notes

general notes:

-the mentality with buffing enemies mostly stems from a curiosity to see what enemies would be like if i composited them and took all of their strongest traits. a lot of enemies adopt attributes, skills, and behaviors from other games and add them to their current toolset.
-enemies overall have been given resistance increases and stat modifications. many enemies were simply way too squishy, slow, or easy to be inflicted with a debilitating ailment that prevents them from doing anything at all. there are far too many changes to list here in any detail. the hexer's fear, sleep, and panic effects are pretty ludicrous in randoms and i plan to add a lot more resistance to those statuses in particular.
-i am also modifying enemy formations. the base game tutorializes a lot and i think it's fun to experiment with combinations from the get-go, with the understanding that the player is clever enough to react and predict to what is thrown at them. some enemies from earlier floors may appear a floor or two earlier, and some earlier-but-powerful enemies that get forgotten about (wild wing and metal tortoise, to name two examples) hang on for a little while longer as they still have synergy to explore with later enemies in the stratum.
-i am adding new enemies. i'll have to make do with unused model data and palette swaps as it's not currently known how to import brand-new models into the game, but this provides me with more than enough to work with. a lot of the side areas in this game, including ginnungagap, can feel a bit empty due to only having a small handful of enemies, and i plan to fill these areas out with new monsters. i'm not sure what i plan to do regarding their drop tables.
-i might do player skill changes as well. i can't make any guarantees as it would be hugely expanding the scope of my project, but at the very least i would consider minor changes and fixes.
-i'm fixing some minor translation errors and inconsistencies.
-many skills don't have animations. they're a pain in the ass to implement and i'll hold off on that until later.
-new buff/debuff explanations will likely crash the game. avoid trying to read them.
-i'm designing this mostly for myself. i'll gladly take suggestions and balance opinions but remember that i do have the final say on everything.

modified skills:

-spores (big shroom): now line-target poison/paralysis.
-gouging thorn (fangleaf): now deals light stab damage.
-sleep powder (hypno owl): now all-target.
-black wings (raven): now can terrify as well.
-hard shell (snail): affects party.
-onrush (evil eye): now has splash damage.
-sealing bolt (ptarmigan): now pierces lines.
-ensnaring web (crawler): now line-target cut damage + bind.
-rolling (roller): pierce + paralysis.
-ripping claws (wandering eye): chance to bind head + arm + leg.
-crazed glare (wandering eye): no longer buffs, deals almighty damage.
-baffling step (furyhorn): splash bash attack that may inflict panic.
-knockdown (furyhorn): pierces lines.
-strike up (frilled lizard): reduced damage per hit but hits 2-3 times.
-bloodsuck (vampire bat): hits 2-3 targets.
-toxic breath (gasser tree): may also head bind.
-poison sap (gasser tree): targets player as well.
-paralysis fang (raptor): splash damage.
-destructive claw (white ape): now poison dance, may also inflict poison.
-cry soul (scylla): can no longer land a raw hit on bertrand.
-menacing glare (hunter): may terrify.
-burning ray (wyvern): multi-target, may paralyze, reduced accuracy and damage per hit.
-tail strike (wyvern): may poison.
-whirlwind (wyvern): may inflict all three binds, reduced chance.
-infectious club (illbear or bugbear, don't remember which): no longer deals a pathetic 50% damage.
-flame breath (flame lizard): now also reduces fire resistance.
-ice breath (ice lizard): now also reduces agility.
-glutton (mimic): now has splash damage.
-snowball (snow ghost): multiple hits on a line.
-jolting blow (jackalope): line-target.
-ice fin (redfish): now leg binds and is line-target.
-shock assault (dangerous statue): may paralyze.
-affection collar (bloody lizard): now cures.
-cannibalize (wrath bloom): now targeted at the player rather than at an ally.
-rejection needle (lord saguaro): higher action speed so it cannot be so easily outsped.
-insulation gel (red gel): now buffs all elemental resistances instead of only fire.
-slashing claws (gryphon): now pierces.
-rage fangs (mad crawler): now inflicts panic.
-greedy bite (king shroom): deals extra damage.
-chase down (fishman): now debuffs defense.
-freezing snare (rafflesia): now leg binds.
-steel stinger (metal needle): now terrifies.
-chase down (fishman): now debuffs defense.
-silver bullet (silver gunman): now fires one shot of each element.
-desperate needle (hedgehog): slightly stronger, may stun.

