Final Fantasy battle systems
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Square Enix (formerly Square) has created three specific battle systems for use in their role-playing games. Generally, battle systems are the core engine for fights between characters and enemies. Each battle system made its first appearance in the Final Fantasy series, with subsequent overhauls introduced in subsequent games, such as Xenogears and Chrono Cross. The first three games in Square's Final Fantasy series use a traditional turn-based battle system with no elaborations. Many other Square/Square Enix role playing games feature one of the innovations listed below.
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[edit] Active Time Battle
The Active Time Battle (アクティブタイムバトル Akutibu Taimu Batoru?) system (ATB) in a console role-playing game is an alternative to a turn-based system designed by Hiroyuki Ito during production of Final Fantasy IV for the SNES (originally known as Final Fantasy II when it was released in North America). Square Co., Ltd. filed a United States patent application for the ATB system on March 16, 1992, under the title "Video game apparatus, method and device for controlling same" and was awarded the patent on Feb. 21, 1995.[1] It has been used primarily in Square Enix's Final Fantasy franchise, although it has appeared in a few other games, including Square's own Chrono Trigger.
On the battle screen, a status summary of each character is displayed. These encompass HP levels, MP levels (where applicable), and an ATB gauge. The ATB gauge determines when a character can take action. When the gauge is filled completely, the player can issue an order to that character.
In Final Fantasy X-2, some abilities require time to charge before attacking, while others, such as a standard attack, work immediately with a recovery time afterwards. If a character uses a charged ability, and then a no-wait ability, she can attack twice in a row. Sometimes an action will require both charging time and a recovery period. The main deciding factor in the length of the time meter is the ability that is used. More powerful abilities will take longer to charge and recover from than normal attacks. The length of the time meter and the speed in which it charges is also affected by a character's "speed" attribute, which can be altered by certain items, equipment, abilities, spell effects or leveling up.
[edit] Turn-based variations
The Conditional Turn-Based Battle (CTB) system, or Count Time Battle (カウントタイムバトル Kaunto Taimu Batoru?) system in Japan, was designed by Toshiro Tsuchida and used, with variations, in Final Fantasy X and games of the Tactics spin-off series. The system is distinguished from Square Enix's Active Time Battle system by the fact that when a character's turn begins, all action stops while the player decides upon an action. This shifts the focus from reflexes and quick decision-making to strategy and careful planning.
At its most basic, CTB is a turn-based system which does not operate in rounds. That is, though each character's turn is atomic, the order of the turns does not guarantee that each participant in a battle will have an equal number of turns. Characters with higher speed will be able to take more turns than slower characters, thus making speed much more important than in other turn-based battle systems. Furthermore, spells and abilities can modify the turn order (called the Act List), as some abilities require a longer cool down time. In general, weaker abilities tend to require less cool down time, thus introducing a trade-off between speed and power.
[edit] Real-time variations
The Real Time Battle (RTB) system is a combat system introduced in the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI. It replaces the random encounter game mechanic that has featured in past Final Fantasy games, instead allowing players to view the location of nearby enemies on the game map, therefore allowing one to move around the landscape during battles, or to avoid battles altogether. Characters start attacking automatically once they are in combat with an enemy, and special commands and magic can be inputted by the player at any time; contrary to the system's name it is not totally in real-time, with the exception of items, moving, certain special abilities and the first physical attack, all actions have a "charge" time before they are executed. A variation, merged with the ATB system's time meter and customized for single-player use, was used in Final Fantasy XII as the Active Dimension Battle (ADB) system.
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