| ARC Combat! Part 1 - ARC Combat Basics |
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| 7/08/2009 04:41:00 PM | By Rene -
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The boys of Southwall Crew sure have got a lot of enemies... there they sit, alone, with no escape, their backs against the sea. On any side, they're surrounded by allies of the Blood Lord, their sworn enemy, with no friends in sight. But their backs, hardened by the load they carry, are strong and their senses, sharper for all their confrontations, are keen.
Here in this remote sea-side town, the boys of Southwall Crew do their righteous work in solitude, awaiting the day that they might receive that sign; the light of revolution from the base of August Hill. And they will not die before that day, for their leader is clever and guides their arms in battle, and their purpose, clear as the emerald sea, guides their hearts through the coldest nights.
As is standard fare for Tactical RPGs, strategic combat in Bijoux Red is not only central to gameplay, but also to the unique flavour of our story! It's for this purpose that we've designed our own battle system called ARC Combat - which stands for Action, Reaction, Charge!
ARC Combat is designed around giving players more control in an otherwise traditionally turn-based, one-on-one active-time battle. To illustrate the idea, we're currently preparing a series of posts dedicated to the features of ARC Combat, as well as a playable demo that will allow players to take the time to develop a unique unit's abilities and to test them out in combat!
When enemy units engage in combat, the player is brought to the Combat Screen, where the main battle plays out. From the Combat Screen, you will have access to your unit's vital information, such as HP, SP and the circular Impulse Gauge. As can be expected, the battle is over when either unit's HP drops to zero!
When the Impulse Gauge is completely filled, your unit's Command Menu appears. Any abilities that you've equipped to your unit will appear here! Each unit can equip up to four Action Commands, one Reaction Command and one Charge Command.
Selecting an action from the Command Menu, such as Swift Punch, will cause your unit to attack the enemy! But watch out for your SP (Stamina Points)! Every action has an SP Cost, and with no SP, your unit will be left defenseless!
Watch your opponent closely. As they're readying their attacks, you'll often see a ring appear around them that will become smaller as they inch closer to actually executing their command. This period is referred to as the command's Casting Time, and is much longer on some commands, typically stronger commands, than on others.
Selecting the Reaction Icon (the top of the two lower-left icons on the Command Menu) with the right timing will cause your unit to use their equipped Reaction Command! Here, Ander is using the Defense command to shield himself from Sabina's attack. Don't forget that Reaction Commands cost SP as well! If you spend too much energy reacting to your opponent, then your unit will run out of SP too quickly!
Timing is key! Leave yourself open and you're gonna get hit!
As the battle wages on, units are sure to get exhausted! Hold down the Charge Icon (the bottom of the two lower-left icons on the Command Menu) to activate your equipped Charge Command! The longer you hold it, the more SP your unit will restore! But be careful! Charging in this manner will leave you wide open for attack!
Oh? What's this? Looks like a big one!
Some units can equip special Technique actions! Pulling these moves off is really the bread and butter of ARC Combat! Leave yourself open for these ones and you'll receive some devastating damage!
Rene Shible
Director - Bijoux RedLabels: arc combat, demo, gameplay, playable, tutorial |
