                                        -----------
                                       *PLEASE NOTE*
                                        -----------

The following below is the basic setup standarized for all Red Earth: Final Mix characters. However, there
are many things that can be altered and/or customized to one's liking through the config.txt. Please refer
to the config.txt to see which options are available and how they can be applied.



---=GAMEPLAY=------------------------------------------------------------------


1) CHAIN COMBO SYSTEM
   ------------------

Tessa has a free-chaining ability with LP, for she can repeatedly chain LP into itself whether
it hits the opponent or not.
 
LP->LP (Stand, Crouch, Jump; can be done infinitely)


2) SPECIAL & SUPER CANCEL SYSTEM
   -----------------------------

All Specials and Mystic Breaks can be canceled into except for Death Phenomeno, Fortune Seal,
and Chaos Seal. Tessa has no cancel points on her MP, HP, or HK (whether standing, crouching, or 
jumping), since they serve as projectiles.

The following all are cancel points to both specials and Mystic Breaks:

Standing  - LP, LK, MK (any hit)
Crouching - LP, LK, MK (any hit), DF+LK
Air       - LP, LK, MK (any hit)


---=RED EARTH SYSTEM=------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guard Break 
-----------
Repeatedly attack a blocking opponent to temporarily stun and disable his/her guard. Guard Break 
meter will go down by 1 pt after every 5 sec of no impact on your opponent's guard. Once a Guard 
Break has taken place, the meter will reset to 0. Meter will not increase if opponent is using 
Ultimate Guard or a similar move utilizing a HitOverride.


Counter Impact 
--------------
Most of Tessa's moves gain new traits if they hit an opponent who's in mid-attack animation. The 
traits vary depending on the type of attack it is, its main purpose in battle, etc. Some of the 
traits are:

-Damage increase (10 pts for Normal Attacks, 20 pts for Special Attacks, and 30 for Mystic Breaks) 
-Increased pushback
-Increased hit pause
-Increased stun time
-Change in x/y velocity
-Cause a knockdown

You'll know when a Counter Impact has taken place when your opponent flashes white, which serves 
as an indication to take advantage of the benefits that come along with that particular attack.

On top of that, when Tessa's normal flasks (MP and HP) cause a Counter Impact, they gain unique 
interactions which include: 

-Increased duration of frozen state on grounded opponents
-Longer pausetime on midair opponents 
-Opponents will become hittable during frozen state

These attributes not only slow down the opponent more, but open up more opportunities for Tessa 
to follow up with another attack which normally she cannot do.


Ultimate Guard & Ultimate Counter
---------------------------------
Ultimate Guard is invincible to all attacks except for throws of all type as long as the initial 
activation of that throw is not registered as a phsyical hit. Push back during Ultimate Guard is
short, which is much different from a normal guard. There are advantages and disadvantages to 
this. For starters, Ultimate Guard will nullify the opponent's attack's knock back properties, 
keeping you close to recover and attack the opponent. On the other hand, if the opponent recovers 
from his/her attack while stuck in block animation, you will be vulnerable to well-timed attacks 
once Ultimate Guard is finished, or can be thrown.

When there is 500 pts of meter or more in the Super Gauge, you can execute an Ultimate Counter. This 
special counter attack will not only blow through an opponent's attack, but is also unblockable*.
Note that you're invincible for a few ticks right before Ultimate Counter hits, so while it's possible 
to go through the opponent's attacks, you can be reversed if the opponent is using a move with very
long hit duration.

Note that to prevent Ultimate Guard Lock-up (ex. opponent repeatedly attacking with fast attacks to
prevent you from recovering from Ultimate Guard), 50 pts is received everytime the opponent's 
attacks connect to your Ultimate Guard. This way, there will always be energy in the super meter
in order to use Ultimate Counter.

*Tessa's Ultimate Counter #1, Vengence Pursue, is blockable.


Defense System
--------------
In Red Earth, each character has a different defense ratings. Some characters have higher defense
ratings that allow them to take more damage, while others have lower ratings that can lead them
to lose quicker if too much damage is recieved. Along with the different defense rating, each 
character have other defensive attributes straight from the original Red Earth game, called 
Resistance and Willpower*.

