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.

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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

[Shaddow]

I see a lot of reference to final fantasy games here, and one thing I'm shocked to not see is references to Suikoden. They do all sorts of battle, minor strategy army fights, six on six rpg battles and one on one duels. It works well as your stats matter, but so does important strategy, you have three moves, an attack, a heavy attack and a defense, it works as rock paper scissors. Attacks do damage but only a minor amount to those who defend, and do good damage to someone who is also attacking. Heavy attacks deal a heavy blow to normal attacks and also prevent them from hitting, while defense actually counters heavy hits.

Now they use these constantly in the game to do epicness, but one of the most epic moments is with Luca Blight in suikoden II, it's not even the last fight, but he's such a bad-ass that you must beat his army in a war match, then it takes not just one group to beat him, but three groups of six, then after that you must do a one on one duel with him and your hero, and he's down to a quarter life, if you screw up you can still lose. They make it even more epic by him surviving, hurt, and being taken down by a bunch of arrows. So one on one fights, if done correctly, can be some of the most epic story telling out there.