What’s your favourite? I’m particularly interested in hearing about MMOs and RPGs, but you can talk about other kinds of games as well.

What type of system do you like more (turn-based, real time, fast-paced, strategy-centred, hack 'n slash, with auto-attack, macro-based, etc,)? What innovations or inventive applications of older stuff made you go :awesome? What kind of system would you create if you had the means and knowledge to make it possible (don’t go too overboard with futuristic stuff, ’mkay?)? And finally, what game "did it best", generally speaking?

 

No matter how gay the games get, the blend of hacknslash, real-time, and command based combat in the Kingdom Hearts series will forever be my favorite battle system.

 

I enjoy hack and slash with rpg elements. Specifically things like Monster Hunter, Dark/Demon's Souls, and the first kingdom hearts game. (the second's lack of a dodge bugged me) Basically I like relatively free-form combat with the ability to make different builds.

Of those, Dark souls is probably the best game wise. Enemies are a threat, and you can approach each situation in any number of ways. There is also some freedom in builds. I've always been a fan of free stat manipulation, so it works for me.

Other than that I like just about all fighters, Blazblue especially. Too bad I suck at them.

 

I switch between Grand Strategy and RPGs, mostly. Currently on an RTS kick though. Achron <3

 

Hack and slash for the win. Kingdoms of Amalur has a lovely combat system.

 

The tactical approach of Dragon Age: Origins.

 

Diablo 2 has an awesome system. But I'm partial to RTS and absolutely detest macro play in MMOs.

 

Real-time Strategy is my favourite.

 

So, all of my favorites have already been mentioned. I like D2's skill tree system, especially after synergies were introduced. They allowed a lot of quirky builds to be viable (up to a point) and very fun, althrough some already viable builds got super powered, which is fun too. It allowed different characters to excel at different things. Of course, you can't say that without mention runewords, which helped make characters like goldfind!barbs really neat.

I like the Dark Souls combat system, and it's really what makes it a difficult game until you master it. It's relatively simplistic, in that you shield every attack and circle around to backstab, but there's nothing like taking your 8 foot greatsword of artorias and just shoving it straight through someone.

On that note, I do like stealth elements and backstabs. Assassin's creed is probably the current benchmark of that type of thing, but Kingdom's of Amalur does have some pretty brutal assassination sequences, and I really like the combat flow of the game. It's a simplified version of other combat systems, but that just means it's more fast paced and action oriented. I've only played a rogue so far, and while the game is easy on even the hard setting, it's still quite fun, especially once you get some of the cool abilities such as the dodging helicopter blade thing, meatgrinder, and windwalk things. Only I thing i dislike is those fucking spell enchanted chests. Lockpicking is super easy, but I just can't get the timing for any of the magic ones above 'very easy', and some of the curses you get are super brutal, and getting them removed is a pain in the middle of a dungeon.

 

I have totally been one shot by the curses on those damned chests.

 

The only problem I had with the Gambit system was the lack of shortcuts/favourites, but beside that, I liked it a lot too.

Button-mashing hack 'n slash has gotten more than a bit tiresome and repetitive over the years, and turn-based combat needs to be made right for me to enjoy.

How do you guys feel about mini-games put inside the battle, instead, like the judgement ring in Shadow Hearts or even the stupid gunblade trigger in FFVIII?

 

I actually kind of liked the Addition system used in Legend of Dragoon. Liked it enough to never use one of the series of 'Warlord's' accessories that allowed you to bypass it(at a diminishing cost if you got better versions of the items).

 

Baten Kaitos. JRPG to its core but still takes the spot for my all time favorite turn-based system. It just had such a unique spin on the old tired concept.

 

I have always loved the Judgement Ring system from the Shadow Hearts games. A great combination of turn based combat, timing, and customization.

 

Hm... Y'know, honestly, there's two systems that come to mind.

The first would be SPECIAL. I fucking adore SPECIAL. Especially in the first couple of Fallouts. So far it's the only system I've seen that makes your stats matter completely outside of your skills-- Your SPECIAL values are who you are, and your skills are what you know. This is so fucking natural and right to me, and no other game really bothers. (Typically, either your stats are essentially just another skill, or they entirely don't matter in comparison to your skills.)

The other? The SMT series. To take it a step further, my favorite variation would probably be the Press Turn system from the Persona series. Never before have I seen a JRPG where status effects matter, and one turn can be the difference between flawless victory and complete defeat.

 

Just a nitpick, but Persona uses a modified variant of the Press Turn. The actual Press Turn system is what you'd use if you played Nocturne or Digital Devil Saga. It's a damn fine system, though, I agree.

 

It really prefers on what kind of mood or mindset I'm.

Sometimes, I don't mind just kicking back, relaxing, and just going through some old-fashioned turn-based combat like various JRPGs fashion it or even a mixture of the two. Some of my favorite RPGs feature essentially turn-based combat such as Final Fantasy 8, Xenogears, Persona 2, etc. A cool mixture of the two modes like in Ni no Kuni or in Eternal Sonata and especially in Vagrant Story, were all quite fun.

I also like isometric combat, whether turn-based or real-time, like in Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Planescape Torment, Arcanum, and what not.

But I've grown mostly preferential of RPGs that put you right in the middle of the action, like Dark Souls (although it's unclear whether it would be appropriate to call it an RPG), Deus Ex, the Witcher, etc.