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fft.txt
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.
_JNNNN
""4NN) F I N A L
(NN)
(NN) F A N T A S Y
(NN)
(NN) T A C T I C S
(NN) .NNNN)
(NN) JN _____ NNNNN)
(NN).NNNNNNN. _JNNNLJNNNNNN_.JNNNNNNL .JNNNNNNNNN` ""
(NNNNNNNNNNNNL `4NNNN""""NNNNF""""NNNNN .NNNNF""NNNN
(NNF `NNNN) (NN) 4NNN (NNN) JNNF (NN)
(NN) NNNN (NN) NNN NNN) NNN 4N)
(NN) (NNN (NN) NNN (NN) 4NN JN)
JNN) (NNN (NN) NNN (NN) `NNL .NN`
NNN) (NNF (NN) NNN (NN) `NNN___NNN`
NNNN .NNN` (NN) NNN (NN) JNNNNNNF`
NNNNL. JNNN` (NN) NNN (NN) NN)
NN`"NNNNNNN" NNNNNNN) NNNNNNN (NNNNNN) (NNNNNNNNNNNNL.
(N) 4NNNNNNNNNNNNNL
(N BATTLE MECHANICS GUIDE VERSION 6.5 .NNF" `"NNN
() ---------------------------------- NNF NN
written by aerostar NNN JNF
<aerostar100@yahoo.com> NNN. _NNF
november 10, 2004 NNNNNL__NNNNN`
. 4NNNNNNNN"
with aaditya rangan <rangan@math.berkeley.edu>
and town knave <townknave@aol.com>
*******************************************************************************
* FONT CHECK: This file does not exceed 79 characters on a line at its widest *
* point. For best viewing, make sure you are using a monospaced font such as *
* Courier and that this entire box, bounded by the asterisks, is visible. *
*******************************************************************************
Now that the BMG weighs in at over 750 K, the easiest way to find what you want
will be to use the Find or Search feature in your web browser or text editor.
Search for terms within [square brackets] to skip directly to the section you
want:
- A section number within [square brackets] jumps you immediately to
that section
- The name of an action, reaction, support, or move ability, status
ailment, command set, or class within [square brackets] brings
you directly to detailed information about your search term
This is probably one of the very last updates to the BMG. It's been great fun
researching, writing, and updating it over the past 6 years. Thanks so much to
everyone on the GameFAQs boards for urging me to update, and thanks also to
Ben Siron, who wrote a similar 'handbook' for Final Fantasy IV that inspired
me to make the BMG in the first place. Peace to all, and enjoy!
-Aerostar
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
For updates to the BMG, look on these websites:
* http://www.fftactics.net/fftmech/
The FFT Battle Mechanics Guide homepage. Find the latest version
of the Guide along with an archive of previous versions. Special
thanks go to George Greer for allowing me to host the site on his
server space.
* http://www.gamefaqs.com/
New versions of the BMG, unless they contain extremely minor
revisions, will usually be posted to GameFAQs as well. This is a
wonderful site and, if you haven't been there, you've got to check
it out!
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** NEW IN VERSION 6.5 ***
- Rewrote gameflow section, reorganizing the clocktick and reworking the
mechanics of Quick
- Revised durations of status effects to match new gameflow theory
- Added section 2.8 on MIMIC
- Fixed elemental parts of damage/success rate modification algorithms in
parts 2 and 3
- Moved version history to the end of the guide
- Made various minor revisions and corrections
_______________________________________________________________________________
[0.1] contents
=========================================================================
TO SKIP TO A SECTION: Find (Ctrl + F) the number of the section between
brackets. For instance, if you wanted to skip to section 9.3, you would
Find "[9.3]" (without the quotes). (No, there is no 9.3. This is to prevent
you from finding this description when you search for a section number!)
TO FIND ALL REFERENCES TO A SECTION: Eliminate the brackets in the previous
search.
PART 0: Front Matter
0.1 Contents
0.2 Acknowledgements
PART 1: Mechanics Fundamentals
1.1 Definitions
1.2 Abbreviations & Symbols
1.3 Signs of the Zodiac
1.4 Evasion
1.5 Protect and Shell
1.6 The Elements
1.7 Handling multiple instances of the same variable
PART 2: Direct commands: these are commands that do more than prompt
you to select an attack from a list -- they require a bit more
explanation than other attacks.
2.1 ATTACK
2.2 CHARGE
2.3 JUMP
2.4 THROW
2.5 ITEM
2.6 ELEMENTAL
2.7 MATH SKILL
2.8 MIMIC
PART 3: Individual attacks: these are the attacks that are mixed and
matched to generate FFT's command sets. They include all magic;
physical attacks like BATTLE SKILL, PUNCH ART, and STEAL;
and all monster attacks. Detailed information is given about
each and every attack.
