interupts so it could not matter. Or let the player have a choice after the enemy interupt to change plan (enemies wouldn't move until after choice).
This idea is best for a single player-character and probably wouldn't work for MP.
Look at these two descriptions of battles:
Battle 1 (Normal turnbased as in Fallout)
Player fights enemy A, B, C, D. Everyone has 50 hp.
Player's turn: Clicks to run - Runs for 5 steps; Clicks to shoot- shoots A for 30 damage, Clicks to shoot- shoots B for 50 damage and kill
Enemy A: Shoots player for ten damage; Shoots and misses
B: Dead
C: Shoots burst and misses; Shoots and hits for ten damage
D: Runs for 15 steps.
End of round- PC: 30 HP, A: 20, B:0, C:50, D:50
Battle 2 (Modified)
Player fights enemy A, B, C, D. Everyone has 50 hp.
Player chooses through interface to walk 5 steps, chooses to attack A (given same percentage with movement in acount), chooses to attack B.
Player runs for 5 steps, at the same time D runs for 15 steps, and C fires a burst and misses at your character while he is running.
Player turns and is hit by A for 10 damage.
Player smoothly moves out of hit and fires at A for 30 damage.
Player then dodges a shot by A and is hit mid dodge by C for 10 damage.
Player fires at B and kills him.
Player goes back to interface.
End of round- PC: 30 HP, A: 20, B:0, C:50, D:50 (all positions the same)
Now, which seems more entertaining with less downtime?
This may seem like phase-based but it is turn-based. When the player selects to move the computer already places him there, all his attacks are calulated through. The difference is the animation.
If the player selected to attack enemy D in the above, then enemy D would not move until he is hit, and the AI would probably react differently before playing out the scene. It is not phase-based because the two sides are not planning at the same time, the effects that the player sets in are constant. You don't have the problem in phase-based of an enemy moving behind a wall after you selected to attack him.
The engine would have to coded to be able to play back actions in the best order but it is doable. It is just playing out the actions differently and would be easy to toggle on and off.
The big problems I can't get around yet (feel free to add it) are line of sight and interupts.
With a pre-action selection system new items revealed with movement would be unknown to the player in the planning stage. This could be part of the game to take smaller steps for caution (extra AP into AC or whatever). In Fallout 1 enemies weren't hidden by doors or corners so it could not matter. Or if a new enemy is revealed the players can be given a choice to continue with first plan or change it, although this would mean that no enemies would move before the player is given that choice.
Interupts could be part of the game with enemy interupts calulated and play out as attacks with the animation (wouldn't let player retreat if an interupt did too much damage). Fallout 1 didn't have interupts so it could not matter. Or let the player have a choice after the enemy interupt to change plan (enemies wouldn't move until after choice).