I've always been a fan of RPGs, and tactical RPG's in particular (ie, Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Aidyn Chronicles, etc.). However, there are some things that have always bothered me. specifically, it's the way that enemies can walk right past my big hulking warriors and make straight for my mage(s)/archer(s). They can do this because it takes 5-6 hits to kill most enemies in games like this, meaning that enemies (and you) can walk right past the guy with the huge sword/battle axe/we without dying.
As such I find myself constantly wishing for a troop-based RPG that actually requires strategy. And not Mount & Blade. Don't get me wrong M&B is great, but I want something with more RPG options and M & B's tactical controls leave a lot to be desired.
The design I came up with is a game that centers around player-controlled groups of 6-10 characters. These groups would be controlled Total War style, in that the battles would occur in real-time, but the player would have the option to pause to issue orders. Formations would play a prominent role since your warriors would be able to hold a defensive line while your ranged characters fire from a distance.
Warriors that are engaged would have a sizable bonus to their defense against their opponent(s) (BTW, dice rolls for attack/defense) but if an enemy blindsides them it's an automatic-hit (and the damage values would typically result in death), this works both ways so you're encouraged to flank. This makes a defensive line and formations actually feasible since an enemy is not going to be able just walk past the heavily armed warriors.
Archers would have long range, but low armor/defense ratings making them extremely vulnerable up close. But they could also have the ability to hide and ambush enemies.
Mages could be offensive, or defensive. Offensive could hurl spells, or weaken enemies, but any AoE would effect your troops as well, meaning that they'd be useless close range. Defensively, mages could buff friendly troops and block/deflect enemy spells/arrows (this one in particular excites me since you almost never see something like it in games).
Orders (you only directly control your character M&B style) could be issued individually or to groups, allowing more tactical freedom. Terrain and weather would effect the battles as well (for example, fighting at night means your archers can't shoot long range enemies unless they're lit up someway, and fighting in dungeons etc would require different tactics.
For recruiting it would be kind of like Kingdom Under Fire, where you can recruit generic troops or heros. Heros would be much more expensive, but would have better stats/skills and starting equipment. You could go around completing quests, etc, level up various skills and find better equipment for your troops. However, when someone dies, they're dead. And given the lethality of the game people would die a lot.
Picture stories where the main character has a group of companions but also a bunch of nameless cannon fodder red shirts. It'd be something like that.
So, are there any games like that out there?
If not, would you play a game like this?
As such I find myself constantly wishing for a troop-based RPG that actually requires strategy. And not Mount & Blade. Don't get me wrong M&B is great, but I want something with more RPG options and M & B's tactical controls leave a lot to be desired.
The design I came up with is a game that centers around player-controlled groups of 6-10 characters. These groups would be controlled Total War style, in that the battles would occur in real-time, but the player would have the option to pause to issue orders. Formations would play a prominent role since your warriors would be able to hold a defensive line while your ranged characters fire from a distance.
Warriors that are engaged would have a sizable bonus to their defense against their opponent(s) (BTW, dice rolls for attack/defense) but if an enemy blindsides them it's an automatic-hit (and the damage values would typically result in death), this works both ways so you're encouraged to flank. This makes a defensive line and formations actually feasible since an enemy is not going to be able just walk past the heavily armed warriors.
Archers would have long range, but low armor/defense ratings making them extremely vulnerable up close. But they could also have the ability to hide and ambush enemies.
Mages could be offensive, or defensive. Offensive could hurl spells, or weaken enemies, but any AoE would effect your troops as well, meaning that they'd be useless close range. Defensively, mages could buff friendly troops and block/deflect enemy spells/arrows (this one in particular excites me since you almost never see something like it in games).
Orders (you only directly control your character M&B style) could be issued individually or to groups, allowing more tactical freedom. Terrain and weather would effect the battles as well (for example, fighting at night means your archers can't shoot long range enemies unless they're lit up someway, and fighting in dungeons etc would require different tactics.
For recruiting it would be kind of like Kingdom Under Fire, where you can recruit generic troops or heros. Heros would be much more expensive, but would have better stats/skills and starting equipment. You could go around completing quests, etc, level up various skills and find better equipment for your troops. However, when someone dies, they're dead. And given the lethality of the game people would die a lot.
Picture stories where the main character has a group of companions but also a bunch of nameless cannon fodder red shirts. It'd be something like that.
So, are there any games like that out there?
If not, would you play a game like this?
