Combat
The action-combat-system in CrossCode is fast-paced and diverse.
Aspects of Combat
Combat Actions
There are four basic actions that are used in combat:
- Balls for ranged attacks
- Melee to bash nearby enemies
- Dashing to quickly dodge attacks
- Guarding to block attacks that are too fast to dodge
Any one of these can be augmented through the use of Combat Arts, which are powerful special abilities cast using Special Points.
Element Modes
Switching Element Modes gives the player a number of Stat and resistance modifiers and elemental attacks, as well as granting access to the Circuits and Combat Arts unlocked on that element's Circuit Tree, often providing a substantial advantage in combat.
Combat Rank
Defeating enemies fills the Combat Rank bar at the upper right of the screen. When this is filled, your Combat Rank increases by one, beginning at D and progressing to C, B, A and finally S. When there are no aggressive enemies left in the area, there is a period of approximately five seconds before combat ends, during which time attacking another enemy will allow you to maintain your Combat Rank. Trying to open the Menu will skip this period and immediately end combat.
The main effect of Combat Rank is that it increases the chance of enemy drops, with some drops only able to be found at high combat rank. S rank causes the music to change and for particle effects to appear onscreen for the duration of it. Enemies also respawn much faster, allowing players to maintain their rank much more easily.
The chances of all item drop rates for enemies is multiplied by Combat Rank as follows; C: +10% B: +25% A: +50% S: +100% For example, a Hedgehag that would normally have a 12% chance to drop Metal Needles, would increase that chance by 100% of 12% at Combat Rank S, effectively doubling the drop rate to 24%. It would increase the drop rate by half of 12% for a total drop rate of 18% for Rank A, a rate of 15% for B, and finally only 13,2% for C. The drop rate assumes that the enemy dies at Combat Rank D, so a drop that only drops at S rank will effectively always have double the listed drop rate. Combat Rank is disabled for certain fights, including dungeons and bosses. Though it doesn't show any rank, enemies will drop items as though it's Combat Rank D.
Healing
While Lea quickly regenerates health outside of combat, regaining health during combat is more difficult. The primary method is by eating Sandwiches using the Quickmenu. It is also possible to equip Circuits and Equipment that offer HP regeneration. In addition, enemies may frop health pickups. Large waves of enemies commonly drop health pickups after a certain number have been defeated, and Bosses always drop health when reaching certain HP thresholds.
In some cases, such as some temple fights with several waves of enemies, combat will be permanently active even without any aggressive enemies being present to stop the player from quickly recovering health. Recovering health slowly with natural regeneration and such is still possible, however.
Trivia
Ideas were mentioned that a high Combat Rank would make enemies more difficult, or that Combat Rank could decrease slowly over time to discourage avoiding enemies for extended periods of time to regenerate health, but these did not end up being implemented.