What's the definition of strategy?
Strategy - The science and art of conducting a military campaign by the combination and employment of means on a broad scale for gaining advantage in war: generalship.
Now in this particular definition it seems to be pointing out that strategic combat is based on the clashing of armies, but that's actually a limited view point of it. What it's really saying is that strategy is the judicious applicatoin of a LARGE NUMBER of techniques and methods in such a way as to gain advantage.
A slug fest doesn't qualify. UO is an example of basically a slug fest. There are few, if any, opportunities to face an opponent on a level playing field (equivalent stats, equivalent weapons) and then to let the DECISIONS that you make during combat to employ this tool or that determine the winner.
Instead, UO combat is about getting a good bow, and having lots of heal potions. You don't make decisions, you just attack. Now some people will say that there ARE decisions to be made, and I'll admit there are some... just not enough to make it interesting. On top of that, lag is so prevalent and computer speed so important, that often THAT is what decides battles.
In UO the only remotely plausible opportunity to use strategy is by making fighting units in which you specialize roles and then work together to fight.
The main requirement for strategic combat is that you must have a good number of options to decide among. And that there be multiple paths to the end (as in the fight does not become an endless repetition of the same moves done by each side).
When you program a turn-based combat system you are FORCED to consider the strategic side more, because there's just less opportunity for someone to spasm out, or make bone head moves. Instead, two reasonably intelligent people make the reasonably intelligent moves. If your combat system has no depth, then like tic-tac-toe, the options will run out quickly. If it has depth, then like chess, people will truly be able to compete and learn and think.
OK, so having discussed the basic definition of strategic play, let's talk about what the major variables are that you must be able to manipulate. Below is a list of the dimensions of combat. In other words, these are the things that you can control in combat to give you advantage or disadvantage.
These are elemental points. In other words a +3 sword isn't a factor, it's an item that lets you manipulate damage. These aren't necessarily things that the player himself can manipulate directly. They may just be things that the programmer decides on. And, often the use of these points can be combined. I'll try and give more examples later so these make sense. Anyway, this is a little abstract, but if you get it, then here they are:
1. Range - This is how far players and objects are from each other. If you define the rules such that range matters, then manipulation of it is important. I decide to move closer or farther depending on what I want to be able to do, and what I want YOU to be able to do.
2. Movement - This is options you have in moving. Having factors that let you effect when, where and how either you or your opponent moves are important. E.g. I cast hold monster on you, and boom you can't move. Or I cast "fly" on myself, and boom, I have an extra option to fly over your head.
3. Damage - This is the ability to cause damage to an opponent or yourself, and/or heal it.
4. Durations - This is the manipulation of how long things last, and having to understand it and track it. Like the duration of a globe spell.
5. NPCs - These are non-player characters that operate according to certain rules within combat. Have them as an element that players can manipulate by intentionally causing them to change focus and attack the other person.
6. Counters - This refers to the fact that every or at least most moves in combat must have an anti-move. In other words, if I cast "slow" on you to slow down your movement, it should always be a POTENTIALLY available option to choose to "haste" yourself and thus counter it.
7. Position - This refers to concious manipulation of you position in relation to the other elements. In other words, you must be able to decide the most advantageous spot to be in given the rules of the game. On a hill if that's an advantage, close to NPCs to attract them, far from the opponent to confuse him, etc. etc.
8. Environment - Are there walls that you can't walk through? Doors you can close? Tables you can stand on?
9. Speed - How fast can you move?
10. Visibility - Can you see your opponent? Can he see you? Can you see the NPCs? This could be based on range (fog of war) or actions ( I cast invis on myself) or whatever. It's just another factor to be manipulated.
11. Luck - This is the easy one. Some things should be based on random rolls, but luck should not be strongly decisive in any combat.
12. Prep - The intelligent preparation of spells, resources, or whatever should figure into combat before it starts.
13. Communication - How well can you talk to team mates to organize a plan of attack during combat? Can the opponent disrupt your communication? Obviously the ultimate would to be all in the same room with computers next to each other for your team. Games like Fireteam try to deal with this.
14. Initiative / Timing - Deciding who goes first, and when to do certain things. E.g. going in first to get to move to a prime spot first, but thus being exposed to NPCs first.
All of these elements should interact with each other, and be manipulated by the player. The more of these that the player can choose to control, the more strategic options the player will have. The more options they have, the more intelligent thought and skill and knowledge pay off.
Now for any of this to be effective, there are two major principles that they must exist within:
The Level Playing Field - for players to truly compete, they must be able to obtain roughly equivalent levels of resources. They may be dumb and choose to bring some of the wrong resources, or not enough (duh, I didn't know I should bring heal potions). BUT they must have them easily accessible so that the battle can be decided by wits, not by "I got lucky and found a +200 sword. I win."
Combat Resource Limitations - Each player needs to have a certain % of the combat resources. Too much and the fight either never ends, or ends immediately. E.g. if you have a game of chess on a unlimited-size chess board, it may never end. The king could run forever. On the other hand, if you had it on a board with only one more square than pieces, it also would be bad. There's a balance of resources that each player must have access to. Not too much mana to cast spells. That would make them use their most effective and expensive spell over and over again. Not too little mana, that would make them constantly use the same low-cost efficient spell over and over again. Etc.
There's really a TON more I should think about and write about here, but that's enough for now.
Feel free to add to it.
Hedron
The False Prophet
www.kaaos.com