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[Edellus]

Although FFs with turn based combat will always have a place in my heart (FFIX, FFX), I much prefer action, quick thinking and fast reaction time.

I had a great time with the combat of FF7R and, specially, intermission (platinumed both). And FFXVI combat looks really cool.

I'm very happy with the direction the series is taking in regards to combat, and all of its other aspects, really.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Since we are making Final Fantasy like every other generic action game why don't we take it a step further. I just want Final Fantasy with guns and zombie mode.

 

[Kacho]

Turn based obviously. Poll results on point.

 

[begotten]

I guess I'm one of the few people who played Final Fantasy in the 90s and like how the franchise has evolutionised. Only thing that I don't like were MMOs taking up mainline entries and 15 being a recent outlier of a bad game.

The replayability of the turn based games and the fact SE has other IP honouring and doing turn based just as well has me more accepting of the gameplay modernisation.

FF even since back then has always been about having the highest level of production and being the best looking game on the market. It's a stupid argument to make, but they can't do that turn based and 16 looks to be reclaiming those things FF used to hang it's hat on.

 

[peronmls]

Only turn based I’ve enjoyed was FF13. It would have been pretty cool to see the other FF games like it with a bit better mechanics. I really felt engaged even though I can't move the character.

 

[Fbh]

Using your brain isn't connected to either system inherently. You can have brainless turn based battle or brainless real time battle. It's all up to the developers to implement the proper complexity in either system.

How many old school turn based RPGs have you grinded by just holding down the A button so your party keeps attacking? A lot.

I don't know in what paralel universe people were playing these turn based FF that had deep strategic gameplay. Maybe some of the earlier ones but by the late SNES and then Ps1 era the games were very easy and basic outside of optional bosses or the occasional gimmick boss. What you'll be doing 90% of the game is pressing X to win.

I played through Dragon Quest XI last year, even had some of the draconic options enabled. And like a third into the game you just find a combination of skills and buffs/debuffs that work for you and then you just use the same skills in the same order for 90% of the encounters (works on most bosses too).

That's not to say that action RPG's can't be easy and repetitive, most of them are. But IMO at least the real time nature keeps them a bit more engaging as you still need to react to enemy attacks, bloack or evade in time, adapt to different attack patterns, etc. At least it's a bit more engaging than just selecting the same stuff from static menu over and over.

FF7R has better combat than any turn based FF

 

[kiphalfton]

Well considering all the action games have been garbage, by process of elimination turn based.

But that's mainly because the devs keep listening to the super vocal turn based crowd and fucking up the action games.

Should be interesting to see how FFXVI turns out, and if they shoehorn in some half assed turn based mechanic.

 

[Rentahamster]

FF7R has better combat than any turn based FF

(I admit I still haven't played FF13 or FFX-2, so I could be wrong)

 

[GeekyDad]

....FF7R has better combat than any turn based FF...

Obviously, a matter of opinion, but for me, I always preferred the strategic nature of the early FF games. Even IV was kinda meh (strictly speaking to its battle system) to me because of the introduction of the timed thing. I'd just rather be able to kick back and relax, think my way through casually. I'm just glad DQ remained truly turn-based. And SMT too. Don't get me wrong, FF gameplay can be great and all, but not my cup.

 

[Gambit2483]

Poll results don't match reality...I mean unless people want 21st century FF games to play like 1995 FF then they are completely out of touch.

FF7R for all its faults and accomplishments brings the battle system into current era successfully

 

[Ce'Nedra]

I like turn based, but I am one of the folks who did not like the 7Remake.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I saw so many pools like this over the years and every time turned based win by a good margin but when people ask Square, they say people want action RPG

People bought the hell out of Nickelback albums years ago, doesn't make it good music.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Think making this franchise an action game absolutely destroys the spirit of the game...

They could have kept Secret of Mana alive as the appropriate Action RPG franchise from Square Enix. You also have Star Ocean... AND Kingdom Hearts...

 

[Fuz]

evolutionised

 

[Lethal01]

Well considering all the action games have been garbage, by process of elimination turn based.

But that's mainly because the devs keep listening to the super vocal turn based crowd and fucking up the action games.

Should be interesting to see how FFXVI turns out, and if they shoehorn in some half assed turn based mechanic.