3.1 Legend
3.2 Damage and success rate modifiers
3.3 List of attacks
- To find an individual attack, Find "[attack name]",
where "attack name" is the name of the attack you're
interested in.
3.4 Magic constants: damage
3.5 Magic constants: effects
3.6 BATTLE SKILL
3.7 STEAL
3.8 PUNCH ART
3.9 DRAW OUT
3.10 TALK SKILL
3.11 Sword skills
3.12 TRUTH and UN-TRUTH
3.13 LIMIT
PART 4: Reaction, Support, & Movement Abilities
4.1 Rection abilities
4.2 Support abilities
4.3 Movement abilities
PART 5: Abnormal Status
5.1 Preparative status changes
5.2 Supportive status changes
5.3 Negative status changes
5.4 Damage-derived status changes
5.5 Other status changes
PART 6: Miscellany
6.1 Crystals
6.2 Counter Magic
6.3 Experience, Job Points, and Job Levels
6.4 Learning magic without JP
6.5 Weather and terrain
6.6 Blade Grasp
6.7 Teleport
6.8 Random events
6.9 Modifying longbow range
6.10 On Brave and Faith
6.11 Enemy levels
6.12 Missing and Guarding
PART 7: Stats and Stat Growth
7.1 Raw stats
7.2 Leveling up
7.3 Leveling down
7.4 Class compendium
APPENDIX A: Gameflow
A.1 Action and reaction
A.2 Gameflow basics
A.3 The Mime cycle
A.4 The Quick and the dead
APPENDIX B: Weapons, Armor, & Accessories
B.1 Weapons
B.2 Shields
B.3 Headgear
B.4 Armor
B.5 Accessories
APPENDIX C: Command Sets
C.1 Legend
C.2 Command set chart
END OF FILE: Version history
_______________________________________________________________________________
[0.2] acknowledgements
=========================================================================
Before the guide begins, I'd like to take a bit of space to thank everyone for
their positive feedback, helpful hints and suggestions for improving the guide.
Thanks to all of the people below for bits of information and inspiration:
- Degenerator 12 <degenerator12@hotmail.com>
- Karsten <azidahaka@gamebox.net>
- triptolemus <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- Elmor the Elf <elmor_the_elf@mail.ru>
- Kochocobo <kochocobo@yahoo.com>
- Andy Harrington <harringt@edzone.net>
- rain duragan <shinobu_elf@hotmail.com>
- A P <ajp8414@yahoo.com>
- Master Daravon <beefstew99@aol.com>
- Notti <mahgnitton@hotmail.com>
- George Greer <fft@fftactics.org>
- Garanhir <garanhir@stupid.com>
- Jjukil <jjukil@excite.com>
- Dragon Fogel <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- Owvin <owvin@zdnetonebox.com>
- Johan Bager <johanbager@hotmail.com>
- Nick Lang <Syralen@yahoo.com>
- Jivera <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- Kantolin <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- NeoKamek <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- jizus <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- LordMagus <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- MalcolmMasher <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- ganonl <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- PatBuns15@aol.com
- Disorder82@aol.com
- Overated <overatedsan@yahoo.com>
- AquaHaute <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- Scythe Marshall <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
- The Pretender <on the GameFAQs FFT message board>
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS BATTLE MECHANICS GUIDE
version 6.5
.nNNNNN
NNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNN
`` (NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
(NNNN
`""""
M E C H A N I C S F U N D A M E N T A L S
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.1] definitions
=========================================================================
Here are a few definitions of terms that will recur throughout the rest of the
guide.
- A UNIT is any person or monster on the battlefield.
- An attack (lowercase) is any action taken by a unit in battle except for
'Move', 'Defend', 'Wait', or 'Equip Change'. ATTACK, in uppercase, refers
to the specific command ATTACK.
- The CASTER is the unit executing an attack. This doesn't necessarily have
to refer to spells: a unit striking another with a sword is a 'caster' as
well.
- The TARGET is the unit(s) on the receiving end of the attack.
The caster and target can be the same unit.
- DAMAGE is loss of HP or MP. Unless otherwise stated, assume that the term
'damage' refers to HP damage.
- An EFFECTIVE stat is one that is not actually displayed on the status screen
in the game, but is used internally by the game for calculation of the
formula it appears in.
- PHYSICAL ATTACKING ABILITY (PA) is the number next to the sword icon on the
middle panel of the status screen. A unit can have a PA no less than 1 and
no greater than 99. Note: although displayed PA must be 99 or less,
effective PA can be greater than 99.
- MAGICAL ATTACKING ABILITY (MA) is the number next to the rod icon on the
middle panel of the status screen. Like PA, MA is bounded by 1 and 99,
inclusive, but effective MA can in theory be greater than 99.
