Q&A
Here we will offer a short Q&A of things you should know before enjoying the game. A definite read for people new to this brand of dungeon RPG!
Beginner
- Q1:This is the first time I've played a dungeon RPG, and I'm lost. What should I do first?
- A1:As this game is slightly different from most RPGs, being lost is not uncommon. First, read the manual and progress according to the How to Play section. If you complete missions as they appear, you should grow accustomed to the game. If you get lost, you can read the in-game Manual at the Info PC in the CPO Command Center. Once you get the hang of things, don't just follow missions, but play however you like. Playing whatever style you enjoy is the trademark of a skilled player of this brand of game.
- Q2:I want to create a character, but I don't know what Type or Blood to add to my party!
- A2:As for Type selection, each Type is more or less suited to specific Bloods. You should think about what Bloods you want to add to your party when deciding Types. For beginners, you should make a party of the comparatively easy to use Ushiwaka/Tomoe (Warrior), Tsukuyomi/Amaterasu (Mage), Dominion/Angel (Cleric), and Moses/Joshua (Scholar). Bloods good at attacking (Ushiwaka/Tomoe) should be placed in the front row (first 3 people), and the back row (back 3 people) should be Tsukuyomi or Moses. The fastest leveling, comparatively "all-mighty" party is probably Ushiwaka, Tomoe, Dominion, Angel, Tsukuyomi/Amaterasu, and Moses. It could be interesting to swap Ushiwaka or Tomoe with Dominion or other battle-type Bloods. In contrast, Moses/Joshua, with the Technology skill are extremely useful, and removing them makes the game much harder. Once you decide on a lineup, you can pick Types that are suitable to each one. However, picking the Types and Bloods you like is also important. If you have a specific character in mind, such as one from an anime, comic or novel, you should pick the Type and Blood that is most appropriate to them. If you only think of the most efficient way to play, then you'll have regrets later.
- Q3:The equipment at the Dev Lab is too expensive and I can't Deploy it. What should I do?
- A3:There's no need to try too hard in this game to buy equipment. Try your best with the default items stored in the databank to start off. You'll gain items from chips obtained by defeating malforms quickly enough. Soon you'll level up and be able to defeat stronger malforms and get even better items. We recommend developing equipment at the Dev Lab and deploying recovery, map and other support items.
- Q4:I tried exploring a dungeon but I got lost immediately. How can I explore without getting lost?
- A4:If you're not accustomed to 3D dungeons, you'll get lost. In the first few dungeons, a support map is shown in the upper right of the screen, so rely on that to get used to movement. We also recommend deploying map items from the Dev Lab and using them while exploring. Using R2 (right shift) to view the map is a convenient shortcut. You can use map items as many times as you like as long as they don't break. Unfortunately, relying on maps will prove counter-intuitive when exploring certain areas where they are unavailable. Doing your best to explore without a map is a valuable skill to have.
- Q5:My whole party died while I was in a dungeon. How do I save them?
- A5:To rescue a dying party, you need to make a new party to save them. For this purpose, create a party of 3 high HP characters and head to the floor your other party was in. When you arrive, use the special command Team Search from anywhere on the floor. Doing so will find your dying party. Enter the rescued members into your party and return to the Academy. When leaving the dungeon, dying members will be carried to the Med Lab where you can heal them. Also, using the Retrieve command from the Med Lab can request a XPD team to retrieve the fallen members using GP. The retrieval can fail, but this is the easiest method of saving them. Then use ICU Checkout to temporarily replace the team member in your party and use Heal Cond (this costs GP) or cast an appropriate Heal Code to heal them.
Intermediate
- Q6:What are Union Skills?
- A6:These are skills usable in battle that the entire party cooperates to use. Union Skills have three types, BRAVE (battle techniques), MAGIC (magic techniques), and ACADEMY (academic techniques); by consuming the Union Gauge the party can use the skill type currently equipped to the party. Also, your party will gain Unity as you use Union Skills, and your Union Gauge's maximum will increase. As your Union Gauge increases, you will be able to use more powerful Union Skills. All Union Skills are quite powerful. Actively make use of them to clear battles, save your team from danger, and succeed in dangerous situations. When you want to use Union Skills, press Sub 2 (S key) or left or right when selecting the first character's command during battle.
- Q7:What is Unity?
- A7:Unity is the strength of unity your party members have with each other. This score changes depending on your team's compatibility of alignment; if its good, it will be higher, and if bad, lower. This can also affect the Union Gauge's maximum and your team member's individual attributes. Unlike level, which affects attributes more directly, this has a small effect when in lower levels but a large effect when higher in level. However, this isn't something to worry about until you reach those higher levels. You can also change a member's alignment by using Consultation at the Med Lab. If your alignment compatibility becomes too poor and you aren't gaining enough Unity, change alignments by doing alignment-changing actions or using Consultation.
