I think the best bet for those who want to experience the difference between Rtwp and TB, try PoE2. I tried both and I enjoyed both immensely. I was sceptical about playing it Tb but it plays reallý well.
Disagree on that one. PoE2 was designed for RTwP with a turn based mode just added as an option. I didn’t find TB much fun.
Originally Posted by kanisatha
DA is borderline for me because I see it more towards the action RPG side, but either way it doesn't count for my question because I am specifically looking at the contemporary time period where even DA:I is a bit too far in the past.
DA games are one of the more interesting and relevant cases to discuss though. Not just because they are BioWare games, but because they are an evolution of the RTwP system with 3D graphics and big budget presentation. Even if it’s not the evolution that many here would have preferred.
Combat in DA:O (on PC at least) doesn’t feel too dissimilar to BG combat. Warriors and Rouges get a bunch more skills to make them a bit more interesting to use, and the core mechanics are different, but it’s very similar in terms of issuing commands and setting companion behaviors.
DA:I is interesting. For a moment forget the wonky tactical camera and companions just ignoring your commands half the time (argh!), and just consider the basic combat attacks. It is actually a RTwP combat system trying to disguise itself as an action RPG. That’s why instead of timing attacks, blocks and dodging, you just hold to attack the selected enemy while they attack you back.
Look more closely and you see that attack animations for warriors and rouges don’t always match the damage being done. Sometimes attacks that are nowhere near do damage, sometimes a character makes two or three swings that should all connect only to result in one hit. Meanwhile mages do an elaborate dance of striking poses for every basic attack. The reason for all this is that the game is really giving everyone an attack or action per turn, while the animations make the characters look busy and fill in any gaps when they might otherwise be standing still. It’s just an illusion to make combat look more exciting than it typically does in IE games (or DA:O).
Despite the weirdness, I didn’t really mind the combat in DA:I. World design and quests were my main gripes. I’m certainly keen to see what they do for DA4. BioWare really need a win on that, or I’m afraid they’re probably toast.
