General Mechanics
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (hear by known as FFT-A) is the third product of Square's engulfment of Mission. It's a Strategy RPG (known as a Simulation RPG in Japan) based on the "world" of Final Fantasy. If you have played the original Final Fantasy Tactics, or any of the Ogre Battle/Tactics Ogre series, or even Advance Wars; this game should be familiar territory. Battles are turn-based and take place on what essentially is a grid. Each time it becomes a unit's turn, they will get a chance to move and execute an action. Each unit has 8 stats which determine different attributes:
Move | Amount of panels that unit can move each turn. |
Jump | Maximum height that unit can scale. |
Evade | The % of attacks that unit can possibly dodge. |
Weapon Atk | How strong that unit's physical attack will be. |
Weapon Def | How well that unit can defend a physical attack. |
Magic Pow | The strength of any magic cast by that unit. |
Magic Res | How well that unit can resist a magical attack. |
Speed | Determines the order and frequency of AT. |
Unlike FFT, there is no "casting" time for spells and abilities, not even for Jump (which is highly unorthodox by Final Fantasy standards). Also there is no Bahamut summon... a break of a tradition set since Final Fantasy III.
FFT-A is filled with many systems; some are old, some are revised, and some are brand spanking new. Because of their complexity, I might as well go over them one at a time for you: