Ryna
Jul 29, 2011, 08:23 PM
I found a copy of x ENYO x's Masterforce Etiquette guide:
x ENYO x
10-22-2010, 02:37 PM
Guide Will Be Updated As New Content Is Added
NEW! Time Attack Tips & Tricks At Bottom (incomplete)
This guide includes: Palette layout, GAS options, how to maximize damage, weapon & armor combinations, boss-fighting techniques, and an array of useful tips.
Note: THIS ONLY APPLIES TO US/EU XBOX360. These are merely suggestions for Masterforce players, I'm simply putting out there what I feel can make you better at what you love to do. Ultimately, it is to inform Masterforce players how to increase their chances of being allowed in parties as well as gain some tips on how to perform tasks in a party properly. Enjoy!
First and Foremost
The number one reason Masterforces are disliked in parties is the consequence of slowdown. In the following tips, I'll help explain how you can avoid creating lag as much as possible. I'll also give tips on literally every aspect of the class.
Your Palette
As a Masterforce, your primary goal in a party is to deal heavy magic damage. So how do you do that? Simple. Masterforce can only have S rank Rods, Wands and TECH Mags. With the release of GAS, we now have access to Full Custom Power (FCP). What this means is, any 10/10 weapon equipped gains a TECH Point (TP) boost. That's right, that old Halarod in your storage isn't so useless after all... Well, grinded to 10/10 at least. We will discuss GAS later.
For now though, let's take note that 10/10 is not necessary unless you are doing TA or simply want to deal the most damage possible. Basically, you need to take advantage of prices in shops. If you see a 6/6 Gaozoran Rod for 20mil and a 5/5 Psycho Wand for 17mil, go for the Psycho wand. It will be beneficial to you either way to have a stronger weapon, this doesn't mean you can't have the weapon you want though. It's all about preference.
Palette Layout
Every Masterforce needs Wands, TECH Mags & Rods. So many people tend to think Rods, due to higher PP and TECH damage, are better than everything. This is not the case. Rods are used for the following TECHS:
1) Damfoie
2) Dambarta
3) Noszonde
4) Nosdiga
5) Damdiga
6) Regrant
7) Megiverse
8 ) Nosmegid
9) Dammegid
Now, that doesn't mean you can't use other TECHS on your rods, but Wands and Mags will do much more DPS (Damage Per Second). This is because the time it takes to cast is much shorter than with Rods. I'll point out too that Rods cast slower than any other TECH weapon.
NOTE: In some cases, a Rod may be best for Gi-spells. A Rod may also be the better choice for low-HP creatures. For example, a Rod may wipe a group of enemies in one blow whereas a TECH Mag may need 2 hits to do the job.
Building the Ultimate Palette
The ultimate palette deals the most damage the quickest and most economical way. The ultimate palette is not going to be cheap, but It will out-perform any other combo available. Currently, the best possible palette is as follows:
3x 10/10 Psycho Wand
3x 10/10 Pushan
3x 10/10 Granahodora/c
This palette build is optimized for any possible situation, but it is completely unnecessary! This palette is literally built for Time Attack. So, what is a REASONABLE palette for optimal Masterforce use? It would be the following:
2/3x 10/10 Halarod, Promorod, Kazarod, Rabbitwand, Dallgunrod, Okarod, Gaozoran Rod, or Gaozoran Rod+
3/4x 10/10 Okikudohg, Dori, Promoto Pit, Coni, Delpi, or Delpic
3/4x 10/10 Uransara, Promora, Tesbra, Bajura, or Beefkabob Wellda (not recommended for long missions)
You'll notice that they are all 10/10, I stated before that it was not needed unless you TA, but we're talking about the ultimate reasonable palette. If you cannot afford 10/10, definitely shoot for 9/9.
NOTE: Remember to disregard Full Custom Power unless you have 10/10, otherwise its useless.
