Final Fantasy V battle system

Flying Squirrel from FFV Pixel Remaster — Battle in *Final Fantasy V* (*Pixel Remaster*).

Final Fantasy V features a pseudo-turn-based battle system that relies on Active Time Battle (ATB) and other mechanics.

Each party member and enemy has an independent ATB gauge, and may act when their own gauge is full. Enemies act automatically via dedicated AI routines, while party members are player-controlled through a per-character battle menu that becomes available once their ATB bar fills.

The battle menu allows the player to choose from up to six high-level commands. Two options (Row and Defend) are always present, while Attack and Items are usually available under standard circumstances.

Additional commands depend on the character's chosen job and equipped abilities. Some commands open sub-menus with further action choices. Most actions require the player to manually select one or more targets before execution.

Battles begin either as random encounters or as fixed encounters. Fixed encounters include boss battles, which are designed to test both the player's strategy and the party's overall strength and configuration. Either way, triggering a battle makes the game swap the field engine for a dedicated battle engine.

Battles may end in four ways: the party defeats all enemies (though some may flee before defeat); the party is defeated, which results in a Game Over; the party successfully escapes; or the battle concludes through a special scripted condition. Escape is not permitted in most boss encounters. When victorious, the party may receive spoils from defeated enemies.

Outside of battle, the player can customize each party member's job, abilities, and equipment. Limited adjustments are also possible mid-battle: if the Items command is available, it includes a sub-menu that allows changing the equipment held in a character's hands.

Battle events[]

Battles are events that force the party to confront enemy formations in a dedicated framework. The game unloads the field engine that was active, and loads a separate battle engine. If the battle outcome is favorable to the party, the menu engine may replace the battle engine whenever one or more enemies drop items. Afterwards, the field engine is restored.

Battle spoils may be awarded to the party at the battle's conclusion. Depending on the battle and its outcome, they may include gil, EXP, ABP, and/or dropped items. The first three categories are awarded to the party when the battle engine is still active.

Battle events can be categorized as either random encounters, or fixed battles.

Random battles[]

Battle formations[]

A battle formation is a set of enemies that can appear together in combat. Some formations include special cases:

Certain enemies begin the battle hidden and untargetable until specific conditions are met.
Some enemies act as permanent dummy targets (e.g. the two extra targets in the Neo Exdeath fight in the SNES and PS versions, which can attract hits from !Rapid Fire). These do not need to be defeated for the party to win.
Formations can include multiple instances of the same enemy.

Battle formations may appear in one of three configurations:

Normal, where the standard ATB rules for the beginning of battles apply.
Pre-emptive attack, where party members start with full ATB bars. Not available for all formations.
Back attack, where enemies start with full ATB bars. Not available for all formations.

Each unique area of the game (such as specific dungeon floors) has a fixed group of battle formations tied to its hostile tiles. Similarly, each monster-in-a-box encounter has its own group of formations. The world map is also divided into hidden sub-areas, each with its own group of possible battle formations.

A group of battle formations consists of four (possibly overlapping) slots, with encounter probabilities as follows:

First formation: 60/256 chance of being encountered.
Second formation: 90/256 chance.
Third formation: 90/256 chance.
Fourth formation: 16/256 chance.

Most versions of Final Fantasy V feature 512 distinct battle formations and 256 distinct groups. The Advance and discontinued 2013 mobile and Steam versions feature additional formations and groups.

Unrepeatable random battles[]

Certain formation groups featured in random battles include encounters that can only appear as long as specific conditions are met:

Ramuh, Catoblepas, and Sekhmet cannot be fought again once defeated (barring the Kiss of Blessing bug).
???, and the special formation featuring Golem, a Zombie Dragon, and a Bone Dragon cannot be re-encountered once the Golem item has been obtained from the latter battle formation (even if the player discards it).

The above formations are replaced by already existing formations in the same group upon becoming impossible to re-encounter.

