Turn based OpenRA mod

[deniz1a]

I just had an idea. It would be possible to have a turn based gameplay mode. Each turn would be a certain length of game time. So the game starts paused. Each player gives their orders and ends turn. When everyone is finished, game runs for five seconds for example and then pauses again for the next turn...

Five seconds could be too short, 10 or 30 seconds could be better. It could be adjusted in lobby. Queued orders and target priority selection would be required for this. So you can give multiple consecutive orders to a unit. Also the ability to queue not yet unlocked buildings in production palette. So you can queue power plant and then refinery in the first turn. Currently refinery can not be queued without first building power plant.

[deniz1a]

Actually building of unlocked structures would not be needed. You would build and place buildings as in normal mode. Click on power plant, place it on map. Then refinery becomes available. Click on it place it on map. Then end your turn. And these actions would be executed during game run.

This would be different from normal turn based strategy games. Because there, each player's actions are executed one after another. Each player waits for others' actions to finish. But here, once the turn ends, actions of all players execute simultaneously.

But this creates some problems. For example when you place a building somewhere on the map and in the same turn, another player moves its tank to that location before the building can be placed. What should happen then? The player could give multiple alternative placements for a building. And if the first one is blocked, the second one could be tried. If all of them are blocked, building would not be placed in that turn.

Or that would be too complicated. If the area is blocked, the building is simply not placed in that turn. You may need to place some units around the building area to prevent enemy units from blocking it. Gameplay would be interesting.

[deniz1a]

And even though each turn would be five or ten seconds of gameplay, the actual game could be played at any pace.. Saving of game state would also be required for this to function properly. So you could save the game and continue playing at any later time.

[deniz1a]

This type of gameplay is called phase based or we-go.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turns,_ro ... ased_turns

It is a mixture of turn based and real time. Here's an example of a phase based game:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Squad_Nemesis

Laser Squad Nemesis is a game of turn-based isometric combat, where players issue orders to a squad of soldiers or aliens. Each turn, the player gives orders to their troops, previews probable effects of those orders, and submits them to the LSN server via the web interface, or through email. Orders are resolved simultaneously after both players have submitted their orders, and the consequences of the round are sent back to both players. The result of the previous turn is viewed in a real time ten-second video, with pause, slow motion and rewind (multiple turns) options.

Another example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Mission

The Combat Mission games are a mixture of turn-based strategy and simultaneous real-time execution. The game environment is fully three-dimensional, with a "Wego" style of play wherein each player enters their orders into the computer simultaneously during pauses in the action, and then are powerless to intervene during the action phase. More familiar turn-based games use an "I-go/You-go" system of play.

Turn-based/simultaneous execution

All three games share the same concept; turns are divided into a planning and an executing phase. While the planning phase can, in single player mode, last as long as the player needs to give orders to all their units, the executing phase always lasts 60 seconds of real-time. Both sides, either computer or another human, enter their orders before the execution phase takes place. This is known as the Wego system. During the execution phase, units carry out their orders, but the player cannot influence the result and is limited to watch, replay and move the camera.

[deniz1a]

Also this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turns,_ro ... _real-time

[noobmapmaker]

The idea is nice, and perhaps it would make a fun mod. But practically it would need alot of thought and time/programming to make it work, I think.

[deniz1a]

Yes, this is just an idea I had. I thought of this while spectating a game when I was tired. Sometimes I don't want to play because it requires high concentration and quick reaction. If there was a phase based mod, it would be possible to play in a more relaxed way.