[b]How enemies help keep turn based combat fun [/b] I thought I would describe how enemies in my game work and how it helps keep combat interesting and challenging. Some of it is basic stuff but there are a few spins on it. I'll be using goblins as an example (everyone loves goblins right?). Here's a pic of some of them. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/ed4d40186962fbde6d382021f653cb814b221ecb.gif[/img] [b]Variety[/b] There are a lot of different varieties of enemies. Using my goblin example, you have your basic kinds, spearmen, archers etc: and some like the 'mounted' goblin with a few extra tricks. Some of the more advanced units get really bonkers. There's a lot of inspiration from the movie Labyrinth with goblins in the game being crafty, inventive and varied. The goblin 'flinger' can reach into his bag and throw a variety of objects from poisonous mushrooms to spikey balls to starving rats, you never know what might come flying at you. The goblins alone have almost 20 varieties. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/e67ea6d638a345033038b8fb22351941001f09ca.gif[/img] [b] Even more variety[/b] Throughout the game there are also rare and very rare enemies for most enemy groups. These are named, much stronger enemies with more experience, loot and sometimes even bounties to collect in town. You might get hints about their locations or bounty board requests and it can be fun hunting all of them down, especially as some have unique and powerful items. It really helps shake things up as you make your way through dungeons and seeing some of these stronger enemies appear. Like "Grizzik Beetlebinder" here. He is a rare type of goblin that has a variety of buffs for any giant insects around him and can make them truly terrifying. So players will want to prioritise taking him out as soon as possible. However while adjacent to insect he will gain a huge damage reduction as damage is redirected to the protecting creature. Do you just try and focus on him anyway? Or take out all adjacent creatures first? It also becomes a lot harder if the random buff that he gives out was some sort of extra armour or magic resistance buff on the unit protecting him. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/ff15f26d7bda7978722ee6167348580eb2290050.gif[/img] [b]Keeping enemies relevant[/b] Ok, 20 different goblins, plus all these rarer types, but who cares if you're overpowering these encounters after the first few hours and never come back to them again? That's where the horde system comes in. As you get to more difficult areas, enemies will start appearing in groups rather than as a single enemy. Rather than waiting for 20 enemy individual turns, each 'group' is represented as a single sprite. These new 'horde' enemies do more damage, have more health and also more abilities. Suddenly goblins are way more of a threat when they're in stacks of 3, or even more. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44820455/56c3b4db3dae8ec80f9cc87c80245cbcd1835f2e.gif[/img] This adds an extra layer of strategy and planning which abilities you want to use for your characters. Some characters can specialise in taking down these hordes with area attacks or cleaving attacks that do extra damage. Or certain abilities like block might not be as effective as there is a block penalty on horde attacks but tanky characters with higher health might do better. at absorbing the high amounts of raw damage. If you have any ideas on what else you think would make enemies more interesting or what you don't like about enemies in turn based games I'd love to hear it.