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FFT Mechanics Reference
What we're borrowing, adapting, and deliberately leaving behind from Final Fantasy Tactics.
Borrowed
CT Timeline (Charge Time)
The turn-order system. Every unit has a Speed stat. Each tick, units gain CT equal to Speed. When CT ≥ 100, the unit acts. Faster units get more turns. This is the foundation of our battle system and the primary knob for speed-as-strategy (Pillar 4).
Our adaptation: We surface the entire timeline as a visible bar. FFT hid it. We show every tick, every scheduled action, and every charge countdown. The timeline is a UI element, not a hidden formula.
Height System
Height matters for range, damage, and positioning. Higher ground = advantage. This directly maps to Pillar 3 (Position IS Power). FFT's height tiers and elevation-dependent range scaling are the direct ancestor of our system.
Our adaptation: FFT had variable-height tiles. We're limiting to 5 discrete tiers (−1 to +3) for readability. Fall damage is deterministic (height × 3) instead of FFT's formula.
Isometric Grid
FFT's diamond-shaped isometric tiles. We're using the same visual language with a portrait-oriented grid (8×12) instead of FFT's landscape maps. The depth illusion from isometric rendering makes height readable at a glance.
Adapted / Evolved
Job System → Aspect System
FFT's job system (Squire → Knight → Monk, etc.) was a linear class tree. The player equipped a job, a secondary ability set, reaction, support, and movement. This 5-slot template is the direct ancestor of our Aspect system.
FFT's 5-slot model:
| FFT Slot | Our Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Primary Job | Key Aspect (locked) |
| Secondary Ability | Secondary Function |
| Reaction | Defense |
| Support | Utility |
| Movement | Movement |
What we changed:
- No job level grinding. No JP. Aspects are equipment-like items dropped by enemies.
- No locked class tree. Any Function can pair with any Key.
- Slots are typed categories, not arbitrary ability pools.
- Synergies are discoverable and celebrated, not hidden interactions.
Permadeath
FFT had a 3-turn death counter before permadeath. We keep the exact same timer.
Our adaptation: We add a "Last Will" note system for tone. FFT's deaths were somber; ours are darkly comedic.
Deliberately Left Behind
| FFT Mechanic | Why We Dropped It |
|---|---|
| Random encounters | Violates Pillar 7 (Anti-Grind). Every node is meaningful. |
| Zodiac compatibility | Too obscure. Replaced by deterministic elemental resistances. |
| Brave/Faith stats | Overly complex. Replaced by simpler height/damage formulas. |
| Catch/Throw/Lift | Scope. Maybe post-MVP. |
| JP grinding per job | Violates Pillar 7. Replaced by shared EXP pool with two sinks (slot upgrades vs. raw stats). |
| Crystals / ability inheritance | Replaced by Aspect drops from enemies. Similar concept, more transparent. |
| Charge time being hidden | We surface everything. FFT's hidden charge times led to "well, I guess my mage is dead" moments. |
Open Questions
- [ ] Should we keep FFT's "turn order resets when a unit dies" behavior? (Currently: no. The timeline doesn't reshuffle on death.)
- [ ] FFT's CT had a cap (150? 200?). Should ours? If an over-hasted unit never gets a turn, does CT overflow?