- Q8:Should I use Development?
- A8:Using Develop at the Dev Lab allows you to create, disassemble, and upgrade items. The advantage of item creation is to make use of Junk and Materials to create weapons and armor. This is more effective than waiting for equipment to drop from battle. The advantage of disassembling is to acquire Materials needed for equipment creation. You should disassemble equipment you don't need to acquire materials. However, certain materials you can't obtain from disassembly. Additionally, unique items cannot be disassembled. And finally, upgrading allows you to improve the attack (ATP) or defense (DEF) of equipment. You can also attach an element or type to equipment, making them more efficient in certain situations. Upgrading is essential to victory in battle.
- Q9:Do you need to change Bloods?
- A9:As you progress through the game, you may feel doubts as to your party's balance or strength, making a Blood change useful. Changing your party formation can also contribute to success. There is essentially no penalty for changing Bloods. Each Blood retains its individual level. This means when you change to a Blood you have not used, you go down to level 1, but when changing back to a previously leveled blood, you will return to that level. Changing Bloods has no effect on attributes. Your statistics will remain the same. However, you will not gain additional attribute points until your current Blood's level becomes the highest level Blood for that character. The important thing to remember is that you only get 1 attribute point per level. Because changing Blood requires specific attributes, if you don't plan your allocations carefully, that character will be unable to change into the Blood you want. There's no need to level all Bloods, but using several Bloods to create a unique equipment feel can be a fun playstyle. On the other hand, it isn't bad to create a character with only 1 Blood and only improve their prime statistics. Use the Blood system as you like to match your preferred playstyle.
- Q10:What is the reset technique? Is it cheating?
- A10:The "reset technique" is a certain way of utilizing the game's save system. For instance, when Save Mode is set to Normal, the game autosaves after battle or after you close the Camp screen.
*You will be notified when the game autosaves by a flashing in the bottom left of the main window.
Using the soft reset function (Esc+F1 or Button 9+Button 11) after encountering unforeseen accidents in dungeons, such as those that kill your party members, or being killed in battles with malforms can reset the game's status to the last place saved to file. Resetting time in this way is the "reset technique". Simple mistakes in this game can cause huge devastation. It can be said that using the reset function at those times is a clever playstyle. It's true that using reset can change the outcome of certain events to be more favorable. However, people that want to accept the outcomes that the game delivers can disable this function. By changing save mode to Mania, the benefits of soft-resetting greatly decrease, making it lose its advantage, as Mania mode only autosaves when returning to Hinowa. The only correct way to play this game is the way which is most fun to the player.
Advanced
- Q11:I want to know more about Dungeon RPGs!
- A11:Might and Magic and Wizardry are two of the biggest representatives of the genre. There are many games today that use them as their base. They owe their origins, largely, to D&D and other tabletop RPGs. Their high level of complexity has garnered many loving fans over their 20 year history. They offer being able to create your own original characters and explore dungeons according to your own playstyle. The story of these games is to be completed by the user's imaginations - this representative characteristic has been inherited by Generation Xth.
- Q12:I cleared the story. What should I do now?
- A12:Finishing the story is only one of the many objectives. Grow your characters further, complete your maps and item lists, or make your own objective. As long as there are new things to try, the game isn't over. Also, there are three entries planned in this series. Wait for a completely new story to be told in the sequels!
- Q13:How do I create my own scenarios?
- A13:Use your imagination!
For instance, say you have a party with three characters.
In the front row you have a Samurai (Musou) named Momotaro and a Warrior (Ushiwaka) named Kintaro.
In the back row, you have a Mage (Tsukuyomi) named Kaguya.
Let's say they're mercenaries that work as demon-killers (like the Momotaro legend). They've defeated many demons, but today they encounter demons accompanied by a bear. Momotaro and Kintaro take the lead against the demons.
"Hey, demons! I'm going to take vengeance for my pheasant and monkey and dog!" yells Momotaro.
"Leave the bear to me!" cries Kintaro.
They protect the back lines while cutting through the demons and swinging their weapons down repeatedly on the bear. Kaguya stays in the back sipping tea. She is merely enjoying watching the boys fight.
In game terms, Momotaro used the Iaijutsu skill and Kintarou used the Rush skill while Kaguya defended in a battle. However, using the scene as written above gives you the ability to imagine the scene as a comic strip. Stories are born from characters created by the player or even characters and settings borrowed from books or comics. This lets the story grow to impressive heights from within the player's imagination.
Generation Xth is a fantasy setting set in an academy in present day. It has the attraction of youth and being near a city that everyone is familiar with. This allows the player to create a story that means something to them individually.