Hello everyone! Happy backer release day!
After weeks of being regaled with interface changes and coding whatsits from Conash, today I am here to talk about another big change in the newest version of the game- Namely, the popstar bard, Diadira!
Diadira is a fairly unique character, so I’m going to go through her mechanics, describe what she does for you party, and some tips on how to best use her.
Basic Capabilities
Diadira’s main theme is that she gives huge buffs to the entire party at the expense of her own actions. Every time she uses one of her Songs, she then spends the next four turns doing nothing but singing to maintain the song. So, to make best use of Diadira, you’re going to have to cram all the DPS you’re going to need into the other three characters in your party. Diadira’s songs are powerful enough to make for it, but this presents some party planning challenges. For example, you may want to try Diadira with the Hero in Phantom Knight mode. This effectively passes off Hero’s usual buffer role to Diadira while also making a dedicated tank character less necessary. You can then feel fairly confident filling the last two party spots with high-damage characters.
In terms of stats, Diadira has high Health but so-so Defense and Resist. This makes her an excellent target for regenerative effects- she’s no pushover but she will rely on healing, and passive regeneration means that you don’t have to task another character to keep her topped up. Diadira also has a lot of Magic, so while she doesn’t use any spells herself, she can get decent damage out of combat items like bombs and scrolls. Her absolute highest stat is Agility, so she can get her buffs in before everyone else in your party acts and is no slouch with items like Kevin’s Throwing Knives.
Diadira’s main attack deals Sonic damage, so there are some enemies she will be great against (merfolk) and others, no so great (undead). Once her weapon is upgraded a couple times, though, she will also sometimes inflict a unique Sonic-themed DoT debuff with her basic attack. Most of the time you’ll want her singing, but her basic attack has it’s own properties and occasionally you might find that it’s the right move. Eventually she’ll also learn a special skill called Resonant Frequency, which deals Sonic damage based on her Magic stat and her relationship score, as well has disrupting Cover and potentially Staggering, Deafening and Knocking Down her target. We’re trying a couple different things with Resonant Frequency, so see how that fits in with your strategies and let us know.
The Songs
Now for Diadira’s bread and butter- her song-based buffs.
Her first song, Heartbeat Panic, is probably the most universally useful. It’s pretty simple- every character other than Diadira takes an extra action per turn. That’s a pretty huge advantage, but keep in mind that you’re going to blow through party resources (Mana, Momentum, items) that much faster.
Her second song, Rush of Spirit, gives every party member a +10 Momentum per turn bonus, great for characters like Bronwyn and Chimei who rely on their Momentum-using skills.
The third and final song Diadira learns by leveling up is Noise Riot. On top of a 2% Mana generation per turn buff, Noise Riot also gives all spellcasters (regardless of what kind of magic they use) access to the Feedback spell. Feedback is a Sonic-element attack spell that gets stronger the more it’s used in the duration of the Noise Riot buff. The first use starts at a base (Magic x 4) + (Luck) – (target’s Resist), but every subsequent use adds the user’s Magic rating in damage (Magic x 5 for the next cast, Magic x 6 for the next, etc), up to a maximum of Magic x 10 if you have two casters doing nothing but spam Feedback. Also, I should mention that every version of Feedback (Spells, Prayers, Evocations, etc) has slightly different properties, so please have fun exploring those possibilities.
When Diadira gets to the “Trust” relationship level, she learns a song called “My Sanctuary”. This songs does two things- it hits Diadira with a massive Health regeneration buff, then it gives every other party member increased Threat while simultaneously making those characters take 15% less damage from every attack. It’s a powerful defensive ability to break out when it looks like Diadira’s in trouble and needs the rest of the party to go full tank.
So hopefully you see some great now possibilities in using your new party member. The backer release should be out tonight sometime, but if you’re not a backer please make sure you come back on January 25th for the public release!