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 Trey Walker
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Why I Like Turns

Most strategy games fall into one of two categories: real-time or turn-based. In this week's column, I've compiled a list of the reasons I like turn-based strategy games. Now before any real-time game fans object and write me angry letters, let me say that I like real-time strategy games as well, but they seem to be multiplying like rabbits, while turn-based strategy games--with a few notable exceptions--seem to be declining in popularity. I feel the need to promote turn-based games to maintain the PC game diversity many of us enjoy.

I: Turns are more relaxing. I enjoy action games for their excitement and adrenaline, but when I play strategy and role-playing games I'm usually looking for a way to unwind. Turn-based games let you ruminate over your decisions to your heart's content. Life is filled with too many split-second decisions--whether to run that yellow light, whether to run back inside the house when you hear the phone ring as you're on your way out, which fork you're supposed to use at a fancy restaurant--so games should let your brain relax and take its time with its work. Turns, as long as there aren't time limits, give you the freedom to think as much as you like before giving your final answer.

screenshot
Real-time games can be nerve-racking.
II: Turns are more strategic. When you think of traditional strategy games, you think of chess, checkers, go, and other turn-based games. Sports, on the other hand, conjure up images of soccer, basketball, and hockey--all real-time games. Admittedly, baseball and football definitely have some turn-based elements in them, and those sports in turn rely more heavily on strategy than other sports. Having the luxury of time to regroup and consider not only your next move but also future moves lets you lay traps for your opponents. Many real-time games, on the other hand, rely as much on your clicking speed as on your ability to form strategic plans. Some real-time games, such as Europa Universalis, have adjustable rates of time to let you speed up and slow down the game as you wish, which cuts down on the sense that you could form a better attack if you just had a little more time to think. On the other hand, some turn-based games have taken to setting a time limit, which is an acceptable solution for multiplayer games but is somewhat counterproductive in my view for single-player turn-based games.

III: Turns are more addictive. One of my favorite games of all time is Civilization II, a turn-based strategy game that basically lets you begin with an infant civilization and try to take over the world. There are other ways to win, but I have to admit I don't often do anything other than try to conquer the world. One of the main reasons I like this game so much is that it makes great use of its combination of turn-based play and strategic depth. I've talked before about the "just one more turn" effect, but in essence the game lets you set up such complicated plans with so many different units and production queues that you become afraid you will forget a critical element in your plan if you save the game and come back later, so instead you keep playing for another couple of turns until your plans come to fruition. Of course, by the time those plans are complete, you will have formulated some other brilliant maneuver and must then see that plan through to its completion. Before you know it, it's morning again, and you haven't eaten dinner. (Note: This may happen only to me, but I have a strong feeling that it's happened to other people, too.) I've never experienced quite the same level of addiction from a real-time game, although I suppose it could happen.

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With so many things going on, who has time to sleep?
IV: Turns are more elegant. The freedom to think about each turn carefully makes it more likely that each element in the game will be used to its full capability, and the overall result will be more orderly, and therefore more elegant, than the chaotic battles that often happen in real-time games. Like a mathematical problem, a turn-based game might not be exhilarating to watch, but occasionally the elements come together in a way that is elegant. Sometimes strategy can be like poetry or classical music. It's true that very skilled real-time strategy players can be elegant in the way they play, in much the same way skilled basketball players are beautiful to watch, but turn-based games, by not having the luxury of relying on constant motion and animation, tend toward a logical elegance that is less apparent in real-time strategy games. Part of the reason for this is that real-time games often rely heavily on artificial intelligence for individual unit control, since in real time it is impossible to control every move of every unit. In many turn-based games, you have the luxury of being able to tell every unit exactly what to do, every turn. You don't need to share your control with the computer. Plus, how do you know the computer is truly impartial? Maybe Mr. Computer is controlling your villagers slightly differently than he is controlling his own villagers. I would if I were him. This leads me to my next point.

 
 Which do you prefer?

Turn-based games
Real-time games

 
V: Turns are more fair. Games that use turns are inherently more fair than those that run in real time. In online multiplayer matches, real-time games are affected by differences in players' connection speeds, while turn-based Internet games or play-by-email games level the playing field between players with different connections. Similarly, turn-based games against computer-controlled opponents are more fair since the computer is constrained by the same rules as the player. In a real-time game, who knows what's going on? The computer has complete control over its units as well as partial control over your units. You have to trust that the computer isn't pulling a fast one, while in turn-based games it is easier for you to see when a computer cheats. (Note: I have yet to see a computer cheat in a turn-based game, but that might be because it knows it'll get caught.)

While the above reasons apply primarily to strategy games, they may also apply to other types of turn-based and real-time games. Very few action games are turn-based, since they tend to focus more on action, but there are a number of role-playing games and other types of games that use turns. If I've convinced anyone out there reading this to try a turn-based strategy game for the first time, I recommend Civilization II, Age of Wonders, and Disciples: Sacred Lands.

On the other hand, if I've convinced any of you out there that you need to send me your thoughts on why turn-based games should go away and why real-time games are better, you can write me here.
 

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