7th Dragon III: Code: VFD: Mechanics

Changes from 2020-II
====================
Damage:
-Attacks dealing 0 damage no longer deal 1 or 2 damage, it is always 1 instead.
-All damaging buffs and debuffs now directly affect the stats involved instead of the final damage.
--Resistance buffs are an exception to this.
-Randomization changed from -4 to 3 to 95% to 105% of the final damage.

Guarding:
-Now works on infliction rates. Infliction rates are reduced at the same rate damage is reduced, including when EX is used.

Critical Hits:
-Now affects all skills instead of just attacks and a select few skills.
--All player criticals deal 1.5x damage, aside from Rush Shot's crit damage which remains unchanged at 1.1x.
-Enemy skills can now crit. Crit damage unchanged at 1.25x.

Accuracy and Evasion:
-Now affects ailment infliction.

Ailment Infliction:
-Immunities can now be pierced again under certain circumstances.
-G-Depth reworked, can no longer pierce immunities (irrelevant in practice.)
-Freeze's SPD reduction increased from 10% to 90%.
-Burns affect stats directly instead of the final damage. Effects unified to a 10% stat reduction.
--Volcano's burn lowers stats by 30% instead.
-Hack Weakness is no longer automatically inflicted upon striking a weakness, dealing a critical hit, nor inflicting certain ailments.
--Multiplier increased from 1.5x to 1.8x (Agent Buddy) or 2.2x. (TROYs.)

Priority:
-The priority bracket has been reshuffled. The old one no longer applies. The new one is as follows:
--7
--2
--3
--4
--5
--1 (Standard Speed bracket)
--6

EX Gain:
-You can now obtain a 2nd Mind Booster, which stacks on the same character to increase EX Gain to 5%.

Exhaust:
-Exhaust now grants actions used with it a priority level of 2.

Items:
-Using an item now multiplies the user's speed by 2.

EXP Scaling:
-Multipliers reverted back to 2020's mechanics, with a slight buff.

Casual Mode:
-The difficulty can be changed at any time instead of being only determined at the start of the game.

Damage Formula
==============
Damage = [(Attacking Stat - Defending Stat) * Skill Power] * Damage Multipliers

If the attack deals 0 damage for any reason, 1 damage is dealt instead.
The stats are ATK vs DEF for physical attacks, and MAT vs MDF for magical attacks.
Attacking stat is capped at 500.
Defending stat is capped at 300.
Buffs include all possible buffs and debuffs. Unlike in the DS title, the opposite type of buff will not cancel out the debuff, and vice versa. Buffs can only be canceled with Buddy skills, which have a chance to break them. Though the chance is usually 100% in that case, but not always. All buffs and debuffs stack with each other and are all multiplied together accordingly. Only 1 type of each buff can by on a party member at any given time (Multiple ATK buffs cannot be active at the same time) and buffs cannot be replaced by another buff, nor can their durations be refreshed. You must wait for the buff to run out before applying that category of buff again.
Buffs and debuffs directly modify the stats involved and bypass any caps.
Burns apply a 0.9x multiplier to all relevant stats. Volcano's Burn multiplies the stats by 0.7x instead.
Skill power is the power of the skill. If using a basic attack from a class that is not an Agent, this will always be 1. An Agent has this set to 0.55 instead, though they deal 2 attacks at once.
Once the damage has gone through most calculations, it is then randomized. The damage will range from 0.95x to 1.05x of the calculated damage, and the damage itself can be any number within those ranges.
Damage Multipliers are weaknesses or resistances an enemy has to a certain damage type. If the damage multiplier is greater than 1, a "GOOD!" will be displayed below the damage number, unless the weakness happens to be non-elemental damage.
Using EX multiplies damage by 1.5.

Guarding
========
Guarding has a priority level of 3. Doing so reduces the damage of attacks and the chances of ailments landing by 50%.
If Guarding is boosted by EX, damage and infliction rates are reduced by 75% instead.

Healing
=======
If the healing comes from an item, it will heal for the listed amount.
If the healing comes from a skill, then the heal is equal to Base Heal + (MAT * 0.1).
EX multiplies healing by 2, however reviving a party member is not affected by this.

Critical Hits
=============
For all classes and enemies, any attacks and skills have a 5% chance to deal a critical hit. This can be boosted through buffs and equipment. All Critical Hit rate boosts are added together.
Attacks from players will have their damage multiplied by 1.5 if it is a critical hit. Rush Shot is an exception to this and has its damage multiplied by 1.1 instead.
Attacks from enemies will have their damage multiplied by 1.25 if it is a critical hit.

Accuracy and Evasion
====================
Accuracy = (Unit Accuracy * Skill Accuracy * Blind Factor) - Evasion

If the target is in the jumping state, then all attacks will miss.
If the attack is flagged as being unable to miss, it will always land, unless the target is in the jumping state.
If the attack is boosted by EX, then it can never miss, unless the target is in the jumping state.

