REBUTTAL TO: Out of Time
Last week, Shawn Cooper's editorial Out of Time, brought up the point that the traditional round-based turn system is on its way out. That "it is hard to see how it (a round-based turn system) can be implemented without frustrating a significant portion of the user base." As a single entity with that user base, I have to say that I like a blending of combat styles, but I'm not 100% sold on that fact that everyone wants "a fast-paced active system." Maybe what people want is a turn-based combat system that isn't stale.
Looking at some of the bigger names like Blue Dragon and the slightly older Dragon Quest VIII, they offer some innovation, but not enough to make them seem not only fast, but fun. A better example of innovating a classic system is Brave Story: New Traveler. Brave Story features round-based combat, but it does some simple, yet effective things with it. First off, you can level up in battle. When fighting a group of enemies, as you take one down, you will gain experience and can possibly level up and gain new skills mid-battle. Also, BP, which is consumed during skill usage, can be regained during combat as well. This allows for very little downtime. On top of all of that, allies that are not in combat still gain experience, though at a reduced rate. This combat system is extremely quick and simple, but does not bend to the "demand" that games be more action-oriented.
It would be wrong to say that people don't want faster, more innovative combat. I loved the battle system of Final Fantasy XII and would love to see it implemented again. As a matter of fact, it sounds as if Growlanser: Heritage of War might have a similar system. But as an avid RPGamer, I don't want to see every upcoming RPG ditch the classic round-based style in an effort to bend to a demand that might not even really exist. I really don't want to see turn-based combat remain exactly the same without developers attempting to at least freshen things up a little.
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