Karma

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Add more details, specific effects of karma levels, how to gain/lose karma.

Karma is a fan term for the points system used in Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Mega Man Battle Network 5 that affects how close MegaMan is to embracing the darkness. The amount of karma points determines which abilities are available to the player. Karma goes down by using DarkChip and will go back up by abstaining to use DarkChips. Although DarkChips can still be used in Mega Man Battle Network 6 with the Beast Link Gate, the karma system was removed.

Karma Points

At the start of the game, MegaMan has 500 karma points. This amount can go up or down after every battle, depending on if MegaMan uses a DarkChip or DarkSoul in it. It can go to a maximum of 1000 points or a minimum of 0 points. However, once MegaMan has less than 300 karma points, he will no longer gain karma unless SoulClean is equipped. However, SoulClean is bugged in BN5.

• 1000 points: Good MegaMan
• 500-999 points: Normal MegaMan
• 470-499 points: Slightly Evil MegaMan
• 0-469 points: Evil MegaMan

MegaMan's Appearance

MegaMan's appearance is affected by the number of karma points he has. In Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Mega Man Battle Network 5 for the Game Boy Advance, MegaMan's color palette gradually becomes darker as he loses karma points, and turns a light blue if MegaMan has the maximum of 1000 karma points.

Additionally, in Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS, MegaMan's expression on the bottom screen will change depending on the number of karma points he has, slowly growing twisted as his karma drops.

Appearance based on karma points

0-469 points	470-499 points	500-999 points	1000 points

Good MegaMan

500-1000 Karma points.

• MegaMan is bright in color.
• Can access Base, Full Synchro, Angry, Worried, and Critical State (BN5DS) emotions. When a DarkChip is used, MegaMan stays in an Evil emotion until the battle ends.
• In BN4, DarkChips only appear in Worried emotion but do not appear at all in a NetworkDuel.
• In BN4, when MegaMan steps on a DarkHole, it is removed.
• In BN5 NetworkDuels, DarkChips will not activate if they are attempted to be used. Also, cannot be inflicted with a bug from a DarkChip attack.
• Double Soul system and Chaos Unison system (BN5) (even if in Evil emotion).
• Can use Good-only chips.
• Cannot use Evil-only BattleChips.

Mood

In BN4 and BN5, non-Evil MegaMan can enter the Worried state if you take too much damage without fighting back. There is a hidden "mood" statistic in battle that determines whether you're in Normal emotion or in Worried emotion. It can't go lower than 1, and it's can't go higher than 255 (in BN4) or 254 (in BN5). When your mood value hits 255, you enter Full Synchro emotion.

At the start of every battle, your "mood" is set to a specific value based on your karma:

• If you have 1000 karma, it starts at 190.
• If you have 470-999 karma, the value is calculated from the number of karma points you have:
  • In BN4, it starts at 128 plus your karma points divided by 20 (rounded down).
  • In BN5, it starts at 103 plus your karma points divided by 20 (rounded down).
• If you have 0-469 karma, you're locked into the Evil emotion so mood does nothing anyway.

The mood value goes up when you deal damage with non-dimming chips or Mod Card abilities, and goes down when you take damage. Mood also goes up with recovery from chips and Mod Cards, but requires a non-dimming chip afterwards to enter Full Synchro. Recovery Chip Points:

• Recov10 & Recov30: 30pt
• Recov50 & Recov80: 40pt
• Recov120 to Recov 300: 50pt
• Roll series: 50pt

Once it falls below 65, you enter the Worried state. When you get it to 65 or higher again, you go back to your normal state. Every attack has a "mood damage" value separate from its normal HP damage, so it's hard to tell what your current mood level is.

Multi-hit attack increase your mood value on every hit, so they are an easy way to get to 255. This can be done immediately by scoring a Counter Hit, or racking up enough mood points so that you hit 255. In BN5, however, it's not possible to go into Full Synchro this way, as mood will not go higher than 254. When you fire off an attack while in Full Synchro, your mood value gets reset to 153 in BN4 or to 128 in BN5.

Slightly Evil MegaMan

470-499 Karma points.

• MegaMan is dark in color but still can access Good MegaMan's abilities.
• All the same conditions as Good MegaMan but when MegaMan steps on a HolyPanel, it becomes a neutral panel.

Evil MegaMan

0-469 Karma points.

• MegaMan is black in color.
• Starts battles and can only be Evil emotion.
  • As a result, cannot go into Full Synchro, Angry, or Worried emotions. Also cannot use Double Soul and Chaos Unison.
• In BN4, DarkChips appear in the Custom Screen at the start of battle.
• In BN5, if the Custom Screen has empty slots, DarkChips will appear in the next time it opens.
• When MegaMan steps on a HolyPanel, it becomes a neutral panel.
• Can use Evil-only chips.
• Cannot use Good-only chips.
• Cannot obtain HubBatch in Black Earth 2.
• In BN5DS, Do not get support from Party Battle System team members.
• Once per battle, losing all HP triggers Dark Soul, which makes MegaMan go berserk. Afterwards you get 1 HP again. If you have UnderShirt equipped, it will trigger first; if you get hit again, DarkSoul triggers. While in this state, you have no control over MegaMan; he will move randomly and can use any chip you've used before -- including Good-only chips. You can still send him chips in the Custom Screen, and he will be more likely to use them.

