Seeking advice on current AGI project

[Randy D]

I am working on a rather large adventure/rpg-type game that has many in-game arcade sequences. There is a point when your character obtains weapons and can draw them at will by pressing a function key. My question for you all is what would you prefer?

1. ARCADE METHOD
- you are totally responsible for every attack/defensive move your character makes when confronting enemies (arrow keys/ function keys) on the screen.

- the plus side to this is that you feel more immersed and in control of your character's every move
-the down side to this is that it might get wearisome to always be "on the ball" fighting and if you are not really that good at it the game becomes a burden. However, if you are really good the game is too easy.


2. RPG METHOD
- you specify to attack or defend and, based on your stats (strength, stamina, skill...), your attack misses or hits with an amount of damage related to your stats.

- the plus side to this is that it adds the incentive of building up your character's abilities to be better at fighting.
- the down side is that it might get more confusing with all the stat information to keep track of (and more difficult for myself to code)

There are two approaches to these methods:
METHOD A: the view changes to a closeup of you and your opponent in a "Mortal Kombat" type of fight view (Quest for Glory).
METHOD B: The view does not change and you continue to see and control your character on the screen as the enemy approaches and attacks you (like drawing your gun in Police Quest).


So, what would you prefer, [ACTION] or [RPG] style fighting? And of those, [Method A] or [Method B]? Or do you have any other ideas? I'm open to any advice you can give.

Thanks!

[Kon-Tiki]

I'm not too fond of random battles where you switch screen, like in FF. It becomes annoying quite fast, so if you'd go for the RPG-style battle, I suggest you can run or avoid in one way or another an enemy if you don't want to fight and don't just have an epilepse-causing flashing that takes you to a fight every two steps.

[Joel]

Personally, I think you missed one of the downsides of turn-based fighting: it's incredibly boring.

Of all the adventure/rpg game combat-type things I've ever seen, I'd have to say that the quest for glory mode works best. You might even go for a half-qfg type, where the screen doesn't change but you enter a different mode when something attacks you (a mode from which you can escape if you want to run, preferably).

However, if combat is going to be frequent then I'd say go for a more Police Quest-ish type of fighting, where you can draw your weapon and put it away with a single key.

[mysty]

Maybe my memory is failing me, but I seem to recall that in QFG2, it didn't change the view for combat sequences. The monster would come walking up and you just start fighting with it in the same screen.

Anyway... long time no chat, Randy. If you could spare a little time, I'd like to discuss an old project with you.

-Leigh Ann

[Joel]

I think you may be right, because I was thinking the same thing, but I couldn't remember whether the screen changed or not, and I was too lazy to check. For some reason, I have it in my head that sometimes it changed and sometimes it didn't. Of course, that could be totally wrong and it could very easily have never changed screens.

[Kon-Tiki]

It didn't change in QfG3, if I'm not mistaken, nor in QfG5 (which I still have to find a full version from somewhere ), but in QfG2, it's like in QfG1, but with full view of the back of your character, not over the shoulders.

[Joel]

5 didn't change at all - you didn't even enter a fighting "mode". With 3, it definitely did change. It did more like the QFG1 remake -- zoomed in so you could see the details of the characters -- except 3 had a black background.

If there's one where it entered fighting mode but didn't go to a separate screen, it's 2. I just can't remember whether it does or not. If I had the game installed on my computer, I'd check it. But I don't have it installed right now and I'm not going to install it just to check this out.

[Farlander]

In QfG2, when battling in the desert, it changed view to almost black background. We could fully see our character and enemy from an isometric view. But, there were places (like EOF, or the room where we battle with Khaveen, and Earth Elemental battle in streets of Shapeir) where backgrounds haven't changed.