Trigger A Trigger is a gameplay element in " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy " and its sequel " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call " , designed to work with the touchscreen ( and in " Curtain Call " , the buttons ) of the Nintendo 3DS . Triggers are the most crucial element of " Theatrhythm ' s " gameplay , since the trigger is the basis of the player ' s score and is required in order for the characters to undertake actions . Triggers affect the damage dealt in Battle Music Sequence ( BMS ) scores , the speed the party leader runs at in Field Music Sequence ( EMS ) scores , and the success or failure of Feature Drive s . Description . Triggers are colored circles displayed on the Nintendo 3DS top screen that correspond to actions to be performed with the stylus . There are three different types of Triggers : Touch Triggers , Slide Triggers , and Hold Triggers , each corresponding to a different action . In addition to the action to be performed , the timing of the Trigger ' s action relative to its position in the Mark is also important ; the Trigger must be lined up very closely with the lane ' s circle at the end in order to get the best score on a trigger . Five scores may be obtained on a trigger , depending on the accuracy of the action and its timing : A " CRITICAL ! " requires precise timing , especially on Basic tracks ; a " GREAT " is achieved if the player is only slightly off with timing ; a " GOOD " is received if the player makes less subtle timing mistakes . A " BAD " is reserved for major mistakes , such as ending a Hold Trigger too early , sliding a Slide Trigger in the wrong direction , or triggering any Trigger too early or too late , and a " MISS " is only received if the player makes no attempt whatsoever to land the trigger . A " BAD " or a " MISS " on a Trigger will reduce the player ' s HP , and will reset any Chain the player has acquired . The window of opportunity for landing a trigger varies based on the current speed of the Score ; the faster a score is going , the more lenient the timing to obtain a " CRITICAL ! " will be . This makes triggers more lenient in Expert and Ultimate scores than in Basic scores , but it also leads to severe variations in necessary timing with Event Music Sequence s ( EMS ) , where the Mark ' s changing speed determines the leniency in timing for triggers . New to " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call " are " Critical Hit Triggers " that appear wreathed in light . When the trigger is activated with a " CRITICAL ! " judgment , the player gains an added benefit — more damage in BMS , greater speed in FMS , and a chance of treasure in EMS . Types . Touch Trigger . Touch Triggers are triggers marked only with a red circle with a white dot in the center , and are the simplest triggers in that , as the name implies , the player need only touch the Nintendo 3DS ' s touchscreen in order to activate the trigger . Timing is the only important element in landing a touch trigger well , and so it is also crucial to landing the trigger correctly . Fire spells correspond to Touch Triggers , and should a character in the player ' s party have one equipped , it will be activated by successfully landing several Touch Triggers . Touch Triggers will not penalize the player for sliding or holding , as only the initial touch matters . This can be a valuable property in some more difficult scores , adding leniency for performing an unnecessary action on a Touch Trigger , as well as meaning that players may treat Touch Triggers as Slide Triggers if that creates a pattern of stylus movements the player finds easier to regulate . In " Curtain Call " , Touch Triggers can also be activated by pressing any of the buttons on the 3DS ( A , B , Y , X , L , and R ) . Slide Trigger . Slide Triggers are triggers marked with a yellow circle containing an arrow pointing in a certain direction . In order to successfully land the Slide Trigger , the player must press and quickly slide the stylus in the direction the arrow indicates . The touchscreen is fairly lenient when determining whether or not an arrow is slid in the correct direction , so long as the player slides it in the same general direction , but sliding in the wrong direction will always result in a " BAD " on a trigger , and flicking the stylus instead of pressing and sliding often has the same result . Both timing and direction are key to successfully landing Slide Triggers , so the player must keep both in mind when attempting to land a Slide Trigger . In addition to the ordinary Slide Triggers , Dark Note s of Nos . 90 and above may feature Slide Triggers that move in a circle instead of remaining stationary , which , added with the speed , makes it difficult to land these triggers successfully . Thunder spells correspond to Slide Triggers , and should a character in the player ' s party have one equipped , it will be activated by successfully landing several Slide Triggers . In " Curtain Call " , Slide Triggers can also be activated by sliding the Circle Pad in the corresponding direction . Hold Trigger . Hold Triggers are triggers marked with two green circles connected to the other by a solid green line . Hold Triggers possess the most variety of any type of trigger , as the differences in length , differences between Scores , and differences in the action required to end a Hold Trigger mean a number of possible requirements to successfully land a Hold Trigger . At its most basic , the player must hold a trigger when the first green circle reaches the center of the Mark , and then release the note when the second green circle reaches the Mark . However , in FMS scores , the player must move the stylus from its starting location up or down correspondingly with the way the green line moves ; smaller green circles within the line serve as checkpoints to ensure the player is following the green line , and count as triggers for the purposes of Chains and score . Because the green line may move far up or down the lane , the player should take care to center their stylus vertically so that it may follow the path of the line ; should a Hold Trigger end near the top or the bottom of the lane , the player should center their stylus near the top or bottom of the touchscreen for future Hold Triggers . While EMS scores also occasionally possess green circles within the line of the Hold Trigger , these have not been noticed to have any discernible effect on Chains or score , and appear to do nothing other than keep time . In addition to the special quality FMS Hold Triggers possess , all Hold Triggers , even those in a FMS , may end with a Slide Trigger instead of a trigger requiring only the release of the stylus ; in this case , three factors are combined to determine the score of the hold note : the timing that begins the Hold Trigger , the timing that ends the Hold Trigger , and the direction the Hold Trigger ' s slide is sent in . FMS scores offer a fourth factor , which is the accuracy of the Mark ' s movements respective to the Hold Trigger . Blizzard spells correspond to Hold Triggers , and should a character in the player ' s party have one equipped , it will be activated by successfully landing several Hold Triggers . In " Curtain Call " , Hold Triggers can also be activated by holding down any face button .