Hello Factpilers old and new,
I am currently putting together a role-playing game system, to be played like D&D (the imagine it in your mind, GM'd version), without using the very clunky, user unfriendly D&D system itself.
I have pretty much everything that needs doing done by this point, I just have several approaches for the general combat mechanics and am not sure which system is best. Which consequently, is why I need YOU, if you have the time of course, to offer opinions and insights onto the two approaches I have below, or suggestions for any improvements I could add or use instead.
The game itself is set in a cyber punk world, so firearms will need to be taken into account and will feature heavily, but as this is of course taking place in a dense urban setting, mêlée combat still needs to be relevant (but I'm happy for it to be difficult to be successful with).
The problem I am running into, is as this will obviously need to be a turn based system, which is better at being fair while remaining fluid and FUN:
1) a turn based system, akin to XCom or Jagged Alliance (even Chess to an extent). In other words, Player 1 moves and fires etc, then Player 2 moves and fires etc. NOTE with this system I have a flexible Initiative system in place that allows players to challenge who goes first every other round (ie every 2nd turn players can challenge who goes first, with certain stats impacting this roll-off)
or
2) a simultaneous system akin to Frozen Synapse, where both players decide their turns then are resolved at the same time.
NOTE:
This game is complex as it is now, so it is important for me to try to find a system that is simple to moderately complex, and most importantly fairly balanced - ie trying to avoid the first turn bias - as this would upset the player who loses out, and is fundamentally hard to be immersed in, because who the hell stands inactive while a dangerous opponent you are trying to kill steps out of cover and shoots you? No-one, so why should a player be forced into that situation?
But, while simultaneous turn based systems negate this problem, they do still occasionally result in weird and logically improbably mistakes, on top of this they tend to boil the game-play down to binary tactical choices, which will get boring quickly.
So Factpilers, I am requesting your insight, experience and suggestions; you will find them welcome here.
Systems stolen or influenced by video games or even board games are welcome, as are the expected roleplaying systems such as D&D.
And before someone mentions it, I have tried GURPS, which was interesting, but still too clunky and well, too much like D&D for what I am trying to achieve with my game.
Thank you for reading.
TheOnlySolitaire