Originally Posted by
Sho
What I would find interesting is how they deal with random encounters.
I also can see why they want to move away from pure ATB and Turn Based Combat. Considering how much graphics have evolved and matured, there's simply no longer a purpose for having ATB from the old ways -- one can't justify watching a battle where the good guys and the bad guys are taking turns wailing on each other in tandem. It just looks silly in this day and age. Fights have to be somewhat seamless now, where it's actually like a melee happening between both sides. Usually SE tries to meet ATB halfway, and you get combat systems like in XIII, XI/XIV, or XII, all of which center around the "central" character, with the emphasis taken off the party members, if not completely.
If Nomura can pull it off a perfect mash of turn based action, it will definitely be seen as a marvel in and of itself.