Knightmare

**Knightmare** is a **monster taming** video game in the *Svea* series. The player fights against Orders of Knights in unique armors, of which the player is able to recruit only 1 of each Order. This Knight removes their helmet and introduces themselves as a unique named character, but otherwise always keeps their helmet on during battle.

## Campaign

Bosses use special **valor** effects that distinguish them from normal encounters, making them much more difficult.

## Valve

The player may or may not be able to level recruited characters individually, but they can alter their battle properties via **Valves**; decreasing one set of aspects in order to increase another set. Valves are unique to each Knight.

## Cooldown Consumption

Some abilities are able to "**consume**" others in order to be usable again, even if either of the two abilities are already on cooldown. Consumed abilities are put on extended delay before being usable again, and cannot be "eaten".

## Quick

Some abilities "respond" to specific actions during specific game states by freezing time, and being usable immediately; these are **Quick** abilities, and all have the ability to consume cooldown.

### Initial Cooldown

Some abilities begin the battle already on cooldown. Most Quick abilities operate this way.

### Order

In a Quick "chain", the player cannot respond twice in a row; the opponent needs to activate a Quick of their own during that sequence for the player to be able to do anything. This has implications for Quicks that trigger at the start of a battle, since the player will only be able to use 1 of those unless the opponent also does.

### Auto/Passive Abilities

For the most part, abilities that would otherwise be auto/passive abilities in other games are Quick abilities in *Knightmare*, usually triggered at the start of the battle, and may be triggered by other factors in-battle.

Example:

* Rain Dance: Triggered at the start of the battle. For a duration, increases damage of Water-property moves.

### Examples

#### Before vs. After an action

* Quicks need to specify if they respond **before** an action goes of, or **after** it has had its impact.
* This is due to the nature of Quicks; they tend to either deal with the consequences of an action, or try to mitigate it.
* No Quick can respond to both.
* Actions that can be responded to before will have a **prediction** showing the action, but it not actually executing until after players' have responded.

* When a queue of responses have been made, they will then execute backwards.

#### Either:

##### 1: Quicks consider the entire Queue when responding After an action

* Quicks that respond **after** an actions impact are able to consider *any* action of the entire **queue**.
* This is because actions in queues resolve directly one after another, without chance for the user to be able to respond with anything.
* Therefore, they respond to any action that has happened.

* Cons:
	+ The impact could have drastically changed the game state by then.
	+ Does it still activate?
	+ Surely that would be a no, for example if the relevant units are already KO'd by then.

##### 2: As a Queue resolves backwards, players are able to respond when considering After responses

* When actions are performed in a queue, they impact the field.
* This triggers Quick responses, and the player is able to respond immediately then.
* This essentially extends the Queue by adding another action after it.

* Cons:
	+ Does a 2-dimensional queue get formed?
	+ Probably not, no.
	+ The current queue simply gets extended.

#### Quicks can respond to any action in a Queue

* Quicks are able to respond to actions that occurred previously in the queue, not just the latest one.
* This is so that both players will be able to respond, since they always take turns.

* Example:
	+ Ⓐ Cloud Knight activates "Fog Blade"; it deals non-Effect damage.
	+ Ⓑ Purple Poison MagiKnight responds with "Slathered Knife"; it responds to non-Effect damage and inflicts DoT.
	+ Ⓐ Winter Kiss MagiKnight responds with "Power Up"; it responds to non-Effect damage and boosts damage of that user.

## Stagger

Striking an enemy with a move it's **WEAK** to will cause its **Stagger meter** to appear for a moment. While the meter is visible, any hit inflicted will slowly wear it down. Breaking the meter inflicts Stagger onto the enemy, causing it to be stunned for a moment, unable to act.

### WEAK

Each character has its own set of WEAK points. These cannot be changed by the player, but systems such as Valve can influence them.

All abilities have properties that do not otherwise affect damage output, such as if the attack is energy-based or hits from overhead. WEAK points take not only those into account, but also the current game state.

## Aggro

**Aggro** is a team-based statistic. Only 1 party member of each team can hold Aggro at a time; when other party members uses abilities, it decreases the Aggro of the active member.

Aggro affects the hit chance of abilities; targeting a character that is not the active aggro unit is far more likely to be a weak hit, while targeting the active aggro unit is almost never a weak hit.

## Accuracy

Abilities in *Knightmare* cannot miss; they can however become **weak** hits, greatly reducing their efficiency. This is directly tied to the Aggro system, where units without Aggro have essentially much higher evasion.

Accuracy is pre-calculated; the player will know if the hit is going to be weakened or not before they choose the ability.

## Knights

* https://www.instagram.com/magik\_jack\_art/
* Dart Knight
	1. Thunder Darts
		+ Electric, multi-hit, projectile, targets center of abdomen.
	2. ⚡ Mist Mirage
		+ Evade the next attack.
		+ ⚡: Targeted by a single-target attack when the only fighter standing.
	3. Pin Point
		+ Only usable when the only fighter standing.
		+ Make a single target's WEAK meter appear, for a very short time.
		+ Deals no damage.
	4. Aim: Knee
		+ Projectile, targets leg.
		+ Removes an amount of Speed Buff.
* Frost Love MagiKnight
* Noble Knight
* Winggull Knight
	1. ⚡ Drizzle
		+ Conjures the Rain weather condition, for a little while. Water-property attacks deal increased damage.
		+ ⚡: The beginning of the battle, or when the Rain expires.
* Purple Poison MagiKnight
	+ A Knight whose attacks largely ignore the effects of Aggro. Only deals damage-over-time.
	1. Poison Sludge
		+ Deals gradual damage.

## Flow

* Team A:
	+ Exploud Knight
	+ Winter Kiss MagiKnight
	+ Court Knight
* Team B:
	+ Frog Knight
	+ Cloud Knight
	+ Purple Poison MagiKnight

1. * The game first checks if any Quicks can be activated at the start of the Battle.
	* If so, then both parties choose at the same time.
	* Team A chooses "Tension!" with Exploud Knight.
	* Team B chooses "Rain Dance" with Frog Knight.
	* Random chance determines that Exploud Knight goes first; "Tension!" greatly increases his Aggro.
	* "Rain Dance" creates Rain.
2. * No Quicks are eligible.
	* Both parties choose at the same time.
	* They can choose any unit, except for Exploud Knight or Frog Knight, since them acting has cost them time.
3. * Team A chooses "Winter Whisper" with Winter Kiss MagiKnight.
	* Normally, this would be executed immediately.
	* Before it is able to execute however, a Quick is able to respond here.
	* Team B responds with "Fog Breath" with Cloud Knight; it was able to respond due to a pure-status ailment move was about to be used, "Fog Breath" then negates that move.
4. * Team B chooses "Sludge" with Purple Poison MagiKnight, targeting Winter Kiss MagiKnight.
	* Normally, this would be a bad idea since Exploud Knight has the Aggro, meaning hits are only guaranteed to hit against him.
	* Purple Poison MagiKnight is an Assassin-style Knight however, and has moves that ignore the effects of Aggro.
	* Winter Kiss MagiKnight is dealt damage-over-time.
5. * Team A chooses "Noble Strike" with Court Knight, targeting Purple Poison MagiKnight.