Battle System

[spunkytofu]

Discuss the new battle system from FFXII. What do you like about it? What don't you like about it?

Personally, I think its great. I laughed when I read all the complaints before it even came out (only the demo that came with DQVIII was out at the time). Everybody thought that it wasn't really a Final Fantasy game without the loading screen and the old battle system.

Its so much better now, you don't have to loose time waiting for a battle to load (which helps when you're trying to remember where you are in a dungeon and find your way around), you can see monsters rather than just wandering around on empty maps (which also means you can avoid fights before they happen), and I love the gambits. If you set your gambits right, you can just walk away from the TV while your characters fight for you. I did that with a boss battle; I just left and made myself a sandwich. When I came back, they had won the battle for me and healed each other back up.

[Renmiri]

Yeah but now new fiends can enter the battle and pwn your tired, potion/ MP depleted party

I like it though. And gambits rule!!

[ValiantKnight]

mixed feelings, gambits are both good and bad.. without them this would be a much longer game, but they do kinda make it easier.

My only complaint off the top of my head is the lack of damage readout... I've threw some quickening chains around and couldn't see how much they did because of the camera angle/oversize monster. With normal hits this usually seems to be avoided somehow, but sometimes even then its hard to read the damage your doing on larger monsters.

I will disagree with the faster pace of the game if thats what you meant, because im just now heading to the Phon Coast and I'm already at 35hrs, but that could be because I did all the marks and leave the game on a little more than most FFs.

[vorpal blade]

I agree you all. While the terrain did very little for strategy, it did make the game seem more real, more fast-paced and more fun than just hoping not to run into a monster and then manually entering the same commands over and over again. Gambits removed a lot of the tedium (I rarely have to use status-curing items manually), but I wish you could change (or at least turn off) your guest's gambits to keep them from attacking a monster that's way too strong just because it's there (Vossler! You won't be forgiven!).

My main complaints are that some enemies just don't give up the chase(especially the Imperial Soldiers) which makes it hard to heal your party sometimes, and some monsters will join the party (nearly got wiped out by a bunch of bagolys in the Nam-Yensa Sandsea because of this), but you have to take the bitter with the sweet, as they say.

[Renmiri]

I wish you could change (or at least turn off) your guest's gambits to keep them from attacking a monster that's way too strong just because it's there (Vossler! You won't be forgiven!).

QFT

Hihi!!! (SPOILER)You will get your revenge on him

I also hate how Vossler and "Lamont" spoiled some pretty sweet chains I had going

[ValiantKnight]

Bagoly types are the worst... they seem to come from well over 2x your targetting range to attack you, and if you attack a bagoly, all the bagolys in the entire active "zone" your in will come help it it seems.

[vorpal blade]

You will get your revenge on him[/SPOILER]

I also hate how Vossler and "Lamont" spoiled some pretty sweet chains I had going

Yeah, I know. (SPOILER)Not as satisfying as I thought though.

They're good help but they don't follow directions. That monster he attacked was way too strong for me and waited for me to return! I had ro run all the way back to Rabanastre.

[ValiantKnight]

Vossler and Lamont were pains at sometimes but it seemed to me like Lamont had his own supply of hi potions, and it didn't drain from yours.... that was helpful at times.

Vossler was nice with knocking small enemies back about 8 feet, flipping them over, and then they die landing on their head.... most notably the little fruits in the desert.... Always made me laugh...
Balthier and Basch can do this to some extent with swords and hammers.. but not like Vossler it seems.

[Peter_20]

No random encounters + visible enemies = instant win.

Sad that it took Square so long to realize, though.

[DarkHeat787]

Like Vorpal said, the terrain didn't help any, but made it seem more real. I remember when one monster actually hit Balthier through an obstacle. =P

It's fun though. Problem is, you pretty much can't engage with something around your level without taking some damage.

And area effect spells clear Bagoly out nicely. I can deal ~1700 to all of the Mesmenirs in a group in Ozmone with Blizzara, and I also have fun Thundara'ing the Wu to death. =P

[Renmiri]

Bagoly types are the worst... they seem to come from well over 2x your targetting range to attack you, and if you attack a bagoly, all the bagolys in the entire active "zone" your in will come help it it seems.

Bagolys drop the only $1,200 gil loot you can get this early in the game: Bent Staff. If you have all your grimoires till Lhusu you get at least 3 or 4 per round at that area of Nam Yensa where they flock (Simoon's Bluff)

[DarkHeat787]

Once you get to Ozmone, Wu are fun to chain. They drop Kogarasumaru (sometimes in bundles of 2 :O) rhat sell at about 2600 each, I believe.

[Frozen Phantom]

sorry to crush your dreams...but the FFXII battle system is just like the battle systems of the other FFs, The only difference is the lack of loading between battles and the gambit system, which is really just for wimps who are too lazy to give all the commands themselves.

[Gabranth]

i guess im a wimp then

[Renmiri]

Wimp here too.