Unit Accuracy is the innate accuracy of the attacker in question. For all classes and most enemies, this is set to 100%.
Skill Accuracy is the accuracy multiplier on the skill.
Blind Factor lowers the accuracy on Blinded targets by a varying amount.
Evasion is subtracted from the accuracy at the very end of calculations. All evasion boosts from buffs and equipment are added together.

If the final result is equal to or greater than 100, then the attack will always land. Otherwise it is rolled for a chance out of 100.
Ailment infliction attempts are also counted as attacks and are put through the accuracy check. If they fail this check, the attempt fails automatically. If they pass this check, then the game takes the next steps to determine if the infliction succeeds.
Accuracy cannot be lower than 1%, so no attack is guaranteed to miss unless they were aimed at a jumping target.

Ailment Infliction
==================
Infliction Rate = Skill Infliction Rate * Buffs * Ailment Multipliers

If sleepmode.exe is used on a Hacked Target, the skill always inflicts their ailment.
EX multiplies the Infliction Rate by 2.
Guarding multiplies the Infliction Rate by 0.5.
EX Guards multiplies the infliction Rate by 0.25.

Skill Infliction Rate is the base infliction rate on the skill.
Buffs are ailment resistance multipliers, and are multiplied together.
Ailment Multipliers are the multipliers on the target on how susceptible or resistant to the specific ailment being inflicted. For classes, this is always set to 1.
If the Infliction Rate is equal to or greater than 100, then the ailment will always land, provided it succeeded the accuracy check earlier. Otherwise it is rolled for a chance out of 100.

Infliction works in a few steps.

The ailment must first pass an accuracy check, otherwise the infliction attempt will not even be rolled for if it fails.
If the accuracy check succeeds, then the infliction rate calculations are run. If the infliction fails, no further steps are taken. Otherwise the ailment will land if the unit is an enemy. If the unit is a player, there is one final step.
If the ailment was calculated to land on a player unit, then the game will check for any equipment they are wearing that protects against said ailment. Another chance out of 100 roll occurs here to see if the equipment protects you or not. If your equipment does not save you, then the ailment lands. If your equipment saved you from being inflicted, the ailment is nullified, and the words "Equip Resist" will pop up above your party member's UI.

Priority
========
Some skills have priority levels, allowing them to go faster than normal. If 2 or more units are using skills with the same priority levels, then the normal speed calculations take place within that priority bracket to determine who goes first.

The priority brackets are as follows, with the levels higher on the list having more priority than the levels below it:

7
2
3
4
5
1 (Standard Speed bracket)
6

Exhaust Mechanics
=================
When using Exhaust (EX), a number of benefits are gained.

Damage is multiplied by 1.5.
Guarding reduces damage and infliction rates by 75%.
Healing from items and skills have their healing multiplied by 2.
Attacks can never miss on non-jumping targets.
Ailments have their success rates multiplied by 2.
Grants the user a priority level of 2.
Escaping is guaranteed from fights that can be escaped from.
EX skills can only be used while EX is active.

EX also only lasts for the current phase. Using it on the normal turn phase will not transfer the effects of EX into the extra turn phase. Likewise, the effects of EX from one extra turn will not carry over into the next extra turn.

EX Gauge Gain
=============
What affects the EX Gauge:

-All effects stack with each other, aside from the amount of LIFE lost, in which case the appropriate effect is chosen to be added with the others.
-Multihit attacks will increase the EX gauge each time they land. All of the following conditions can occur multiple times in one multihit attack.
-When being targeted, taking a hit from an AOE target attack increases the EX gauge by 1%.
-When being targeted, infliction increases the EX gauge by 1%. (Counts even if blocked by accessory.) Stacks with being attacked.
-When being targeted, taking a hit from an attack attack increases the EX gauge by a varying amount depending on how much Life was lost in a single hit.
--Losing less than 25% max Life increases the EX gauge by 1%.
--Losing between 25% and 50% max Life increases the EX gauge by 2.5%.
--Losing between 50% and 75% max Life increases the EX gauge by 5%.
--Losing over 75% max Life increases the EX gauge by 10%.
-Skills increase EX by their own amount.
-Mind Boosters add 2.5% to the EX gauge when using attacks. This increases to 5% if you have two of them equipped on the same character. This effect applies each time the EX gauge increases from an attack.

What doesn't affect the EX Gauge:

-Killing, dying, and winning a battle does not affect the EX gauge.
-Missing does not increase EX (Both from player and enemy attacks.) The attack must land in order for it to happen.
-Amount of damage by the player does not matter. Only if the attack lands or not.

Using EX will prevent EX from being gained for that turn.

