Can I always attack first in active battle?

[sheamkennedy]

If I have an active battle where the ready-meter pauses during menu use, can I make an equipped item that always allows the hero to proceed first even if the hero has a low speed stat. Basically an item that gives you a full ready meter upon entering every battle thus giving you the upper hand despite your stats.

[Bob the Hamster]

There is not currently a way to override the current randomization of the ready-meters, but there totally should be!

Thank you for mentioning that.

[sheamkennedy]

@Bob: Yeah no problem.

I can think of a few cool uses for this in game:
1) One-of-a-kind equip which allows that hero to always strike first.

2) Or just a really expensive (yet advantageous) equip you can buy for your party members.

3) Could be a "speed hogging" equip which allows that hero to go first at the cost of your other members starting with a ready-meter of zero.

4) Could also be a consumable item which allows you to have first strike in battle for 100 steps.

5) Could be cursed with always going last (starting with a ready-meter of zero).

...I'm sure some other game designers may come up with more interesting uses to do with skills, level up, etc...

[TMC]

The main use I see is for ambushes/surprise.
Also, too bad that the battle animations still assume heroes on the right and enemies on the left, so you can't have FF6-style ambush formations, with the heroes in the center and enemies on the left and right.

[sheamkennedy]

The main use I see is for ambushes/surprise.

Oh yeah! That's a good idea. And depending on the style of gameplay if you had enemy NPCs then encountering the enemy from the back could trigger an ambush on the enemy and an NPC encountering the hero from behind would result in an ambush on your party.