Symbology FAQ

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Symbology FAQ
Topic Started: Jan 11 2008, 02:24 PM (216 Views)
Fayt	Jan 11 2008, 02:24 PM Post #1
Easy wins have never been my style Posts: 719 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jan 10, 2008 Gender Male	Universal Symbology Here is a list of the various Symbology attacks that more then one character can use. You will quickly discover that a majority of these are Adray & Sophia only, as they are the two specialist Symbologists in the game. While Fayt, Maria & Nel can also learn a few Symbols which make them more all round type characters. Note: Albel, Cliff, Mirage, Peppita & Roger never learn any Symbology via level ups. The only way any of these 5 characters can use any form of Symbology is by using these 2 items. Decrepit Tome for Common Support Symbols (Healing, Antidote & Silence) & Worm-eaten Tome for Common Attack Symbols (Fire Bolt, Ice Needles & Earth Glaive). Even then once learnt it must be equipped in their “Support” skill slots to be usable and they will consume 2 CP each. Legend for learning charts Ad = Adray Al = Albel Cl = Cliff Fa = Fayt Ma = Maria Mi = Mirage Ne = Nel Pe = Peppita Ro = Roger So = Sophia St = Starts with it NA = Never learns it It = Learned by Item only Refer below for all the Symbology attacks that more then one character can learn, skills are in alphabetical order. CP Cost will be shown if the skill can also be equipped as a battle skill (Symbols can only be equipped as battle skills mostly by Sophia & occasionally Adray), which means it can be cancel chained. If it cannot be equipped it will be shown as “NA”. Acid Rain MP Cost: 15 CP Cost: NA Function: Reduces the enemy’s defence. Evaluation: Doesn’t cover a great deal of range, nor does it affect the enemies DEF a great deal, improves with its level. Although I honestly find it a waste of time, maybe against bosses with high DEF at the most, but no more then that. Rating: 2/10 Angel Feather MP Cost: 30 CP Cost: NA Function: Improves the Attack, Defence, Hit Rating, Agility and Symbol defence of one party member. Evaluation: Basically every stat boost rolled into one. It’s more then useful, although some feel the additional DEF provided by Protection is more valuable. Rating: 8.5/10 Antidote MP Cost: 10 CP Cost: NA Function: Cures Poison. Evaluation: Another very typical status restoration ability, early on will find use, but can be replaced with immunities and “Cure Condition”. Also considering Poison is more annoying then life threatening you will use this no more then occasionally. Rating: 6.5/10 Cure Condition MP Cost: 15 CP Cost: NA Function: Cures Poison, Paralysis & Petrifaction. Evaluation: This skill is fantastic, Petrified, Paralysis & Poison status can be removed in an instant with this. All status abnormalities won’t last long when you have one that can cast this around, very useful in a pinch. Also saves having to stock all the various cure items in your inventory. Only weakness is it’s not the quickest of symbols to invoke. Rating: 9/10 Dark Sphere MP Cost: 200 CP Cost: 8 (Sophia only) Function: Instantly kills enemies with low HP. Evaluation: The typical “low chance instant death” attack. Which I believe are the stupidest attacks in an RPG, its slow to cast, doesn’t cover the best range, and of course rarely works in tough when you could really need it. Yeah, this is the one and only zero rating, these types of attacks suck! Rating: 0/10 Deep Freeze MP Cost: 80 CP Cost: 6 (Sophia only) Function: Emits blocks of Ice in a limited area, potentially killing enemies. Evaluation: Perhaps an underrated Symbologist ability, takes a little while to cast and doesn’t cover the greatest of range. It can really help out, as nothing is better then one hit kills! Rating: 7.5/10 Earth Glaive MP Cost: 10 CP Cost: 3 Function: Crushes the enemy with gigantic stone columns. Evaluation: Almost looks like Claude’s “Ripper Blast” but no-where near as effective, covers a decent area which can damage a few enemies at once, although range wise doesn’t offer a lot. Cancel chained it turns out okay, but not really a match winner. Rating: 3/10 