Help me figure out which combat style suites my game: Turn based or Text based [screenshots included]

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zeroTheHero
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Help me figure out which combat style suites my game: Turn based or Text based [screenshots included]

#1 Post by zeroTheHero »

I'm really confused between 2 battle screens I made, and would like your help in picking a winner. Here are their screenshots:
Text Based :
Image
and Turn Based :
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The kind of game in my head follows 'narrative combat', where the player is given a blow by blow account of the fight, where they can feel the thoughts and tensions of the character. 'Thinking' by themselves or 'Brainstorming' with their team leads to novel combos and ideas on exploiting enemy weaknesses. They aren't limited by the few attack buttons every turn based game has; each turn makes new attacks or application of existing attacks based on the situation. However, this approach naturally leads to the game becoming more text-focused and requires a lot of writing (the text based variant).

I'd personally love to read a story like this, but I don't know how interested players might be. I feel too much text will turn people away.

The second way I can make the battles is the good old turn based way. I might not be able to write detailed accounts of the fight, but in return the screen imo looks much more appealing and uncluttered. Also, I guess I could work in a narrative by using lines of text underneath (like undertale does in it's fights). This will be easier to code, not nearly as much to write and would look better...but the reader in me really feels like something would be missing.

I could also go a third route, which would be a combination of both above. So, a turn based system which leads to lines of writing, where the attack buttons change according to the situation after every turn. My main gripe with this is that the screens will overlap; so when you're choosing an attack the screen will overlap onto the writing below, which you might want to read to make the choice.

TL;DR Should I make my game more text focused or turn based?
Text focused = more clarity, more in tune with the characters, more gripping but more reading
Turn based = easier on the eyes, but not as narratively in depth as text based.

Thanks for reading!

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nerupuff
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Re: Help me figure out which combat style suites my game: Turn based or Text based [screenshots included]

#2 Post by nerupuff »

In my opinion, I think having a text-focused battle system would help engage readers more. I really agree with having a more narrative style when it comes to combat in a VN, I think. It's a personal preference of mine but I think that it will be much more immersive, like you said " where the player is given a blow by blow account of the fight, where they can feel the thoughts and tensions of the character."

Utilizing the good old combat style present in many RPGs seem to be quite common already, so having your own spin on things with a text-based combat would be quite welcome. I think your third option that you've stated can mix well with it.

If you want to add to the suspense/tension while still using a text-focused/heavy approach, I'd recommend that you look into timed menu choices to really kick things up a notch. Best of luck!
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