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I want to make a simple combat routine for a war game I'm planning
at first it will be text-based but when I improve AI i will make a 2D or 3D version.

The game is based on Sparta. I want the game to progress from playing as a lowly warrior rising to command an entire army.
I want the hand-to-hand and army combat to have a similar feel.

OK enough back story...
My idea so far is for a turn-based system where the player chooses either to attack, block, parry or keep an open stance (static).
I want it to work like rock, paper, scissors; where all actions are equal but win/lose against certain actions.

I am having trouble with getting good combinations.
possible outcomes are: damage dealt to opponent, opponent knocked off balance (exposed to attack next turn), opponent disarmed (shield or sword; decreases attack or defence)

I'm basically thinking out loud but any help or suggestions would be great
thanks

So... ummm..., what do you mean by "combination?" Does this mean that more than one thing can happen?

thanks for replying
what i meant was i want a system where no 1 actions is more desirable than the others
the way i had it in my head constantly attacking was much better than blocking or parrying, which is a lame fight.

i want the players to use tactics in combat; blocking and parrying to create an opening and the striking the opponent.

the problem lies with things like, what happens when you parry an attack, what advantage does blocking give over parrying (with regards to defence)

parrying is actually quite an attacking action, maybe i need to re-think this.

I'll have a think and try to post something a bit more useful for you helpful people to look at

well, you could make a list like this:

I think static should be changed to evade attack.

In order for there to be a stategy, there has to be an advantage at some point to using a specific command. In a fight in real life, when someone attacks, they've made a commitment to that action. If the attack doesn't connect the way they hope, they are vulnerable during and slightly after the attack depending on how fast they can recover their own momentum.

Like a boxer throwing a huge roundhouse at their opponents head: a very big commitment. If the opponent ducks it, the attacker's body on the side of the attack is very exposed for a body shot of some kind. But if the opponent backs up to dodge it, they may move out of range for their own counter strike. And the attacker still has forward momentum so they could feasibly launch another attack on the retreating opponent.

You might have to have statistics that represent the combatant's speed and recovery time. Plus you may give weight to types of attacks and defense that rob speed and/or recovery time. The benefit may be that an attack that does major damage robs recovery time so the opponent may have two attacks or a defense and an attack chance. But if they get nailed by the big attack, it might be game over!

You can also have defenses that result in attack damage. Or defenses that don't defend an entire attack so that an immediate counter can be initiated that may be equal to 2 attacks.

And you can have people fall if they loose a certain amount of life in a single attack or within the battle itself. They may have to take a turn just getting up which exposes them to another attack - but, in getting up maybe they have the chance to roll so there may be a bit higher potential for the attacker to miss.

So, have statistics like speed and endurance. Obviously two characters of the same abilities will have pretty much the same fight. Maybe slower opponents have more attack power because they tend to be bulkier or maybe they have more endurance.

You can also have an earning system. If a fight is won, a statistic can be improved - but the statistic may also have an opposite. Maybe size is the opposite of speed. So for every 5 speed units, size has to reduced or something. This could help limit the growth of a super warrior and apply strategy where just moving all stats up won't necessarily make the fighter better. I don't know, you can really go anywhere with it.

@Latch and Link
I like your ideas
The stat improvement is a great idea and would mean certain fortunate soldiers would become legendary warriors! I've written a weighted random number generator that would be perfect for that and mean I wouldn't have to limit stats (it would just be less and less likely they'd improve the higher they get)
I want to have hundreds of warriors, would I have to make cutbacks on the number of stats?

I've been researching Sparta.

My idea to get this into the game is to have slider that sets the difficulty of the Agoge; the higher the gauge, stronger Spartans are produced but in fewer numbers.

I am still struggling with the concept of this game; where and when will attackers come to Sparta? Can Sparta capture foreign cities?
How will the game evolve? What (if any) are the win conditions?

My ambition for this game is to be both strategic and action orientated. I want progression to be made from Spartan warrior to general to King, with different gameplay on each level (combat, battle strategy and city strategy).

My plan is to start work on combat as this is the basis of the game.
AI is something I am inexperienced with so help with that would be invaluable.

I am doing more research and will post when I have enough to start coding.