If you just want Evil MegaMan to use in Multiplayer, the quickest way to get one requires only 3 battles, so you will lose only 3 HP. Do the following:

• 1. Use a DarkChip. Your karma become 480.
• 2. Use your DarkSoul. You can do this by using a DarkChip when you are about to die, but without killing the enemy, so you go into Evil mode. Then allow the viruses to kill you and it will activate DarkSoul. After this, your karma becomes 470.
• 3. Use a DarkChip (karma becomes 466) or your DarkSoul (karma becomes 460) depending on how long you want Evil MegaMan to last. You now have Evil MegaMan!

Battle Network 4 BattleChips

Good-only Chips

These chips may only be used when you have 470 to 1000 points.

• GunSol series, including GunSolEX
• Barrier, Barr100 and Barr200
• HolyPanl
• BugFix
• Snctuary
• Regular Navi Chips except LaserMan and ShadeMan
• SP Navi Chips
• DeltaRay
• HolyDrem
• RollArrow series
• GutPnch series
• HawkCut series
• NumbrBl series

Evil-only Chips

These chips may only be used when you have 0 to 469 points.

• Static
• Hole
• Muramasa
• Anubis
• ElemDark
• BlakWing
• DarkLine
• DS Navi Chips
• BugCurse
• BlakBarr
• BugCharg
• DarkNeo Program Advance

DarkChips

DarkChips only appear in the Worried or Evil emotions. Once the DarkChip is selected in battle, it inflicts a bug on MegaMan that lasts until the end of the battle. The 2 DarkChips that appear on your Custom Screen is dependent on your HP.

DarkChip Effects

Name	Attack/Effect	Bug
DrkCanon	(Max HP) - (Current HP). Up to 999 damage.	MegaMan's buster levels becomes 1. Power Attack becomes a Flower buster. In NetworkDuel, this gives the opponent Angry Emotion.
DrkSword	Enemy with the highest current HP. Up to 500 damage.	MegaMan's movement is forced to the frontmost column.
DarkBomb	200 damage	MegaMan's movement is forced to the backmost column.
DrkVulcn	20 damage. 24 shots.	MegaMan becomes confused.
DrkLance	(Enemy with highest max HP)/2. Up to 999 damage.	HP drops during the Custom Screen.
DrkSpred	400 damage.	When MegaMan moves, panel he leaves becomes a Poison Panel.
DrkStage	Cover every panel on your side with Dark Holes, and opponent's side with Poison Panels.	Custom-1; 1 less chip can be chosen in the Custom Screen.
DrkRecov	Recover 1000 HP	HP drops rapidly during battle and during the Custom Screen.

DarkChip Appearance Rate

Name	1-49% HP	50-100% HP
DrkCanon	24/64	0/64
DrkSword	3/64	12/64
DarkBomb	3/64	12/64
DrkVulcn	3/64	12/64
DrkLance	3/64	12/64
DrkSpred	2/64	8/64
DrkStage	2/64	8/64
DrkRecov	24/64	0/64

Battle Network 5 BattleChips

Good-only Chips

These chips may only be used when you have 470 to 1000 points.

• GunDelS series, including GunDelEX
• Barrier, Barr100 and Barr200
• HolyPanl
• BugFix
• Snctuary
• Regular Navi Chips
• SP Navi Chips
• JustcOne
• MetrKnuk
• HolyDrem
• BigHook
• Otenko

Evil-only Chips

These chips may only be used when you have 0 to 469 points. In BN5GBA, these chips can be used by Team Navis but not in BN5DS.

• Static
• Muramasa
• Anubis
• BlakWing
• DS Navi Chips
• BugCurse
• BugCharg

Dark Chips

DarkChips are now part of the normal folder set-up and a folder can only contain 3 DarkChips each.

• When MegaMan uses the DarkChip as is, he'll receive a bug. However, if the chip is used through a Chaos Unison Charge, he will not revive a bug.
• A bug will be given to the enemy MegaMan if they do not have 1000 Karma points.

Changes from Battle Network 4:

• DarkChips now give bugs after the chip is being used instead of simply by selecting them.
• DarkSword has set damage and its bug has been changed.
• DarkLance is now Wood element instead of non-elemental, has set damage, and its bug has been changed.

