History Main / CombatantCooldownSystem

* ''VideoGame/ForTheKing'': Characters are slotted into the VisualInitiativeQueue in increasing value of ([Current Round]÷[Character Speed]), which can let characters with a much higher Speed stat take more turns in the combat than slower ones. This can be manipulated by speed-boosting effects and [[StatusInflictionAttack attacks that slow an enemy]].

[[folder:Roguelike]]
* ''VideoGame/ForTheKing'': Characters are slotted into the VisualInitiativeQueue in increasing value of [=([Current Round]÷[Character Speed])=], which sometimes allows characters with a much higher Speed stat to take more turns in the combat than slower ones. This can be manipulated by speed-boosting effects and [[StatusInflictionAttack attacks that slow an enemy]].

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Djinn have three states: set, standby and resting. A set djinn provides different bonuses to stats and may change a character's class and spells and can be used in battle to deal damage or provide a status buff. Once used, it goes into standby, where it longer provides those bonuses (and may suddenly cause a character's class and spells to change), where it can be used to power SummonMagic. Once the summon is complete, the djinn are resting, and provide no bonuses and can't be used for a number of turns, setting one per turn.

* ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'' features a battle system similar to the ''Grandia'' games, with a VisualInitiativeQueue subdivided into a long Wait and a short Cast segment, and both PlayerCharacter and enemies' icons sliding across it in real time. Special attention is paid to the manipulation of said sliding: hitting an enemy just as it is about to act pushes it back towards the Wait end, so it is entirely possible to StunLock the opponent for good (but also vice versa). Additionally, one of the heroine's companions, Igniculus the Firefly, has the ability to blind an enemy, slowing down its cooldowns.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonBallFusions'', turn order is determined by a visual timeline, an arrow going from left to right with all characters depicted on it as portraits. After a turn ends, each character moves along it, and the next one to reach the end is the one that moves. After a character performs their move, they are moved back to the beginning of the timeline. How fast each character moves on the timeline depends on multitude of factors, such as their individual speed stat, how many teammates are left, racial multiplier, different passive abilities, stat multipliers from moves, and what kind of move they have performed, for example some moves can leave a character move slower for a while. Besides plain moving on the timeline, turn order can be manipulated by attacking the enemy, damage done to a character will always knock them back a little in the timeline, depending on the damage and their passive abilities, and if you manage to ring them out, they are forced back to the very beginning of the timeline.

* ''{{VideoGame/Gungnir}}'' has an interesting twist on this. For enemies, they have something that works similar to the CBT from ''Final Fantasy X'', which also applies to your turn. Your turn, however, has you select one out of the number of units you fielded for an attack, after which the cooldown for your turn will start again. However, your individual characters have their own individual turns that determines whether or not they can be selected next time your turn is up, to prevent overuse of that unit. You can end their cooldown immediately by selecting them anyway, but it gives a cut to maximum HP for the rest of the fight.

* ''[[VideoGame/NeoQuest Neoquest II]]'' decides turn order based on how many seconds a character or enemy has until they can make another attack. Investing in the Increased Melee / Casting Haste skills can reduce the cooldown time between turns, while using AreaOfEffect spells or Mesmerize will delay your next turn. Several other Haste and Slow spells, as well as the aforementioned Mesmerize, can manipulate the recovery time.

* The Active Time Battle™ and its many derivatives from the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series are a variation that doesn't pause when a character's cooldown (represented by the filling of the ATB gauge) is over, and the AI enemies can act while the player selects their next action (though some games like ''[[Videogame/FinalFantasyVII VII]]'' may allow disabling this). This also means that multiple party members can be waiting for orders simultaneously, and the player may be forced to give commands in the order the individual characters reached the end of the cooldown if no "skip" option is provided.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' boasts a polished version of the ATB known as the Conditional Turn-based Battle (CTB), named from the ultimately similar system with same abbreviations from the Tactics series mentioned below. It can be a lifesaver for those who prefer realistic turn-based fights yet are overwhelmed by the fast paced action-like elements of the classic ATB.

* Like ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' allowed you to choose this trope without or with pausing. The former is more challenging because the timer isn't shown, and because it keeps ticking during menu selection, so if you take too long to decide which technique to use, the enemy will keep attacking.

* ''VideoGame/LufiaAndTheFortressOfDoom'', released in 1993, was one of the first {{JRPG}}s to use this system. Characters would act in initiative order (based on AGI and [[GuideDangIt somehow]] affected by equipment weight) and there would be a small delay between issuing a command and the character executing it, with more complex commands (like using magic) taking longer to execute than simpler ones (like using a basic attack). Since the details of the system were ''[[GuideDangIt never actually explained anywhere in either manual or game]],'' it proved a bit hard to get a handle on, and ''VideoGame/{{Lufia II|RiseOfTheSinistrals}}'' dumped it for standardised TurnBasedCombat.
* ''VideoGame/NocturneRebirth'' has an ATB system, but with an added feature of holding down the shift key to fill all ATB gauges even if one of your party members is already full. This essentially allows players to have the ease-of-use of "wait mode" and the finer timing of "active mode".
* Like the aforementioned ''Nocturne: Rebirth'', ''VideoGame/ForeverHome'' allows the shift key to be pressed to fill ATB (or Stamina) gauges without taking action, though the shift key is also used to switch between multiple ready characters.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonBallFusions'', turn order is determined by a visual timeline, an arrow going from left to right with all characters depicted on it as portraits. After a turn ends, each character moves along it, and the next one to reach the end is the one that moves. After a character performs their move, they are moved back to the beginning of the timeline. How fast each character moves on the timeline depends on multitude of factors, such as their individual speed stat, how many teammates are left, racial multiplier, different passive abilities, stat multipliers from moves, and what kind of move they have performed, for example some moves can leave a character move slower for a while. Besides plain moving on the timeline, turn order can be manipulated by attacking the enemy, damage done to a character will always knock them back a little in the timeline, depending on the damage and their passive abilities, and if you manage to ring them out, they are forced back to the very beginning of the timeline.
* Combat in ''VideoGame/{{Anachronox}}'' consists of characters filling up two meters, one that allows them to perform an action and another one that is used up to execute a special move once said action meter fills up.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Djinn have three states: set, standby and resting. A set djinn provides different bonuses to stats and may change a character's class and spells and can be used in battle to deal damage or provide a status buff. Once used, it goes into standby, where it longer provides those bonuses (and may suddenly cause a character's class and spells to change), where it can be used to power SummonMagic. Once the summon is complete, the djinn are resting, and provide no bonuses and can't be used for a number of turns, setting one per turn.
* ''VideoGame/AtelierRyzaEverDarknessAndTheSecretHideout'' differs from the previous games in the series by using an ATB-style system, where the enemies continuously attack on their turns. While normal attacking, the player can build up a boost meter that allows them to force a character's turn instead of waiting.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' makes use of an {{action initiative}} system where it is possible for a Pokémon to act out multiple times in a row. This is influenced not only by each Pokémon's Speed stat, with faster Mons going more often, but also whether you choose to augment a given attack with [[StanceSystem one of two stances]]: a "Strong Style" that increases its power but lowers your initiative, and an "Agile Style" that does the opposite.
* The combat system in ''VideoGame/HelensMysteriousCastle'' runs entirely off this. Each action (such as Helen using a weapon or a monster's attack) comes with a "Wait" timer that ticks down once both combatants have chosen their move. Once an action hits 0, that action is performed and the combatant may choose a new one. Combat involves carefully juggling cooldowns so that you're defending when your opponent's attack lands and attacking when your opponent's guard is down.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bonfire}}'' uses a system very similar to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'''s CTB system: Characters gain "energy" points between turns based on their Speed stat, and get a turn once it hits 100. Stunning abilities delay turns by reducing energy, and "quick" abilities generate a little energy after the turn is finished, making the next turn come faster.