I think I'll go with the M:TG style combat for now, just 'cause it'll take longer to implement the street fighter-y type of combat.

I have played Tales of Phantasia, and I liked them a lot, but I think it wasn't quite up to the action intensity of a fighting game. It actually reminded me a lot of Zelda 2 on NES, which isn't a bad thing if you ask me.

Does anyone have any ideas for a non-traditional puzzle game that would represent the various aspects of casting a spell? (I may not have money or high-end graphics, so I have to use creativity to make up for it!)

Quote:
For your complaints about twitch gameplay scaring away non-hardcore-action-gamers, I think providing political / mercantile / artisan / community outlets would allow more RPG elements (in the tabletop sense, as opposed to the CRPG sense).

True. I actually don't think there's much of a problem with twitch gameplay. I just think that a Fighter is a sort of game that lends itself to stratification between the elite and the rest. Even a FPS would be better IMO, because even the newbest newb gets a lucky headshot sometimes. MMO sort of games need that sort of beginner satisfaction to keep the servers full. In a truly competative MMO, 1/2 of your playerbase will be losers. It's tricky to keep the game competative while still allowing the losers some fun.

Well, I suppose that's how it goes in a PvP focused environment, but I don't see how FPS would do any less to discourage new players. I think there's not a lot of room to improve in the FPS department, but with fighting games you can always devise a new strategy with new moves.

Plus, imagine if you're an elite FPS player with a mega-avatar and some random newb gets that lucky headshot. I've always wondered if there were a way to balance skill vs in-character-stats, or griefing in the case of elites beating on newbs.

I think it's a real thrill to pilfer a wizard's reagents in UO, to see them helplessly fizzle spells, but I suppose you only think it's griefing when you're on the other end, huh?