Status effect

Status effects are statuses that effect the behavior of both players and enemies. They have a wide range from effects, such as dealing damage over time or damaging a character when it attacks.

Positives/Negatives of Status Effects

Curse:

+ Causes a fair amount of damage any time a monster attempts to use any ability, attack OR healing
+ allows you to inflict mild damage when shielded
- doesn't make it easier to dodge/block attacks
- only extremely useful against monsters who don't pause/wait after attacking once.
* situation: healers that are protected by mobs or anything else, e.g. Danger Rooms, Arenas and Royal Jelly.

Fire:

+ inflicts strong damage over time without you needing to attack
+ allows you to run away from a monster instead of shielding attacks
- like curse, it doesn't make it easier to dodge/block attack
- becomes a lot less useful in situations with two or more healers
- Immediately extinguished by any freeze effect
- ignites Oilers
* situation: damaging large mobs and monsters that are hard to deal with at close range, e.g. deconstruction zones and gun puppies. Also great for melting Ice Jellies.

Freeze:

+ immobilizes monsters, preventing them from moving and making them vulnerable to attacks from the side or rear
+ Gives the player time to recover or charge up attacks
+ if the status is allowed to wear out without the monster being attacked, the monster will take significant damage
- Status will be interrupted by any source of damage, in which case monster will not take any extra damage from the freeze itself
- waiting for ice damage is time-consuming
* situation: small areas with large mobs; dodging enemies

Poison:

+ stops monsters from being able to recover HP, making dealing with healers a lot easier.
+ lowers attack and defense of poisoned monsters, making them slightly easier to kill and slightly less of a threat
+ Monster will be damaged if any other monster attempts to heal them
- like fire and curse, doesn't make attacks easier to dodge, block or run away from
- doesn't directly deal extra damage; you still have to attack normally for poison to make a huge difference to the fight
* situation: areas where healers aren't easy to kill immediately, and where you are facing a large number of attacks 
at once or monsters that hit hard

Shock:

+ interrupts attacks and movement
+ When taking damage from shock, monster's defense is briefly but significantly lowered.
+ can be passed from one enemy to another, potentially inflicting a large group at the same time
+ If multiple monsters are suffering from shock near each other, additional area-effect damage will be caused to them and all monsters near them; inflicting shock on a large group simultaneously will cause TREMENDOUS amounts of damage to the entire group
- against a single foe the DoT from shock is weak
- supercharges Quicksilvers
* situation: small mob numbers tightly bunched together; useful in most normal rooms of normal levels (not Arenas/Danger Rooms etc)

Sleep:

+ completely pacifies and immobilizes enemies for a short amount of time
- monsters are healed a significant amount while inflicted with sleep
- attacking the monster causes them to immediately wake up.
- currently vials are the only method for players to inflict sleep
* situation: Only useful against enemies that have not yet spotted the player and haven't taken any damage for the sleep status to heal; IE hard-to-reach gun puppies.

Stun:

+ significantly slows monsters' movement speed and attack speed, meaning you can attack more and shield less
- you can still be attacked by stunned monsters, and will take full damage
- incredibly short duration severely limits its use.
* situation: places where enemies attack rapidly, or against enemies that move faster than your weapon can keep up with. 
Spookats, dodgers like Alpha Wolvers and Devilites, Gun Puppies.