History Main / ThreeApproachSystem

* FighterMageThief: Three classic RPG archetypes focusing on strength, sorcery, and stealth respectively.

* FighterMageThief: Three classic RPG archetypes focusing on strength, sorcery, and finesse respectively.

** Autocracy enhances the strength of units and the amount of strategic resources, allowing to significantly reinforce the existing army, which can be used both for direct territorial conquests and for [[GunboatDiplomacy pressure on scattered city-states]] in order to achieve a Diplomatic Victory.

** Autocracy enhances the strength of units and the amount of strategic resources, allowing to significantly strengthen the existing army, which can be used both for direct territorial conquests and for [[GunboatDiplomacy pressure on scattered city-states]] in order to achieve a Diplomatic Victory.

** Order develops the individual characteristics of the civilization's cities, placing a particular emphasis on production, which will come in handy both to make spaceship components and to modernize the military and expand the empire's holdings.

** Freedom improves the performance of the empire's specialists along with the economic component and improvements built by Great People, which helps both in the course of the space race and in the [[TheAlliance consolidation of city-states across the globe]].
** Order develops the individual characteristics of the civilization's cities, placing a particular emphasis on production, which will come in handy both to make spaceship components and to modernize the military and expand the empire's holdings.

[[folder:4X]]
* The late game of any nation in ''VideoGame/CivilizationV'' is largely dictated by the chosen ideology, which increases the chances of achieving victory in any of the three "buffed" ways. [[note]] Bonuses for Cultural victory are present in all ideologies, but the other two types differ. [[/note]]
** Autocracy increases the strength of units and the amount of strategic resources, allowing to significantly strengthen the existing army, which can be used both for direct territorial conquests and for [[GunboatDiplomacy pressure on scattered city-states]] in order to achieve a Diplomatic victory.
** Freedom improves the performance of the empire's specialists, as well as the level of happiness and the economic component, which helps both in the course of the space race and in the [[TheAlliance consolidation of city-states around]].
** Order develops the individual characteristics of a civilization's cities, with particular emphasis on the production, that can be most effectively used both to make spaceship components and to modernize the military and expand the empire's holdings.

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[[AC:{{Fighting Game}}s]]

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[[AC:Rhythm Games]]

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* ''TabletopGame/LivingForest'' has three win conditions: extinguishing 12 fires, having 12 different protective trees, and having 12 sacred flowers at once.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Chrononauts}}'' has three ways to win: create a GoodEnoughTimeline and go home, collect the artifacts for your secret mission and get paid a ton of money, or build up your hand size to ten cards (generally from rewards from fixing temporal paradoxes or selling artifacts) and retire in comfort. Any given play may put you closer to one or more of these, or put your opponent further away from theirs (you hope), or it may be a neutral move in hopes that your opponent wastes a countermove on it.

* ''TabletopGame/Chrononauts'' has three ways to win: create a GoodEnoughTimeline and go home, collect the artifacts for your secret mission and get paid a ton of money, or build up your hand size to ten cards (generally from rewards from fixing temporal paradoxes or selling artifacts) and retire in comfort.

* In ''[[TabletopGame/SevenWonders 7 Wonders Duel]]'', there are three ways to win the game: having the most Victory Points once all three Ages are over, Military Supremacy and Scientific Supremacy. The latter two are [[InstantWinCondition Instant-Win Conditions]].

While this is a gameplay trope, sometimes the approach of a character will affect the story as well. This can range in minor ways, different aftermaths for one-off quests from different methods to outright StoryBranching, with each approach essentially having its own story path.

** Autocracy increases the strength of units and the amount of strategic resources, allowing to significantly strengthen the existing army, which can be used both for direct territorial conquest and for [[GunboatDiplomacy pressure on scattered city-states]] in order to achieve a Diplomatic victory.

When games want to give a different number of ways to play a game, [[RuleOfThree 3 seems to be a common number.]] This allows for a decent range of different gameplay styles while staying small in number.

Usually, players will be given a class or character who specialises in one approach. This can give replay value to single player games, as players can go for a different specialisation on different playthroughs, while multiplayer games benefit from having clearly defined roles, giving a clear idea what each player needs to do for their group. In more complex games, there may be a range of characters or classes who share one approach but handle them in different ways and/or are capable of dealing with more than one approach but not to the level of someone more specialised.

More rarely, a character may actually be capable of all three approaches with what style they go for up to the player. This is usually found in single player games where the player only controls one character, as there is less of a need for defined roles.

While this is a gameplay trope, sometimes the approach of a character will effect the story as well. This can range minor ways, different aftermaths for one off quests from different methods to outright StoryBranching, with each approach essentially having their own story path.

* BalanceSpeedStrengthTrio: A fast but weak character, a strong but slow character and an all-rounder.
* CombatDiplomacyStealth: Three paths commonly available in non-linear games, based on solving problems with either violence, words or sneaking around them.
* DamagerHealerTank: A trio mostly found in [=MMOs=] linked to damage (dealing it out, healing it and soaking it up)
* FighterMageThief: Three classic RPG archetypes focusing on strength, sorcery and finesse respectively.

** Scouts, Soldiers and Pyros are Offensive classes, being the main attack force of their teams.

** Milla Basset has less health than the other two heroines, but makes up for it with ranged attacks and a deflector shield.
* ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' have teams of three, each member fitting the archetype of [[SuperSpeed Speed]], {{Flight}} or [[SuperStrength Power]]. The [[StanceSystem current leader]] decides the current approach of the trio, with a Speed character leading allowing fast speeds and homing attacks, a Flight character leading allowing safety and an advantage against aerial enemies and a Power character leading allowing powerful attacks.

