DAO was the first rpg I ever played. It started my addiction to the genre (so I played the oldies like BG and Planescape after). Sadly, I have not seen satisfying tactics options like those in DAO since then…it was one of my favorite parts of that game. One actually felt like they could set up their party AI instead of relying on some blackbox mystery (and could keep them from running around all over the battlefield like baffoons). Sort of like old Windows operating systems versus the modern version where you can’t control anything anymore.

I never knew the tactics system was originally from FF (did not play FF…it seemed geared to a very young audience, so I never got into it). But regardless of where it came from, I wish they would have kept it in subsequent DA games. They got reallllllly watered down combat wise (and arguably story-wise as well).

Nowadays, I prefer turn-based games so I can carefully control the tactics of my party myself. I am personally glad BG3 is turn based (although I recognize many folks dislike it). But I would very much like to see an updated version of that old FF/DAO tactical set up in a future rtwp party-based game.