Post by Pássaro on Oct 15, 2014 13:51:12 GMT -5
With the upcoming release of Tales of Hearts R in the states I decided to write up a brief guide on the mechanics surrounding the battle system.
The Basics
Technical Counter:
Tales of Hearts functions similarly to previous titles such as Tales of Destiny, Tales of Graces, and Tales of Xillia. The game utilizes a mix leaned towards Tales of Xillia with both TP and TC use. TC is essentially the same concept as AC(Xillia) or CC(Destiny,Graces).
TC stands for "Technical Counter" which functions as a counter for artes.
TP functions as it always has within the series. Artes cost a certain amount of TP for utilization.
Let's say Shing has 6 TC. Shing has the ability to use 6 artes in any order he pleases. When TC runs out Shing will not be able to perform anymore artes until the TC is restored. TC restores automatically after the animation of the last arte finishes.
Technical Points:
TP use decreases with more arte usage. At 500 usage the arte will gain its maximum effect
Uses:
0-99 - Damage % x 1; TP consumption * 1
100-199 - Damage % x 1.02; TP consumption * 0.9
200-299 - Damage % x 1.04; TP consumption * 0.9
300-399 - Damage % x 1.06; TP consumption * 0.8
400-499 - Damage % x 1.08; TP consumption * 0.8
500-999 - Damage % x 1.01; TP consumption * 0.7
Getting artes to 500 + grants a dramatic boon. It would be wise to grind them out; plus, it is incredibly easy to do so end-game.
Counter System:
Hearts R borrows the counter system from Innocence R. Originally, the rage system is from Innocence DS where bosses would enter brief periods of "rage" in which their damage output increases, and they could not be staggered. This was revamped in Innocence R into the counter system. During battle enemies will attempt to break free from combos, giving the player the opportunity to counter and restart another combo chain. It is a very essential mechanic to master as enemies and boss all have different timings or in some cases multiple counter attacks. I will go in-depth on the effects in the advanced section. However, just know for now that it allows the player to reset a combo chain when successfully enacted.
In order to counter an enemy you must guard during a specific set of frames. Some enemies are slow and predictable, while others are swift and require the ever vigilant eye. There are two skills called "Get Angry" and "Appease" that influence the rate in which an enemy counters. Some enemies have a naturally high rate of rage while others are relatively low.
Do note that AI cannot counter on their own.
Chase Link:
Chase link is exclusive to Hearts R and is one of the main selling points of the battle system. Chase link is a system in which an enemy is put into prolonged staggered state, giving the player complete dominance over the enemy. The player is able to use any arte combination as usual, but the ability to teleport to the enemy position opens a wider range of character capability.
*You must guard in order to teleport
You are able to knock an enemy further away at the ground level, or knock an enemy into the air with L + O or L + X respectively. This gives more maneuverability for the player to take control of the field as needed. There is a skill called "Attach Break" that allows this same function to apply to certain artes.
Chase link is timed however, with a bar that appears over the character's avatar. Once the bar runs out chase link will finish. However, artes and continuous combos will stagger the depletion rate; thus, giving you more time to add on damage. Using variation in artes will maximum your time within chase link.
There are various skills that influence the duration and character capabilities in chase link.
Some examples include:
-No damage taken during chase link
-Extended duration
-Teleportation adds time to chase link
-Heavy break adds more time (The L+O or L+X)
Chase link is an important part of the mechanics and a very fun one to use. An additional bonus for chase link is the instant casting ability for anyone with spells. Teleporting after a spell also grants the player no recovery frames so spells can now be apart of combos.
Cross Chase is a duo combo implemented during chase link. At certain times the character avatar may begin flashing. Tapping the avatar allows a small tag-team attack between two characters. Outside of skills I believe that increasing the affection rate between characters will influence the amount of times cross chase can activate as well. Cross chase also can increase your chase link time as well.
Chase finish is a finisher move that every character has access too. If you use L + O, L + X, or an attached break arte and hold the artes button you can use a chase finish. Chase finish are essentially just "flashy" ways to end chase links. Every character has a unique chase finish animation. Do note that using a chase finish will deplete your chase link instantly.
