ROLE PLAYING GAME BASICS [201]

Learn the core RPG mechanics of Valiant Hearts: The Great War, including progression, quests, stats, leveling, skills, abilities, and combat timeline turns.

This game is a role-playing side-scrolling adventure game where you follow and complete the story. Progression involves reading dialogue and traveling across the game world to trigger events. A handy feature in the PAUSE MENU provides a couplet indicating your next objective.

Quests are a minor part of the game. Non-player characters (NPCs) with a yellow exclamation point over their head offer small missions for extra items. Party members also bring quests when they join. A quest log in your inventory tracks all picked-up missions.

Stats are numerical indicators of your character's power. They increase with LEVEL UP, by using STARDUSTS, or through SKILLS. Key stats include:

• HITPOINTS (HP): Your HEALTH. Damage reduces HP; reaching 0 results in a GAME OVER if the whole party falls. Recover HP with items, healing magic, WISHES, or your FIREFLY companion.
• MAGIC POINTS (MP): The resource for using magic. Magic can deal DAMAGE to enemies or BUFF your characters. Spells have an MP cost.
• ATTACK: Determines DAMAGE from PHYSICAL ATTACKS.
• MAGIC POWER: Determines DAMAGE from MAGIC ATTACKS.
• DEFENSE and MAGIC DEFENSE: Reduce incoming damage from physical and magic attacks, respectively. Enemies have hidden stats; high defense may require different tactics.
• DODGE: Affects the chance to avoid incoming attacks.
• CRITICAL: Affects the chance of attacks dealing extra damage.
• SPEED: Determines how often you can act in battle. Higher speed can be crucial in fights.

LEVELS AND SKILLS: Gaining EXPERIENCE POINTS from defeating enemies leads to a LEVEL UP, increasing stats and granting a SKILL POINT. Skill Points are spent in the SKILLS MENU to customize your character by learning new ABILITIES, increasing stats, or improving existing abilities. You can specialize in certain skill trees later in the game.

ABILITIES: These are your 'moves' or 'actions' in battle. Options include using ITEMS, FLEEING, SWITCHING PARTY MEMBERS, or using the ACT option for more choices. All characters have a DEFEND option to reduce damage and speed up their next turn, along with a standard PHYSICAL ATTACK. Other abilities include MAGIC ATTACKS, HEALING AND BUFF SPELLS, and abilities that cause STATUS EFFECTS.

TIMELINE TURNS: Combat turn order is managed by the TIMELINE, influenced by the SPEED STAT. Characters move along the timeline, and actions are executed when they reach the right side. Actions can be INTERRUPTED and KNOCKED BACK if a character is injured before their turn, preventing them from attacking and potentially allowing you to attack enemies before they act.