Real Time With Pause Combat in RPGs

This video explores real-time with pause (RTWP) in RPG combat, it looks at how the system explores the best and worst parts of turn-based and real-time combat and what strengths and weaknesses arise when a designer chooses to use the system!

[Qladstone]

Real time with frequent pausing is still not the same as turn-based. The main difference is concurrency. Actions can all be performed concurrently by all units as time passes. All the pausing does is allow you to have infinite time to make decisions and inputs any time you want. Real time with pause is real time with unbounded APM, as simple as that.

[anonimas]

Dragon age 1 is the perfect game. Ability to pretty much play with a single character where you can set up the AI of companions is awesome.
Also the thing that it doesn't follow DnD or Pathfinder ruleset. Nothing says "Engaging gameplay" more than having to buff up with 50 buffs before encounter.

[TimmacTR]

"Real-time with slow" should be a thing, where you tie the slowing down of time to certain character attributes such as adrenaline, composure etc..

[gemodemplay]

Having something work only for single player and not for multi-player is not an issue. Also, the Diofield Chronicle does a good job with rts with pause. Games like Desperados 3 also work well for this system.

[GamesDeconstructed]

I love that you did a continuation! Many people in the comments said that RTWP was their fave, so it's great to get an analysis of it from you soon after!

[darkkothor]

There also exist another type of "real time-turn based hybrid system". Having "turns" of fixed time (maybe 5 seconds) and having a phase during which players plan their actions for the next 5 seconds and then, when both players are ready, their plan unfold during 5 second. Frozen synapse uses this. I have never seen an RPG using this. It is more for a multiplayer tactics kind of game I think.

[CZiNTrPT]

I prefer turn based combat but would really like to play baldurs gate or pillars of eternity without getting turned off in the beginning chapters by the hussle I put myself into by pausing and micromanaging all the time, which just gets exhausted. I would really like to see a "guide" or something how people that enjoy rtwp play them. I feel I must do something wrong. Maybe I should just focus on controlling my MC. But then what if I'm not a thief, then I have to control that character most of the time running around on the map to scout. What if I want to play as a melee character instead of Spellcaster. Focusing on my MC likely will get very boring while my mage does whatever without my micro?

So how to people do it?

[victorwonder]

@Game Design Foundry
Final Fantasy 7 Remake has a very interesting mechanic which is very close to Real-Time with Pause. The action is Real-Time Combat and the menu system (for spells, abilities and character switching) is a slow-motion mechanic that gives players time to think, which is very much what players want to do in Real-Time with Pause games.

The game also gives players the option to assign shortcuts so the whole game could be played in real-time without using the menu system. It also has a classic combat option for those who don't want to mash buttons, which mimics a turn-based style of combat.

Would love to hear what you think of FF7R with regards to RTwP (or real-time with slow-mo 😄)

[metagameofshame]

The RTWP video is even better than the other one you did! Great job! And grats on 1000!

[victorwonder]

I love Real-Time with Pause ever since Baldur's Gate. The only thing that could have made that experience better was if the combat had more visual feedback (more animations, effects, icons, etc) instead of just text scrolling - made combat hard to follow.

Another Real-Time with Pause I enjoyed was the UFO games from Altar Interactive.

[davidlopez]

The best game to do it right are the Pathfinder games. Allowing you to chose either or and swap on the fly. Theyre a bit complex in regards to battle systems, but that choice is Excellent

[BrecMadak]

Man, this was a good one! I hope you start making videos again!

[lord_deus]

This is my favorite combat system in RPG games, sadly this kind of combat is getting old and hard to find modern graphic RPG games with this combat system... The last RPG games I play that using this system is Star Wars KOTOR, Neverwinter Nights 2, Drakensang and Dragon Age Origin.

[YungBeezer]

Where turn based falls apart is when there's a lot of enemies on the screen. I H-A-T-E having to wait and watch ten enemies make their moves. RTWP I can move my party where I need them and I can pause the game and queue attacks and watch the game play itself.

[Nat-riip]

I really apreciated the video. I often hear that RTwP is just better turn-based, and you put word on my thought. I would like hear your thought on experiments with in-game time.
Iron Danger has a time period that act as a turn, during which characters can do one action, but all actions happen at the same time. It make the action easier to follow than in real time abd would be easier to make into a multiplayer, but don't have that unrealistic bit of turn-based when each character act after the other and stand immobile the majority of the fight.
PoE2 turn based mode, Othericide and, to an extend, Into the Breach add delayed actions. It allow to interact with other's action while it is happening rather than dealing with the consequences, and still retain turn-based benefits.

[AlacrityTW]

Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights all have multiplayer modes built into the RTwP system but they are more or less still TB running on a in a real-time 6s/round clock. I personally prefer actual real-time (with pause) like Dragon Age Origins but it's hard to implement initiative, animation priority, and hitboxes which can lead to some jankiness. While I agree that TB gameplay is more accessible, I don' think RTwP can't be either. The biggest issue with RTwP is AI and pathfinding; it's 2021 and it's crazy how some games still can't nail down these fundamental mechanics, but if these two things are working properly I can't imagine how TB is better. I just find TB boring (especially to watch) and too RNG dependent due to how OP initiative rolls are. Going first inherently breaks the balance of gameplay and that's why RTS is superior to TBS in a competitive sense. Of course the challenge of most CRPG doesn't come from incredible micro/decision making from the AI, rather the shear number or high challenging rating of enemies from an encounter. Hopefully in the future, CRPG can remedy this so the AI behaves like a real cunning DM and don't just aggro mindlessly at the player and get cheesed.

[MrYelly]

The simple part most people forget is that most if not all real-time pause RPG party games have an option for playing turn-based as well. Causing me to believe it is done to cut costs and rendering issues in purely relationship /graphics driven games like Divinity.

[mechminded]

Cluttered battlefields is part of the gameplay - missing something, catching something and suffering or rejoicing in the accident.

[CelloTheth]

What about real time with timed pause? As in, you can only stay paused for so long

[noneofyourbiz]

Parasite Eve has a real time with paused which I really enjoyed and maybe Vagrant Story, though I haven't played that one much.
Grandia - I feel has something sort of on the lines, in regards to actions all happening at once?