Strategy RPG Catch-All

I played FFTA on a GBA Micro. Micro so small, so convenient. Screen plenty big for that game.

After loving FFTA I hunted down a used copy of Tactics Ogre, but couldn't get into it. I like the job system, and magic.

Loved Jeanne D'Arc on the PSP. A MUST. If murder is what is needed to secure a sequel, pass me the knife.

FFTA2 - Haven't finished, but I'd give it an 8, where the original was a 10. Good game, but so far not as compelling.

I know this is about strategy games on the DS, but if you missed out on Layton you should definitely get it.

nukacola23 wrote:

All this talk of classic GBA tactical RPG's has me itching to go back and finish FFTA and pick up the Tactics Ogre game on the GBA. But before I do, I want to ask what everyone's preferred method of playing GBA games is.

I actually prefer playing on my GBA SP2 than on DS. The cart poking out of the bottom really annoys me, and I just traded in my DS Lite for the DSi anyway. But I hear the screen is better on the Micro, is this true? I've looked on eBay and it seems like the Micro Anniversary edition is selling for about $100.

Nothing pokes out on my fat DS and since my GBA SP broke, that's my only option I've had that DS forever, thing is a BEAST!

Yeah, I love the Phat. I wish they'd release a new version of the Phat (i.e. a semi adult-sized DS). It's going to be fun to have a bunch of cheap strategy games. I have Age of Empires: Mythologies, Civ Rev and FFTA2 are coming. Who will win?

DSGamer wrote:

Yeah, I love the Phat. I wish they'd release a new version of the Phat (i.e. a semi adult-sized DS). It's going to be fun to have a bunch of cheap strategy games. I have Age of Empires: Mythologies, Civ Rev and FFTA2 are coming. Who will win?

That's a strategy overload! Are you really going to try to play those three games simultaneously? Whenever I attempt to do that, good games usually end up on the back burner then eventually forgotten.

EvilDead wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

Yeah, I love the Phat. I wish they'd release a new version of the Phat (i.e. a semi adult-sized DS). It's going to be fun to have a bunch of cheap strategy games. I have Age of Empires: Mythologies, Civ Rev and FFTA2 are coming. Who will win?

That's a strategy overload! Are you really going to try to play those three games simultaneously? Whenever I attempt to do that, good games usually end up on the back burner then eventually forgotten.

No. That's just me building a pile as the games are dirt cheap. I might pass on FFTA2 for a while. I'm still trying to give Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon a chance as well. I'm just not sure what I should start with if I get done with FE.

DSGamer wrote:

What about FFTA2? Is that worth it or is it just more of the same? I dumped over 200 hours into FFTA.

I was just about to tell you that on the one hand it's more of the same, but on the other hand, when the same is that good, why not have more of it? But then I see that you've just bought it, so we're all good!

And as a result of this thread, I've added Panzer Tactics to my Goozex list.

In my opinion FFTA2 is fine from a gameplay view, but the story didn't catch for me as it was just too childish.

garion333 wrote:

In my opinion FFTA2 is fine from a gameplay view, but the story didn't catch for me as it was just too childish.

I heartily concur.

Stories in strat RPGs are like panties. Sure, they might be pretty, but they're just wrapping, and will be forgoten once you get to the meat.

...

...

I'll get my coat.

Wow....

Never have Strat/RPGs been explained so well.

I think, the more I think about it, that that's really the biggest problem with Fire Emblem. The story really isn't the problem, although it is indeed weak. The real problem is that every single map is your mass of guys vs. their mass of guys. The maps are too large and the variety of scenarios just isn't there. So, really, it's the gameplay that's the problem. I want to love it because it's Intelligent Systems, it's Nintendo, it's Fire Emblem. It looks like Fire Emblem. But it isn't Fire Emblem. Not really. Perhaps I should quit Female Doggoing and bail on that for FFTA2 or Age of Empires.

I'm afraid for my reading-time if I ever play Final Fantasy Tactics. Back in the old PS1 days, that game absorbed so much time I shudder to think of it. Is it really so awesome on the DS? My main concern is the density of the menu structures. Plus, I have a DS fat that has so many scratch marks that on these summer days, I can't even see the screen anymore...

docbadwrench wrote:

I'm afraid for my reading-time if I ever play Final Fantasy Tactics. Back in the old PS1 days, that game absorbed so much time I shudder to think of it. Is it really so awesome on the DS? My main concern is the density of the menu structures. Plus, I have a DS fat that has so many scratch marks that on these summer days, I can't even see the screen anymore...

