Huh. Three Houses master classes are definitely a toss up. Some of them are straight upgrades (flyers, Gremory), some are sidegrades... and some are downgrades (bow knight has worse growths than starting classes)
Bow knights are for units that learn an innate brave combat art aka Cyril if he isn’t a wyvern using vengeance and Leonie . Otherwise sniper is the endgame archer class as hunters volley is simply too good. Bernie probably prefers to go Paladin and use vengeance and her personal to be the glass cannon unit everyone loves.
Bow knight outranges everything in the game except the meteor type spells. You don't level as bow knight, you switch to it when you've hit the stat caps. I agree in general the master classes weren't satisfying, but I think its okay for them to be more specialised sidegrades. Male characters absolutely got the shaft though, especially without the DLC additions.
Steam / Xbox Live: WSDX NNID: W-S-D-X 3DS FC: 2637-9461-8549
Bow knight outranges everything in the game except the meteor type spells. You don't level as bow knight, you switch to it when you've hit the stat caps. I agree in general the master classes weren't satisfying, but I think its okay for them to be more specialised sidegrades. Male characters absolutely got the shaft though, especially without the DLC additions.
I dunno I’m really partial to war master for your brawler types . Gives them lots of crit and quick riposte is a massive defensive add . It just takes a lot of time
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Checking some recruitment stuff and it looks 5 out of the 9 characters i plan to use are in the second half of the game or later.
The abilities on bow knights are just bonkers. It's like someone was putting together a list of positives and negatives to the class, but then just shifted everything over to the positive side.
Got FEE based solely on how good FETH was and it certainly is. . .interesting. Clearly see the FETH inspiration, but the tone of this game is just - wild. Reminds me more of the FE where the characters had those stubby feet than FETH honestly.
. . .still, the Engage system seems like an interesting way to give "callbacks" to previous games, although I feel like, and again this is from the only other FE I played (and not to completion), that was also done in the previous game. Like I don't know this Marth character from anything other than Smash and as a guest in the 3DS FE game. Most important thing is gameplay though and they definitely seem to have this figured out.
That tone of the game though and those MC's. I thought the green hair was bad.
"Get the hell out of me" - [ex]girlfriend
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
You got the game early??
You lucky... I'm quite jealous. I have a big chunk of free time tonight id love to be playing haha.
You lucky... I'm quite jealous. I have a big chunk of free time tonight id love to be playing haha.
. . .always someone willing to break street if you want a game enough (nothing illegal or sinister). The previews, my disappointment with MIDNIGHT SUNS and how absolutely delightful FETH was (the time jump reunion mission/section - in my game at least - is easily one of the best moments of gaming buildup I've ever experienced), definitely made the purchase worth it.
Also, reviews are out and probably where you expected them: not close to FETH, but still recommended by 80% of reviewers. The expected story complaints (again, following FETH) are seemingly where a lot of the lower scores are dinging them for.
NWR has you covered if you're too lazy to read. They give it 9/10, yes he likes it better than TH. The visuals sure look a lot cleaner (if sillier and thirsty) at least, more respect for the Switch's limitations.
You lucky... I'm quite jealous. I have a big chunk of free time tonight id love to be playing haha.
. . .always someone willing to break street if you want a game enough (nothing illegal or sinister). The previews, my disappointment with MIDNIGHT SUNS and how absolutely delightful FETH was (the time jump reunion mission/section - in my game at least - is easily one of the best moments of gaming buildup I've ever experienced), definitely made the purchase worth it.
Also, reviews are out and probably where you expected them: not close to FETH, but still recommended by 80% of reviewers. The expected story complaints (again, following FETH) are seemingly where a lot of the lower scores are dinging them for.
Oh yea I have no where near me that breaks street dates sadly. On other games I've called around to all of the smaller mom and pop shops within a reasonable distance and all of them are strict about dates. Whompwhomp.
Also serenesforest forums being down right now is very unfortunate. I need their very safe spoiler free leak thread for more unit info! Ahhh!
You lucky... I'm quite jealous. I have a big chunk of free time tonight id love to be playing haha.
