Dark Soul

This section is under construction.

The information may not be complete or 100% accurate.

Dark Soul, or ABD (オートバトルデータ Auto Battle Data), is an AI entity in Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Mega Man Battle Network 5 that moves on its own and utilize the BattleChips that the player have used throughout the entire game. This is also related to Karma.

Although DarkInvs can still be used in Mega Man Battle Network 6 with the Beast Link Gate, it merely calls from a pool of selected preset chips rather than use a Dark Soul chip system.

In the Legacy Collection, Cannon, MiniBomb, and DarkSword (BN4)/AirShot (BN5) will fill in the chip usage slots for Dark Soul before it has registered 3 Standard chips. (still under research)

Mega Man Battle Network 4

The Dark Soul AI will be used for the following:

• MegaManDS: In addition to its own attacks, it will use BattleChips the player has used in the save. It will copy MegaMan's HP, buster Attack stat, buster Speed stat, and certain Programs. The MegaBuster and Power Attack will also change if MegaMan has Patch Cards.
• DS Navis: In addition to their own attacks, they will use player chips just like Dark Soul. They will also copy certain Programs. The DS Navis’ HP and attack power will be dependent of MegaMan’s HP before any customizations.
• Free Tournament: As the AI is dependent on the other player, in addition to their own attacks, they will use the chips of the player who sent it. They will also copy that player's HP and certain Programs at the time of sending the Navi.
• Dark Double Soul: If MegaMan is Evil emotion and he was to be deleted, he will become 1 HP and go into this berserk state instead. He is still prone to AntiRecv as that chip reduces the HP instantly instead of damaging them.
  • In this game, if MegaMan is hit with a multi-hit dimming chip into deletion, Dark Double Soul won’t trigger.

Even Good-only and Evil-only chips will be recorded, even if they poof in battle. They both can also be used by Dark Soul in battle.

The less chips have been used in the playthrough, the more narrowed down the chip pool will be.

• The AI will use the chips you used the most: Top 16 Standard/Dark (except DrkVulcn), Top 5 Mega/DrkVulcn, Top 1 Giga, and Top 1 Program Advance.
• DrkVulcn is considered as a Mega Chip by the game.

Copied Abilities

• Dark Soul will copy MegaMan’s current Buster stats.
• Dark Soul will copy the following Programs: SuperArmor, FirstBarrier, FloatShoes (except WoodManDS), UnderShirt.
• The following Patch Card abilities will be copied: any First Barrier#/LifeAura, AllGuard.
  • Only MegaManDS will receive the following modifications: any Buster Patch, any Charge Shot Switch, any Panel Change, any Weapon Change
• If MegaMan has any bugs, they will be copied as well, but only the following will appear in battle: Battle HP Bug, Player Bug (LV1 only)
  • Only MegaManDS will display the following bugs: Buster Bug, Panel Bug
  • While the bugs are copied but not shown to be affected, they will still matter for the Static BattleChip’s extended range.
• The player’s Karma is stored in the Navi as well. This will affect in Free Tournament, where ProtoMan will do attacks depending on the opponent’s Karma.

Chip Blacklist

Dark Soul will keep track of nearly every chip and Program Advance you used in the game (even in NetworkDuel), but there are some exceptions. The AI will not use these following chips and Program Advances:

Standard	Mega	Giga	PA
LifeSync SloGauge FstGauge ColorPt CopyDmg Atk+10 Navi+20	Atk+30 BugFix DblPoint FullCust BugChain PrixPowr	Duo	GigaCan3 H-Burst MagShok1 MagShok2 MagShok3 BodyGrd PoisPhar P.Driver

Mega Man Battle Network 5

The Dark Soul AI will be used for the following:

• DarkMegaMan and DS Navis: In addition to their own attacks, it will use BattleChips the player has used in the save. DarkMegaMan’s HP will always be set, but DS Navis’ HP and attack power will be dependent of MegaMan’s HP before any customizations.
  • Copied Abilities: Unlike MMBN4, these Navis do not copy MegaMan's abilities, except for DarkMegaΩ. He will copy MegaMan’s Attack and Speed Buster stats, AirShoes, and FloatShoes.
• Dark Double Soul & DarkInvis: If MegaMan is Evil emotion and he was to be deleted, he will become 1 HP and go into this berserk state instead. DarkInvis works similarly with a timed duration of invincibility and using chips. He is still prone to AntiRecv as that chip reduces the HP instantly instead of damaging them.
  • As a change from the previous game, if MegaMan is hit with a multi-hit dimming chip into deletion, Dark Double Soul will still trigger.
• Chaos Unison: If a Chaos Unison B PowerAttack is released at green, a Dark Soul will be summoned on the opponent's side. The Dark Soul cannot be summoned if enemy doesn't have any open panels (this includes all hole panels). They are considered as an obstacle on the field, so they can occupy panels and will interact with chips such as the ElecReel and SpaceShake series.
  • Dark Soul actually has 500 HP when it is summoned. While they are invincible, they can be deleted if they trigger AntiRecovery.
  • In the JP version, if a LifeSync is used during a virus battle on a Dark Soul, all of their ally viruses’ HPs will become Dark Soul’s current HP. In the NA/EU version, LifeSync will target Dark Soul but HPs will not be altered.

Even Good-only and Evil-only chips will be recorded, even if they poof in battle. They both can also be used by Dark Soul in battle.

The less chips have been used in the playthrough, the more narrowed down the chip pool will be.

• The AI will use the chips you used the most: Top 3 Dark, Top 24 Standard, Top 5 Mega, Top 1 Giga, and Top 1 Program Advance.
• In MMBN5DS, the use of Dark Chips by the AI has been toned down.

Chip Blacklist

Dark Soul will keep track of nearly every chip and Program Advance you used in the game (even in NetworkDuel), but there are some exceptions. The AI will not use these following chips and Program Advances: (In MMBN5, no PA is excepted)

Standard	Mega	Giga	Dark
CactBal series ElemRage Quake series Katana series DrilArm series Skully series AqWhirl series Astroid series SpShake2 SpShake3 Voltz series RainyDay SloGauge FstGauge CopyDmg LifeSync Attck+10 Navi+20 ColorPt	NumbrBl Poltrgst BugFix FullCust Attck+30 DblPoint NapalmMan series MagnetMan series Meddy series Colonel series ToadMan series BlizzardMan series CloudMan series CosmoMan series LarkMan series GridMan series Django series Otenko LeadRaid	DethPhnx Phoenix ChaosLrd	DarkInvs DarkPlus DrkSonic

Operation Battle

When DarkInvs is used in Operation Battle, it will use chips from the current chosen folder. Chips can be slot in during the Dark Soul period, but the Navi will not instantly use them. They will all be used once the Dark Soul ends.

Glitches

• In both MMBN4 and MMBN5, a combo system where the AI would recognize a specific chain of chips then stored (top 8 combos) was planned and coded in. However it is bugged and it doesn't work as it should. Due to this, MegaMan would detect this behavior as failure, only moving to a random panel then randomly picks to use the buster or a chip. If it picks a chip, it will attempt the combo again and won’t try to use a new chip until it has failed 5 times.

Battle Network 4

• Disappearing Dark Soul HP glitch
• Dark Double Soul Off Field glitch

Battle Network 5

• Dark Double Soul Off Field glitch
• Zero HP Field Screen glitch
• AntiDamage Dark Soul quirk

Trivia

• Due to the potential of abuse in MMBN5 via Dark Double Soul and Chaos Unison failed B PowerAttacks, Capcom has set up multiple Dark Soul restrictions in the official Capcom tournaments. The development team has noted that the idea of the system is just a look at the player’s battle history, competitive players training ABD in such a way was unprecedented.
• In a NetworkDuel, the dimming chip of Dark Soul can be cut in to. As since it’s technically a different entity than MegaMan, it will execute its dimming chip in a chain even after MegaMan gets deleted.