Joy is an infuriating mechanic

[Lil Grandpa]

This is really the only part that makes me slog through the game. Withdrawal hits randomly.

I'd be more okay with it if it just affected the main character (or if it affected other characters, letting time or something else cure it completely). I know why it exists, to give you an idea of how others cope in a post apocalyptic world, but as it stands it's horrifically tedious to deal with most of the time.

[Ajogamer]

The majority of characters don't suffer from withdraws, so you can try to stick with characters that don't suffer from withdraws (I find many of them are the ones I prefer anyway, actually).

Brad can still be pretty solid even when suffering withdraws, since his fireball attacks still do good damage, and his other skills can still do passable damage (like, his headslides can still be decent AoE), and will still be able to inflict things like stun and Fallen. The other withdraw-suffering allies often feel a bit more joy-dependant, but I noticed some could still do pretty solid damage even during withdraw, particularly Carp.

[Level 5 virus]

Here's what I did when I had Joy problems and didn't want to bother with taking joy (I'm that guy who saves all the health potions till the end...and never uses them)

I would either find a rest spot and sleep it off. That's the best way to deal with it.
Or just fight and wait for it to go away. Pretty much the only way to fight with joy withdrawl, is to not do the normal attacks, but only speical moves. Forget about combos, and just go for the flashy hits.

But, on the other side. Joy is amazing in the game when you do take it.

So either sleep it off, or just use brad's skills (Mostly the stunning/falling ones, and fireball) till you are free from the withdrawl.

[Side_K]

I don't see your problem. There's like, what, 6 characters total that are joy addicts? It shouldn't be a problem whatsoever.
The mechanic is there exactly to make you feel terrible and frustrated, that's the whole point, noone's gonna babysit you, noone is going to make it easier for you.

Just take the blue pill if you feel weak.
It will make all your problems go away.

[kruckster]

I kind of like the mechanic myself. I mean, you ARE in a post-apocalyptic wasteland---a lot of characters are probably going to be on drugs due to that depression.

I personally rolled with a no-joy user party most of the time anyways, and since I built an oil/fire based team, the normal hits weren't very important on Brad most of the time anyways.

[ASTROZOMBIE]

Withdrawal decreases ATK but not S.ATK. Just spam fireball combos and Brad will get over it eventually. It recovers faster if you actually do combos in battle.

[Odokuro]

I just beat the game with an armless bald guy that suffered serious joy withdrawal. You can, too.

[Lil Grandpa]

It's not that I find it difficult. There's a difference. Admittedly there's some difficulty in it, but not insurmountable. I mean, I play roguelikes a lot so I am familiar with difficulty to the point of unfairness -- this is not the case where it's unfair. To me it's just a tedious mechanic, mainly because there's no way to get rid of it (I would be fine with it if there was some way, even at a big cost).

[Sally]

I don't really think it's tedious in any way since it doesn't slow the game down at all. It takes off a negligible amount of defense/damage for your main character who already has beefy stats to begin with (especially w/ karate scrolls). You're still able to use your primary source of damage (most things in the game don't resist fire and seem to focus on def anyways, in addition to being a great combo with other party members). Unfortunately the other party members who are addicted to joy do not get the same luxuries, but I only consider one of them good even without that flaw in the first place.

Basically it's not that bad, just deal with it. You're given more then enough options. If you're REALLY having trouble with it and don't want to use Joy, you can always just KO and use a perfume, since that removes withdraw.

[Side_K]

Originally posted by POOT (CRIME FETISH):

there's no way to get rid of it (I would be fine with it if there was some way, even at a big cost).

But there is a way.
Just go ahead and get some Joy.
No more tedium.

[Odokuro]

Originally posted by Kilyari:

Originally posted by POOT (CRIME FETISH):

there's no way to get rid of it (I would be fine with it if there was some way, even at a big cost).

But there is a way.
Just go ahead and get some Joy.
No more tedium.

GTFO Buzzo