Pulse
Jan 23 2007, 06:53 PM
Final Fantasy XIII as we already know uses Active Time Battle, otherwise known as ATB. The Active Time Battle (ATB) system in Final Fantasy 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).
On the battle screen, a status summary of each character is displayed. These encompass HP levels, MP levels (where applicable), and an ATB gauge. Shown in the image from the first battle of FFIX below.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Activetimebattle.jpg
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, he or 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 (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.
A common element in the ATB system was how the battle started out initially. Although this could be applied to the various other turn-based systems, Square games used them the most. The first of these was the "Preemptive strike" which gave the player a free turn in the beginning, without retaliation from the enemy. The second was "Back attack", which is the preemptive strike for enemies, although if the ATB system in the allowed for characters to be in a front or back row, every character's row position was reversed (all front row characters were in the back, and vice versa). A third was side attack, which the player's characters were split up into two groups that attacked the enemy from both sides. Not only did the player gain an extra turn, but physical attacks do more damage if the player attacks an enemy that's facing away. The last one was "Pincer attack" or "Attack from both sides", which is the same as side attack, only at the enemy's advantage.
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. An act list appears in the top right hand corner of the Final Fantasy X screen. ( Shown Below )
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Boss-ff10i.jpg
Please note that most of this is speculation on my part based upon previous Final Fantasy games and should not be taken as how the final battle system is.
SUMMARY
1. Older Final Fantasy games that use the ATB system display on the battle screen, a status summary of each character. These encompass HP levels, MP levels and an ATB gauge.
2. 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.
3. An ''Act List'' depicts the order when spells and attack will be delivered and this can ultimately change whenever speed overtakes power as some abilities that are more powerful take longer to 'recover' from.
DISECTION OF A SCREEN
The image below most likely gives away all that we may need to know about the battle system so far in FFXIII.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/08.jpg
If we disect the image itself we can see some similarites between previous Final Fantasy titles, and the newest in the series.
There is something that resembles the world map from FFX in the FFXIII screen shown above. Looking at the world map from FFX, you can see a small yellow arrow representing the main protagonist Tidus, and a red arrow to show the player where you should be headed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image1.jpg
Now taking a look at the FFXIII screen we can see that there is a blue dot surround by a blue circle which i think represents lightning, judging by her positioning so close to the soldier which appears to be who she is attacking, I think that the target is represented by a red dot with a red circle surrounding it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image2.jpg
There are also numerous larger red dots surrounded by red circles, which I believe to represent the other enemies on the field. The reason I think they dots are larger is because I think that it means they wont receive your attack? And that the smaller red dotted enemies will receive the attack you have inputted. If you look this screen you can see what I mean, every target is visibly receiving the attack, then looking at the top left, they are all small red dots with circles around them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/28.jpg
1. Older Final Fantasy games that use the ATB system display on the battle screen, a status summary of each character. These encompass HP levels, MP levels and an ATB gauge.
If we look at the screen from FFXIII we can see that it has most of these details right there for us to see. The thing in the top right hand corner resembles the character summary gauges from Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2. If we look...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image4.jpg
And now the FFXIII one....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image5.jpg
See what I mean in the way they look similair. And because there is no MP gauge or HP gauge on this screen, my main theory is that this thing from the screen in the top right hand corner is it. Observe...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image6.jpg
1. ATB Gauge / MP Gauge
2. MP Gauge / ATB Gauge
3. HP Gauge ( Visual display instead of a number like at the bottom of the screen)
4. HP damage display, like when you get hit. Shown below.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image10.jpg
2. 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.
3. An ''Act List'' depicts the order when spells and attack will be delivered and this can ultimately change whenever speed overtakes power as some abilities that are more powerful take longer to 'recover' from.
Take a look at the image below. I have given the labels and explained how I think they fit in to points 2 and 3 above.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image7.jpg
A. I think this is the Act List. Like Final Fantasy X, it could be in the order that attacks have been selected to be executed, notice the 2 empty spaces in the right hand side above the tag, and how the V.Strike command is the same colour as the one in the middle of the 'list'. This could mean that blue commands have been selected and will be executed and that the orangey brown colours will either be executed onto another enemy or havent been selected yet?
B. This is labelled ATB cost. I think this means that as you select each attack it deducts from your ATB gauge and takes longer to recover from, i think when you have executed each attack you will gain ATB again, and this means more free slots and more executable actions? If this were the case, I actually dont think there will be MP in this Final Fantasy and just ATB costs, and that each action takes away from available slots you can deliver to the enemies. It would make sense, as I dont understand where the numbers next to each command would fit in if they weren't MP costs. Having said that, in the very bottom right hand corner of the image below you can see the letters ''HP and 08624'' Its all just below the .COM bit of IGN.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/12.jpg
Noticeably from this point aswell does that mean that HP will go above 9999??
Here is a clearer version of that image, cropped.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image12.jpg
COMMAND MENU
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image8.jpg
The image above I believe is the action menu. Currently from this image we can see some of the available actions in FFXIII and their either MP or ATB cost.
Below is a list of some I have found from other screens, their MP / ATB Cost and their description (if any)
Each command will be displayed in the following form below.
Eg. Command // MP or ATB cost // Description
Commands
Attack // 30 // Attack Target
Shoot // 30 // No Description
Defend // 30 // No Description
Fire // 40 // No Description
Blizzrad // 40 // No Description ( But Blizzrad is how it is spelt in the screen)
Thunder // 40 // No Description
Cure // 40 // No Description
V. Strike // 50 // Attack One Target And Propel Them Into The Air
Aerial // 60 // No Description
Firaga // ?? // As seen in this image. Image (http://finalfantasy-xiii.net/image.php?image=media/scans/opm/01.jpg)
Well, I hope that you all found this very intriguing. I know i loved writing it, I just hope you like my theories. If anybody has anymore then post them up.