Preemptives and Surprise Attacks
================================
Random Encounters:

You have a 5% chance to get a preemptive strike.
If this chance fails to activate, and you have an Agent with Surprise Hunt is in the party, the skill will have a chance to activate and give you a preemptive strike that way.
If Surprise Hunt fails to activate, then you have a 2% chance to get hit by a surprise attack.
If an Agent with Surprise Hunt at level 3 or above is in the party, then any surprise attacks are nullified.
If the enemy fails to get a surprise attack, the battle starts out on even footing.

Dragons:

Preemptive attacks only occur if you successfully walk into a dragon's back. Surprise Hunt's preemptive chance can never activate against Dragons.
If a dragon walks into your back, the battle will be a surprise attack. However, an Agent with Surprise Hunt at level 3 or above will always nullify these surprise attcks.
If both the player and the dragon run face first into each other, the battle will always start off on even footing.

Bosses:

Battles will always start off on even footing.

AUTO Skills
===========
AUTO skills are passive effects that have a chance of activating at varying points in the battle. While multiple AUTO skills can activate within a given turn, they cannot occur within the same period of a turn. (i.e. Carnage Strike and Destroy on Sight cannot activate at the same time.) This chance is rolled for each AUTO skill, so taking all 3 beginning of the battle AUTO skills will not guarantee an AUTO skill activating for every battle. If multiple AUTO skills roll their activation rate successfully, then the game randomly picks one to take effect and prevents any others from activating.

AUTO skills that always activate and middle of the turn AUTO skills are an exception to this and can activate multiple times whenever the given condition for them to activate pops up and do not interfere with each other.

The chance for an AUTO skill to activate is tied to the specific skill itself.

Unlisted Field Skill Effects
============================
Stealth I: Encounter rate step counter only has a 20% chance to increase for 200 steps. 3 uses. (Lasts for 26.67 seconds of straight walking.)
Stealth II: Nullifies encounters for 200 steps. 3 uses. (Lasts for 26.67 seconds of straight walking.)
Stealth III: Nullifies encounters for 250 steps. 5 uses. (Lasts for approximately 33.33 seconds of straight walking.)

Unlisted Item Effects
=====================
Abalone Bento: Multiplies MAT/MDF by 1.1x on 1 ally for 5 turns.
Scallop Bento: Multiplies MAT/MDF by 1.2x on 1 ally for 2 turns.
Large Abalone Bento: Multiplies MAT/MDF by 1.15x on all allies for 5 turns.
Large Scallop Bento: Multiplies MAT/MDF by 1.3x on all allies for 2 turns.
Bird Meat Bento: Multiplies ATK/DEF by 1.1x on 1 ally for 5 turns.
Dragon Meat: Multiplies ATK/DEF by 1.2x on 1 ally for 2 turns.
Large Dragon Bento: Multiplies ATK/DEF by 1.3x on all allies for 2 turns.
Crummy Energy Bar: Restores 1 LF to 1 ally.
Energy Bar: Restores 20 LF to 1 ally.
Quality Energy Bar: Restores 80 LF to 1 ally.
Supreme Energy Bar: Restores 200 LF to 1 ally.
Camouflage: Encounter rate step counter only has a 25% chance to increase for 300 steps. (Lasts for 40 seconds of straight walking.)
Optical Camouflage: Completely eliminates encounters for 500 steps. (Lasts for 66.67 seconds of straight walking.)

Weapon Effects
==============
If the weapon inflicts an ailment, it has a chance to activate on ATK-based attacks. This includes skills. Does not activate on MAT-based attacks or any other skill types.

Guns:
-Scorpion: 30% chance to inflict Poison for 3 turns. The Poison ticks for 33 damage.

Knives:
-Peshkatz: 5% chance to inflict Bleed for 3 turns. The Bleed ticks for 33/39/40 damage.

Random Encounters
=================
A random number from 60 to 74 is generated each time you enter a new area. In non-hostile areas, such as Nodens, this will do nothing. In hostile areas, this determines how long it takes to get into an encounter. This number represents the amount of steps your party takes. Every 4 frames of walking (This game runs at 30 hz) causes the step counter to increase by 1. This means it takes 8 to 9.867 seconds of straight walking to get into a random encounter. Encounter rate reducers causes each step to not have a chance to increase the counter, while encounter rate nullifiers halts the step counter entirely.

EXP Scaling
===========
If a given party member is underleveled, the game will attempt to give them more EXP at the end of a battle in an effort to catch them up.

How this scaling works is that it compares each party member with the average level of the encounter formation. If there's a big difference, the exp payout is boosted for the party members that apply for the boost.

4 levels or less: 1x
5-9: level difference 1.5x
10-19 level difference: 3x
20 levels or more: 5x

Casual Mode
===========
The difficulty can be chosen at the start of the game, between Standard Mode and Casual Mode and can be changed at any time, even while in dungeons. All enemies have their stats changed in Casual Mode in order to make them easier to defeat.