turn-based jrpgs

[GrooveMan.exe]

Are you trying to imply that I've not played a FF game that uses ATB to significant degree? Because wow, no need to resort to personal attacks or anything.

Regarding the Wait option, it's why I said

- Wait 30 seconds to do a move, wait another 30 seconds.

While having more party members means there's a shorter time between each input, you're still sitting there waiting for the next person's turn. Where in other games, turn selection is instant. They focus on systems that reward tactics/forethought/timing, rather than how long you get to wait.

Consider Grandia, which does an ATB system right. The waiting process is directly affected by what you and your enemy is doing at all times. There isn't so much 'waiting' as inputting moves from the get go, and the waiting playing out as characters move. It turns the ATB into a tactical system, rather than using it to make you wait your turn (and not much else).

Final Fantasy when it's not using the ATB? Much faster. The battle system in FFX was just superb. It even had time-based effects (Haste/Slow/Stop) function perfectly and predictably within its system. Let you know just who would be going next and when.