Josh x
On the battle screen, a status summary of each character is displayed. These encompass HP levels, MP levels (where applicable), and an ATB gauge. Shown in the image from the first battle of FFIX below.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Activetimebattle.jpg
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, he or 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 (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.
A common element in the ATB system was how the battle started out initially. Although this could be applied to the various other turn-based systems, Square games used them the most. The first of these was the "Preemptive strike" which gave the player a free turn in the beginning, without retaliation from the enemy. The second was "Back attack", which is the preemptive strike for enemies, although if the ATB system in the allowed for characters to be in a front or back row, every character's row position was reversed (all front row characters were in the back, and vice versa). A third was side attack, which the player's characters were split up into two groups that attacked the enemy from both sides. Not only did the player gain an extra turn, but physical attacks do more damage if the player attacks an enemy that's facing away. The last one was "Pincer attack" or "Attack from both sides", which is the same as side attack, only at the enemy's advantage.
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. An act list appears in the top right hand corner of the Final Fantasy X screen. ( Shown Below )
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Boss-ff10i.jpg
Please note that most of this is speculation on my part based upon previous Final Fantasy games and should not be taken as how the final battle system is.
SUMMARY
1. Older Final Fantasy games that use the ATB system display on the battle screen, a status summary of each character. These encompass HP levels, MP levels and an ATB gauge.
2. 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.
3. An ''Act List'' depicts the order when spells and attack will be delivered and this can ultimately change whenever speed overtakes power as some abilities that are more powerful take longer to 'recover' from.
DISECTION OF A SCREEN
The image below most likely gives away all that we may need to know about the battle system so far in FFXIII.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/08.jpg
If we disect the image itself we can see some similarites between previous Final Fantasy titles, and the newest in the series.
There is something that resembles the world map from FFX in the FFXIII screen shown above. Looking at the world map from FFX, you can see a small yellow arrow representing the main protagonist Tidus, and a red arrow to show the player where you should be headed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image1.jpg
Now taking a look at the FFXIII screen we can see that there is a blue dot surround by a blue circle which i think represents lightning, judging by her positioning so close to the soldier which appears to be who she is attacking, I think that the target is represented by a red dot with a red circle surrounding it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image2.jpg
There are also numerous larger red dots surrounded by red circles, which I believe to represent the other enemies on the field. The reason I think they dots are larger is because I think that it means they wont receive your attack? And that the smaller red dotted enemies will receive the attack you have inputted. If you look this screen you can see what I mean, every target is visibly receiving the attack, then looking at the top left, they are all small red dots with circles around them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/28.jpg
1. Older Final Fantasy games that use the ATB system display on the battle screen, a status summary of each character. These encompass HP levels, MP levels and an ATB gauge.
If we look at the screen from FFXIII we can see that it has most of these details right there for us to see. The thing in the top right hand corner resembles the character summary gauges from Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2. If we look...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image4.jpg
And now the FFXIII one....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image5.jpg
See what I mean in the way they look similair. And because there is no MP gauge or HP gauge on this screen, my main theory is that this thing from the screen in the top right hand corner is it. Observe...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image6.jpg
1. ATB Gauge / MP Gauge
2. MP Gauge / ATB Gauge
3. HP Gauge ( Visual display instead of a number like at the bottom of the screen)
4. HP damage display, like when you get hit. Shown below.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image10.jpg
2. 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.
3. An ''Act List'' depicts the order when spells and attack will be delivered and this can ultimately change whenever speed overtakes power as some abilities that are more powerful take longer to 'recover' from.
Take a look at the image below. I have given the labels and explained how I think they fit in to points 2 and 3 above.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image7.jpg
A. I think this is the Act List. Like Final Fantasy X, it could be in the order that attacks have been selected to be executed, notice the 2 empty spaces in the right hand side above the tag, and how the V.Strike command is the same colour as the one in the middle of the 'list'. This could mean that blue commands have been selected and will be executed and that the orangey brown colours will either be executed onto another enemy or havent been selected yet?
B. This is labelled ATB cost. I think this means that as you select each attack it deducts from your ATB gauge and takes longer to recover from, i think when you have executed each attack you will gain ATB again, and this means more free slots and more executable actions? If this were the case, I actually dont think there will be MP in this Final Fantasy and just ATB costs, and that each action takes away from available slots you can deliver to the enemies. It would make sense, as I dont understand where the numbers next to each command would fit in if they weren't MP costs. Having said that, in the very bottom right hand corner of the image below you can see the letters ''HP and 08624'' Its all just below the .COM bit of IGN.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/12.jpg
Noticeably from this point aswell does that mean that HP will go above 9999??
Here is a clearer version of that image, cropped.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image12.jpg
COMMAND MENU
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Joshua0405/Image8.jpg
The image above I believe is the action menu. Currently from this image we can see some of the available actions in FFXIII and their either MP or ATB cost.
Below is a list of some I have found from other screens, their MP / ATB Cost and their description (if any)
Each command will be displayed in the following form below.
Eg. Command // MP or ATB cost // Description
Commands
Attack // 30 // Attack Target
Shoot // 30 // No Description
Defend // 30 // No Description
Fire // 40 // No Description
Blizzrad // 40 // No Description ( But Blizzrad is how it is spelt in the screen)
Thunder // 40 // No Description
Cure // 40 // No Description
V. Strike // 50 // Attack One Target And Propel Them Into The Air
Aerial // 60 // No Description
Firaga // ?? // As seen in this image. Image (http://finalfantasy-xiii.net/image.php?image=media/scans/opm/01.jpg)
Well, I hope that you all found this very intriguing. I know i loved writing it, I just hope you like my theories. If anybody has anymore then post them up.
Josh x