Grinding

[Thain]

This is a JRPG so I kind of expected there will be at some point of time. Is it a lot in order to beat the story or needed just for achievement?

[Letari]

There isn't any basically. They even reduce the exp gain from enemies if you outlevel things around you.

[myhr2]

On Normal difficulty, you shouldn't grind. Farming Shining Poms for sepiths will over-level you way beyond any difficulty the game throws at you.

[Berahlen]

You shouldn't grind on any difficulty. The exp falloff for low-level monsters is even sharper on higher difficulties, and not even the extra sepith helps much. Coming into battle with a good orbment setup and a plan is worth more than any amount of gear or stats.

If you ever feel outmatched, look for ways to make the fight smoother. Invest in Action/Cast quartz for speed stats, then use time spells to bypass resistances. Use Morale right before heavy casting or S-crafts. Spread your formation to minimize splash damage, bunch it up to get AOE buffs/heals, back everyone off to get one turn of solid casting before enemies get in your face. If an enemy leeches way too much life, try Earth Wall. And so on.

[persocom01]

I don't recommend grinding. Besides the drop in xp gain, your arts gauge refills slower when you are hit by lower leveled enemies, indirectly punishing you for having a higer level. So unless you are going to grind a huge level difference between you and your opponent, I don't see any point in grinding at all. (except to upgrade your orbment)

[Thain]

Ok, thanks. I was beaten countless by that shiny that I thought I need grinding

[Letari]

Shining Poms are the uber enemies of Trails, once you can kill them though... just loot and exp pinatas. They should definitely not be your measuring stick for how tough the rest of the game is. If you struggle with the boss fights, then you might want to consider your setup and strategies and THEN try grinding if needed.

[Berahlen]

Shining Poms are gimmick enemies. You're supposed to kill them with S-crafts.

You can also roll the dice on Shadow Spear. They're immune to magic damage, but not the 10% instant death.