Tips?

[stcaFylnO]

Feel free to add questions and input. The more the merrier.


EDIT: I've been consolidating tips I posted in other threads, probably more accessible in this topic.


Use status effects on ememies.


Some early and late game examples:

1) On the beach, tumble-strafe in circles, let the cannon immolate and damage enemies, then safely cast Heavenly Wave and execute a Harmonic Combo.

2) Lure ghost within cave toward a brazier, destroy it, back up a little, let them step into the fire and become immolated, then attack.

3) Use the Horse transformation to immolate demons. Especially useful on rat, toad, and elephant varieties, but not horse, bull, rhino, and stone.

edit -
#3 is in regard to Jade Master difficulty. On Grand Master, the immolation does nice damage even on bulls. The big deal is how rat, toad, and ele's become immobilized on JM, so Focus is not necessary to slow them down. It seems to me like it decreases damage reduction also. Sometimes the immolation does not immobilize them, I'm not sure why.

[stcaFylnO]

Input Devices: Pick Your Poison & Eat it Too -

The "Xbox 360 *Wired* Controller" (by MicroSoft, not third-party) excels for many reasons (Ex: Dual joy-sticks), but has one major flaw... the D-Pad. Imprecision and 4 style limit are the issues. Practice and skill help alleviate incorrect input and the pause button can be used to re-bind. There is a scripted delay or lock-out period, where styles won't change, so it is easier to get the timing with a few extra button mashes, but with practice partial combos are also possible, sweet!

Wireless version of controller... ugh, painful, see ref. However, the old wired controller can get confused and lose the ability to tumble, while the crappy wireless one does not experience this. It may go unnoticed, because the fix is to attack, if it fails, try a spell or weapon. Additonally, the old wired has problems reading multiple input at times, like you will see a block shield flicker while tumbling; not a big deal, but the wireless doesn't have that problem.

The game has been altered for use with KB+M and it causes mobility issues, response delays (change of direction), directional limitations. However! The extra style keys are amazing! I even try to play with a controller and have a KB on my lap. Additionally, the style changes are instantaneously forced and more easily over-ride combo animations. This allows for incredible precision and timing that the D-Pad just can't compete with.

References:
Odd Controller Defaults and Issues. [ALL FIXED]
http://steamcommunity.com/app/7110/discussions/0/224446432324810239/

[stcaFylnO]

Style Interupts (Toggling).

***Possibly the most imporant player technique to master.***

I mention it a lot, but this video displays it better than a thousand words. Just toggle fast enough to eliminate recovery animations and therefore, stagger-lock opponents and increase damage per second.

Notice the player's ability to conserve resources, in this case, he is using Fortune's Favorite instead of a higher version (Dragon, Demon). Like Tang's Vengeance, it uses ZERO Focus when fully upgraded for Chi Cost Reduction, even though it isn't as powerful as higher versions, it works well with toggling styles, even on Jade Master.

On Youtube, see:
Jade Empire: The Imperial Engagement (Jade Master)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwFhkPoKy0A

[stcaFylnO]

Imperial Arena: The Pit of Pain

Problem:
The variable 4-8 point movement limitation on the PC version is painful, especially in the pit. A player will see inbound missiles, try to step diagonally backward, but the PC input scheme only allows for back or sideways, not combining both. Who knows, maybe an expensive keyboard could manage, I'm not sure.

Solution:
Stay in the foreground, between TV screen and bladed pit. Try to work a pattern going clockwise, or counter clockwise, so the turrets aim where your character used to be. In tight situations, activate Focus, as needed. The pattern is more of a rectangle, due to the input limitation.

Beware, on Jade Master difficulty, I thought I had too much Health, but I'd get one-shotted.

Noted Behaviors:
8 point: While running in combat without a target-lock (TL).
6 point: While exploring, and also while manuevering in TL'd combat (inlcuing Pit of Pain).
4 point: While TL is active and tumbling in combat.

[stcaFylnO]

Question:
I forgot to equip Intuition gems before fighting Death's Hand the first time, now I have to reload to prep for the conversation check!? Is there a workaround?

Answer:
Be very fast, and enter the menu screen within the ~1 second between battle mode and dialogue mode, change gems, save game, proceed.

Edit -
There is an auto-save that happens when DH dies. Loading that gives more chances to get into the menu before the dialogue begins.

[stcaFylnO]

Question:
I increased difficulty, but now I have to do two major battles in a row without Chi, Health, and/or Focus reserves! What to do!?

Answer:
Always keep the previous level-up hoarded. It is one of my best tips for fighting the two Jade Golems, followed by a boss (no shrines in area). Of course, recharge Chi with Spirit Thief and or Red Minister at the end of fights, when applicable. Jade Golems are too dangerous to fool around with on Jade Master, just kill them and then spend the level-up to recharge, if necessary.

Another prime location is in the spirit realm at Dirge. A rat and horse demon must be fought, then Abbot Song is met, then Xian Wu and her parterns must be eliminated. All 3 of these ghosts use a lot of magic, so Jade Golem is helpful, but on Jade Master, even one mistake can mean death. No shrines are available. Abbot Song could replenish everything, but on JM, he is useful as a diversion.

[stcaFylnO]

Custom Combos

Toggling styles (style interupts) can be used to link attacks for appropriate ranges. For instance, in the early game:

1) Tumble into an opponet to stagger them.
2) Attack with a martial combo, since it has the shortest range.
3) Attack with a weapon combo, if enemy is too far away for another martial combo.
4) Attack with a ranged attack, like Ice Shard, if the enemy gets displaced even further.
5) Freeze enemy, if they are far enough away to cast safely.
5) Finish with Harmoic Combo, or repeat pattern, or push to an edge and use sytle interupts.

