4.4. Sequencing¶

In what order do players take their actions? How does play flow from one action to another? Games can work differently depending on the turn structure that is used:

• Some games are purely turn-based: at any given time it is a single player’s “turn” on which they may take action. When they are done, it becomes someone else’s turn. Most classic board games and turn-based strategy games work this way. Turn-based games can be modified by the addition of an explicit time limit, or other form of time pressure.
• Other games are turn-based, but with simultaneous play (everyone takes their turn at the same time, often by writing down their actions or playing an action card face-down and then simultaneously revealing). The board game Diplomacy works like this.
• Still other games are real-time, where actions are taken as fast as players can take them. Most action-oriented video games fall into this category, but even some non-digital games (such as the card games Spit or Speed) work this way.

Obviously, changing a turn based game into a real time one will completely change the game - a Real Time Strategy game like Starcraft has a strong emphasis on being able to not just form a strategy, but also on the twitch reactions required to carry it out efficiently. Check out this demonstration of what it takes to play Starcraft at a competitive level:

In a turn based games, the order in which players take their turns can have huge effects on balance that must be accounted for. This video gives some great examples: