Game developer and the founder of Momiji Games, Matt Sharp, wanted his latest gameVideo Game Fablesto be a really good, classic turn-based role-playing game, but with improvements to many of the core battle features. This included rethinking critical hits, round-timers, and other combat dynamics. While turn-basedRPGshave been around for decades, not all of them differ greatly from each other when it comes to the battles.
Video Game Fablesis inspired by some of the absolutebest turn-based RPGs, including titles from theDragon QuestandFinal Fantasyfranchises. However, the creator of the game wanted to offer players something new, unique, and ultimately better in terms of combat mechanics than what the classics have to offer. This would keep players engaged while battling instead of pressing on a pre-determined pattern of their favorite power moves.
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Video Game Fables and Critical Hits
The first major change Sharp implemented to makeVideo Game Fablesdifferent from a traditional turn-based RPG was to revamp the critical hits. Almost every RPG handles critical hits similarly. Whenever a character hits an opponent or uses a skill, there’s a small chance to create a more powerful version of that attack. Often this chance is diminishingly small by design, although perhapsenhanceable with gear like inGenshin Impact. However, instead of this tiny chance to score a critical hit,Video Game Fablesprovides frequent critical strikes that instead work like a resource. Sharp wanted to make this dopamine-hit-inducing machinery work harder.
“It helps the player to pay more attention and makes you feel like you are a lot more engaged in the battle than in a classic turn-based RPG.”
InVideo Game Fables, critical hits are issued by each character’s basic attacks at the approximate rate of 40%. On average, every two or three basic attacks is granted a satisfying CRIT graphic and an appropriate sound effect. Also,Video Game Fables' critical hits do not provide any additional damage instantly. Instead, the character responsible for the CRIT gains a resource that is stored for later use. Only one of these CRIT resources is stored as a marker for each character, which encourages use before using another basic attack. According to Sharp, he considers the feature like a mini version ofFinal Fantasy’s Limit Break. The critical hit makes the next non-basic skills of the character more powerful. This isn’t always a straightforward boost to effectiveness either. While an attack skill might gain more damage, a haste skill could target the whole party, instead of a single target.
Round Timer in Video Game Fables Isn’t Punitive
The second major improvement inVideo Game Fablesover classic turn-based role-playing games likeShin Megami Tenseiis a more encouraging round-timer. A timer to hold players to a certain pace isn’t anything new, but the way Sharp implemented it matters. Instead of a standard round timer that requires the player to use their abilities and skills during a specific time frame,Video Game Fablesencourages players to perform their skills earlier and get rewarded for their fast thinking.
According to Sharp, the feature was created both for better accessibility and to improve combat. He recognized that some of thehardest RPGs ever releasedare too hard for a casual player, but didn’t want the game to be without a challenge. Not punishing a player after the timer has run out lowers the barrier to entry, while allowing bonuses for players planning ahead and thinking on their feet, which makes the battle more intense and rewarding. The timer has different color-coded phases, and the best reaction time - hitting the green slice of the pie - can improve the effectivity of the ability by 20% over running out of time.
“Why would you ever cast poison when a) it has a 5% chance of hitting, and b) it does one point of damage per tick when you could’ve just cast fire and one-shot an enemy?”
Sharp’s aim with the combat was to repair some age-old problems with RPGs. Issues like poison damage nearly always being much less viable than other forms of elemental damage and weakness of other status effects bothered him. While the game is not the onlyRPG with a unique poison system, it is most certainly in the minority. That’s why he spent a lot of time focusing on the underlying calculations and formulas to make sure the game’s balance was up to par. Poison deals more damage if it runs its course, and buffs and debuffs are very effective, even topping the best round-timer bonus. Through these changes, Sharp managed to make the game not only more challenging but more fun to play.
Video Game Fablesis available now on PC.
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