The following is my brainstorm of what I think (Or at least hope) the new ATB system will be.
Active Turn Battle
The ATB system is a hybrid between real time melee and turn order, allowing to precisely decide a battle mode, while also allowing the player to decide the blow for blow flow of each attack within a limited time frame before a cool down.
Before combat, the player decides their primary leader, who will be the character they play as when combat initiates. When not commited to a Turn, the player can switch between any of the four party members (including guess) at will.
When combat initiates, the player is provided with the following default Turns;
Attack: Engage in a series of melee attacks
Magic: Engage in the casting of a spell, charging, commiting, and directing.
Summon: Engage in the casting, charging, and Boosting of a summon\
Item: Use an Item from the item menu.
Turn Modes
Attack: When engaging in Turn, the player will select a target through L1 or R1, and then select their attack combinations. Each character has their own unique set of attacks, but in general;
Square: Strong Attack
Circle: Light Attack
Triangle: Charge/Blast
Attack Combos: During an Attack turn, the player can input seamless attack commands, in the spirit of games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry, allowing the character to active special attacks with the right combination
For example
Cloud strife performing Cyclone as seen in the PSX trailer
Cyclone: Circle+Circle+Square: Activates three strong attacks in a swirling pattern that paries away any active attacks.
Aerial combat:
If one presses X, they'll make the character perform a jump based on their Dexterity, as certain weak points may not be available from ground melee. From there they have a limited hang time, and their attacks will change in behavior accordingly.
High Jump Tier: Cid, Yuffie, Red XIII
Medium Jump Tier: Cloud, Tifa, Vincent
Low Jump Tier: Barret, Cait Sith, Aerith most guest characters.
The Warp Materia will enable non ranged-characters to be boosted through the aid of the holder of the Warp materia, and other materia may provide enhanced aerial combat. Characters like Barret, Yuffie and Vincent will of course have ranged abilities by default.
ATB
The ATB will rise and fall according to the attack patterns engaged. As the Turn attacks ensue, the meter will fill up according to the frequency of the attacks, and the strength category. In short, attack often, or with stronger attacks, and the bar will eventually fill and turn red. At this time you have the choice of pressing any of the attack buttons for a finishers that have been preassigned before combat can be switched out as they're learned via Materia Gems, which can be found or produced in game.
There is a catch to this: Engaging in a Finisher will produce a powerful attack that will usually kill enemies of same or lesser levels than your character. However, it also enforces a Cool Down time, in which no attack or defensive manuevers can be made. The player can choose to use magic, summon, item, or switch to another player and start a new Attack turn.
Wait Mode: If the player chooses, the Wait Mode will make all characters and enemies wait until the player has engaged a Turn.
Magic: Selecting the Magic will open a menu from which you can select from a personally organized selection of spells based on equipped materia. After selecting your spell, you may charge it by rapidly pressing the X button until the desired strength is reached. Each tier of spell has it's own behavior, so it's important to decide how long to charge so you don't waste the time. However, charging to the full ATB meter means activating special attributes to the spell. Lower tier spells (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder) can be rapidly fired off. although Some spells, like Fourth Tier Elements (Firaja, Blizzaja, Thundaja) cannot be charged.
Summon: Similar to Magic, you engage with Summons by first selecting the Summon command, and then selecting the summon you wish to engage with. After that selection, the character will be inactive during the summoning period, before unleashing the summon to fight in their stead. Summons will act on their own, and after a certain period, will perform their final massive attack, and disengaging. There is no cool down after a summon is completed.
Command Materia: Command Materia allows characters to engage in a variety of instanced attacks or special magic. Selecting the Command menu will bring up the list of abilities available. Selecting a command will alter the behavior of the Triangle attack. Note that Command abilities will max out the ATB, without the option for a Finisher, although the cool down time is 1/4th the cool down, or lesser depending on materia augments.
Active Turn Battle
The ATB system is a hybrid between real time melee and turn order, allowing to precisely decide a battle mode, while also allowing the player to decide the blow for blow flow of each attack within a limited time frame before a cool down.
Before combat, the player decides their primary leader, who will be the character they play as when combat initiates. When not commited to a Turn, the player can switch between any of the four party members (including guess) at will.
When combat initiates, the player is provided with the following default Turns;
Attack: Engage in a series of melee attacks
Magic: Engage in the casting of a spell, charging, commiting, and directing.
Summon: Engage in the casting, charging, and Boosting of a summon\
Item: Use an Item from the item menu.
Turn Modes
Attack: When engaging in Turn, the player will select a target through L1 or R1, and then select their attack combinations. Each character has their own unique set of attacks, but in general;
Square: Strong Attack
Circle: Light Attack
Triangle: Charge/Blast
Attack Combos: During an Attack turn, the player can input seamless attack commands, in the spirit of games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry, allowing the character to active special attacks with the right combination
For example
Cloud strife performing Cyclone as seen in the PSX trailer
Cyclone: Circle+Circle+Square: Activates three strong attacks in a swirling pattern that paries away any active attacks.
Aerial combat:
If one presses X, they'll make the character perform a jump based on their Dexterity, as certain weak points may not be available from ground melee. From there they have a limited hang time, and their attacks will change in behavior accordingly.
High Jump Tier: Cid, Yuffie, Red XIII
Medium Jump Tier: Cloud, Tifa, Vincent
Low Jump Tier: Barret, Cait Sith, Aerith most guest characters.
The Warp Materia will enable non ranged-characters to be boosted through the aid of the holder of the Warp materia, and other materia may provide enhanced aerial combat. Characters like Barret, Yuffie and Vincent will of course have ranged abilities by default.
ATB
The ATB will rise and fall according to the attack patterns engaged. As the Turn attacks ensue, the meter will fill up according to the frequency of the attacks, and the strength category. In short, attack often, or with stronger attacks, and the bar will eventually fill and turn red. At this time you have the choice of pressing any of the attack buttons for a finishers that have been preassigned before combat can be switched out as they're learned via Materia Gems, which can be found or produced in game.
There is a catch to this: Engaging in a Finisher will produce a powerful attack that will usually kill enemies of same or lesser levels than your character. However, it also enforces a Cool Down time, in which no attack or defensive manuevers can be made. The player can choose to use magic, summon, item, or switch to another player and start a new Attack turn.
Wait Mode: If the player chooses, the Wait Mode will make all characters and enemies wait until the player has engaged a Turn.
Magic: Selecting the Magic will open a menu from which you can select from a personally organized selection of spells based on equipped materia. After selecting your spell, you may charge it by rapidly pressing the X button until the desired strength is reached. Each tier of spell has it's own behavior, so it's important to decide how long to charge so you don't waste the time. However, charging to the full ATB meter means activating special attributes to the spell. Lower tier spells (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder) can be rapidly fired off. although Some spells, like Fourth Tier Elements (Firaja, Blizzaja, Thundaja) cannot be charged.
Summon: Similar to Magic, you engage with Summons by first selecting the Summon command, and then selecting the summon you wish to engage with. After that selection, the character will be inactive during the summoning period, before unleashing the summon to fight in their stead. Summons will act on their own, and after a certain period, will perform their final massive attack, and disengaging. There is no cool down after a summon is completed.
Command Materia: Command Materia allows characters to engage in a variety of instanced attacks or special magic. Selecting the Command menu will bring up the list of abilities available. Selecting a command will alter the behavior of the Triangle attack. Note that Command abilities will max out the ATB, without the option for a Finisher, although the cool down time is 1/4th the cool down, or lesser depending on materia augments.