Support NeoGAF

[-Horizon-]

I prefer turn based, I tend to not play well with action based ones.

 

[IonicSnake]

Give me MGS Rising battle in a huge JRPG game.

 

[Zuly]

All of them but I prefer semi-turn based.

With that said, I hate the premise that turn-based = strategy. You can still strategize in action games; the difference being that in turn-based you lay out a plan and have all the time in the world to think about your next move, whereas in action based combat, you have to react with an action and strategize along the way.

They all require strategy and skill but in different forms.

 

[Krafter]

Turn based by a very wide margin.

 

[FSLink]

I like Tales games, but I felt like they haven't progressed that much from their standard. Then again, my experience with them is limited.

Yeah, unfortunately the ones that are the most interesting never made it over to the west.
Tales of Destiny 2 PS2, Tales of Destiny remake, Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Narikiri Dungeon X, and some others have really creative battle systems and some of the best in the genre as far as action goes.

I prefer action or turn-based. Semi-active I usually would prefer it they went one way or the other, but there are a few I enjoy. Ni no Kuni's is actually really fun despite the game itself having problems (battle system encounters not getting much more interesting as the game goes on, AI being bad, etc).

 

[SonicTHP]

Give me MGS Rising battle in a huge JRPG game.

Isn't that kind of what Kingdom Hearts is?

I think that's the closest you can come to stylish action in an action RPG.

 

[ShroudOfFate]

A few months ago, I would have said turn based. Having spent a lot of time with the Tales series lately, I don't think I could go back to turn based/ATB. I feel like the control that comes with an ARPG takes luck out of the equation.

I tried playing FF10 again, and never knowing if the dice will let you dodge an attack or grant the enemy an attack that will wipe out your whole party sucks.

 

[redcrayon]

Turn-based for me, anything action-based just pales in comparison (mainly due to my love for turn-based tabletop games) but then if the game is good enough I'll enjoy anything.

Turn-based gives precision, time to consider enemy weaknesses, tactics and use your inventory and MP effectively, and it doesn't reward button mashing. I generally enjoy a hard-won boss fight more on turn-based because of that, you are often only a couple of moves from defeat. Dragon Quest and Etrian Odyssey exemplify this for me.

Action gives excitement and visual spectacle, and if the soundtrack is also good I can really get into the rhythm required for the dodges and combos. The recent Ys games are good examples, and despite its hideous cast Star Ocean IV had a great battle engine, but I just don't feel that my victories were particularly well-earned. I usually don't end up using any of a vast sack of consumables or abilities due to having too much to worry about on screen, boss fights feel inelegant and rushed in comparison to me, but I'm aware that's probably a minority opinion these days.

Semi-action. I suppose this includes various hybrids like Valkyria Chronicles and Resonance of Fate. Also some of the more recent FF games? I find them the hardest to get right but it can benefit from the advantages of both of the other type. I love VC, probably my favourite PS3 game.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

Turned Based....

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

Depends on the game and how it's done.

But if I had to choose, I do prefer turn based because action battle systems like Tales or Star Ocean can get really repetitive.

Turn based can get grindy and tedious, but as long as there's a good amount of strategy involved, it can be fun.

Pure action like Dark Souls or hybrids like Valkyria Chronicles are exceptions of course.

 

[Nimby]

Turn based, but I like action as well. I think all battle systems should require a good amount of strategy. I find most semi-active games to gimmicky, like Ni No Kuni. An exception to that would be Eternal Sonata.

 

[BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO]

Isn't that kind of what Kingdom Hearts is?

I think that's the closest you can come to stylish action in an action RPG.

Dragon's Dogma

 

[Biker19]

Doesn't matter, except if they're real-time gameplay like with Final Fantasy XII.

 

[Riposte]

Well, when talking about "JRPGs", I prefer to talk about JRPG battle systems, not action games or SRPGs (which I find a little difficult to choose between, though both are generally done better than whats found in a JRPG). I don't have a preference for "pure turn-based" or what could be called "active time battle" style, both can be really neat. JRPGs usually fall short because of the complexity surrounding the game's fundamentals and a failure to use those fundamentals well in encounters. I do really like it when a game explores whatever potential there is to be had by forsaking a map in a strategy game (including how the battle can be depicted), that's what makes the genre unique, not the trashy tropes (which can be unfortunately ported to other genres, e.g. Matsuno SRPGs).

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I'm a fan of all of them, but I'd choose Turn Based if I could only play one type.

 

[GamerJM]

I'm good with all types. I think I actually like semi-active the best but I don't really like any of those examples, of the ones I've played.

I actually think I like action the least, just because I have more specific tastes when it comes to that. When a game does action the way I like it then it's great but I feel like I've been burned by too many action RPGs.

 

[SoldnerKei]

I get a more RPG feel from turn based

I have been playing Atelier games and I feel they're pretty much what I expected from a RPG

 

[RedSwirl]

Real time with pause. Best of both worlds when you think about it. You get the immediacy of real time battle, but can still take all the time you need to strategize and micro-manage. Works best if you have good friendly AI.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

Turn-based and semi-turn based.

Action could be awesome. It should be awesome. Japan makes the best action games imo (Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta, etc). Action JRPGs are terrible though. They are an abomination to the concept of an action game. The combat is beyond horrid. Good turn-based >>>>>>>>> bad action. The closest thing that I've seen to decent combat in an action JRPG isn't even a JRPG, but Phantom Dust imo is a great example of how you can keep all the crazy attacks of a JRPG like meteors being summoned and other insanity and still have enjoyable combat that satisfies the action part.

Oh, Dragon's Dogma. That's got combat that steps up to being ok, which makes it like the best action jrpg combat ever conceived.

Play Ys.