Fallout co-creator says turn-based and real-time RPGs both have “loud vocal advocates” who won’t play anything else, so devs can’t please everyone
A co-creator of the original Fallout has weighed in on the long-running debate between turn-based and real-time combat in role-playing games, arguing that both camps include committed fans who refuse to play games using the other system. The comment highlights a persistent tension in RPG design, where developers must choose a combat style knowing it will alienate a vocal segment of the potential audience regardless of which they pick.
The remarks reflect a broader industry reality that RPG combat systems remain divisive among players, with strong preferences on both sides making it effectively impossible to satisfy everyone with a single approach. The comments come from a figure closely associated with Fallout, a franchise itself rooted in turn-based combat, giving added weight to the observation given the series' own history of shifting design approaches across its instalments.
- Fallout co-creator says turn-based and real-time RPG fans are equally passionate.
- Both fanbases include people who won't play the other style.
- Developers can't please both audiences with one combat system.