Wait Your Turn!

This is a topic I’ve thought about off and on over the last few years, but more so after the recent release and apparent success of Kickstarter darling, Divinity: Original Sin. Now, I haven’t played it yet and very much would like to, I just can’t decide if I should dive in now or hold out for a potential console release. But this isn’t really about only one game.

In reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews and watching gameplay videos, the turn-based combat is frequently referred to as “old-school” and “nostalgic” which I suppose is true since the bulk of video game RPGs in the early days of the medium were all turn-based. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, Phantasy Star and more all started with turn-based combat in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but when a new role-playing game forgoes a real-time system if favor of this strategic approach, does it have to be labeled “retro”? I guess so since these terms imply a hearkening back to things that used to be but are no longer, or considerably less common… and that’s a shame.

Necessity or Design?

Typically the “retro” elements of modern game design imitate aspects that were, in their time, much more limited due to the technical constraints of more primitive hardware and software. As technology advanced, video game development continued pushing the bounds of graphic and sound capabilities. Large pixels became smaller and smaller, 2D graphics became 3D graphics and chiptune music became actual orchestral scores as the industry chased after the fidelity achieved through film with near uniformity. New games that use pixelated graphic styles and 8 or 16-bit sound design are clear homages to gaming’s past, attempting to capture the magic many of us felt while playing the classic games of the medium’s infancy.

Was turn-based combat in early RPG games used primarily because of technical limitations? I could be way off base, but I don’t think that is why. And I suppose it’s likely that I’m wrong about that, as evidenced by the fact as the tech improves and our gaming machines become more and more powerful across the board it seems that we see fewer and fewer role-playing games implementing it. Or maybe I’m right, but enough of the industry and fan base has become so focused on the enjoyment of fast-paced action games that the impression of turn-based combat design being irrelevant was born and flourished in response. Perhaps it’s a combination.

So what does this have to do with the above-mentioned recent release? While checking out the reviews for “Divinity: Original Sin” there was one reader comment that really stuck out to me. The individual asked, “Why is it turn-based?”

Why Not?

Here is my take on the situation. My first role-playing game experience was Dragon Warrior on the NES, long before the franchise moniker was unified across the globe. It was the first game to really open my eyes to the vast complexity that video games had the potential for and would one day achieve. It was also the game that would solidify the RPG as my genre of preference. I never really had the opportunity to get into actual table-top RPGs, although I always wanted to. The lack of a reliable group of friends with similar interests didn’t stop me from educating myself about them, however. And my curiosity led me to believe that series like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy were trying to emulate the experience of the paper and dice affair, albeit without the multiple players and DM who improvises the story to keep up with player choice, which were technical limitations. Through those games I could enjoy a version of that despite not having the right group of like-minded friends or available time.

Taking turns is integral to nearly every table-top game, including RPGs which are hardly “old-school”. Role-playing games are today, more popular and more accepted than they’ve ever been (much like video games). It should not be seen as a limitation or a drawback, but an option. If you don’t enjoy playing games with a  turn-based component, it doesn’t mean those are not good games. Guess what? Those games are not for you. The best part of gaming in an age with so much variety is that there are plenty of games that are for you, but not all of them will be and that’s just fine. Not everything should appeal to everyone or else it all becomes homogenized and innovation takes a back seat.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

I’m not saying all role-playing games should be turn-based. In fact, I believe great games like Skyrim or From Software’s acclaimed Souls games would be absolutely ruined by changing the play style. It all comes down to personal choice, obviously. For me, the preference for turn-based combat is specific to games involving a party of multiple characters. I have tried to play several popular RPGs that used a real-time combat system while directing a party, and even the few that I did enjoy would have been a lot more fun for me had they been turn-based. Single character games like Demon’s Souls or Diablo III work very well with a real-time system. I’m currently (and slowly) working my way through Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (yeah, it’s an old game, I’ve got an extensive backlog) and I’m having a great time… until given a quest that saddles me with an AI party member that I can’t stop from acting stupid and reckless, not my cup of tea.

Games like Dragon Age: Origins that use a flexible system attempting to cater to fans of both styles are noble efforts, providing a great RPG experience to a wider range of gamer. Although I might have liked it a little bit more with a  purely turn-based scheme I was still able to play through it my way and enjoy the same game as those who preferred the real-time option. Hopefully we’ll see more games like this that are inclusive of different tastes while compromising little or none of how we like to play.

Why Is It Turn-Based?

When I read that comment posted about the review of Divinity: Original Sin I couldn’t help but hear it come across in my mind as an entitled whine, which isn’t fair but will probably still color my response to the question. It’s turn-based because when Larian Studios LLC said, “This is the game we want to make” they received well over their goal amount, and surpassed most of their stretch goals from interested backers. It’s turn-based because of the many people who’ve purchased it since it’s release, who made it the company’s fasted selling game ever. It’s turn-based because it appeals to the population of gamers who want what it offers.

Why shouldn’t it be turn-based? Because having the freedom to stop and take your time deciding between throwing a lightning bolt or a fireball at a giant troll is unrealistic? Because the pacing of the combat within a video game  that takes place in a fantastical world strays too far from the possible? Because that means it is no longer right up your alley? How about we celebrate that there is much more game variety than ever before? Whether you are into shooters, racing, sports, platformers, role-playing, puzzles, strategy or any of the other genres or sub-genres, you have plenty of options. There are numerous games available now and in development that will appeal to you, they don’t all have to appeal to you. They shouldn’t all appeal to you because we are all unique and there should be something for everyone. Welcome the diversity! Embrace the diversity!

(…deep breath…)

Sorry folks, that kind of took a turn I didn’t expect. I’m not usually this grumpy when talking about video games but I’m feeling frustrated recently and unfortunately I’m taking it out on some poor soul who made a mostly harmless comment. There’s just been too much negativity surrounding the medium as of late and it needs to stop. If you’ve been following the industry news you know what I’m talking about. Games are supposed to be fun, and they can’t be fun if not all of us are able to enjoy them and feel included. And some of “us” are behaving in a manner that ranges from unacceptable to downright abhorrent (quotations, because I certainly don’t want to be considered part of the same group despite a common hobby). Enjoying video games doesn’t mean you stop being a decent human being. Knock it off! Where was I….?

So, Divinity: Original Sin certainly looks to me to be the closest approximation in video game form of the experience of sitting around a table with a group of friends, debating how to proceed through an imaginary world full of options while wielding a handful of dice. It also gives me hope that the turn-based role-playing game will stick around. I look forward to seeing more in the future, it can only get better.

And if you don’t like turn-based games, that’s great! You just enjoy your games the way you want to, and I’ll do the same and we’ll all have a wonderful time! Simple, yeah?

Play nice, everyone!