Efreet MP Cost: 15 CP Cost: 5 (Sophia only) Function: Summons a burning Efreet to attack the enemy. Evaluation: This fire summon covers a fairly good attack range and generates a number of hits, although none of outstanding power. Rating: 4.5/10 Explosion MP Cost: 300 CP Cost: 7 (Sophia only) Function: Roasts the enemy in a zone of incredibly hot flames. Evaluation: Best range Symbol attack in the game, finally one that feels like a Star Ocean: Second Story attack. It’s near impossible for the enemy to retreat, and can also be cancel chained. Very effective attack, just keep it away from those that can nullify/absorb Fire damage. Rating: 8.5/10 Faerie Light MP Cost: 40 CP Cost: NA Function: Restores the HP of all party members. Evaluation: This will most likely be the skill you use the most outside of battle, the ability to heal everyone at once is always of first rate use. Just try protecting your Symbologists when they try to use it, as it takes them a short while to cast it. Rating: 9/10 Fire Bolt MP Cost: 10 CP Cost: 2 Function: Shoots a bolt of fire at the enemy. Evaluation: Does very little Fire damage, however rarely misses and covers excellent range, can develop into 5 bolts in one attack. Early on you find it useful with Nel, to help protect yourself going after “No Damage” BT’s. Although once better symbols are learnt and the full fledged Symbologists are available it quickly becomes redundant. Rating: 2.5/10 Gravitation MP Cost: 30 CP Cost: NA Function: Creates a powerful gravity field to reduce the enemy’s movement speed. Evaluation: Covers a quality range, although its casting time and overall benefit don’t really add up. Honestly I feel its more effort then the result in the end. Rating: 2.5/10 Healing MP Cost: 20 CP Cost: NA Function: Heals the HP of one party member. Evaluation: One of the most simple and common magic skills in RPG history, yet it’s always effective. The ability to restore HP of your allies can never be underestimated, even more effective considering anyone can learn it thanks to “Common Support Symbols”. Although if you do so it’s better linked with someone like Fayt or Maria, whom already has a decent MP rating. Rating: 9.5/10 Ice Needles MP Cost: 10 CP Cost: 2 Function: Showers the enemy with a rain of deadly ice needles. Evaluation: Covers reasonable range, but does very little damage. Although it does give you a chance of instantly freezing the enemy, it’s pretty handy until you learn better freezing techniques. Rating: 3/10 Laser Beams MP Cost: 150 CP Cost: 7 (Sophia only) Function: Rains down innumerable laser beams on the enemy. Evaluation: This is great to cancel chain with, as its non-elemental and does good damage. Only thing is it will take away some CP, although even as a Symbol it’s useful & damaging enough. Rating: 8/10 Lighting Blast MP Cost: 10 CP Cost: 3 Function: Hurts lightning bolts at the enemy. Evaluation: Creates a decent range straight line attack, good chance of hitting the enemy, although doesn’t do any damage or any real significance. Not really worth using, at least until you learn more symbols. Might be a good idea to turn it off for Fayt as well, he will just waste time and MP with this, when he can do far better attacks. Rating: 1/10 Lightning Strike MP Cost: 300 CP Cost: 8 (Sophia only) Function: Focused single-target symbol that generates a stroke of lightning. Evaluation: I honestly have no idea why this is learnt after Laser Beams and has a higher CP Cost. Sure it does a little more damage, but it’s elemental and can’t be cancel chained. (8+8=impossible). While it’s powerful in its own right Laser Beams owns it. Rating: 7/10 Power Up MP Cost: 30 CP Cost: NA Function: Improves the Attack of one party member. Evaluation: As the name suggests, it will provide you with increased attack power for a limited time. For boss fights and to aide “Within 1 minute” BT conditions its handy, although Might Tables are just as effective; and everyone can use them. Rating: 4/10 Protection MP Cost: 30 CP Cost: NA Function: Improves the Defence of one party member. Evaluation: This cannot be underestimated, at times this can be the very difference between