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Square Enix (formally Square Co.) 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.
Active Time Battle The Active Time Battle (ATB) system in a computer role-playing game is an alternative to a turn-based system. 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. In battle, each character in a party has a time meter, which counts down to his or her turn to use an ability or attack. 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, he or she can attack twice in a row. Sometimes an action will require both charging time and a recovery period. On the battle screen, there are different coloured bars displaying various status, such as health of the character. One of the bars represents the length of time left before that character can perform his attack, and this is the ATB meter. 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 (Haste, Slow, etc.) or leveling up. Not all of this applies to every role-playing game that uses Active Time Battle, and some are much less complex, but it is a general idea of how this battle system works. Though not technically called Active Time Battle, the battle systems of the Grandia series of video games uses a battle system very similar in concept to ATB systems. The first game to make use of this system was Final Fantasy IV, but it did not have the ATB meter, all following installments of the main Final Fantasy series have used the ATB system until Final Fantasy X, though the ATB system did return for the sequel, Final Fantasy X-2. Conditional Turn-Based
Real Time Battle 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 also attack automatically once they target an enemy, whereas special commands and magic can be inputted by the player at any time. This system was later adapted for single-player use by Final Fantasy XII as the Active Dimension Battle (ADB) system, which sports a time meter similar to that seen in the Active Time Battle system indicating when the characters will perform their next action. See also | ||||||||||
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