Relationships

Relationships (Japanese: 関係 Kankei; Relationship) are a game mechanic in Miitopia.

Description
Relationships are the basis of the chance-based and situational Assist skills the party members can perform, most of them allowing further advantage in battle. Relationships are formed between two Mii characters, though the Nintendo Switch version also allows them to bond with the horse. There are two types of relationships, which are friendship and quarrel. A friendship will provide a variety of advantageous Assists, while a quarrel will disable those Assists and limit the relationship skills to the quarrel types, which tend to be disadvantageous.

Guest party members can not form relationships with the playable party, so certain support skills performed will not affect friendship and skills that increase hate will not edge a Mii closer to quarrels.

Friendship
A friendship type of relationship uses a level system to determine how close a Mii is to another (or with the horse). Leveling up friendship depends on filling up a heart meter with relationship EXP from certain actions. If the meter is full, the relationship will level up. Friendship requires a fixed amount of 5 relationship EXP per level up, though this value is never shown in a numeric form to the player. The following table lists the sources of relationship EXP.

Friendship is first represented with a thin yellow arrow, but as the relationship level grows, the arrow becomes larger and gradually changes color to orange, then to red, then pink.

Titles
Every relationship level up is accompanied by a title depending on the friendship level. These titles are only flavor text to note how close a pair of Mii characters are. The titles and their respective relationship level range (in brackets) are:
 * Acquainted (2-3)
 * Maybe sort of likes (4-5)
 * Sort of likes (6-7)
 * Probably likes (8-9)
 * Likes (10-11)
 * Likes a bit (12-13)
 * Likes a lot (14-15)
 * Really likes (16-17)
 * Cares about (18-19)
 * Close (20-21)
 * Cozy (22-23)
 * Affectionate (24-25)
 * Attached (26-27)
 * Harmonious (28-29)
 * BFFs (30-31)
 * Loyal (32-33)
 * Devoted (34-35)
 * Confidants (36-37)
 * Like peas in a pod (38-39)
 * Thick as thieves (40-41)
 * Joined at the hip (42-43)
 * Kindred spirits (44-45)
 * Friendsplosion (46-47)
 * Together forever (48-49)
 * Soul mates (50-99)

Assists
For the list of Horse Assists, see Horse.

Upon reaching a certain relationship level, a new Assist is unlocked. Assists are shared between the bonded Mii characters of sufficient relationship level and will not activate if the party member involved is not in the battle party. Assists are disabled if the involved Mii characters get into quarrels, requiring relationship repair to restore the ability to use those skills once more. The following table lists all the relationship skills.

Quarrel
A quarrel type of relationship is when a Mii hates his/her teammate. This is caused by an also unseen value internally referred to as "hate EXP." Similar to the relationship EXP, hate is increased from certain actions, but unlike friendship, a Mii's hate counter is separate from the teammate(s) said Mii has problems with and there is no visual indicator of the quarrel progress. Typically, actions that cause hate will give out 1 hate EXP, except for most of the "Quarrel" map event scenarios where 5 hate EXP is given instead. If 3 hate EXP is reached, the relationship turns into quarrel.

During a quarrel, any relationship skill already learned by the quarreling Mii towards his/her hated teammate will be disabled. In exchange, the quarreling Mii has a chance of activating one of the five (six if two-sided) quarrel skills depending on the situation. This relationship also affects certain job skills' performance as well, like a Warrior using Proud Protector refusing to defend any teammate he/she is quarreling against. In addition, any support skills that would give relationship EXP will not do so if used by a quarreling Mii against the hated teammate.

A quarreling Mii is also distinguished by having a blue relationship arrow towards the hated teammate, and even the relationship meter takes this theme instead of the pink heart.

Reducing the quarrel meter can be done in many ways:
 * Rooming quarreling Mii characters together at the inn (provided both of them do not catch a cold).
 * Performing support skills/assists that are normally used to increase friendship on the quarreling Mii.
 * Playing out the "Repair" inn event.
 * In the Nintendo Switch version only, using Outing Tickets will reduce the meter.

The meter's full amount starts at 3 and most actions that can repair it will reduce it by 1. If it is reduced to nothing, the relationship is repaired and the hate EXP counter is reset to 0. A "Repair" inn event will always empty the quarrel meter(s). In battle, the Pop Star's Love & Peace can also repair quarrels altogether, but only if the user is not the one quarreling, as it can not target the user.

Quarrels can be one-sided or two-sided, due to the hate counter not being shared between Mii characters. In a one-sided quarrel, the hated teammate can still perform support skills normally and certain assists on the quarreling Mii, thus can potentially help reduce the quarrel meter. A two-sided quarrel is when a pair of party members hate each other, which limits further options to reduce the quarrel meter because both end up barred from using any assist towards each other in addition to sharing the same consequences of quarrels on certain job skills. This kind of quarrel also has a chance of activating the Trouble fight skill. However, a "Repair" inn event involving two-sided quarrels will always empty both Mii characters' quarrel meters regardless of the amount each Mii has.

In Miitopia: Casting Call
Relationships of both types, as well as the assists, are depicted in Miitopia: Casting Call.

In "Chosen Ones", the Cat assists the Warrior with Lend a Hand to attack the Dark Lord together. Afterwards, the Cat praises the Warrior, making the latter gleeful.

"Camaraderie" is where relationships are the main highlight. The movie centers around the relationship between the Mage and the Cleric. Through a few map and inn events, their relationship level grows, first to level 2, then to 10, then eventually 15. In a battle against a Rock Moth, this closeness is represented by the Cleric assisting the Mage with Lend a Hand to attack and defeat it together. Quarrels are also depicted in this movie as a result of the Mage's jealousy over the Present event involving the Warrior and the Cleric. It then turns two-sided when an "Irritation" event, depicted with the Mage knocking the Cleric over to a puddle, takes place. Though it does not take place in a battle, they manage to activate Trouble and brawl on the spot. Later, when the Mage gets ambushed by a Kind Golem, the Cleric steps in and performs Sacrifice to take the hit. After the Cleric is knocked out, the Mage performs Avenge and casts lightning on the Kind Golem.

In "Venture Forth", the only relationship mechanic depicted is when the Mage's hate towards the Cat is increased from the side effect of the latter's Spite status.

Trivia

 * The Western versions of the Nintendo 3DS version depict hate increase with a dust cloud symbol, while Japan uses the cross-popping veins. This is reverted in the Nintendo Switch version to follow the Japanese version.