Fixed battles[]

Boss battles[]

Battle preparation[]

FFV-jobs-iOS-Lenna — Job menu in the decommissioned 2013 version.

Outside of battle, the player can customize the available party members and certain configuration options from the main menu to prepare for upcoming encounters:

The player can customize each party member's job and abilities via the Job and Ability menu entries.
The player can change each party member's equipment via the Equip menu entry. The player is prompted to do so whenever a character's job and/or abilities are changed. Equipment may be chosen for different purposes, such as boosting primary stats or taking advantage of special properties.
The player can use items via the Item menu entry to restore HP and MP, revive KO'd allies, or cure status ailments that persist outside of battle. Items may also be arranged for more convenient access during combat.
The player can use certain spells via the Magic menu entry for similar purposes to items. For example, casting Float on the party is an effective strategy against enemies that use earth-elemental attacks.
The player can inspect each character's stats and related information via the Stat menu entry.
The Config menu entry allows adjustments to battle speed, message speed, battle menu layout, pre-selected command policy, and the choice between Active and Wait battle modes, among other options.
The party can save (or quicksave, in supported versions) the game via the Save and Quicksave menu entries, which helps mitigate the risk of a Game Over.
The player can enter row adjustment mode by pressing left on the controller while in the main menu.

Battle mechanics[]

Once triggered, battles unfold according to a number of game mechanics.

Battle terrains[]

All battles take place in one of 34 terrain types. The battle terrain only affects which four !Gaia abilities are available to be cast during battle. Some terrains are visually different, but share the same !Gaia pool. Conversely, 2 of the 34 terrains that are present in the game code are unused in battle.

Battle terrains include environments that would normally not be referred to as "terrains", such as the void during the battle against the final boss.

Active Time Battle[]

ATB bar mechanics[]

The mechanics of the ATB bar are as follows:

Each ATB bar is represented by an internal value ranging from 0 (empty) to 255 (full). Party members' bars are shown visually as progress bars, while enemy bars remain hidden.
ATB values increase continuously unless the unit is incapacitated. In Wait mode, progress pauses while the battle menu is open.
At the start of battle, each bar is set to a random value between 0 and 255.
In versions prior to the Pixel Remaster, all bars are rescaled so the unit closest to acting begins at 255. This caused the noticeable opening pause as the bars "jumped" to their new values. Berserkers were exempt from this adjustment, explaining why their first turn was often delayed.
After any action, the ATB bar resets according to a specific algorithm (see below).

ATB reset[]

After a unit has acted, its ATB bar is reset to a value determined by the following algorithm:

function new_atb_starting_value(unit):
    default_value = 120

    # In the Pixel Remaster version, unit.weight // 4 is used.
    # This value is 0 for all enemies.
    weight_contribution = unit.weight // 8
    agility = unit.agility

    default_penalty = max(1, default_value - agility + weight_contribution)

    # Haste and slow are mutually exclusive.
    if is_hasted(unit):
        default_penalty = max(1, default_penalty // 2)
    elif is_slowed(unit):
        default_penalty = min(255, default_penalty * 2)

    return 255 - default_penalty

In layman's terms, the following steps are applied in order:

The contribution of the unit's weight is calculated. For party members, this is their weight stat divided (via integer division) by 8 or 4, depending on the game version. For enemies, it is always 0, since weight only applies to party members.
A temporary value (named here default_penalty) is calculated: starting from 120, the unit's agility is subtracted, and the weight contribution is added. If the result is below 1, it is set to 1.
The effects of haste and slow are applied. The two statuses are mutually exclusive, and are not active by default on any units in most circumstances.
If the unit is hasted, default_penalty is halved (via integer division), but cannot go below 1.
On the other hand, if the unit is slowed, default_penalty is doubled, but cannot exceed 255.
The final ATB bar starting value is 255 - default_penalty.

