What is a Tales-style story?

History
Tales-style stories originated on Namco's Tales Forums over a decade ago. Though the "Fan Works" section originally contained mostly standard fan fiction, the fact that the Tales series  consisted of mostly standalone stories made completely original works an inevitability. Over the years the forum existed, the format was refined by a number of people, resulting in several original serialized novels with a similar structure, the most prominent of which being Tales of Cadence due to its length and popularity. Eventually, Namco decided to shut down the forums in favor of a more centralized post, but the format persisted in the form of the few finished stories that still existed.

What's needed for a Tales-style story?
There are many common traits to Tales-style stories, but only some are central to the format. For obvious reasons, the non-linear nature of this format with its skits and "hub" post makes it difficult to put into print but a natural fit for internet readers.
 * A serialized release. Tales-style stories are released chapter by chapter online, usually via a site such as this.
 * A detailed summary post including character and world information. This usually serves as the "hub" for your work and includes a table of contents linking to individual chapters or "skits" as detailed later on.
 * A strong focus on characters and character interactions. Despite telling epic stories, Tales-style works are designed to complement a storytelling style that focuses on character development and interactions between a core party of 6-8 members. While the exact number is flexible, each Tales style story should have a limited party of characters who journey together.
 * "Skits." If you're not familiar with the Tales series that these originally came from, skits are short scenes separate from the main story, usually detailing interactions during periods that are skipped by the main story for pacing reasons or because they were simply unimportant for anything but character development. These are often written in script style and posted in between chapters as a way of tiding readers over until the next as well as to further develop the characters without taking unnecessary time in the main novel for relatively trivial scenes. These often can be compared to the "4-koma" seen in some manga. If you're struggling to understand, have an example: a skit might detail a humorous interaction between two characters during downtime at a local inn or a bit of unnecessary backstory discussed while sitting around a campfire.

What do readers expect to see in a Tales-style story?
The following things are not strictly required to meet the definition but are generally accepted as standard by readers. Though you don't need these to fit the definition, many readers will be uninterested if they are not part of your story. In fact, many of these are included in the infobox template for stories.
 * Epic fantasy plots and worlds. Though most elements in the formula could apply to any genre of fiction, Tales-style works are nearly exclusively in the realm of heroic, epic fantasy and incorporate significant use of magic.
 * A journey through an expansive world. This provides a wealth of places in which skits can be inserted to further define characters.
 * A "characteristic genre." This is a short phrase that defines at least one of your work's major themes. These can sound awkward due to the English language's structure as they were originally conceived for use in Japanese-language work, but they provide an important starting point for your readers to understand what sort of story they're getting into. Tales of Exstia uses the phrase "A story to find where you belong," while Tales of Cadence uses "A story to overcome the odds." Possible better wording would include "A story about ________", but some authors are concerned that this does not provide as strong of a meaning or prefer another phrasing due to its similarity to that of the games in the Tales series.
 * An "opening" or "theme" song if you use one for creative reasons. This is used to set the tone for the game as well as, if you use music for inspiration, give the readers insight into your creative process. This is probably the least necessary of the elements noted in this section.

What are other common elements of a Tales-style story?
Though not necessary or even recommended in all cases, the following elements are common to find in stories of this format, mostly due to their origin as "fan stories" for the Tales series.
 * "Video game" elements, such as lists of spells or techniques a character uses or even "titles" assigned to a character as if they were in a game. These are generally completely separate from the main story and simply provide additional content for readers to peruse should they be interested.
 * Nods to the Tales series. Money is often called "gald," items such as "gels/gummies" with restorative properties are common, and elemental spirits often roam the lands.
 * A "Tales of ________"-style name. Regardless of their use of the previous elements, many stories follow this naming convention due to tradition and as a nod to the games that inspired the format.