Okay, now that everything runs smoothy, what are the mechanics i should know in Labyrinth 2? Like any new debuffs or stuff changed? I cleared Labyrinth 1 and killed WINNER once
The big changes, aside from character specific tweaking/balancing (some characters are changed only a little for balance, some are changed a lot - don't assume every character is the exact same value/function as they were in LoT1)...
MP: Unlike LoT1, MP for casting spells grows
extremely slowly. Lategame LoT2, you won't be able to infinitely spam your high-cost spells the way you could in LoT1 - cost will matter throughout the entire game. The good news is, the normal attack formula is at least passable now, and you can actually use it with several characters (of note, it will either use ATK
or MAG depending on which is higher, and be Physical or Mystic element to match). Still, you'll still have plenty of MP with regularly party switching/Concentrate too, and still be using spells 95% of the time.
Accuracy and Evasion: Unlike LoT1, Accuracy and Evasion are actual, functional things. These stats do
not change naturally with level - but a variety of passive skills and gear can enhance them. Pump up evasion on squishy characters and the results can actually be quite surprising! Similarly, be careful about neglecting accuracy - while it won't usually be an issue you don't want it completely neglected...
Game Overs: Getting Game Over'd in the dungeon is no longer a loss of time - you just get sent back to town. If you were at a boss, you can even immediately retry.
Chain Bonuses: If you fight several battles in a row in one dungeon dive, your EXP, yen, and item drop rates will all increase slowly. Going back to town (and I think running?) will reset these, however.
Skills: Every character has 3 points at level 1, and 1 point per level. You can sink skill points into a variety of effects, with a variable cost/max per skill. Every character has access to a small number of stat boosts via these skills, as well as some EXP enhancers. Past that however, every character also has the ability to spend skill points to level their Spellcards (enhancing formulas, buff/debuff effects, ailment success rates, MP costs, sometimes even new effects, etc.), and a variety of character-specific passive abilities that help to make each character more unique (For instance, Marisa can invest to get stat boosts when Alice is in reserve, to get some affinity piercing, etc.).
Elements: There is precisely one true "non-elemental" skill in the entire game, and the character using it is post-game only. There are two new elements as a result - Physical, which covers most generic physical attacks, and Dark, which several formerly Mystic skills were moved into (Mystic still remains as the "neutral magic" element). These can be resisted as normal with affinities. Not that elemental resistance is now indicated by the color of damage numbers - if it's turning blue, it's being resisted; if it's redder, it's a weakness.
Equipment: You now have a Main Equip slot in addition to the standard three equip slots. The Main Equip slot is mostly used to influence MP, TP, or MP/HP Recovery rates - but you'll come across some later that add ailments to all attacks the character launches, or also directly modify the character's
base stats in some way. There is also actual money, instead of just SP, and a shop where you can buy equipment (or turn material drops from monsters into equipment/cash). Also, a number of lategame gear have more 'eccentric' effects than just stat boosting now.
Permanent items: Unlike LoT1, there are a number of items you'll come across that can be used to
permanently enhance characters - either adding skill points, enhancing base stats (with a limit per character), or unlocking new stat-boosting personal skills. These come in limited quantities, but they're valueless if you're not using them, so spend them on characters you love.
Subclasses: Later in LoT2, you'll unlock Subclassing. Every Stone of Awakening you find lets another character have a subclass at a time, so until postgame you can't have one on everyone in your party (though you can reassign who has them easily). Subclasses slightly enhance a character's stats, but also give them access to new skills to invest in - both passives, and new generic-use Spellcards around a variety of roles (eg Enhancer gives passives that amplify the effects of buffs, cause healing on buffed targets, and gives spellcards for specific buff types)
Resetting: Unlike in LoT1, very little is permanent. You can freely do a Skill Reset at the library now - this will reset all of the skill points you've spent on a character, and also remove their subclass. You can
also freely redistribute all the level up stat bonuses at any time you choose at the shrine. Only the stat gems/unlock books mentioned previously are permanent, and there's an item (available in limited quantity) that can be used to reclaim those as well.
Boss Levels: Every boss has a level written on its symbol on the map. If you successfully defeat that boss with a party whose average level is equal to or lower than the displayed value, you'll recieve extra items after the battle is over. If your party is too high level, you can temporarily de-level your party at the Hakurei shrine.
Hard Mode: Available as an option at the start of the game. Hard Mode just places two caps on your party: the first is that your individual stat levels at Voile cannot exceed [Level *1.2], and the second is that the above 'boss level' indicator is no longer a suggestion - your entire party must be at or below the level indicated, or you can't fight the boss. This is removed after defeating the final boss anyway, and is completely optional, but a good way to test your skills.
Ailments: Ailments in general are resisted far more, but are often more potent and many characters have ways of getting around resistances now. Of note...
*Poison damage on enemies seems to be proportional to the target's max HP, while poison on allies is determined in strength by what causes it.
*Silence can now be inflicted on enemies; it doesn't block spells but does reduce their Magic/Mind.
*Heavy (New) either prevents a character from being swapped around, or slightly reduces enemy stats (predominantly speed)
*Terror (New) temporarily increases spellcard MP costs, or slightly reduces enemy stats (and is used in a few character mechanics)
*Shock (New) is an 'instant' status effect. Whenever it lands, the individual (enemy or ally) instantly loses half of their current ATB gauge
FOE:
Even in your Touhou game, FOE
