Stats Mechanics In Octopath Traveler: Understanding The Basics

how stats work in octopath traveler

Octopath Traveler is a massive game with a lot of mechanics to explore. One of the most important mechanics is its stat system, which is not very well explained in the game. Stats are influenced by the character's level, job, subclass, equipment, and path actions. Characters have a variety of stats, including Max HP, Physical Attack, Physical Defense, Elemental Attack, Elemental Defense, Accuracy, Speed, Critical, and Evasion. These stats are important because they determine a character's performance in battle, such as their ability to deal damage, take damage, dodge attacks, and land critical hits. Additionally, different characters have different base stats, which means that some characters are better suited for certain roles than others. For example, Ophilia, Cyrus, and Primrose are good for elemental damage, while Olberic, Therion, and H'aanit excel at physical damage. Understanding how stats work is crucial for optimising character builds and performing well in combat.

Characteristics Values
Max HP The maximum amount of health points a character currently has
Physical Attack The amount of physical damage a character can deal
Physical Defense The amount of physical damage a character can take
Accuracy Determines the likelihood of a character's attacks hitting their target
Critical Determines the frequency and chance for a character to deal critical damage
Special Move The number of times a character can use a special move
Elemental Attack The amount of damage from elemental attacks that a character can deal
Elemental Defense The amount of damage from elemental attacks that a character can take
Speed Determines which units move first
Evasion Determines the likelihood of a character avoiding an attack

quartzmountain

Magic vs. Melee

In Octopath Traveler, the weapons and gear you equip play a significant role in building up your character's stats and abilities. The game offers a wide range of weapons, including swords, polearms, daggers, axes, bows, staves, and shields, each with their own unique attributes and advantages.

When it comes to "Magic vs. Melee", the game presents an interesting dynamic. Melee weapon damage is governed by the Phys. Atk. stat, while magical spells fall under the Elem. Atk. stat. Certain jobs and characters are more inclined towards dealing higher damage with one type of attack over the other. For instance, Ophelia excels in dealing damage with light magic, whereas Olberic shines in melee combat with his sword and spear.

Melee-based skills rely on your character's base stats, accessories, equipped support skills, and the weapon tied to the specific skill. On the other hand, magical abilities consider the same factors but with a twist—only the equipped weapon with the highest elemental attack stat will be used for the magic attack. This distinction allows for strategic choices in weapon selection, where you can opt for a single, high elemental attack weapon for magic users while favouring physically attacking weapons for your other slots.

Additionally, weapons like the Giant's Club, with its high physical attack bonus, can be used by mages to incorporate melee attacks into their repertoire. The Battle-tested Blade, with its massive physical attack and critical bonuses, is another example of a weapon that enhances physical prowess, making it ideal for heavy melee damage dealers like Olberic.

However, for those seeking to maximise their magical capabilities, the Battle-tested Staff is a prime choice. With high bonuses to both physical and elemental attack, it empowers mages to deal devastating damage. The Sorcerer job, unlocked by defeating Dreisang, the Archmagus, is an advanced job that specialises in AoE magic of all six elements. Characters like Primrose and Ophilia, with their high Elemental Attack stats, excel in this role.

In conclusion, the "Magic vs. Melee" dynamic in Octopath Traveler offers players a variety of strategic choices. While melee attacks rely on the physical attack stat, magic users have the unique feature of utilising the highest elemental attack stat from their equipped weapons. This creates a nuanced interplay between weapon selection and character abilities, allowing players to tailor their strategies accordingly.

quartzmountain

Accuracy and Evasion

Accuracy determines the likelihood of your attacks landing on your target. The higher the accuracy stat, the greater the chance that your attacks will hit their mark. This is particularly useful against enemies with high evasion, such as Caits, and when using multi-hit melee abilities like Thousand Spears and Rain of Arrows. Accuracy can be increased by equipping certain weapons or accessories that provide an accuracy boost.

On the other hand, Evasion determines your character's ability to dodge incoming attacks. A higher evasion stat increases the chance of avoiding enemy attacks entirely, which can be the difference between life and death in battle. Evasion is especially useful against enemies with high accuracy or those that rely on physical attacks. Similar to accuracy, evasion can be improved by equipping certain weapons or accessories that offer an evasion bonus.

