Chaining





Chaining is a game mechanic that normally allows up to a 4 times increase in damage by hitting enemies in quick succession with different units, preferably with attacks of the same element. For each successive hit landed by a different unit, the hit's damage increases - normally by 10%, or by 20% if the hits share an elemental damage type ("elemental chain"), or 40% if the hits occur simultaneously ("spark chain"). The damage continues to increase until the same unit strikes twice in succession, which ends the chain.

Chaining is not explained in-game. It requires the deliberate manual timing of attacks, the selection and development of units that share the same attack pattern (a "chaining family"), as well as a familiarity with that pattern.

In the context of chaining, a unit is described as a "chainer" if they use attacks or abilities that trigger many successive hits. A "finisher" is a unit with an ability that triggers at least one or two massive hits, which can be used at the very end of a chain to profit from the chain's damage bonus.


 * Check chaining families to find which units/skills chain together.
 * Use a single shared element for all chaining units.

Chaining Mechanics
By hitting an enemy in quick succession with different units a chain is initiated, which increases the damage of your attack. A chain starts with the second successive hit. If the same unit hits twice in a row that chain ends.

Modifier
The formula for chain bonus damage is:



\text {Chain Bonus Damage} = 1 + \frac{\text {Chain Modifier}}{100} $$

where Chain Modifier:
 * Caps at 300%, for a total of 4x chain bonus damage. This cap can be increased further using chain modifier cap passives up to 200% higher, capping at 500%, for a total of 6x chain bonus damage.
 * Can be increased using chain modifier passives. Whatever chain modifier you currently have will be increased. e.g. If your current chain modifier is 200%, using 100% increased chain modifier will give you 300% chain modifier. This increased chain modifier cannot exceed chain modifier cap.

Chain modifier will increase depending on the chain type registered. These modifiers are cumulative, such that every successive chain will increase the previous chain until the chain cap is reached.

A chain in its most basic form will be registered as either Normal chain or Spark chain:


 * Normal chain is registered if the delay from previous chain is between 0 to 20 frames. If the frame gap from the previous chain is larger than 20 frames, the chain will break.
 * Chain modifier: 10%
 * Spark chain is registered if there is no delay from previous hit (0 frame). Spark Chain label will appear when such chain occurs. While spark chain occurs when all hits register on the exact same frame, the game orders them internally, see spark chain order. The first in the order will not gain a spark chain modifier, while the rest does.
 * Chain modifier: 40%

Once the base chain has been registered, the hit will be checked for Elemental chain. Elemental chain adds modifier to the base chain.
 * Elemental chain is registered if the hit has at least 1 same element with the previous chain. Having more same elements will increase the chain modifier further. Elemental Chain label will appear when such chain occurs.
 * Chain modifier: 20% for each element

Chain modifier with 2 units chaining:

Chain modifier cap passive allows certain units to have increased chain modifier cap from 300% up to 500%, for a total bonus damage going from 4x to 6x. This increased cap works even if the unit use an existing chain provided by other units without these passives. Units without passives will not gain the cap increase even when mixed with units with passives.

Chain modifier with 2 units chaining and increased cap:

Damage Weight
Damage weight is a value assigned to each hits of an ability, adding up to 100%. For example, if an ability hits 5 times, and each hit has a weight of 20%, it splits the damage evenly.

However this is not always the case, and some abilities have more weight on the end of their hits, usually called backload damage. This is beneficial when chaining, as the chain modifier starts small and gradually increases, you want your strongest damage portion to hit once the chain modifier have accumulated or capped.

Separating an ability into 2 separate damage will also accomplish the similar thing. For example, a classic Divine Ruination family with 7 hits, can be separated into 6 weak hits + 1 strong hit. The strongest portion will hit once the chain modifier is capped. Hyoh is one example of this kind of user.

There are also some abilities with damage weight not adding up to 100%, essentially making the ability weaker or stronger.

Timing
The game logic is tied to the frame rate and runs at 60 frames per second. If the frame rate slows down, so does the game logic.

Whenever you cast a skill, the following will occur in order:


 * 1) Offset: Global delay.
 * 2) Movement & Motion: The unit will move depending on the movement type.
 * 3) CG Delay: Additional delay when using a CG LB.
 * 4) Attack Frames: The attack will start, and will hit the target depending on their frames.
 * 5) Cast Delay: If the attack is multicasted, the unit will wait for a cast delay, and then repeat from #1.
 * 6) Repeat: Repeat from #1.
 * 7) Return: The unit will go back to their starting position, if they move at all. This is always a walking movement, regardless of the skill movement type.

Offset

 * First cast offset: 13
 * Subsequent casts offset: 14

Only tested on skills with idle movement.

CG Delay
CG LB adds two additional delay to the attack frame:


 * Animation Delay This delay varies by unit. They are defined in  file from unit cpk. Please refer to the datamining guide. The sum number of right-most column is the animation delay for the unit.
 * Movie Delay 2 frames delay, can be turned off from the option called "Limit Burst Display". When 2 or more units use CG LB within a short period, only the first unit will have their CG movie shown. This unit will be affected by the movie delay but not the rest.