taking damage or not, which makes “No Damage” BT’s all that much easier. Also considering Maria can do it you can have all the protection benefits you need without a specialist Symbologist around. You probably won’t use it that often, but in boss battles and of course BT conditions it’s invaluable. Even though it wears off in time, just re-apply it. Rating: 9/10 Reflection MP Cost: 30 CP Cost: NA Function: Cuts damage from enemy symbols in half. Evaluation: I can’t see much use for this attack, the majority of hits you take will be physical, so it doesn’t really need to be used at all. Rating: 0.5/10 Restoration MP Cost: 60 CP Cost: NA Function: Resurrects an incapacitated party member. Evaluation: As the name suggests, will revive a character from KO. Although it does take some time to cast, and doesn’t provide much HP when they to revive, of course this increases slightly with its level. But are you going to KO yourself all the time to train it? Probably not, also considering Fresh Sage is just 310 Fol you will not use this that much after all. Rating: 6.5/10 Silence MP Cost: 10 CP Cost: NA Function: Prevents the enemy from using symbols. Evaluation: It’s not as great as it could be, for starters it doesn’t always work. And even when it does it will wear off over time. It will be used rarely, if at all. Rating: 1.5/10 Stone Rain MP Cost: 80 CP Cost: 5 (Sophia only) Function: Rains down huge boulders that crush enemies. Evaluation: Offers decent enough damage and range, also having the ability to cancel chain it with Sophia makes it even more worthy of consideration. Rating: 6.5/10 Thunder Flare MP Cost: 40 CP Cost: 4 (Sophia only) Function: Uses an electromagnetic field to incinerate the enemy. Evaluation: This skill is awesome, for Sophia in particular. Finally something decent to put into your battle skill slots, one on Long Major & one on Long Minor and chain your heart out. Damage is low, but its ability to ‘stun-lock’ the enemy is outstanding. This can allow your allies many free hits making battles much easier; even though it cannot be chained by Nel & Adray it’s still useful as a stand alone Symbol. Rating: 9.5/10 Code: Symbology Learning Chart Skill - Ad – Al – Cl – Fa – Ma – Mi – Ne – Pe – Ro – So Acid Rain - 19 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 12 Angel Feather - 60 – NA – NA – NA – 45 – NA – NA – NA – NA – 57 Antidote - 06 – It – It – It – It – It – It – It – It – 04 Cure Condition - 29 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 20 Dark Sphere - 35 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 40 Deep Freeze - 30 – NA – NA – 36 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 35 Earth Glaive - St – It – It – It – It – It – It – It – It – 19 Efreet - 21 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 25 Explosion - 45 – NA – NA – 60 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 50 Faerie Light - 37 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 32 Fire Bolt - St – It – It – It – It – It – St – It – It – 05 Gravitation - 48 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 47 Healing - 05 – It – It – It – It – It – St – It – It – 03 Ice Needles - 06 – It – It – It – It – It – 10 – It – It – 10 Laser Beams - 54 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 54 Lightning Blast - 07 – NA – NA – 16 – NA – NA – 18 – NA – NA – 15 Lightning Strike - 57 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 70 – NA – NA – 60 Power Up - 25 – NA – NA – NA – 21 – NA – NA – NA – NA – 25 Protection - 23 – NA – NA – NA – St – NA – NA – NA – NA – 17 Reflection - 39 – NA – NA – NA – 26 – NA – NA – NA – NA – 37 Restoration - 32 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 22 Silence - 10 – It – It – It – It – It – It – It – It – 05 Stone Rain - 42 – NA – NA – 45 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 45 Thunder Flare - 27 – NA – NA – NA – NA – NA – 35 – NA – NA – 30 While I’ve taken every possible care with this guide there may be an error or two, feel free to notify me of any in an orderly manner. Comments and discussion of this FAQ are of course allowed.



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