A typical Battle. |
The opposition, however, does not work with the same game mechanic. Each of the opposing Phantoms has its own turn counter. When the counter reaches zero, it will attack. This is the main reason this game should not be classified as a CCG: the opposition does not follow the same gameplay rules as the player.
The player may prioritize an opposing Phantom (say, one with a 'Next Turn 1') or he/she may let his/her Phantoms choose their own targets. There is a certain set of rules that a Phantom follows when choosing its target. These rules are easily learned from observation and can be manipulated by arranging the Phantoms' order in combat.
The player has a set amount of HP to withstand attacks, gathered from all the Phantoms in his/her party. Each Phantom has a Skill that may be used in combat for an SP cost. Like HP, SP is shared among the party and is slowly regained in combat. Maximum SP improves as the player gains in Rank (player level). Many Phantoms also have a Leader Skill that provides a bonus if that Phantom is selected as the Leader.
The first few Quests provide a simple tutorial on the basic battling system.
Another battle. |
Obtained a new Phantom! |
Each Phantom becomes stronger with Level. Each Phantom has a Level Limit, depending on its rarity. EXP gained in battle is usually insufficient to improve Phantoms, especially the rarer Phantoms. A faster way would be to level up the Phantoms with other Phantoms and certain items.
Leveling Up Phantoms. |
Evolving Phantoms to a higher Rarity. |
Evolved a Dragon Tamer. |
Evolved a Phoenix. |
Like many Facebook games, starting a Quest costs Stamina, which recharges over time. However, Stamina recharges faster than the average Facebook game and the player can work on his/her Phantoms while waiting.
The Main Quests. |
Earned a new Medal for completing a Quest! |
The Event Quests. |
Neighbors (called Guild Members in this game) are not necessary as the player has random access to 4 randomly-selected players and an NPC. However, Guild Members will provide additional options. A Guild Member's party Leader may be brought along as a sixth party member for Quests. In addition, a Guild Member's party Leader may be called in during battle to Attack or use a Skill.
Using Guild Members and providing help will reward the player with Guild Points. However, there is a cooldown of 10 hours for each Guild Member after use.
Summoned a Rare Phantom. |
In addition, e-Crystals cannot be bought with real-world currency.
It should probably be mentioned that the benefits that may be acquired from e-Crystals may be directly bought with real-world currency. :p
The recommended uses of e-Crystals are for Advance Summons and expanding inventory space. A huge inventory space will allow more efficient options for the usage of material. It is a waste to store e-Crystals at the start of the game.
Once the player has a few good Phantoms and a comfortable inventory size, he/she should keep a few e-Crystals for special events. There had been a special event recently with a Special Summon where the player is guaranteed a Phantom that may eventually evolve to a 5-star version.
Other than Advanced Summons, the only other way to get a 5-star Phantom is through events. At the time of writing, there is a 28-day login event where the player will be given a Phantom that can be evolved to its 5-star version (eventually) and the rare ingredients needed for the evolutions.
In summary, Phantom Chronicle is a pet game where the player gathers and trains Phantoms to battle other Phantoms. Time-limited Event Quests give variety to battles, reducing the tediousness of grinding for materials and EXP. Other than battles, the fun of the game is working on Phantoms to improve them. The graphics are not the awesome stuff many other games use but they are adequate to convey information and look professional (just ignore the grammar mistakes in the game). As a result of average graphics, the loading time is low, which is good if a player intends to login often to use Stamina.
Phantom Chronicle, Contents
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