Since I only recently added a blog, but *really* wanted to share this, I'll just have to settle for a post here.
I've made several changes to the game play, attaching each character to his or her own 'style'. Basically, each actor would have their own way of playing out. It started off with just Allen, but lore and a recent surge of inspiration compelled me to make every character inherently unique. (or at least try to).
Changes (implemented, or otherwise):
@> Rage was reworked. Now, gaining Rage will increase the damage each actor deals AND takes by a certain factor.
@> Thanks to the change in how Rage worked, I added a 'Wait' command for all actors, giving them a way to deplete Rage AND gain Stamina when needed.
@> Overskills are now restricted to just Alter, who is also the only actor that does not take more damage when gaining rage. Instead, Alter slowly loses control of himself (by disabling his commands) and, upon reaching the max level, gets inflicted by a 'Confusion' like status that makes him target friend and foe alike. As of now, the status lasts for 5 turns, after which Alter will return to normal (with depleted Rage)
@> June gets Combos, in lieu of Overskills. Combos allow June to chain together various skills, allowing for increased effectivity and, in most cases, reduced skill costs. The more moves she lands on the enemies, the harder she will hit, the more combos she'll be able to pull off.
@> Victor gets 'Stances', cost-less abilities that affect various aspects of how he plays. Granting bonuses like various stat buffs, increased element resistance, status immunities, and even, entire new skillsets!
@> Allen gets 'Summon' (which, he actually already has). These skills allow him to sacrifice some health to summon a powerful familiar to aid him in battle. The familiar disappears if either it falls in battle, or the battle concludes. Only one familiar can be summoned in battle. This restriction holds even if the familiar is dead or removed from the current party in any way. As a side note: familiars ALL have higher target rates than any of the actors. In addition, Allen's target rate is halved when a familiar is called forth.
-> Pertaining Allen: Allen is the only actor in the game with a decreased Rage gain. Add to that, he is also the only one whose Rage is reset to 0 at the end of each battle, instead of just halved.
@> Ilya gets 'Mimic', an ability that automatically stores the last skill used on her. For example: say, Ilya fought a slime and got hit by 'Slime Hurl'. The Mimic command will then change into 'Slime Hurl', and on Ilya's turn, she will be able to use that skill indefinitely for the rest of the battle. Currently, the number of skills she can learn in one battle is unlimited, but this may change if it becomes too unbalanced.
And that will be all. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to post here :)
Thanks for your time!