ALCHEMIC FIRE EMBLEM

So I have an idea for a first project going into RPG Maker.

The premise of the game is a Fire Emblem inspired strategy title that uses concepts of alchemy to control how the game balances everything.

In essense: turns in the game will occur simultaneously in movement and action/Alchemy phases. In the Alchemy phase players will pick an element based on what type of unit is attacking in order to determine the outcome for their base attack.

Elements have different reactions dependent on their priorities (which trumps which, which cancels which)

Special moves called Alchemic Arts will also have a second element attached based on what that Art does.

The potential outcomes are:

Advantage Element: User wins and deals damage to opponent
Opposing Elements: Both attacks cancel, and both units receive a Salt point
Duplicate Elements: Both attacks succeed

There's a lot more to the game than this but this is the base concept that I want to work off of as a starting point for development.

author=Marrend
I've made at least one game in RPG Maker VX Ace (maybe two?) where I removed the standard "Attack" command. Instead, there was an "Action" skill-set, and skills that appeared there came from the character's equipment. I don't know about how to program those outcomes off the top of my head, but, the "alchemy system" you're talking about might be along those lines.

That's a bit of a start...yes.

Also I'm trying to modify this as I go along about it to simplify it as much as possible while sacrificing potential tactics as little as I can manage.

The alchemy system is largely there to determine battle outcomes. It doesn't outright override the attack command, but it requires you to pick an attack TYPE.

Think more like Pokemon.