- CHARGE TIME (CT) is an indicator of a unit's readiness to act. A unit
receives an ACTIVE TURN (AT, or simply 'turn') when its CT is greater than
or equal to 100. On each AT, a unit can either move and act, move but not
act, act but not move, or neither act nor move. At the end of the AT, CT
is decremented according to what the unit did on its turn:
move and act ........... new_CT = CT - 100
move only .............. new_CT = CT - 80
act only ............... new_CT = CT - 80
neither act nor move ... new_CT = CT - 60
If new_CT is greater than 60, it is instead set to 60.
- SPEED (Sp) determines how often a unit gets active turns. For each
unit of FFT time (clocktick), each unit will gain an amount of
CT equal to its Speed. A unit gets a turn on any clocktick where its
CT is greater than or equal to 100. Speed also determines the strength
of some physical attacks (such as THROW and STEAL) and determines the
charging time for the JUMP attack. Maximum Speed is 50, but under normal
playing conditions it won't usually exceed 20.
- WEAPON POWER (WP) is a property of weapons that determines their strength.
It can be seen on the middle panel of the status screen, next to the
letter of the appropriate hand ('R' or 'L').
- An ATTACK STAT (XA) is a general term that can stand for any
stat or combination of stats that influences the damage or success rate of
an attack. It is used where the same formula applies to two or more types
of attacks, but different stats are plugged into the formula for each
attack. For instance, swords and knight swords share the damage formula
of XA * WP, where the attack stat XA = PA for swords and
XA = [(PA * Br) / 100] for knight swords.
- A PHYSICAL ATTACK is one that meets at least ONE of the three following
criteria:
(a) Damage or success rate is increased by the caster's
having Attack UP
(b) Damage or success rate is decreased by the target's
having Defense UP or Protect status
(c) Success rate is decreased by the target's physical evade.
Note that an attack does not have to use PA in its damage or success
formula in order to be a physical attack.
- A MAGICAL ATTACK is one that meets at least ONE of the three following
criteria:
(a) Damage or success rate is increased by the caster's
having Magic AttackUP
(b) Damage or success rate is decreased by the target's
having Magic DefendUP or Shell status.
(c) Success rate is decreased by the target's magical evade.
(In general, magical attacks that have beneficial effects, such as
Cure and Protect are not susceptible to Shell, Magic DefendUP, or
magic evade.)
Note that not all attacks that use MA in their damage or success
formulas are magical attacks -- some are in fact physical!
- A NEUTRAL ATTACK is defined as one that is neither physical nor
magical. Examples include TALK SKILL, DANCE, SING, the DRAW OUT
ability 'Murasame', and the Bomb's 'Self-Destruct' command.
- A CLOCKTICK is the basic unit of time of an FFT battle. During
one clocktick, each unit's CT meter increases by an amount equal
to the unit's Speed. Strictly, a clocktick is defined as the
period of time between two consecutive S+ phases (don't worry about
this now; see the gameflow section, Appendix A, for details).
- A SLOW ACTION is any attack that requires a charging time between
the time it is selected and the time when it is actually executed.
- CLOCKTICKS TILL RESOLUTION [CTR] is a value associated with each
slow action that determines its charging time in clockticks. A
slow action with CTR = 1 will be executed on the clocktick after
it is initiated, and one with CTR = 2 will be executed on the
second clocktick after it is initiated. CTR is related to the
spell speeds given in the game as CTR = RU{100 / spellspeed}
and spellspeed = RU{100 / CTR}. This guide uses CTR instead of
spell speed because spell speed is problematic for some slow
actions such as CHARGE, and CTR is the actual value stored by
the game. See Appendix A for details.
- A FAST ACTION is any attack which is resolved immediately upon
selection. See the gameflow section, Appendix A, for details.
- A REACTION is any attack immediately executed by the target of a
just-resolved slow action, fast action, or act of mimicry.
Reaction abilities cannot be reacted to or mimed. The nature of
the reaction is determined by a unit's reaction ability.
- BRAVE (Br), which is listed on-screen under the character's name
and occupation, is a stat that supposedly represents courage in
battle. It's a factor in barehanded attacks, a few special skills
and some weapon attacks, and also represents the rate at which
you'll use your reaction ability. In this guide, you will see it
abbreviated as 'Br'. Brave is on a scale from 0 to 100; if you
fall below 10 Brave, you'll be afflicted with the Chicken status
ailment. Any unit except for Ramza or Guests that has a permanent
Brave of 5 or less at the end of a battle will leave the party.
