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[bugboss]

Hey everyone! I'm a newbie Indie Dev who's toying with the idea of making a short text-based RPG game with some minor visual elements such as maps, character avatar, itens icons and finally: combat.

For combat I've been really stuck in what approach I should follow in order to get players interested and as close as possible to the edge of their seats when a combat event happens instead of going like "Oh... not another combat, please!". Yes, yes, I know a game based on text isn't as appealing as a fully 3D action Skyrim-like, but hey it'll be a game developed by a single person so I have to keep things achievable 

In your opinion, how could a combat in a text-based game be perceived less like a bothering chore and something more like the player could actually enjoy and look forward to when such event happen? Everything is welcomed, from visual aspects to dynamics and combat systems suitable for the genre.

 If possible I'd greatly appreciate if in case you're using a combat system from an existing game as reference if you could name the game title.

I thank you all in advance! 

[Thaumaturge]

One possibility might be to make each combat a sort of choice-based puzzle:

Combat would be composed of a series of choices. Some of these would be ubiquitous (attacking, defending, etc.); others would be specific to the encounter or location (in a desert, you might have the option to kick sand in the enemy's face); still others would stem from the player's inventory (if you bought a crystal of light, you might be able to use it to blind an enemy); and a final set would be reactions to the enemy's actions (if the enemy is posturing, you might have he option to laugh at them).

The trick, then, is to figure out how to defeat the enemy, based on the game's description of the foe's nature, state, and actions. For example, kicking sand in the face of a sand elemental doesn't seem wise; nor does attacking when the foe has just loosed a deadly spell at you. Conversely, if the description indicates that the foe hesitates for a moment, then perhaps it's the time to press your attack!

I can see two ways that this might be implemented, offhand:

The first is to treat it like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure/Fighting-Fantasy/Lone-Wolf/etc. gamebook situation, and have the encounter end--whether in victory or defeat, heavily damaged or only little--once all choices have been made.

The second is to handle it as a simulation: The enemy is an AI that makes decisions, with your game constructing the relevant descriptions procedurally. There is then no set number of decisions to be made; combat continues until the simulation has one party or the other defeated.

[bugboss]

Hey there Thaumaturge. Thanks a lot for your suggestions! I really like the idea of how environment elements could play an important role in a combat and how it even adds more to a bit of realism for combat. Very nice!

I had thought about including something similar to Fallout 1&2 VAT system where the player could try and attack a foe's specific body part at the risk of being harder and becoming vulnerable of it fails or finding a weak spot providing a critical hit, causing bleeding, cripple, etc.

I think combining these ideas we have something that ranges from a situational combat. The combat system is the same, but environment could change how it plays out with foes and targeting could either end a combat quite quick or put you in a really bad situation.

Perhaps the main issue here would be to achieve a friendly UI so players wouldn't get lost nor frightened by a bunch of options 

[TonyLi]

If you haven't played Disco Elysium yet (although you probably have; it was 2019's game of the year and indie darling), check it out. Its combat is done through dialogue using a variety of stats, variables, and RNG under the hood.

The nice thing about text is that your combat can do all kinds of crazy things without having to worry about rendering art. Similarly, you can have lots of items come into play without having to worry about visuals.

That said, keep the text very succint. Few people want to read paragraphs of flowery prose during combat. They want to quickly know what cool moves were attempted and whether they succeeded.

[bugboss]

Being honest I haven't. I've been out of the gaming league for quite a while. Mostly dedicated to the corporate IT area which now I find dreadful 

I've checked it out and it's quite interesting! Giving the option of talking out of a combat or even use skills which could end a combat before it begins also sound like interesting approaches! And I completely agree with you: players don't want to read a bible and it's about status and updates. Short, simple but perhaps not mechanical if that makes sense?

With all these ideas I think perhaps an appealing combat for text-based can be summed up by:

• Environment as part of defense/attack options
• Not everything is taken for granted. Options may vary under certain circumstances
• Not all combat has to be made through swords and fists. Players can talk or deceive their foes out of combat
• Each option has a certain risk, so players must consider what's the best approach for a given foe and circumstance

Does it feel daunting and overwhelming?

[Thaumaturge]

That said, keep the text very succint. Few people want to read paragraphs of flowery prose during combat. They want to quickly know what cool moves were attempted and whether they succeeded.

I might argue that the text can perhaps be more extensive if it's going to appear only a few times in a row. For example, if an average combat involves only five sequential (but hopefully individually impactful) choices, rather than many (likely individually minor) choices, then having the results of those choices be described in a degree of detail might be acceptable.

That said, based on recent posts I'm guessing that the OP has in mind a relatively simulative approach. If so, I would expect combat to involve many small choices, in which case indeed short, to-the-point responses are likely better!

[ArsCreativa]

I'd suggest to add a lot of interesting descriptions for the combat, made by randomization, so the texts are varied enough to keep the players attention.