Overlimit:
The overlimit system functions exactly the same as Tales of Vesperia. There are 4 levels total (You gain more throughout the game)
Level 1 prevents staggering and will recover status effects
Level 2 will reduce TP usage to 0 alongside Level 1 effects
Level 3 has the above effects + the ability to use your Mystic Arte ( To use Mystic Artes hold O after any arte. Mystic Artes is a story unlock)
Level 4 has all of the above + invincibility
This covers the basic portion of the mechanics. Next, I will go in depth of the combo system and hidden mechanics.
Advanced Mechanics/Clip's Notes
Now we're in the meat and potatoes of this guide. It may be a sudden jump from basics into this, but the game is not too "in-depth" so new players will be able to follow along. This portion is more or less my notes from experience and experimentation. If you were only interested in learning about the battle system you're free to leave here. If you want to learn a bit more about the game in-depth continue on.
Technical Down
Technical down is a system that dates back to older Tales games such as Symphonia and Abyss. It was a hidden mechanic that prevented the ability for players to infinite enemies. Similar to fighting games the stagger duration of an enemy decreases the longer a combo continues. The decay is rather lenient and slow, but will exponentially increase if a player abuses the same arte multiple times in a row or even the same string of artes. The decay really only applies to physical artes as spells seem to not suffer decay much at all. Granted, the game does not really lend itself to create opportunities like Philia or Rita in their games respectively.
This decay also plays a role in gravity. The longer a combo string goes the heavier an enemy will become as well. This is over-ridden by chase link, but a standard combo could not last in the air forever. For example, Shing cannot spam Shouseijin as he could in the DS version with no penalties.
Back in Abyss for example technical downs would take affect around 30-40 hits. With spells in the mix your combo could surpass those numbers easily with no concern. There are similar methods in Hearts R, but they require the player have an intimate knowledge of the basics.
-This next section still requires testing-
Infinites
Counters are interesting because I am under the impression that it resets the stagger rate to initial levels. However, only if the counter does not stun. If stun takes effect the counter never resets. I still need to test this completely, but I noticed back in Innocence R that alongside the "Get Angry" skill you can essentially infinite enemies with enough skill and percision.
Overall, counters are ridiculously important to extending combo chains. The party has a great natural synergy so combo chains should come easily.
Mystic Arte Damage Modifier
I noticed this first in Innocence R. There is a hidden damage percentage that correlates to the length of a combo string. For the sake of argument let's just say the max is 150%. Once you reach a certain amount of hits your mystic arte's damage will max out and dramatically increase the output. However, this only works if the mystic arte is performed during the combo chain or within .5-1 seconds after a chain ends (assuming you dropped or missed an arte). It will no longer do max damage though. Further testing is required.
Penetrate
Innes has a skill called "Destroy" that allows the cast to break penetrate at a much higher rate. Hisui I believe has a skill that increase the amount of critical hits + the affect of critical hits on penetrate. Penetrate increases the higher you move the difficulty up.
Once penetrate is broken the enemy will go for about 1-1.5 seconds until penetrate is restored. This is assuming a combo did not follow-up. This is a very leniant option for players who may have messed up. Penetrate is also broken for the same length after a mystic arte. However, in certain scenarios I have seen the M.A -> penetrate rule not apply.
Aerial Recovery
One of the few things I dislike about the R titles is the aerial recovery rate. Enemies recovery incredibly quickly in the air if the player is not consistently on them or if the player is not in OVL or Chase Link. This only really applies if the enemy is knocked down in air into a "bounce" status or if the frames between certain artes is too wide. This does not become much of an issue once skills are gained that prolong stagger length.
I'll update this section as I perform more test or if I notice anything worthy of discussing.
---------------------
That about wraps up the guide on Hearts R. The R titles are some of the best entries in the series because they cater to players of all skill levels. Casual players will find the challenge is balanced and fair; allowing the player options in battle, but also giving bosses the capability to handle lower skilled players. Hardcore players will find the difficult to favor their desire for a challenge, but satisfy their skill levels through the ability to infinite or absolutely destroy a boss due to mastering the mechanics. Overall, it is a very fun Tales game and I applaud 7th Chord for their understanding of the Tales series. Imagine what they could do with a higher budget title.
