Combat UI

[red-leader]

• Battle menu (Pokemon style)
• Items, Base atk, Skills/abilities (Mana), Run (from bosses???), Other actions?
• Representation of enemy on right
• Show party on left
• Reaction options??
• Does it take over the dungeon map? If so, how do we keep it from being jarring?

[EthanRutherford]

General layout of battle menu

[         attack          ]
[ skills][ items ][actions]

Skills menu (list)

___________________________
| skill 1       mana cost |
| description             |
___________________________
| skill 2       mana cost |
| description             |
___________________________

Items menu (grid)

[ item1 ][ item2 ][ item3 ]
[ item4 ][ item5 ][ item6 ]
[ item7 ][ item8 ][ item9 ]

Actions (Tactics?)

[   defend   ][    pass   ]
[   charge   ][    run    ]

defend blocks a significant portion of the damage taken on the next turn. pass allows you to pass your turn off to another character, giving them another turn this round. charge spends the turn gaining back mana, between 2-4 times the normal amount recharged per turn. run gives a chance to escape a fight, following a microgame (most likely involving rapid clicking)

There will also be some kind of "stale" mechanic, where defending or passing too often is not allowed (maybe also for chargeing, but since that one leaves you more open it may be less abusable). Will likely be implemented as a failure chance that increases when used multiple times in a row, and will print [action] failed! then grey out the action for a turn on a failure, allowing the player to choose something else. Alternatively, if we wanted to be a little more cruel, we could forfeit the character's turn on a failed action, but that may be too mean. Either way, it will need to be balanced well enough to discourage abuse while still being a useful tactical option.

(all names up for bikeshedding)

[EthanRutherford]

Additional notes:

• enemies will have a (typically very low) chance of choosing to run away.
  • will have some sort of random chance for success or failure
  • this will not give players any exp or loot for that enemy
• AI controlled party members, if implemented, will never choose to run
• Running from Bosses will not be allowed
  • button will simply be disabled
• Might be fun to add other microgames for different actions or skills.
  • timing?
  • aiming?
  • spam-clicking?
  • key-press sequence?
  • probably ought to wait for a v2 kind of thing.

[red-leader]

Screen sketches (see file titles for labels)