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Forum » Turn-based, Simultaneous Execution - Theorycrafting

Turn-based, Simultaneous Execution - Theorycrafting

Narvius 10 years ago
So, a hypothetical turn-based, hex-based strategy game, with orders given by all sides, then simultaneously executed. The current concept is that each turn is divided into ten (or any other arbitrary number, really) of ticks. Each action a unit can perform takes some amount of ticks to perform, which includes movement.

Now, say, two units attempt to move onto the same field in the same tick. What happens? Random decision (or equivalently, decided by implementation details), neither gets to move, some other option?

If the second one, how to neatly summarize that behavior algorithmically?

Now, say, there were actions that can push away other units. Two units simultaneously attack a third one, but one does so with a pushback attack. Do both attacks hit? What if, technically, the pushback attack occurs first?

My current idea is to resolve all spatial changes (movement, pushback, pulls, and so on) seperately from non-movement (aka damage, mostly); meaning the "move" method available to action effects would really just enqueue a move action that would then be resolved between ticks.

Considering I want to maintain the constraint of no physical movement faster than 1 field per tick (that's still a maximum of 10 [/other arbitrary number] per turn), this raises another issue: What if the aforementioned two attackers both pushback?

Side-stepping this issue entirely would be introducing an always-resolving order of unit action resolution - but that feels kinda arbitrary (a "Speed" stat on units won't cut it, since I can't guarantee it will differ between untis). I may have to fall back on that, anyways. Though it might be excusable if it was a sensible order that is officially recognized as part of the ruleset.

So, yeah. Some input, please.

Edited 10 years ago
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MageKing17 10 years ago
Most 4X games I've played that allow for simultaneous turns only have it for the "strategic" map, not the tactical map... probably because they couldn't come up with good answers to these questions.

I guess all I can say is, "Good luck."
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Amarth 10 years ago
You might want to look up the rules to Diplomacy, the board game. This is its main mechanic. In short, people spend 30 minutes making careful plans, someone writes down a wrong order (but was it REALLY an accident?) and everything goes haywire because a certain unit cannot move because another unit tries to move to the same territory and it creates a standoff so the supply order doesn't make sense etc etc.

Or even better, a unit accidentally DOES move and promptly gets killed by one of its allies.

Note that the game only has 4 kinds of orders IIRC (hold, move, support and transport) and the rules are multiple pages of trying to resolve every combination.
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Narvius 10 years ago
Well, given that I want to have a smaller-scale planning ahead factor of exactly that nature (with friendly fire and all), I'll do movement cancellation coupled with that delayed movement I described in the OP. I'll implement stuff first, and then experiment with various ways attacks can interact or not.
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Forum » Turn-based, Simultaneous Execution - Theorycrafting

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