. . .always someone willing to break street if you want a game enough (nothing illegal or sinister). The previews, my disappointment with MIDNIGHT SUNS and how absolutely delightful FETH was (the time jump reunion mission/section - in my game at least - is easily one of the best moments of gaming buildup I've ever experienced), definitely made the purchase worth it.
Also, reviews are out and probably where you expected them: not close to FETH, but still recommended by 80% of reviewers. The expected story complaints (again, following FETH) are seemingly where a lot of the lower scores are dinging them for.
I'm not really surprised Engage's story reviews worse than the one from Three Houses. Three Houses, for all its awkward delivery, at least had something to say about past Fire Emblems and medieval fantasy settings in general.
Engage - from what little I've seen of the previews - appears to just be Awakening again.
0
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
You lucky... I'm quite jealous. I have a big chunk of free time tonight id love to be playing haha.
. . .always someone willing to break street if you want a game enough (nothing illegal or sinister). The previews, my disappointment with MIDNIGHT SUNS and how absolutely delightful FETH was (the time jump reunion mission/section - in my game at least - is easily one of the best moments of gaming buildup I've ever experienced), definitely made the purchase worth it.
Also, reviews are out and probably where you expected them: not close to FETH, but still recommended by 80% of reviewers. The expected story complaints (again, following FETH) are seemingly where a lot of the lower scores are dinging them for.
I'm not really surprised Engage's story reviews worse than the one from Three Houses. Three Houses, for all its awkward delivery, at least had something to say about past Fire Emblems and medieval fantasy settings in general.
Engage - from what little I've seen of the previews - appears to just be Awakening again.
TH also has the individual character stories to break up the bigger narrative.
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Listen, I played Fire Emblem staying with Genealogy of the Blazing Axeman or whatever in the GBA. They're great! But the first one I loved was Awakening. The S rank stuff, pairing people up, getting their kids fighting too.. it was all so dumb and brilliant fun. I'm still looking forward to this! It still looks great! But I'm still going to be a bit sad about what is missing.
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
I think i have solved my engage mage choice issue! Character recruitment spoilers below..
so at first I was gonna use Citrine as I like her design. But then I saw her passive and I dint mind if a passive is weak but I would get literallyno use out of it and I dont like not having a personal skill at all.
So next I though about Clanne. But then growths got leaked and... he is not meant to be a mage despite starting there.
So then I heard Veyle may be playable. Bit then it seemed that was so late in the game it wouldn't really be a good choice for primary mage.
Then the solution appeared. Anna.
For some reason she has insane mage stats despite being on a melee axe class and it's Anna so she's cool and she joins early game!
This helps my team recruitment curve so very much.
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
edited January 17
Ohhh ok. So set growths may be back on the menu babbbyyyy!
Looks like you can pick either from the start and only maddening maybe be locked?
Although that last part seems weird af since the tweet I was looking at showed it locked to SET growth until you beat the game. Which is... weird for the highest difficulty?
I hope it's true for normal/hard at least. I really wanna do set growths on hard.
Also I learned that characters have an internal level so I'm less sad about no tier 3 classes. Can just reclass into the same thing and keep leveling.
Edit: lol so much mixed information. Some saying normal and hard are locked to random and unlock set but maddening is reversed? That would be some of the dumbest shit ever. Especially since you can lower the difficulty... does it just switch growth methods? And some part of that changed with a patch?
Whatever just waiting for Friday I guess and hoping I can get set levels. I'll even try starting on maddening and lowering and maybe it will keep the option.
I was able to selecting MADDENING difficulty from the start. I haven't seen anything about anything being locked so far in the game.
. . .speaking of, after about five hours of so, I can see if FETH was someone's first game, this feeling like a MASSIVE step back. However, as someone who played a fair bit of FE: Horsefeet - Google says this is Awakening (don't remember much other than those hilarious "social" events, where the characters would dance around each other in a circle) - this game is pretty much that game just in FETH's game engine.
Also, for a game with as much cheesecake as this has, naming a character "Saline" has got to be intentional.
"Get the hell out of me" - [ex]girlfriend
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
I was able to selecting MADDENING difficulty from the start. I haven't seen anything about anything being locked so far in the game.