Your Armor
You must have armors with a head slot. The number one most important rule to Masterforce is cast hard & quick. Pay no attention to units such as Red / Force or Hizeri / Concentrate, they are slow and someone with a Har / Quick unit can and will out-DPS you. Here is a list of acceptable Head Units (ranked best first) :
1) Ouryu
2) Har / Smart
3) Har / Quick
Remember too that Elemental Armor is a MUST. The higher the % the better, anything 25%+ is acceptable, however, 32+% is preferred. It would be smart to have a body slot (such as stun / resist OR Elemental/DFP boost) & an EXTRA Slot for Stamina (STA). An extra boost to your stamina could mean the difference between dying of Megid or getting frozen at a boss, causing you to lose EXP, and probably will make you look foolish at higher levels.
Recommended Armor Combinations:
At this point and time, all MF's should have a Shijin and an Ouryu. No other combo is better.
These combos are to increase the chance of survival, as well as add some needed boosts. Here are some of the best quality of combinations available, (Listed best first) :
NOTE: Arm slots will be marked as ???? because they serve no purpose to Masterforce.
Armors: Shijin, Armas Line, Red Line, Crisla-Senba, Feril Line, Yiel-Senba, Serafi-Senba, Baji-Senba, Shinowa Line
Head Slot: Ouryu, Har / Smart, Har / Quick, Me / Quick
Arm Slot: ????
Body Slot: Orpad / Guard, Vijeri (or any) / Rainbow *if needed*, *any* / Resist, Lumirus / Wall
Extra Slot: Hizeri or Red / Stamina, Hize / PP Generate, Lumira or Hizeri / HP Restore
There are other good combos out there, but they do not offer the boosts and performance that these do.
Your PA's, and Which Ones to Use
Remember, we want to produce the maximum damage output per second without causing lag and disturbances. BASIC SPELLS & GI-SPELLS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN RA-SPELLS & DAM-SPELLS in most situations. Usually, this is the case. Also, 99% of the time, the BASIC spells are the most powerful and quickest ones (assuming they have Limit Break), they also tend to cause the least amount of lag.
It is important to note however, that every spell has its purpose. Damdiga will kill faster than Radiga when fighting a large group of Vahras. Megid is used best when enemies are in a general line versus using Ramegid. Megid also may incapacitate while Ramegid cannot.
Please, for the sake of justice, DO NOT play as a Masterforce with level 13 spells. Masterforce is just that, a Master Force. Masterforce uses more PP for every spell cast, and is not a low level PA grinder, use Acrotecher to level your spells to at least 25+ before taking on the role of Masterforce.
Some TECHS to Avoid Using in Parties:
Megiverse
Rafoie
Ramegid
Nosdiga
Dambarta
Gizonde
Gibarta
Regrant (with some exceptions to all of these)
WHY? Because they tend to cause the most slowdown, some of them are the most ineffective spells out there. They all serve a specific fighting purpose, but in MOST situations, you'll find that these spells are not the best at DPS. NOTE: this is not true when TA'ing, almost every spell is usable when in Time Attack.
GAS Upgrades
GAS upgrades are used to make your Masterforce much more powerful and effective. The first thing any Masterforce should get is Limit Break Diga. Why? Because Diga is the most powerful spell in the game, it is an absolute must when taking down large enemies and bosses. With Limit Break, you can hit multiple targets at once with a single basic spell, except Barta, Zonde and Megid. There are other GAS upgrades to be considered, but the basic necessities are:
1) Limit Break all spells
2) Full Custom Power lv2
3) Attack Range+ Lv2 (Support Range+ is optional. But to MF it is utterly useless).
4) HP+ lv4 / TP+ lv4 / DFP+ OR STA+ / MST+
5) Elemental Weapon / Any Crushers
6) Ragan's Breath / Ragan's Force
7) Photon Crafter / Double Time
8 ) Support Level+
9) Rod / Wand / TECH Mag Damage+
10) Exact Counter Damage+ Lv1 (Lv2 is optional, but you'll sacrifice FCP or Range+)
11) Rod / Wand / TECH Mag Element+
12) Left / Right hand+
13) One handed defense / block / mind+
14) Two handed defense / block / mind+
After you've acquired these basic ones, move on to getting the backup stuff. (all the other armor sets, weapon sets and extra styles).