Resistance is a form of defensive endurance that gradually comes into play to strengthen each 
character's defense. For example, when a character loses a certain amount of health, Resistance
will activate and increase that character's defense rating. The more that character's health 
depletes, the stronger Resistance becomes. Each character has different Resistance ratings, so
some characters's defense will get much stronger than others as they get closer to death.

Willpower is a form of defensive boost that can greatly assist each character, reducing any 
damage received at a given time. There are 5 different grades of Willpower, from a small 
defensive boost to a very large one. When a character takes damage, there is a chance for 
Willpower to kick in and strengthen his/her defensive rating, but there are a few points to keep 
in mind:

1) Willpower activates randomly and cannot be controlled
2) only takes effect for one hit received at a time 
3) The lower a character's health is, the higher the chance for Willpower to occur. 

It is possible for Willpower to activate during multiple hits, but the chances are random. The 
same with the different grades, for each grade has an equal opportunity to occur, but it's 
possible to only get lower grade boosts instead of higher grade boosts. Each character has the
same Willpower grades and percentage of occurances. While you can't control when it occurs or
how much defensive boost you receive, it can be a real life saver when you least expect it.


*The defense system only works on physical and projectile-based attacks, and has no effects on 
 throw-based attacks.


Dizzy System
------------
Each character has a Dizzy meter that fills up when he/she takes damage from either physical hits,
projectiles, grapples, and throws. When a certain amount of impact has been received within a short
period of time and your character's Dizzy meter is full, he/she will immediately will fall into a 
dizzy state. When this occurs, you cannot defend yourself and are left open to attacks from your 
opponent for a brief period of time. A special recovery counter determines how long it will take 
before you wake up from being dizzy. Once the alloited time for the recovery counter has passed, 
you will regain control and play as normal.

To recover from being dizzied much faster, you can rapidly press your buttons to spped up your 
recovery counter and try to regain control before being attacked by your opponent. If your opponent
hits you before you recover, you will be subjected to whatever he/she does to you. However, you 
cannot be re-dizzied while idle in a dizzy state, for the Dizzy meter will not go into effect until 
it detects your character has regained control.


Bluff
-----
Each character has 3 unique actions that resemble one Special Move each. Labeled Bluff, these actions 
look similar to a regular taunt at first glance. There are two methods in using Bluff: Manual Bluff 
and Bluff Canceling.

Here are the features available for Manual Bluff:

-Ends faster than the Special Attack they mimick
-Cancel into an attack or throw (if close enough) after 20 ticks
-Cancel into Ultimate Guard after 3 ticks
-Have different unique attributes (i.e. attack property, invincibility, forward dash, etc.)
-Gain a small amount of meter to the Super Gauge
-Dash Cancel or Super Jump Cancel at any time

Manual Bluff offers many strategic usages offensively, defensively, as well as psychologically. When 
manually used, you can create different scenarios that includes feinting, baiting, as well as mix ups. 
Their unique attributes can also play a great role in handling specific situations. Since it costs no 
energy, you can use Manual Bluff as much as you want.

Bluff Canceling can be utilized during both ground combos and air combos (called Ground Bluff Canceling 
and Air Bluff Canceling respectively). For Ground Bluff Canceling, many of the features available are 
the same as Manual Bluff, except for a few points:

-Ends faster than the Special Attack they mimick
-Cancel into any attack or throw (if close enough) after 9 ticks
-Cancel into Ultimate Guard after 3 ticks
-Cancel into it from any Basic Attack or Advanced Move (whether blocked or hit)
-Uses 500 pts
-Dash Cancel or Super Jump Cancel at any time
-10% damage reduction for every following attack that combos in before the opponent recovers
-Extra damage reduction for some Mystic Breaks
-Loses unique attributes

Ground Bluff Canceling offers a character a few more options when on the offense. It will immediately 
interrupt your attack into one of unique actions, which allows you to follow up with another attack for 
combos, pressuring, mix ups, and so on. Ground Bluff Canceling can also be used as a way to "brake" your 
attack so you can use defensive measures such as blocking, Back Dashing, and so on to avoid counters and 
such.