. . .speaking of, after about five hours of so, I can see if FETH was someone's first game, this feeling like a MASSIVE step back. However, as someone who played a fair bit of FE: Horsefeet - Google says this is Awakening (don't remember much other than those hilarious "social" events, where the characters would dance around each other in a circle) - this game is pretty much that game just in FETH's game engine.
Also, for a game with as much cheesecake as this has, naming a character "Saline" has got to be intentional.
No no, difficulty isn't locked.
Growth options are. Maddening seems to put you into set growths and you need to beat the game before you can play Maddening with random growths. This had a screenshot to go with it so this seems accurate.
The part I dont know if it's accurate is if you need to beat the game to unlock the other growth option on lower difficulties. But if you do whats weird is those start on random. So to unlock set you would have to beat it. The opposite of maddening which would be super silly.
Despite having misgivings about the character designs, I'm really looking forward to playing Engage.
Kinda decided right from the start to just say fuck it and play through this one completey blind, and I haven't looked at a single piece of promotional material or trailer since the very first reveal.
Edit: did hear from some friends that they seem to be cutting back on the social aspects for this one, but if I'm completely honest I kinda just wrote those off as doomed anyways from the moment I first saw Colgate-chan and mentally shifted my brain to a "let's just play it to see if the maps are fun" headspace.
I feel like maddening first run would be annoying . A lot of the things you need for a successful maddening run is knowledge based , maps , which classes are good , when and where STR show up etc.
this game is pretty much that game just in FETH's game engine.
To get super technical, FETH was Koei's own Dynasty Warriors whatever engine, Engage is Unity. I doubt Nintendo or Intelligent Systems (the latter seeming to occupy most of the credits) even has direct rights or access to Koei's engine.
. . .so they haven't "Baby and Bath Water'd" all the side stuff from FETH, but I am missing that "structure" in between encounters. Like, the training at the abbey felt focused; so far the activities at HQ feel like there just there to give a breather and nothing more (which of course isn't entirely true as there are progression activities, they just don't feel at all as good as The Abbey).
EDIT: Also, fair warning to all you completionists: the game has a god damned
"GOTCHA!" collector, where you collect sub-Emblems, which doesn't seem "optional" as its the only way to get training points for people without an Emblem! And, if the first Emblems are anything to go by, each of them has 40! sub-Emblems each (though I think this might be multiplied by rarity so each maybe has only 8, that's still 96 unique fucking sub-Emblems) - that's a lot of grinding! The thing even has a "Pull 1/Pull 10" setup. . .expect to see a mobile FE game soon.
this game is pretty much that game just in FETH's game engine.
To get super technical, FETH was Koei's own Dynasty Warriors whatever engine, Engage is Unity. I doubt Nintendo or Intelligent Systems (the latter seeming to occupy most of the credits) even has direct rights or access to Koei's engine.
Even more impressive! Game legit feels like what they did with "TLOU1 -> TLOU Chapter I" but for FEA.
. . .so they haven't "Baby and Bath Water'd" all the side stuff from FETH, but I am missing that "structure" in between encounters. Like, the training at the abbey felt focused; so far the activities at HQ feel like there just there to give a breather and nothing more (which of course isn't entirely true as there are progression activities, they just don't feel at all as good as The Abbey).
EDIT: Also, fair warning to all you completionists: the game has a god damned
"GOTCHA!" collector, where you collect sub-Emblems, which doesn't seem "optional" as its the only way to get training points for people without an Emblem! And, if the first Emblems are anything to go by, each of them has 40! sub-Emblems each (though I think this might be multiplied by rarity so each maybe has only 8, that's still 96 unique fucking sub-Emblems) - that's a lot of grinding! The thing even has a "Pull 1/Pull 10" setup. . .expect to see a mobile FE game soon.
this game is pretty much that game just in FETH's game engine.
To get super technical, FETH was Koei's own Dynasty Warriors whatever engine, Engage is Unity. I doubt Nintendo or Intelligent Systems (the latter seeming to occupy most of the credits) even has direct rights or access to Koei's engine.
Even more impressive! Game legit feels like what they did with "TLOU1 -> TLOU Chapter I" but for FEA.
