The FFT Tech page is filled with technical information on the game - including formulas, variables, ability strength, etc. etc. While "your average player" won't find anything on this page interesting, I developed a game that actually is an impression of FFT, except you play it manually. It is a little tedious, but after I got the hang of it, I tried it out with 5 of my guys from the actual FFT and 5 of my friends guys from his game. His characters demolished mine over a combination of fighting power and placement strategy (his Orlandu got to my Orlandu first). Anyway, I may post a program I made that keeps track of AT and charging, if anyone is interested. Anyway, on with the show!
More to come! This page is constantly under construction!
The basic attack formula for anyone who is hitting with a direct hit, and has no zodiac effect, is Innate Physical attack * Weapon power. Thus, someone with Excalibur (21 attack) and 10 innate attack will do 210 damage on a normal, non-modified attack.
Zodiac modification changes the damage up 25% for good, down 25% for bad, and 50% up or down depending on sex (monsters automatically take the excellent compatibility since they are unisex). Other possible modifications include having the ability AttackUP, which will double innate attack (although not shown on status), or DefenseUP (for defender) which will cut damage in half. A charging unit taking damage will incur 50% more damage than usual and will gain no evade bonus (unless Arrow Guard or Blade Grasp applies). This applies only to physical attacks. Magic attacks gain no damage bonus on a charging unit.
All physical attacks rely on the Innate Attack and/or Weapon power for damage. Sword skills (Agrias, Orlandu, etc.) sometimes get bonuses (like Lightning Stab, Holy Explosion, etc.), and some don't (Night Sword just relies on the basic damage formula, plus it acts like a drain attack). For more info, go back to contents and select the job you want any special formulas for.
Typically, the only modifiers to the base physical damage (inn. att. * wep. power) are Zodiac compatibility/incompatibility, abilities on either the attack or defender (Attack or defense UP, etc.), and element (a wizard hitting a bomb with a flame rod would add HP to the bomb, because the bomb absorbs fire elemental attacks, and a flame rod is fire elemental, to show an example). Every attack also has a success percentage. The success percentage is determined out of many variables - mostly the defender's evade percentages. Typically, if the unit is facing the direction of the attack, all the evade percentages added up are used (only for physical attacks). If attacked at the flank, the unit only gets the Accessory and Shield evades. If attacked from Behind, only the Accessory evade applies. If the unit possesses an evade reaction ability like Weapon Guard, Blade Grasp, or the like, that evade is added to the success percentage, regardless of angle of attack. For more info, look up each job in the contents.
When a character moves, it's simply stated that the character can only move x amount of panels in one round. Thus, an un-modified knight can move 3 panels each turn. However, each movement has some modifiers.
When the unit is going to move through water, each panel constitutes two, unless overridden by an ability like Move In Water, Walk On Water, etc. If the unit wants, they can jump across the water, if it is to their advantage (if a thief wants to move across two panels of water, a thief can jump across the gap, instead for no movement penalty). As for jumping, a unit can jump the height in panels from one panel to the next. Jump also applies in horizontal jumping too. A unit with jump 5 can choose to jump over 3 panels (1 for start, 3 over, and 1 for landing). However, the unit must also have available enough movement to complete the jump (4 movement is required to be able to jump 3 panels). A unit with Ignore Height can jump from any height - down and up. However, the normal jump number still applies in Horizontal jumping.
There is one trick a unit can do with jumping - if the unit is standing at a height higher than an obstacle in it's path, it can choose to jump over the obstacle. For instance, a Summoner with modified Jump 5, standing at Height 6, can jump over another unit (who is 4 panels tall) and behind the unit, because the unit is standing two panels from the summoner. This is a great tactic to know if you want an easier way to get behind an enemy.
The CT & AT system is very complex, and I'm sure you may have figured it out if you play it often. First of all, a unit's speed number is the increment he/she gains on his/her CT count each round. A round is simply defined as a CT adjustment. In 1 round, every unit gains their CT by speed, and anyone with CT 100 gets an AT. As for AT order, it goes by whomever has the fastest speed. If that number is a tie, it goes by Level, then after that (?) unit #.
For example, a unit with speed 10 will gain AT in 10 rounds. However, a unit with speed 11 will also gain AT in 10 rounds (9 would be 99 CT, and one more round would get the unit to 100). So as to make things even, any CT points that are excess are carried over to the next CT count (so after AT, a unit with 10 speed will have 0 CT, and a unit with 11 speed will have 10 CT, unless further modified - getting to that). However, any unit that only does one move or one act will default to 20, then gain any excess points. A unit that does absolutely nothing will default to 40, then gain any excess points.
The status ailments Haste, Slow, Stop, and Dead are the only ailments that affect CT. Haste indirectly ups the speed # by 50%, and Slow indirectly decreases the speed # by half. Stop does just that - stops the CT count until the duration of the ailment is over. The Dead ailment does not stop CT, but each time AT would've been reached the counter goes down by 1. When it is 0 and AT normally would be reached, the unit turns to crystal or chestifies.
Range comes in three categories - variable, straight, and absolute. Variable range includes any panel that is x panels or less away from source. Absolute range includes any panel that is exactly x panels away. Straight range includes any panel x panels away from target in one of the four cardinal directions. The range numbers differ from what type of attack is being used. Some ranges have height numbers, which means that if a panel is x panels higher from the source (but within x panels from source), that panel can't be targeted. If no height number is given, unlimited height is assumed. In general, most spells have ranges of 3 or 4, most weapons have ranges of 1 (spears, sticks, and cloths have ranges of 2 straight), and some other abilities have varied ranges (guns have 8, crossbows and ninja-thrown weapons have 5, items have 4, and Long bows vary).
Effect includes what panels are affected versus what panel is targeted. Almost all effect ranges are 1. Some other skills or spells affect panels around it (2) and summon spells have extended effect ranges (3 and 4). Almost all effect ranges above 1 have a height effect number, which works like a range number. If the panel is higher than the height effect number calls for, it is not included in the effect. Other effects such as Draw Out's and Summon Spells have either "Enemy" or "Ally" after it. This means that if an Ally is in the effect range of an Ifrit spell (Effect 3 Height 2 enemy), it is not included. A unit is only included if it is classified as an enemy. Some abilities affect all enemies or all allies on the battlefield, such as Dancing and Singing, or other similar spells and abilities. Effect range 1 affects only the targeted panel.