What Was It About Turn-Based RPGs?

[gamernerdtg2]

I will put all my cards on the table (so to speak) and say that I've never been a die hard fan of purely turn-based RPGs.

I've been told before that strategy is the primary draw for these games. What else makes these games worthwhile, and are there any out now that are super popular?

I put this up for my sake because I find that I can never finish these games. It has to be something like Dragon's Dogma or Amalur - something with real time gameplay to keep me engaged. I keep thinking that I'm missing something in my assessment of these turn-based games.

 

[Fidchell Attano]

It's a good question actually, see Turn Based RPGs revolved around work for reward. You would start with a weak base character who as you progressed through the story or did Sidequests, your character would be rewarded. This system is kind of like life itself, growth, gain, investments, experience and reward. The system was good, but the games it was introduced to were I will admit, a little dull. So, they applied this system to nearly every game, Action games, puzzle games online modes,FPS Shooters, etc.

When you think about it, even Fighting games are like RPGs.

 

[shrekfan246]

Well, what kind of turn-based are you talking about here?

Do you mean turn-based in the style of many JRPGs, where you'll have characters that are typically static fighting in a pocket dimension separated from the rest of the actual world? Or the pseudo-turn-based style of games like Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, etc? Or fully turn-based strategy games like X-COM or Disgaea? The pull is typically different in all three cases, really.

Generally speaking, for the first two the combat isn't really what makes me interested in a game. Trying to hybridize the systems ends up making it feel too frantic and fast-paced for real-time combat while simultaneously being too watered down for strategy combat - So what gets me into those games is more often the world, characters, or story more than anything else.

For turn-based strategy RPGs, the draw is generally in the strategy aspect. You get a decent sized battlefield, and a full or large view over it, and you plan out your attack and how you're going to proceed. Oftentimes you'll need to tweak or outright change your strategy on the fly if something you didn't expect happens, like an ambush or a critical strike, which are things that feel like they hold more weight in fully turn-based strategy games because the balance (at least early-game) is often such that your characters can suffer from the same Stormtrooper-Syndrome that the enemies always have, so one unlucky decision could mean that you lose an entire mission.

It requires more tactical analyzation and strategic thinking than real-time action games, which require more twitch skill and quick decision-making.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I never understood it either. And I'm actually a huge fan of turn based RPGs. One of the biggest complaints of FF13 is that you just 'mash X to win' (This isn't true, but I digress). Well, welcome to turn based RPGs! 'Attack -> Attack -> Attack -> Cure -> Attack' Repeat until win.

As for popular...well...you could check out Evoland. That'll be coming out next month, and it's a homage to all those great oldies.

 

[Fidchell Attano]

I never understood it either. And I'm actually a huge fan of turn based RPGs. One of the biggest complaints of FF13 is that you just 'mash X to win' (This isn't true, but I digress). Well, welcome to turn based RPGs! 'Attack -> Attack -> Attack -> Cure -> Attack' Repeat until win.

As for popular...well...you could check out Evoland. That'll be coming out next month, and it's a homage to all those great oldies.

I do not know who you are, but I already like you.

 

[Orange12345]

I don't think turn based RPG is so much about strategy as it is about growing your characters. The best example I can think of would be pokemon. In pokemon the main goal is to beat 8 gym leaders each with their own theme or element now this doesn't lend itself very well to strategy because hey you're fighting a gym leader who uses all fire types, it doesn't take Sun Tzu to figure out you should probably use a water type. But strategy isn't what the game is really about and it's not what makes it great, the point is getting variety so that you can adapt to any situation, it's about making a team of 6 pokemon that can overcome any challenge and it can be pretty satisfying when you get that perfect team.

 

[piinyouri]

Do we mean like Final Fantasy/Dragon Warrior turn based, or Disgaea/Front Mission strategy turn based?

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I've never played a turn-based RPG before, but I just tried out The Banner Saga: Factions a couple days ago and was really intrigued. I'm considering looking into other turn-based RPGs now as a result.

I know that in my case a lot of the (theoretical) appeal comes from the fact that actiony games are just too stressful and hectic for me. Most of the time I play games to relax, so feeling like I can take my time in a game is more appealing to me.

Seems most of the games I enjoy are ones that most people find boring, RPG or otherwise.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

It happens because there's usually a lot of information to process, too much to make a real time choice the best solution. Although technically, it started due to programming limitations. Then again, even D&D is turn based.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Well, there is a pretty popular one that's been out a while. It's called Dungeons & Dragons. On its fourth edition now, I hear.

I'm assuming tabletop gaming counts. Same draw, either way, as I see it. I get time to think about what I'm doing.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

I never understood it either. And I'm actually a huge fan of turn based RPGs. One of the biggest complaints of FF13 is that you just 'mash X to win' (This isn't true, but I digress). Well, welcome to turn based RPGs! 'Attack -> Attack -> Attack -> Cure -> Attack' Repeat until win.

That's not a problem with turn-based RPGs. It's a problem with badly-designed games. I've played plenty of turn-based RPGs in which that isn't true, and plenty of real-time games in which it is.