Koei Tecmo has released (via Famitsu) some new info for Atelier Sophie.
Introducing the Logical Turn Battle and Support Stances
Rather than selecting each character’s actions as their turn comes up, Atelier Sophie introduces the Logical Turn Battle system, which requires you to select the actions for your entire party at once and then they take their turns in real time.
You won’t be able to make any changes until after everyone’s turn has finished, so it’s important to think logically over how you want the entire flow of the battle to progress.
Once the battle starts you’ll select each member’s actions, then each character will take their action in turn as shown on the gauge on the left side of the screen.
Order is determined by the character’s speed and the kind of action they are taking. Then when each character has finished their action, a new turn will start allowing you to make new selections.
Atelier Sophie also introduces support “stances” that can be selected before your turn or changed at will during the turn. A support stance will let you focus on attacking so you can participate in joint attacks, or you can focus on defending acting as a shield for your party members.
In addition, each character will have their own set of skills they can use in battle whether it be dealing damage to a monster or strengthening party members. There are a variety of skills each of which will cost MP to use.
Items have always been a big part of the Atelier series and in Atelier Sophie all characters in your party will be able to use items allowing for a wider range of battles.
Sophie the Alchemist will be the only one who can use every item but different characters will be able to use different kinds of items, allowing you to change things up depending on who’s in your party.
Living in a changing world
In Atelier Sophie you will be able to feel the world changing around you as time progresses. For instance, villagers have daily routines they follow that can change little by little depending on the time and weather. Special events will also trigger at various times and places so be sure experiment around to find where and when events will happen.
Monsters are especially active during night and thunderstorms, so there’s a very good chance you’ll run into much stronger monsters you normally wouldn’t run into during the day.
Don’t think you’re safe at night just because that spot is normally safe at other times. And just as villager’s actions change depending on the time and weather so too do the various areas you’ll visit. It will be important to make sure you know what you’re going in to before going out.
Unexpected Findings
Going out into the fields to collect ingredients is a staple of the Atelier series, and in Atelier Sophie you can go out to the same spots many times and find what’s available changes depending on the time of day and weather.
Be mindful when going out though, as Sophie can can tire and lose LP (Fatigue Points) every time she battles and collections materials. Staying out for too long and running out of LP can cause your stats to go down, but the longer you’re out the more you can get so make sure to occasionally check your status while adventuring.
In the city of Kirchen Bell there’s a shop run by an older gentleman named Horst. During the day the shop is a cafe but at night it turns into a bar and of course the people you’ll find there will change depending on the time of day. Sophie will go to the cafe to find work, as well as listen to rumors and find various bits of information that will help her on her way.
Taking on requests from villagers can range from killing monsters to gathering items and the reward will often reflect how well and quickly you finished the request. There are also special promotion requests that when completed will allow you take on more difficult requests.
The cafe owner, Horst, will not only give you requests, he’ll also tell you about rumors. Rumors can consist of things like “I heard about a mysterious monster” or “You can find lots of this material here.” While it costs money to hear rumors, they can lead to finding new places to find a wealth of materials.
The Characters
Corneria
Voiced by Yui Kondo
Age: 15, Height: 146cm, Runs a bulk goods store
“Yes, I’m fine. It seems Ms. Sophie is quite eager so I guess I’ll put in some effort too.”
The owner of a bulk goods store in Kirchen Bell, Corneria is an alchemist with the ability to reproduce a large amount of goods at once. Every time she uses the ability, however, she loses a bit of height as a prevention from over-using it. Generally a very easygoing person who likes to go at her own pace, Corneria opened her store in an effort to get famous and find her long-lost father.
Harol Simens
Voiced by Tarusuke Shingaki
Age: 27, Height 180cm, Watch craftsman
“When you say ‘old’ it merely means that something has been around for a long time. Just as this shop has carved itself into time.”
Following in the footsteps of his father, Harol runs the local watch store but unlike his father, his passion lies not in watch repair but solely in crafting and selling guns. Normally a very cynical character who’s not afraid to mince words, Harol has a fondness of tacking care of Sophie, who he’s known since long ago.
Horst Basler
Voiced by Yoji Ueda
Age: 51, Height: 175cm, Cafe Owner
“Oh goodness, your skill as an alchemist has progressed quite a bit hasn’t it Sophie.”
Owner of a cafe in Kirchen Bell, during the day it’s a cafe and at night it turns into a bar. Well versed in what’s going on in town, he also acts as a mediator for requests and tells Sophie about various rumors he’s heard. Trusted by the people of Kirchen Bell, Horst is a sincere but lonely person, so he opened up a cafe so he could always be somewhere where many people gather together.
Atelier Sophie is going to launch in Japan on September 25th for Playstation 3, Playstation 4 and PS Vita.
