Learn more about active time battles.

In Active Time battles each combatant has a timebar that is filled over time. A combatant can perform actions once the timebar is full (or reached a defined value). The settings for active time battles can be found in Battle System > Active Time Battles in the ORK Framework editor.

The Timebar

At the start of the battle, each combatant’s timebar will be filled with the result of the Start Calculation formula. This can be used to e.g. give each combatant a randomly filled timebar or give them a headstart based on their status values. Afterwards, the timebars of all combatants will increased using the Time Calculation formula – this happens each tick defined by the Tick Interval (in seconds).

The timebar itself has several settings handling how the battle takes place:

  • Menu Border
    Defines at which timebar value the battle menu will be displayed and actions can be selected.
  • Action Border
    Defines at which timebar value the selected actions can be performed.
  • Maximum Timebar
    Defines the maximum value the timebar can have.

Using the same value for all 3 settings means that a combatant can select and perform actions when the timebar is filled completely.

An action will by default use the complete timebar. This can be changed in the Timebar Use settings and individual abilities.

E.g. you can set items to only consume half of the timebar, having it filled after using an item at half of the time.

Multi Choice

Using Multi Choice allows a combatant to select multiple actions before using them. An example for this kind of active time battle is the Final Fantasy XIII series, where a combatant can selects multiple actions that each use a part of the timebar. Naturally, multi choice is only useful when there are actions that use only a part of the timebar instead of the complete timebar.

When multi choice is used, you can define when the actions will be used:

  • Action Border
    When combatant’s timebar reaches the Action Border.
  • Max Timebar
    When the combatant’s timebar reaches the Maximum Timebar.
  • End Turn
    When the combatant ends the turn (End battle command).

Optionally, the combatant can only select new actions after all previously selected actions have been completed. To use this, enable Use All Actions in the Multi Choice Settings.

Dynamic Combat

When using Dynamic Combat, multiple actions can be performed at the same time. Combatants wont wait for other actions to finish and start their actions as soon as they can.

Other Settings

There are a lot of other settings available in Active Time battles – some of the most important are listed here.

Defend First

The defend command can optionally take priority over all other actions, even when the combatant selected the actions after other combatants.

However, this can’t perform the defend command before already started actions.

Control Block Settings

These settings define if and when the player or camera controls are blocked during active time battles.

E.g. you can block the player control through the entire battle, but only block the camera control during actions.

Default Start/End Events

These settings define the default Battle Start Event and Battle End Events used by active time battles. If you want some of your battles to use different battle start/end events, you can override them in the Battle component of that battle.

When using Random Battle Areas or Combatant Spawners, you can define a game object with a Battle component that will be used to override these settings. Additionally, you can use the Nearest Battle game object to override these settings and place battles at defined locations.

Leave Arena Settings

The battle can optionally end if the player leaves the battle arena. If used, the player has to move outside a defined range of the battle arena (i.e. the game object with the Battle component attached) to trigger the Leave Arena battle end.

Leaving the area will count as escaping in statistics.

Battle Gains Collection

These settings handle when the battle gains are collected. You can either collect them at the end of the battle (e.g. in the battle end event) or get them immediately (and optionally drop them to the ground).

Bonus Settings

Like the other battle systems, Active Time battles can change Consumable type status values and status effects at specific points in battle:

  • at the start of the battle (all combatants)
  • when a combatant starts a new turn, i.e. starts selecting actions (individual combatants)
  • at the end of the battle (all combatants)
  • when (optionally) reviving dead members of the player group (revived combatants)

Use this to regain some MP or Action Points status values of a combatant each time the start a turn.

Use this to completely refresh HP and MP of the combatants after the battle.