Real-Time or Turn-Based?

[Valter]

Do you prefer Real-Time (RTWP included) or Turn-Based gameplay?

I can enjoy both formats, but I definitely favour Real-Time.

One thing turn-based games always have the higher ground on in my eyes is that it's much more palatable to have companions in that setting. Companions in real-time often have defunct AI or trivialize the challenge. Turn-based letting you order them around is very cool! Real-Time With Pause also allows this when you pause the game, making for a much more enjoyable experience than fully relying on infuriating AI.

[rusty_shackleford]

RTwP, but each attack doesn't feel impactful enough in any I've played. Maybe excepting DAO.
So, probably some form of time-based turn-based.

[Reichspepe]

Depends on how good it is respectively, really like both.

[DagothGeas5]

I prefer turn based myself, but both have their types of games that I like.

[Valter]

RTwP, but each attack doesn't feel impactful enough in any I've played. Maybe excepting DAO.
So, probably some form of time-based turn-based.

Mass Effect 2 and 3 had some cool impactful biotic powers, can't say for certain for 1 tho.

Greedfall might, with its emphasis on visuals and sound, but I actually only barely made it past the prologue.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Turn based, or more specifically, leisurely menu-based combat (ie ATB). Not just for the obvious gameplay reasons of being able to stop and really consider my next turn instead of being pressured to press a button - any button - rather than doing nothing. But also because a turn based game allows for that nice visual presentation of dramatic camera compositions with the characters posed in front of the big bad monster (this wouldn't really make sense in a real time setup), and camera angles and cutscene attacks (you can have 20 second long cutscene attacks and the gameplay will still work fine. You can't in a real time game unless you pause all of the action for that one attack, in which case that isn't really real time anymore). Real time almost always does not have attractive visual presentation to me.

[ArcaneLurker]

I prefer the gameplay in BG3 to BG1 or Pillars of Eternity. But I enjoy the variety of different games, and I wouldn't say one is better than the other, I can easily get bored of either and find the other refreshing.

[Valter]

Turn based, or more specifically, leisurely menu-based combat (ie ATB). Not just for the obvious gameplay reasons of being able to stop and really consider my next turn instead of being pressured to press a button - any button - rather than doing nothing. But also because a turn based game allows for that nice visual presentation of dramatic camera compositions with the characters posed in front of the big bad monster (this wouldn't really make sense in a real time setup), and camera angles and cutscene attacks (you can have 20 second long cutscene attacks and the gameplay will still work fine. You can't in a real time game unless you pause all of the action for that one attack, in which case that isn't really real time anymore). Real time almost always does not have attractive visual presentation to me.

Man loves his cinematic moments

[Acrux]

RTwP, but each attack doesn't feel impactful enough in any I've played. Maybe excepting DAO.
So, probably some form of time-based turn-based.

Like Tower of Time or Dark Envoy

[Tangerine]

you can have 20 second long cutscene attacks

This is a bad thing. It was mildly amusing in Final Fantasy 7, but it was quickly run into the ground by Final Fantasy 8.

[rusty_shackleford]

long cutscenes should only play on the first time it's used, or perhaps a chance on a critical hit

[Cipher]

Depends on how good it is respectively, really like both.

Same. I really like turn based for very tactical grid based games. But, usually those games don't have exploration. It's just combat and then cutscenes and then more combat.

For a cRPG like the Infinity Games, I much prefer RTwP as that blends way better with a living world that you explore and then when combat starts there is no transition to a grid or anything. Things just happen and you can pause to direct the actions of your party towards achieving victory.

RTwP actually is the best of both worlds because you can pause every time your character can act in a per character, per action basis. The real problem with that in the games that have used it is a lack of robust and customizable auto-pause features because then it becomes a little time consuming to manually decide each time.

But, I still hold that the concept is the best of both worlds because you can make it as real time or as turn based as you want/need and that slider is dynamic so you can slide it one way or the other at any time in a per character and per action basis. So, maybe your casters are handled turn based because you really want to be methodical about their spell usage and positioning, but you can let the barbarian just auto-attack after raging because that's the same thing he would have done anyways.

This is considerably superior and more time effective than having the barbarian take its turn, manually move him, manually attack each time.

[Nemesis]

you can have 20 second long cutscene attacks

This is a bad thing. It was mildly amusing in Final Fantasy 7, but it was quickly run into the ground by Final Fantasy 8.

How many hours of gameplay would people shed if attack cutscenes could be toggled off? Dozens, I bet.

[J1M]

I am open to RTwP, but I think the system used needs to be designed for it, like an RTS or Commandos. Attempts to convert turn-based systems to RTwP are not enjoyable.

There needs to be some concession to the interface, such as characters primarily gaining passive abilities, fewer abilities, or the player character being a 'hero' unit with more complexity than the others.

[Demonic Fate]

A well-made RTWP can effortlessly convert to a (staggered) turn based system, all you need is the "automatically pause after action" option, which BG1/2 had. This removes most concerns about keeping track of your characters.

RTWP also has some design advantages, for example you can put a ton of adds in fights without making them unplayably slow.

The catch is that RTWP is harder to code AI for, harder to balance, and harder to design a good UI for. If the studio doesn't have the right resources to make a good RTWP, I'd rather they play it safe and stick to TBS.

[J1M]

A well-made RTWP can effortlessly convert to a (staggered) turn based system, all you need is the "automatically pause after action" option, which BG1/2 had. This removes most concerns about keeping track of your characters.

RTWP also has some design advantages, for example you can put a ton of adds in fights without making them unplayably slow.

The catch is that RTWP is harder to code AI for, harder to balance, and harder to design a good UI for. If the studio doesn't have the right resources to make a good RTWP, I'd rather they play it safe and stick to TBS.

I don't agree that RTwP is harder to create. Real-time is an assumption of the popular game engines available.