Combat (OG)

Combat takes place on the landscape map. The landscape map is usually navigated by moving whichever character is in the lead through streets, forests, or whatever is applicable to that particular location. Technically this movement is turn based, and it is quite possible to avoid enemies without ever entering combat. Choosing to engage an enemy, or worse, being engaged by an enemy turns this into the combat state.

It is worth noting that your party members will follow the lead character around, and catch up if waited for, when they are slower than the lead, but this still comes under the combat system, once combat begins, any allies you may have left trailing in your dust will have to resolve their movement manually, and may be in a position surrounded by foes.

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Once entering combat, view will switch to either whoever is being engaged at the time, or whoever's turn it is next. The map will only ever show the locations of the enemies that the current hero actually knows, and it may even be wrong. This also applies to the landscape.

After moving to engage, or being engaged by the foe, one must choose 2 out of the 4 methods of fighting available, and will also be able to get allies to join the fight where applicable. The 4 spheres of combat form the backbone of the fighting system, and whether the fight happens in real time, or is turn based, choosing the correct spheres to counter an enemy will dominate strategic fighting. These spheres are melee, ranged, magic, defense, and each are used in the same way, choosing to quickly press or hold down and charge in order to get different results out of the style.

## Melee

The melee sphere is a low cost versatile sphere which revolves around closing in and striking quickly with the equipped weapon. A single button press delivers a simple blow with the weapon. This can also be used to deflect other melee and ranged attacks when timed correctly, though neither side will sustain health damage as a result, this still counts as an impact. This is a useful defense against decisive blows. If there is no enemy in range, pressing the attack button will instead instigate a double speed dash towards the target. This is intended to provide an effective counter to the ranged sphere, who is unable to move whilst attacking. Any target in range of this dash may be struck by any attack the melee sphere delivers.

**Combos**

The melee sphere gains incredible power when it is used to perform combinations of attacks. After striking an enemy, or their weapon, if the attack deflected instead of making combat, pressing the attack button again delivers another blow, up to 4 times after the initial attack. The butter zone for each stage of this combo increases in size as the game progresses and the heroes get stronger. There is no type of automatic block which can be performed during a melee attack, so long as neither combatant's weapon deflects the other, it is quite possible for both parties to connect blows with an entire combo at the same time, unless the damage causes vitality to drop to zero. The number of hits means that melee is THE sphere if you want to perform decisive blows, a surefire way to finish off any enemy.

**Charging**

Instead of just attacking, each weapon has an alternative skill that can be performed if the melee button is held down for a certain amount of time. This is a charge attack, which not only refers to the charging of power, but also that it can be executed at the end of a charge. If you are moving towards the enemy whilst holding down the attack button, the gauge fills correspondingly faster. Charge attacks are slower and leave you more vulnerable than a combo does, but do not require such precise timing, and come with additional effects depending on the weapon being used. They are certainly worth using, especially when mounted.

## Ranged

The ranged sphere is extremely simple. It is also the most expensive sphere and the one which leaves you the most vulnerable to attack. Its benefits come from the fact that it does not have a maximum range. That's right, any unit using the ranged sphere can engage any other unit on the entire map provided they know that it is there. It also has the potential to do more damage than any other sphere. In theory, any ranged unit can kill, outright, any other unit which needs to get closer to engage them. This is intended to make ranged styles best suited to tackling magical styles.

**Basic attack**

All ranged attacks are performed on the release of the attack button. This applies to all ranged weapons and merely pressing the button will launch an attack. This attack is almost guaranteed to miss. In fact, ranged attacks are the only attacks with a set chance to miss, all others have to be actively avoided. Because any avoid chance is as a subtraction from the chance to hit even the least effective dodging skill enables one to avoid a single click of the ranged attack. This is why the attack happens on the release. As the attack button is held, accuracy increases, as does damage and the chance of a decisive blow, and there is no upper limit to the charge on a ranged attack. This makes any ranged attack extremely powerful over long distances, even through defenses.

**Special attack**

Ranged weapons do not have a special attack per se, because their entire attack style is like an upgraded form of the melee charge attack. But since certain weapons, the bow and crossbow, do not possess a melee attack at all, their ranged attack comes with a rather impressive bonus, respectively decreasing the time needed to charge and the effect of charging.

## Magic

Now here we have the fantastic aspect of the combat system, which can't be explained in physical terms. Magic has been set up as the mid range combat style, neither as versatile as melee, powerful as ranged or defensive as defense. But, it does carry aspects of all three and can be a fearsome tool when combined with the other styles, as is intended. It is also the only style which can be used to strengthen or heal allies or weaken enemies, since each element comes with a range of buffs and debuffs which are automatically applied on contact with the spell.

**Magic Charge**

By holding down the attack button, a character will begin to draw magical energy from their nearby surroundings. This process takes a different amount of time depending on the element, but is about the same as a standard ranged attack or a melee charge attack. Once a charge is accumulated, it will last a certain amount of time before it decays. It is possible to move around whilst charging magic. The magic charge has five separate levels of increasing power, the higher levels carry higher damage and stronger statuses. Whilst charging magic, damage from external sources is reduced by the aura caused by charging the magic. This effect is more potent against magic attacks. Magical buffs and debuffs are a form of this charge, and so a mage can dismantle whichever spell has been cast on them to use the charge themselves.

**Magic Spell**

Once a charge has been accumulated, a target and a spell can be selected. The spell is an instant attack from a single button press. Different spells can be cast using different weapons. All apply the specific effect of that magic on whichever target is chosen, plus damage if the target is an enemy. Certain characters, the mages of the party have special abilities which augment the spells they can cast, or their effects. See the page on magic spells for more detail.

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