Cast Delay
Cast delay is a delay that happens before a unit can cast subsequent skill on a multicast. The delay is 39 frames, but under certain circumstances, can change:


 * Whenever a CG appears, your cast delay is added by 1 frame. This is affecting everyone in party and it is only added to your next cast that is currently being queued.
 * A skill with motion set to 1, 8, 9, 10, or 11 (see Motion). If the attack animation is longer than 39 frames, then the unit will wait until it's finished before they continue casting.

Attack Frames
Frames are the individual steps of a unit's attack animation. Each skill progresses through a specific number of frames, and attacks occur at certain frame numbers. Deliberate chaining depends on being able to trigger the start of the attack such that the attack frames interleave to make units attack in sequence.

Example: Divine Ruination (with 2 units)
 * Attack Frames: 70-7-5-7-7-7-7
 * Movement: 0 frames (idle)
 * First Offset: 13 frames
 * Subsequent Offset: 14 frames
 * Cast delay: 39 frames

Attack frames indicate delays from previous hit. So after the offset is finished (13 or 14 frames), the first hit will happen after 70 frames, then 7 frames, then 5 frames, etc.

Frames: 13-70-7-5-7-7-7-7

The smallest delay on attack frames can be used to gauge the speed and difficulty of chaining between 2 units. In this case, you will have to press the second unit within 4 frames of pressing the first unit. Any chain with 2 frames or lower is considered highly difficult.

The problem with chaining for many abilities comes from additional casts. When you are multi-casting a skill, the next cast might overlap the hits from previous cast, creating a smaller delay needed to chain with another unit.

Divine Ruination doesn't suffer from this since the second cast will not overlap the first, but the gap is still close enough for it to chain. It takes 137 frames delay before the second cast hits: 13 + 39 + 14 + 70.

Frames: 13-70-7-5-7-7-7-7-13-7-5-7-7-7-7

Spark Chain Order
When two units cast their skills at the exact same time, and one or more hits sparks, the game internally orders which hit is counted first or second. This is important because a chain will be broken when a unit hits twice in a row.

The unit order for spark chains follows the party order from one to six. Unit placed in the first position will always be ordered first during spark chain, while guest unit will always be last.

This position ordering is only observed when the units cast their skills at the exact same time.

When units cast their skills with gaps between them, their spark chain will be ordered according to cast time. Unit with quicker cast will be higher in the order. If a skill has movement, the cast time is counted when they arrive at target.

Movement
Movement delay is not tied to your frame rate. However, most of FFBE logic are tied to the frame rate. This discrepancy means the amount of frames will vary depending on your client frame rate during the moment of movement. Movement delay listed below are taken when your client is running at 60 FPS (frame per seconds). Lower FPS would mean lower delay.

Animation Cancelling
Any abilities with movement can have their movement animation cancelled, in practice warping the unit to target instantly. This works during initial movement and return movement.

To perform this trick, swipe right on any non-attacking unit while attacking units are in the middle of moving, and then click cancel. If you are using 2 or more units with the same frames, it will be guaranteed to spark.

Chaining Families
Below are the list of popular chaining "families". The requirement for a new family to be listed:


 * Have at least 3 different units with identical skill frames and movement
 * The chain can be performed without having to delay the activation of the second unit
 * The chain will not break in the middle with or without multi cast
 * Chaining is done by 2 units of the same family

Stardust Ray

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Stardust Ray.

Bolting Strike

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Bolting Strike.

Absolute Mirror of Equity

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Absolute Mirror of Equity.

Chaos Wave Awakened

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Chaos Wave Awakened.

Aureole Ray

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Aureole Ray.

Divine Ruination

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Divine Ruination.

Piledriver

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Piledriver.

Quick Hit

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Quick Hit.

Onion Slice

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Onion Slice.

Octaslash

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Octaslash.

Graviton Cannon

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Graviton Cannon.

Chainsaw

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Chainsaw.

Kingsglaive

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Kingsglaive.

Tornado

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Tornado.

Flood

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Flood.

Freeze

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Freeze.

Chaos Wave

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Chaos Wave.

Fatal Barrage

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Fatal Barrage.

Sword of Kings

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Sword of Kings.

Disorder

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Disorder.

Firm Punch

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Firm Punch.

Free Energy

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Free Energy.

Meteor Rain

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Meteor Rain.

Absolute Zero

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Absolute Zero.

Ryujin

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Ryujin.

Torrential Slash

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Torrential Slash.

Blade Prison

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Blade Prison.

Avalanche Kick

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Avalanche Kick.

Extreme Nova

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Extreme Nova.

Dancing Mad

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Dancing Mad.

Protector's Bayonet

 * Edit the table on Chaining/Protector's Bayonet.

Other Families
The rest of the chaining families that do not conform to the requirements.


 * Ultima: Delay required for the second unit
 * Quake: Delay required for the second unit
 * Tag: Too few units

Any chain family below won't be listed in the skill or unit page.


 * Hundred Thrusts: Too few units
 * Earthsplit Evasion: Too few units
 * Earthsplit Evasion 2: Too few units
 * Heaven's Light: Too few units
 * Aqua Philosophy: Too few units
 * Running Fire+: Too few units