16 already looks like a downgrade from FF7R due to the lack of character switching and ATB

 

[Lethal01]

Poll results don't match reality...I mean unless people want 21st century FF games to play like 1995 FF then they are completely out of touch.

FF7R for all its faults and accomplishments brings the battle system into current era successfully

Modern turn based games like Octopath traveler are great.

 

[manfestival]

big fan of turn based.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

By the end of this year... we get our answer to this question.

If FF16 goes on to be the best-seeing FF game in the past decade, then it would mean SE read the room and made the right call.

It would unfortunately also emphasize just how much of a minority we are though.

I personally feel and would prefer, FF to be and remain unpredictable. let FF16 be this, let FF17 be more like FF7R, let FF18 be like FF12... whatever. I would rather have that than have a cookie cutter base turn-based RPG with a new gloss of paint with each new iteration.

What's funny is that FF15 wasn't even turn-based. An argument can be made that even FF12 and 13 weren't either.

 

[Gambit2483]

Modern turn based games like Octopath traveler are great.

Octopath Traveller is a (beautiful) 2D game with a heavy paint job...what's your point?

 

[hyperbertha]

Turn-based is the heart of the franchise. I don't know why they abandoned it, but it pisses me off.

They should always make it optional. That way we all win.

optional means investing more money into a seprate combat system, possibly dumbing down both. We all lose.

 

[jimmypython]

this "turn based PRG not selling" sentiment is just not true. Just look at Persona.

 

[Madserb2023]

I prefer turn based as to why I absolutely love Dragon Quest 11. I can't see why they don't make. Nintendo is great at this. You have multiple gameplay styles within the same franchise.

 

[hyperbertha]

I mean to be fair... turn based in most jrpg doesn't provide any challenge either and "using your brain" is really not a requirement either.

Most of the time turn based jrpg combat just mean spamming auto attack, and every once in a while using a fire attack on an ice ennemy and that type of thing, which is why I never really understand the "strategy" claim about these games, there's barely anything strategic, and everything you do in these, you could do in real time action just the same.

Special mention to some spells and buffs / debuffs that are useless, because it's not worth using against regular ennemies, the combat will be over before it's needed, and most of the time these won't work during boss fights, the bosses will be immune against debuffs and they will also wipe out every buff each turn, rendering such spells completely useless. This really frustrated me "recently" in Dragon Quest XI, the last turn based jrpg I played.

I agree though that most jrpg trying to do action often do some weird inbetween that satisfy neither audience. There are some exception for action rpgs though, like Kingdom Hearts in critical mode which is definitely a big challenge.

have you played persona 5? In hard mode?

 

[hyperbertha]

No

Then stop shitting out drivel posts.

 

[64bitmodels]

They could have kept Secret of Mana alive as the appropriate Action RPG franchise from Square Enix. You also have Star Ocean... AND Kingdom Hearts...

if you want turn based you have FF tactics, dragon quest, bravely default, octopath traveler, live a live..... square is very turn based dominated

 

[Skelterz]

I think what they did with remake was great.

But I'm sick of the stagger thing. Why can't I just whittle them down like normal? Why is ever boss have to be hit with specific attacks until they stagger for a limited time where you can actualy do damage? I've head an argument as to why that's good but I don't think it's very fun.

It’s padding and artificial difficulty the people on this thread saying the hard mode was amazing are just baffling to be honest, the fights don’t really test you as you say just tap Square long enough and you’ll win.

 

[kiphalfton]

optional means investing more money into a seprate combat system, possibly dumbing down both. We all lose.

*See Final Fantasy VII and FFXV*

If people had just let Square do whatever it was they were going to do, both games would have likely benefited from it. But nope, Square clearly listened to some extent and both games combat systems seemed like they were trying to do two different things at once (but not doing either particularly well).

 

[Skelterz]

Looooool.

Action combat all day every day. Turn based made sense 30 years ago, but who the fuck wants to participate in slow, boring turn based battles now?

It's outdated and archaic. A relic of the past that needs to stay in the past.

To prove my point, FF has only gotten better since it started using action combat. FFXV is a great example as it's easily the greatest FF and JRPG ever made. Why? Because it let go of the past and embraced the future.

