The battle systems in
Final Fantasy form the crux of the gameplay; without battles, there would be very little else to pass the time between story events. With such an important role to play, it's a wonder that Hiroyuki Ito is an uncommon name. Ito created the turn-based battle system that
Final Fantasy began with, and has played a major role in shaping each subsequent version, even pioneering the ATB system.
In an
interview with 1UP, Ito revealed the inspiration behind
Final Fantasy's turn-based battle system: American Football. He cited the concept of two teams lining up on opposite sides, each with pre-set plays, ready to execute.
[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/2dljjw9.jpg[/IMG]
Cloud putting the blitz play into action...
Ito had another interesting influence when it came down to creating the Active Time Battle system too; he tried to create "action-like game with no action elements" by using techniques from racing games.
"At the time, there was a shift going on in Formula One racing, where they introduced semi-automatic transmissions,"
...