- FAITH (Fa), listed on-screen next to Brave, is supposed to
represent belief in miracles and supernatural phenomena. It
factors into both magic damage and rate of success, and is an
important stat for a mage. Like Brave, it varies from 0 to 100.
Any character except for Ramza or a Guest that has a permanent
Faith of 94 or greater at the end of a battle will leave the
party.
- To ADD a status change is to cause a unit to be affected by that
status change.
- To CANCEL a status change is to remove a status change that had
previously been added to a unit.
- To BLOCK a status change or element means that the status cannot
be set on the blocking unit or that attacks bearing the element
have a 0% success rate on the blocking unit. To inherently block
a status or element is to be IMMUNE to that status or element.
- The RANGE of an attack is the number of squares, counted in a
straight line, that the attack has the potential to target (not
counting the caster himself). It is represented on the screen when
an attack is selected by red, glowing panels. Examples:
(X = Caster)
# #
# ### #
# ### ##### #
#X# ##X## ###X### ###X###
# ### ##### #
# ### #
Range 1 Range 2 # #
Range 3 Range 3
(4 directions)
Usually, Range is independent of vertical height, but for some
skills (e.g., TALK SKILL), it can be limited by height difference.
If this is so, it will be noted in the guide with a "vX" after
the range number, where X is the vertical tolerance of the attack
in height units. For instance, the range of 'Threaten' is 3v2.
- The EFFECT AREA of an attack determines which panels will actually be
hit by the attack. It's determined by counting the number of squares
an attack can hit from the center to one corner of the effect area.
Effect area is usually restricted by height. Height restrictions will
be noted in the guide with "vX" appended on to the effect number, with
X being the vertical tolerance of the attack in height units. For
instance, the effect area of 'Haste 2' is 2v3.
Examples:
O
O OOO
O OOO OOOOO
O OOO
O
Effect 1 Effect 2 Effect 3
A combination of range and effect area is used to determine the
attack's firing range. We represent this in the guide as two numbers,
the first being the range and the second the effect area. For
instance, a spell with firing range {5/1} means it has a range of 5
and an effect area of 1. If there is an effect area greater than one,
it can make the attack go further than the range.
Special firing ranges:
- for LINEAR firing ranges, the range is measured in the number of
directions the line can go in. The effect area is measured by
the number of squares it affects, and the number of directions
in which it does so. For example, the 'Holy Explosion' attack
is {4dir/5(1dir)}.
- for AUTOMATIC firing ranges, the range and the effect area are
always the same. This is denoted by {A/N}, where N is the
number of squares, in a straight line counted from the center
of the effect area, that the attack effects. For instance, {A/3}
is illustrated below. If the attack is helpful, the caster will
usually also be targeted; if the attack is harmful, the caster
will usually not be targeted.
X: caster
#: panel in range
O: affected panel
O
OOO O
#O# O O
O ##### O OOO
#X# ###X### ###X### OOXOO
# ##### # OOO
### # O
# #
1/1 3/2 4directions/ A/3
3(1direction) (caster may or may not
be affected.)
- LINE-OF-SIGHT (LOS) means that the target of an attack must lie along
a roughly linear path from the caster without any obstacles or other units
intervening. For longbows, this path can be concave-down parabolic as well
as linear (the arrow can arc). If an obstacle blocks the line of sight, a
line-of-sight attack will fail. If another unit blocks the line of sight,
the attack will be executed on the other unit instead of the intended
target. This can be used to your advantage with guns and bows to hit
targets that are closer than 3 panels (which can't normally be fired on):
target a panel directly behind the unit you want to hit, and since he
blocks your shot, you'll hit the intended target instead! Sometimes
this won't work with longbows because the arrow will arc over the
intervening target.
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.2] abbreviations & symbols
=========================================================================
Listed below are abbreviations and symbols, both mathematical and
game-related, that will be used throughout the guide.
MATHEMATICAL FUNCTIONS
----------------------
ARITHMETIC
We'll start with the basics:
+ means addition
- means subtraction
* means multiplication
/ means division
Division gets a little more complicated. The PSX doesn't have a floating
point unit, and so FFT uses integer division, meaning that it truncates all
remainders. To emphasize this, I place instances of division within square
brackets:
[20 / 4] = 5
[21 / 4] = 5
[22 / 4] = 5
[23 / 4] = 5
[24 / 4] = 6
In other words, [x / y] means to divide x by y, keep the quotient and
discard the remainder. Note that this differs from the greatest integer
(floor) function in its treatment of negative numbers: [-19 / 2] = -9
while floor(-19 / 2) = -10. FFT uses truncation, not floor.
The symbol [x * y/z] is short-hand for [(x * y)/z].
