Something to Add to the Battle System, Perhaps?

[Sur Realis]

Think about real battle for a moment. You've got fighting, right? Attacking. But if you think about it, it is all about fitness. If you can move your legs and feet, you can propel yourself out of the way. If you can move your eyes to follow the enemy, if your mind can see multiple outcomes at the same time, you can know what can happen next. If you know what happens next, you increase your chance of winning, correct?

Say, think about what a Fighter would be in real life. Bulky, muscled, armoured. Same with a Knight, Dragoon, Ranger, even most likely a Red Mage. I would think that because of all that armor and muscle (to swing around the swords) they would have such trouble moving. What if they get knocked to the ground? It could happen in battle. Getting hit in the chest by a huge ass club weilded by a much-larger-than-human ogre could certainly knock someone to the ground. Wouldn't it be hell to get back up in armor that weighs more than your weapon?

I submit the idea of a 'Stumble' in battle. This can be something simple, as lowered attack or defense for a turn, or just a turn loss, but what I thought was that you could be presented with two options; Attack, and Reclaim Balance. If you choose to attack, the stumble could lead to a 'momentum' in your attack, leading to a better-than-average attack, but it could also lead to a 'trip' which causes you to completely lose a turn. If you try to Reclaim Balance, you will (more than likely, say) immediately get out of 'Stumble'.

This would make for a use of a Thief; a Thief could be seen as extremely fit. They have the dexterity to steal money, the keenness, supposedly, to hit vital points on monsters, why not the fitness to avoid being knocked to their feet?

Also, this could be used as a point to make a definite seperation of Fighters and Knights; Fighters take hits, as shown from Block. They could also have the ability to literally take hits, thus not stumbling from such. In fact, if this were a part of Hunting Ground battles the three heavy melee classes have completely different roles in taking damage; Knights in their glory stumble often. Fighters stumble less, and Black Belts more so because of the lighter armor.

In my opinion, this goes in hand with the Eat addition that so many enemies are known for *CoughGRYCough*.

I do not wish to take credit for this idea, this was actually my friend's idea. He's just probably never going to try BYOND.

[Jumin]

umm.. what about the part where we're able to auto-kill these monsters with sword and what not..
granted that autokill moves will be taken out in v8, im sure that our characters are strong enough to support them selves.. that's why dex/str already plays in a roll in what equips we can even buy in the first place.

also, we already have the chance of missing as well as having weak hits cause, i remember Mahn saying that we could be slipping on the imaginary rocks on the battle field already...

[Sur Realis]

If anything, the idea was something that could bring quite a bit of use to Thieves and seperate Fighters, Knights, and Black Belts a little bit more. Different from the mages, who have quite big differences between them (spell lists), Fighters, Knights, and Black Belts have pretty much one thing that differentiates them of anything; Fighters have Block, Knights have Retort, Black Belts have Mantra. Other than that, they are more or less the same exact thing, just slightly different builds, and different icons.

Also, consider the Mages. If a Mage is going to cast magic, there are 3 things to argue with it, all rare. Paralysis, Sleep, and it being Ineffective (Mud Golems and Poison, for example.)

Not to mention the fact that how I suggested it, it can be advantageous to stumble just as much as it could be disadvantageous. Also, one of the melee characters could get a skill that does such to the enemies, 90 for small 50 for big.

I will admit it complicates battles by plenty for the Melee characters, but it kills the want to just hold enter. In my opinion, someone that doesn't want to put the time in to actually play a game, doesn't deserve to play the game at all. I know how harsh it sounds, but its like my friend; he gets every game that is given any kind of hype, a majority on the release date, and plays it once before putting it up to collect dust. Some games he doesn't even beat.

[gabriel]

I think there is alot of differnnce in the melee classes. They all serve their role in a party. This stumble is to make use of the thieves dex. Its that thieves dont have a major nitch in a party doesnt mean they are useless. It makes sense, your idea, but why have a benefit to it? Iv never stumbled and then accidently did a handstand to a flip.

[Sur Realis]

Well of course you haven't but if you consider it a stumble can give you momentem. Either way, its just a suggestion, I'd like to put my 2 cents in to this game as I do enjoy it, and I think that battles could use with a bit more complications to increase the need of communication of party members. You know, its all just my opinion, I'm sure plenty of people think differently, but theres no point in keeping everything to myself.

[Taterz]

so does that mean beevar would be invincible? psh, i think not

[Rand]

Plenty of things will separate the classes in it's own way come V8. And there might be a few mor things to inconvenience Mages. Maybe. If I feel like it.