So I've spent the past few hours figuring out how we could go about having a far more fleshed out reaction system utilizing prompts, but also having additional settings to help automate the frequency of prompts based on player preferences, mitigating the potential issue of 'too many pop-ups'. I'm trying to go for a sort of gambit-style system in regards to reactions, and this is what it would probably look like.
Feel free to add to the list for situations I've overlooked.
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Defensive Reaction settings:
* Never prompt for reaction if expected damage is below X amount (you can input a number in this option) * Always prompt for reaction if incoming enemy attack or spell has a chance to KO a party member (a yes/no checkmark option which would override the first option) * Always prompt for reaction if incoming enemy attack or spell would result in a party member being forced to make a concentration check or break concentration (a yes/no checkmark option which would override the first option) * Always prompt for reaction (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above) * Always use reaction automatically (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above)
The above is not meant to be a full list, but you all get the point.
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Offensive Reaction settings:
* Never prompt if enemy HP is below X amount (you can input a number in this option) * Never prompt for reaction if expected damage without added damage from reaction has a chance to KO the target. (This only really applies to Smite and Bardic Inspiration: Damage rolls. Let's say you're attacking a goblin that only has 5 HP, and your weapon damage alone already does anywhere from 6-11 damage. There'd be no reason for the game to ask you if you want to smite in that situation.) * Always prompt for reaction (checking this option overrides/greys out the other two options above) * Always use reaction automatically (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above)
Again, not meant to be a full list, but you all get the point. I am certain there are more that would fit into this category, feel free to mention them so I can flesh this out a bit more.
The game would clarify that while Smite is not considered a reaction, the way it is used would utilize the same system for determining whether you want to use that feature or not. The game would also clarify that Bardic Inspiration: Attack Rolls is similar to Smite in that it is not a true reaction, but it will always prompt whenever its use could determine the difference between an attack landing or missing, unless the 'Always use reaction automatically' option is checked.
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Utility Reaction settings: (Utility reactions are handled on a case-by-case basis, since they're potentially on a whole other tier of importance compared to the above two categories.)
Counterspell:
* Never prompt for reaction if the enemy spell being cast is below X spell level (you can input a number in this option) * Always prompt for reaction if the enemy spell being cast is identified as a defensive spell (examples being healing spells, Shield, etc.) * Always prompt for reaction if the enemy spell being cast is identified as a utility spell (examples being Darkness, Fog Cloud, enemy Counterspells, etc.) * Always prompt for reaction if expected damage from the enemy spell has a chance to KO a party member or force a concentration check * Always prompt for reaction if the enemy spell inflicts a status effect * Always prompt for reaction if the enemy spell being cast is unknown. (This option assumes that Arcana skill checks to identify enemy spells before you attempt to counter them are in BG3.) * Always prompt for reaction (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above) * Always use automatically (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above)
Feather Fall:
* Never prompt for reaction if expected fall damage is below X amount (you can input a number in this option) * Always prompt for reaction if expected damage can KO a party member or force a concentration check * Always prompt for reaction (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above) * Always use automatically (checking this option overrides/greys out the other options above)
Hmm, are there other utility reactions besides these two that should be handled on a case by case basis?
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Attack of Opportunity settings: (This would be a toggle option for each character that you can view during combat. It's split by character because a Wizard would probably never want to blow their reaction to AoO if they want to save their reaction to, say, counterspell. Martial characters like a Fighter that doesn't have much else for reactions probably would want to AoO at every opportunity.)
* Always use automatically whenever possible * Never use this reaction * Always prompt for reaction
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Reaction Override toggle settings: (Basically a way to override custom settings quickly during combat, if let's say there's only a couple enemies left and you just want to get things over with without the game asking you for any prompts. Think of the practical use of this being like swapping from turn-based to RTwP in one of the Pathfinder cRPGs. This would also be grouped into defensive and offensive categories. Utility reactions and attacks of opportunity will retain their custom settings.)
* Use custom settings * Always Prompt for Reactions * Never Prompt for Reactions (do not use reactions automatically) * Never Prompt for Reactions (always use reactions automatically)
On a side note, I do wonder how feasible it would be to use these settings in regards to multiplayer. Everyone having different settings might throw a wrench in this programming-wise. It could probably just be simplified so that only the host's settings will apply to everyone. It's their room, after all.
I know the chances of Larian doing something like this is unknown, considering we haven't heard anything in regards to the reaction system this past year. But maybe it could act as a frame of reference for some crazy mod programmer in the future if the game does release with reactions remaining as is. I also wonder what would happen if the Solasta devs were to implement the above. All the pop up complaints would probably vanish overnight. For all we know, they might already be doing something similar for their upcoming Bard/Monk/Warlock release...
