Games - Conditional Turn-Based Battle

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	Games - Conditional Turn-Based Battle

A battle system for computer role-playing games, the Conditional Turn-Based Battle (CTB) system designed by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) is used in Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Similar battle systems have been seen in games by other publishers, such as Electronic Arts' The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. Such other systems are not actually known as CTB systems, however, as that name refers explicitly to Square Enix's implementation. Furthermore, the details of the system are not constant across the three games in which it has been implemented.

At its most basic, CTB is a turn-based system which does not operate in rounds. That is, though each character's turn is atomic, the order of the turns does not guarantee that each participant in a battle will have an equal number of turns. Characters with higher speed will be able to take more turns than slower characters, thus making speed much more important than in other turn-based battle systems. Furthermore, spells and abilities can modify the turn order (called the Act List), as some abilities require a longer cool-down time. In general, weaker abilities tend to require less cool-down time, thus introducing a tradeoff between speed and power.

The system is distinguished from Square Enix's Active Time Battle System by the fact that when a character's turn begins, all action stops while the player decides upon an action. This shifts the focus from reflexes and quick decision-making to strategy and careful planning.

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