Thanks for all the comments, progress is finally at the point where I'm liking how things are going. Now it's time to unveil our idea for the battle system! Keep in mind that this is just a rough outline, and it's only to share our ideas for it, the focus isn't on the actual design right now.
Before I begin, I want to start by pointing something out, because I'm sure the question will come up.
The original CT battle system, as awesome and badassed as it was, may be VERY difficult to impliment into Crisis because of some system ideas we have, plus the sheer sprite load. We've opted for a system that sort of marries Trigger's with Cross's. Mind you, the mockups that follow are VERY crude. XD Lena also used the japanese names for Chrono and Marl (Crono and Marle) just for the mockup, so don't be alarmed! ^^'
~Note: In the final version, all characters will have animated battle poses, and the monsters will be repesented with animated sprites, not stills. BTW--meet Mr. Eyeball monster, by the one and only Validus! (Isn't he just awesome? XD)
And now for screenies made by the one and only Lena Andreia!
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Normal battle demo 1
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Normal battle demo 2
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Demo for boss battle
How it will work
What we've decided so far is that we will keep the combo system from Cross, and more closely match it with the flexibility of the dual/triple techs from Trigger. The system is based on exhaustion, so you can attack until all of those little squares go away. Certain characters have more stamina than others--and remember, more strength doesn't nessessarily result in more energy.
What about techs?
Here's where we expand. Cross is critisized for having sort of a watered down version of the Xenogears battle system. We're going to bring back an element from that system that was very fun--command input techs. In short, techs in Crisis will NOT cost MP. They're free--they just cost exhaustion, and of course, your own skill to input them correctly. Magic will be handled in a seperate menu that is not shown in these mockups (it'll appear between Fight and Item). You can access your tech list to see the combos you need by hitting "X" (or whichever button we denote as X. XD I'm still hoping we CAN get controllers to work with this, as it'll make this much easier for everyone involved.)
Another idea I'm playing with is simply having you select the tech you want from the "X" menu, and then it prompts you for the commands. A little less action based.
Duals and Triples?
Another place where Cross was sort of "meh".
Crisis will have at least as many, if not more dual and triple techniques than Chrono Trigger. This, I promise. How will they work?
During your tech, there will be a point where you are prompted to push the action key (enter, or "A"), if another character has enough stamina to join in. Since the higher level techs take a LOT of stamina, there may be turns you have to rest with the other characters in order to save up enough to act as one force. In the case of a triple, you'll be prompted to hit the command button twice. The action will freeze, and you can put in the commands for the other characters. If successful, a combo will be launched.
Magic techs will work the same way they did in Trigger--through menu hopping. They will also cost MP.
After each battle, you're awarded EXP (for your levels, of course!) and TP (EXP for your techs). Techs are innately learned, and not equipped (so no element grids). Unlike Trigger, you can pick and choose where you allocate your TP. Techs can be leveled up to do more damage, and TP are also required to learn techs. To learn a new tech, you must not only have enough TP to unlock it, but the required levels in prerequisite techs, if indicated.
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Benefits of leveling up Techs
In addition to doing more damage, having a greater chance of inflicting a status ailment, or healing more damage (depending on the tech), some techs can also give you bonuses. A character is naturally attuned towards certain strengths (For example, Xavier is more attuned to physical attacks, while Celia is more attuned to magical attacks). By learning techs and spells, bonuses are added to your character's core stats--attack, defense, speed, magic, and magic defense.
That's it for now... If you have any comments or concerns, post them here and I'll address them. Remember--these are just the sparks of ideas, so we don't have demos or anything. XD If you have any ideas that you think would be cool to add, go ahead and point those out too! ^^