For Air Bluff Canceling, the options are similar to that on the ground except for a few points:

-Mimicks one of three Jump Basic or Jump Advanced Attack, and ends very fast 
-Gives control to the character after 5 ticks
-Has attack properties for about 15 ticks, which will put the opponent into a blocking state if he/she 
 holds back
-Cancel into it from any Jump Basic Attack or Jump Advanced Attack (whether blocked or hit)
-Can steer forward or backwards after gaining control
-Uses 500 pts
-10% damage reduction for every following attack that combos in before the opponent recovers
-Extra damage reduction for some Mystic Breaks

Through Air Bluff Canceling, a character can apply more pressure to create unique combo situations, 
or cancel an ill-timed jump attack for defensive tactics.

Note that through Bluff Canceling, you are able to create very long combos. In certain cases, you can
even break certain restrictions & rules, and combo with some attacks that normally would not work.
furthermore, some attacks' properties change during Bluff Canceling, which may help with making combos
(i.e. no recovery on specific attacks, etc.) or restrict combos from becoming an infinite. (i.e. 
increased juggle points after a certain number of Bluff Canceling, etc.)  

Keep in mind that each of the 3 Bluff actions have their own unique traits, so each can be useful in 
different situations.


Field Collision
---------------
Certain moves have enough force to propel the opposition into the sides of the screen, netting small,  
but extra damage. Dubbed Field Collision, the areas around the screen where this comes into effect
are the following:

-Ground
-Sides (aka Wall) 
-Ceiling

When Field Collision occurs, the character is put into an unrecoverable state until he/she falls into
a down position. In many cases, the character initiating a Field Collision can followup with another 
attack. 


---=NOTES=-----------------------------------------------------------


General
-------
-A Configuration file (config.txt) has been added to allow customization on specific areas concerning 
 Tessa. Please refer to the Configuration file for a more detailed listing on the different changes that 
 can be applied.

-Damage of combos (or to be more specific, any hits after the initial attack) are reduced abit when 
 they successfully connect with the opponent. 

-There is also coding that lowers Tessa's defense abit if caught in her opponent's combos.


Abilities
---------
-Reverie Sword, Death Phenomeno, and Ultimate Guard can be done during Forward Dash.
 
-Air Chakra Wave can be done during Back Dash.

-Evasive Air will push opponents away upclose to keep Tessa safe.

-During Evasive Air's ascension, Air Chakra Wave, Purring Sweep, and Tricicle Hatchete can be done. 
 However, Tessa cannot block while ascending, nor can she not use her other jumping attacks until she 
 begins to descend. 

-The barrier that protects Tessa during Ultimate Guard will change height according to whether the opponent 
 is doing a high or low attack. This is merely a cosmetic feature, however, for Tessa will not get hit if 
 the attack, albeit a low one, hits higher animation-wise.

-If the opponent can successfully perform a Throw Recover, he/she will not only go airborne and 
 recover in midair, but the damage received from the throw will be cut into half. Throw Recover 
 must be performed within 8 ticks of when damage from the throw is indicated animation-wise. 
 See the listing for Normal Throws above for more details on this.

-Note that due to the long sequence during Tessa's normal throw (Ascend Proof), attempting to 
 Throw Recover too early (i.e. a few ticks at the start of going up and/or while going down), 
 will void Throw Recover all together. Instead, you must attempt the Throw Recover just at the 
 point of hitting the ground. 

-Throw Escape/Recover system only works against throws done by Final Mix characters; while other 
 characters that have different systems can still do a Throw Escape/Recover, Final Mix characters
 cannot use this system to escape from those characters' throws, but must use those characters' 
 personal system to escape from throws.

-Bluff Canceling works on all attacks, including Tessa's staff, pigeon, and ice attacks (not the
 flasks, but when an ice spike is created).

