Gameplay Style
Single Squad Tactics Battle
Comparable Gameplay: Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Shining Force, Triangle Strategy.
Distinguishing Features: ‘Standard’ scale lens, approximately one squad vs one squad. Individual unit’s identity expressed via their team role.
Style Highlights
Players Supported: Typically 1. Can support 2 co-op through joint decisions or splitting forces. Can support 2 PvP or GM-ed.
Estimated Play Time. 45-90 minutes for experienced players.
Force Size: ~6-9 units
Unit Action Complexity: Low to Mid
Lethality: Variable
Lens: Standard
Subject: Parts of a team, units in relationship to each other and their opponents. The local world-environment, especially as it relates to risky or opportune movement and positioning options.
Fun & Identity Focuses
Unit identity is expressed more strongly through unit’s distinctive tactics utility and how it contributes to the team. Unit identity can take form of harder counters supporting matchup challenges, and/or maneuverability utility differences.
Fun focuses more on superior map manuver, sequencing, position, and matchup skills.
In this style, a one-man-team character or several overly strong all-rounder can diminish the fun challenge of harmonizing team-mates strengths & weakness.
Additional Flavors
Self-sufficient. Tactics maps can be fun challenges in isolation — compared to other styles, they do not necessarily benefit as greatly from added sources of fun.
Progression. Tactics maps are source for Ability Up an Equipment Up resources, with character build exploration and expression a key additional source of fun in a campaign.
Linked Fun. Many tactics games support additional varieties of fun through how they link tactics encounter gameplay to subsequent tactics encounter gameplay.
Link tactics map encounters so to support fun of World Exploration.
Link tactics map encounters so to support Narrative Progress and character development, with story told a key additional source of fun.
Demo Scenario Setup
Goal. Defeat the enemy leader.
Turns. Unlimited.
Enemy AI. As unit cards.
Map Features
Buildings are impassible.
Stone Fences provide hard cover and are +1 move cost to pass through.
Player Units: Two Dual Mace Dverg, Two Longspear Necrotic, Two Dual Axe Gobold, and One Shortbow Human.
Opposition Units: Three Dual Mace Dverg, Two Longspear Necrotic, Two Dual Axe Gobold, and One Shortbow Human.
Weapon Cards: Use Burst Style Weapon Cards.
Playtest Feedback
Q. How similar is the demo’s gameplay to comparable games?
Q. What adjustments would make the gameplay better?
Key Parameters
(lower/higher/about right)
Lethality: How quickly units are KO’d.
Action Complexity: How many choices per unit, how long force play decision making takes.
Force Size: Total number of units.
Play Length: How long should it take to play out a tactical battle. (‘Too long, too short.’)
Challenge: How difficult the tactical battle should feel. (‘Too hard, too easy’.)
Unit Expendability: How concerned with losing units should players be. (‘Feels too punishing to lose, feels too expendable.’)
Map Design: How fitting map design is for gameplay mode.
Objective vs KO Focus: Which should genre’s gameplay emphasize more?
Thank you for your response. ✨
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Disclaimer: The product names and trademarks of other tactics games and RPG systems are mentioned on this website for sole purposes of comparison, critique, review or education. Radiant Tactics does not claim compatibility with any mentioned system, nor are any claims of ownership advanced.
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