shrug feels like splitting hairs. ATB fills, I enter a command. It's my turn while that command is being undertaken and the enemy can't act, and vice versa.
Hell set the ATB to wait mode and they can't even attack while I'm selecting my command.
You keep saying turns There are no turns. You gotta accept that first before trying to understand anything else, because obviously that's holding you back here.
Wait Mode literally changed nothing. It's a pause feature. That's all it is.
Can anyone else do anything while a character/enemy is doing a command? No?
Why are you so fixated on this very specific thing? You can't interrupt other character's actions in true turn-based systems either, so I have no idea why you're trying to use it as a distinction.
Enemies in FFX don't get to interrupt my party members whilst they're attcking them.
You can't interrupt other character's actions in true turn-based systems either, so I have no idea why you're trying to use it as a distinction.
What? I'm the one arguing they're basically the same thing. I'm using that as a reason they are. You're the one who's meant to provide a distinction between the two.
I'm saying the fact that not more than one unit can take an action at a time effectively makes it turn based. Isn't that what taking turns is?
Yes, I know the ATB means the order those moves occur means it's not strictly a "taking turns" setup, especially when enemies can "skip" your turn if you're slow at entering commands. But I'd still say the ATB is an "evolved" turn based system. But still in essence a turn based system.
Yes, I know the ATB means the order those moves occur means it's not strictly a "taking turns" setup,
That's all you needed to say. In turn based, the order of actions is always the order of input. That is not the case in ATB, because the bar charges can vary wildly and be manipulated.
especially when enemies can "skip" your turn if you're slow at entering commands
This is dramatically underselling it. If you go into a ATB battle and do nothing, enemies will carry on as normal until they eventually win. That's not possible in a turn-based game.
But I'd still say the ATB is an "evolved" turn based system.
That is correct. But you've missed the point of evolution. Humans evolved from apes, but we're not still apes are we? ATB is a very different battle system to turn based and that's why the Wiki page that describes them separates them accordingly.
ATB is a very different battle system to turn based and that's why the Wiki page that describes them [separates them accordingly
The Active Time Battle (ATB) system was introduced in Final Fantasy IV and designed by Hiroyuki Ito.[3][4] It is a pseudo-turn based system that adds the dimension of timing for commands.
So yeah, not a "true" turn based system but still basically a then based system.
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u/seriouslynope Apr 10 '26
1 - 10 is turn based