Battle system, How do you choose your battle system? Options

[Vexus]

This might be a simple question but it has to have a big thought and planning before saying that is the ideal battle system for my game.

Yesterday while searching I stumbled in an old thread I made on another site in 2006 with had a custom battle system I found from a japanese site. I started remember how that script worked compared to what I'm using and started having doubts if what I have is THE ONE.

To explain further what I'm currently using is a side view battle system modified to be front view (Characters are at the bottom looking up), it uses the characters as fighters but enemies use battlers (You could edit the character set of the monsters and save the one facing down as battler as I did) now that is pretty much all the features it has among of a compatible atb so as far as features it's pretty basic.

Me doing my project alone don't know how to script or do character sets/battlers for the custom battle systems so like some I get to stick with what I can use.

Now the other script is sideview too but has animated enemies (Use their character set), uses the icons as weapons, has some basic effects in the game (Fly will make the enemy/character float up and down, there's also blind, confuse, etc configurable with a picture if you want) and a simple yet neat feature that you can add to the id of skills that will make your character do a simple animation in the battle.

Sadly the second one is not possible with easy edits (What I can do with scripts) to become front view and it would make the icons showing pretty much pointless.

Then it stumbled me, am I using the ideal battle system? How do you know when you have the ideal battle system?

How did you people find your ideal battle system?

This post has been edited by Vexus: Jan 18 2012, 03:40 AM

[Jens of Zanicuud]

Well, there's no ideal battle system.
I change it in every project, and usually I script it from zero (i.e. from basic RMXP scripts).
Let me say that before that, I need to think a lot and only when a major idea stikes me as a lightining I begin working on it.
That's why Blood&Pain Engine was created, but it is not even the most complicated.

If your question is about Side view / Front view, then you'll be disappointed:
I'm pretty sure gamers are equally subdivided into Front View supporters and Side View supporters.

I have to recognize, however, that FF 6 sideview was an actual masterpiece, compared to many others.
I think this is only a question of preferences.
You are the director of your game, battles should be displayed as you wish to view them.

Imagine to film a battle with a camera and to comment it.
Should your comment on that video be positive?
Or can this be done better?
If you're not satisfied of that, then you have to modify that.
It's a simple rule I often follow...

Jens

This post has been edited by Jens of Zanicuud: Jan 18 2012, 04:46 AM

[Kaust]

I think the 'ideal' battle system would contain some relevance to the game's story.
For example the default first person view of the battle on this engine isn't exactly glamorous but makes significantly more sense if you were playing a game with a single protagonist.
Also try to consider the gameplay element itself; how can my battles contribute to this? Chrono Trigger has an excellent battle system with skills becoming no longer mere strong attacks but a strategic challenge on how to use them most effectively.