RESISTANCES/VULNERABILITIES
Enemies take reduced damage from some damage types (resistances) and extra from others (vulnerabilities), so matching your attack to the target is rewarded.
- SOLO-DEV COST LOW
- TIMING REAL-TIME / TURN
- COMMON IN RPG · ARPG
The Pokémon type chart is the purest expression — every matchup has a right and wrong answer — while ARPGs use resistances to gate content and reward elemental flexibility. Designers use resistances to reward preparation and enemy knowledge, to create loadout decisions and build diversity, and to prevent a single damage type from being universally optimal. Key decisions: whether it's a hard chart (immunities and 2x weaknesses) or soft percentages, how discoverable matchups are (do players learn by experimentation, tooltips, or a scan ability?), whether resistances can be stripped or ignored, and how much they matter (decisive versus marginal). Pitfall: resistances that force constant mid-combat loadout swaps add friction without depth, and hidden resistances that punish players for not consulting a wiki feel unfair — the interesting decision is preparation and build choice, so matchup information should be learnable through play.