Combat is done in real-time but can be paused whenever you choose to, as seems to be tradition with Bioware RPGs. You issue commands to your main character and the party members which they execute in real time, according to their statistics. You can also cue up commands, to allow a character to do multiple things one after another, for example attack someone with a lightsaber then use a force-lightning to strike at him, followed by throwing a grenade at another opponent. Combat ist only done with hostile characters, you cannot attack peaceful NPCs so that you don’t get stuck in a quest by killing an important character.
You can choose from a variety of weapons, from blasters over grenades to vibro axes.