One-on-one battles Options

[CWCprime]

What do you think of one-on-one battles in certain situations in turn-based RPGs? I usually get the feeling that they are taboo, since there is a severe lack of options, and battles are hindered as a result. Obviously, if the whole game is one-on-one, it isn't going to be very good, but for certain situations, do you think one-on-one battles are justified if they're under the right context? For example, in a game story I have, the final battle is one-on-one. In a lot of stories (like in film, not just games), a one-on-one final battle is the only way to go. Think about the final battle in Return of the Jedi.

[Show/Hide] ROTJ Spoilers

Would it have been the same if Han Solo or Lando had been by Luke's side fighting Darth Vader? Of course it wouldn't, it would downplay the significance of Luke's lone triumph over Vader, his triumph over the dark side of the Force.

So it ultimately comes down to sacrificing game design for better story telling. How should one-on-one turn-based RPGs battles be balanced? Are there any examples? Thoughts?

This post has been edited by CWCprime: Feb 16 2012, 09:26 PM

[PalX]

Ultimately you're gonna want to make this match memorable; you want to milk the fact that its a rare fight, perhaps the only fight like this in the game, by making it a little tougher, but don't just give 'em good stats and a boatload of HP.

I wanted to make special emphasis on this part of Kaust's post, especially because you're doing a one-on-one final battle. Final battles must be memorable since they leave an impact on the player. It's the last impression they get from your game, you MUST make it memorable.

Give your character a special skill or make the final battle require the use of strategies different to all the other bosses, and most of all make it VERY important to the story.

Just to cite an example, MOTHER 3 used a one-on-one battle as the final battle and with a very good reason considering who the final boss is.