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I've been playing this for a while... and I think I like it.
The battle system is real-time, which I always hated in the old ATB systems (that's why X was my favorite) but they addressed my problems... adequately. In two ways:
(1) You can enter your commands before it's time for them to get executed, so you don't have to literally enter them instantaneously to avoid losing time. Except for items and 'techniques', those are still annoying.
(2) You *really* enter your commands for the whole party at once using the paradigm shift functionality. Each of the classes has a *very narrow* purpose -- COMs and RAVs attack, MEDs heal, SYNs buff, SABs debuff, SENs... um... presumably taunt or something? I don't really have one yet.
This lets the AI for each class appear intelligent within its function, since its parameters are well-constrained. Which means (a) it's not such a horrible thing that the non-leader party members are AI-controlled and (b) you can usually pick auto-whatever and do okay, if you set your paradigms correctly, since it just calls the AI routine for your current class. Including targetting.
Exception: Sazh's 'offensive' SYN AI is *awful*. It piles up redundant or irrelevant buffs on the leader before buffing anyone else. Hope's defensive SYN AI is a lot better.
The inventory system is a little disappointing so far, though -- you've only got a couple slots (although you get more slowly) and most of the items only do one specific thing, which doesn't leave a lot of room for customization. You can upgrade items, but most monster loot doesn't give much 'XP' -- we're talking 8 to 10 for a piece of loot that you'll get one of every two fights, and it takes 2000 xp to get an item to the next level. So you can really only level up items when you find 'spark plugs' or whatever in a treasure... orb. There's a shop that sells them, but you hardly ever get more money, so the existance or shops is almost irrelevant.
Then, there's the characters. These are ( spoilers, of course )
Anyway, I'm about 12 hours in (out of 60 or so, according to reports) and the characters are actually mostly... well, not *likable* exactly, but interesting. Except Snow. And Lightning. Who need to die in a fire. But not until after the game's over, since they're the most powerful. >:)
The battle system is real-time, which I always hated in the old ATB systems (that's why X was my favorite) but they addressed my problems... adequately. In two ways:
(1) You can enter your commands before it's time for them to get executed, so you don't have to literally enter them instantaneously to avoid losing time. Except for items and 'techniques', those are still annoying.
(2) You *really* enter your commands for the whole party at once using the paradigm shift functionality. Each of the classes has a *very narrow* purpose -- COMs and RAVs attack, MEDs heal, SYNs buff, SABs debuff, SENs... um... presumably taunt or something? I don't really have one yet.
This lets the AI for each class appear intelligent within its function, since its parameters are well-constrained. Which means (a) it's not such a horrible thing that the non-leader party members are AI-controlled and (b) you can usually pick auto-whatever and do okay, if you set your paradigms correctly, since it just calls the AI routine for your current class. Including targetting.
Exception: Sazh's 'offensive' SYN AI is *awful*. It piles up redundant or irrelevant buffs on the leader before buffing anyone else. Hope's defensive SYN AI is a lot better.
The inventory system is a little disappointing so far, though -- you've only got a couple slots (although you get more slowly) and most of the items only do one specific thing, which doesn't leave a lot of room for customization. You can upgrade items, but most monster loot doesn't give much 'XP' -- we're talking 8 to 10 for a piece of loot that you'll get one of every two fights, and it takes 2000 xp to get an item to the next level. So you can really only level up items when you find 'spark plugs' or whatever in a treasure... orb. There's a shop that sells them, but you hardly ever get more money, so the existance or shops is almost irrelevant.
Then, there's the characters. These are ( spoilers, of course )
Anyway, I'm about 12 hours in (out of 60 or so, according to reports) and the characters are actually mostly... well, not *likable* exactly, but interesting. Except Snow. And Lightning. Who need to die in a fire. But not until after the game's over, since they're the most powerful. >:)
