New Genesis: Photon Sensitive Effect
PSE (Photon Sensitive Effect) is a mechanic that only appears in Combat Sectors. It is represented by a meter that appears beside the minimap which shows the current level of the PSE. The gauge has 5 segments, filling it to full activates a PSE Burst which allows you to kill large spawns of mobs around the location,earning large amounts of N-Meseta and drops.
PSE Gauge
To activate a PSE Burst, you need to fill the PSE Gauge, seen on the picture on the right. The gauge has 5 segments, and it will increase and decrease as you kill enemies.
The chance for the gauge to increase is always 10% for each enemy killed, but the chance for it to decrease is 5% if you are killing enemies around a yellow E marker, or those that are a target as part of a Trial. Any other enemies have a 10% chance to decrease the gauge when they are killed. After the gauge either increases or decreases, there is a 5 second grace period where the gauge will not increase or decrease.
The current gauge level affects enemy spawns, increasing chance for them to spawn as Silvered/Golden or as Megalotix.
You can fill the gauge to 4 by normal means. To activate PSE Burst, you need to clear a Trial while the gauge is at 4 to fill the last segment. However, if the final enemy of the trial happens to decrease the gauge, no PSE Burst will occur. The opposite effect applies as well - if the last enemy fills up the gauge, a PSE Burst will occur.
There are things however that affect the gauge outside of that as well. Clearing a Chaos Trial increases the gauge by 1 at the clear/failure of the second trial, so long as one of them has been cleared. During Storm-type weather the gauge will be locked at 4.
There is a pity system as well. The game checks if the following two conditions have not occurred within 5 min:
- The Room Host, the currently oldest person in the room to whom all enemies synchronize to, has not left,
- PSE Burst Climax has not occurred.
If the conditions are met, the game will not decrease the PSE Gauge, allowing for an easier time to get a PSE Burst.
PSE Burst
When the gauge reaches 5/5, PSE Burst occurs. This will create a rainbow E marker at the spot where the last Trial was cleared. Around this marked spot, large amounts of enemies will spawn with high chance of them being Rare/Megalotix.
A maximum amount of 2000 enemies can spawn from a PSE Burst. Should the limit be reached, no more enemies will spawn in. A PSE Burst will last for 90 seconds (with exception of Neusen Plant which lasts 100 seconds).
There are some conditions however which will force a PSE Burst even if Gauge is not 5/5:
- Completion of a Co-Op Trial with Aina and Manon
- Completion of "Radical Repossession" Trial.
Should they happen, a PSE Burst will occur regardless of the current gauge.
PSE Burst Climax
After the duration for the PSE Burst expires, a boss will spawn, which will be guaranteed to be either Rare or a Megalotix. Killing it ends the PSE Burst, reverting the Gauge back to 0, unless a PSE Burst Encore occurs. All other enemies that had not been killed after Climax Boss is killed will despawn shortly if they are not killed.
PSE Burst Encore
This mechanic activates with 20% probablity, once per Burst. Should an Encore occur, the entire PSE Burst is restarted with a new 90-100 second timer. The amount of enemies remains the same, so should you kill 700 enemies in the original burst, this means encore can only spawn 1300 more enemies assuming timer doesn't hit 0 beforehand. Once timer hits 0 again, Climax occurs as normal.
However, should the PSE Gauge drop three times in any given room session, a PSE Encore Boost marker will appear near the gauge. This doubles the odds of a PSE Encore occuring to 40%. This can be stacked once, and should the Encore occur, the marker will disappear and has to be regained.
PSE Burst ʄ (Forte)
A PSE Burst ʄ (Forte) is a rare variant of Burst, happening with 10% probability. This forces all enemies to spawn as either Golden or Megalotix during the Burst. During the PSE Burst Climax, a boss will also be either of the two forms.
Should a Encore occur after a Forte, it will always be a PSE Burst Encore ʄ (Forte). However, a Forte can occur after a regular PSE Burst triggers an Encore with a 10% chance.