new skills:

-wind flash (ladybug): party agility buff.
-talon zapper (luminous bird): pierces lines with cut damage, may stun.
-corrosive eye (luminous bird): all-defense debuff, used out of turn.
-piercing gaze (wandering eye): piercing volt + stun.
-melting gaze (wandering eye): fire + defense debuff to party.
-stone slash (large statue): powerful single-target that may petrify.
-binding root (mandrake): single-target bash + arm bind.
-thunder strike (hypno owl): heavy single-target volt.
-fire lance (madness owl): heavy piercing fire.
-bad beak (diatryma): severe damage to ailing targets.
-rhino rampage (charging rhino): stab damage to entire party.
-needle shower (lord saguaro): 3~6 random stab attacks that may paralyze or poison.
-tail lash (rattle nozuchi): line-target cut + head bind.
-frigid tail lash (nozuchi): random-target ice + arm bind.
-sticky tongue (great frog): piercing stab + head/arm bind.
-gale step (mokele-mbembe): boost user's agility and deal powerful splash damage.
-scorching gaze (evil eye): aoe fire damage.
-pincer slash (claw beetle): single-target that deals extra damage to bound targets.
-cover (great hermit): protects an ally for the turn.
-party cover (ancient hermit): protects team for a number of hits.
-sticky mucus (king snail): attempts to bind the party (i don't remember which binds and i don't feel like checking the data right now).
-frigid branch (gasser tree): random-target ice damage to party.
-coiling branch (gasser tree): line-target cut + arm bind.
-digestive fluid (cube gel): cut damage that drains life from the target.
-trapping needle (army wasp): piercing stab + leg bind.
-fireball (carbuncle): decent single-target fire.
-steel stinger (metal needle): now may terrify.
-kingly fire (flame demon): renamed to queenly fire.
-thorny rain (hail flower): ranged stab to the party.
-panic stench (hail flower): may panic the party.
-heavy claw (mauler mole): cut + slow + leg bind to line.
-shiny scales (woodfly): blind a line.
-harsh noise (woodfly): head bind a line.
-deadly incisor (tree rat): two medium-accuracy cut attacks to a target.
-frightening roar (actaeon): terrify a line.
-tear apart (dragonfly): heavy inaccurate cuts to random targets.
-lonely fang (ambush wolf): heavy inaccurate cuts at random, only used when alone.
-break dive (spotted frog): bash and attack reduction to a line.
-freezing jump (spotted frog): ice attack to party.
-leg bite (killer ant): splash cut + leg bind.
-attack formation (killer ant): phys attack up to line.
-tusk strike (mammoth): piercing stab.
-demon beak (lucifer hawk): stab+blind to party.
-numbing sting (blue patroller): stab+paralysis to a target.
-defense formation (guardian ant): defense buff to line.
-sticky acid (guardian ant): evasion debuff + leg bind to party.
-arm strike (clawed mole): cut + arm bind to a target.
-death vine (wrath bloom): heavy cut + instant death to a target.
-wind slash (black wing): heavy cut to a target, with splash damage.
-stunning kick (huge moa): moderate bash + paralysis to a target, with splash damage.
-wind slash (black wing): moderate cut damage to a target, with splash damage.
-quick strike (spiked roller): moderate bash damage to the party.
-burning fang (flame rat): fire damage + defense debuff to a target, with splash damage.
-rush (golden deer): bash damage to party. slightly accurate, but slow.
-snowy claw (cold claw): severe ice damage that hits 2~4 times at random.
-blinding beak (carmine beak): piercing stab damage + blind.
-binding feathers (furious hawk): random-target cut + binds to the party.
-flame breath (hell tortoise) heavy aoe fire + arm bind to party.
-earthquake (huge ant) heavy bash attack + stun to party.
-flame howl (dire wolf): heavy fire damage to 2~4 targets.
-sleep pollen (wicked petal): aoe sleep + head bind.
-ruinous pollen (ruinous petal): aoe petrification.
-rush attack (plated roller): bash + paralysis, with splash damage.
-stampede (doom bison): heavy ranged stab + paralysis to random targets.
-scissor wrath (iron crab): moderate (when passive) or heavy (when used actively) cut damage to party.
-venom needle (divine bee): piercing stab with poison and paralysis.
-hellfire (cursed pumpkin): fire damage + curse to party.
-manic ambush (king dragonfly): single-target attack with panic + triple bind
-cleansing ray (flying beetle): purges buffs from the party.

