Tactical Turn-based Combat | Devlog #2 - Podcast | Kriegsfront Tactics

This Devlog is a behind-the-scenes series about the game development process of Kriegsfront Tactics. In this episode, we record one of our design meetings where we talk about the game's tactical turn-based combat design. The goal is to revive the turn-based mecha tactics genre and bring it to the modern age, taking inspiration from Front Mission, XCOM, Final Fantasy Tactics, and more.
Kriegsfront Tactics is a procedural turn-based mecha tactics RPG set in alternate 1970s during an era of conflict in Southeast Asia where you'll play as a commander of a mecha squad sent behind enemy lines. Build your mecha squad, complete missions, and survive the front another day.
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0:00 - Topic Introduction
2:16 - What do we love about Front Mission? Destructible body parts.
7:06 - Modern tactics games design, XCOM Remakes
12:15 - Counter-attack & Multiple AP System
17:10 - Tutorial & Communicating design to the players
21:53 - Directional Facing
23:34 - Alpha Strike / First move advantage
25:41 - UI design & missed clicks
27:16 - Hit chances VS projectile systems
34:48 - Closing

[@killjoy197]

A thing I've yet to see (might have happened but in a game I've not tried) in one of these mech style games is an on the fly limb/weapon exchange. In many shooters you can equip the weapons of the foes you've just killed but in mech turn based games you typically only get access to the items AFTER combat ends if it wasn't too damaged or you were given salvage rights at all. The only time I've seen it used in a mech game was Metal Fatigue (2000 by Zono) and your mechs could have limbs ripped/cut off and you could pick up the limbs/weapons from foes to replace them during a mission. In mech games typically when a limb is destroyed, its simply no longer usable (and the weapon it had gone) but it'd be great to see a mech eject a busted limb and claim a new one off a fallen foe. I understand the technical problems and work that would be required to pull this off but I figured I'd throw the idea out there any ways.

[@versusnoctis6095]

Thank you so much for this game i hope it comes to Nintendo switch 🙏❤

[@erutz5190]

Are you gonna keep the surrender mechanic from front mission? I really liked how it encouraged you to destroy bodyparts without killing the enemy and it just feels satisfying to capture a mech instead of buying it.

[@mickar1278]

Saw the battle demo, I got fascinated with the map landscape design 🏞️, I think it probably be optimized to enrich battle elements, maybe (bonus, penalty, cover, collectibles, etc). About counteratck, I think turn-based itself already play that style naturally(aggressive/defensive step). But the reactive, maybe is kinda unexpected 😬, related to piloting aptitude and unique characteristic. Keep progressin 🤟

[@thelastnnnnnnidrian2200]

how to rotate in the diaroma editor?

[@TheRobversion1]

imo if i wanted xcom, i'd play xcom. you made the right choice here. there's alot of us who enjoy grid-based movement with a budget for actions/movement. grid-based movement trpgs remind me of TTRPGs like dungeons and dragons/pathfinder since we play those on grids.
the demo looks great and i'm hoping this is closer to front mission than xcom as FM is the franchise i miss the most. i didn't see as many skills so i hope there's more to choose from so we can have more customization. i hope this game comes out soon. its #1 on my wishlist.

[@OtakuDono]

The Sniper's job is to be a menace to the enemy. It's fair that is op at any range since it cant shoot multiple times, depending on the model of the rifle of course, but in most games the dmg goes down as the number of shots increases. In that case, at best you want a single OHKO sniper and a bit less powerful one with multiple shots in case the other one cant finish the job in 1 hit, to finishing off the first target and start on another one instead of wasting an overkill with 2 OHKO snipers... unless you ABSOLUTELY want to make sure something dies or rely on the others on the team to finish their job when needed.
In Front Mission due to high AP cost you mostly can't shoot multiple times on the same turn with it, you cant move before you shoot iirc, having the right pilot/s with the skills needed is also a limiting factor, and you often can't bring a lot of alternative weapons when you use it, because of it's weight and power allotment... and the accuracy sucks for most of the game, plus the enemy can dodge too, so abusing it very rarely happens. At least until very late on the game, but even so, the versatility of a sniper is very limited. If it misses / cant kill / neutralize a threat it's a sitting duck (if it wants to shoot next turn) and depends on the others to cover him or die / lose the arm with the rifle and be useless. Not to mention the different armor types, making it so is no always the best option for all enemies... unless you absolutely have to nuke a body part asap, so even with reduced dmg its the best option to focus dmg.

[@ninostyle1462]

problem is that this is not a first or third person shooter, here the mech is too easy a target, it is very obvious from the demo that at a distance of 1-2 cells the body is destroyed very easily, and the arms and legs take almost no damage