Some RPGs have physical techniques in addition to the regular attacks that (usually) all characters get.

In some cases, like Dragon Quest 6 and 7, said techniques might be a bit stronger than regular attacks, but not hugely so (DQ6 doesn't go past 2x normal attack damage), and often may have drawbacks. In particular, techniques don't get so strong that they make regular attacks pointless. You could also look at Phantasy Star 4, where skills like Crosscut are certainly stronger than a regular attack, but cost a resource and aren't overwhelmingly stronger.

In other cases, like SaGa Frontier and many other SaGa games, techniques are powerful enough that you aren't going to be using regular attacks much simply because they don't do decent damage. At a certain point, you're using just techniques and spells, and aren't using the regular attack command any more.

There's also an in-between case like Chrono Trigger, where techniques can be decently powerful (I seem to remember seeing something like 4x damage), but where one might still choose to use normal attacks to conserve resources in some cases.

(Of course, there's also games that don't even *have* regular attacks.)

So, how strong do you prefer physical techniques to be?

(Or do you prefer there to be no physical techniques, and for there to be only regular attacks and spells?)

Anyone?

With a gun, I'd use a double tap technique. With a knife, definitely under the armpit or in between the thights, near the groin. Between the neck and shoulder is tricky, but can be done.

As for magic, pick a card. Any card.

It`s more about balance than realism. Are physical techniques complimentary or alternative to other techniques? Can they receive buffs or can debuffs or status effects be used to increase their effectiveness? All this comes into question IMO.

+1

The suspension of disbelief is also correlated with how cool the character's actions are, so it can't be ignored completely, but realism helps sell the game.

Realism in a fantasy setting translates into how one would feel in said milieu, with whatever fantasy powers to use or combat.

spamm

^This.

It really depends on the game, but IMO special attacks shouldn't make normal attacks completely obsolete for most of the game. Maybe they help (complement) normal attacks applying status effects/debuffs on enemies (knockdown, break armour) or buffs to the character (cautious attack, half damage, but higher defence). Or they are only useful in certain circumstances (instant-kill, but only if the target has less than 20% health) or come with some downside (huge damage, but 1 turn wind-up phase where the character is more vulnerable).

I guess in endgame it's fine if fighter characters become so powerful and versatile that they rarely use "normal" attacks.

If a game really has attack skills that make the normal attack obsolete very quickly, it should have an option for the player to set the standard attack action for the characters. It's really annoying to always navigate 1-2 menus to choose the action that you always choose.

since you are talking about games, then it really do not matter if the attack (or special attack) is magical, physical, psionic or what-ever, it is the same thing, just a bit of different flavour text and differnet ways of character builds. All that matters is balancing, and that overall it fits the content and context of the game.

Start lifting. IRL. /thread