Relationship
Heroes develop personal relationships with each other. These relationships can result from events and can also arise or change without the player's input. Relationships have 5 possible levels, and heroes deepen their relationships by fighting battles and performing other tasks together.
Relationship types
There are three standard relationship types that each grant unique combat bonuses. These bonuses become stronger as the respective relationship deepens.
Friends
Friendship is indicated by the silhouette of a head and shoulders in the lower corner of the hero portrait.
- Level 1 - Crony - +10 block chance when walling with this hero.
- Level 2 - Confidant - +15 block chance when walling with this hero.
- Level 3 - Comrade - +20 block chance when walling with this hero.
- Level 4 - Companion - +25 block chance when walling with this hero.
- Level 5 - Bloodbond - +30 block chance when walling with this hero.
Note that while the description says "walling", only adjacency is required. Heroes in grayplane cannot wall but still provide the Got Your Back bonus.
Lovers
Romance is indicated by a small heart in the lower corner of the hero portrait.
- Level 1 - Crush - +1 damage against enemies who attack this hero, until end of mission.
- Level 2 - Flame - +2 damage against enemies who attack this hero, until end of mission.
- Level 3 - Sweetheart - +3 damage against enemies who attack this hero, until end of mission.
- Level 4 - Lover - +4 damage against enemies who attack this hero, until end of mission.
- Level 5 - Soulmate - +5 damage against enemies who attack this hero, until end of mission.
Romances can start randomly if each hero is attracted to the other's gender, neither hero is already in a romance (including locked legacy romances), and the heroes have compatible personalities and are close in age. Whether a hero is attracted to male or female characters is determined when the hero is generated but can be changed by the player at any time.
A romantic relationship can be locked so that heroes who are brought back as Legacy heroes will immediately enter into a romance again.
The damage increase is shown as Lover's Vengeance when damaging an enemy who attacked the hero's lover. Lover's Vengeance is activated even if the lover blocked or dodged the attack.
Lover's Vengeance does not increase true damage such as Splinterskin, Ice Shield, Talon Dive, Indignance. Lover's Vengeance works with most effects that deal damage such as regular attacks, Shard Skin, Broadswipes, Tongue Whip+, Dreadscythe & Flare-axe broadswipes.
Rivals
Watch this! Rivalry is indicated by a small lightning bolt in the lower corner of the hero portrait.
- Level 1 - Peer - When your rival stunts, you get +25% to stunt, until you successfully stunt (does not chain).
- Level 2 - Irritant - When your rival stunts, you get +35% to stunt, until you successfully stunt (does not chain).
- Level 3 - Frenemy - When your rival stunts, you get +45% to stunt, until you successfully stunt (does not chain).
- Level 4 - Antagonist - When your rival stunts, you get +55% to stunt, until you successfully stunt (does not chain).
- Level 5 - Rival - When your rival stunts, you get +100% to stunt, until you successfully stunt (guaranteed stunt vs single target) (does not chain).
Rivalries can start randomly if neither hero is already in a rivalry (including locked legacy rivalries) and the heroes have incompatible personalities.
A rivalry can be locked so that if you bring the heroes back as Legacy heroes, they will immediately enter into a rivalry again.
Family
Two heroes can be family members, such as parent and child. Family membership is a special type of relationship that does not replace the standard relationships; two family members can also be friends or rivals, although they cannot be lovers. Family relationships do not have any combat effects but are referenced in many events. Also, family members will not be selected for opportunities together.
Compatibility
The relationship between two heroes is influenced by how compatible their personalities are. Compatible heroes (+4 or higher) tend to become lovers, while incompatible heroes (-2 or lower) tend to become rivals. In addition, heroes who are either highly compatible or highly incompatible deepen their relationship more rapidly. In the diagram to the right, blue lines indicate compatibility while orange lines indicate incompatibility. In addition, a personality trait is always compatible with itself. Only personality traits that score 50 or higher are considered for compatibility.
Specifically, the compatibility score between heroes A and B is determined by looking at each personality stat that hero A has at rating 50 or higher. For each stat that hero B has at 50+ that is compatible with (or the same as) hero A's stat, add 1 to the compatibility score. For each stat that hero B has at 50+ that is incompatible with hero A's stat, subtract 1 from the compatibility score.
Relationship Points
Heroes deepen their relationships by earning relationship points. Relationship points accrue when heroes fight in battles together and perform jobs together. Events can also grant relationship points.
Levels
Relationships advance in level at the following relationship point thresholds:
| Level | Relationship Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 20 |
| 2 | 60 |
| 3 | 120 |
| 4 | 200 |
| 5 | 300 |
Charisma and fascination
More charismatic heroes gain relationship points faster. Additionally, heroes who have either compatible or incompatible personality traits find each other fascinating and also gain relationship points more rapidly. The total multiplier arising from these two effects ranges from 0.33 to 3 and is given by the following calculation:
multiplier = charisma_mod * fascination charisma_mod = 0.5 + (hero1.charisma + hero2.charisma)/200 fascination = 1 + abs(compatibility_score)/3 clamp: 0.33 ≤ multiplier ≤ 3
Here, compatibility_score is the compatibility score given above.
