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

[Sparrowsmith]

I guess one-on-one battles have a lot to do with the size of the party. Everyone in the party should do something significant, but if the story is told better by investing in a few one-on-one battles that could work to.

I imagine this would work better if, throughout the game, there were several one on one battles. You could even add tactics to it. Maybe before each 'major' battle, you split the cast up through choices.
Example:

"Four of them, three of us. It's your call [x]"
-"You guys take it easy, I've got the two on the left."
-"[y], you've got two knives, right?"
-"Think you can handle two. [z]?"
-"We stand together"
Then you play each of the battles, depending on what you chose.

Then the final battle would divide itself up by emotional investment. X takes on their long term rival. Y holds off the guards (who used to be his friends or something). Z has to last as long as possible against a near impossible bad guy.

So yeah. 1 on 1 really depends on patterning and story.