Turn-Based Combat

Turn-Based Combat

XCOM-style tactical combat for RimWorld. Toggle it on a drafted pawn. Recommended for smaller colonies.

How it works

• Approach freely. Arming turn-based mode does not freeze the map. Turns begin only when somebody actually engages, either because of proximity (configurable in the mod options) or because something or someone attacks.
• Initiative based on combat skill. Everyone - your pawns and theirs - sorts into one turn order based on the higher of their melee or ranged skill.
• Action points. Each pawn gets 8 AP per turn, and attack AP is based on weapon speed: warmup, cooldown, burst. Vanilla weapon balance carries over.
• Path costs previewed. Moving previews AP cost before you move, and the path turns yellow when you won't have enough AP left over to attack.
• The world keeps moving. At the end of each round, everything that is not fighting - fires, animals, undrafted pawns, fleeing enemies - gets its own phase, all at once. Turrets hold their fire during turns and act there too.
• XCOM-style pod moves. Enemies consecutive in turn order that are only moving during their turn take their turns together to speed up combat.

If you toggle turn-based combat off during the middle of a round, that will take effect at the end of the round. If you toggle it on mid-fight, recent real-time fighting (attacks and movement) costs AP off your first turn, and enemies act first for the opening round. Stagger reduces the AP available during your turn instead of slowing your movement speed. Each pawn can carry over up to 2 AP to their next turn.

Mod options

• Stealth (off by default): Enables a Sneak toggle for drafted pawns - sneaking pawns do not start fights by proximity, and notice range shrinks with gear, light, and terrain.
• Turn-based damage multiplier (1.0 by default): Scale damage for both sides while turn-based combat is active. Combat XP scales with it too.
• Engagement range (40 cells by default): Range at which turn-based fights begin, if an enemy has chosen one of your pawns as a target (they always begin once an attack is initiated, regardless of the range).
• Point-blank range (6 cells by default): Range at which turn-based fights begin, even if no enemy has noticed your pawns

Compatibility

• Safe to add or remove mid-game.
• Combat Extended compatible. Because CE has stricter rules for line-of-sight, you're informed when you can't attack and you won't be charged AP for it. The melee hit-chance preview is suppressed because CE resolves swings differently.
• Modded weapons work automatically: AP costs are derived from each weapon's own stats.
• Psycasts have AP costs: 6 AP for most abilities, and 2 AP for self buffs.

Credits

Icon art by Lorc (game-icons.net, CC BY 3.0). Built as the combat engine of The Shattered Crown, a medieval fantasy party-based RPG. Released as a standalone mod due to popular demand. Disclaimer: some AI was used during development. No gen-AI art/assets.