In a few instances, the game will round the result of a division UP instead
of just dropping the remainder. To deal with this, I define the 'round-up
division' function, RU{x / y} as follows:
RU{x / y} = [(x + y - 1) / y]
This is more intuitive if you think of it as dividing x by y and rounding up
to the nearest integer. It's the same, trust me. :)
MAXIMUM & MINIMUM FUNCTIONS
max{x,y} = (x if x > y) or (y if y > x)
This function means to take whichever is largest of the two options separated
by the comma.
min{x,y} = (x if x < y) or (y if y < x)
Similarly, this means to take whichever is the smallest of the two options
in the brackets.
RANDOM NUMBER GENERATION
(x..y) means that the game generates a pseudo-random integer between x and y,
inclusive. I say 'pseudo' because no PSX random number generator is completely
random, and it's possible that there are biases. There hasn't been a lot of
study of this, though.
HEXADECIMAL
Where it is necessary for clarity, hexadecimal numbers are prefaced by a
"$" character. So "$2710" means 2710 hex, or 10,000 decimal.
GAME-RELATED ABBREVIATIONS
--------------------------
a : can only target allies (in range/effect notation)
A/2, A/3, etc. : automatic firing range 2, 3, etc. (see above)
Br : Brave
C_x : caster's (attribute x)
CFa : caster's Faith
CT : charge time
CTR : clockticks 'til resolution
CurHP : current HP (in HP 500/556, 500 is the CurHP)
CurMP : current MP
dir : directions
e : can only affect enemies (in range/effect notation)
Fa : Faith
LOS : line-of-sight
Lv : Level
M.AEv : magical accessory Evade%
M.SEv : magical shield Evade%
MA : magical attacking ability
MaxHP : maximum HP (in HP 500/556, 556 is the MaxHP)
MaxMP : maximum MP
P.AEv : physical accessory Evade%
P.CEv : physical inherent Evade%
P.SEv : physical shield Evade%
PA : physical attacking ability
R/E : Range / Effect area (= firing range)
Spd : Speed (stat)
T_x : Target's (attribute x)
TFa : Target's Faith
v : vertical (in effect area)
WEv : weapon Evade%
WP, WpnPwr : weapon's power
XA : attack stat
>> In the formulae, assume that any statistic is that of the user of the
ability unless otherwise specified (e.g., 'Level' refers to 'caster's
Level').
>> In this guide, commands and command sets are generally rendered in
ALL CAPITALS. So 'BLOOD SUCK' refers to the command set, while
'Blood Suck' refers to the specific attack or status ailment. An
"attack" is a general term, but "ATTACK" is the specific command
used in battle.
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.3] signs of the zodiac
=========================================================================
*******************************************************************************
For a very thorough discussion of Zodiac compatibility, including compatibility
charts for all the game's bosses, see A. Robinson's excellent Zodiac
Compatibility Guide on GameFAQs.
*******************************************************************************
What would the Zodiac Brave Story be without Zodiac compatibility?
Every unit in FFT has a Zodiac sign. The interaction of the Zodiac signs
is almost always an effect in damage calculation. The few attacks which are
exempt from Zodiac compatibility include
(1) Damaging attacks where the damage is based on the current
or maximum values of HP and/or MP. These attacks include
the Bomb's 'Self-Destruct', the MAGIC SWORD attack 'Shock!',
the Byblos' 'Shock', and the Archaic Demon's 'Lifebreak',
among others.
(2) The DRAW OUT attack Murasame, which restores (Caster's MA * 12) HP
to all targets, regardless of Zodiac compatibility. This is
probably a programming oversight.
In general, the better the compatibility, the higher the damage or the success
rate of attacks exchanged between two units.
COMPATIBILITY CHART
-------------------
Ar Ta Ge Cn Lo Vg Li Sc Sg Cp Aq Pi Se
Aries O O O - + O ? O + - O O O
Taurus O O O O - + O ? O + - O O
Gemini O O O O O - + 0 ? 0 + - O
Cancer - O O O O O - + O ? O + O
Leo + - O O O O O - + O ? O O
Virgo O + - O O O O O - + O ? O
Libra ? O + - O O O O O - + O O
Scorpio O ? O + - O O O O O - + O
Sagittarius + O ? O + - O O O O O - O
Capricorn - + O ? O + - O O O O O O
Aquarius O - + O ? O + - O O O O O
Pisces O O - + O ? O + - O O O O
Serpentarius O O O O O O O O O O O O O
O: Neutral
+: Good
-: Bad
?: Worst (same sex), Best (opposite sex), Bad (monsters)
In general, the last step of calculating the damage from an attack will
be multiplication. It is just before this final multiplication step that
zodiac modifiers are applied. One of the two multiplicands, which we'll
call XA, will be modified in the following way:
'Neutral' compatibility: XA_zodiac = XA
'Good' compatibility: XA_zodiac = XA + [XA / 4]
'Best' compatibility: XA_zodiac = XA + [XA / 2]
'Bad' compatibility: XA_zodiac = XA - [XA / 4]
'Worst' compatibility: XA_zodiac = XA - [XA / 2]
The stat or stats contributing to XA varies depending on the damage
formula for the attack. Zodiac modification is included in the detailed,
attack-specific damage modfication algorithms given in parts 2 and 3.
