Square-Enix exploring the possibility of a modern turn-based Final Fantasy

[Sagacious-T]

I really liked how the turn based system worked in Blue Dragon, where depending on actions and accuracy an attack/move could come earlier or later in the queue. I think an advanced system of this choice-queueing would make a fantastic turn based battle system without having to be ATB.

[ZshadeZ]

I have to say my favorite ATB system of all time is Grandia/Grandia II. Get the timing right for different enemies, pick which attacks to use to damage or delay them or skills to speed your party... and also, fresh ground hamburger.

[Alisha]

anyone that thinks x-2 battle system is better than X....rose tinted glasses

[Hathen]

I really liked how the turn based system worked in Blue Dragon, where depending on actions and accuracy an attack/move could come earlier or later in the queue. I think an advanced system of this choice-queueing would make a fantastic turn based battle system without having to be ATB.

Perhaps something like Chrono Cross, with more variation in how much stamina actions would take. I hear a lot of people didn't like Cross's battle system in retrospect and I've never really understood why that is the case (The problem with the game was more with the inconsistent difficulty).

[Dice]

anyone that thinks x-2 battle system is better than X....rose tinted glasses

I find them a bit too different to compare that effectively.

[Klutz64]

GUYS! You know what game has the BEST turn-based battle system?

KINGDOM HEARTS!

...more specifically, Kingdom Hearts: Re-Coded. Each world offers a different KH experience, Traverse Town has a sidescrolling area, Wonderland a shmup, and the entire Coliseum area is a turn-based RPG. The system they use is very similar to the Paper Mario games with the QTE prompts for powering up attacks, but with two key differences.

First, there's an element of randomness with the QTE events. Perform them well enough and there's a chance the character will perform a special move. Also, you can stack abilities in a queue and perform them all at once, sometimes combining them into a special attack.

It is stupid amounts of fun.

[Esper_Crusader]

I really liked the system in FFX but I'm going to have to second Grandia 2. It just flowed perfectly.

[Sise-Neg]

Would a modern RPG with turn-based gameplay be able to sell well these days? That's what it comes down too, and I think gamers as a whole have been too meshed into the action RPG style for turn-based to hold a modern audience's attention.

[Dice]

I really liked the system in FFX but I'm going to have to second Grandia 2. It just flowed perfectly.

The game was awkward as hell, but man did battles and boss battle feel good.

Would a modern RPG with turn-based gameplay be able to sell well these days? That's what it comes down too, and I think gamers as a whole have been too meshed into the action RPG style for turn-based to hold a modern audience's attention.

I question that myself; and I mean beyond the old-school peeps who have no problem with that, do younger gamers feel the same way?

[Dincrest]

Would a modern RPG with turn-based gameplay be able to sell well these days? That's what it comes down too, and I think gamers as a whole have been too meshed into the action RPG style for turn-based to hold a modern audience's attention.

It would obviously sell to "oldheads" who grew up with that play style.  It may not be mainstream level sales, but it's consistent sales.  And it could appeal to a certain sect of modern gamers since the whole "retro trend" is still really "in" these days.  I myself prefer turn-based since I don't have very good twitch reflexes for action games, but I'm also a lot older than I look, act, and seem. 

I agree that we as a populace are a lot more "ADD" these days, but a good turn-based system can hold peoples' attention.  Battles are always fun in Grandia games.  Combo systems like in Valkyrie Profile or Xenogears (well the human battles at least) appeal to ADD tendencies since you're not pressing the same button all the time. 

[Zalrus9]

I'm a big fan of turn-based combat. HOWEVER, I do think there is a need to innovate. Let me tell you a story.

So, I love Final Fantasy IX. I remember playing it on my PS2 for many loving hours. When it came out on the PSN, I got it, no questions asked. I love the atmosphere, the characters, the music. Love love love. However, after about a disk or so, I realized that FF IX just seems monotonous. Go through a dungeon. Kill some monsters. Fight a boss. Wait! Steal from it first! Rinse, repeat. sigh... I do not regret playing that game again, but it needs to innovate.

Now take a more recent turn-based game, Radient Historia. Love that combat! What I like about it is that each battle is a mini-puzzle of how to get the dudes into one square and waste those fools. I don't want to come off as an Atlus fanboy, but they have turn-based combat down pat, and if Square wants to innovate in that direction, that's great! I really liked the stuff they've come up with in the past (FF IX nonwithstanding), and anything that lets me have options in combat will be a win!

Now if only they could go back to good old character-driven dramas, rather than be all JRPG-Save-the-world-blah-blah-something-something... A man can dream...

[Yggdrasil]

Now if only they could go back to good old character-driven dramas, rather than be all JRPG-Save-the-world-blah-blah-something-something...

You got all wrong.

[ZeronHitaro]

I'd actually argue the battle systems in Grandia Xtreme, and then Grandia 3 far exceeded Grandia 2's. 3's in particular was some of the smoothest flowing combat with the greatest timing-rewards system of the lot between the Counter-Strike, Movement based dodging, and Aerial Combos being honed to perfection. The only major downfall was Magic being either borderline useless or game breaking over powered. The system itself probably wasn't able to be appreciated in full though simply because the creature-statting/encounter-logic for 3 was poorly executed after the early-game, so what may've been perceived as a weaker battle system was actually just poor tactical decisions/power curve management.

Although in terms of the Magic system Grandia Xtreme felt like the only one who ever got it right. Grandia required far too much grinding for crappy rewards in the form of 'meh' magic. Grandia 2 magic was so useless I never used it outside of the healing spells. Grandia Xtreme has a perfect ratio of magic power-to-usefulness if you don't egg grind as soon as you can and you don't dink around with your fusions (intentionally creating bad eggs).

[Zalrus9]

Now if only they could go back to good old character-driven dramas, rather than be all JRPG-Save-the-world-blah-blah-something-something...

You got all wrong.

What did I get wrong? I guess in the beginning, the "save the world" was the thing, but even in that, Final Fantasy VI had a variety of well-rounded characters with their own journeys that are somewhat removed from the overarching story, but still affected by it. I'm not against plot, but I feel the characters should always come first.

Now I don't want to derail the OT, so that is all I will say for now.

[Alisha]

grandia 3's battle system was an abomination compared to grandia 2.