Let's talk about combat in RPG's and how devs can best handle it.
Does fast paced hack and slash kind of combat like in the Witcher, TES or Dark Souls (yes i know it's not an RPG) have a place in an RPG without being bland and boring? I know bethesda is terrible at making a working combat model, however other devs seem to have been more successful in implementing it. Is a turn based combat system boring by default? If a turn based system is implemented, would it be better if it's a gridless jrpg style, with party members and enemies all being within reach of each other, or a wrpg style, where characters have to maneuver on a grid? Or maybe a compromise between the 2 with a real-time turn based system is the best, like in KotOR, WoW and Pillars of Eternity?
The best thing for combat interactions to do in RPGs in general is that they should be like all other interactions - subservient and informed by the player's character building and choices in their progression. If the choices in combat take greater precedence than the choices made in making and progressing your characters, than the game undermines itself as an RPG. If the combat interactions use action-based mechanics (based on reflexes, reaction-speed for success), the previously mentioned undermining would make the game more of an action game and less of an RPG. If those combat mechanics were more based on strategic and tactical choices, it would be more of a strategy game.
Now, if the devs are trying to make something more like a strategy game or action game than an action game, than that design isn't bad at all. However, if they're attempting to make an actual RPG, the devs need to make sure that its design reflects that in all of its interactions, combat included.
Wyatt Collins
So you mean that combat should be all about stats, rather than reflexes or strategic thinking?
Brandon Miller
There have been mods for Oblivion and Skyrim that drastically improve the combat. Any damage a shield/parry doesn't block gets rereouted to fatigue, weapons do a lot more damage, and moves like kicks, shield bashes, and charges. It's not even hard to do, Bethesda just sucks ass at making fun combat systems.
Jason Mitchell
If it isn't turn based, it's shit.
Cameron Cook
turn based combat > everything else
Carter Gonzalez
Not necessarily all about it, just like how Action games typically aren't all about just testing your reflexes (unless they're Rhythm games). I mean that interactions in an RPG should emphasize RPG mechanics rather than those of other genres. All games contain other sorts of mechanics that aren't focused on their genre's design (action games with some character progression, etc), but the key to including them is to make sure they don't take precedence over your game's core mechanics.
Colton Morgan
What do you think would classify as RPG mechanics? Character progression? Interactive storyline?
Christopher Thompson
They all work to an extent - it's just that you have to pick and choose which system works to which situation. E.g. Icewind Dale would benefit from ToEE's combat system, Witcher 3's combat system being a miss is tradition in CDPR games, so on and so forth.
That depends very much on where you're coming from. Progression of character through stats or otherwise, and its effect on the world is a must. Ideally the player should have a degree of choice in this process - from full-on blank slates such as in Icewind Dale to predefined characters like the Nameless One and Geralt. Note, I am using predefined to mean that the player is deliberately excluded from the continuity that defines these characters - defines being the key word here.
