[JimKurth]

Started coding my battle system and wow there are plenty of complications... I have a couple questions regarding whether or not my loop sounds practical or comments on the system.

The style is similar to FF3 US, my special effects will be controlled by video movie files embedded into the battle screen rather than math functions. A total of 4 players and up to 5 enemies on the screen. The game will use either a scripted battle during combat or just regular attack-kill combat. Also, the game will use learned Skills (similar to SaGa Frontier where players can pick up new skills at certain moments in battles) and the rest is common knowledge. Here is my game loop:
(tickers are referring to the counters per character)

1) load battle screen
2) load enemies and stats and npc positions
3) game loop: display screen
3) if scripted, read script commands
3a) allow enemy to attack
3b) check player stats to see who is dead and process it.
3c) check tickers and find out who can make command next
3d) allow player to attack, learn new skills, etc.
3e) check enemy stats to see if they are dead
3f) update tickers
3g) loop until enemy dead or players dead
4) update all winning information (experience, blah, blah)
5) return to previous screen
6) end of combat function

the loop will continuously run until player attacks or enemy attacks (allowing active time battle scenario).

[Nodtveidt]

3a - allowing the enemies to attack first is cheating.

You're using an active-time battle system, it seems. In that case, player and enemy attacks should be interleaved based on each unit's tick count.
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If you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear demonic voices. The scary part is that if you play it forwards it installs Windows. - wallace

[JimKurth]