For attacks with a variable success rate, calculation of the success rate
usually involves addition. To get the full Zodiac effect on the success
percentage, BOTH addends are affected in the way described above for XA,
even though typically only one is stat-dependent. For instance, for the
TALK SKILL Death Sentence, base success% = MA + 30. Against a target with
'Good' compatibility, success is equal to (MA + [MA/4]) + (30 + [30/4]),
or (MA + [MA/4] + 37). Note that truncation applies twice, so the results
can be slightly different than calculating (success% + [success% / 4]),
depending on the values of MA and of the attack-specific constant.
Variable success rate attacks are often subject to evasion as well. An
important thing to keep in mind is that ZODIAC COMPATIBILITY DOES NOT
AFFECT EVASION; it can only affect the base success percentage of an attack.
Since monsters are unisex, they are immune from 'Best' and 'Worst'
compatibility. So, for a monster, any unit that would normally be 'Best'
or 'Worst' is instead 'Bad'. NOTE -- some of the Lucavi beasts actually
have their sex byte set to MALE and thus are not monsters even though they
appear to be:
Queklain ..... Male
Velius ....... Monster
Zalera ....... Male
Adramelk ..... Monster
Hashmalum .... Male
Altima ....... Monster (both forms)
Elidibs ...... Monster
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.4] evasion
=========================================================================
When you attack a unit, it has a chance to dodge your attack with four
parameters: (1) its class evasion (CEv); (2) its shield (SEv); (3) its
accessory (AEv); (4) its weapon (WEv), if it has the reaction ability
'Weapon Guard' set. There are separate categories for physical
(P.SEv, P.AEv, P.CEv) and magical (M.SEv, M.AEv) evade. Note that there
is no magical class evasion. Weapon evasion only works on physical attacks,
and for the purpose of these equations, WEv = 0 unless the evading unit has
'Weapon Guard'.
EVADING PHYSICAL ATTACKS
------------------------
Physical attack evasion depends on the attacker's position relative to
the target. These equations will produce a percentage from 0 to 100.
10^8 means 10 raised to the eighth power (= 100,000,000); 10^6 means 10
raised to the sixth power (= 1,000,000).
from front:
hit% = [(base hit%)*(100-P.CEv)*(100-P.SEv)*(100-P.AEv)*(100-WEv) / (10^8)]
from side:
hit% = [(base hit%) * (100-P.SEv) * (100-P.AEv) * (100-W.Ev) / (10^6)]
from rear:
hit% = [(base hit%) * (100-P.AEv) / 100]
The above equations were designed with the constraints of FFT's math system
in mind. Since we are capable of noninteger division, it may be easier to
remove the final division by the large power of 10, and to think of each
factor of (100 - P.xEv) as equivalent to (1 - P.xEv/100), in decimal
form. The result will come out the same as long as you truncate the decimal
left after the final multiplication.
- To determine whether an attack is subject to evade, check out the information
for the attack in question in Part 2 or 3 of this guide.
- Unless it is otherwise noted, assume the base hit% is 100. For attacks with
base hit% less than 100, the base hit% will be listed in the relevant section
of part 2 or part 3 as "success%".
- Even if you fire BATTLE SKILL attacks out of a gun, they are still subject
to evasion.
- MIGHTY SWORD has a 00% success rate if the target is not equipped with an
appropriate item for the Mighty Sword skill to break. Consequently, all
monsters are unaffected by MIGHTY SWORD.
- What is considered the 'front', 'side', and 'back' can be confusing when
dealing with ranged attacks like arrows and Wave Fist. The following
diagram should help (thanks to Notti for giving me the idea to present
the information in this way).
___________________
| | | | | | If the target is standing on the panel marked 'X'
| S | B | B | B | S | and facing in the direction indicated by the arrow,
|___|___|___|___|___| if you are attacking from a panel marked 'F', you
| | | | | | are considered to be attacking from the front; if
| S | S | B | S | S | you attack from a panel marked 'S', the game
|___|___|___|___|___| considers you to be attacking from the side; and
| | | || | | if you attack from a panel marked 'B', you are
| S | S | Xv| S | S | attacking from the rear. Basically, the game
|___|___|___|___|___| just decides whether your forward, sideways, or
| | | | | | behind distance from your opponent is greater, and
| S | F | F | F | S | takes that to be your orientation. In the event
|___|___|___|___|___| of a tie, the foremost direction is the winner
| | | | | | (front over side, side over back). Note that this
| F | F | F | F | F | is independent of the relative panel heights.
|___|___|___|___|___|
EVADING MAGICAL ATTACKS
-----------------------
any position: hit% = [(base hit%) * (100 - M.SEv) * (100 - M.AEv) / 10000]
This applies to most magic attacks, whether they are status-inducing
or damage-causing.
