The RPG discussion thread (formerly Final Fantasy XIII)

[placidchap]

If anything they would add on a subtitle after the number.  But even then, so far they have only done that to differentiate between FFVII and FFVII: Crisis Core...and with the upcoming versions of FXIII

[Alcyone]

Ah, yeah you're probably right. ^^;

[ZealKnight]

10. Battle System
The battle system in Final Fantasy XIII will be unlike any other Final Fantasy. Square-Enix has decided to use a more fast-paced battle system, but still using the Active Time Battle system, which was implemented during the production of Final Fantasy IV. Square- Enix hopes to take the Active Time Battle system to a new level in Final Fantasy XIII. Kitase States that the development team

“Took the best of X and XII and created something entirely new and evolved it… there will be monsters on the field but it’s a little bit different from the MMO style that XII had.”

Kitase also states that “There is possibly going to be certain moments of the game where the story is very played up and players will be going in a linear direction, but then battles will also kick in at a certain point. [They’re] aiming for a good balance there.”

Square Enix is hoping to recreate the battles seen in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. They are sure that with a combination of Crystal Tools and the Cell Micro Processor inside the PS3 Final Fantasy XIII is capable of achieving this. Tsuchida wanted Final Fantasy XIII’s battle system to not appear so random and for the characters to state there is an enemy nearby.

Tsuchida is trying to give players a little more flexibility in the battle system. For example, the player can change battle conditions for battles to an extent and have more control options. Tsuchida also suggested the option of strategizing for upcoming battles.

The battle system does not resemble Final Fantasy XII’s battle system. There will be a new way to encounter the enemy. Toriyama stated that Final Fantasy XIII’s battle system will be something that’s not quite encounter based and not quite seamless.
However Final Fantasy XIII’s battle system may share some resemblance to Final Fantasy XII’s as it’s not a random encounter system.

Square-Enix’s goal for the battle system is to make it as fast as an action game while allowing the player to input commands. The battles in Final Fantasy XIII will be more meaningful than past Final Fantasy’s as Tsuchida is trying to make Enemies the player encounters in battle more wholly connected to the story. He feels that battles and the scenario should be more closely connected.

The enemies will change based on the scenario for example, Tsuchida mentioned players moving through an area that’s been searched by the army. The player will encounter the appropriate enemy for the situation, and may even get shot at.


The enemies specialty and habitat will change based on the location. In case of the enemy requiring thoughts and feelings, the player could encounter things that aren’t specifically monsters.

Enemies in Final Fantasy XIII are categorized with much detail, stated Tsuchida.
Kitase explained the amount of the detail that will be featured. Battalions will have their own personnel chart, with each soldier having his own background story.

Motomu Toriyama has emphasized the fact that Final Fantasy XIII battles will feature enemies surrounding your character from all sides, even dropping from above. In the upper-left hand corner is a map. The map will be a tool for selecting targets and avoiding targets.

The Player will have the option to avoid or engage battle with the enemy. The player will be able to view the enemies HP and name on the field to aid to players decision to avoid or fight.

10.1 The Active Time Battle System
The Active Time Battle (ATB) System was first featured in Final Fantasy IV. In previous Final Fantasy’s the ATB system consisted of a gauge which was displayed to the right of the HP and MP levels. The ATB gauge determined when a character could take action. When the gauge was filled completely, the player could issue an order for that turn.

Final Fantasy XIII plans to take the ATB system to the next level. In an interview Toriyama states “As a successor to the traditional “FF” series, “FFXIII” also takes ATB to the next level. The design concept is to maintain the strategic side of command input battles while allowing the enjoyment of fast-paced battles.”

“The foundation is still that of ATB, but by manipulating the time axis, a brand new type of battles can be seen.”

The ATB system in Final Fantasy XIII uses a cost system, which consists of an ATB gauge containing a number of ATB points and a blue bar to represent the amount of points left.
After every action, a certain amount of points are deducted from the ATB gauge depending on the action, and the blue bar featured on the gauge gradually gets smaller. The points gradually replenish over time.

In the E3 2006 Trailer, Lightning is seen using a chain of attacks and the points are gradually decreasing from the ATB gauge. Final Fantasy XIII will string attacks together in a visually pleasing way, causing an attack to be shown in many ways depending on the chain of attacks.

Several attacks are known, including the “V Strike”, “Aerial”, “Shoot” and “Lure”.

10.2 ATB Costs
Every attack and every spell has an ATB Cost associated with that ability. The MP component has been dropped due to this system

10.3 Chaining Attacks
Final Fantasy XIII allows for attack chaining allowing for combos.

For example if the player wanted a chain of 5 attacks(30 points each), 2 gunshots (40 points each)and 2 fire spells(40 points each), they would need 310 ATB points to chain those attacks and if there wasn’t enough ATB points the chain will last until the player can’t perform the next action in line. An alternative strategy could be that the player can save points for bigger and better combos.