Some important Crushers to have if you TA:
1) Burn Crusher
2) Poison Crusher
3) Freeze Crusher
4) Silence Crusher
5) Sleep Crusher (For those of you wanting to see 16k+ damage from a Diga critical)
All of the others can help, and you should get them. But they are less common.
My personal basic abilities setup (for those who care) just to give an idea of what to get is:
HP+ Lv4
TP+Lv4
DFP+Lv3
MST+Lv1
Special Abilities:
Attack Range+ Lv2
Exact Counter+ Lv1
Full Custom Power Lv2
For TA and everyday purposes, I am always using these Weapon Skills:
Rod Element+
Rod Damage+
Wand Damage+
Wand Element+
TECH Mag Damage+
TECH Mag Element+
Left hand+ Lv2
Right hand+ Lv1
One handed defense+
One handed block+
One handed mind+
Two handed defense+
Two handed block+
Two handed mind+
My General Purpose Style Customizations:
Ragan's Force
Double Time / Photon Crafter (I switch between these two)
Elemental Weapon (replaced with crushers when needed. Ex: HIVE)
Then for all the attributes / resistances:
Limit Break Zonde
Limit Break Barta
Limit Break Diga
Limit Break Foie
Limit Break Megid
Support TECH Lv+
Fighting Bosses
It is best to tackle bosses after acquiring Limit Break Diga (or Foie). I will explain how to take down each boss effectively:
Mother Brain / Dulk Fakis: Attack directly with Diga ONLY. When you are close, focus on her torso. When she lowers her head, you hit both targets with Diga. When she puts her shield up with her arms, move to the outermost part of her arm to hit 2 spots with Diga, then continue on her torso. The only point at which you may hit 4 targets on her is when she raises her arms and drops them on you, however this takes perfect timing. If you have acquired range+ Lv1 or 2, you can also aim for her left or right arm outside the arena. Look for her floating arm attachments and cast Diga for extra good damage when there is no alternative spot to attack. NOTE: Dulk Fakis is the same.
Dulk Fakis / Dark Falz (2nd Form) / De Rol Le : Attack the tail / legs using Nosdiga, or if you have Limit Break Foie or Diga you may try to get as close as possible to the legs to hit multiple targets. When he goes upside down and puts his head into the field, you want to get up close to hit 3-4 targets using Diga or Foie. When the creature is standing upright, you may aim for the rear or his torso (where the scales / tail begin) to hit 2 targets with Diga or Foie.
Note: Even when the boss is outside the field, you can hit his torso in 2 spots using the method above.
Alterazghog / De Ragan/Ragnus / Zoalgoug: When the dragon is in motion, it is ok to use Nosdiga. When the dragon is standing still, move up to his torso, attacking directly in front of his head but slightly to the side. This will allow you to hit 4 targets on his torso. There is another spot to hit 4 targets located in between his legs, but it is tricky to hit all 4.
Onmagoug / Dimmagolus: When grounded, use Diga either on his frontal side, hitting 3-4 targets, or his rear where his tail is, hitting 4 targets. Getting behind him is tricky, but much more effective when trying to survive his attacks. When flying, he may cause trouble. When flying, you should attempt to use Nosmegid. NOTE: Noszode will work well on the Dimmagolus, and you should use Foie instead of Diga.
De Rol Le: This may be the most difficult boss for a solo Masterforce, but with a good party, there are some techniques to consider. First, you should attack with Noszonde, aiming for his head of course. When the De Rol Le goes to the side, it is then your option to use Foie or Diga on his scales. You may hit 2 targets as he swings closer to the raft but he only does this a couple of times. Because this fight is rather complex, there are a few things to take note of.
NOTES:
(1) You can hit the De Rol Le when he is circling the raft. This takes timing, but a Zonde, Foie or Diga can easily hit his face, scales or tail.
(2) You can attack his tail instead of his head when his tail is facing the raft. Noszonde is appropriate when he is in the air, but if he lowers himself to the water, a Zonde, Foie or Diga can hit his swinging tail effectively. This takes good timing.