ai changes:

-as a general rule, redundancy (applying buffs or debuffs as an ally is doing it) has been mitigated. enemies will instead opt to use a different skill from their allies in most cases.
-some enemies will check for their current status and will adjust their skill usage accordingly. status effects can still stop a dangerous foe or reduce its stats, but enemies will typically not be so happy to repeatedly waste turns attempting skills they can't use anymore.
-charge enemies now function as normal enemies, with skill properties adjusted accordingly.
-luminous bird is no longer a charge enemy and instead will repeatedly hammer the ai with talon zappers, with brutal rays and corrosive eyes thrown in.
-charging rhino now has rhino rampage, which it may use instead of do or die when it is head bound, or when it drops below 50% hp.
-wandering eye now has its nexus moveset, minus the gimmick of only using its dangerous skills if you inflict on it.
-ambush wolf has a powerful aoe skill that it will use when alone, and will be joined by ally wolves that provide buff support, damage, and cover (think fenrir from eou).
-some enemies in the original are normally passive until provoked. i kept elements of that, with the enemies getting more dangerous, but i did give them stuff to do on their own. giant statue can petrify, carbuncle spits fireballs, lord saguaro has an attack to use when not countering, bloody lizard has an attack to use when its healing isn't needed, etc.
-pure support enemies, typically, no longer are purely support anymore. nozuchis can slash with their tails, bloody lizard can attack, the cube and red gel enemies now have an attack, owls have elemental attacks to use in place of status effects, etc.
-diatryma will now check for statuses on the player and use their bad beak skill to deal amplified damage to ailed targets, much like the player's ailing slash.
-dragonfly may now use its powerful-but-inaccurate tear apart skill, prioritizing usage if the player's evasion is reduced or disabled.
-wrath bloom will now use cannibalize to attack a party member rather than an ally.
-in addition to buffing defense, hermits will now cover an ally/allies.

new enemies:

-tree rat: moderately powerful front-liner with a dangerous single-target skill.
-spiked roller: not designed yet but it will probably just act like it did in eou.
-spotted frog: line-target bash attacks with an attack debuff and all-target ice attacks.
-killer ant: attack buff for its allies and a powerful leg bite skill with splash damage .
-guardian ant: defense buff for its allies and an evasion debuff + leg bind support skill.
-huge ant: unleashes dangerous earthquakes like in eou.
-woodfly: line-target blinds and head binds.
-snow wolf: supports ambush wolf with buffs, stuns, covers, and additional damage.
-lucifer hawk: unimplemented but it serves as a toned-down version of depth dancer that appears in random encounters.
-mauler mole: a basic support enemy damager with decent line-target damage + leg bind + evasion debuff.
-blue patroller: supports its team with an evasion buff, piercing leg bind stab, and paralysis.
-hail flower: now appears in random battles, with a new aoe stab and aoe panic skill.
-clamper: now appears in random battles.
-huge moa: provides basic additional damage and paralysis.
-carmine beak: speedy line-piercing stab + blind.
-flame rat: provides elemental damage with a defense debuff.
-cold claw: provides heavy elemental damage.
-golden deer: basic aoe bash damage but may also use furyhorn's baffling step.
-hell tortoise: tanky elemental damage dealer.
-dire wolf: deals heavy fire damage to 2~4 different targets.
-plated roller: durable front-liner that's rather hard to disable. doesn't hit hard but can inflict paralysis.
-wicked petal: inflicts aoe sleep + head bind to the party, and has aoe cut damage.
-ruinous petal: wicked petal but now it petrifies! because this is pre-eo5 petrification, the chance isn't that high.
-doom bison: durable front-liner that can deal heavy melee bash + paralysis to four different targets.
-divine bee: fragile and speedy attacker with status-inducing piercing stabs.
-king dragonfly: durable front-liner with concentrated debilitation and heavy damage.
-flying beetle: durable front-liner that provides line-targeting cut damage. may cover a low-hp ally or cleanse the party's buffs.