Datalog (Final Fantasy XIII)/Primers: Battle/Lightning Returns

The following is a list of Datalog entries for the Primers: Battle of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
==Basic controls in battle==
PS3 Controls	Xbox Controls	Function
 	 	Move Lightning around the field
 	 	Move the camera (Use / to switch between near and far views)
 	 	Select a target
 	 	Open the pause menu (to use recovery items or EP abilities)
/ 	/ 	Switch schemata
 	 	Trigger Overclock
 	 	Libra (view enemy information)
/// 	/// 	Use assigned abilities
You can use preset abilities simply by pressing , , , or /, , , or . Hold down the button to unleash a series of attacks. Abilities will consume ATB from your ATB gauge—when you run out of ATB, you cannot use your abilities.
==Using recovery items in battle==
If your HP is getting low during battle or if you have been afflicted with status ailments, you can use recovery items to get yourself out of a tight spot.
Open the pause menu with / and switch to the recovery item screen using / or /. Using these items will not deplete your ATB gauge. Recovery items take effect immediately.
You can obtain recovery items at general store and on the Ark, among other places, but there is a limit on the number of recovery items that you can carry.
There are also items that temporarily boost your parameters, so stock your inventory carefully before battle against strong foes.
==Switching targets and controlling the camera in battle==
Use / to change targets during battle.
Sometimes you may want to take out a certain enemy first, such as when you are facing a strong enemy flanked by weaker minions, or when there is one enemy who frequently uses recovery spells to heal its allies.
You may also want to switch targets when you are using area attack spells. Choose an enemy in the center of a group to inflict the most damage on the most number of foes.
You can also control the camera with /. Press / to switch between near and far views. Use the far view when you are facing many enemies in battle or wish to assess the lay of the battleground.
==Your ATB gauges==
During battle, actions that Lightning performs consume ATB from the ATB (Action Time Battle) gauges, which refill again with the passage of time.
Each schema has its own ATB gauge. The equipment choices that you make for each schema can affect things like your initial ATB value and your maximum ATB, as well as how quickly the ATB recovers. Each ability you use has its own ATB cost, which you can check when you set abilities to your schema in Customize Schema.
Watch your three ATB gauges so that you can choose the best schema for the situation.
==Switching schemata==
During battle, Lightning can switch between three schemata. A schema is made up of a garb, which increases Lightning's parameters and has abilities set to it, a weapon, a shield, and other equipment.
Press / or / to instantly switch schemata. There is no limit to how many times you can switch.
Each schema has its own ATB gauge, and you can affect how quickly your ATB recovers with the auxiliary equipment you equip to each schema. The ATB gauges for standby schemata that Lightning is not currently using will recover three times as fast. When ATB gauge runs empty, quickly switch schemata to stay in the game.
Knowing which schema to use, and when to switch, is the key to defeating even the most powerful foes.
==Guarding==
Use abilities like Guard to reduce the damage that you take from an enemy's blows or spells.
To guard against an attack, you will need to set a guarding ability to one of you buttons. Then, simply press it during battle. If you hold the button down you can maintain the guard as long as your ATB lasts.
If you time the guard just before an enemy attack lands, you achieve a perfect guard, which is even more effective than a normal guard. In some battles, a perfect guard against a particular attack might even stagger an enemy.
Try to predict enemy attacks to pull off a perfect guard of your own.
==Better results with perfect timing==
Certain abilities, such as Attack and Fire, which you can link in a series, or defensive abilities like Guard, will be ever more effective if you unleash them at just the right time.
Targets for perfect timing
:Physical attacks: right when the last physical attack strikes
:Magic attacks: Right when the last spell is unleashed
:Guarding: Right before the enemy's attack lands
If you perform an action with perfect timing, you will see a glowing aura surround Lightning. Perfect timing is a high-level technique that requires quick judgment and lots of practice.
==Staggering enemies==
By striking at your enemies' vulnerabilities, you can break down their defenses and stagger them. Attacking a staggered enemy will deliver far more damage than usual and you'll be able to end battles more quickly. Note that some enemies have more than one level of stagger.
When you hit enemy attacks that can stagger it, you will see a stagger wave on its HP gauge. The greater this wave, the more effective your attack was. As you get closer to staggered your enemy, the stagger wave will turn red. Keep hitting the foe until it is staggered.