Adahna Degahna: This one is simple. Use Nosdiga on his gliders, but there is a trick for Masterforce: You can get behind this boss and if you stick very close, you'll get trapped behind him in a good way. It causes the boss to spin around helplessly while you bring him down. The only other approach is difficult and slow, use Nosdiga...
Maggas Meghana: Like the Adahna boss, use Nosdiga on his torso. Eventually his torso will fall and you will need to use Diga, aiming for the boss's arms. This is difficult because he moves so much, but its truly the only approach. I personally find it best to try to get over on his side and aim from there, it can make Diga a bit easier to hit. Just watch for his arms to raise up too, at this point you can cast Diga where his arms will drop to get a quick couple of hits in on him.
NOTE: It may be more effective to use Damdiga on his arms/torso when his torso has fallen due to wider attack radius.
Simple & Easy Tips
1) Have your palette laid out for which spawns you'll encounter. For example, have a Rod equipped with Dammegid to take down a large group of Kakwanes at White Beast, have it right next to your Wand/TECH Mag combo to use Megid or if needed, Ra-Megid.
2) Use those TECH Mags! They do more DPS than any other weapon available to you (except the ones used with a Rod), which is always good.
3) DO NOT BUFF AS A MASTERFORCE.
4) USE THE CORRECT ELEMENTS IN BATTLE. Please do NOT use fire on a fire creature, that's the best way to get booted from a quick party.
5) There is nothing wrong with healing your teammates. Using Resta & Reverser on your allies will keep you in a party when most else fails.
6) Never attempt to over-ride an Acrotecher's buffs / heals. This is one of the most disrespectful things you can do to an Acrotecher. Their buffs and heals are very difficult to level, have respect for them.
NOTE: Use Resta for healing purposes, it has a further range than Gi-Resta and is quicker. Also, Masterforce cannot effectively use Gi-Resta, it should be avoided.
7) Try your best to be completely self-sufficient. For example, a level 150 De-Ragnus can wipe you in one hit, but by simply using Megistaride, you stand a better chance of surviving or even blocking his attacks. You'll also do more damage
8 ) LEVEL YOUR PA's ON YOUR OWN TIME! I know it seems harsh, but MOST parties do NOT want to see you cast the same spell on every creature. Plus, leveling TECHS outside parties (such as soloing) is MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE. Use the correct spells (see rule #4).
9) Have your weapons linked completely with TECHS of the same element. This boosts the elemental damage done to the opposing elemental creature.
10) If you have Limit Break Diga or Foie and you're attacking the opposite element, it may benefit you to kill enemies that gather in front of you using the Limit Break. You can drop enemies in groups of 3 or 4 very quickly this way.
11) With Exact Counter Damage+, any spell that is held down(Damfoie, Regrant, etc.) after getting your exact counter will hit about 300-350 more damage as long as you hold it.
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
Want to Time Attack Like a Pro? Check This Out!
INTRO: Time Attacking is a good way to keep PSU interesting. Often times, we are faced with spamming the same old mission, the same old way every time we play. If you want to get some fresh excitement out of your game, you should try Time Attacking!
Check this out: PSU has over 70 missions, all of which can be played at any given time. 95% of these missions are not played by the everyday community of PSU. You would think that those old missions that are collecting dust are boring, or no good. However, Time Attacking allows you to open up the mission into an entirely new one because of the various ways to get to the end.
Here are some examples of why Time Attacking a mission can be fun:
1) It allows you to go back and play other / old missions that are not usually played.
2) You get to experience each and every version of the map, learning the spawns, routes, and areas that will suit you best when attacking.
3) You may find items that are very rare, or not hunted for and thus have become "hard to find."
4) When you Time Attack, you are getting a new challenge out of the mission at hand, it becomes a race between you and the clock, and really nothing else.
5) Time Attacking can and WILL make you a better player all around.
6) The sheer excitement of getting a better time, or even getting a rare map is enough to keep anyone coming back.
There are many other reasons why people Time Attack, but honestly these are some of the basics. It is fun, but only if left drama-free. Remember, Time Attacking doesn't mean you are better than other players. It means you have set aside time to learn the map, spawns, and elements needed to run the mission in the fastest possible way.
