For a game that is heavily focused on combat, the combat in Torn seems far too simple. I'd like to see it become more interesting and collect ideas on how to do that. This is not a single idea post - this is intended to be a rather wide-ranging discussion, more of a brain storming exercise.
Locations
A fight doesn't happen in a vacuum. Well, right NOW it does, but in the real world it doesn't. A fight can happen in a dark alley, the middle of a crowded market, or the basement of an abandoned building used by the local Fight Club.
A location can add modifiers to the attacker or defender, to certain weapons, or offer unique combat options. Consider the examples below rough concepts to get people thinking and to show the concept in a general sense:
- The Market: Filled with people and distractions, it's easy to sneak up on your opponent and surprise him - but with all of the distractions and obstacles, it can be easy to lose your target in the crowd.
- Bonus to stealth for the attacker.
- Reduction in critical hit rate and accuracy.
- Target has a free chance to run away on 50% health remaining.
- Torn City Bank: Quiet and orderly, a client standing still and talking to the Teller is an easy target. Armed security keeps a watchful eye for any trouble.
- First attack has a greatly increased critical rate.
- Armed security will make occasional attacks against the attacker.
- Combat lasts only 5 rounds; a stalemate results in the attacker being apprehended.
- The Hospital: Honorable men don't kick someone when they're down, but you're not honorable, are you?
- With surgeons already on site, hospital times for the defender are cut in half.
- Spend an action to grab some first aid supplies, restoring some of your health.
- At Home: Some housing arrangements, like the private island, have guards. Other places, like a castle, may have traps.
- Effects depend on where the target lives.
- Makes choosing a property more interesting than "what gives most happiness," which means everyone lives in a PI.
How to determine where a fight happens? I think it could be based on user activity and where they spend their time. If someone spends a lot of time in the casino, for example, then they might be more likely to be found in the casino. A regular racer might be more likely to be encountered at the race track. Did someone just move a large amount of money through the bank? Maybe they'll be there.
Range
Combat doesn't always happen up close and personal. You could be shooting at someone from across the street or from the top of a clock tower. Some weapons, like a scoped rifle, may be far more useful at longer ranges than a submachine gun, which might to better at a middling range, while a knife, well. It's useless when your opponent is a block away but when you can smell the hipster pumpkin spice latte on his breath, it's your best friend.
Some sort of simple system for managing the fighting distance, and weapon effectiveness at certain ranges, would add some extra depth to the combat system. Maybe some locations wouldn't have all ranges available; inside of a hospital, for example, there may not be any long range combat.
All Firearms Matter
Aside from the odd mission or grabbing some merits, there's a very, very small set of weapons that see any use. It's great to have some gimmicks in the game, like the plastic sword, pillow, or harpoon, but too many weapons are objectively worse, in all ways, than others.
When is the last time you saw anyone using a Thompson machine gun, for example? What about a 5/7? Exactly. For how little these weapons are used they might as well not even exist in the game. What a shame!
All weapons should have a valid use case, even if that use case is rather niche. Some weapons should also have effects outside of simple damage. For example:
- Minigun: When defending against multiple opponents, allows you to shoot at 3 opponents at once. The weight makes you easier to hit, however. Probably most useful for players with a higher defense that get dogpiled a lot.
- Blowgun: Allows you to deliver a variety of debilitating drugs to your target. You trade off raw damage for a less effective opponent.
- Flare Gun: It might not do a lot of damage, but it will light up your target - a great way to nullify stealth if you're being stealth-attacked often. At least you'll know who is doing it.
Wear and Tear
Speaking of making more weapons viable choices - weapons to wear out over time. They can break or fail during a fight. Aside from being an attribute that might make a weapon a more viable choice (a rifle may do more damage, but perhaps it jams from time to time - are you willing to sacrifice reliability for a little extra power), weapons (and armor) that break also need to be replaced.
This would create a money and job point sink in the game, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and also means that someone may actually buy that TMP you've had in your bazaar for the past six months.
All of a sudden a job in a gun shop or stealing weapons from the Army sounds a lot more interesting, especially if such jobs are the only way to get certain weapons. Some jobs may give bonuses to weapon malfunctions as well, or merits could be spent on it as well.
Approaches
How do you engage in a fight, anyway? Do you run right at your target with guns blazing, or do you stalk your target for a few hours and wait for just the right time to strike? Different approaches may offer different benefits, at a trade-off:
- Plain Old Attack: 25 energy. Nothing special, you scope the place out and go for it.
- Run n' Gun: 15 energy. You recklessly charge your target, giving up any chance at stealth. He sees you coming and gets a bonus to attack and defense. If combat ranges are implemented, the fight starts at the defender's preferred range.
- Careful Approach: 40 energy: You wait, and wait, and wait until the moment is just right. The defender is initially unaware; the attacker may get a bonus to hit (or even a free hit), or armor isn't as effective, or stealth is guaranteed if you take the guy out in one strike. If combat ranges are implemented, you get to pick where the fight starts. You might even have a better chance of running away since you're prepared.
- Stalking: 5 energy. Instead of just wandering around and attacking your opponent wherever he is, you can see at what location the target is lounging before you launch your attack (or, spend 5e to wait for the target to move to a new location).
- Leveecius has recommended that stealth attacks cost extra energy.
TL/DR: Just a scattering of ideas with the goal of making combat more interesting and dynamic. What concepts would make combat more interesting for you?
Mentions: Maltheal [577318]