Introduction

Though 7th Stand User is a fairly orthodox RPG, there are a couple of unique mechanics that set it apart, listed below.

Special Features
Recovery

Like most RPGs, this game features a number of 'inns' where your party can recover. However, due to the 50 day time limit that's imposed after a certain event in-game, these have to be used sparingly. As a result, managing your stock of money and recovery items becomes of utmost importance.

There are a couple different types of items found in-game: Other ways to recover include restaurants, where you can buy food items that can't be carried in the inventory, or using healing techniques, which are only available to a small handful of party members.
 * Food items, which recover a large amount, but cannot be used in battle.
 * Drinks, which recover much less, but can be used in battle.
 * Medicine, which recovers a lot and can be used in battle, but is expensive and very hard to find in shops.

Range

In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, each Stand has a 'range' attribute limiting the distance at which they can manifest. In 7th Stand User, each Stand and many attack moves also have individual ranges:
 * Short-range (S) attacks have the highest power output, but do little damage to enemies that are far away.
 * Mid-range (M) attacks have a reliable damage output regardless of range.
 * Long-range (L) attacks have the lowest power output, but can hit enemies at any range.

For example, attacking an enemy at long range with a short-range attack will do nearly no damage at all. Attacking an enemy at short range with a long-range attack will damage them, but will consume much more SP and won't do nearly as much damage as a short-range attack on the same enemy.

Equipment & Tactics

Equipment is of much less importance than in most RPGs, with more emphasis placed on experience level and strategy. However, there is one slot where you can equip items, and another where you can change 'battle-tactics'. Equipment is somewhat self-explanatory, but tactics are a bit different - they let you focus your stats on offense or defense by giving a boost to one stat and a debuff to another. Both of these are managed through the Radio (activated with the Shift key).

Only the player character's equipment and tactics can be changed - those of the other party members are locked. The only exception is a secret piece of equipment only obtainable by beating the game many times; when this item is equipped, its benefits are also given to all other party members.

Stats

Every Stand has a total of six stats that determine their effectiveness in battle: HP, SP, Power, Durability, Spirit, and Speed.

HP: Hit points. Determines how many hits you can take before being incapacitated. Once they reach zero, you're knocked out. Increased by Experience Tablet. The Stand with the highest HP stat in the game is Silver Chariot at 944 without boosts; all playable Stands have a maximum HP stat of 600 without boosts.

SP: Spirit points. Determines how many skills you can use. Each skill costs a certain amount of SP to use, and if you don't have enough, you can't use the skill until you restore your SP. Increased by Echoesterol. The Stand with the highest SP stat in the game is Hermit Purple at 944 without boosts; the playable Stands with the highest SP stats are Sonic Youth and Wildhearts at 600 each without boosts.

Power: Determines the damage inflicted with physical attacks. Stands that use the Power stat for offense are typically close-range attackers, like Star Platinum and Specials, but some, like Wildhearts, are long-range. Increased by Crazy DX. The Stand with the highest Power stat in the game is Red Garland at 245 without boosts.

Durability: Determines the damage taken from physical attacks. This encompasses physical enemy Stands such as Murderdolls and physical enemy types such as zombies. Increased by Foo Fightalin. The Stand with the highest Durability stat in the game is Mr. Big at 202 without boosts.

Spirit: Determines the damage inflicted with non-physical attacks and the damage taken from non-physical attacks. For damage taken, this encompasses exclusively enemy Stands that attack at a range, such as Shocking Blue. Stands that use the Spirit stat for offense are typically non-contact attackers that fight outside of close range, like Miracles, Ocean Blue, and Hierophant Green. Increased by Darbitol. The Stands with the highest Spirit stats in the game are Magician's Red and The Fool at 476 each without boosts; the playable Stand with the highest Spirit stat is Sonic Youth at 355 without boosts.

Speed: Determines the turn order in battle; the higher your Speed, the earlier you move in a turn. Increased by Starplatodine. The Stand with the highest Speed stat in the game is Silver Chariot with its armor removed, at 512 without boosts; the playable Stand with the highest Speed stat is The Joykiller at 486 without boosts.

Immaterial and Material Stands

This game has two types of enemies - material and immaterial. Regular enemies as well as certain Stands can be damaged by all attacks, but immaterial Stands, which appear semi-transparent in battle, will be unaffected by physical attacks like Caravan's guns or dynamite. Many bosses work in tandem with their Stand, and disappear once the other is defeated, allowing the player to choose which one to focus their attacks on.

The Brainstorm Command

Many story battles and even a handful of optional bosses unlock a special command which disappears after the battle: Brainstorm. If successful, the command will play a scene, ending the battle. However, ending the battle this way will not yield EXP, money, or items, and most of the time, it causes the story to proceed according original manga without alterations. Use it at your discretion depending on the level of challenge that you prefer.

Time

The trip to Egypt has a time limit of 50 days. If day 50 is passed, the quest is failed and the game ends. Staying in a hotel will cause one day to pass, and if no inns are ever used over the course of the game, you will be at day 26 by the time you reach the final area. If you've used inns too many times and are in danger of passing the time limit, there are ways to mitigate this.
 * 1) In certain areas, the character Deviant may appear when you've reached a high day count. If you pay him, he will use his Stand Inner Days to rewind time by about ten days.
 * 2) At level 30, a user of the Stand Napalm Death will learn the Time Bomb skill, which can only be used outside of battle. This will reverse the timer all the way to day 1, but in exchange, your level will decrease by 30.
 * 3) If you found the Bizarre Memo item in Japan, writing the word 'Kira' in it and then checking the item will initiate an optional boss battle against the character Yoshikage Kira from Diamond is Unbreakable. The fight is extremely difficult and shouldn't be attempted if you aren't a high level, but winning it will cause Kira to activate Killer Queen Bites the Dust, which will return the timer to day 1.

Your Party

Once you reach the Harbor, the ability to walk around town with one of your teammates is unlocked. You can only have one with you at a time, and talking to certain NPCs or entering certain areas with a party member in town can unlock short events that raise FP and occasionally unlock useful items.

Once you leave an area, you can't go back

Due to the story setting and the hurried nature of the journey to Egypt, 7th Stand User lacks a world map. This means that once you've left a town for the next destination, you're barred from it for the rest of the game and locking you out of any optional events you might have triggered there. As many of these events give FP bonuses and sometimes even have an effect on the course of the story, it's recommended that you check each locale thoroughly before departure.

FP and its effect on the story

There are two ways of raising FP (Friendship Points) in 7th Stand User: activating an event involving that party member, or defeating bosses with them. If you have a high enough friendship with your party members, you may unlock choices during story events that allow departure from the original manga.

In addition, FP is a large deciding factor in which of the many endings you'll receive at the end of the game, and the key to unlocking post-game content.