Post by Pássaro on Feb 13, 2015 17:16:31 GMT -5
It's time...
I have been getting some inquires lately about beginning steps into challenge running. Many potential players feel a tad overwhelmed or have no idea where/when to start. So! I'll give you a small push to start walking your own path. But first, there are some fundamentals you need to understand before doing a challenge run.
1: Setting Your Goals
The first thing you must absolutely do is set your goals. This applies to anything in life you want to do. What do you want to accomplish with the runs? (Assuming you want to upload them)
If you can set your goals from the jump, no matter what they are you will find things not taking a mental toll on you.
HAVE FUN
I cannot stress this enough. You will deal with a lot of stress when challenge running. If you cannot have fun with the game, you will grow to hate what you do. Always remember your end-goal and let that be the foundation of your mission.
2: Do The Knowledge
The most important fundamental is learning about the series. Individual games, the mechanics, and start brainstorming what you feel is possible or impossible. By doing this, you get a good idea where your capabilities are, instead of jumping into a run and getting walled five bosses in
2.5: Da' Lab
Get in the lab, get in the lab, get in the lab! If you want to do a party run or a solo run, knowing your characters is absolutely crucial. Learning team synergy through practice runs will make your attempts that much smoother.
There is another "lab" through the means of practice runs. This is a technique definitely done by high-skilled players (Mainly Omegaevolution from what I've seen, and I've recently gotten into it as well). Run the game! Learn the match-ups and what you can and cannot do. You'd be surprised how quickly your skills increase.
-------------------------------------------
That doesn't cover everything, but you want the real Clip-style of running? I'll definitely break it down for you and save you a lot of trouble.
What does my set-up consist of?
Files for every boss (EX bosses included) - This saves a ton of time. You no longer have to go through the plot every time you want to run a game.
Each character is set and primed for a potential solo. This means I can hop on any game, load up a file, and pump a video out.
---------------------------------------------
You expected more? Nope, it's that simple . Set your goals, figure out what run you want to do, Batman levels of prep-time, practice/lab, and then accomplish the mission.
I know a lot of newer fans came in during the...hand holding era of Tales (Graces onwards) but if you really want to understand of the deeper fundamentals I highly suggest you attempt to run the older titles.
Fundamentals I will cover ....now actually
At this point I assume you have some hours under your belt. You've got balled up pieces of paper all over the room, and you're ready to do a run. What fundamentals am I referring to in terms of successful running? Some that will really determine whether you succeed or fail.
1: TP MANAGEMENT
TP management decides whether you'll have a thirty minute fight or a five minute one. The mentality behind it consist of a constant conscious consideration of enemy HP, TP costs, and overall DPS. Would you use heavy TP consumption moves for one shot of good damage, or smaller artes for more overall DPS?
For example, I would not use Lloyd's Rising Falcon when I have small TP reserves (Say, 130 TP early game) since it costs 32 TP. However, during the Resolute Assassin fight, it's worth the trade considering Sheena's low HP amount in the fight.
It's not always clear and cut like that. In some cases you may want to use 1/4th or 1/2 of your TP immediately and then slowly whittle an enemy down. It just boils down to the situation you find yourself facing. This comes with time and experience.
2: Suiting Up
This ties in with the "Do the knowledge" fundamental, but I'll go into a bit more depth here. Knowing your mechanics is crucial to a successful run. In some cases elements may play a significant role in the game, or equipment skills. It just depends on what you're playing. Having a set plan on your equipment set-ups will help you immensely. Knowing about your potential equipment would be a deciding factor often times in a run.
For example, I did a Moses solo a few years back that got walled by Solon and Jay, simply because the enemy's relentless pressure from spells and physical attacks made it nearly impossible for Moses to do anything. Had I done the proper knowledge I would of known about the "Emperors New Clothes" which apparently absorbs all Elemental Damage.
Naturally, I had a "REALLY?!" moment, but I neglected to follow one of my own rules. Leading to many a facepalm. ( I still need to actually test that armor... )
And....more stuff I'll update this with as I recall them.
I have been getting some inquires lately about beginning steps into challenge running. Many potential players feel a tad overwhelmed or have no idea where/when to start. So! I'll give you a small push to start walking your own path. But first, there are some fundamentals you need to understand before doing a challenge run.
1: Setting Your Goals
The first thing you must absolutely do is set your goals. This applies to anything in life you want to do. What do you want to accomplish with the runs? (Assuming you want to upload them)
If you can set your goals from the jump, no matter what they are you will find things not taking a mental toll on you.
HAVE FUN
I cannot stress this enough. You will deal with a lot of stress when challenge running. If you cannot have fun with the game, you will grow to hate what you do. Always remember your end-goal and let that be the foundation of your mission.
2: Do The Knowledge
The most important fundamental is learning about the series. Individual games, the mechanics, and start brainstorming what you feel is possible or impossible. By doing this, you get a good idea where your capabilities are, instead of jumping into a run and getting walled five bosses in
2.5: Da' Lab
Get in the lab, get in the lab, get in the lab! If you want to do a party run or a solo run, knowing your characters is absolutely crucial. Learning team synergy through practice runs will make your attempts that much smoother.
There is another "lab" through the means of practice runs. This is a technique definitely done by high-skilled players (Mainly Omegaevolution from what I've seen, and I've recently gotten into it as well). Run the game! Learn the match-ups and what you can and cannot do. You'd be surprised how quickly your skills increase.
-------------------------------------------
That doesn't cover everything, but you want the real Clip-style of running? I'll definitely break it down for you and save you a lot of trouble.
What does my set-up consist of?
Files for every boss (EX bosses included) - This saves a ton of time. You no longer have to go through the plot every time you want to run a game.
Each character is set and primed for a potential solo. This means I can hop on any game, load up a file, and pump a video out.
---------------------------------------------
You expected more? Nope, it's that simple . Set your goals, figure out what run you want to do, Batman levels of prep-time, practice/lab, and then accomplish the mission.
I know a lot of newer fans came in during the...hand holding era of Tales (Graces onwards) but if you really want to understand of the deeper fundamentals I highly suggest you attempt to run the older titles.
Fundamentals I will cover ....now actually
At this point I assume you have some hours under your belt. You've got balled up pieces of paper all over the room, and you're ready to do a run. What fundamentals am I referring to in terms of successful running? Some that will really determine whether you succeed or fail.
1: TP MANAGEMENT
TP management decides whether you'll have a thirty minute fight or a five minute one. The mentality behind it consist of a constant conscious consideration of enemy HP, TP costs, and overall DPS. Would you use heavy TP consumption moves for one shot of good damage, or smaller artes for more overall DPS?
For example, I would not use Lloyd's Rising Falcon when I have small TP reserves (Say, 130 TP early game) since it costs 32 TP. However, during the Resolute Assassin fight, it's worth the trade considering Sheena's low HP amount in the fight.
It's not always clear and cut like that. In some cases you may want to use 1/4th or 1/2 of your TP immediately and then slowly whittle an enemy down. It just boils down to the situation you find yourself facing. This comes with time and experience.
2: Suiting Up
This ties in with the "Do the knowledge" fundamental, but I'll go into a bit more depth here. Knowing your mechanics is crucial to a successful run. In some cases elements may play a significant role in the game, or equipment skills. It just depends on what you're playing. Having a set plan on your equipment set-ups will help you immensely. Knowing about your potential equipment would be a deciding factor often times in a run.
For example, I did a Moses solo a few years back that got walled by Solon and Jay, simply because the enemy's relentless pressure from spells and physical attacks made it nearly impossible for Moses to do anything. Had I done the proper knowledge I would of known about the "Emperors New Clothes" which apparently absorbs all Elemental Damage.
Naturally, I had a "REALLY?!" moment, but I neglected to follow one of my own rules. Leading to many a facepalm. ( I still need to actually test that armor... )
And....more stuff I'll update this with as I recall them.