Whenever I do a run of 3H I lose interest in the monastery by chapter 7 . After which every weekend becomes sauna->garden->meals
-> pick up any quests and faculty training for skill ranks /recruitment . Even on maddening I’m typically skipping everything by the end of the run because it gets monotonous. It’s fun there was just TOO much of it if you get me . Felt like I had to wade through anime filler episode to get to gameplay.
+2
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
Yeah while it was a nice gimmick after a while doing all the stuff in the monastery felt more like checking off a list rather than anything really engaging.
So I can't say I'm that bothered if it's been streamlined a bit.
+1
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Gameplay stuff wrt to the same gameplay spoiler above..
the bind rungs are weird. I thought that you equipped one with your emblem ring.
But it seems to be in place of? Which is weird but I guess good because I can basically completely ignore that random rolls mechanics. If each of my team can have an emblem ring im not going to need or want any specific bond rings or car about getting strong ones.
Weird but blessing in disguise.
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Okokokok.
Cool-ass thing they did that all RPGs should do:
Nakanishi: This game is designed so that the battling motions will change as the characters level up. For example, in the beginning, the character will just simply dodge the attack from enemies. But as they get stronger, they will counterattack while parrying, or slash at flying arrows with a sword, and so the motion changes as the character grows stronger. These kinds of details are also fun.
I just saw a little example as well and it's cool af.
+11
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
Nakanishi: This game is designed so that the battling motions will change as the characters level up. For example, in the beginning, the character will just simply dodge the attack from enemies. But as they get stronger, they will counterattack while parrying, or slash at flying arrows with a sword, and so the motion changes as the character grows stronger. These kinds of details are also fun.
I just saw a little example as well and it's cool af.
Hmm I feel like that's the 3D compromise for the 2D style animations. Like how in the GBA games the advanced classes would have "cooler" animations.
Nakanishi: This game is designed so that the battling motions will change as the characters level up. For example, in the beginning, the character will just simply dodge the attack from enemies. But as they get stronger, they will counterattack while parrying, or slash at flying arrows with a sword, and so the motion changes as the character grows stronger. These kinds of details are also fun.
I just saw a little example as well and it's cool af.
Hmm I feel like that's the 3D compromise for the 2D style animations. Like how in the GBA games the advanced classes would have "cooler" animations.
Bring back the hero’s super sick crit animation cowards !
So is the gacha system as cancerous and rage inducing as it was in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or can it be ignored? Maybe they have a non-rng version of it? Please?
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
So is the gacha system as cancerous and rage inducing as it was in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or can it be ignored? Maybe they have a non-rng version of it? Please?
as far as I can tell the gacha is only for bond rings not emblem rings.
So it honestly seems ignorable to a much larger degree than I expected. Since, unless I'm mistaken, it seems you can't equip both. So you can use the bond rings as filler when still getting emblem rings but worrying about upgrading them and getting the best seems pretty pointless since you would likely be using emblems on your characters instead.
+1
Andy JoeWe claim the land for the highlord!The AdirondacksRegistered Userregular
I've always picked Normal difficulty with previous entries even though they always recommend Hard for veterans, but I think I might start out on Hard with Engage.
I've always picked Normal difficulty with previous entries even though they always recommend Hard for veterans, but I think I might start out on Hard with Engage.
Im doing the same!
One big thing to consider is that normal has literally unlimited dragon time charges. So it really does seem like they intend that for beginners.
Hard and up are limited to 10.
And by all accounts the map design is very fantastic.
+2
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
I have started on Hard ever since the turn wheel was introduced as it fixed my main issue of how punishing one mistake could be in earlier games.
I am interested in maddening this time though as I feel that the break system might actually make it engaging and not just "you have to cheese to win" we'll see though.
Nakanishi: This game is designed so that the battling motions will change as the characters level up. For example, in the beginning, the character will just simply dodge the attack from enemies. But as they get stronger, they will counterattack while parrying, or slash at flying arrows with a sword, and so the motion changes as the character grows stronger. These kinds of details are also fun.
I just saw a little example as well and it's cool af.
I fucking love that shit, and you never fucking see it anywhere. The only games I can think of that did it were La Pucelle, Mana Khemia 1/2, Sophie 2, and... no, I think that's it. Maybe arguably Atelier Iris 3, but that had more of a nonsense chaos approach and the look of your basic attacks was essentially random, though they did at least change. MK did it for fucking everything though, including all your skills, assist attacks, assist guards, etc. Usually, at best for most, you're just swapping out Fire for Fira or Garu for Garula, but at its core, you're still spending 10% MP/SP to do 50% damage or whatever. It's never done for basic attacks, dodges, etc.
I went with Hard/Classic and honestly it seems fine. Nothing - so far - has seemed wildly "unfair" and I'm honestly not sure what the difficulties change (like nothing, so far, is one-shotting my crew, but they can certainly one shot certain enemies with the right skills).
. . .also, being able to save in the middle of combat basically means there's not a sooper big risk in choosing higher difficulties. You can also lower the difficulty later (just can't raise it, which is a fair compromise and makes this decision feel worth while).
Posts
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I dunno I’m really partial to war master for your brawler types . Gives them lots of crit and quick riposte is a massive defensive add . It just takes a lot of time
Ruhroh. It seems I have chosen poorly.
. . .still, the Engage system seems like an interesting way to give "callbacks" to previous games, although I feel like, and again this is from the only other FE I played (and not to completion), that was also done in the previous game. Like I don't know this Marth character from anything other than Smash and as a guest in the 3DS FE game. Most important thing is gameplay though and they definitely seem to have this figured out.
That tone of the game though and those MC's. I thought the green hair was bad.
You lucky... I'm quite jealous. I have a big chunk of free time tonight id love to be playing haha.
. . .always someone willing to break street if you want a game enough (nothing illegal or sinister). The previews, my disappointment with MIDNIGHT SUNS and how absolutely delightful FETH was (the time jump reunion mission/section - in my game at least - is easily one of the best moments of gaming buildup I've ever experienced), definitely made the purchase worth it.
Also, reviews are out and probably where you expected them: not close to FETH, but still recommended by 80% of reviewers. The expected story complaints (again, following FETH) are seemingly where a lot of the lower scores are dinging them for.
Oh yea I have no where near me that breaks street dates sadly. On other games I've called around to all of the smaller mom and pop shops within a reasonable distance and all of them are strict about dates. Whompwhomp.
Also serenesforest forums being down right now is very unfortunate. I need their very safe spoiler free leak thread for more unit info! Ahhh!
I'm not really surprised Engage's story reviews worse than the one from Three Houses. Three Houses, for all its awkward delivery, at least had something to say about past Fire Emblems and medieval fantasy settings in general.
Engage - from what little I've seen of the previews - appears to just be Awakening again.
TH also has the individual character stories to break up the bigger narrative.
Personally as long as the combat and cast are great I don't care too much about the general plot as long as it's serviceable and not terrible(Fates)
Also ngl I wasn't that enthralled by Three Houses story as some. So it's very YMMV in that regard.
In conclusion,
So next I though about Clanne. But then growths got leaked and... he is not meant to be a mage despite starting there.
So then I heard Veyle may be playable. Bit then it seemed that was so late in the game it wouldn't really be a good choice for primary mage.
Then the solution appeared. Anna.
For some reason she has insane mage stats despite being on a melee axe class and it's Anna so she's cool and she joins early game!
This helps my team recruitment curve so very much.
Looks like you can pick either from the start and only maddening maybe be locked?
Although that last part seems weird af since the tweet I was looking at showed it locked to SET growth until you beat the game. Which is... weird for the highest difficulty?
I hope it's true for normal/hard at least. I really wanna do set growths on hard.
Also I learned that characters have an internal level so I'm less sad about no tier 3 classes. Can just reclass into the same thing and keep leveling.
Edit: lol so much mixed information. Some saying normal and hard are locked to random and unlock set but maddening is reversed? That would be some of the dumbest shit ever. Especially since you can lower the difficulty... does it just switch growth methods? And some part of that changed with a patch?
Whatever just waiting for Friday I guess and hoping I can get set levels. I'll even try starting on maddening and lowering and maybe it will keep the option.
. . .speaking of, after about five hours of so, I can see if FETH was someone's first game, this feeling like a MASSIVE step back. However, as someone who played a fair bit of FE: Horsefeet - Google says this is Awakening (don't remember much other than those hilarious "social" events, where the characters would dance around each other in a circle) - this game is pretty much that game just in FETH's game engine.
Also, for a game with as much cheesecake as this has, naming a character "Saline" has got to be intentional.
No no, difficulty isn't locked.
Growth options are. Maddening seems to put you into set growths and you need to beat the game before you can play Maddening with random growths. This had a screenshot to go with it so this seems accurate.
The part I dont know if it's accurate is if you need to beat the game to unlock the other growth option on lower difficulties. But if you do whats weird is those start on random. So to unlock set you would have to beat it. The opposite of maddening which would be super silly.
Kinda decided right from the start to just say fuck it and play through this one completey blind, and I haven't looked at a single piece of promotional material or trailer since the very first reveal.
Edit: did hear from some friends that they seem to be cutting back on the social aspects for this one, but if I'm completely honest I kinda just wrote those off as doomed anyways from the moment I first saw Colgate-chan and mentally shifted my brain to a "let's just play it to see if the maps are fun" headspace.
To get super technical, FETH was Koei's own Dynasty Warriors whatever engine, Engage is Unity. I doubt Nintendo or Intelligent Systems (the latter seeming to occupy most of the credits) even has direct rights or access to Koei's engine.
EDIT: Also, fair warning to all you completionists: the game has a god damned
Even more impressive! Game legit feels like what they did with "TLOU1 -> TLOU Chapter I" but for FEA.
I have also never finished a one of them. To my great shame.
Whenever I do a run of 3H I lose interest in the monastery by chapter 7 . After which every weekend becomes sauna->garden->meals
-> pick up any quests and faculty training for skill ranks /recruitment . Even on maddening I’m typically skipping everything by the end of the run because it gets monotonous. It’s fun there was just TOO much of it if you get me . Felt like I had to wade through anime filler episode to get to gameplay.
So I can't say I'm that bothered if it's been streamlined a bit.
But it seems to be in place of? Which is weird but I guess good because I can basically completely ignore that random rolls mechanics. If each of my team can have an emblem ring im not going to need or want any specific bond rings or car about getting strong ones.
Weird but blessing in disguise.
Cool-ass thing they did that all RPGs should do:
Nakanishi: This game is designed so that the battling motions will change as the characters level up. For example, in the beginning, the character will just simply dodge the attack from enemies. But as they get stronger, they will counterattack while parrying, or slash at flying arrows with a sword, and so the motion changes as the character grows stronger. These kinds of details are also fun.
I just saw a little example as well and it's cool af.
Hmm I feel like that's the 3D compromise for the 2D style animations. Like how in the GBA games the advanced classes would have "cooler" animations.
Bring back the hero’s super sick crit animation cowards !
Also for those that missed out on that era
So it honestly seems ignorable to a much larger degree than I expected. Since, unless I'm mistaken, it seems you can't equip both. So you can use the bond rings as filler when still getting emblem rings but worrying about upgrading them and getting the best seems pretty pointless since you would likely be using emblems on your characters instead.
Im doing the same!
One big thing to consider is that normal has literally unlimited dragon time charges. So it really does seem like they intend that for beginners.
Hard and up are limited to 10.
And by all accounts the map design is very fantastic.
I am interested in maddening this time though as I feel that the break system might actually make it engaging and not just "you have to cheese to win" we'll see though.
I fucking love that shit, and you never fucking see it anywhere. The only games I can think of that did it were La Pucelle, Mana Khemia 1/2, Sophie 2, and... no, I think that's it. Maybe arguably Atelier Iris 3, but that had more of a nonsense chaos approach and the look of your basic attacks was essentially random, though they did at least change. MK did it for fucking everything though, including all your skills, assist attacks, assist guards, etc. Usually, at best for most, you're just swapping out Fire for Fira or Garu for Garula, but at its core, you're still spending 10% MP/SP to do 50% damage or whatever. It's never done for basic attacks, dodges, etc.
. . .also, being able to save in the middle of combat basically means there's not a sooper big risk in choosing higher difficulties. You can also lower the difficulty later (just can't raise it, which is a fair compromise and makes this decision feel worth while).