2. Core Gameplay Brief: Tutorial Edition
2.1 Who Are You
You are a "Mist-Listener," someone capable of hearing the memories of photogenic mist creatures. You lead a squad of Spirits into Nemesis to uncover the truth behind meteor mists, geocore catastrophes, and human crystal modifications.
2.2 Your Objectives
- Explore regions to discover main quests, sub-quests, and spirit clues.
- Engage in battle against monsters or human crystal-mech forces.
- Observe enemy status during combat, utilizing elemental counters, crowd control, shields, healing, and ultimate skills to win.
- Increase favor or suppress spirits to establish Mist Pacts.
- Progress is saved automatically after battle victories, allowing for rollbacks.
2.3 Combat Mechanics
- You can field up to 5 Spirits.
- Combat rhythm is always: Ally Turn -> Enemy Turn -> Ally Turn.
- Each ally turn has several "Command Slots"; one slot usually casts a minor skill.
- Minor skills deal damage, heal, or apply status effects while charging your Ultimate Gauge.
- Once the gauge hits 100, you can unleash an Ultimate Skill.
- Some skills add command slots, trigger ally re-actions, copy skills, or shorten ultimate cycles.
2.4 How to Capture Spirits
Capture isn't about throwing balls, but earning their willingness to follow you or proving your strength.
Typically you need to:
- Assistance Path: Help them resolve current crises, such as saving their group, healing wounds, repairing nests, or clearing pollution, then initiate a pact once favor is sufficient.
- Suppression Path: Defeat them head-on, break their stance, or force them to concede, then initiate a pact once suppression is sufficient.
- Hybrid Path: Help them first, then challenge them in a duel, earning both their trust and respect for your power.
- Avoid their "minefields," such as attacking creatures they protect, breaking promises, or ambushing those already surrendered.
2.5 What to Monitor
Key stats:
- HP: Health points.
- Ultimate: Ultimate skill energy.
- Command Slots: Number of skills you can issue this turn.
- Status: Poisoned, Burning, Crystallized, Mist-blind, Re-action, Shielded, Taunted, etc.
- Enemy Intent: Anticipate what skills the Boss might use next turn.
- Favor/Suppression: Decide whether the target prefers being helped or defeated.
- Capture Prompt: Determines if pact conditions have been met.
