Summary: Learning more about the game’s stats, mechanics, and cosmology.
Note: I ask a lot of questions here, but lots are probably esoteric or not super important. If you know the answer, awesome! If not, that's okay too. :)
---
Despair Hotel
-It sounds like there are a few possible ways that perfect attack timing might work. It could mean attacking just as the enemy’s attack lands or attacking after my previous attack lands. I’ll try both.
-The stagger datalog says that some abilities enhance a stagger wave while others just preserve it. (I kind of prefer the older system of showing stagger numerically instead of as a wave, just for clarity.)
-Some enemies – implying not all – get staggered when I hit after avoiding an attack using Guard or Evade. I don’t haven’t seen “Evade” yet.
That’s good to confirm. I’ll have to manage my ATB to ensure I always have enough to follow-up a Guard/Evade with an attack.
-I can buy “monster notes” eventually, giving me libra info about monsters. That sounds especially useful in LR.
-Moving on. Lightning reaches a locked door covered in Chaos slime. Maybe it’s emanating from Snow, from his despair.
HOPE: “Do you think [the Chaos] could have gotten to [Snow]? Broken even his spirit?
-Sentries approach, forcing Lightning away. Hope beams her out to the Ark. Like, the one he launched at the end of XIII-2?
-Lumina waltzes in after Lightning leaves, mocking her. All “She thinks she’s the SAVIOR? What an ego!”
Current theory: Lumina is a Chaos demon who took on a Serah-like appearance to torment Snow.
Which is weird, since Lumina derives from the Latin word for light.
-The warp/loading screen is pretty! Like a kaleidoscope. Is Lightning traveling through Historia Crux?
-She recounts the events of XIII-2, Serah’s death and her own sleep on Etro’s throne. She woke one day to the light speaking, “God himself.” Is he the Maker described in XIII?
“All powerful, all knowing. Ruler of the world and sky above. Bhunivelze”
Lightning’s burning bush moment.
-He bid Lightning to serve him, and if she succeeded, he’d bring back Serah. As long as Lightning rescues lost souls and guides them past the end of this world.
I’m like 35% sure that Bhunivelze will be the final boss. That he’s tricking Lightning into feeding him souls for power or something, and that he’s behind the Chaos.
---
The Ark
-Lightning arrives. Hope’s at a big computer terminal and a beautiful desk that I want for myself.
-This is the Divine Garden. The heavenly choir in the background is so over the top that I kind of love it?
-There are some boxes around the place that have new gear and garb. Mist Wizard, Devil’s Daughter…
-Ooh, schemata customization! I can customize a schema by altering the equipment and abilities for each garb.
-The weapon affects three things: strength (physical damage), magic (magic damage), and stagger capability (how much the wave is boosted).
Note: I ask a lot of questions here, but lots are probably esoteric or not super important. If you know the answer, awesome! If not, that's okay too. :)
---
Despair Hotel
-It sounds like there are a few possible ways that perfect attack timing might work. It could mean attacking just as the enemy’s attack lands or attacking after my previous attack lands. I’ll try both.
-The stagger datalog says that some abilities enhance a stagger wave while others just preserve it. (I kind of prefer the older system of showing stagger numerically instead of as a wave, just for clarity.)
-Some enemies – implying not all – get staggered when I hit after avoiding an attack using Guard or Evade. I don’t haven’t seen “Evade” yet.
That’s good to confirm. I’ll have to manage my ATB to ensure I always have enough to follow-up a Guard/Evade with an attack.
-I can buy “monster notes” eventually, giving me libra info about monsters. That sounds especially useful in LR.
-Moving on. Lightning reaches a locked door covered in Chaos slime. Maybe it’s emanating from Snow, from his despair.
HOPE: “Do you think [the Chaos] could have gotten to [Snow]? Broken even his spirit?
-Sentries approach, forcing Lightning away. Hope beams her out to the Ark. Like, the one he launched at the end of XIII-2?
-Lumina waltzes in after Lightning leaves, mocking her. All “She thinks she’s the SAVIOR? What an ego!”
Current theory: Lumina is a Chaos demon who took on a Serah-like appearance to torment Snow.
Which is weird, since Lumina derives from the Latin word for light.
-The warp/loading screen is pretty! Like a kaleidoscope. Is Lightning traveling through Historia Crux?
-She recounts the events of XIII-2, Serah’s death and her own sleep on Etro’s throne. She woke one day to the light speaking, “God himself.” Is he the Maker described in XIII?
“All powerful, all knowing. Ruler of the world and sky above. Bhunivelze”
Lightning’s burning bush moment.
-He bid Lightning to serve him, and if she succeeded, he’d bring back Serah. As long as Lightning rescues lost souls and guides them past the end of this world.
I’m like 35% sure that Bhunivelze will be the final boss. That he’s tricking Lightning into feeding him souls for power or something, and that he’s behind the Chaos.
---
The Ark
-Lightning arrives. Hope’s at a big computer terminal and a beautiful desk that I want for myself.
-This is the Divine Garden. The heavenly choir in the background is so over the top that I kind of love it?
-There are some boxes around the place that have new gear and garb. Mist Wizard, Devil’s Daughter…
-Ooh, schemata customization! I can customize a schema by altering the equipment and abilities for each garb.
-The weapon affects three things: strength (physical damage), magic (magic damage), and stagger capability (how much the wave is boosted).
[Non-rhetorical question: the third stat a weapon shows me is “ATB Speed,” not stagger capability. Where does it say how each weapon impacts stagger capability? I’m wondering if “ATB Speed” is a bug on weapons, since shields show that also and the tutorial says shields should but not weapons.]
-The shield can affect max HP, ATB replenishment, and guarding abilities (how much less damage I take when guarding).
-Finally, I select abilities. Physical or magic attacks, guarding abilities, or “debuffs and debilitiation.” Buffs aren’t listed. Maybe LR doesn’t have buffs.
[Later edit: the abilities datalog mentions “abilities like Shell enhance your own parameters.” So maybe they didn’t mention buffs her just because I just don’t have any yet.]
Light Guard and Guard grant 25% and 50% damage reduction respectively, and max health. The max health seems to be always active when equipped to the schema, even when not guarding. I have to assume the damage reduction is not the same, and only applies when I use the ability.
[Non-rhetorical questions: Is this true? Also, is a perfect guard less effective on Light Guard than Guard?]
-Interesting! I can only equip an ability once across my schemata. If I have Guard equipped on one, I can’t equip it on another. I like how that reduces schemata homogenization.
-Whew. This is a lot to take in. I should try thinking abstractly about these and prepare to swap them around in the field depending on enemy. When do I want to prioritize each stat? Some initial thoughts:
STR/MAG: When monsters are weak to each respectively.
ATB SPEED: Uhhh… I have no idea when I’d prioritize this. It seems always good, but I can’t think of a specific situation where I’d say, “I care about this more than my magic or strength.”
MAX HP: Against big chonky boi attacks, real heavy hits.
GUARD DEFENSE: Against things where I think I’ll use guard a lot? Idk.
[Non-rhetorical question: Does Guard Defense increase mitigation by a raw number or by a percentage? If it’s the former, I’d prioritize it against light, quick attacks. If it’s the latter, I have no idea why I’d want it over max HP.]
---
Mechanic Datalog
-I can set sub schemata, keeping schemata on the bench to add to my main three whenever I want. I wish the prior games had let me keep a menu of sub paradigms. Really nice tool.
-omg I can customize my garb’s color! I’ll probably stick with default colors usually, but glad it’s here. Especially for future playthroughs when I want to screw around more.
Post-game, I’d love to create a “Lightning Clashes” thread to see the ugliest color combinations people can come up with.
-LR ditches XIII-2’s accessory points system for a more standard head-arm slot system, but with a twist. Head accessories affect only the schema they’re equipped to while arm accessories affect ALL schemata.
-Shops don’t sell accessories. I only find them out in the world.
-Some abilities transform into more powerful abilities based on my garb or the enemy’s status. Huh.
“You can acquire abilities from ability crystals left by defeated foes.” Lightning getting her blue mage on. I wonder if I can acquire multiple versions of the same ability to use on different schemata concurrently.
-I can buy rare recovery items in the Ark with EP. Good to know – I won’t overclock unless necessary.
---
Story Datalog
-Confirmed: Bhunivelze is the Maker. He created Pulse, Etro, and Lindzei before retreating.
-I know the XIII collection is Fabula Nova Crystallis, but this is the first time I remember seeing the term “Nova Chrysalia” for the XIII-verse.
-Nova Chrysalia is in dire straits. It’s sinking into Chaos, and even the apparently poorly named Almighty Bhunivelze is powerless to stop it.
-The ending of XIII-2 alerted Bhunivelze to the collapsing universe and power of humanity, so he’s giving us another chance. He’ll create a new world, populated by the souls Lightning saves.
“Bringing comfort and salvation to people is something that the heartless gods could never do themselves.” Hence, Lightning. At least the gods know their weaknesses and can delegate.
-“Etro was a goddess without any power of her own.” …really? I must be missing something.
Orphan.
-Pulse and Lindzei on the other hand had near limitless power and built their respective fal’Cie.
-There are “almost” no fal’Cie left in the world. I SEE THAT “ALMOST,” GAME.
-There’s a Rewards Barter Shop. I don’t have any Achievement Rewards yet and opted against the DLC, but there are some options in “Otherworld Rewards.”
OK THAT’S FUCKING COOL. I can use Lightning’s old Guardian Corps garb from XIII and her Knight of Etro garb from XIII-2. Plus, their associated weapons – the Blazefire Saber and Overture. Shields too.
-Looks like I can challenge Zaltys again to test things out. I love repeatable practice bosses, like Hanbei in Sekiro. A living training dummy.
-Hope provides new gift boxes on the Ark “each day.” This plus the earlier datalog image I saw tells me the game will use some kind of Majora’s Mask day system. (I haven’t played that game myself.)
---
Next time: Talking to Hope in the Ark and testing timing against Zaltys.