[stcaFylnO]

Pirate Camp: Extra Cannon XP:

Fight pirates on dock for fun and XP, then transition in and out of the map to reset event. Drop the cannon even though everyone is gone and get the 1,000 XP and CF points. If an OP character already has Stone Immortal, it is no big deal to eat a few CF. If not, just save the cannon until later in the game, like when running around collecting Scroll Stands, prior to closing off this area.

[stcaFylnO]

XP Farming: 289 XP per spirit/ghost in forest, rather than 86 XP.

This is a new finding; I never left "The Mother" alive long enough to discover this, till now.

Procedure:
1) Play a CF path in the forest & kill the fox, but not mother. This retains spawns in forest.
2) Also complete quests for the dam and pirates.
3) Proceed to Imperial City, since the forest quest is listed as completed.
4) Progress plot, gain access to the Lotus Assassin Fortress, so Jinlin spawns.
5) During Jinlin's quest, obtain the "Spirit Harvest" gem.
6) Peridodically, Check the forest to see how much XP the Lost Spirits and Ghosts provide.



Multiple variables are affecting the respawn XP:

Level:
Higher is better, but level 18 is the earliest that I have noticed a large increase.

Gem:
Gem of the Frail Scholar

Revisit Forest:
If the player remains in the forest, the extra XP is not seen, only 86 XP. I tested this up to level 25. "The Mother" must be left alive to retain respawns.

Locations, Levels, Rewards:
Returned during (& after) Lotus Assassin Fortress, at levels 18-19, received 161 XP.
Returned after landing in palace, at level 20, received 289 XP.
Returned after landing in palace, at level 28(?), received 297 XP.

[stcaFylnO]

Emperor Sun Hai:

Immunity Workaround:
Online, I found advice to swap martial and weapon attacks quickly, or to use transformations, since he becomes immune quickly. Both methods worked fine; however, I had to cycle between 3 styles, if only 2, he wouldn't lose the old immunity.

No Immunities No Problem:
Use Chi Strike to supplement stagger-locks & stun-locks with Spirit Thief & support styles.

Mix & Match:
I found toggling between a long duration support style (Dragon Storm) and an upgraded Jade Golem to work pretty well, but the stun will wear off, so be careful. On regular difficulties, this is fine, but on Jade Master, letting him have an opening is risky.

[stcaFylnO]

Support Styles on Ghosts:

This is odd, but ghosts will flee the AoE range of support styles, even though they are immune. This can provide a little space when crowded and even alter their plan of attack.

Works fairly well when using ranged spells, since it forces them back to a safe distance.

If the ghosts are too close and/or in attack animations, it won't affect them. Usually it requires smapping the AoE repeatedly.

Examples:
Hidden Fist: Primarily affects the active target, even though others have immmune messages.
Storm Dragon: Affects all within range of AoE, but if one is stubborn, change target-lock.
Heavenly Wave: Too slow, impractical.

[stcaFylnO]

Immobilizing Lost Spirits

Issue:
Casting magic to immobilize Lost Spirits can take too long.

Solution:
Use a ranged Spirit Thief instead of wasting Focus; the duration upgrade helps even though it is still so short; next, cast Ice Shard to immobilize and finish with Harmonic Combo (if not immune). This helps off-set the Chi costs, especially if immobilizing more than one, or advancing long distances. At close range, get them adjacent to one another, target the rear one, and possibly freeze two at once.

[stcaFylnO]

Ambushed!?

Issue:
The deadliest aspect, is not having the highest risk target locked; they may not even be visible.

Solution:
Pause the game, then cycle the target-lock until something dangergous is found; there will be a label in the lower right corner of screen with something like "Lotus Elite Wizard". Unpause, then repause after the camera jarringly flips. Now the greatest threat is locked and visible. Unpause and continue the battle.

Note, This is a Workaround:
This is partly due to the sub-standard handling of camera, along with strafe and backstep (in PC version). In the Xbox, the player elegantly responds with evasive manuevers, like sprinting and rolling instead of side-stepping, while the camera adjusts or is directed. Even better, the player could fight with this "Lotus Elite Wizard" in the foreground, while watching all other enemies in the background... not on PC though... we get the flippy camera and awkward movements, rather than an elegantly flowing kung-fu fighting game.

[stcaFylnO]

Which Ally for the Finale?

Beware. Keep a save, prior to riding the palace elevator the final time. This way, it can be reloaded to play with different followers.

Closed Fist: Sky, Hou, Chai Ka, and Dawn Star will probably be dead. So don't take any of them on the elevator, select Death's Hand, Silk Fox, Ya Zhen, or Black Whirlwind. Otherwise, the game may decide which one to play.

[stcaFylnO]

Cook Teh and the Random Gem

Where:
Tien's Landing, behind the Tea House.

Procedure:
Got to Cook Teh
Save the game
Talking to him may respawn contents within the nearby chest.
Keep reloading and increasing the number of times Teh is interacted with until a good spawn.

So far, the best drops I've seen are "Gem of Gentle Mind" or other similar gems, worth 800 silver.

I say "may" because I'm never sure in this game. Sometimes drops become static and or other triggers must be found to alter outcomes. So far, I've scored a good gem in 3 playthroughs at this spot.

[stcaFylnO]

Keep Old Saves!

There are bugs in this game, that can block progress. Keep an archive of saves: Each one should be prior to entering a map for the first time. If problems arise, try toggling saves; if that doesn't work, just replay from the most recent archived point.

An example bug:
Gao the Greater Bug - FIX FOUND!
http://steamcommunity.com/app/7110/discussions/0/846940247694031463/