Recommendations for a Strategy Version.

[Ehic]

Role I've seen your idea for psynergy staggering brfore on gamefaqs. My problem with it is the level curve for this game is to low (game ends lvl 35-45) though I will be changing that in my hack. I have been working on implementing it though and it is very effective.

Another thing to take into account besides number of elements controlled is the type of class. I see three types of classes: Fighter, Mage, And Support. Fighters relying on wepon unleashes and EPAs for damage. Mages relying on ERAs and items for damage and healing. Support uses status attacks, (de)buffs, and other support psynergy (defence spell I making).

When balancing classes keep mind what role said about number of element controlled and my idea on types. Try to figure out which one (or two) of these thay fit in and balance/critique to that).

ie. Samurai is a Fighter and Supporter due to its great EPAs and offensive stats along with 3 sets of stat buffs. I think samurai should just be powered down little to be supporter but keep the survivability of fighter. I propose weakening it's EPA by removing quick strike, setting Helm splitter to 70% (or lower) damage while keeping chance of death. Then lowering its attack bonus by 10%.

[Rolina]

Even though the curve is low, remember that weaker 2nd-rank psynergy is STILL weaker than some of the stronger 1st-rank psynergy.  Tremor should NEVER be stronger than Grand Gaia, or heck, arguably even it's upgraded base, Terra, for that matter.  So while you lose the weakest of the weak, you still get psynergy as norm.  In the end, you should probably have at least Grand Tremor by the time you hit endgame.  Basically, stagger in spells according to power, and sure, while the weaker groups have power levels that are higher than the max of the base, this is not the case for stronger psynergies, such as Gaia.  Stagger Terra in before Grand Gaia, since you need to stagger things in a way so that even if the stronger spells are overruled by class, you still have a spell of comparable power at the ready.

After all, if you're going by the level that spells are learned, notice how freaking early you learn Quake Sphere.  And all the quake like, for that matter.  You'll keep learning it quickly, and although it won't be uber in terms of power, you'll at least be able to have some stronger spells staggered in.  Try testing my idea before you just plain write it off.


Now, there's actually just two types of classes, Physical and Magical.  Or, Fighter and Mage as they're commonly called.  There is no other type.  Rather, you also have:  Attack, Support, Recovery, and Balance.

Mia is an example of a Recovery Mage, Ivan's a mix of an Attack and Support Mage (while Garet's class would be an Attack/Support Fighter).  Isaac's a Balanced Fighter, then you have the Samurai, which is a Support Fighter, Ninja, which is an Attack Fighter, Paladin, which is a Recovery Fighter...

Do you get it yet?  There's the physical and magical specialization, and then Attack, Support, and Recovery (and the balance of the three) is a SEPARATE classification.  Basically, Fighter vs Mage looks at STATS, and Attack vs Support vs Recovery looks at Psynergy groups.  Simple as that.

So, when I look at what you're doing to samurai... I'm gonna say that you're probably doing it wrong.  The stat boosts were okay, but the effects weren't likely to come until next turn due to the samurai's speed being lower.  What's more, you're going to lower its attack and rid it of the only really useful skill that it has.  I think that's a bad move.  There's other things that can do that don't make the class totally useless.  Heck, look at what you are doing to helm splitter.  It's already a lame version of Annihilation, which is BY FAR much better than it.  And now you're making it worse than Backstab?!  Are you mad?

Nerfing a class is NOT the same as balancing it.  If you went ahead and did that, it'd go from a great class to "don't even bother, just use Ninja".  You want each class to have PROS as well as cons, and I don't see just stats alone making up for the pros, especially if you rebalanced weapons and unleashes. The only reason the Master and Ronin were so broken was because of the extreme boost to unleashes that the attack stat bonus gave you.  If you balance those, then suddenly they lose a LOT of the power that they had.  Remember, don't base your rebalancing on how it was in the old game, base it on how it's going to be in your hack.  Without the brokenness of unleashes, you may find that by weakening and/or removing its EPAs, you cripple the class beyond redemption.


Now, DON'T take this as an attack on you and your ideas. Since it's not.  But rather, I'm calling it as I see it.  And what I see is that you're trying to balance the classes without looking at the effects of balancing other things, like weapons, unleashes, and armor.

Edit:  Here's an example that I whipped up off the top of my head.

01 - Cure (c70, 1)
02 - Quake (b12, 3)
04 - Earthquake (b35, 5)
06 - Spire (b40, 1)
07 - Gaia (b40, 3)
10 - Cure Well (c150, 1)
13 - Ragnarok (a35, 1)
14 - Quake Sphere (b65, 7)
19 - Revive (Revive to 25%, 1)
20 - Clay Spire (b85, 3)
24 - Mother Gaia (b100, 5)
25 - Tremor (b105, 3)
26 - Potent Cure (c300, 1)
27 - Odyssey (a95, 1)
30 - High Tremor (b120, 5)
35 - High Revive (Revive to 50%, 1) (@ Slayer)
40 - Grand Tremor (b150, 7)
41 - Laevateinn (a135, 1)
42 - Stone Spire (b160, 3)
46 - Slag (180, 1)
47 - Terra (180, 3)
54 - Grand Gaia (b200, 5)
58 - Slag Fall (b240, 3)
63 - High Terra (b300, 5)
70 - Iliad (a200, 1)
72 - Slag Rain (b390, 3)
88 - Grand Terra (b480, 5)