This is the same Glory of Heracles series that has been so popular in Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System play. The newest installment, Glory of Heracles - is an RPG with a broad scope that inherits all the good points of the series and can be enjoyed by anyone. In this special feature interview, we asked the development staff members - all fans of the series themselves to tell us about the attractions of this new Glory of Heracles. Making Battles Varied Through the Use of Magic, Skills, and Abilities
Nintendo:

I notice that the atmosphere of the Battle System differs from that of the previous titles.
Kondo: The battles proceed through a combination of Magic, Skills, and Abilities, but actually, this new Battle System is based on card games. I drew upon the knowledge developed from producing card games in the past and attempted to infuse the battles of this RPG with the fun, interest, and essence of a card game without actually using cards.
Han:
We borrowed the concept of the "combo" from card games, too, so that even if you're not sure how to use a certain Skill or Ability, if you combine it with something else, it will display a surprising effect.
Nintendo:

Specifically, what kinds of combinations are there?
Han: The Skill called "Bash" combines easily with a variety of other Skills. This particular Skill sends an opponent that has attacked you to the rear rank. For instance, in a case where there is one enemy in the front rank and multiple enemies in the rear rank, you can first send the front rank enemy to the rear rank with a "Bash," and then use a row attack such as "Multi Shot" to inflict damage on the whole row. In addition, you can inflict great damage on multiple enemies by engaging the skill called "Support," which enhances the power of your comrades.
Saito:
Another cool Skill is "Friendship," which launches a counterattack on an enemy that has attacked the comrade fighting by your side. Let's say I put a character equipped with a shield in the vanguard and then position characters bearing bows and arrows to the left and right of this character as a rear guard. If one of the characters in the rear guard uses "Friendship," then a counterattack will be launched each time the character in the vanguard is attacked, so it becomes possible for the character bearing the shield to attack very aggressively while damage is held in check.
Kondo: One simple Ability that goes a long way is "Take It to the Max." By adding this to another ability like "Counter" or "Critical," you can boost the success rate of the other Ability. Players will come across all sorts of combinations involving Magic, Skills, and Abilities throughout the adventure.
Nintendo:

The idea of "Overkill" (MP recovery if you inflict great damage upon the enemy) is new, too, isn't it?
Kondo: That, too, was a result of our wish to incorporate the strategic qualities of a card game into RPG battle.
Nishimura:
The existence of Overkill totally changed the nature of the game. At the development stage, we had quite a hard time adjusting the system. Either the Overkill would immediately give the player a full complement of MP, making it possible to invoke Magic as much as desired, or else we couldn't get the Overkill to replenish the MP, so the player wouldn't be able to use Magic at all. But I think we finally managed to arrive at a good balance where, if you give it a little thought, you can recover MP efficiently and invoke Magic regularly.
Nintendo:

Did the idea for "Ether" come from card games as well?
Kondo: That's right. Ether is similar to the concept of "cost" in card games. Magic is powerful, but the balance of the game will erode if you do not prepare some sort of price to be paid for it, commensurate to the extent you use it.
Nishimura: I think it's a bit complicated to try to imagine how you will need Ether as well as MP in order to use Magic, but I liked how this feature made the Battle more strategic.
Kondo: The existence of Ether is tightly woven into the story, so even if you're not aware of it at the beginning, you gradually become accustomed to it.
Nintendo:

Are there tricks to using Ether skillfully?
Han:
Some kinds of Magic use the Ethers of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water, and others use the counterposing Darkness. If either one of these Ether components is depleted, the other component grows in strength. It's best to make clever use of this mechanism. To put it in terms of the characters, let's focus on Eris. She excels at invoking the Magic of Darkness. This may seem hard to use at first glance, but if you try, you will see that when you use the Magic of Darkness, the Ethers of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water will all grow more abundant. If someone else uses up the Magic of Fire, Eris can employ the Magic of Darkness to create more Ether of Fire to compensate. If you come to understand how this conversion occurs, you can make repeated use of Magic without exhausting your store of Ether.
Horita: You can still use Magic even if you lack sufficient Ether, but it comes with a penalty, in that the character who used it will sustain damage. The more powerful the Magic, the worse the damage will be when Ether is insufficient, so a character may end up going down even if the Ether deficit is minor. On the other hand, there may be times when you want to ignore the Ether value and make vigorous use of Magic knowing you can recover later.
Nintendo:

Does each character have a set role?
Han: They do have basic personalities. If I had to characterize him, I'd say the Main Character plays the role of a kind of "shield" that protects his party. We gave him a certain hardness of character so that he would be sure to survive even at times when the party seemed on the brink of annihilation. If the Main Character were to be the first to die, then the player would be bound to think, "Well, who is going to stand in for me now?" Leucos is the type who earns her keep through service. She is more of an acrobat than a stock female character. She can use the Ability of "Deadly Aim" from the very outset. Axios plays an overall offensive role, but at the same time, he can move in a multitude of ways. Heracles is muscular and high in attack power, so he plays a central role in Battle. Eris is, as she appears, a Magician. Her true potential is extremely high, so you can grow very strong if you use her wisely.
Nishimura: However, we made it so that the players can freely assign roles to the characters apart from the ones we established for them. Because you can increase Magic, Abilities, and Skills by using items and equipment that add to their power, the roles that the various characters have will differ depending upon the player.
Kondo:
Ordinarily, when you're playing a game and you come to a new town, you will equip yourself with the most powerful weapons and protective gear that they're selling in that town's stores, but if you start paying attention to Abilities and Skills, you will begin to think in new terms, such as "I can use Abilities when I'm wearing this cloak, so I should not part with it" or "This helmet allows me to use powerful Magic, so I can't take it off, even though its protective power is low." Before long, you might realize that you've upgraded 10 whole levels all the while you've been using the same equipment.
Han: It depends upon the particular article, but many items have hidden parameters that do not show up on the Status screen. The "Shield of Aegis" is one example. Its official value for protective power is not high, but it provides a strong defense against magical attacks. You won't believe how high your "Magic Resistance" parameter will go if you use this Item!
Kondo: The explanations provided for such Items do subtly suggest their hidden powers, so be sure to check them out.
Han: There are all sorts of other examples. As you will see if you consult a log or dictionary, there are parameters like "Slice Resistance," which makes you more impervious to attacks made with swords or sabers, and if you've carried away the contents of a chest of drawers, there will be a sudden drop in your hidden parameter of "Luck." If I reveal what happens when your Luck decreases, then things cease to be fun, so we'll keep that one a secret.