Looking for reading on X-Tactics TB games

[Merlkir]

Along with a (mobile dev) friend I've been putting together a concept for a game with a tactical TB combat system.
My contribution is artwork (concept art and later ingame graphic elements) and worldbuilding, but at the same time I'm also contributing some gameplay features and concepts.
Trouble is, I have ideas for all kinds of ambient gameplay, not the core of the TB combat system. I haven't really played X-Com or Jagged Alliance as a kid, no FF Tactics and very few TB RPGs. (maybe HOMAM would count..)
(we're obviously not total idiots going blind into a game neither of us is familiar with, my friend chose the game type and will be designing it, I made up the setting.)

Are there any theoretical resources written on these types of games? Any kind of analysis or comprehensive lists maybe pointing out cool features would be helpful.

edit: if you're curious, here's a moodboard for the setting I threw together before we started writing the design doc:
https://niice.co/m/b79b808cad764cb900241af702fa2469

 

[Farage]

I don't understand what you're looking after. Is it art inspiration or programming guides?
I could help on both i guess but being more specific might be better

 

[Merlkir]

Neither.
I wonder if someone wrote about gameplay design for these games - movement (grids, action points vs. other methods...), equipment (consumables, armor and weapon systems...), party roles, skill trees...

 

[Mustawd]

I haven't really played X-Com or Jagged Alliance as a kid, no FF Tactics and very few TB RPGs. (maybe HOMAM would count..)

I'd say start with these to at least educate yourself on what kind of games you find fun. Old X-Com, with its time units based system, and New XCOM (with action points) are two different animals. They play differently.

I mean overall I'd say educate yourself with skirmish/tactics games to get an overall "education".

But if you're looking for discussion on games systems then I'd say actual wargaming websites and magazines are a good choice. Necromunda and to a lesser extent Warmachine might be good bets. But really, any wargaming forum will have good discusssion on tactics systems.

EDIT: also I think there's a long list of tactical games in the strategy subforum.

Oh, almost forgot...Craig Stern, dev of Telepath Tactics, had some great articles on his website on RNG vs Deterministic systems.

EDIY: I'd also argue playing good games but with flaws (e.g. Halfway) will also give you a sense on what doesn't work in a game and how to avoid that.

 

[Merlkir]

Oh, I did not think of tabletop wargames! That's a great idea.

 

[Farage]

http://battlebrothersgame.com/
Check out their progress updates theres a shitton of stuff they wrote
Other than that, use classical RPG guidelines to define your gameplay: D&D, GURPS, etc.
Using other games as reference is also pretty much the bread and butter for this as they all took inspiration from each other.
Its that simple - you wanna make a turn based game? Play some turn based games then.

 

[Mustawd]

http://battlebrothersgame.com/
Check out their progress updates theres a shitton of stuff they wrote
Other than that, use classical RPG guidelines to define your gameplay: D&D, GURPS, etc.
Using other games as reference is also pretty much the bread and butter for this as they all took inspiration from each other.
Its that simple - you wanna make a turn based game? Play some turn based games then.

Would you say D&D 4E plays a lot like a wargame? I've heard/seen that a lot, but I'm not a PnP'er.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Play some games, take a look at the features you like the most and think of ways to make up for features which feel useless or unsuitable for your game.
I'd recommend to search for obscure games too, because these games sometimes have a feature or two that feel like they should've been explored or developed a little bit more thoroughly.

I'll give you a few examples (with the sources of inspiration). Of course I'm not making a tb tactics game like X-COM, but it should give you some clues.

From my current 'big' project:

• Respec at any time within the character's current limitations (Magna Carta: Phantom of Avalanche). Reason: this mechanic just feels 'right' in the setting and adds more room for experimenting and failing and failing again for being a dumbfuck. Why? Next reason.
• Stats improve the character's abilities, but too low or too high values add both benefits and penalties. For example, a smart character will spend more time thinking about their actions, hence they get a speed penalty for having high INT. Respec kinda nerfs this issue, but at the same time allows to customize the character for a specific task, but the char is still limited by their skills (e.g. a dumbfuck with a sword won't suddenly turn into a hardcore hacker, but might 'focus' and slightly improve his chances of hacking stuff).

And the 'small' one:

• Healing is forbidden (Carmine), because there is no way of repairing a battle suit without help (and there is none).
• Combat system (again, Carmine). Ever played Orcs & Elves, Doom RPG or Wolfenstein RPG on your phone? I was pissed off by the fact that you can either move or attack, but the enemies do both at the same time. It's like having 1AP while your enemies have 2AP and use the same AI as Shadowrun Returns. The combat systems allows to retreat, advance or stay in one place while attacking the enemy, and the enemy should be able to do the same.

As long as these features contribute something to the gameplay and aren't shoehorned just to follow some 'trend' or shit, it's alright to borrow some of them or make up some of your own.
Damn, I wrote too much of this stuff already. Back to coding. Good luck with your project, bruh.