Which Battle System

Hello.  This is more a design type of question I guess.

I have been playing around with RPG Maker Ace VX and the battle system. Depending on what script I use, I can make it fight from the side like Final Fantasy games.  However, the default battle system that comes with Ace VX is a first person -ish type of battle system.  I have been thinking that maybe I will just use this battle system and maybe add the pictures of the character faces.  My question is: Using the first person -ish type of battle system is a turn off for you?  Should I definitively stick to the Final Fantasy type of side battle system?

Some people like the front view and others like the side view.

As long as your battles are fun and engaging then people will enjoy it regardless.  It's all about execution.

Listen to this podcast.  It has a good take on battle systems.

http://finalbossblues.com/podcast-12-battle-systems/

At the first glance, I prefer like to play animated sideview battle.

I usually skip games with frontview battle unless it has good reviews, I don't mind to give a try.

I guess it usually goes to your personal preference. In my opinion, No matter battle system it is, as long as it is balanced and fun, that'll be cool.

Going for the front view, it all really depends on how well-designed your HUD is to display the enemy one-frame sprite, player menus/choices, and the information available.  A good example game that uses this style would be Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 1 and 2 / Strange Journey.

I personally prefer the first person view, but that is because it seems battles take longer with side view, as you have to watch the battler walk up to the monster, attack, and walk back. That can turn a quick whack/whack you are done fight into a 1 - 2 minute battle easily (and can really stretch out a long battle even longer).

Plus the battle backs are not set up well for side view, so you have to be careful with them, else your battler will be walking on walls to attack that giant that is somehow walking on the chandelier (though you can still make the mistake of putting the monster on the chandelier in any battle system, granted).

Both are good, I like both really. Maybe you hate the front view it's because the default VXAce Front View battle HUD is indeed ugly, no visualization of actor, and how it deliver information to the player through the message log is not really efficient. If the battle hud is designed well, and how system deliver the information to the player is altered to be more effective and efficient(such as using popup) I think it's not that bad, as with side view visualizing actor is a must. I mean how come it can be called sive view if there's no actor to be visualized in battle field? That's a plus for side view.

In the end it just a matter of preference, and I think what makes it fun mostly not with the battle engine, but more in the battle mechanism, and how balance is that battle.