Castle Paradox

[Me]

Given how the "standard" RPG turn-based battle system works, I'd like to see something based entirely around ranged combat. The way the field is layed out makes more sense with bows and guns, in my opinion: heros on one side, enemies on the other, quite a large distance in between. The length of time between turns makes sense for ranged weapons more than melee combat as well - I can deliver several kicks in a row once I reach my opponent, but it always takes some time to load another arrow, especially when your opponents are firing back.
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UP DOWN UP DOWN LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT A B START

[J.A.R.S.]

ONLY ranged? I think it would suck... The whole point of ranged is to add strategy against slow infantry sorta... in fact, bows were invented to decimate infantry from a distance (preferably behind walls). You could assume though that most monsters are melee, and each of your heroes has a melee and a ranged attack, the ranged attack being far more advantaging, and cannot be used if an enemy is touching you (melee stance). That would be real fun to be forced to cut the monster's advance in order to keep the initiative no?

[Rinku]

That's not correct about bows, bows are much more ancient than that. The American Indians had bows for instance, even though they had no walls and had no infantry. Bows were invented for hunting.
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Tower Defense Game

[TwinHamster]

[Nathan Karr]

One of the few problems I have with the standard Japanese RPGs is this: Guns and Bows have infinite ammo.

My preference, in ranged combat, at least; has always been the boomerang. With a boomerang, you only need one. It comes back unless it's become imbedded in your foe's skull/ribcage/acidic membrane.

I also like the way that Dragon Warrior 3 and Dragon Quest 8 made the boomerang target all enemies on the battlefield; it almost ruined the point of having powerful swords.

Another idea that I've had is making the boomerang steal items from enemies. Since boomerangs are low-tech weapons, and the hero usually comes from a Bronze-Age society, it would be entirely fitting to give the hero skills with the boomerang.
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[Newbie_Power]

[J.A.R.S.]

Sorry bout the bow mistake. I was refering to war bows. In fact, hunting bows, just like any other weapon, were transfered from their work to war (see handaxe, and pole weapons such as spear for this matter)
English longbows that is, longranged weaponry made to counter siege equipements and advancing infantry. Clearly deadly.

One wrong assumption of the ranged weaponry is that it hits all ennemies. It makes a lot of sense when it comes to a boomrang, I agree, but take a look at the elves in Lufia I. Their bows attack all enemies. Now, not only is that illogical, but it should be the whole opposite. They are slow to reload, and focussed weaponry without an area of effect. A fireball COULD attack all units by impact, an arrow? not so sure, even if they lineup and u manage to piece their ranks... very very sad. The thing is its hard to define ranged weaponry in a regular battle system. In Mystic Quest, the bow (using arrows, up to 99 of them) and the shuriken just trully bypass this issue. They behave like normal weapons with a supply they can run out on...

I have no personnal good idea on how to make a bow work differently than a sword in a regular battle system

[Me]

I've always thought using the MP stat for arrows would work well. I've never really liked the idea that you could always cast a spell at full strength until you ran out of MP, so I'd use some other stat for magic power and decrease it randomly or with every cast. Of course, the default attack command is usable (in the OHR) regardless of how much MP/gold it costs, which means standard bow attacks would have infinite ammo. That is, unless you allowed for melee combat, but made it far less desirable - say, added a health cost or endurance cost to simulate the damage/fatigue you take when engaging in close combat.

If I was making a game like this, I'd likely stay away from standard "monster" enemies and pit the player against the armies of rival nations and the like. Makes for cool storylines anyway.
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UP DOWN UP DOWN LEFT LEFT RIGHT RIGHT A B START

[J.A.R.S.]

My last canceled OHR project used a custom battle system much like Bahamut Lagoon (or FF tactics for that matter). Archery had a predominent place in it, although I had obviously not finished implementing it. It is just way easier to implement a decent concept on archery once you accept to kick the default battle system... As much as its a neat one, that battle system is very hard to script in, and some stuff is just impossible. But your take on melee fatigue is one way of looking at it. Self-damaging, this is quite an idea indeed.
This said however, the bow serves a nice role in the lore of RPGs, but it is no "sword". I don't know of a main hero using a bow as a matter of fact.
The main hero almost always CAN or MUST use a sword, a role that seems very locked. Whereas Ayla deals more damage than Chrono with her fist, it is still Chrono that is (was) the main hero (for the most part). It is like the sword is the preferenced weapon for a party leader...

[Camdog]

[Newbie_Power]

I don't know about their self defense mechanisms (I was always under the impression that trees and terrain made pretty good "walls"), but bows WERE used for hunting until they had to defend themselves from invaders.

[J.A.R.S.]

Defend? now you'd be wrong. It was used offensively in Europe much before people considered it a defensive weapon... of course, it depends in whose eyes you stand...
And Camdog, there is a difference between walls and fortifications. Archeology teaches us that the walls erected by such civilization in early times (before using the bow and opaline axe as weapons) were simply walls against wind and sun, and not to repel invasions. Of course, if you take a closer look at the Aztec, it was pretty early in their history that this switch occured, though, for the Maian, archeologist are not even sure they ever considered defending themselves at all...

[Rinku]

I don't mean house walls, I mean city walls. Obviously it's easy to build a wall out of leather or even wood, but building a wall out of brick or stone was utterly beyond the technology of most Native American tribes. The Aztecs and such could do it of course, but they weren't really a tribe, but a civilization.
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Tower Defense Game

[Newbie_Power]

[J.A.R.S.]

yup, and they didnt use the bow for hunting well they were actually hunting for men to sacrifice to quetzatcuolt I believe, but don't quote me, I'm not an expert of the Aztecs per se.