- A unit will not try to evade attacks that are curative or that
add helpful status. See the tables in 3.3, 3.4, or 3.5 to determine
whether a magic attack is subject to evade.
For an example of how evade percentages work (using the simplified
versions of the equations that involve non-integer division), let's say
Ramza attacks Algus -- who is equipped with a Crystal Shield (P.SEv +40%,
M.SEv +15%) and an Elf Mantle (P.AEv +25%, M.AEv +25%) -- from the side.
Inherent evade% (P.CEv) is ineffective from the side, but Algus' shield
(P.SEv) and cloak (P.AEv) will give him a chance to avoid the damage:
Orig% Shield Mantle
Ramza's hit% = [100 * (1-.40) * (1-.25)] = [100 * .6 * .75] = 45%.
And if Ramza now decides to cast Flare on Algus, Algus is also
considerably protected due to M.SEv and M.AEv:
Shield Mantle
Flare hit% = [100 * (1-.15) * (1-.25)] = [100 * .85 * .75] = [63.75] = 63%
If a target is somehow protected from a particular attack (for instance,
if he has Rubber Shoes [block: Lightning] equipped and is targeted with
Bolt 3, or is targeted with Seal Evil and is not undead), that attack will
have a 00% success rate, regardless of zodiac sign, evasion multipliers,
percentage multipliers, or anything else.
The reaction ability 'Abandon' causes all of a unit's evasion percentages
to be doubled for the entire battle (it does not require a trigger, despite
what the in-game description says). The 'Defending' status causes the same
effect temporarily.
If a target evades an attack due to its CEv, a 'Missed!' message will be
displayed. If a target evades an attack due to its AEv or SEv, a
'Guarded' message will be displayed. See section 6.12 for details.
As mentioned in the Zodiac section above, Zodiac compatibility has NO effect
on evasion percentages.
For a list of SEv values for each shield, see section B.2. For a list of AEv
values for each mantle, see B.5.
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.5] protect and shell
=========================================================================
The 'Protect' and 'Shell' statuses can protect units from several attacks
in a variety of ways. Here is a summary of the different types of defense
afforded by these statuses.
- If a physical attack does damage and the target has Protect, the attack stat
(XA) in the damage equation will be modified such that new_XA = [XA * 2/3].
If a physical attack inflicts a status, the XA in the success rate equation
will be modified such that new_XA = [XA * 2/3]. If a physical attack
causes damage calculated from the max or current HP of the target (e.g.,
Mutilate), Protect will only affect the success rate of the attack, and
not the damage.
- If a magical attack does damage and the target has Shell, the attack stat
(XA) in the damage equation will be modified such that new_XA = [XA * 2/3].
If a magical attack inflicts a status, the XA in the success rate equation
will be modified such that new_XA = [XA * 2/3]. If a magical attack
causes damage calculated from the max or current HP/MP of the target (e.g.,
Demi, Demi 2, Life Drain, Spell Absorb, Gravi2, Lich), Shell will only
affect the success rate of the attack, and not the damage.
Unlike Zodiac compatibility, Protect and Shell ONLY affect the XA for
variable success rate attacks -- not the entire percentage. Consequently,
with the exception of some (MA+K)%-based attacks of high-level monsters,
Protect and Shell's effect on success rates of attacks is far less signficant
than the effect of Zodiac compatibility.
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.6] the elements
=========================================================================
There are eight elemental properties in the game: Fire, Ice, Lightning,
Water, Earth, Wind, Dark, and Holy.
In turn, there are two separate effects that can be caused by an elemental
attribute. They are (1) XA strengthening for a caster, and (2) damage
modification for a target.
If the caster of an elemental spell has equipment endowed with 'Strengthen:
(element)', when he casts spells of that element, his strengthened_MA will
be equal to [MA * 5/4]. Note that this applies to the MA of the caster,
and not to the damage caused by the spell. Though this will increase the
damage of most spells (e.g., Fire 4, Shiva, Holy), if the spell normally does
damage that is independent of MA (e.g., Lich), it will do no more damage
from the 'Strengthen' effect (the success percentage, however, which does
depend on MA, will be increased). The 'Strengthen' bonus works the same for
elemental weapons like Ice Brand and Holy Lance, except it is applied to
the appropriate attack stat(s) of the weapon (these are the values of XA
listed for each weapon in section 2.1).
