User blog:NovaTsukimori/Agito: How Stats Work

In Agito, the statuses of characters come in the following:


 * STR: A character's physical strength. This is detrimental for determining how much weight they can carry, as well as how much damage they inflict with their physical attacks.
 * MAG: Magic is available in the series to anyone who can learn it. This determines how skillful a person is with magic and how much damage they can inflict with it.
 * INT: A character's intelligence. Throughout the battle, a character will need to think ahead sometimes in order to win a battle. Sometimes they need to improvise. People with high intelligence can do both.
 * SPEED: Determines a character's movement speed. It also determines a character's attack and casting speed.
 * DEF: A defensive stat. Could also be "END". This determines how many hits a character can take before they're defeated, or worse.
 * AGL: Agility. This is another defensive stat and works in tandem with SPEED. This also works with a character's reaction time. This determines their movement speed to evade attacks.

The grading system is rated from 0-6, 6 represented as ★. Characters with at least one ★ in their stats usually specialize heavily in that area.

The weapons system works differently. Each weapon is classified into a class, which each class is then classified in a sub-class. Every weapon has a node system that can upgrade that weapon into a stronger version of that classification of weaponry called "coils". All coils fall under a particular classification as every weapon has a different shape for their coils. Because of this, only certain coils can be used for certain types of weapons. For example, "Smith & Wesson" is a type of semi-automatic rifle/pistol, and likewise, can only work with "Handgun/Rifle" Hybrid weapons. Weapons are classified in the following with following sub-classes.


 * Sword:
 * Greatsword
 * Katana
 * Longsword
 * Claymore
 * Hybrid Weapons:
 * Gunblades
 * Handgun/Rifle

Each weapon has another hidden sub-class under the following "Short-Range", "Long-Range", and "Hybrid", though this usually isn't necessary as it is quite obvious based on the non-hidden classes. This is used to determine the stats of the weapon in question which can be seen as the following:


 * Weight: This determines the weight of the weapon. Characters with particular "tanky" stats are given weapons of heavier weight. Characters that focus on speed are given weapons of lighter weight. The weight is very important to battle strategy, as most physical attacks use the kinetic energy of the weapon, the heavier the weapon, the more damage an attack deals at the cost of speed, the lighter the weapon, the faster an attack is at the cost of strength. Speed-focused characters tend to have lighter weapons to complement their speed. Tank characters tend to have heavier weapons that focus on inflicting heavy loads of damage, as their endurance can make up for the lack of strength. Though, not all speed characters focus on light damage, and not all tanks focus on heavy damage, which is where their STR lies. Some speed focused characters have high STR that allows them to use heavier weapons without hindering their overall speed, though these types are rare. Characters entirely focused on magic or defence can use lighter weapons, as they don't take advantage of their melee attacks.
 * Length: This is only available to short-range and hybrid weapons, like swords and gunblades. This determines the length of the weapon, which allows them to strategize on where they can be during combat to inflict damage. Naturally, if a weapon is closer to an enemy, the more damage can be inflicted to an enemy. Longer weapons have the advantage of dealing the damage a shorter weapon can deal but at a further distance, and likewise inflict more damage when at the same distance as a shorter weapon. Most of the longer ones however tend to be heavier. Characters focused entirely on magic or defence, or use certain other long-ranged weapons, like guns, do not need to worry about the length of their weapon, as they can inflict damage from afar.
 * Firepower: This is only available to long-ranged weapons and some hybrid weapons, like gunblades. This is used to determine how much damage a long-ranged attack can inflict. The heavier the weapon, the higher the firepower, though not every weapon holds true to this. For non-hybrid weapons, this can be seen as a substitute for "length" in determining the weapon's damage output.

Characters focused on magic do not use the weapon's statuses to determine how much damage output they have, as that is linked heavily with their MAG stat, though, some weapons do enhance the user's magic, notably hybrid weapons.

The following is the stats for the protagonist, Luna Nova Crystallum:
 * STR: 5
 * MAG: 4
 * INT: 4
 * SPEED: ★
 * DEF: 2
 * AGL: ★

From these statistics, we can deduce that Luna Nova Crystallum is a very strong speed-type character. Her very high SPEED and AGL can be used to make up for her lack of durability, provided she has the stamina to maintain her performance. She can perform well under pressure in the battlefield, and her rather above average magic of 4 makes her all around a balanced character. She can inflict some heavy damage, provided the type of weapon she has. Her weakness lies within her low DEF, which can be used against her if she is caught off-guard, likewise, she needs a character with a high amount of DEF to protect her. Her default weapon after graduating her audition for the Academy is the "Moonlight AN-460", a one-of-a-kind gunblade given only to those who not only have the STR to wield it, but also the SPEED. This gunblade is also a Paradox Weapon, a term that will be touched upon in the series, which is why there is only one of its kind in the world.

The Moonlight AN-460 has the following stats:


 * Weight: 532 kg/1172.8 lb (can inflict heavy damage, but is very heavy, requiring exceptional STR to weild it properly, this is the heaviest gunblade in the series)
 * Length: 56 cm/22 in. (is slightly shorter than a katana, though this is to be expected; this is the second longest gunblade in the series, beaten only by another gunblade, albeit, this is much heavier)
 * Firepower: 5 (the same chart used for the character's stats is used for firepower; this has the strongest firepower of any gunblade in the series, likely due to the weight of the weapon itself)

As a gunblade, it can only be upgraded using "Gunblade Coils" stylized as "GBL-XXX". Using these coils will transform the gunblade into another weapon. Every class of weapon has the same upgrade if using the same coils. Though certain special coils, known as "Paradox Coils", are exclusive to Paradox Weapons. The only difference between a weapon transformed with the same coil as another weapon is that it retains the same attributes as the previous weapon, only amplified. One of Luna's most powerful coils is the "Ultima Weapon Coil", stylized as "GBL-ULT". The Ultima Weapon coil is the most powerful non-Paradox Weapon-exclusive coil, and is exclusive to gunblades.