You will find different kinds of attacks effective against different enemies. As you discover these stagger conditions, they will be added to your enemy intel in / Libra. You can also buy monster notes that give you all the information there is to know about a specific enemy.
Stagger effects of different abilities
: Staggering: Boosts the stagger wave
: Preserving: Maintains the wave
Some enemies are staggered when you strike right after avoiding one of their attacks using Guard or Evade. Always look for opportunities to stagger your foes.
==Destroying parts of an enemy==
Among the largest and strongest of enemies, there are some foes who can be destroyed piece by piece.
If you succeed in destroying a part of a monster, your enemy will no longer be able to use it to attack you. Use the / to move Lightning around the battle field and target key points on your enemy's body.
==Positioning in battle==
You can move Lightning around the battle field using /. Your location in relation to your enemies will have an effect on many of your spells and attacks.
For example, if you are fighting an enemy who uses short-ranged attacks, then putting some distance between you and them will help you deal with attacks. If your enemy uses magic attacks, the extra space will give you more time to use abilities like Guard and Evade. However, if your enemy use long-ranged attacks, then keeping your distance may be more dangerous.
There are also enemies who are easier to stagger if you catch them from behind, and enemies whose parts you can destroy by striking certain areas. In the toughest battles, you must think about positioning if you want to emerge victorious.
==Getting KO'd and escaping from battle==
Lightning will be knocked out if her HP hits zero and she will become unable to fight any longer. When Lightning is KO'd, the pause menu will automatically be opened. You can revive Lightning from there with a recovery item like a tuft of Phoenix down or an EP ability like Arise.
The EP ability Arise will restore different amounts of HP after reviving Lightning, depending on the EP it consumes. Three EP will fully restore Lightning's HP. It can still be used with only one or two EP, but the amount of HP restored will be less.
When you cannot seem to win against a particular enemy, you can always flee using the EP ability like Escape. Your HP and any items that you used will all be restored to the state they were in before the battle began, but you will sacrifice an hour of the world's time in return.
(Note: No time will be lost when you are playing EASY MODE.)
==Battle results and battle scores==
After battles, your battle results will be displayed, showing any EP and gil you have earned, as well as any items you may have found. Any battles fought within the sea of Chaos will also have a fixed bonus attached to them.
A special battle score will also be calculated when Lightning defeats strong enemies and Last Ones. The quicker that you defeat your foe, the higher this battle score will be.
To boost your score even higher, try to win the battle with all your HP, EP, and items intact—or as close as you can get. The less you use or lose, the higher your score.
When you have Outerworld services activated, you can share your battle score online.
==Using Libra and the Bestiary==
During battle, you can press / to use Libra and see data about the enemy you are fighting. You will learn more about a foe the more you fight it, or you can purchase monster notes from adventuring essentials shops to get the whole picture immediately.
Included is information about the enemy's vulnerabilities and stagger conditions—useful when you are trying to stagger a tough foe. Every time that you obtain an item after battling a particular foe, it will be added to the dropped items list.
You can see the enemy data that you've accumulated by opening the main menu with / and then selecting Bestiary. In the bestiary, enemies whose information is complete will be marked with a ✔.
==Enemies growing stronger over time==
The chaos grows denser as the end of the world approaches, and the monsters and foes tied to its dark power grow stronger as well. The closer it gets to the final day, the more HP your enemies will have. Be prepared, for even an enemy you have defeated one may be stronger the next time you face it.
Enemies start to grow stronger at 6 AM on the seventh day. After that point, they will continue to grow stronger with each day that passes, until they reach their maximum strength on the thirteenth day. The Last One, which is the last specimen of a given species, also follows this pattern, but certain special enemies like bosses may not.
Remember that you can re-battle Last Ones using the Book of Conquests on the Ark, but when you do, they will always be at their strongest, as they would be on the thirteenth day.
==Exterminating monster and the Last Ones==
In Nova Chrysalia, a world where the natural cycle of life and rebirth have been broken, there is a limited number of monsters inhabiting the land. Once you defeat all the individuals of a species, it will have been exterminated, never to appear again. You can check on the current population of a particular monster using tools like the bestiary.