So, now its time to get down to business.
Welcome to the Masterforce Time Attack Guide! (Incomplete)
Here, I will make some notes of what I've found from Time Attacking as a MF and from what I've seen or learned in general from others. I'm going to make some bullets in order to keep things less boring, and less reading in general.
How to learn a map: You can check PSUPEDIA.INFO (http://psupedia.info/Missions) for the map variants. OR It may benefit you to run a C level mission a few times to make sure you've seen each and every variant of the map. You run it in C because its easy & you'll need to see the entire mission from start to finish and learn what map is going to be the best for your class (MF). There are also YouTube videos of others that have recorded their runs on the best map possible. (This is also a good way to learn what attacks to use and/or save you a LOT of time for yourself).
How do I know which map is the best for my class?: This is why you ran it in C. You first have to know which enemies are hard for you to kill and which ones are easy. You also need to understand that the quickest map means the time taken overall. Just because a mission starts out easy, does not mean the middle or end will result in a quick time. A lot of this is simply PRACTICE.
I think I know which map is best now, how do I find out?: Now its time to run the mission at the desired level. (s2 or s3) From here, it is truly about patience for several reasons:
1) You will not always get the map you need, which will require restarting the mission until you get it.
2) Sometimes you'll forget which spawns you can skip, or you may forget where to go entirely.
3) You may forget which attacks are used best in a certain area.
4) Etc.
OK, I have found the best map, know all the rooms, spawns, and which ones I can skip. Now what?: At this time, you have probably ran several of the maps. From here, you need to know which attack does the most damage over time (DPS) for each spawn. At some point, you'll know exactly what you are doing and its only a matter of keeping things in place and working on how to get past things quicker. This is where some skill is going to have to kick in. Its about moving quick, and keeping time lost to a minimum.
Now there are some things to go over about the basics of play style and layout.
When running upon a known spawn, do your best to put yourself in a position to attack WITHOUT being attacked. This may be the second most important thing to keep in mind while TAing as a Masterforce. So for example: you come up on a spawn of Boomas in Sakura Blast. You'll want to use Damfoie so that you hit all of them together, but at the same time keeping far back enough so you don't get interrupted.
Possibly the most important thing to keep in mind is to always be doing the most DPS as possible at any given moment. Example: If you are using Diga on each individual Bajilla, you are most likely wasting time. Instead you could be using Damdiga, Ra-Diga, or Gi-Diga to hit all of them. You'll do less damage on each enemy BUT slowly killing ALL of them versus killing one at a time will most certainly be faster overall.
Note: There are some very rare cases (such as when an enemy has 2 or more targets) when a single, focused attack is best. Otherwise, you'll want to be doing damage to everything possible.
Knowing which attack does the most damage is something that takes time and PRACTICE! Usually, if you watch some of the experienced Masterforces you'll know which attack to use, but even they may not be correct. This is a learning experience, knowing exactly what to use and when is not always clear. BUT if you have the time, it is best to slow down for a moment and truly LOOK at what you're doing. Take some time to run a mission fairly easy, use different attacks with different weapons to see what does best.
To test what was posted above: Go into a mission and kill a spawn with a certain attack. Cancel the mission if needed, but find the same spawn and use another attack (maybe even with another weapon!) and find out the following:
1) Did it take less weapon switching to get the job done?
2) Did it take less casts with a certain weapon than with another?
3) Did it take less time overall to kill the entire spawn?
4) Did it allow you to do all of the above without getting hit?
These are some important things to know and to apply when attempting the actual Time Attack!
Knowing how the enemies react to movement is key to many successful runs. Manipulating the enemies into going where you need them to go can save time! Example: You're running Lightning Beasts and you see a spawn of koltovas appear. Do you kill them right away? OR do you move across the room where they all gather in front of you? Even better yet: You move across the room where they ALL gather in front of you, BUT you're in a position to where when they die, the next spawn is appearing RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! This not only saves time, it makes it to where you are nearly spawn killing them! You don't want to have mercy in TA... Make sure YOU have the upper hand, don't even give them the opportunity to attack.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.