-Bluff Evasive can be done under normal conditions, as well as during a Dash. Difference is that
 for the Dash version, you don't have to press Down, and you will get the full 'dust & quake' effect.  

-Bluff Chakra gives Tessa increased meter gain.

-Bluff Dragon allows Tessa not only to move forward, but gives her a special shield that allows her 
 to absorb projectiles thrown at her. When a projectile is absorbed, her Dragon's Roar attack gets
 powered up. Note that only normal and special projectiles can be absorbed.

-When Bluff Dragon absorbs a prjectile, it will count as one stock. (it is possible to gain 2 stocks 
 at a time, depending on the projectile, coding for that projectile, durability, etc) Up to 10 
 stocks can be absorbed to power up Dragon's Roar to its max. You will not lose this stock until a 
 successful Dragon's Roar has been executed (whether it hits or misses, it doesn't matter).

-Certain moves will cause a Knock Back, a special state where the opponent rolls backwards on the
 ground and has a long delay getting up. Note that this only works on Final Mix characters.

-Both Death Phenomeno and Jamming Ghost will finish prematurely if Tessa becomes dizzy


Normal Techniques
-----------------
-Staff can chain combo by repeatedly pressing LP while standing, crouching, or jumping. 
 If you jump and immediately press LP rapidly, it will stick to the opponent and repeatedly 
 hit the opponent. Outside of this, Tessa has no chain combo ability.

-The staff is a unique part of Tessa's arsenal, for it is with her throughout all rounds and 
 follows her. The staff can be commanded to attack on the dime no matter where it's at. With that
 In mind, be aware that it will not teleport to her side and protect her. Use these point to 
 your advantage to utilize it either upclose or from far away.

-Brave Pigeon has 3 levels depending on how long you hold the button. If standing or crouching, 
 1st level is between 0-35 ticks, 2nd level is between 36-70 ticks, and 3rd level is 71 & up. For
 the jump version, 1st level is between 0-20 ticks, 2nd level is between 21-40 ticks, and 3rd 
 level is 41 & up.

-A fully charged Brave Pigeon cannot be blocked. If you try to block it, it will cause a Guard 
 Break automatically.

-All ice flasks can hit the opponent for minimum damage. On top of that, if they hit the ground, 
 a weak ice attack will come out.

-If Tessa is hit as she begins to throw a flask, she will drop it. As it falls, it can still hit
 the opponent if close enough.

-All HP attacks can hit the opponent twice. Although timing is tricky, if you release HP just as 
 the ice flask touches the opponent, not only will it break on the opponent, but the ice spike 
 will also be projected. 

-If Tessa lands suddenly during Jump MP or Jump HP and she is still holding the flask, she will 
 drop it instead of throw it. As it falls, it can still hit the opponent if close enough.

-For all of Tessa's moves that involve her cats, one of two cats will come out depending on the 
 side of the screen she's on. If she's on the left side, Aru (grayish-blue) will attack, while 
 on the right side of the screen Ibun (purple) will come out. No special bonuses depending on 
 which cat comes out like strength boost or speedy hits, for this is all cosmetic. 

-Howl Flapper acts as a light attack that hits high. It will only knock down the opponent if it
 hits as a Counter Impact (opponent can still do an air recovery). 

-Restive Kitten acts like a launcher, allowing Tessa to juggle with another attack. It will also
 launch the opponent for air combos if it hits as a Counter Impact.


Special Techniques
------------------
-There is slight invincibility during the startup of all versions of Dragon's Roar. Each version is 
 invincible to normal attacks only, while actual attack sequence can cancel out projectiles. Initial
 charge also has armor to resist against weak projectiles. 

-Although Jamming Ghost homes onto opponent's location, it does this rather slowly. An opponent
 can easily outmanuever the ghost with a well-timed jump or other evasive manuevers.

-Once Jamming Ghost connects, 4 ghosts will periodically attack in a random manner. Their attacks
 are blockable, but their attack pattern varies.  The ghosts will also try to attack but not commit
 to it if the opponent is attacking. 
 