Depending on the pattern of the command the player inputs, Lightning will perform the attacks in a different way. For Example “Attack-Attack-Fire” will produce a different animation than “Fire-Attack-Fire”.

At the beginning of Final Fantasy XIII the maximum amount of commands the player will be able to execute at once will be three.

10.4 Charged Attacks
Final Fantasy XIII will feature the option to charge Lightning’s or other party members attacks as well as just performing a standard attack.

10.5 Over-clock status
At the top right of the battle screen shown in the trailers there is a circular gauge. Once the number inside this circle and other conditions are met, Lightning can enter a so called Over-clock status. This status has a slow-motion effect, slowing down everyone but Lightning. Once in Over-clock mode, the number inside the circular gauge decreases. The source speculates on the probability of this symbolizing the duration of Over-clock status.

from Game Faqs, and its correct.

[Chrono'99]

The ATB system in Final Fantasy XIII uses a cost system, which consists of an ATB gauge containing a number of ATB points and a blue bar to represent the amount of points left.
After every action, a certain amount of points are deducted from the ATB gauge depending on the action, and the blue bar featured on the gauge gradually gets smaller. The points gradually replenish over time.

In the E3 2006 Trailer, Lightning is seen using a chain of attacks and the points are gradually decreasing from the ATB gauge. Final Fantasy XIII will string attacks together in a visually pleasing way, causing an attack to be shown in many ways depending on the chain of attacks.

That sounds like a Xenogears/Chrono Cross/Vagrant Story rip-off.

[ZealKnight]

well there is a wait period, but other wise a rip-off

[Acacia Sgt]

Is it now? Well, it's still new for Final Fantasy.

[V_Translanka]

Stylistically the battles in XIII do seem like they're very inspired by AC...Which I certainly don't mind...It was always a little boring standing in a bland formation on one side of the screen, running up to attack and then sliding back to be with the other characters again. I'll still leave judgment for whenever it is that I get to actually play it though.

[Romana]

Personally I think X and X-2 got away with the best battle systems, and Dissidia's AC-inspired battle style is extremely fun and works surprisingly well. XIII is bound to get something right.

[Sintu]

The ATB system in Final Fantasy XIII uses a cost system, which consists of an ATB gauge containing a number of ATB points and a blue bar to represent the amount of points left.
After every action, a certain amount of points are deducted from the ATB gauge depending on the action, and the blue bar featured on the gauge gradually gets smaller. The points gradually replenish over time.

In the E3 2006 Trailer, Lightning is seen using a chain of attacks and the points are gradually decreasing from the ATB gauge. Final Fantasy XIII will string attacks together in a visually pleasing way, causing an attack to be shown in many ways depending on the chain of attacks.

That sounds like a Xenogears/Chrono Cross/Vagrant Story rip-off.

I'm not sure you can call it a rip-off when you have to cite 3 different games to compare it to something.

[Chrono'99]

Aha, yeah, but Xenogears and Chrono Cross basically work on the same basis, and I guess I mentioned Vagrant Story only because of the chain attacks and numerical gauge. Vagrant Story actually works backwards in that regards; when you attack, the Risk bar fills up instead of decreasing, and you can attack all you want but if you don't wait for the bar to "cool down" your attack power will decrease.

Anyway, it was kind of a snarky comment. I'm sure the battle system will be fun to play. Toshiro Tsuchida is the creator of the Front Mission tactical RPG series; he knows how to balance things.

[utunnels]

Perhaps off topic, but this dude looks like Robert Horry, doesn't he?

[Shadow D. Darkman]

Hmm... If he ditched the mini-afro, then he would be close enough.

[nightmare975]

Why can't they just make a normal Final Fantasy. You know, with the old ATB system? The one where you wait for your turn, monsters randomly appeared, etc?

Fucking kids and their need for constant action...

I WANT MY MOTHERFUCKING TURN BASED COMBAT DAMNIT!

[idioticidioms]

imho, the best battle system in an rpg is that of real-time battles, like in FFXII. they should have just stuck with that, but with a twist of some sort.

[nightmare975]

imho, the best battle system in an rpg is that of real-time battles, like in FFXII. they should have just stuck with that, but with a twist of some sort.

no.

RPG's or Role Playing Games for you youngins out there, are about strategy. The best battle system for strategy is turn-based. I play RPGs to relax, turn based strategy allows you to relax and think through your options. Real-Time Battles are just like playing Halowhich sucks imho, no strategy, and you die a lot.

I don't know about you, but I like to relax every once in a while.