good real time battle RPGs

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to RPGs but I'm looking for something like secret of mana, team based real time battle RPG, old or new.

All I know are Jrpg's:

• Tales of Phantasia (Snes, PS1)
• Tales of the Abyss (PS2)
• Tales of Vesperia (X360)
• Tales of Symphonia (GC, PS3)
• Seiken Densetsu 3 (Snes)
• Rogue Galaxy (PS2) <--- one of my fav and graphics aged beautifully. It's like Star Wars in anime version with a bit of DBZ on the side by the end.
• Kingdom Hearts 1-2 (PS2, PS3)
• Star Ocean (Snes) <--- weird combo of turn-based with real time.
• Star Ocean 2 (PS1) <--- weird combo of turn-based with real time but more active than the first game.
• Star Ocean 3 (PS2) <--- fully real time, a lot like Tales of series.

I know many more but they aren't team based.

I really wish people would stop doing that.

@Lulu_Lulu: For once, just let it go and stop trying to derail RPG threads. You're not welcome on them.

@pikachewbacca:try Ni no Kuni for the PS3. Great game right there. And Final Fantasy 12 on the PS2 (underrated title in the series, I believe)

@Lulu_Lulu:If you don't have anything to contribute to the thread, don't. Everyone has heard a dozen times over how much you don't like RPGs and nobody cares.

@pikachewbacca: Some good suggestions have been made already. Although I'm mixed on the merits of real time combat systems versus turn based on RPGs (and the inevitiable loss of control that occurs as a result), some of them use some pretty good/fun systems. The Tales games and the Star Ocean series are the two that pop into my head first. FF12 also had a pretty decent system (better than any of the later FF games, IMHO). Ni No Kinu is a game that I really want to like, but the balance of the combat system later in the game seems to fall apart with things like mana being overly expensive to replenish.

Of the Tales games, Symphonia for Gamecube is one of my top all time RPGs and Star Ocean 3 for PS2 was AWESOME (although I never beat it because the crafting system was so interesting I wasted a ton of time just doing that).

-Byshop

The Tales series sounds like what you're looking for, Final Fantasy XII might also be worth looking at, Resonance of Fate is real time/turn based hybrid not totally sure if it's quite what you're looking for though

My favourite action based party RPGs are the valkyrie profile games.

In terms of WRPGs, Pillars of Eternity came out some few months ago

@mastermetal777: @Byshop:

How can they hear something I've never said ? And I'm not talking about this thread specifically..... I have never ever said I hate RPGs....... not since 2013 atleast.

Besides you two are jumping to conclusions..... this time the thing thats bothering is this whole naming a genre by its country if origin thing....... J/W RPG term is very inaccurate and extremely outdated.

@Lulu_Lulu: You have exactly three choices here: Post something in this thread that's on topic, leave the thread, or get a strike. It's up to you.

-Byshop

Thanks for the suggestions guys. JRPGS are fine to suggest! I do agree with lulu lulu in a way (not trying to cause trouble just stating an honest opinion) I don't understand why they have to have a separate genre for RPGS made in Japan. Aren't most of them made there anyway? Is there that much of a difference? Ah well, I'm going to check out what's been suggested :)

@pikachewbacca: It's mostly a stylistic difference. JRPGs are mostly about cooperation (hence having so many party members aiding in saving the world), and WRPGs are mostly about the power of one fantasy (one man/woman against the odds). WRPGs also tend to be grittier and involve non-linear story progression, as opposed to the more colorful worlds of linear character development of the JRPG. In gameplay, WRPGs tend to involve more action-based combat, while JRPGs are more often than not turn-based tactical games.

If you're fine with the topic going in that direction then that's ok. The mods are here to make sure people don't derail your thread from the topic that you asked ( among other things) because otherwise you may not get an answer.

The distinction between a JRPG and a Western (or WRPG) exists because while on the surface they appear to just be the same type of game but from different countries, there are some deeper differences than that because of how they came to exist as separate genres. The web series Extra Credits did a three part series on how each of these genres came into existence somewhat separate from each other and have had little influence on each other throughout their growth. JRPGs tend to be much more linear, narrative heavy, giving you a pre-baked character who's exact role in the story is pre-determined, whereas western RPGs have a greater emphasis on character creation, open world exploration and player choice. More importantly, they also tend to appeal to different audiences which is why it's usually worth mentioning when making suggestions for someone.

