Combat Corner: Critical Hits

This is Part 1 of 4 in a Series! if the other's aren't out yet, stay tuned!

Critical Hits, The ultimate joy in a combat based game, whether it's that lucky roll of the dice, prescient planning, or a brilliant confluence of skill and purpose, nothing quite hits like a Crit. I wanted to talk about what exactly qualifies as a Crit (it's more than you think), How they work across genres, and why it feels so good to land them. I'll mainly be talking about critical hits in relation to combat, but I'm certain these design principles can easily be transferred over to other genres and mechanics. 

First of all Some definitions. I believe there are two categories of Crit. Both share similarities, like being rare, having positive rewards associated, and being mechanically distinct from normal hits in games. Both of these styles can overlap with one another, and often do in more RPG style games. The two styles of Crit are Skill crits and Chance crits. Skill Crits are critical hits achieved by pure player decision, these could be things like head shots or attacks to weak points , exploiting elemental or status vulnerabilities, or kit based damage bonuses, like a rogue's Sneak Attack or a Paladins divine smite. Chance criticals are conversely, criticals decided purely by chance, a natural 20, A Raise in Savage worlds, or simply player invisible systems deciding this attack is a crit. Of course these chances can be modified by player builds and so on but they are still inevitably decided by a roll of the dice. 

Skill Criticals tend to be the more cross genre and more common example of Crits. In shooter style games, headshots are the prime example. It's certainly more rare, especially in fast paced PvP shooters. It rewards players with more damage, sometimes significantly depending on player choice. For example, Precision rifles in Cyberpunk often come with a built in +300% damage to headshots. Lastly, outside of extra damage, headshots can offer certain bonuses based on the game, like crippled heads in the later Fallouts. For more melee oriented games, things like weak spots, backstabs, and ripostes tend to be the most common iterations. In games with heavier RPG elements, elemental vulnerabilities can often serve as an alternate form of critical, from detonating slimes in Dragon's Dogma 2 with fire weapons to the unstoppable might of the Storm Cleric and Create or Destroy Water in Baldur's Gate 3, these unique applications of systems rely entirely on player input, and fill all the criteria of a critical hit!

This style of Crit is becoming far more common in games and is an incredibly effective way to reward a player for their behavior. For whatever genre, a skill critical often emphasizes the most important aspect of that game. Headshots reward aim and reflex, key tenents to any shooter. Contrastingly exploiting vulnerabilities rewards strategy and player ingenuity, a vital component of most RPG's. Additionally, these kinds of Crits are controlled directly from a developer standpoint, meaning it's much easier to design around. These kinds of Criticals do wonders in PvP environments, as both players often have access to it, and it often yields results to the more skilled player in the interaction. (maintaining a level enough head to score a crit is certainly a skill worth rewarding!) 

Chance crits are becoming increasingly rare in more digital games as they trend more towards PvP and "absolute" balance, however they're still alive and well in Tabletop games RPG's and Strategy games. Baldur's gate 3 is a clear and recent example of exactly what the quintessential Chance Critical looks like, the Natural 20. This always results in a success on whatever was rolled, and in combat doubles any and all damage you roll. Another modern example would be Cyberpunk, which maintains a hidden roll critical system. You can often increase your odds of scoring a Chance critical in games where they are present, whether it's by increasing a stat, like Luck or Crit Chance in more digital environments, buffs and debuffs, like in Darkest Dungeon II's combo systems synergy with certain heroes, or increasing the number of dice rolled with Advantage or abilities in games like Warhammer and D&D. 

The benefits and mental rewards of a random critical are quite similar to that of gambling or loot boxes, albeit with a more player friendly design. Lesser rewards with the promise and eventual delivery of an exceptional reward. A secondary benefit is it's ease of access for players, Since it's a randomly determined number, any and every player has the chance to score one. However even with their ease of access, they're being phased out of most modern titles. For one, Chance criticals can be difficult to design around, as on a whim player damage can vastly oscillate. One might overcorrect by lowering critical damage, but that risks making these crits entirely unsatisfying, removing any benefits a lucky crit may have had on an encounter or player morale. Additionally, while it offers a good emotional boost, it doesn't come with that intrinsic tie to skill and can't necessarily reward players for engaging in the systems of your game. Lastly Chance criticals are often left out entirely in PvP scenarios, While both players might have access to them, it can feel vastly unfair to have one player of equal skill to another completely decimate based on luck alone. 

There is an intersection between these two however. Both styles of Crit need to be present in a game, so a Combination Crit usually won't be found in modern PvP titles, or titles with more controlled combat, like the Souls series. Combination Crits come exactly when you'd expect them to, when you score a Chance crit on top of a Skill Crit. Things like Critical headshots in Cyberpunk often deal massive damage (I've dealt damage in the 10k's with pistols before) dropping targets in one shot. In games like Pathfinder or D&D, Chance crits double your damage dice, which is already expanded from the skill crit, meaning a max level Rogue scoring a chance crit on a sneak attack (skill crit) can deal damage to rival a Meteor swarm, all without expending any resources. On top of the mechanical effects, combo crits offer an amazing boost to player mood, as not only are they being rewarded for skill, their luck lined up, providing them with an exceptionally rare ultra powerful move. In terms of balancing, it comes with all of the caveats of each, but to a higher extreme. However, combo crits are exceptionally rare in most systems, and will often suffice for the enjoyment of an encounter, even if it drastically lowered the difficulty. 

Overall, Critical Hits are an excellent player reward system. By designing skill crits into your game you can reward players for masterful play, and for playing with systems you designed that might have been overlooked otherwise. Chance criticals are more niche in their application, but can offer reprieve to players when they need it most, making for unique, unscripted, and emergent moments in gameplay. Combination criticals offer the best of both worlds for players, and are usually already designed for on account of the implementation of both systems. The next time you're designing or iterating on a combat system, make sure criticals have a place at the table.