Haven't played phantasy star online.
This is how it works in VC:
you have a fixed amount of CP.
Depending on the unit, you have to use an amount of CP (in the demo everything uses 1 CP and the tank uses 2).
The camera then goes behind the unit and you get to move them around freely until their gauge is empty. During that time you can make them attack once too.
It then goes back to the overhead-stage and you can do it all over again with another unit, or even with the same unit if you want.
After all that (you can get fired upon when you run close to enemy units during your own turn), it's the enemy's turn.
So still turn based, but not in grid-style, but free-running and planning. And not with "used char, therefore not usable anymore this turn".







