FOE

FOE

The FOE is the signature mechanic of Etrian Odyssey game series. FOEs are strong enemies that appear within the labyrinth and primarily serve as obstacles to be navigated around rather than fought through. They move with the player and continue moving while combat progresses, and are known for barging into encounters to make a situation take a turn for the worse.

Overview

FOEs are displayed in the map screen as a purple circle, with a triangle indicating the direction they are facing. FOEs move with the player as they take steps through the labyrinth. If the party is in combat, for every turn spent in combat, the FOEs move as if the player has taken a step in the labyrinth. FOEs typically patrol set paths, but if they notice the party (indicated by their map icon turning red) their behavior changes; most FOEs will actively start pursuing the party. If they are stunned or otherwise non-responsive, the icon turns grey. If the party is within proximity of an FOE, the encounter warning icon (at the bottom-right of the first-person view screen) will also display a meter that fills up the closer they are to an FOE.

While navigating the labyrinth, each step taken by the party takes action first before all FOEs move together. FOEs cannot overlap, and can obstruct each other if they are moving through tight pathways. If the party moves into the space an FOE is occupying, combat with only that FOE begins immediately, but the party cannot flee if their back is against a wall, as they need to move one space backward to do so. Should they happen to catch an FOE from behind, they can begin the fight with a pre-emptive round, but if the FOE catches the party from behind, it's an automatic blindside.

If an FOE moves into the party's space while they are in combat, they can join the fight as an additional combatant, potentially crowding out other enemies from the fight. Some bosses also use FOEs as additional enemies that complicate the fight, encouraging players to use labyrinth mechanics or other items to keep unwanted intrusions out.

Once an FOE is slain, it disappears from the map until it respawns. In Etrian Odyssey, all FOEs respawn in three in-game days; this respawn timer is lengthened to seven for the rest of the series. All bosses respawn in fourteen in-game days.

In the DS games (and their HD remakes), FOEs are usually depicted as glowing orange orbs, though particularly strong FOEs are depicted in red. Unique rare enemies like Pasarans are depicted as gold orbs with a yellow map icon. Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard introduces a few variants: blue FOEs are airborne and can traverse through walls and over obstacles, while purple FOEs may be visible on the main screen but cannot be seen on the map screen. Bosses are depicted as black orbs, and while most bosses remain stationary, a few select bosses can become aggressive and chase down a party trying to move around them.

In the 3DS games, FOEs and bosses instead use their full 3D model during labyrinth navigation, allowing for room setups that involve multiple different FOEs at once. The FOE noticing the party is also indicated with a "ding" sound. FOE icons also radiate a colored aura that gives a vague estimate of their strength compared to the party. Red auras indicate that the FOE has a great advantage and should be avoided. Yellow auras indicate that the party is roughly on par with the FOE but should still exercise caution. Blue auras indicate the FOE can be defeated easily, though it will not necessarily be a pushover. Bosses will always have a purple aura; some even project a 3x3 purple square around them that indicates that they will engage the party should they even come close.

The 3DS games also revise the FOE mechanics regarding engagement in combat. Rather than the party moving into the space occupied by the FOE, the FOE's icon will partially overlap with the party's own space as they turn to face their enemy. Should the party flee, the FOE will return to its original space, allowing for escape even if the party's back is against a wall. While engaged in combat with an FOE, other FOEs can still join the fight but can only do so from the party's sides and back, capping at a total of four FOEs that the party is engaging. FOEs can join in the front or back enemy lines depending on where they entered the fight from. If a boss with a 3x3 square is fighting the party, the boss's own aggression radius also obstructs other FOEs from entering the fight.

A Rare Breed FOE rewards 5x the normal experience if it is defeated, but does not flee the battle like regular Rare Breed mobs. Instead, the Rare Breed FOE grows increasingly stronger and faster at the beginning of every round, encouraging the player to defeat it quickly or retreat.

Gallery

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  FOE overworld tutorial from Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan
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  FOE threat aura tutorial from Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan
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  FOE proximity alert tutorial from Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

Trivia

• The FOE is an abbreviation with different meanings depending on language and game:
  • Field-On Enemy in Japanese releases
  • Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens in US releases (directly translated as "Executing a Fearsome Attack" from Latin)
  • Foedus Obrepit Errabundus in European releases (directly translated as "The Wandering Covenant that Sneaks Up" from Latin)
  • Fysis Oikein Eidolon in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (directly translated as "Living Phantom Shape" from Latin)
  • Film Obscurité Etendue in Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (directly translated as "Film Extensive Darkness" from French)
• FOEs were made memetic by the F.O.E. music video by IOSYS, gaining a reputation of turning up in unexpected places at the worst possible times. The Ragelope is similarly infamous, being the first FOE any player is likely to encounter, leading to an unceremonious death at the hands of an aggressive deer. Even on another wiki, F.O.E.!