That’s an extremely odd take considering it’s widely considered Square’s recent offerings over the last decade released and produced have been easily there worst reviewed and if you go back to before they started dabbling in anything over than turn based games critically and financially there were more respected and successful among the wider gaming community.

Case in point there was a time I’d trust the name final fantasy so much I’d buy the game before even reading reviews etc however now I wait for reviews sometimes a sale and maybe I don’t even bother.

 

[IDKFA]

That’s an extremely odd take considering it’s widely considered Square’s recent offerings over the last decade released and produced have been easily there worst reviewed and if you go back to before they started dabbling in anything over than turn based games critically and financially there were more respected and successful among the wider gaming community.

Case in point there was a time I’d trust the name final fantasy so much I’d buy the game before even reading reviews etc however now I wait for reviews sometimes a sale and maybe I don’t even bother.

It's in my opinion that FF has never been better, with XV being the hight point of the series, so I can't agree with the critics.

Financially, wasn't FFXV the fastest selling mainline FF game of all time? It's also one of the best selling games in the series, selling more than a vast majority of the turn based games. I'm pretty sure only VII and X (if you include X-2) sold more than XV, so financially, XV and the action based combat were a success.

I rest my case.

 

[CGNoire]

Then stop shitting out drivel posts.

FOH with that attitude. You are either too lazy to list anything or you got nothing. I in no way have made up my mind. You could have possibly enlightend me and changed it. I said nothing rude. Even If I think its nostalgia and in your opinion I am wrong its not like its some insult for me to say so.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

XII and XIII trilogy blended turn-based and real-time elements. Even VII remake had an ATB-like system for using spells and special attacks. So I don’t get what’s the point of posing this question of “turn based or action”, there’s a lot of room in between.

That said, traditional turn based JRPGs (including FF 1-10) absolutely bore me to death nowadays. I’d take almost anything else over that. Good riddance.

 

[Boneless]

FF7 had the best system FF7R was OK, but leveling up and new spells or abilities just felt less impactful than the traditional.

 

[TheDreadLord]

FFVIIR combate system is pretty good when you are leveled-up. It is quite bad early on though and I’d rather have a more traditional turn based combate system.

 

[Skelterz]

It's in my opinion that FF has never been better, with XV being the hight point of the series, so I can't agree with the critics.

Financially, wasn't FFXV the fastest selling mainline FF game of all time? It's also one of the best selling games in the series, selling more than a vast majority of the turn based games. I'm pretty sure only VII and X (if you include X-2) sold more than XV, so financially, XV and the action based combat were a success.

I rest my case.

FFXV might just be the worst game in the series , And in terms of the financial standing of that game it wasn’t a success given the development cycle hell it went through multiple revisions massive portions of the game had to be cut it’s just a terrible game with no real vision or identity, just a huge empty world with a really short story and nothing to do.

I cannot imagine they made much on that title because if it was such a roaring success they wouldn't have cancelled the DLC that was supposed to come out for it.

Nightmare slain.

 

[IDKFA]

FFXV might just be the worst game in the series .

In your opinion. In my opinion it's not only the best FF game, but one of the best JRPG games ever made.

 

[64bitmodels]

I feel like turn based makes sense back in the snes/ps1 days when action combat was too difficult to do on such a scale

but these days it doesnt make much sense when there are turn based franchises with far better combat than FF, not to mention FF usually being the wild card franchise. Dragon quest and Kingdom Hearts have to stick to a specific formula, tropes, and gameplay whereas Final Fantasy is a blank slate, they can make whatever they please.

but it's like... look at the heights action combat RPGs have reached. Elden Ring, witcher 3, Kingdom Hearts 2, Dragon's Dogma, CrossCode, Xenoblade, NieR Automata, etc
Why can't Final Fantasy be like those games? it's not just story, settings and characters people love those games for but also the GAMEPLAY. you never see any final fantasy fan talk about how good the gameplay in an FF game is. FF7 is only beloved because of its story, production values and graphics. the game could have been much more than that

 

[Mibu no ookami]

if you want turn based you have FF tactics, dragon quest, bravely default, octopath traveler, live a live..... square is very turn based dominated

These are all minor franchises, except Dragon Quest, which leans to more cartoonish art design.

FFT Tactics is a Strategy RPG.