-There is a slight delay while the ghost materializes during the startup ofJamming Ghost, so if 
 Tessa's hit during this time, the ghost will disappear.

-The cannon during all cannon-related moves will hit the opponent upclose.

-Ice sprite of Glace Cannon can only be blocked low, which happens when it's running along the ground.

-Death Phenomeno will only hit standing or airborne opponents.

-Once Death Phenomeno connects, there is a countdown that indicates when the cat balloons will 
 explode. To ensure all balloons connect, Tessa has to prevent herself from getting hit. In 
 defense, the more the opponent hits and knocks down Tessa, the faster he/she can remove each 
 balloon.

-Might Cannon cannot be blocked. If you try to block it, it will cause a Guard Break automatically.

-Tessa is invincible during startup of Reverie Sword only to phsyical attacks and throws. While Tessa
 has no projectile invincibility, her sword can cancel out projectiles if timed correctly. 

-Fortune Seal can bring good luck or bad fortune to both Tessa and her opponents. Here's a listing of
 the different items and what fortune each can bring.

-----------------------
Good Fortune (Everyone)
-----------------------
Food (Life Up)
Fruit/Drink (Power Up)
Star Rain (Projectiles) 
Feast (Roasted Pig/Turkey Dinner) (Life Up & Power Up)

-------------------------
Good Fortune (Tessa Only)
-------------------------
Iron Body (Attack & Defense Up/Armor)

----------------------
Bad Fortune (Everyone)
----------------------
Poison (Life Down/Defense Down)
Burnt Out (Power Down)
Banana Peel (Dizzy)


------------------------
Bad Fortune (Tessa Only)
------------------------
Paper Doll (Attack & Defense Down) 


-Food will restore a certain amount of life that was lost (piece of cake restoring the smallest amount while pizza restoring 
 the largest). The larger the benefit the shorter the food lasts on the screen. 

-Like Food, Fruit/Drink will add a certain amount of meter into the Super Gauge, with its size generally indicating whether 
 the meter gain be a little or a lot.

-Roasted Pig and Turkey Dinner will restore a character's health and fills the Super Gauge at different amounts (1/2 for 
 Roasted Pig, and about 1/4 for Turkey dinner). They rarely appear (more so Roasted Pig), and when they do they will quickly 
 disappear.

-Star Rain will produce unblockable bursts of energy falling from the sky at random intervals. This is extremely useful for 
 characters that don't have any projectiles of their own. This lasts a short period of time. 

-Iron Body is a Tessa-only item, which grants Tessa special armor, as well as boosts up her offense & defense stats. She can
 take one hit and keep going before her armor replenishes. If she is hit again while her armor's off she will take damage 
 regularly. All hits to her armor results in little damage to her health but no interruption in her current action or attack. 
 The only disadvantages Tessa receives are low jumping height and her guard ability disabled (she can use Ultimate Guard as a 
 substitute).

-Poison is a persistent effect that does damage over a period of time. It also interrupts the victim's attacks (not counted as
 a counter hit), as well as disables guard momentarily when it takes effect. Victims in a gethit state may occasionally recieve 
 poison damage, but the damage will be halved. Damage from Poison varies, while it will not kill the victim even if they have 
 1 pt health left. (effects of Poison, however, will persist as normal)

-Burnt Out, contradictary to its appearance, doesn't deal physical damage. Instead, it affects a victim's Super Gauge, draining
 meter on the spot. Amount of meter lost varies.

-Coming in contact with Banana Peel will cause a character to be dizzy for a certain amount of time, leaving him/her open to
 attacks. While dizzy, you can rapidly press the directional keys and attack buttons to quickly wear off the dizzy effect and 
 gain control to prevent being attacked while open.

-Paper Doll is a Tessa-only item, which renders her in a frail and weakened state. Tessa becomes very light and floaty, which 
 not only throws off her timing to do jump attacks, but also makes her fly back more when hit. Her attack strength is heavily 
 reduced as well as her defense, and guard ability will be disabled (this includes Ultimate Guard). To compensate for her 
 lighter attributes, High Jump will be disabled under the Paper Doll effect. 