Party members' actions[]

Whenever a party member can act, they select from several command abilities displayed on their battle menu. For characters using any job other than Freelancer or Mime, the options are:

Attack: always the top option.
The job's default command, appearing as the second option (or the left option in short mode).
A third option (or the right option in short mode), if an extra command ability is equipped.
Items: always the bottom option.
Row: accessed by pressing left, or the top left shoulder button in short mode.
Defend: accessed by pressing right, or the top right shoulder button in short mode.

The Freelancer job has no default command, allowing two abilities to be equipped instead. The Mime job removes Items and replaces Attack with Mimic, allowing up to three additional abilities, which may include Attack and Items.

The Window option in the Config menu lets the player toggle between the default and short battle menu layouts.

The Cursor option in the Config menu determines which command is pre-selected when the battle menu appears: normally Attack, unless set to Memory, in which case the last used action is selected. At the start of battles, Attack is pre-selected regardless.

In certain versions, an auto-battle feature can be toggled. When enabled, party members automatically repeat their last action whenever possible. If that action cannot be performed (e.g. due to insufficient MP), or at the start of battles, auto-battle defaults to a regular physical attack.

Command abilities[]

Main article: Final Fantasy V command abilities

Chakra from FFV Pixel Remaster — Chakra, a type of command ability to use in battle (*Pixel Remaster*).

Command abilities may function as standalone commands (e.g. !Jump) or as skillsets that open sub-menus containing multiple abilities. Most magic-related commands belong to the latter category. Row and Defend are always available, and, therefore, cannot be set through the Ability option in the main menu.

Each job's primary command can usually be learned as a command ability, with the exception of the Monk’s Kick.

Equipping certain command abilities on different jobs may raise a relevant primary stat of the party member to match the value of the job the ability originates from, unless that stat is already higher. For progressive command abilities (e.g. !Black), the stat boost is more limited, unless the highest-tier version of the ability is equipped.

Unlike support abilities, command abilities appear in the battle menu as selectable options.

Support abilities[]

Main article: Final Fantasy V support abilities

Light Step from FFV Advance — Walking on lava undamaged due to Light Step support ability (GBA).

Unlike command abilities, support abilities do not add commands to the battle menu, but provide a range of utility effects, which can be broadly categorized as follows:

Exploration aids: they improve navigation and safety outside of battle (e.g. Sprint).
Encounter rate modifiers: they alter the likelihood of random encounters (e.g. Read Ahead).
Formation modifiers: they influence battle formations (e.g. First Strike).
Spoil modifiers: they increase rewards from battle (e.g. ABP Up).
Stat transfer abilities: they raise a party member's primary stat to match the job the ability originates from, unless already higher (e.g. Artful Dodger).
Equipment access: they allow jobs to equip otherwise restricted pieces of equipment (e.g. Equip Ribbons).
Damage modifiers: they alter the damage of certain performed and/or incoming actions.
Passive battle modifiers: they alter how the character passively behaves in combat (e.g. Cover).

Certain passive abilities are inherited by the Freelancer and Mime jobs upon mastering the corresponding job. While most are beneficial, the Monk's Counter can be disadvantageous if the player is trying to prolong battles (e.g. when repeatedly attempting to steal). Conversely, the Berserker's passive ability Berserk is not inherited by Freelancers or Mimes, preventing it from becoming a permanent drawback.

Escape mechanics[]

Enemy actions[]

Main article: Final Fantasy V enemy abilities

Unlike party members, enemies do not possess equippable command or support abilities. Instead, their arsenal generally consists of:

A standard physical attack.
A named special ability with a set of properties (e.g. 1.5× attack).
A collection of enemy-exclusive abilities and standard commands and spells.
A collection of counter abilities against all or some incoming actions.
A no-op action, where the enemy skips its turn without doing anything, and without any visual feedback.

Most of the time, each enemy AI selects an action at random from its pool of available abilities. In some cases, certain actions have a higher or lower probability of being chosen. If specific conditions are met, some enemies will always use a designated ability. For instance, Mecha Head always uses Interceptor if any party member is mid-jump, and Shinryu always opens the battle with Tidal Wave unless berserked before its first turn.

