Go back and Play Star Ocean. It had the concept similar to what you had. The only problem was that the AI was very dumb.
If you are going to allow your AI to control the game, then you had better make the AI good enough to actually play well. There's nothing worse than losing a game because the AI decides to cure a completely healthy character...
States-Based RPG Battle system
I recently played through Lunar: Eternal Blue. I've also played Wild Arms (1, 2, and 3), Legend of Legaia (1 and Duel Saga) ... you know what I've played a lot of console RPGs.
I never use the AI options. I'll test them maybe once, and then never again. The problem is that they're constantly making bad decisions. Blowing all of my MP in one battle, rather than trying to save some of it. Wasting my supply of items. Attacking enemies in the wrong order. Plus, I always feel like I'm watching the game, rather than playing it. States probably amounts to just that, an AI system. It'd have to be one massively intelligent system for me to use it.
As for "well, how come the enemies are so smart?" The enemies have all the time in the world, as much MP as they want, and come in wave after wave. They have just so much more in the way of resources than I do, the fact that I can beat them all with limited resources is a testament to how difficult the games can be.
I never use the AI options. I'll test them maybe once, and then never again. The problem is that they're constantly making bad decisions. Blowing all of my MP in one battle, rather than trying to save some of it. Wasting my supply of items. Attacking enemies in the wrong order. Plus, I always feel like I'm watching the game, rather than playing it. States probably amounts to just that, an AI system. It'd have to be one massively intelligent system for me to use it.
As for "well, how come the enemies are so smart?" The enemies have all the time in the world, as much MP as they want, and come in wave after wave. They have just so much more in the way of resources than I do, the fact that I can beat them all with limited resources is a testament to how difficult the games can be.
Well, since making super-dynamite AI is a profound challenge, why not modify gameplay rules so that AI looks smarter?
If AI blows all your MP, do MP the way Tactics Ogre did: Everybody starts at 0 MP, and it increases gradually (perhaps based on a stat) during the course of a fight. It's no more annoying than "cast times", and would keep AI economical. A state like "Save up for a fireball and then let those bastards have it" would be handy in such a system. Remember that in Secret of Mana you could command your sidekicks to charge attacks to a given level before unleashing their wrath. Same principle.
If AI heals your guy who's at 99% HP, and then doesn't have the juice to save you when you're at 7%, then make healing scale the MP cost. Have a heal ratio, so that a level 1 heal heals 1% HP with 3% MP, level 2 is a 1:2 ratio, then 2:3, 1:1, 3:2, etc. Then levelling still matters, but you won't break your MP casting "Uberheal 5" on a papercut.
Keep stats on battle against enemies, so your AI will "do the math" the way we do and realize that two lucky hits from that enemy could polish us off. That's the time to forego the fireball and heal up.
Actually, that could be a good time to require input from the player. You should notice that yourself, and say "Mage! belay that summon and patch up the archer!"
If AI blows all your MP, do MP the way Tactics Ogre did: Everybody starts at 0 MP, and it increases gradually (perhaps based on a stat) during the course of a fight. It's no more annoying than "cast times", and would keep AI economical. A state like "Save up for a fireball and then let those bastards have it" would be handy in such a system. Remember that in Secret of Mana you could command your sidekicks to charge attacks to a given level before unleashing their wrath. Same principle.
If AI heals your guy who's at 99% HP, and then doesn't have the juice to save you when you're at 7%, then make healing scale the MP cost. Have a heal ratio, so that a level 1 heal heals 1% HP with 3% MP, level 2 is a 1:2 ratio, then 2:3, 1:1, 3:2, etc. Then levelling still matters, but you won't break your MP casting "Uberheal 5" on a papercut.
Keep stats on battle against enemies, so your AI will "do the math" the way we do and realize that two lucky hits from that enemy could polish us off. That's the time to forego the fireball and heal up.
Actually, that could be a good time to require input from the player. You should notice that yourself, and say "Mage! belay that summon and patch up the archer!"
Quote:Original post by Beige
I was wondering about the viability of a battle system that didn't function based on the player putting in every little command, but instead having the player switch between a series of defined states for each of their party members/units; states which would determine how they would function and work together.
The player would be able to customize these states prior to combat; thus allowing for a wide range of possible behaviors. Combo attacks would be active based on the overlap of these states, the states that enemy units are currently in, etc.
Regular commands would be available, but the idea behind this is a real-time system anyway.
These are my thoughts...
If a series of commands are to be available to manipulate your character(s) in combat, why not open them up entirely to a scripting language. The World of Warcraft has done this via their GUI system. Imagine if they did this along with combat as well.
Commands such as:
"target closest enemy"
"target lowest health enemy"
"attach "
"cast on "
etc,
etc,
It may be too complicated at this point. I am bias since I am a programmer myself and I know most gamers wouldn't want to have a complicated script they have to use in order to fight well.
Just my $0.02.
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