Turn-based
Learning paths through this topic
Fire the right number of shots per second at any frame rate
A gun set to eight shots a second fires six or seven on some screens, because a wait is thrown away at the end of every frame. This entry shows how to keep the leftover so the rate holds, including when one frame is long enough for two shots.
Let fire creep across dry grass one step at a time
A grass fire that sweeps the whole field in a single turn is no tactic, it is a glitch. This entry shows how to spread flames so that they travel a fixed distance each turn, last a while, burn out into ash and stop at wet ground.
Make attacks take the same time on slow and fast computers
On a fast screen your sword swings quicker and on a slow one the enemy gets extra hits. This entry shows how to count game time in even steps so a swing lasts the same everywhere, and what to do when a computer stalls for a moment.
Make running away possible but never a coin flip you can spam
If running away always works, fights have no weight; if it often fails, players feel trapped. A good escape chance depends on the situation, improves after each failure, and has a few cases where it simply cannot work. Here is a formula with a clear reset point.
Give enemies one free hit when you walk away, but not when you circle
Running past a monster should cost something, otherwise nobody ever stays in a fight. But the same penalty for every step makes movement a minefield. This entry decides exactly which steps provoke a hit, how often, and why moving around an enemy is free.
Let a companion heal the right ally and not waste the potion
A helper who heals whoever has the least absolute health, or who tops up a scratch while someone is nearly gone, drives players mad. This entry gives a simple choice rule for a healer that looks smart, leaves the fallen to the revive rule and skips pointless heals.
Make a heavy backpack slow you down and decide what to drop
Carrying a lot should cost you in a fight, but a smooth slowdown is hard to read and a hard limit feels like a wall. This entry shows load steps that players can understand, what happens when the pack is too full to run, and how to suggest what to throw away.
Make big weapons slow by when you act next, not by skipping turns
A dagger and a huge hammer should feel different in a turn-based fight, but giving the hammer fewer turns makes the order confusing and unfair. This entry lets every action carry its own recovery time and settles who goes next when two ready times match.
Let fear run through a herd, nearer animals first, and calm down again
When one animal bolts, the others should follow, and the farther away they stand the later and the weaker. Spreading it in a single pass makes the whole herd run at once; never fading makes it run forever. This entry gives a turn-by-turn rule for both.
Add a short freeze on a hit without a multi-hit move freezing for seconds
A tiny pause when a blow lands makes it feel heavy. But when a move hits five times or three enemies at once, the pauses pile up and the game seems to hang. This entry shows how to combine pauses and what should keep running during them.
Show a hit chance that matches what really happens
A screen says 90 percent and the player misses three times in a row, so the number must be a lie. Sometimes it is, because of how the roll is made. This entry covers the exact comparison, sensible limits and a gentle help after bad luck.
Make a fight cost food without short fights being free
In a survival game a fight should leave you hungrier, but short scuffles keep costing nothing and long ones cost a lot. Here is how to keep the bill fair for every fight length, and what should happen when the food is already gone.