For Loop Odyssey players, this guide is about how every single mechanic in the game works, and how they interact with each other, let’s check it out.
Familiarity
Each tile on the game has a familiarity level for each of the allowed actions on that tile (move, interact, speak, attack). Movement depend on the cost and familiarity of the tile you are leaving, and
Each time an action is completed, familiarity xp is awarded. The amount of familiarity xp awarded each time is random between 14 and 26, which is tripled if this is the first time the action was completed this loop, and is multiplied by 7 if the player has a certain late game buff.
Technically, the random range is calculated by round(20 * random_range(0.7, 1.3)), which makes the two outside values slightly less common. This rounding effect is negligible.
The familiarity xp cost per level is calculated by:
So the overall xp requirement for a particular level is:
And the level for a particular xp amount is:
Once we have the familiarity level for a tile, the cost reduction is calculated by:
Ticks and speed
How to increase “Mana spent per tick” (from now on simply speed):
There are two main ways that it is possible to increase speed:
Hearth levels. Hearth levels give 0.3 speed each, added to the base 1 speed.
Bonus time. Bonus time simply multiplies speed by 3 while it is on.
So, for example:
For an action that takes 10 mana, and a speed of 1, the action will take 10 ticks, and consume 10 mana
For an action that takes 10 mana, and a speed of 4, the action will take 3 ticks, and consume 10 mana (the 2 overflowing mana that were spent on tick 3 are refunded)
This means that having extra hearth levels will simply make the loops go faster, without affecting any other costs (although adding points into hearth means less points into spirit or body).
Combat
Each combat has a base mana cost, damage and attack speed
The cost gets reduced by familiarity and by the attack of the player.
For example, if a combat has 1000 base cost, familiarity of 10, and you have an attack of 5:
Cost = 1000 / ( 1.38 * 5 ) = 145
So the combat will cost 145 mana to complete
The enemy has an attack of 1 and a attack speed of 75, which means that it will attack every 75/1.5=50 mana (it is just divided as a balance tweak, literally).
So the player will take damage once, and would take damage again at 150 mana, but avoid next attack. As the damage is 1, the player takes 1 point of damage (half a hearth).
Defense would reduce this damage.
In practice, the combat calculations are also calculated with ticks.
With a speed of 4 (10 hearth) the combat would look like this:
tick 2: EAT = 8, RC = 137 //RC = RemainingCost
…
tick 9: EAT = 52, RC = 93 //EAT -> 0, take damage
tick 10: EAT = 4, RC = 89
…
tick 26: EAT = 52, RC = 45 //EAT -> 0, take damage
tick 27: EAT = 4, RC = 41
…
tick 31: EAT = 44, RC = -1 //Combat complete
As the enemy attack timer gets reset to 0 each time, some speeds end up with lower attacks received depending on the rounding involved. This is probably a bug and should get fixed in the future.
Defense consists of three parameters:
Amount (directly from shield)
Efficiency (a combination of body levels and the defense efficiency skill)
Parry (from the defense parrying skill)
Each time the player would take damage, if there is some defense remaining:
Convert part of that damage, depending on defense efficiency, into defense damage, the rest gets through as normal damage.
For the defense damage taken, reduce that damage by the parry.
Finally, reduce the remaining defense by the defense damage.
As an example, with 2 defense, 75% efficiency and 50% parry, and enemy dealing 1 damage:
take 0.25 damage, take 0.375 defense damage, 1.250 defense remaining
take 0.25 damage, take 0.375 defense damage, 0.875 defense remaining
take 0.25 damage, take 0.375 defense damage, 0.500 defense remaining
take 0.25 damage, take 0.375 defense damage, 0.125 defense remaining
take 0.25 damage, take 0.375 defense damage, no defense remaining
take 1 damage
take 1 damage
…
In practice, for a fight that consumes all of the player’s defense, the effect of defense is a plain reduction in total damage taken.
Unlocks for speaking
The familiarity level required for each unlock is listed at the end.
Permanent progress tiles
By familiarity. The sewers simply require a familiarity level of 20 to explore completely.
By repeat count. The maps require 100 interactions to be completely read.
Game stats (spoilers)
Numbers in bold mean a buff is received here
Old man: 0, 1, 8, 16, 20, 25, 32, 35, 41, 47, 52, 56
Fisherman: 0, 2, 6, 11, 15, 20, 24, 32, 36, 41, 47, 52
Samurai: 0, 1, 6, 10, 12, 19, 25, 31, 36, 42, 48, 54
Drunk Guards: 0, 1, 10, 15, 20, 26, 30, 34, 42, 47, 53
Priest: 0, 2, 7, 12, 17, 24, 28, 32, 37, 43, 46, 50, 55
Blacksmith: 0, 3, 10, 15, 21, 25, 32, 37, 43, 48, 55
Caporal: 0, 3, 10, 16, 21, 25, 31, 36, 41, 46, 52
Necromancer: 0, 4, 10, 16, 21, 27, 32, 38, 43, 48, 53
Firefly queen: 0, 3, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 51
Chancellor: 0, 4, 11, 15, 21, 26, 31, 36, 42, 50
Shops: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 (shops simply reduce their cost in 1 each time)
Sewer: 20 (this one is by interacting, not speaking)