Thanks for reading. I will add video links in the future for a visualization but you can get a very good idea of how the game is played at my channel.
youtube.com/dagoldenclip2
The Basics
Technical Counter:
Tales of Hearts functions similarly to previous titles such as Tales of Destiny, Tales of Graces, and Tales of Xillia. The game utilizes a mix leaned towards Tales of Xillia with both TP and TC use. TC is essentially the same concept as AC(Xillia) or CC(Destiny,Graces).
TC stands for "Technical Counter" which functions as a counter for artes.
TP functions as it always has within the series. Artes cost a certain amount of TP for utilization.
Let's say Shing has 6 TC. Shing has the ability to use 6 artes in any order he pleases. When TC runs out Shing will not be able to perform anymore artes until the TC is restored. TC restores automatically after the animation of the last arte finishes.
Technical Points:
TP use decreases with more arte usage. At 500 usage the arte will gain its maximum effect
Uses:
0-99 - Damage % x 1; TP consumption * 1
100-199 - Damage % x 1.02; TP consumption * 0.9
200-299 - Damage % x 1.04; TP consumption * 0.9
300-399 - Damage % x 1.06; TP consumption * 0.8
400-499 - Damage % x 1.08; TP consumption * 0.8
500-999 - Damage % x 1.01; TP consumption * 0.7
Getting artes to 500 + grants a dramatic boon. It would be wise to grind them out; plus, it is incredibly easy to do so end-game.
Counter System:
Hearts R borrows the counter system from Innocence R. Originally, the rage system is from Innocence DS where bosses would enter brief periods of "rage" in which their damage output increases, and they could not be staggered. This was revamped in Innocence R into the counter system. During battle enemies will attempt to break free from combos, giving the player the opportunity to counter and restart another combo chain. It is a very essential mechanic to master as enemies and boss all have different timings or in some cases multiple counter attacks. I will go in-depth on the effects in the advanced section. However, just know for now that it allows the player to reset a combo chain when successfully enacted.
In order to counter an enemy you must guard during a specific set of frames. Some enemies are slow and predictable, while others are swift and require the ever vigilant eye. There are two skills called "Get Angry" and "Appease" that influence the rate in which an enemy counters. Some enemies have a naturally high rate of rage while others are relatively low.
Do note that AI cannot counter on their own.
Chase Link:
Chase link is exclusive to Hearts R and is one of the main selling points of the battle system. Chase link is a system in which an enemy is put into prolonged staggered state, giving the player complete dominance over the enemy. The player is able to use any arte combination as usual, but the ability to teleport to the enemy position opens a wider range of character capability.
*You must guard in order to teleport
You are able to knock an enemy further away at the ground level, or knock an enemy into the air with L + O or L + X respectively. This gives more maneuverability for the player to take control of the field as needed. There is a skill called "Attach Break" that allows this same function to apply to certain artes.
Chase link is timed however, with a bar that appears over the character's avatar. Once the bar runs out chase link will finish. However, artes and continuous combos will stagger the depletion rate; thus, giving you more time to add on damage. Using variation in artes will maximum your time within chase link.
There are various skills that influence the duration and character capabilities in chase link.
Some examples include:
-No damage taken during chase link
-Extended duration
-Teleportation adds time to chase link
-Heavy break adds more time (The L+O or L+X)
Chase link is an important part of the mechanics and a very fun one to use. An additional bonus for chase link is the instant casting ability for anyone with spells. Teleporting after a spell also grants the player no recovery frames so spells can now be apart of combos.
Cross Chase is a duo combo implemented during chase link. At certain times the character avatar may begin flashing. Tapping the avatar allows a small tag-team attack between two characters. Outside of skills I believe that increasing the affection rate between characters will influence the amount of times cross chase can activate as well. Cross chase also can increase your chase link time as well.
Chase finish is a finisher move that every character has access too. If you use L + O, L + X, or an attached break arte and hold the artes button you can use a chase finish. Chase finish are essentially just "flashy" ways to end chase links. Every character has a unique chase finish animation. Do note that using a chase finish will deplete your chase link instantly.