Name	Attack/Effect	Bug
DrkSword	400 damage.	Give 25% Buster Jam Receive: 50% Buster Jam
DarkTorn	50 damage. Spins 8 times. Range increase every time MegaMan flinches aback in battle. 0 flinch: One tornado 2 panels ahead. 1 flinch: -- shape 1 panel ahead. 2 flinch: -| shape 1 panel ahead. 3 flinch: + shape 1 panel ahead.	Give: Custom Damage Bug every time it’s opened (# of times struck by Tornado x 5HP). Receive: Custom Damage Bug every time it’s opened (100 HP).
DarkCirc	300 damage. Spread over 7 cursors on the opponent's battle field edges. Can hit multiple times with a smaller opponent area.	Give: Custom Damage Bug every time it’s opened (50HP). Receive: Custom Damage Bug every time it’s opened (100 HP).
DarkMetr	100 damage. 12/14/16 meteors. Meteors track enemy down. Breaks panels it lands.	Give: HP drops while Custom Screen is open but slower than the receiver. Receive: HP drops while Custom Screen is open.
DarkThnd	200 damage. Paralyze upon hit.	Give: Custom HP Bug. Receive: Custom HP Bug, but drains faster than the one given.
DrkRecov	Recover 1000 HP.	Receive: Battle HP Bug
DrkSonic	Summons a Dark Tuby. 100 HP Obstacle Paralyzes enemy if they aren't blinking.	Receive: Warp Bug
DarkInvs	Becomes temporary invincible and move and attack like Dark Soul AI.	Receive: Warp Bug
DarkPlus	+50 damage to next chip. Gives temporary Invincible upon use. Will overwrite any other attack boosting effects on that chip.	Receive: Warp Bug
DrkLance	400 damage. Small Pull upon hit.	Receive: Damage Bug: Confusion (every time MegaMan flinches, pushed, or pulled, he becomes confused). Give: Damage Bug: Confusion (every time MegaMan flinches, pushed, or pulled, he becomes confused).
DarkDril	100 damage. Spins 6 times. Small push on each hit. Deals an additional hit when used point blank.	Give: Panel Bug: Poison (25% of making poison panel when moving off a panel). Receive: Panel Bug: Poison (50% of making poison panel when moving off a panel).
DarkWide	300 damage. Continuously goes forward even after hitting something.	Give: 25% Buster Jam. Receive: 50% Buster Jam.

Manipulating Karma

Losing HP

After each battle in which you used DarkChip(s) and/or DarkSoul, you lose 1 HP after the battle, unless you only have 1 HP or it's a multiplayer battle. Additionally, the game keeps track of how many battles you've lost HP in, and after 499 battles, you will not lose any more HP from using DarkChips, permanently. If you have 1 HP already, the battle doesn't count. In other words, if you start at 1000 HP, the lowest you can go is 501.

Maximum HP Values

• Maximum for Good MegaMan: 1000
• Maximum for minimum Evil MegaMan: 997
• Maximum for permanent Evil MegaMan: 836
• Minimum with all HP Memories: 501

Losing Karma

You can lose karma after any battle in which you used DarkChip(s) and/or DarkSoul.

• If you're Normal or Good MegaMan, your karma is instantly knocked down to 480, turning you Tainted.
• If you're Slightly Evil, you lose 10 karma if you activated DarkSoul, or you lose 4 karma if you didn't activate DarkSoul, but did use DarkChips.
• If you're already Evil MegaMan, you will lose 1 karma regardless of what you used.

Gaining Karma

You gain karma by fighting battles without using DarkChips or DarkSoul. Running away increases your karma by just as much as winning the battle does, so it's faster to run from enemies than to fight them if you want to regain your karma.

If you're NOT using SoulClean, here's how it works: if you have less than 300 karma, forget about it. You have a permanent DarkSoul; your karma will no longer increase unless you equip SoulClean. Otherwise, you will gain 1 karma.

If you ARE using SoulClean, you will get 3 karma for every battle that you can't escape 100% of the time. Otherwise you will get 1 karma.

Permanent Evil

Once your karma falls below 300, you can no longer gain karma, and you can do as many "clean" battles as you like without losing your darkness. To get a permanent Evil MegaMan as quickly as possible, follow the regular steps for getting Evil MegaMan, but for step 3 use your DarkSoul. That way you will jump to 460 karma. After that you just need to do 161 consecutive battles, each time using DarkChips or your DarkSoul. Afterwards, you have 299 karma, which is enough for a permanent Dark MegaMan. Your total HP loss amounts to 164, meaning that if you start with 1000 you will end up with 836 HP.

Once you have a permanent Evil MegaMan in BN5, you can take DarkChips out of your folder and use DS Navi chips as much as you want. Do note that having a permanent Dark MegaMan does not prevent you from losing HP by using DarkChips or DarkSoul.

Glitches

• In the Japanese version of MMBN4, If you have to have maxed out mood and you land a Counter Hit with an attack that would have dealt mood damage into Full Synchro, the next Mod Card attack would be multiplied by 1.5x. If it was a multi hit that countered, the next hit from it will be multiplied by 1.5x.
• In the Japanese version of MMBN5 GBA, if you run successfully, any amount of karma you would’ve lost or gained will be doubled.
• Since SoulClean is bugged in MMBN5, it's unpredictable whether you will get the SoulClean bonus or not. It still depends on your HP and the area you are in, but it's completely arbitrary. That said, you have a higher chance of getting the boost if you fight viruses in lategame/postgame areas (Nebula Area works best).
• In the Japanese version of MMBN5 GBA, ShadowMan’s Bakuen fire attack does not reduce mood. Because of this, it can’t remove Full Synchro.