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Nalkar's Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
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| [January 28, 2008 06:22:15 PM]
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Combat Mechanics
Final Fantasy X11 features real time 3d combat where the player controls multiple characters. This presents a number of technical problems, manly how to display information about what actions are occurring, you could be under attack by creatures out side of your current field of view, and how to enable the player to effectively control multiple peoples actions in real time.
The first problem is addressed in two ways first when any character initiates an action on another character, a 3d arrow is rendered connect the character to the target. This arrow is color coded, red indicates the actions of a hostile creature, blue indicates actions of a party member and green the actions of friendly creatures that are not part of the party. In addition in the target selection menu the action that each target is engaged in is shown. The actions of characters in the party are always visible.
When the combat menu is displayed the games clock is suspended, which allows a player to issue all actions for all characters if so desired. This however is a very tedious method and not the intended form of interaction. Each character has a customizable AI script ( referred to in the game as gambits). The script consist of a order list of actions and targets. The actions higher on the list are attempted first if possible. The targets part of each gambit actually consist of two parts the creature to target and possible and condition to check. For example one come target is "Party member health <50%" this combined with a healing spell as the action will make the character automatically attempt to heal any party member when there health falls bellow 50%. In a similar manner gambits can be created for removing negative status buffs, a poison remove spell will only be cast on a poisoned character.
The gambit system has two flaws that i can see. First the target and conditions are combined which makes the creation of gambits for offensive use of magic difficult, you usually only want to use magic of the element a creature is weak to, and there do not appear to be targets like "Hostile creature vulnerable to fire". Second hostile spell gambits will quickly use all a characters mana, and there is no way to make a certian amount be reserved.
The one area of combat interaction that works poorly is movement. The player can only control the movement of the party leader, although the party leader can be changed at will. This is a problem becuase characters can move while there actions are preparing, and it is advantageous to move away from enimes in this time. In particular there is no way to make ranged character with poor health and or armor attempt to maintain distance.
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| [January 26, 2008 12:53:23 AM]
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The game beings with a long series of cut screens that setup the scene of the game, in essence a brief movie. After this cut scenes and player controlled action are interwoven to create something like an interactive movie. Player goals are given in cut scenes, they are also used to create conflict and hold intrest ( assuming you like the story that is being told ).
The controls for the game are explained as they are needed in the tutorial at the beginning of the game, and more advanced controls are explained when they become meaningful. In general each button as a single logic use, which makes the controls easy to learn, the x button for example interactes with what ever is close, this may start a conversation, open a door, or bring up a target selection dialog if there are hostile creatures near by.
One aspect of the game that is quite complex and obviously very important is the license system. Licenses detirmine what actions a character may take and what items they may use. There is vary large set of possible licenses and it appears that only a small subset will actually be purchasable. This allows a player to customize how there character may act, they may choose to be a wizard, a warrior ect. It also allows you to shoot yourself in the foot if you choose your licenses poorly. In this case customization is both good and bad.
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Nalkar's Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 25 January, 2008
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