Linear Motion Battle System

The Linear Motion Battle System is the name of the battle system distinctive to the Tales series. The battle system originated in Tales of Phantasia. Subsequent battle systems are based on this one.

Combos
Combos are chains of continuos attacks, either from one character or multiple. Besides increasing the amount of damage dealt to an enemy at once, combos had other benefits.

Escape Gauge
Unlike tradition manu based RPGs, to escape a battle, a player is required to move the controlled character to the edge of the screen. The Escape Gauge fills up gradually as the player continues to push toward the edge of the battlefield. When the gauge fills up the party flees from battle. However, if an enemy attacks the character who is trying to escape, the gauge will drop a little bit. This forces players to use a tactical approach, ordering other party members to hold back enemies whilst the controlled character fills up the gauge.

In the series' 3D games, the Escape Gauge is brought up via a menu and enemy attacks no longer cause it to drop.

Tales of Phantasia: Linear Motion Battle System
Battles are fought on a single two-dimensional plain with enemies that act in real time. Standard RPG features such as HP (hit points) and TP (tech points, used for skills and magic) are implemented here. Commands must be input either using button presses or selecting options via a menu. Heading to either the far left or the far right of the screen will cause a Escape Gauge to appear which must fill up completely in order to escape. Targeting enemies is automactically assigned beforehand, but can be changed manually. Certain skills and spells only work at either short or long range. Time stops when many of the high-level spells are cast or Summon Spirits are called.

Tales of Destiny: Enhanced Linear Motion Battle System
The Enhanced Linear Motion Battle System is almost idetical to the Linear Motion Battle System, albeit with a few enhancements. For example, the character controlled during battle can be changed, and weapons can be switched during battle.

Tales of Eternia: Aggressive Linear Motion Battle System
Similar to the battle systems in Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Destiny, fights take place on a 2-D plane.

New features

No Breaks: Battles do not pause while a spell is being cast (excluding summons and mystic artes, an exception that is maintained in later games), allowing more skillful players to dodge out of the way and avoid any damage whatsoever. AI has been improved for more emphasis on attacking as well, allowing for a more fast-paced experience.

Tales of Destiny 2: Trust and Tactical Linear Motion Battle System
The Tales of Destiny 2 LMBS still takes place on a single 2D plain but now it encourages more tactical thinking and co-ordination.

New features

Spirits System: Designed to make the player think about their battle tactics, the Spirits System sees the characters gaining a Spirits Bar that depletes as moves are used and fills up whilst defending.

Zoom: A graphical addition that sees the camera zooming in and out as characters spread out along the battlefield.

Tales of Symphonia: Multi-Line Linear Motion Battle System
This version of the Linear Motion Battle System is the first one to take place on three-dimensional plains. The player can only move one controlled character forward or back, but both enemies and the AI-controlled characters can freely on the battle plain.

New features

Improved guard system: Guarding now plays a far more prominent role in the LMBS, with damage to characters being reduced far more whilst blocking than it did in previous Tales titles. Using guards properly can stop the character from being stunned and can even help dodge attacks entirely if coupled with a backstep. However, being struck from behind whilst defending or letting your defence get hit too many times can trigger a Guard Break that leaves the character vulnerable.

Over Limit: After recieving a certain amount of tension points, characters will go into over-limit during battle. This sees them becming engulfed by a field of black energy that prevents knock-back and reduces damage taken. It also lowers the amount of time it takes to cast a spell and allows attacks to be charged without interruption. Certain special attacks can only be used while in Over Limit.

Unison Gauge: Dealing out combos charges the Unison Gauge which, once full, allows the four on-screen characters to launch special attacks consecutively. Certain attacks can even be combined to cause additional damage.

Tales of Rebirth: 3 Line Linear Motion Battle System
Tales of Rebirth brings a few quite major changes to the LMBS formula.

New features

Multiple Lines: There are now three lines of battle rather than just one and characters can be dispersed across them via the menu screen. Tactical placement can give the player an upper hand in certain fight that often see characters hopping from line to line, cornering enemies or finding a safe place to cast spells.

Force Gauge: Replaces TP as the meter that dictates your skill count. Magic and sword techniques can still be used as normal but if the player wishes to use them again, they'll have to wait for the force agauge to refill.

Rush Gauge: Measures character emotions during battle and increases their attack power as it does so.

Enhance Points: Gained along with EXP and Gald at the end of battles, Enhance Points can be used to strengthen weapons and armour.

