NTE: Combat Basics Guide

NTE is real time, action RPG, with four characters team. Here's how the basic combat works:

• You control one character at a time on field.
• Swapping between the four characters is free, with no cooldown.
• Swapping when a character glow will activate their Esper (Element) skill
• Combat is about timing, positioning, and reactions. Spamming skills will get you only so far.
• Holding Esper skills until several character charge (glow) enables chaining elemental reactions, and proccing even higher tier reaction.
• Parry and dodges are the main defensive measures, and each offer unique benefits
• Breaking Stagger Meter is important in boss fights. This is tied to Esper system and certain character skills

* What players should expect:

• Fast paced, anime style, adrenaline inducing, action combat.
• Very reactive playstyle.
• Enemy with attack patterns you can learn.
• Switching between Offense and defense often.
• Using both simple and complicated combos that involves multiple characters switching

* Normal attack (Basic Attack)

This is basic damage combo, where you press attack button consistently, with no cooldowns.

Some characters gain extra benefits to their skills from using basic attacks. Adler is an example, as he build Karma stacks with normal attacks, which increase his Skill DoT damage by 2% per stack.

* charged attack (Hold Basic Attack)

Holding basic attack button to enter a special charged attack animation, that differs from character to character.

Ranged characters might enter aim mode, with Charged attacks. While holding the button with Mint will turn her into a small tornado, that deal constant AOE damage at the cost of consuming stamina.

* Plunge Attack (Basic Attack while Airborne)

While in the air, press basic attack to come down with a plunge attack on enemies. Damage increases based on fall height.

With most characters, this is not a very efficient attack to put into a rotation. But games tend to release some characters whose kit revolve around plunge attacks. So we are keeping an eye out

* Skill (E)

The unique character ability, with cooldown, energy generation, and distinct features tied to the character, their element, and Arc type.

Characters may have long cooldown and strong damage to play a Burst Damage role. While others are able to spam their skills more often.

Mint resets her skill cooldown when she dodge-counter an enemy, allowing several casts of skills in between weaving her basic attacks. While Aurelia enters a 12 seconds enhanced mode upon using skill.

* Charged skill (Hold E)

Certain character kits have two different modes for skill, press skill, and hold skill. The Charged Skill is typically tied to building up certain number of charges, and spending them when you choose for maximum efficiency.

Chiz is a prime example, her skill has three charges by default, allowing three uses. But Holding her skill button allow charged skill that consume all three charges for a more powerful effect

* Ultimate (Q)

Character builds up energy through various combat actions, and when full, they can unleash very powerful Ultimate Attack.

Reactions may help to fill energy faster, such as Blossom (Cosmos + Anima). And some characters have energy generation efficiency built in their kit.

Ultimate is a major part of building a rotation, and usually the determining factor of who goes on field and when.

* Support Skill (QTE)

Automatically trigger upon filling the Esper Meter and swapping into the character.

A simple attack that usually hits once or twice, and has no unique properties. But it also trigger Esper reaction between the element of the character on field, and the character you are swapping into.

The unique elemental system of Neverness to Everness. With each character assigned one of six elements.

Elements neighboring each other reacts together, when you swap in a character with full Esper Meter. Here's how it works:

• The Esper meter sits next to your HP and Ultimate gauges 
• How to fill it:
• • Normal attacks: Steady, slow generation
  • Skills: Faster generation
  • Parry: Instant full meter — this is why parrying is so powerful 
• When a character's meter is full, their portrait glows — swap to them to trigger their Esper Ability.
• Farm enough Esper Meter on three characters, to chain two Due-Esper Cycle Reactions, and trigger a Trio-Esper Cycle reaction

Example:

1. Switch from Lakshana to Cosmos character, to trigger Remora, and slow enemies
2. Switch from Cosmos to Anima, to trigger Blossom, and place a turret that shoot at enemies in AOE
3. Any target affected by Remora gets hit by a Blossom, active character generates a large amount of ultimate Energy. Which is the Trio-Esper Cycle: Charge

The two defensive mechanics in NTE revolve around timing your reactive action.

Dodge

• Avoids damage completely by moving out of enemy attack.
• Most useful in AOE situations, because of invulnerability frames. Or when Parry timing is too tight.
• Has initial three charges, and a cooldown.
• Perfect timing triggers Critical Dodge, which enables a counter.
• Each character has a different Critical Riposte skill, but all of them deal damage and break a portion of the stagger meter.
• Passive abilities might trigger extra effects for certain characters on Critical Riposte, like resetting cooldown of Skill

Parry

• Time a button press when a shrinking circle indicator aligns with another cycle.
• Deflect enemy attack, stopping their momentum. Has no cooldown.
• Also Fills Esper Meter instantly (Extra useful to parry with character who has lowest Esper Meter generation)
• Parry is typically for telegraphed attacks, not every single enemy attack.
• Parry can be done by timing either: normal parry, skill-cancel, dodge-counter, swap-in, or ultimate-window.
• Swap Parry is extra useful because it's easier to time and help fill Esper Meter for the character of your choice.
• For a character such as Fadia, Ultimate Parry grants her full energy for another Ultimate cast.

An important part of Combat is understanding break meter, and how to stagger enemies.

• Every enemy has Stagger /Break meter under their health bar
• What fills it:
• • Normal Attack: Slow
  • Skill and Ultimate: Moderate
  • Perfect Dodge Counters: Quick
  • Parry: Highest Impact
• When the bar is full, enemy enters vulnerable status, can't move, can't attack, and takes more damage
• Stagger is more relevant in Boss fights
• Discord Esper reaction (Incantation + Chaos + Psyche) increases Stagger damage

A team in NTE has four characters, so you better use them all. This way, you have to manage rotations and plan who takes most field time, and when every character takes the spotlight.

Here's how it works:

• Swapping is entirely free, with no cooldown or any cost.
• However, entry/support skills or QTE has cooldown, and Esper reactions require a full bar (character portrait glows)
• When the enemy is staggered, swap to your strongest DPS.
• Certain characters such as has passives that deal damage from off-field

Reactions

• Reactions require swapping from a certain element to a certain other element. So don't blindly swap to whoever glows first
• Tri-Esper Cycle reactions require swapping between three characters with full Esper bar, not just two.

Quick Swap

• You can swap without Esper Bar full, because the character used all their cooldown abilities (Skill and Ultimate), and the team has more characters to use.

Defensive Swap

• You can time your swap to Parry, to fill a character Esper meter (helpful with character who fill Esper meter slowly)
• Some character can tank better than others, so swap to take the heat during enemy aggressive moments

In a reactive combat style game such as NTE, the golden rule is to not rush into combat blindly. But rather, observe and learn what enemies do.

• Every enemy type has Unique patterns, and specific tells of upcoming attacks.
• There are visual and audio cues for a lot of enemy attacks. The most prominent are:
• • The red flash that prompts a critical dodge, enabling a Critical Riposte counter.
  • The enclosing circle of Parry.
• In some extreme enemy attacks, it's better to just run away, not attack nor stay near the enemy at all. just avoid risking it