The target of an elemental spell can have a variety of properties that
modify the actual DAMAGE dealt by the spells on that target (and not
the caster's MA):
'Weak: (Element)' ... Damage from this element is doubled, even when
the amount of damage is unaffected by other types
of modifiers. In terms of the formula, the value of
the NUMERATOR is multiplied by 2 just before the
final division. Examples:
- The damage equation for Fire 4 is
damage = [(CFa * TFa * 32 * MA) / 10000]
If the target is weak against Fire, then this
becomes
damage = [(CFa * TFa * 32 * MA * 2) / 10000]
- The damage equation for Hurricane is
damage = RU{(Target's MaxHP) * 34 / 100}
If the target is weak against Wind, then this
becomes
damage = RU{((Target's MaxHP * 34 * 2) / 100}
and Hurricane will remove 68% of the target's HP
instead of 34%. Note that the success rate of
Hurricane remains unchanged even when the target
is weak against Wind.
'Half: (Element)' ... Damage from this element is halved. This takes the
form of a factor of 2 inserted into the DENOMINATOR
before the final division. Examples:
- The damage equation for Dark Holy is
damage = [(CFa * TFa * 37 * MA) / 10000]
If the target is wearing an N-Kai Armlet (Half:
Dark), then the equation becomes
damage = [(CFa * TFa * 37 * MA) / 20000]
- Similarly, the normal formula for Lich is
damage = RU{(Target's MaxHP) * 50 / 100}
If the target has an N-Kai Armlet, this becomes
damage = RU{(Target's MaxHP) * 50 / 200}
'Cancel: (Element)' .. Attacks of this element cannot succeed (the
prediction will just say 00%). To avoid a double
meaning for 'cancel', I use the word 'block' for
this effect.
'Absorb: (Element)' .. Damage from element is added to, instead of
subtracted from, the HP total.
Note that Weak, Half, Absorb and Cancel have no effect on the success
rates of elemental attacks.
For Geomancy, only MA is affected by elemental attributes, even
though PA is also used to calculate the damage.
The elemental affiliations of an attack are listed in its description
(press SELECT), and also in the big list in section 3.3.
Example of elemental effects:
This example allows you to appreciate the subtle difference between the
two kinds of elemental effects. Let's assume you have a Summoner with
20 MA and 70 Fa casting Lich on a target with 501 Max HP, neutral Zodiac
compability and 60 Fa. Lich does damage equal to RU{TargetMaxHP * 50/100}
with a success rate of [(Caster Fa)*(Target Fa)*(MA+160) / 10000].
Now envision some scenarios:
1. Normal. Lich does RU{501 * 50/100} = 251 damage with a success rate
of [70*60*180/10000] = 75%.
2. The Summoner equips himself with 108 Gems, which strengthens Dark
elemental. This means that wherever MA is considered,
new_MA = [MA * 5/4]. Because MA doesn't determine the damage done
by Lich, the damage is unaffected, and remains at 251. The success
rate, however, increases slightly, because new_MA = [20 * 5/4] = 25.
So the success rate is now [70*60*185/10000] = 77%.
3. Suppose the Summoner unequips the Gems, then the target equips himself
with an N-Kai Armlet, which has the property 'Half: Dark'. Since
'Half' affects damage itself and NOT MA directly, this time the damage
done by the spell will be affected, but the success rate will not. The
damage will now be equal to RU{TargetMaxHP * 50/200}, or 126. The
success rate, however, remains unaffected at 75%.
Weather-related effects on magic -- such as the strengthening of Lightning
during thunderstorms, the weakening of Fire during thunderstorms, and the
strengthening of Ice during snowstorms (see 6.5) -- are effects of the
second type, influencing the actual damage done by the spell rather than
the caster's MA.
Certain attacks -- such as ATTACK, CHARGE, BATTLE SKILL and HOLY SWORD
directives -- are weapon-elemental, meaning they acquire the elemental
properties of the weapon the caster is equipped with. If the caster's weapon
has no elemental affiliation, weapon-elemental attacks will be non-elemental.
In addition, physical attacks that are weapon-elemental only receive a bonus
from the 'Martial Arts' ability if the caster is barehanded.
_______________________________________________________________________________
[1.7] handling multiple instances of the same variable
=========================================================================
A number of multipliers can act on the variables you'll find in the equations
throughout this guide. In a few of these equations, the same variable appears
twice; in these cases, it can be hard to determine where to apply the variable
modifiers. Usually only one instance of the variable is modified. The list
below shows these equations, with the modifiable variable marked with a "!".
(This applies for caluclating alterations from Zodiac as well.)