However, when ridding the world of monsters, you must take heed of the Last One. This is the very last specimen of a species that appears when it is on the brink of extinction. Last Ones are magenta in color, and far more powerful than their fellow predecessors.
When you fight a Last One, you will need a great deal of preparation and determination. Also note that some species cannot be fully exterminated, and you will discover them yourself as you battle across the world.
==The elemental attributes: fire, ice, lightning, and wind==
Many enemies may be vulnerable to certain elements, and suffer extra damage when struck with elemental attacks. There are four elements: fire, ice, lightning, and wind. Both physical attacks attacks and spells such as Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, and Aero can deliver elemental damage.
Use / Libra to check an enemy's elemental strengths and weaknesses, or to see if it is more vulnerable to physical or magic damage.
Pay attention to physical and magic damage resistance before worrying about attribute resistance. For example, if an enemy has an elemental-attribute weakness but is immune to magic damage, elemental spells will have little effect.
==Status changes==
During battle, your parameters and status can be affected both negatively and positively.
Abilities like Brave and Shell make you stronger or improve your defenses, while abilities like Curse and Deshell debuff or disable enemies. Use the latter against strong enemies to make it easier to bring them down.
Enemies may also use status altering abilities, including using status ailment attacks against you. You can be affected by up to eight status effects at one time, so try to cure ailments as soon as you can.
==Status change icons==
:A Bravery: Physical attacks do more damage than usual.
:B Debrave: Physical attacks do less damage than usual.
:C Faith: Magic attacks do more damage than usual.
:D Defaith: Magic attacks do less damage than usual.
:E Protect: Physical resistance is increased.
:F Deprotect: Physical resistance is decreased.
:G Shell: Magic resistance is increased.
:H Deshell: Magic resistance is decreased.
:I Haste: ATB recovers more quickly than usual.
:J Slow: ATB recovers more slowly than usual.
:K Veil: Status ailment resistance is increased.
:L Imperil: Status ailment resistance is decreased.
:M Vigilance: Less likely to have attacks interrupted.
:N Curse: More likely to have attacks interrupted.
:O Pain: Unable to use physical attacks.
:P Fog: Unable to use magic attacks.
:Q Regen: HP is slowly restored over time.
:R Poison: HP is slowly drained over time.
:S Daze: Unable to take action. Takes more damage than usual.
:T Reraise: Able to recover from being knocked out.
:U Doom: Will be knocked out at the end of the countdown.
:V Enfire, etc.: Strengthens elemental-attribute attacks.
:W Dispel: Removes status enhancements.
==Offsetting status changes==
Each status ailment can be countered by using the opposing ability which strengthens the same parameter.
:A Debrave: Can be canceled with Brave
:B Defaith: Can be canceled with Faith
:C Deprotect: Can be canceled with Protect
:D Deshell: Can be canceled with Shell
:E Slow: Can be canceled with Haste
:F Curse: Can be canceled with Vigilance
:G Poison: Can be canceled with Regen
:H Imperil: Cannot be canceled with with another ability
Icons that appear within a hexagon are special status ailment which cannot be countered.
==Staggering status changes==
Staggered enemies become vulnerable to all kinds of attacks and elements. When a foe is weakened by stagger, that is the time to move in and finish it off.
:A Unprotected: Physical resistance is weakened.
:B Unshelled: Magic resistance is weakened.
:C Parched: Fire resistance is weakened.
:D Exposed: Ice resistance is weakened.
:E Conductive: Lightning resistance is weakened.
:F Brittle: Wind resistance is weakened.
:G Broken: Enemy becomes easier to stagger.
:H Infected: Status ailment resistance is weakened.
:I Hindered: Enemy's movements become slower.
:J Confused: Unable to distinguish friend from foe.
:K Cursed: More likely to recoil and have attacks fail.
:L Dazed: Unable to take action. Takes more damage than usual.
:M Pained: Unable to use physical attacks
:N Foggy: Unable to use magic attacks.
==Limit Break==
When you obtain the Proof of Overcoming Limits, Lightning will be able to exceed the limits that were previously placed on her growth. If you want to use Limit Break, open the main menu with / and activate it in the Settings menu.
However, if you choose to use Limit Break, you will not be able to post your battle scores to Outerworld services. When you want to post your scores, deactivate Limit break by opening the main menu with / and changing the Settings.
Category:Datalog in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII