How often do you use status effecting attacks in RPGs?

[IceBrand]

In most of the RPGs that I play( Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest) it seems better to just attack and brute force through most battles. I barely use them unless it's a very specific tactic against a boss. Etrian Odyssey is the only game that made me see how useful they are.

[Azz]

Normally if I can I will try to decrease stats if I can (Like Slow in FF), but most of the time, I just attack unless I absolutely need to use status ailments.

[Pretty Cool Guy]

Do you mean buffs/debuffing? If so, those are the name of the game in most of the SMT series. Not buffing yourself or debuffing the enemy is a death wish in most boss fights.

[Enaluxeme]

It depends on the game. If they are actually usefull, I'll use the heck out of them. In darkest dungeon I prefer blighting or wounding an enemy instead of doing immediate damage. In most final fantasy-like rpgs they are useless, sadly.

[ruadath]

Golden Sun had some pretty intense buff/debuffs, even if they weren't necessary most of the time.

I use these all the time in FF though, especially since I often do challenge runs where my party isn't quite strong enough to stack up to bosses without them.

Edited July 22, 2016 by ruadath

[Magical Glace]

ALL THE TIME in Dragon Quest. Things like Acceleratle, Kabuff, Sap, Oomph, and IX Fource skills are ridiculously important. Battles can be brute forced, but that requires being overleveled when you don't have to be.

In Pokémon/TPDP, I don't use it so much in the main game due to how easy they are, but in Battle facilities it's practically required.

[Augestein]

Dependent on the game. In a lot of JRPGs, status debuffing effects are completely useless either because they are so inaccurate that they never hit, or the enemies are so weak that it doesn't work, or some combination of the two (where the inaccuracies appear in boss battles but the weakness of enemies is on randoms). Buffs on the other hand are generally always fair game so I use them as I can.

When I can actually hit the enemies with them? All the time. Nothing is better than skipping a few extra rounds of combat because of a crucial debuff or buff.

[Moblin Major General]

In most, probably not, except in some when armor is a separate stat from defense, and destroying it makes it that much easier. Also, Pokemon and Fire Emblem have very useful debuffs, although you need to be sure you need them.

[Ciarre]

ALL THE TIME IN SMT GAMES

Not just buff/debuff, but poison/panic/charm can be hella useful in certain boss fights especially if you hate yourself and play on the maximum difficulty like I do :P

(Also, Pokemon. Hell yeah I do.)

[BrightBow]

Depends on the game of course. These kind of attacks vary massively in terms of usefulness depending on the series. Like, good luck getting through Baldur's Gate without buffing and debuffing. But in a game like Golden Sun there are only two kind of enemies: The common grunts who die too quickly in order for status too matter and the bosses who are just flatout immune to them.

[Shadow Mir]

It largely depends on the game. Status effects tend to not be all that useful in most Fire Emblems and Golden Sun, but on the other hand, there are games like Etrian Odyssey and SMT, where buffs and debuffs can save your bacon. That said, other games do have some instances where status effects can help. Case in point: One bounty in Endless Frontier EXCEED has boatloads of defence, meaning that most of your moves won't do much of anything... but it is vulnerable to Poison, which hits it much harder than you can ever hope to, for a good few turns, at least.

[Loki Laufeyson]

In Xenoblade, buffs/debuffs are crucial, so all the time there.

Other times, meh. Unless i really want to make the enemy suffer.

[Jedi]

It really depends, but in SMT its very much needed. Buffs/Debuffs, charm in SMT1 is broken etc.

Xenoblade is another good example, as is Dragon Quest, Disgaea somewhat as well.

Edit: They are also pretty legit in Trails in the Sky.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Jedi

[Quintessence]

Of course! At least in Xenoblade I love to use Melia's and Riki's buff/debuffs.

Also, long live Will-o-Wisp'ing physical pokemon!

[Jedi]

Of course! At least in Xenoblade I love to use Melia's and Riki's buff/debuffs.

Also, long live Will-o-Wisp'ing physical pokemon!

With some Hex sometimes.

[Dual Dragons]

Depends on the game but generally I abuse one-three.

Final Fantasy: Haste, Wall, Reflect.

Pokemon: Paralyze, Sleep (for captures), Confusion.

Persona: none really but stat buffing/debuffing is very important

Etrian Odyssey: whatever status the enemy is weak too, binding

Fire Emblem: most times no but Silence in FE4 or FE14 Conquest last chapter

It really depends on if the enemies are easy to kill or really annoying that you should abuse a status effect.

[Magical CC]

In most of the RPGs that I play( Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest) it seems better to just attack and brute force through most battles. I barely use them unless it's a very specific tactic against a boss. Etrian Odyssey is the only game that made me see how useful they are.

Have never played SMT, Persona, Pokemon eh? Status effects are very important in said games. So does in some western RPG where status effects can do just so much from stopping enemies to cast spell or mass control a whole army of enemies by a single spell or grant invisible to your whole party.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Magical CC

[Original Alear]

In FF8, I would usually junction status effects to my weapon at some point when I get the chance. If you get leviathan's recovery skill, which heals 9999 hp, and combine that with a 100% zombie that makes enemies that aren't immune take damage from healing, you then have 9999 damage whenever you want. Or you can phoenix down an enemy with more hp. Of course, some really strong enemies will be immune to zombie.

Like you said, in EO, they're great.

In DQ, besides debuffs, I do use status attacks occasionally. Usually not in the later game, but if a character has access to a group or all-attack sleep spell or skill, I'm likely to try using it at times against regular enemies.

I also remember psi flash being useful sometimes in Earthbound...

And of course in FE, status staves are in relatively rare supply, but very useful as an occasional way to deal with an enemy.

[Emeraldfox]

I only really use buffs, I never bother with debuffs.

[Tolvir]

Depends on the game. Some RPGs there is never any point because they either have little effect, or are not needed. For example Skyrim's fears, charms, and other effects are rarely useful because they only effect things that are low level. With a game that mostly scales to your level, they end up useless past lvl 20.

On the other hand Divinity Original Sins debuffs and status effects were great. They provided so many different strategies and ways of defeating enemies that I am always finding new ways to do things.

[Tangerine]

Depends on the game. Stat buffs/debuffs and effects are never balanced in RPGs. They're either absolute trash so nobody uses them (Dark Souls, Suikoden, etc), or they break the game so everyone uses them (SMT, DQ, etc).

Edit: Actually I guess stat buffs are good in DS, but the rest suck lol.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Tangerine

[Dr. Tarrasque]

Depends on the game. Stat buffs/debuffs and effects are never balanced in RPGs. They're either absolute trash so nobody uses them (Dark Souls, Suikoden, etc), or they break the game so everyone uses them (SMT, DQ, etc).

Ah good ol' Helm Splitter.

As the crazy fruit said, it depends on the game. Personally I always like having Haste/Slow in Final Fantasy games unless they're REALLY bad.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Sirius

[Original Alear]

Depends on the game. Stat buffs/debuffs and effects are never balanced in RPGs. They're either absolute trash so nobody uses them (Dark Souls, Suikoden, etc), or they break the game so everyone uses them (SMT, DQ, etc).

Wind of sleep is actually a good spell in suiko iii. Low level spells go off super early if you've got some rune skill.

Also if instance death counts as a status soul eater is pretty sick.

[SimpleTactician]

ALL THE TIME in Dragon Quest. Things like Acceleratle, Kabuff, Sap, Oomph, and IX Fource skills are ridiculously important. Battles can be brute forced, but that requires being overleveled when you don't have to be.

This. I played the heck out of Dragon Quest IX, and in boss battles, they help a crap ton. Some bosses have Disruptive Wave, a move that cancels all of your party's buffs, except for the Fource Abilities. Even then, having a 'reflect' status against bosses like Fowleye is enormously helpful. Some regular monsters in grottoes can be insane if your party isn't prepared (say, Octagoons, who hit like a truck), which is where buffs like Kabuff and Debuff moves like Attack Attacker can help.

Oops, I got carried away. I just love that game to death.

[Magical Glace]

This. I played the heck out of Dragon Quest IX, and in boss battles, they help a crap ton. Some bosses have Disruptive Wave, a move that cancels all of your party's buffs, except for the Fource Abilities. Even then, having a 'reflect' status against bosses like Fowleye is enormously helpful. Some regular monsters in grottoes can be insane if your party isn't prepared (say, Octagoons, who hit like a truck), which is where buffs like Kabuff and Debuff moves like Attack Attacker can help.

Oops, I got carried away. I just love that game to death.

Bounce/Magic Mirror is pretty lame in the Fowleye fight, since he will use disruptive wave to strip it off due to relying on casting.

It's hilariously OP against Elusid though.

Either way, most bosses use Disruptive Wave rather sparingly, unless their AI notes that whatever buff/debuff pre-IX setup you used will crush them, like with the Fowleye scenario mentioned above.

...I do wish VIII gave the player access to Disruptive Wave. Enemies in that game LOVE tension, and being able to strip it easily without fail would be rather nice. IX gave it to Sages, but enemies in IX aren't nearly as tension happy as the ones in VIII.