Skyblade
02-12-2014, 09:45 PM
I really, really like the Combat Bonus system. It is such a simple mechanic, yet it can have a pretty strong impact on how you approach combat.
There are three types of Combat Bonuses, each with different rewards. Winning a battle in one turn gets you extra Exp. Winning without getting hit gets you extra JP. And killing an entire group with one move gets you extra PG (note, that is just the finishing blow, you can weaken them with other moves first).
The bonuses start off at a minor 10% boost. But, after sustaining the same bonus for 5 fights, it jumps to 20%. Yay. However, if you can continue to sustain the chain for 5 more fights after that, it boosts to the maximum value of 50%.
This is not an insubstantial number. 50% more spoils can be pretty hefty. So you constantly play to maintain the chains. While the safest way to take on a fight is probably to Default 3 turns, then steamroll everything, and still be able to take a turn afterward in case an enemy had defaulted or evaded and survived your onslaught, this will keep you from getting the boosted JP and Exp. So instead, you tend to rush battles, pushing to win in a single turn, before your enemy can move, and it can cost you.
What's more, however, is that even if the chain is broken, you don't mind too much. It's easy enough to build back up, so you don't worry or get frustrated by it. It really feels like a bonus, an optional extra.
That said, I don't think the system is perfect. I really think that the Sweeper bonus for getting extra PG is a little ridiculous. While you can achieve the others with pretty much any party setup if you play right, you need moves that hit multiple opponents to have a chance. But even then, variable damage, critical hits, differing resistances, and enemies of different strength make it a real pain to plot out. The PG bonus isn't worth the trouble you have to go through for that one.
The one other problem is that you can get your chain broken because of random luck. When the game drops an enemy sneak attack on you, you're going to be hit, and there's really nothing you can do about it. There is an accessory you can get to make these less frequent, but it still feels annoying to lose your JP boosting chain because the enemy gets the jump on you, and you are utterly powerless to stop it.
Still, apart from that, I like the system overall. I think it encourages aggressive play, has generally worthwhile rewards, and is overall a strong and pretty well designed mechanic.
There are three types of Combat Bonuses, each with different rewards. Winning a battle in one turn gets you extra Exp. Winning without getting hit gets you extra JP. And killing an entire group with one move gets you extra PG (note, that is just the finishing blow, you can weaken them with other moves first).
The bonuses start off at a minor 10% boost. But, after sustaining the same bonus for 5 fights, it jumps to 20%. Yay. However, if you can continue to sustain the chain for 5 more fights after that, it boosts to the maximum value of 50%.
This is not an insubstantial number. 50% more spoils can be pretty hefty. So you constantly play to maintain the chains. While the safest way to take on a fight is probably to Default 3 turns, then steamroll everything, and still be able to take a turn afterward in case an enemy had defaulted or evaded and survived your onslaught, this will keep you from getting the boosted JP and Exp. So instead, you tend to rush battles, pushing to win in a single turn, before your enemy can move, and it can cost you.
What's more, however, is that even if the chain is broken, you don't mind too much. It's easy enough to build back up, so you don't worry or get frustrated by it. It really feels like a bonus, an optional extra.
That said, I don't think the system is perfect. I really think that the Sweeper bonus for getting extra PG is a little ridiculous. While you can achieve the others with pretty much any party setup if you play right, you need moves that hit multiple opponents to have a chance. But even then, variable damage, critical hits, differing resistances, and enemies of different strength make it a real pain to plot out. The PG bonus isn't worth the trouble you have to go through for that one.
The one other problem is that you can get your chain broken because of random luck. When the game drops an enemy sneak attack on you, you're going to be hit, and there's really nothing you can do about it. There is an accessory you can get to make these less frequent, but it still feels annoying to lose your JP boosting chain because the enemy gets the jump on you, and you are utterly powerless to stop it.
Still, apart from that, I like the system overall. I think it encourages aggressive play, has generally worthwhile rewards, and is overall a strong and pretty well designed mechanic.