-Once Tessa obtains either Star Rain, Iron Body, Posion, or Paper Body, she will be unable to use Fortune Seal until each 
 item's effect is finished.

-Sun Staff item can be acquired through Fortune Seal after making contact with Tessa's regular staff 10 times (blocked or not).
 Once the condition has been met, there will be a 50% chance that the next time Fortune Seal is used, that the Sun Staff 
 item will appear.
 
-Once you pick up the Sun Staff item, Tessa's regular staff will change into the Sun Staff. 

-The Sun Staff item is exempted from the good/bad fortune rule. 

-Upon acquiring Sun Staff, there are a couple of small changes other than the cosmetic look of her staff:

PROS
-Defense ratings go up to normal standards, plus gaining a 10% boost
-LP Basic attacks (Standing, Crouching, Jumping) get a 25% damage increase, and will do block damage
-All basic ice attacks get a 25% damage boost
-Dragon's Roar, Reverie Sword, and all elemental cannons (excluding their projectiles) will gain a 25% damage boost, while 
 Reverie Sword will gain extra invincibility duration
-Vengence Pursue and Celestial Pursue gain a 25% damage boost, while Vengence Purse will now put the enemy in a liedown state
-Stand, crouch, and jump HP attacks, along with all Tricicle Mystic Breaks, become unblockable within the 1st 5 ticks upon 
 activation

CONS
-LP Basic attacks' pushback is greatly increased, making Pop Wand special combo difficult to use 
-After the round has ended, Tessa will start the next round with her regular staff, meaning you have to acquire Sun Staff 
 through Fortune Seal again (default; can be changed in the config.txt)


Mystic Breaks
-------------
-All ice flasks can hit the opponent for minimum damage. On top of that, if they hit the ground or the opponent, a weak ice 
 spike will come out.

-All flasks of the Tricicle Mystic Breaks can hit the opponent twice. Although timing is tricky, if you release the 
 corresponding P just as an ice flask touches the opponent, not only will it break on the opponent, but the ice spike will 
 also be projected.

-Tricicle Blade can be blocked through low guard or a jumping guard.

-Tricicle Hatchete can only be blocked high or while in the air.

-Cannons during Hyper Cannon will hit upclose, while they can neutralize most projectiles.

-Chaos Seal will hit opponents that are between close and medium range. If the opponent is too far, than the seal will not 
 be able to appear under the opponent.

-For the real version of Chaos Seal to activate, the startup (ice geyser) must hit a grounded opponent and Tessa cannont be 
 hit during the startup, or else the opponent will be left frozen for a few moments. On the other hand, airborne opponents
 will be hit by a multi-hitting ice blast that leaves them vulnerable to another attack as they fall to the ground.

-When Chaos Seal hits and the Mystic Magic chaining sequence begins, pressing any buttons will add more elemental attacks to
 cause greater damage.

-During Chaos Seal, if an opponent somehow recovers during the Mystic Magic sequence, the seal underneath the opponent will 
 attempt to hit the opponent with another ice geyser, then teleport underneath the opponent again.

-Chaos Seal chains all Mystic Magic attacks, but will not repeat the same Mystic Magic back-to-back. Mystic Magic will chain
 between Ice, Fire, Ligthning, Poison, and Wind.  The last one, Meteor, will always chain as the final attack -- that is, if
 the opponent isn't killed by any of the other Mystic Magic attacks first. The number of times Mystic Magic will be chained 
 into each other is based on a timer determined by Chaos Seal's level.  Also, if the opponent's health is lower than 75 
 points, Meteor will be the next Mystic Magic attack despite the time left in the timer or number of Mystic Magic attacks that 
 were used beforehand. 

-Note that the seal during Chaos Seal will appear at the opponent's current location upon startup of this Mystic Break; it
 will not home in on moving opponents. Furthermore, since the startup has a slight lag, the opponent can avoid the ice geyser
 either by jumping or simply walking forward!