Tales of Legendia: Crossover Linear Motion Battle System
Despite fully 3D character models, the Tales of Legendia fight system harks back to the ones employed in the series' 2D titles, with battles once again taking place on a single 2D line. The term "crossover" comes from the fact that this battle system was designed with a crossover influence from the Tekken and Soul Calibur series of fighting game franchises also owned by Namco, influencing the throws and counters system that some characters have.

New features

Fists: For the first time ever in a Tales game, the main character fights with his fists instead of a sword. Because of this, he is able to pick up enemies that have been downed, hurling them to the ground for additional damage.

Eres: Eres skills involve harnessing minute energies that dwell in the atmosphere and bringing them together to lauch powerful attacks.

Tales of the Abyss: Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System
The second Tales game to feature a fully 3D fight system but with a few major differences.

New features

Free Run: The first variation of the LMBS to have a "Free Run" option that allows the controlled character to roam freely around the battlefield (rather than just sticking to a straight line). This is activated by holding the L2 button and moving the character around using the left analogue stick. Releasing L2 will fix the character on a straight line, from which he may attack enemies in the traditional way.

Field of Fonons: The new method of combining attacks sees a field of energy or "fonons" appearing whenever a character launches an arte. By standing inside of this field, the next person that launches an arte will be able to harness the power of the fonons contained within it to deal out more damage or to make a more effective spell.

Tales of the Tempest: 3-on-3 Linear Motion Battle System
Simmilar to Tales of Rebirth's 3 Line Linear Motion Battle system, with battles taking place over 3 2D lines that characters can swap between at any time.

New features

Transformations: Tales of the Tempest features tranformations, that allow two of the main characters to transform into beasts known as Lycanthe. This technique requires a high amount of magic however and whilst in beast from, characters waste TP. When their TP meter reaches zero, they're forced to revert back to their normal selves.

Tales of Vesperia: Evolved Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System
This is basically an "evolved" version of the Flex Range system used for Tales of the Abyss

New features

Monster Links: In battles, more monsters may come on the battlefield after the start if they're nearby, meaning eight monsters could be fighting at once.

Fatal Strikes: In the place of FOFs, there is the ability to take out non-boss enemies if certain button combinations are used, regardless of HP.

Skill System: The Skill System allows the player to backstep, execute artes in midair, increase attack and defense, and other, similar effects. Weapons are the key to unlocking skills; blastia are used to bring them out (weapons, however, have no effect on artes).

Multi-Overlimit:Four overlimit gauges can be stocked up. They can all be used on one chacter or shared with the party.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World: Flex Range Element Enhanced Linear Motion Battle System
The battle system that this game uses is a variation of Tales of the Abyss's Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System combined with Tales of Destiny's Aerial Linear Motion Battle System. This system creates a similar style of gameplay compared to Tales of Innocence's Dimension-Stride Linear Motion Battle System.

New features

Elemental Grid: A key feature of this enhanced system is the Elemental Grid. Each battle location, skill, and monster has an elemental attribute. The battlefield's element can be altered by using three skills with the same elemental attribute in a row. Changing the element of the field determines both the effectiveness of an attack, as well as the characters that can participate in Unison Attacks, which return from the original Symphonia. A meter on the lower part of the screen indicates when the attack can be unleashed.

Monster Pacts: It is possible to capture, train, and evolve monsters to fight for the party by changing the elemental balance/grid of the field to match a monster's elemental attribute. Cooking in this game is centered around monsters (meaning that the Wonder Chef returns)--by cooking meals for them, it is possible to increase their stats, affect what stats are gained by leveling, or, if a monster is at a high enough level, make them evolve. There is an affection system related to the monsters, though the system does not tie into the story. The contracts that the main character(s) make with monsters (via recruiting them) also ties into the story: every contract you make with them slowly brings the world's balance to normal.

Tales of Graces: Style Shift Linear Motion Battle System
Not much is known about this system at the current time. It can be assumed that this system lacks free run, as it is not a "Flex Range" system.

New features

Around Step: As seen in the second trailer, players are able to side-step in a 360 degree line around an enemy. It is possible that this feature replaces the free run.

Style Shift: The system's namesake, which allows you to switch between two different battle styles at will. Skills of either style can be set to the A and B buttons.

Arles Rise: This mechanic parallels the overlimit from Vesperia and Abyss; upon activation, the CC point limit is removed and Blast Calibers can be activated. Arles Rise is indicated by a blue gauge on the right side of the screen.

Arles Break: Another mechanic, this activates as soon as a red gauge right below the Arles Rise gauge is filled. Its effect is unknown.