When multiple counter options are available and their conditions are fulfilled, the enemy randomly selects one among the valid options (with probabilities that may differ).

Enemy AI do not account for the actual feasibility of an action. As a result, they may attempt actions that cannot succeed, such as casting spells while silenced or without enough remaining MP, or using earth-elemental spells against floating targets. Likewise, they do not recognize or adapt to situations where an action is disadvantageous, such as casting spells that are guaranteed to be reflected back at them.

Enemy attacks frequently follow special rules for damage computation.

Hit determination[]

Main article: Final Fantasy V hit determination

All actions are either guaranteed to hit their targets, or may hit or miss one or more targets. In the latter case, a hit determination algorithm is applied separately to the action for each target.

Hit determination depends on several factors, including the nature of the action, its base accuracy, the target's relevant evasion and equipment (if applicable), and certain status effects active on either the attacker or the target.

Unlike in most other entries in the Final Fantasy series, multiple consecutive hit checks are performed for a given action in Final Fantasy V. If any of these checks fail, the action misses the target.

Damage computation[]

Main article: Final Fantasy V damage formulas

After hit determination, if the action is meant to inflict damage, an algorithm featuring damage formulas is independently used to calculate the damage for each target successfully hit.

Damage depends on several factors, including the nature of the action, relevant stats of the attacker and the target, status effects active on either side, and in most cases, a random component.

Enemies often use slightly different formulas for their attacks, as their M parameter is fixed for specific actions.

Status effects[]

Main article: Final Fantasy V statuses

Party members and enemies can be inflicted by a variety of status ailments that modify battle mechanics such as ATB, hit determination, and damage computation.

Statuses are usually classified as:

Positive (e.g. protect).
Negative (e.g. darkness).
Contextual, as in beneficial or harmful depending on the situation (e.g. berserk).

KO and critical are often grouped with statuses, although they function somewhat differently.

Statuses can be either persistent, or lapse at the end of battles. Among those, some can lapse mid-battle.

Most statuses can be actively removed mid-battle by some combinations of Esuna, Dispel, Recover, Remedy, Smelling Salts, and similar cleansing mixes / abilities. A few statuses have additional specific removal conditions (e.g. confuse is removed upon being hit by a physical attack).

Strategic use of negative statuses[]

Some negative statuses inflicted on party members can be exploited for strategic advantage:

Petrify: petrified characters can act as dummy targets, absorbing enemy attacks.
Mini: afflicted party members are much harder to hit with physical attacks.
"Death abuse": deliberately KO'ing a party member can clear their other statuses, or prevent them from gaining EXP, a common tactic in level manipulation strategies.

Status differences[]

A few statuses behave differently depending on whether they affect party members or enemies:

Old: for party members, primary stats gradually decrease to 1. For enemies, their level and agility gradually decrease to 1.
Petrify: petrified characters remain on the battlefield and can be targeted, while petrified enemies are simply considered defeated.
KO: KO'd characters remain on the battlefield and can be revived, while KO'd enemies are simply considered defeated.
Darkness: party members display flashing sunglasses on their sprites, while enemies show no visual indication of the status.

Ending conditions[]

Bartz's victory pose.

Battles may end in one of four mutually exclusive conditions:

All enemies are defeated or escape. An enemy is considered defeated if its HP are reduced to 0, or if it is successfully petrified, ejected (e.g., via Banish), instantly killed, or if it removes itself through a special script.
At least one party member successfully escapes. Some battles, including most boss encounters, cannot be escaped from.
The conditions for a Game Over are met: either a timer expires, or all party members are ejected, KO'd, petrified, or zombified. This is the only outcome that prevents the player from continuing the playthrough.
The battle ends through a special scripted event.

Only the first condition and sometimes the last condition are considered victories.