Active Dimension Battle

From Final Fantasy - Wiki on Neoseeker

Active / Wait Mode

The first thing that will affect the battle itself, will be what mode you have selected. There are two options, Active and Wait. You can switch between the two at any point, and it is best to start of with Wait until you get a hang for the system. The two modes do the following: Active Mode: Fast paced action, this is for the experts, or those gamers that can think on their feet. Whilst in Active mode, when choosing commands the game will not pause, this will give the enemy time to plan its next attack and may very well attack you. Wait Mode: This is the more relaxed and laid back option of the two, this mode will pause the game whilst you are given time (unlimited ofcourse) to choose your next move. It's a good idea to start on this mode, and then move onto Active once you are more confident about battling, and this is probably the better option for Boss fights, where they can do absurd amount of damage in a short amount of time.

Area Map

To help you with planning a safe route, and finding enemies to battle, the game gives you an area map which is located on the top right hand corner of the screen. The red dots represent any enemies that are around. You can move the camera around with the right analogue stick. Keep an eye out for any enemies on screen, as more often than not, if your fighting a foe, it may call for help, or other enemies may join the fight, watching the map at all times will ensure you can escape before an enemy spots you.

Red Target Line

During a battle, you will notice a red target line form between an enemy and one of your characters (and in some cases, other foe's that are in the area). This arch indicates who the enemy will attack next. At times you may be able to escape it, by keeping ahead of it, waiting for the characters wait bar to recharge, at which point you can attack the enemy. You can also use this advance information to heal characters that are low on health and are being attacked by the enemy. When you are being targeted, you cannot change that character until the damage has been dealt (and no-one else has targeted you).