Fyonn
did their best!
Vagrant Story is one of my favorite PS1 games, and I think about it at least once a month, probably. I love the aesthetics, the localization, the music, the atmosphere, Sydney Losstarot's extreme low cut greaves, Ashley Riots poofy combat shorts with individual butt cheek windows, the whole thing.
Vagrant Story is also super inscrutable because it has so many mechanics. I have a preferred way I used to play the game, which is by picking an element (Wind is the fastest one, I think) and pumping that number as high as it can go to overwhelm enemy defenses. This time, I've been trying something different, and I'm basically wrecking every fight I come across effortlessly and it's wild. Here's some stuff I've learned / have been doing this run.
Vagrant Story is also super inscrutable because it has so many mechanics. I have a preferred way I used to play the game, which is by picking an element (Wind is the fastest one, I think) and pumping that number as high as it can go to overwhelm enemy defenses. This time, I've been trying something different, and I'm basically wrecking every fight I come across effortlessly and it's wild. Here's some stuff I've learned / have been doing this run.
- Hey! Did you know every single mechanic is explained in detail in the game manual you can access at any time in the menu? I didn't! I taught myself most of the quirks of Vagrant Story's myriad systems, but this entire time I could have just read what they all do!
- Speaking of, did you know that if a weapon has maxed out Phantom Points (PP), it's twice as strong? I also didn't know that! You get Phantom Points from attacking, so just keep using the same weapon, and it will eventually become much stronger. If you run around with the weapon out, PP starts to drain, so sheathe your weapon when not in use.
- Your weapon is half as effective when it's broken. You can restore Durability Points (DP) for "free" at any workshop, but it reduces the weapon's PP an equal amount. If you're dealing 0 damage to enemies, your weapon is probably broken.
- You start with the Chain Ability "Temper" that restores a very small amount of DP. I've taken to always using Temper against regular enemies. This way, I can keep my weapon repaired while keeping its Phantom Points full. How big of an effective does this have? Typically, when I get to the Golem fight, I would deal 0 damage with melee attacks. This run, I dealt 48.
- Similarly, wow attack spells are expensive! But it turns out MP is free. You can very quickly get the Chain Ability "Gain MP," which can easily refill all of your MP in one combo.
- Taking all of this stuff into account, my standard operating priorities have been this: Top off HP with Heal > top off MP with Gain MP > use Temper when HP and MP are full to maintain my weapon. Against bosses, when my MP is full, I blast them with magic, because having a full MP bar is a waste when you can just generate more MP.
- Other than that, I'm just making sure that I my weapon has a hilt with a gem slot so I can have Braveheart slotted in for the 20% accuracy boost at all times, and making sure my hilt's best damage type (edged/pierce/blunt) matches the damage type the blade deals.
- Buffs and debuffs are important, too. Degenerate is one of the first and most important spells you get. It reduces the target's Strength. Since Vagrant Story only has three stats, Strength pulls double duty for both attack power and physical defense. If you can apply Degenerate, you should.
- Also? Numbers are fake. You know how weapons have the whole element page and the whole affinity page? Ignore them. They don't matter nearly as much as you'd think they do. The numbers in Vagrant Story have such minor effects that they really only count when you're pushing one into the stratosphere with gems.
- This last bit won't help you play Vagrant Story at all, but be aware that the in-game manual has fifteen pages dedicated to the mechanics of block puzzles.
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