Tensei Brave how to avoid battles is simpler than in most JRPGs: enemies stand on the dungeon map as visible sprites, and a fight only starts when you walk into one.
Tensei Brave how to avoid battles: how an encounter starts
The game ships in the symbol encounter style. Inside a dungeon the enemies are drawn on the map as visible sprites, the fight starts when you walk into one, and a fight is skipped simply by not touching the enemy symbol.
The world map screen adds a second layer of control. It has an エンカウント方式 (encounter method) switch with two settings, シンボル (Symbol) and ランダム (Random), and it is changed right there on the map.
Walking past a fight
- Look at the floor before you step. Enemy sprites are visible, so a fight is a choice rather than an ambush.
- Keep your route clear of them, and do not walk into a sprite that is standing on the path you need.
- If the world map encounter setting is not what you want, change it before you travel.
- If a fight starts anyway, leave it from the battle screen instead of finishing it.
Changing the encounter method on the world map
The help box on the world map screen lists the controls: W or S to pick the map, A or S to pick the encounter setting without needing Enter, and Enter to confirm. Setting the method and picking the destination are separate steps on that screen, so switch the method first and choose where to go afterwards.
Ending a fight you did not want
Two options leave a battle without a win. The 逃げる[N] (Flee) hotkey on the bottom row of the battle screen ends the fight, and the 降参 (Surrender) button at the end of the party column does the same, without the experience a victory gives. Both cost you the fight, so fleeing is only worth it when the walk around is longer than the battle.
When you would rather win the fight and take the experience from it, the combat guide covers the commands, the hotkeys and what a defeat actually costs you.
When a fight is not the only thing that starts
Contact is not the only way to trigger a scene. Enemies and your own companions can seduce you inside the dungeon, outside of any battle, so careful walking is not a guarantee that nothing happens at all.
And when a route stays shut no matter how carefully you walk it, the reason is usually a missing companion ability rather than a fight you failed to avoid. The unlock blocked areas guide covers what each recruited heroine opens up and which routes are still waiting on one.