Turn-based
Learning paths through this topic
Save in the middle of a fight without changing what the dice will say
If every load gives different luck, players reload until a crit lands. If the luck depends on how often you looked at a hit chance, previews change the fight. This entry makes randomness a plain sum of two saved numbers, so saves, previews and replays all agree.
Let a player stop a reload halfway and keep the bullets already loaded
A weapon that loads one round at a time should let the player interrupt and fire as soon as there is something in it. This entry shows what progress is kept, what is lost, and how a very long frame can load more than one round.
Take damage from a shield first, with a part that goes straight to health
A rechargeable shield in front of health sounds easy until a big hit overflows it, a special shot ignores part of it, or a shield that breaks exactly does not register as broken. This entry sorts out the order and the leftovers.
Settle two fighters hitting each other on the same moment
Two shots land on the same frame, and the first one kills. Does the dead one still get to hit back? Does the loot drop twice? Does a third hit count as a second kill? This entry sets the rules so such trades come out the same every time.
Wake sleeping monsters by noise that adds up and fades
A sleeping beast should stir when you are clumsy near it and settle when you tiptoe away. A fixed wake-up distance feels fake, and adding every sound makes crowds wake everything. This entry shows a wakefulness meter that behaves the way people expect.
Let health come back slowly after a fight, even at half a point per second
Whole-number health with a slow refill rate shows nothing happening, because each frame adds less than one point and gets rounded away. This entry keeps the fractions, waits until the fight is over, and stops when health is full.
Add a slow-motion moment that ends on time and still lets the player react
A slow-motion effect that lasts two seconds can stretch to eight if its own timer runs slow too, and it feels bad if the player is slowed as much as the enemies. This entry shows which clock to use, how to ease out, and how much to slow whom.
Make the sneak attack hit hard once, and wake the neighbours only if it fails
Creeping up on a sleeping camp is the best moment in a survival game, if the rules are clear. Does the bonus repeat, does the kill make noise, who wakes up? This entry settles those points so a quiet kill stays quiet and a clumsy one has a price.
Make shots get less accurate while firing and settle after a pause
A weapon that gets wilder the longer you hold the trigger rewards short bursts, but only if the first shot is still sharp and the recovery does not start too soon or too late. This entry gives a simple way to build that and the numbers to start from.
Let a nearly empty stamina bar still allow one last move, then lock it
If every action must be paid in full, the player feels punished for being a few points short. If it can always be done, there is no limit at all. This entry shows a middle rule, plus the pause before the bar refills and the point where the player is trusted with actions again.
Stack buffs and debuffs without the numbers getting out of hand
Three small boosts from three items and a spell can multiply into a hero who one-shots the final boss, or the same spell cast twice counts double. This entry shows how to group bonuses so stacking stays predictable and the displayed number is always the one used.
Tell a jump onto an enemy from a bump into its side
Landing on an enemy should defeat it and touching its side should hurt, but at high fall speed the hero often ends up deep inside the enemy before the game looks, and gets hurt for a perfect jump. This entry shows which moment to judge it at.