Final Fantasy VI Advance

Like previous installments, Final Fantasy VI consists of four basic modes of gameplay : an overworld map, town and dungeon field maps, a battle screen, and a menu screen. The overworld map is a scaled-down version of the game's world, which the player uses to direct characters to various locations. As with most games in the series, the three primary means of travel across the overworld are by foot, chocobo , and airship . With a few plot-driven exceptions, enemies are randomly encountered on field maps and on the overworld when traveling by foot.

The menu screen is where the player makes such decisions as which characters will be in the traveling party, which equipment they wield, the magic they learn, and the configuration of the gameplay. It is also used to track experience points and levels . The game's plot develops as the player progresses through towns and dungeons. Town citizens will offer helpful information, and some residents own item or equipment shops.

Later in the game, visiting certain towns will activate side-quests . Dungeons appear as a variety of areas, including caves, forests, and buildings. These dungeons often have treasure chests containing rare items that are not available in most stores. Dungeons may feature puzzles and mazes, with some dungeons requiring the player to divide the characters into multiple parties which must work together to advance through the dungeon.

Combat Combat in Final Fantasy VI is menu -based, in which the player selects an action from a list of such options as Fight, Magic, and Item. A maximum of four characters may be used in battles, which are based on the series' traditional Active Time Battle (ATB) system, first featured in Final Fantasy IV . Under this system, each character has an action bar that replenishes itself at a rate dependent on their speed statistic . When a character's action bar is filled, the player may assign an action.

In addition to standard battle techniques, each character possesses a unique special ability. For example, Locke possesses the ability to steal items from enemies, while Celes' Runic ability allows her to absorb most magical attacks cast until her next turn. Another element is the Desperation Attack, a powerful attack substitution that occasionally appears when a character's health is low. Similar features appear in later Final Fantasy titles under a variety of different names, including Limit Breaks, Trances, and Overdrives.

Characters are rewarded for victorious battles with experience points and money, called gil ( Gold Piece (GP) in the original North American localization). When characters attain a certain number of experience points, they gain a level, which increases their statistics. An additional player may play during battle scenarios, with control of individual characters assigned from the configuration menu.