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[Tumetsu]

Since I'll soon finish my first Flash practice game and I'm getting prepared for my summer project I have been ran some ideas and things through my head I would like to make. This is one of them and I'm now evaluating both how good idea it is and the scale of the project (which I think is probably too big for me to handle now). I'd like to hear some opinions on the former, what you think about the idea.

I recently bought Deckmake Fantasy for Ipod Touch and been enjoying it. It also reawakened my long time interest in card game rpg battles. Yesterday I came up this rather quick sketch of the battle system game could have.

Battle system is fast paced turn based combat where player uses cards from a 20-30 card deck to perform attacks and defense themselves against monsters. Deck has four different card types:
Attack/defense cards
There are three different attack cards. Weak attack, Medium attack and Strong attack. In enemy's turn these cards turn into equivalent defense cards. Player can chain them from smaller to bigger (Weak->Medium->Strong) per turn.

Weapon/Shield cards
These cards represent somekind weapon or shield etc. which has different stats, like attack, defense and possible special effects. It is played before Attack cards and it's attack values are applied into following attack cards.
I.e. Choose Great Sword Atk + 23 would make 23 as a base attack value which is then used with attack cards.

Item cards
Potions, boost items etc. They either use your whole turn or could be used as a first card in turn.

Turns
In players turn player can choose 1-5 cards from his hand (number depends on how well cards are chained) to attack to enemy. After first card is selected, other ones have to be selected while character performs the attack (or just time counter).

After attacks are performed, comes enemy's turn. While enemy is performing their attack, player can select defensive cards from their hand to minimize taken damage. I.e. Apply shield and then chain of weak,medium and strong defenses. The key is that player has to act when enemy is doing their attack which should bring some fast paced feel for turn based game.

Other information
I think it would be best to keep it one to one battles to reduce work amount and increase finish probability. Maps would be towns with Guilds to fetch quests and then clicking the place in field to initiate battle. pretty much like Deckmake or Final Fantasy Tactics Advance did.

Possible problems I have recognized
- Is the requirement of increase of attack card types (weak -> medium -> strong) good or should it be optional while proper order gives bonus?
- How big the deck should be to be easy to build but not exhaust too fast in battle?
- How well this would work with one-to-one battles?
- Would it become boring soon?

I would probably add some simple elementals into gameplay too. Also, I think I would leave all character stats out, and only cards would matter. The thing is I would like to try to streamline the design and simplify it to as far as possible without degenerating it to simple card throwing.

So what do you think about the idea, what possible problems you could see arise and what suggestions you have?

[SundownKid]

You should check out the card battle system in Baten Kaitos: Origins. It's a lot like this (weak/medium/strong chaining, time counter, item/weapon/armor cards) and incredibly fun. The world needs more RPGs with card battle systems like that.

What they did was give regular attacks the number 1,2,3, and gave special attacks higher numbers, requiring you to chain them to attack. You could also chain the attacks of your entire party for massive damage combo attacks.

The weapon and armor cards had the number "0" so you could play them before you attacked. Then, you would keep them as long as their durability lasted, then they would disappear.

I think you have the deck size about right, that should be enough to keep things interesting.

[Tumetsu]

You should check out the card battle system in Baten Kaitos: Origins. It's a lot like this (weak/medium/strong chaining, time counter, item/weapon/armor cards) and incredibly fun. The world needs more RPGs with card battle systems like that.

What they did was give regular attacks the number 1,2,3, and gave special attacks higher numbers, requiring you to chain them to attack. You could also chain the attacks of your entire party for massive damage combo attacks.

The weapon and armor cards had the number "0" so you could play them before you attacked. Then, you would keep them as long as their durability lasted, then they would disappear.

I think you have the deck size about right, that should be enough to keep things interesting.

Actually both Baten Kaitos games inspired me with this since I loved both games' card systems and originally got me thinking about them I should play it again.

Something I haven't thought yet is how to present player's HP since I try to avoid EXP and stats for player character. One solution could be that each card gives certain amount of HP like in Deckmake but I don't really like that solution that much. I guess making regular stat thing in wouldn't be too hard, but I'd like to keep this concentrated on cards as much as possible and only real menu be the deck making window.

[SundownKid]

I think that if you want to remove the character stats completely, you should instead give the cards the stats, and the character a stat modifier, with both characters' HP remaining the same (i.e. out of 1000)

For example, if Mr. Strong equips an armor card that gives 50 defense, he will increase it by 25% to 62.5 defense.

If you want to add strategy, you could give cards the ability to change your own or your enemy's modifier. If you're gonna do a one on one battle, though, it should be in real time.

[Tumetsu]

I think that if you want to remove the character stats completely, you should instead give the cards the stats, and the character a stat modifier, with both characters' HP remaining the same (i.e. out of 1000)

For example, if Mr. Strong equips an armor card that gives 50 defense, he will increase it by 25% to 62.5 defense.

If you want to add strategy, you could give cards the ability to change your own or your enemy's modifier. If you're gonna do a one on one battle, though, it should be in real time.

Hmm, that's actually good idea I think and could be developed.

I don't agree real time in one on one battles though I see where you are coming. There is many games with one on one battles, like Pokemon and Kongai (though there is still switchable characters) and at least to me (and supposedly to many others) Deckmake was rather addicting even though it's battle system was so simple. So I don't think it would be a problem if designed correctly. I know that if I should implement multiple character fights, the project wouldn't be finished.