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...