Often when people think of real-time combat systems in RPGs, they tend to think of games where you directly control one character while the others are automatically controlled (often with AI guidelines that you can program or orders that you can issue). If we extend that to include games where you don't directly control any character, but instead order members of your party then we can also include the D&D style PC games like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, and the Kights of the Old Republic games. These are "real time" games in as much as combat is not turn based, but you don't directly control any one party member. You can pause combat and then issue orders, but there's no "I press this button and my sword swings" that you'll see in other real-time combat systems.

-Byshop

Yeah definitely check out the Tales of games. The most recent and easiest ones to get have been on the PS3 and are:

• Tales of Symphonia Chronicles
• Tales of Xillia
• Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Vesperia which came out a while ago on the 360 is probably my favourite and I think you can download it from the Xbox Store.

I find that WRPG are quest focus while JRPG are more combat focus. Just do not confuse combat focus with action RPG. Action RPG is about a single character fighting while combat focus is about group fighting.

As for the TC:

I find the Tales of games to fall a bit flat with the combat when you play them as pure real-time game. they are a bit better when you play them as non-real time game.

As for a RPG that I like that is real time then I say FF9.

I suppose some of my favourite games are ones where you're part of a team (AI controlled if not playing multi-player) and for the AI to act on their own accord. I realise that greatly diminishes tactical play but I've always been more of a go out all guns blazing kind of gamer.

JRPGs have this for sure because there's typically no option to pause combat and issue orders. You directly control one character and the rest are controlled by a set of guidelines you provide. By comparison, Dragon Age allows you to directly order any of the characters (although you don't exactly control them yourself) and you can provide detailed intructions for how they'll behave in combat based on your actions as well as the circumstances of the battle (i.e. use healing spells if someone drops below 50% health, attack player's target otherwise, etc).

-Byshop

@Byshop: Interesting... :)

do you know of any good games that fit my description but in different genres? I suppose there's quite a few as so many modern shooters for example revolve around teams/armys.

My favorite real time party based rpg is Dragon Age Origins. The story was great and the combat system pretty good for a top down crpg.

Yes, but often the further away from the RPG genre the more your AI partners have to "think" for themselves in terms of things like pathfinding, combat, environment interaction, etc. Unfortunatley, the more complex the AI you have to program, the more likely the AI is to have problems. A lot of action games have had co-op added as a feature, and if the game is structured around two players moving through the levels then the "partner" gap is filled by an AI partner when you're playing by yourself. Often the biggest complaint that people will have about games like this is that your AI partners aren't that effective. Resident Evil 5 is an example of this, where if you aren't playing co-op you're at a disadvantage because for most of the game you're saddled with a braindead AI partner. Combat in RPG-type games is a lot more structured than in other genres, so the AI doesn't have to be as smart to be effective. Still, even in games like Ni No Kuni, one of the biggest criticisms is you don't have enough options for programming your AI partners.

-Byshop

I may be late to the party, but I'll give you a few less common suggestions, simply because they fit your criteria well and, like you, I'm always watching for RPGs "like Secret of Mana".

White Knight Chronicles [PS3/PSNow] *involves an action gauge but otherwise real-time, maps and party like SoM, custom character, sequel includes remastered original on-disc

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll [PS3/PSNow] *3-character team, lots of environmental interaction

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning [PS3/XB360/PC] *often quests involve AI partners, combat and maps like SoM

Lord of the Rings: War in the North [PS3/XB360/PC] *3-character team, fast-paced combat, eagle assist

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen [PS3/XB360/PC] *custom characters, recently released on Steam, highly recommended

Ys: Memories of Celceta [PSVita] *basically a perfect equivalent to SoM in every way

Rune Factory 4 [3DS] *allows AI partners for questing, very similar aesthetic to SoM

And hey, there's a mix of both Japanese and Western titles in there. Look into all of them. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Also, when we're talking real-time combat, I assume you mean seamless encounters that occur on the field, and that's not usually the case with Tales games. Even with the newest ones, there are still menu-driven elements too, and I don't know if that will satisfy what you're looking for.

@TarotMasterJF: Please don't bump old threads.

-Byshop