History Main / CommonTacticalGameplayElements

* '''Attack Range'''. Different weapons have different [[ArbitraryMinimumRange minimum]], [[ArbitraryMaximumRange maximum]], and effective attack ranges. This concerns both ranged weapons (e.g. pistols vs. sniper rifles) and melee (e.g. daggers vs. polearms).

!!Necessary premise:

Compare RPGElements and StandardStatusEffects. Compare/contrast VideoGameTacticalIndex, which is about winning tactics invented by the players rather than the gameplay rules forcing them to.

* '''[[TakeCover Taking Cover]]'''. A combatant positions a solid object between himself and ranged attackers to minimize damage taken. Said cover can range from large pieces of the environment (hills, walls, crates, etc.), through [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe mobile shields]] (e.g. ballistic riot shields), to {{Human Shield}}s. The quality of cover often determines the amount of protection it provides.

* '''[[GeoEffects Movement Modifiers]]'''. The movement speed of a combatant depends on the terrain he moves across, e.g. going down a slope is faster than climbing it, flatland is always easier to travel than hills, etc. Different units have different modifiers: cavalry or wheeled vehicles are slowed more than infantry in forests for example, and airborne troops can move over terrain that is impassible to ground troops.
* '''[[GeoEffects High Ground]]'''. If a combatant is positioned above his target, the accuracy, range, and damage of his attacks increase. By the same logic, a physically larger or mounted attacker may also have an advantage over a smaller target in melee.

* '''Movement Speed'''. Different combatants can traverse different distances within the same time span on the same terrain, e.g. cavalry moving much faster than footmen. Movement speed and general maneuverability can be increased with [[SprintShoes special items]] or abilities.
* '''Sprint'''. A combatant can move faster than normal for a short time but cannot attack during (and possibly right after) the sprint. His maximum movement speed may be [[SprintMeter temporarily reduced afterwards]], too. Certain abilities can increase the sprint speed or duration, up to unlimited sprint.

* '''[[TheLeader Leader Unit]]'''. A combatant specializing in [[FrontlineGeneral frontline command]] boosts the efficiency and morale of all friendly combatants within limited range. His death, however, can have [[DecapitatedArmy dire consequences]], up to and including [[HeroMustSurvive instant mission failure]].

* '''Flanking'''. By attacking an enemy from his side or [[BackStab even from the back]], a combatant can ignore his cover and generally has better chances of dealing damage. Alternatively, a unit's armor may be concentrated on one side, so it's much easier to pierce it from the other.

* '''{{Friendly Fire|Index}}'''. Friendly combatants are just as vulnerable to SplashDamage and attacks by panicking teammates as the enemy. Attacking and missing an enemy risks wounding a friendly combatant standing near him.

* '''[[IGotYouCovered Covering]]/[[PinnedDown Suppressing Fire]]'''. A ranged combatant aids his ally's advancement either by taking a free reaction shot at any enemy who tries to hinder it, or by preemptively firing at the known enemy position to [[PinnedDown pin them down]].
* '''Aimed Attack''' a.k.a. '''Called Shot'''. Instead of dealing normal damage, a combatant can attempt to [[BlastingItOutOfTheirHands disarm an enemy]], hit his vital areas (such as [[BoomHeadshot his head]]) for massive damage, etc. at the cost of a lower success chance or a longer aiming time.

* '''Blind Firing'''. The ranged combatant can bombard an area outside of his effective aiming range (or covered by smoke or the FogOfWar) but within his firing range, giving him a (small) chance to hit an enemy in that area.
* '''{{Target Spott|er}}ing'''. A ranged combatant has a much longer firing range than his viewing range and can attack enemies currently seen by his allies ("spotters") even when he cannot see them himself.

* '''[[CombinationAttack Pincer Attack]]'''. An extension of the Flanking rule, melee combatants have much better chances of damaging an enemy when attacking him simultaneously from opposite sides.
* '''Crowd Control'''. A melee combatant has means of preventing enemies from moving past him or out of his melee range, such as a free attack against any enemy attempting it, a sweeping attack that pushes back anyone in range, or just cooking them with fire/microwaves/phlebotinum/whatever.
* '''Defensive Stance'''. A combatant sacrifices some of his offense to temporarily boost his defensive stats (especially against ranged attacks).
* '''Guard'''. Similar to Defensive Stance, but the combatant instead defends an adjacent ally (who may be incapacitated, busy, or otherwise unable to defend himself), potentially even TakingTheBullet for him.

* '''Concealment'''. Similar to Taking Cover rules, Concealment allows a combatant to get close to an enemy without alerting him to his presence, allowing for an easier takedown or targeting. Usually requires exploiting the terrain or a [[InvisibilityCloak special ability]], but can be countered by special detector abilities or items.
* '''Smoke Screen'''. A combatant deploys a smoke screen over a small area around himself or his allies to make them temporarily harder to hit or even to prevent the enemy from targeting them altogether (unless countered by thermal vision or equivalent). Combatants covered by smoke can usually aim at the enemies outside of it without penalty.
* '''{{Grappling Hook|Pistol}}''', '''JetPack''', etc. Any ability or tool that allows a combatant to move vertically, giving him access to elevated positions that might not have been reachable otherwise.

* '''Context Action'''. At predetermined points, a combatant can perform a context-sensitive action (heal an ally, resupply ammo, pick a lock, disarm a bomb, hack a computer, etc.), leaving himself exposed to enemy fire.

* '''Equality Before the Rules'''. Both the players and their AI opponents play by the same rules (i.e. MyRulesAreNotYourRules and TheComputerIsACheatingBastard are ''not'' in effect).

* '''{{Friendly Fire|Index}}'''. Friendly combatants are just as vulnerable to SplashDamage and attacks by panicking teammates as the enemy. Attacking and missing an enemy risks [[StrayShotsStrikeNothing wounding a friendly combatant]] standing near him.

!!Added spice:

* '''Competing Objectives'''. Good tactical games give players additional mission-specific objectives or sidequests that run contrary to the main goal (defeating all enemies), such as taking captives, avoiding collateral damage, snatching up volatile resources, maintaining long-term morale, etc.

* '''[[CompetitiveBalance Unit Specialization]]'''. Combatants with different training shine in some situations but are at a severe disadvantage in others, enforcing close cooperation within the team, e.g. a sharpshooter and a frontline fighter having fundamentally different training. Specialized combatants may have access to unique [[SpecialAttack special moves]].

* '''[[GeoEffects Movement Modifiers]]'''. The movement speed of a combatant depends on the terrain he moves across, e.g. going down a slope is faster than climbing it, flatland is always easier to travel than hills, etc. Different units have different modifiers: Cavalry or wheeled vehicles are slowed more than infantry in forests for example, and airborne troops can move over terrain that is impassible to ground troops.

* '''[[GeoEffects Movement Modifiers]]'''. The movement speed of a combatant depends on the terrain he moves across, e.g. going down a slope is faster than climbing it, flatland is always easier to travel than hills, etc.

* '''Aimed Attack''' a.k.a. '''Called Shot'''. Instead of dealing normal damage, a combatant can attempt to [[BlastingItOutOfTheirHands disarm an enemy]], [[BoomHeadshot hit his vital areas]] (such as his head) for massive damage, etc. at the cost of a lower success chance or a longer aiming time.

* '''Knockdown[=/=]KnockBack'''. A combatant knocks an enemy onto the ground, rendering them helpless for some time. Alternatively, the enemy is pushed away, either to dislodge them from cover, to stagger them, or simply to put some distance between them and the attacker.