* The first 3 ''VideoGame/{{Geneforge}}'' games have a unique take with this trope with each class being strong, average and weak in three areas (later games adding classes with the same logic).
** [[TheBeastmaster Shapers]] are strong at making [[MonsterAllies creations]], average at spellcasting and weak in melee combat.
** [[MagicallyIneptFighter Guardians]] are strong in melee combat, average at making [[MonsterAllies creations]] and weak at spellcasting.
** [[MagicKnight Agents]] are strong at spellcasting, average at melee combat and weak at making [[MonsterAllies creations]].
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' starts out allowing the player to have the protagonist's combat focused Soldier, [[UtilityPartyMember utility]] focused Scoundrel and the [[JackOfAllStats balanced]] Scout. Eventually, the protagonist will gain levels in [[PrestigeClass Jedi classes]] which fall into the FighterMageThief trope with the [[MagicKnight Guardian]], [[SquishyWizard Consular]] and Sentinel filling one of those three roles respectively.

!!Non-video game examples

* Mobile rhythm games with a gachapon mechanic for cards typically abide by the system popularized by ''VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestival'', where cards are split into three major archetypes: Scorers (increase score gain), Healers (regenerate lost HP), and Perfect Locks (convert notes above a certain judgment to Perfect judgments). How heavily the stick to these archetypes varies on the game; some games introduce a fourth archetype that boosts the activation rate of other cards, some make ''all'' cards boost score but give Scorers more raw power as a result, and so forth.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' starts out allowing the player to have the protagonist's combat focused Soldier, [[UtilityPartyMember utility]] focused Scoundrel and the [[JackOfAllStats balanced]] Scout. Eventually, the protagonist will gain levels in [[PrestigeClass Jedi classes]] which fall into the FighterMageThief trope with the [[MagicKnight Guardian]], [[SquishyWizard Consular]] and Sentinel filling one of those three roles respectively.

Compare with ThreeStatSystem, where [[GamingStatTropes character attributes]] follow RuleOfThree.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' starts out allowing the player to have the protagonist's combat focused Soldier, [[UtilityPartyMember utility]] focused Scoundrel and the [[JackOfAllStats balanced]] Scout. Eventually, the protagonist will gain levels in [[PrestigeClass Jedi classes]] which fall into the FighterMageThief trope with the [[MagicKnight Guardian]], [[SquishyWizard Consular]] and Sentinel filling one of roles of that trope respectively.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' starts out allowing the player to have the protagonist's combat focused Soldier, [[UtilityPartyMember utility]] focused Scoundrel and the [[JackOfAllStats balanced]] Scout. Eventually, the protagonist will gain levels in [[PrestigeClass Jedi classes]] which fall into the FighterMageThief trope with the [[MagicKnight Guardian]], [[SquishyWizard Consular]] and Sentinel filling one niches of that trope respectively.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheoldRepublic'' gives the player the choice of 3 different classes at the start of the game (Soldier, Scout, Scoundrel) and 3 different classes of Jedi (Guardian, Sentinel, Consular). Later on, the player is given 3 different choices of how to infiltrate the Sith base on Manaan; hack an access card, interrogate a captured Sith guard to get an access code, or raid a Sith loading dock and take a shuttle to the base.

** [[MagicKnight Agents]] are strong at spellcasting, average at melee combat and weak at making [[MonsterAllies creations]].

Usually, players will be given a class or character who specialises in one approach. This can give replay value to single player games as players can go for a different specialisation on different playthroughs while multiplayer games benefit from having clearly defined roles, giving a clear idea what each player needs to do for their group. In more complex games, there may be a range characters/classes who share one approach but handle them in different ways and/or capable of dealing with more than one approach but not to the level of someone more specialised.

While this is a gameplay trope, sometimes the approach of a character will effect the story is well. This can range minor ways, different aftermaths for one off quests from different methods to outright StoryBranching, with each approach essentially having their own story path.

** Baratus the Fighter, a [[LightningBruiser strong, tough and quick]] warrior who's [[CloseRangeCombatant lacks long-ranged weaponry]].
** Daedolon the Mage, who while [[SquishyWizard slow and fragile]] possesses powerful magic to [[LongRangeFighter keep enemies at bay]].
** Parias the Cleric, who has a mix of [[MagicKnight physical ability and magical power]] that allows both short-ranged and long-ranged combat to be option.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' divides the 9 classes into three class roles.

** Lilac the Water Dragon is innately the fastest of the three along with being capable of boost attack that can launch at any direction
** Carol the Wild Cat can climb walls and has access to a motorcycle power up. She also give a flurry of kicks for as long has her energy bar is filled.
** Milla Basset has less health than the other two heroines but makes up for it with ranged attacks and a deflector shield.

** [[MagicallyIneptFighter Guardians]] are strong in melee combat, average at making [[MonsterAllies creations]], weak at spellcasting.
** [[MagicKnight Agents]] are strong at spellcasting, average at melee combat, weak at making [[MonsterAllies creations]].

* ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' have teams of three, each member fitting the archetype of [[SuperSpeed Speed]], {{Flight}} or [[SuperStrength Power]]. The [[StanceSystem current leader]] decides the current approach of the trio, with a Speed character leading allowing fast speeds and homing attacks, a Flight character leading allowing safety and an advantage against aerial enemies and a Power character leading allowing powerful attacks.

(This TLP is my attempt to deal with the issue of {{Fighter Mage Thief}}'s MissingSupertrope. This is UpForGrabs to anyone I feel can do a better job than me, got not enough experience with TLP!)