 

[Beechos]

Turn based personally. I can understand how people can get bored with just clicking commands though. I can also see how mindless hacknslash spamming things can be also.

What I do dislike with modern rpgs is the "break" mechanic whether it's turned base or real time. Got to "break" an enemy before you can really dmg its health.

 

[64bitmodels]

These are all minor franchises, except Dragon Quest, which leans to more cartoonish art design.

FFT Tactics is a Strategy RPG.

like Star Ocean and Mana are gigantic franchises...
you have plenty of turn based games to choose from in Square's library. what does the size of them matter?

 

[hyperbertha]

FOH with that attitude. I said nothing rude.

You replied to a suggestion with an obnoxious no and my attitude is the problem? FOH boy!

 

[Mibu no ookami]

like Star Ocean and Mana are gigantic franchises...
you have plenty of turn based games to choose from in Square's library. what does the size of them matter?

I like how you conveniently left out Kingdom Hearts...

 

[CGNoire]

You replied to a suggestion with an obnoxious no and my attitude is the problem? FOH boy!

That "suggestion" was...."dont care to bother answering your annoying question so why dont you play through these 2 40hr games and get back to us" wasnt a serious response so neither was my response. Lets not play these games.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Gotta love how when people argue for the merits of turn-based combat in Final Fantasy, they bring up games like SMT which are about as far from Final Fantasy as you can get (and also boring…. No thanks)

 

[Larxia]

have you played persona 5? In hard mode?

No, but I heard it's one of the exceptions where turn based can be more interesting. I'm not sure I trust it enough to try it though lol and the things I heard about the amount of dialogues scared me away.

 

[Danjin44]

(and also boring…. No thanks)

 

[Catphish]

optional means investing more money into a seprate combat system, possibly dumbing down both. We all lose.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Turn based.

 

[Fbh]

Obviously, a matter of opinion, but for me, I always preferred the strategic nature of the early FF games. Even IV was kinda meh (strictly speaking to its battle system) to me because of the introduction of the timed thing. I'd just rather be able to kick back and relax, think my way through casually. I'm just glad DQ remained truly turn-based. And SMT too. Don't get me wrong, FF gameplay can be great and all, but not my cup.

SMT is good because it's actually challenging during normal encounters and the demon fusion mechanics encourages you to constantly change and evolve your party. That flexibility also allows for cool bosses which often requiere you to completely change up your party and your approach to them. Like Matador in Nocturne was a good "noob filter" because beating him wasn't about grinding for levels but rather creating a party specifically built to counter him.
But that's not the case with the vast majority of turn based FF (and turn based JRPG's in general).

I guess there's an argument to be had about getting a new turn based FF with completely reworked and improved gameplay that manages to be as deep, strategic and challenging as SMT.
But personally I don't get the people that just want a new game with the combat of, say, OG FF7

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

SMT is good because it's actually challenging during normal encounters and the demon fusion mechanics encourages you to constantly change and evolve your party. That flexibility also allows for cool bosses which often requiere you to completely change up your party and your approach to them. Like Matador in Nocturne was a good "noob filter" because beating him wasn't about grinding for levels but rather creating a party specifically built to counter him.
But that's not the case with the vast majority of turn based FF (and turn based JRPG's in general).

I guess there's an argument to be had about getting a new turn based FF with completely reworked and improved gameplay that manages to be as deep, strategic and challenging as SMT.
But personally I don't get the people that just want a new game with the combat of, say, OG FF7

I’m glad SMT exists for the gamers who are into that kind of thing, but personally I don’t want a FF game where every single encounter is some punishing “strategic” affair that can kill you if you don’t have the right party. FF (and most other JRPGs) are built around fighting the same enemies over, and over, and over. It turns into a total slog if they try to make it too complicated and challenging.

Also not really into that gameplay loop of continually swapping and reconfiguring your party. I like it when I can build my favorite party and make a strategy that works with their strengths and weaknesses.

Again I’m glad it’s there for those who like it, but not for me. And it is about as far from Final Fantasy as a JRPG can get.

 

[Lethal01]

Octopath Traveller is a (beautiful) 2D game with a heavy paint job...what's your point?

Poll results don't match reality...I mean unless people want 21st century FF games to play like 1995 FF

Modern Final Fantasy playing like classic Final Fantasy would be great.