Overlimit:
The overlimit system functions exactly the same as Tales of Vesperia. There are 4 levels total (You gain more throughout the game)
Level 1 prevents staggering and will recover status effects
Level 2 will reduce TP usage to 0 alongside Level 1 effects
Level 3 has the above effects + the ability to use your Mystic Arte ( To use Mystic Artes hold O after any arte. Mystic Artes is a story unlock)
Level 4 has all of the above + invincibility
This covers the basic portion of the mechanics. Next, I will go in depth of the combo system and hidden mechanics.
Advanced Mechanics/Clip's Notes
Now we're in the meat and potatoes of this guide. It may be a sudden jump from basics into this, but the game is not too "in-depth" so new players will be able to follow along. This portion is more or less my notes from experience and experimentation. If you were only interested in learning about the battle system you're free to leave here. If you want to learn a bit more about the game in-depth continue on.
Technical Down
Technical down is a system that dates back to older Tales games such as Symphonia and Abyss. It was a hidden mechanic that prevented the ability for players to infinite enemies. Similar to fighting games the stagger duration of an enemy decreases the longer a combo continues. The decay is rather lenient and slow, but will exponentially increase if a player abuses the same arte multiple times in a row or even the same string of artes. The decay really only applies to physical artes as spells seem to not suffer decay much at all. Granted, the game does not really lend itself to create opportunities like Philia or Rita in their games respectively.
This decay also plays a role in gravity. The longer a combo string goes the heavier an enemy will become as well. This is over-ridden by chase link, but a standard combo could not last in the air forever. For example, Shing cannot spam Shouseijin as he could in the DS version with no penalties.
Back in Abyss for example technical downs would take affect around 30-40 hits. With spells in the mix your combo could surpass those numbers easily with no concern. There are similar methods in Hearts R, but they require the player have an intimate knowledge of the basics.
-This next section still requires testing-
Infinites
Counters are interesting because I am under the impression that it resets the stagger rate to initial levels. However, only if the counter does not stun. If stun takes effect the counter never resets. I still need to test this completely, but I noticed back in Innocence R that alongside the "Get Angry" skill you can essentially infinite enemies with enough skill and percision.
Overall, counters are ridiculously important to extending combo chains. The party has a great natural synergy so combo chains should come easily.
Mystic Arte Damage Modifier
I noticed this first in Innocence R. There is a hidden damage percentage that correlates to the length of a combo string. For the sake of argument let's just say the max is 150%. Once you reach a certain amount of hits your mystic arte's damage will max out and dramatically increase the output. However, this only works if the mystic arte is performed during the combo chain or within .5-1 seconds after a chain ends (assuming you dropped or missed an arte). It will no longer do max damage though. Further testing is required.
Penetrate
Innes has a skill called "Destroy" that allows the cast to break penetrate at a much higher rate. Hisui I believe has a skill that increase the amount of critical hits + the affect of critical hits on penetrate. Penetrate increases the higher you move the difficulty up.
Once penetrate is broken the enemy will go for about 1-1.5 seconds until penetrate is restored. This is assuming a combo did not follow-up. This is a very leniant option for players who may have messed up. Penetrate is also broken for the same length after a mystic arte. However, in certain scenarios I have seen the M.A -> penetrate rule not apply.
Aerial Recovery
One of the few things I dislike about the R titles is the aerial recovery rate. Enemies recovery incredibly quickly in the air if the player is not consistently on them or if the player is not in OVL or Chase Link. This only really applies if the enemy is knocked down in air into a "bounce" status or if the frames between certain artes is too wide. This does not become much of an issue once skills are gained that prolong stagger length.
I'll update this section as I perform more test or if I notice anything worthy of discussing.
---------------------
That about wraps up the guide on Hearts R. The R titles are some of the best entries in the series because they cater to players of all skill levels. Casual players will find the challenge is balanced and fair; allowing the player options in battle, but also giving bosses the capability to handle lower skilled players. Hardcore players will find the difficult to favor their desire for a challenge, but satisfy their skill levels through the ability to infinite or absolutely destroy a boss due to mastering the mechanics. Overall, it is a very fun Tales game and I applaud 7th Chord for their understanding of the Tales series. Imagine what they could do with a higher budget title.
Thanks for reading. I will add video links in the future for a visualization but you can get a very good idea of how the game is played at my channel.
youtube.com/dagoldenclip2