[REQUEST] Animated Side-View Text-Based CBS

<Animated Side-View Text-Based Battle System>
<March 2010>

Summary
First and foremost, I apologize if this is a bit much to tackle at once, but it seemed original enough. I also graciously accept any criticism that may help to make the request more realistic. Most of the details are listed below, in the Features category, but to summarize things... I'm looking to implement a command-based text battle system, which seemed like something that wouldn't have been done before. If you've ever played Deliver That Fulp, it's a similar interface... the difference is that this system is more active and you're not left to blindly guess what the commands are. There are no cursors or text windows - just a promptable text field.

Features Desired

--- Animated Battlers ---

• Ideally, one sheet (image file) per battler.
• Animations are, in order, Idle, Move To, Move From, Attack, Default Skill, Default Item, Guard, Hit, Dodge, Intro, Win, and Dead.
• Individual states, weapons, skills and items are added directly to the character sheet.
• In the script, each character/state, character/weapon, character/skill, and character/item combination is set to either TRUE or FALSE. The number of TRUE commands plus 12, per actor, is the number of vertical rows to divide the character's battle sheet by.
• In addition to the TRUE/FALSE setting, each actor has the number of frames (columns) in their battle sheet set to a custom numerical value. If possible, empty frames are assumed not a part of the individual animation.

--- Text-Based Battles ---

• No cursor or text commands are given on the battlefield. The only displays are the actor and enemy HP/MP gauges. Pressing the Enter key replaces or overlaps these fields with a large empty text field.
• After the Enter key has been pressed to enable the text field, case-sensitive commands can be issued to the current actor and submit with the period key, after which the command will be performed and the text field will return to the default battle screen with HP and MP display.
• Default commands are Attack, Defend, Recover, and Run. Unlike the default engine, the Defend command does not increase defense, but the evade rate. The Recover command lets the character rest for about 10 seconds, recovering a small amount of HP (5HP every second for a total of 50HP) and increases the probability of recovering from a hazardous state during that time.
• Actors can be switched by either using the up or down arrow keys when the text field is not active and the HP/MP bars are shown, or by entering the actor's name or abbreviation in the text field.
• The system is largely skill-based, and both skills and items can be used by typing their name in the command field. Longer names are generally given to stronger and more MP-consuming skills, especially transformations.
• The text field should either scroll or be large enough to accomodate commands up to 30 characters long, preferably longer.

--- Categorized Skills ---

• Skills are divided into regular, overdrive, transformations, and summons. The skills' category can be defined with elements or within the script, either is fine.
• Overdrive skills run on a hidden variable. When a player deals or takes damage, and overdrive bar onscreen increases by the damage number. Overdrive skills concern a predefined numerical amount of this bar as well as MP to initiate mass effects that would be impossible with regular-class skills. Unlike HP and MP, the Overdrive variable is universal - it has a larger total value and can be used by all characters accumulatively.
• Transformations and summons both act as seperate actors from their transformee or summoner.
• Transformation skills should be able to maintain the same approximate percentage of HP and MP before and after transformation... obviously the transformation skill's MP cost subtracted before the value is recorded. (Example: If a character's HP is at 120/200, after transformation his HP should remain at 600/1000.)
• In addition to character transformations, some transformed states should be able to revert to their original actors with a similar skill, while others by default last the entire battle.
• Summons are fully playable in battle as long as they are on the field, with their own battle sheets and skill sets.
• Individual summons are programmable within the script by the length of time they remain on the field (number of frames or unlimited). In either case, if the summon's HP drops to zero, it is removed from the battle. A summon can be used multiple times over the course of a single long battle - however, there is a 2-minute wait before the same summon can be used again (starting at the time it leaves the field) and all summons consume large amounts of MP.
• I was hoping for a couple of combination skills - skills that automatically go into effect when two different skills are used in succession - but I'm not too adamant about it so if it adds unnecessary workload, I don't mind dropping the concept.

Mockups
Sorry, not much to offer. Though a status gauge and text field doesn't seem too complex, I can make one if it's really necessary.

Games its been in
None that I'm familiar with.


Did you search?
Admittedly no. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look around and see if there was a similar enough system that could be built upon, but I'm doubtful. In either case I'll get back to you.

I should also mention, do NOT Private Message me because odds are I'm not going to see it. Email me, use my MSN, post in this thread, anything but a PM is great.