While stacking multiple weapons with high accuracy or evasion stats may seem advantageous, it's important to note that Octopath Traveler only considers the stats of the weapon currently in use or the weapon with the highest elemental attack stat for magic users. Therefore, it's more effective to focus on selecting the right weapon for the situation rather than trying to stack stats across multiple weapons.

Additionally, certain character abilities or skills can further enhance accuracy and evasion. For example, the Hunter's Rain of Arrows ability can be useful for breaking bosses, while the Warrior's Thousand Spear ability can quickly reduce enemy armour.

quartzmountain

Elemental Attack

For example, if a character has a dagger with +99 Elemental Attack and a staff with +120 Elemental Attack, the game will always use the Elemental Attack value from the staff when calculating damage for magical abilities. It is worth noting that healing abilities are determined by Elemental Defense instead of Elemental Attack.

Additionally, the follow-up elemental attacks from the Runelord abilities use the Elemental Attack stat of the weapon that landed the first hit. In this case, if a character has a staff with high Elemental Attack and a sword without any Elemental Attack boost, casting a spell will use the Elemental Attack value from the staff. However, if the character attacks with the sword and triggers the rune, the follow-up elemental attack will use the lower Elemental Attack value from the sword since it was the weapon used to trigger the rune.

It is also important to note that other stats on weapons, such as speed and evasion, only apply when the weapon is currently equipped and in use. These stats do not stack across multiple weapons, and only the highest value among the equipped weapons will be used.

quartzmountain

Stacking Stats

For physical attacks, the game calculates damage based on the weapon you are using for the attack. So, if you have multiple weapons with different physical attack stats, the game will only consider the stats of the weapon you are currently using.

On the other hand, elemental attacks are calculated based on the weapon with the highest elemental attack stat that you have equipped. Multiple weapons with elemental attack stats do not stack. So, if you have two weapons with elemental attack stats, the game will only consider the stats of the weapon with the higher value.

Additionally, healing spells are calculated based on the user's elemental defense stat rather than their elemental attack stat. This adds an interesting layer of strategy, as it allows you to utilise the Cleric secondary job on characters other than mages.

It's worth noting that some stats, like accuracy and evasion, are applied based on the weapon you last used in combat or have equipped. So, if you want to take advantage of a specific stat, make sure to equip the corresponding weapon before entering battle.

Overall, while stacking stats in Octopath Traveler can be beneficial, it's important to understand how the game calculates damage and applies stats to get the most out of your character's equipment.

Parking Abroad: Tips for Travelers

You may want to see also

quartzmountain

Critical Hits

The Critical stat is influenced by the weapon equipped, with each weapon having a different bonus to the stat. Additionally, certain path actions and abilities can increase the likelihood of landing a critical hit. For example, the Hunter's passive skill "Patience" increases the critical chance.

It is worth mentioning that the game does not always clearly indicate when a critical hit occurs, especially on broken enemies. This can make it seem like critical hits are not occurring or are less useful than they actually are. However, they can significantly increase damage output and are worth investing in, especially against non-broken enemies.

To maximise the chances of landing critical hits, players should focus on increasing the Critical stat through equipment choices and abilities. Additionally, taking advantage of enemy weaknesses and debuffs can further increase the effectiveness of critical hits.

Frequently asked questions

In general, Ophilia, Cyrus, and Primrose are good bets for elemental damage, while Olberic, Therion, and H'aanit are good bets for physical damage. Tressa and Alfyn's attack stats are malleable enough, and good enough, to make them into whatever you want or need (with Tressa slightly favoring magic damage and Alfyn slightly favoring physical damage, but not enough to make either into a superior focus).

No, you only gain stats from the weapon currently in use. The exception is magic: spells always use the weapon with the highest magic attack.

Attributes determine the proficiencies of each character. For example, characters with higher Max HP and Phys. Def are more likely suited to acting as a tank that can take multiple hits. Depending on how the stats are distributed within a character's attributes, a player can assign roles in battle.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment