AN ATB SYSTEM WITH A SMALL CHANGE

Thanks for the comments, guys! I am not sure if this is appropriate to put here, but I've created a mock-up screenshot of the battle system in action.



It's not a working demo yet, but this is the gist of the concept. You can simply tap the arrow keys to select a hero, and then a corresponding number to select an ability. Then, simply tap the number or arrow key to target an enemy or ally respectively.

Using this system, it is possible to swiftly switch between active heroes with very little loss of real time. Choosing items is as simple as tapping the 'confirm' (O) key to swap everyone's command tiles to their current grab-bag. The grab-bag is a selection of 4 items in their bags that are ready for combat. Tapping 'confirm' (O) again will swap back.

I will be adding future functionality to access a sub-menu (retry fight or run away) by pressing the 'cancel' (X) key.

Below the four heroes' status panels is the information box. This shows the currently selected ability's details. The black bar to the left (with blue pieces in it) is the required amount of Stamina to perform an attack. Most single-target attacks require 2-3 stamina, while most multi-target attacks require 4-5 stamina.

The last on-screen key listed is the 'shift' key, (labeled Rush) which causes a character to fuel their next attack with adrenaline, or to activate a very powerful Critical Command. This command requires 4 segments of adrenaline.

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"Then again, if ATB resets every battle, you run into the problem of battles where players toss out high-end skills like loose change. In addition, what's stopping players from healing themselves to full HP outside of battle? Not MP, because you've discarded it. And if you fully heal after every battle, welp." I know I should have read the latter posts, but this was an impulse... Was Jelanda able to HEAL the party outside of battle, In Valkyrie Profile?

No, she couldn't. I remember having to use Elixirs or do what he said and manipulate the turns in such a way that just before defeating the enemies, Jelanda could cast Heal. Just kind of annoying.

While that's true, I just don't really see a point to having to stop between every couple fights, open the menu, drink some incredibly cheap item to restore life, then closing the menu and continuing on. It could just be done for you in the form of auto-healing after a fight. Final Fantasy XIII did it, and I thought it worked well.

I would, however, have to implement a system where you are encouraged to perform as well as you can, ie, not ending the fight with unconscious allies. In Final Fantasy XIII, it used a score system to determined the quality of the items you found. So, we'll see.

Nothing is set in stone at this point. I've discarded the concept of Constitution because it just felt like a variant of the same HP model. If you get low, you either turn back and go to an Inn (boring) or you just consume an item.

I am considering a system where your stamina doesn't refill or deplete between fights, so if you end a fight with 4 stamina, and use 2 to heal someone outside of combat, you start the next fight with 2 stamina. If you have 0 between a fight then you are forced to drink a potion or quickly heal in the next fight.

Yeah, after thinking it over, I think it will not fully heal your characters outside of combat. Maybe all characters will heal a small amount (like 10%) after a fight ends and any remaining damage must be removed using stamina or items.

Thanks Joseph :) This is why I enjoy posting my ideas because when I get another perspective, I'm able to rethink what I've chosen and make changes.

Well, in this game, there isn't a higher level version of any ability or spell. Each character has 7 unique abilities, and you can equip 4 at a time and are able to swap them outside of combat. As the character increases in power, the abilities become more powerful as well. Some example abilities from my mage character, Senan, are: (note that the stamina cost is in parentheses)

Lightning Bolt - Launches a bolt of lightning, causing 90 elemental damage to an enemy. (3 stamina)
Frostbite - Blasts an enemy with a freezing wind, causing 50 elemental damage and slowing them. (2 stamina)
Firestorm - Releases a scorching wave, causing 40 elemental damage to all enemies. (4 stamina)
Dispel Magic - Removes a negative effect from an ally or a beneficial effect from an enemy. (1 stamina)
Haste - Shifts time around an ally, increasing their stamina generation rate by 25%. (3 stamina)

As you can see, there is no clear "better" ability. You use lightning bolt when you want to strike an enemy hard, frostbite when you want to decrease the damage the party takes (because the enemy attacks less often), firestorm when there are 3 or 4 enemies on screen, dispel magic to remove status effects, and finally, haste for tougher battles where you need a boost.