What I Miss About Turn Based Combat...

[HWalsh]

For the formative years of Final Fantasy it was total turn-based combat.

In FF I - III - it was static. Select what every party member would do then the battle was out of your hands.

In FF IV - X-2 - it was Active Time Battle. Turn based combat but with adjusted action times that happened in real time. Each character could act as a gauge filled up.

In FF XI - XII - it was MMO mechanics.

FF XIII - FF XIII-2 - It went back to ATB.

FF XIV uses basic MMO mechanics.

FF VII Remake is using Kingdom Hearts combat... I'm not s fan, even if VII was my favorite Final Fantasy, barely edging out VI.

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I miss ATB... It really makes me feel it in FF XIV... Limit breaks and summons have always been big deals. They stopped the action and treated you to a graphical display. You knew when Cloud unleashed a limit break. You were treated to a long animation when Shiva was summoned in FF IV-X... The action stopped and you got to see what was going on...

I play tank in FF XIV so, I'm not ever supposed to limit break, that is the sole domain of the DPS. Honestly I should just take it off my hot bar.

The other day though, through total accident, I sneezed and hit my limit break and...

I got a tiny sparkle.

That was it.

What happened to gravitas? To the big light show? To the grand eruption of power and majesty that should herald such a thing?

I miss ATB because I miss seeing those things.

It is just my sad musings I guess...

[Jandor]

LB3 is pretty fancy, even for tanks. I really like the Paladin fortification walls.

[Ilyrian]

I think Conditional Turn Based from X was the pinnacle of the system.

It's a shame turn-based RPGs were thought to be unwanted by SE, and others, and I have no beef with FF being an action game now - but I just wished they hadn't stopped producing actual turn-based RPG as well.

[Sailysium]

You’ll have to settle for SE’s mobile titles for now. Those still stick to turn based combat

[ReiMakoto]

I think Conditional Turn Based from X was the pinnacle of the system.

It's a shame turn-based RPGs were thought to be unwanted by SE, and others, and I have no beef with FF being an action game now - but I just wished they hadn't stopped producing actual turn-based RPG as well.

There is a division that does good turn based classical square RPGs. Its the Bravely Default/Octopath traveller guys, if you havent tried them give them a go, theyre the best final fantasy games in years.

[Nora_of_Mira]

FF XIV uses basic MMO mechanics.


I miss ATB because I miss seeing those things.

It is just my sad musings I guess...

FF14 IS an MMO, not just a game with MMO mechanics like FF12. All of these long animations you want...those can only exist in a single player game where 7 other people dont have to wait around for you to finish casting.

[AlphaFox]

Might be the odd one out here but if anyone ever played Final Fantasy Legacy (Just youtube search and you'll find a video), was basically FF4 on BYOND. That was oddly satisfying and had a fair idea for turned based MMO. Wasn't the most popular by any means as only a few hundred played, but I kinda also chalk that up to BYOND itself. Could pick any class (like 10 to start, 20 in the end) and party up and play like a traditional turn based game. Probably the equal of having player 2 choose commands for a party member but still was fun to have 5 players party together from start to end. Granted this was within the confines of the games story, so if a real MMO were to come out in this style, I feel there could be a market for it assuming it is done properly.

[DJMau]

They can still be done, but using nothing but menu screens of attacks like the golden days just won't cut it. Something like what Persona 5 did would be the best way. I.E. using all the buttons for different functions