In a nod to fan input, Torment: Tides of Numenera will get a turn-based combat system. The decision arrives after inXile Entertainment looked to its backers to see whether they would prefer a real-time or turn-based model for combat in the upcoming RPG. And since it only took about six hours for Torment to fully fund its initial Kickstarter project, it's safe to say there are some interested parties out there.
As a spiritual successor to the classic 1999 RPG Planescape: Torment , a similar approach to that game's "real-time with pause" combat mechanic was also being considered. And after more than 15,000 backers voted, the turn-based option saw a slight majority, according to the project's latest update . Ultimately the developer is looking for a battle system that allows players to "suspend their disbelief," even if "realism" isn't central to the RPG's perspective on combat, according to Torment project lead Kevin Saunders.
"That said, Torment isn't an action game," wrote Saunders in the update. "Real time doesn't pass in conversations, for example—you have as much time as you want to decide your choice. And while exploration occurs in real-time, it won't include twitch elements. All of your decision-making throughout the game will consistently be free from real-time considerations. Torment is a game about thinking and deliberation and will not have any actual time pressure, so turn-based combat will maintain a more consistent feel."
Saunders went to great lengths to outline how the decision to choose a turn-based design was meant to mesh with the game's approach to handling conflict, a system for fusing challenging story and combat elements the developer is calling Crisis. If you have the time and an interest in the more experimental side of game design, you can read a lot more about Crisis—and how this decision came to pass— here and here .
Hat tip, Eurogamer .