Tactics has killed my evening reading the last few weeks. This is my first exposure to the series so I'm really enjoying it. But the endless cycle of one more mission so I can level up and switch jobs and go to the bazaar and get new weapons and then take them out to try them and then I'm so close to leveling up...and then its 3:00AM.

What's everyone's experience here with SMT: Devil Survivor? I'm heading on a long plane trip in 5 days and I'm debating between taking Devil Survivor, restarting Dragon Quest IX or finally digging into FFT:A2.

I love Devil Survivor. It's a SMT game wrapped around a SRPG. Win.

I've never played Devil Survivor so I can't vouch for it. FFT:A2 has far more than enough meat to last you a trip, if you can get around the saccharine storyline and characters.

I'm back to the SMT: Devil Survivor question. I thought it warranted its own thread to get the attention of people who love this game on its own, but in recognition of the fact that this thread is still here I wanted to link to it and I'm happy to talk about that here and close that thread if people want.

http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/106774

Basically I REALLY want to give SMT a go because of the story. Money is still a bit tight since I started working. So I'd probably be selling DQIX to pick it up.

Updated the catch-all to be more generic. I'd love to hear what people have to say about Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together as its release nears. I really wish this was coming out for the DS or 3DS. I just prefer the clamshell form factor and don't find the PSP portable. So it's very painful that the PSP is getting this (while also having Jeanne D'Arc and the definitive version of Disgaea portable). Oh, and FFT:TWotL.

Is there anything on the DS other than Devil Survivor and FFTA to convince me not to have a wandering eye for the PSP?

RoughneckGeek wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

So it's very painful that the PSP is getting this (while also having Jeanne D'Arc and the definitive version of Disgaea portable). Oh, and FFT:TWotL. :(

Don't forget Wild Arms XF. With the obvious exception of Disgaea it's my favorite SRPG on the PSP.

See, I need more reasons to play SRPGs on the DS, not more reasons to play them on the PSP.

RoughneckGeek wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
RoughneckGeek wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

So it's very painful that the PSP is getting this (while also having Jeanne D'Arc and the definitive version of Disgaea portable). Oh, and FFT:TWotL. :(

Don't forget Wild Arms XF. With the obvious exception of Disgaea it's my favorite SRPG on the PSP.

See, I need more reasons to play SRPGs on the DS, not more reasons to play them on the PSP. :)

When you do cave... just stay away from the PSPGo.

Darn... I'm still doing it wrong.

Already been there and done that. Actually, I really like the PSPGo in theory. I like the idea of a smaller form factor PSP that can be easily carried around and even slipped in your pocket. The problem is that in its implementation the PSPGo falls flat because there are no give to the buttons. They're not normal controller buttons. Same with the DPad.

DSGamer wrote:

I'd love to hear what people have to say about Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together as its release nears.

I'm considering a purchase, though the price of new PSP games bugs the hell out of me. I've never played the original, but I hope it A) is better than the GBA game (prequel?) and B) brings something new to the table. Technically the game was made well before FFT, by the same team, so it might be a step in the wrong direction, unless they took the time to develop some new systems. At the end of the day it's a 16 year old game. So is Chrono Trigger, for the sake of reference. They really need to bring some new things in, but also leave some out.

I've seen one review so far, IGN's. Dude gave it an 8.5. Reviews for these kinds of games don't really do me any good, as I know I like the genre and they rarely go into the kind of detail I need to decide if I like a particular game or not. Each game just hits me as right or doesn't (I'm probably the only SRPG player that can't stand Disgaea).

Blind_Evil wrote:

I've seen one review so far, IGN's. Dude gave it an 8.5. Reviews for these kinds of games don't really do me any good, as I know I like the genre and they rarely go into the kind of detail I need to decide if I like a particular game or not. Each game just hits me as right or doesn't (I'm probably the only SRPG player that can't stand Disgaea).

You're not alone. I wouldn't say I can't stand Disgaea, but I have never been able to get into it. Largely as a function of the fact that the game represents grinding for its own sake. Something akin to a graphical representation of rolling dice and plugging the numbers into spreadsheets on the fun scale for me.

On the other hand, I loved La Pucelle Tactics, so I keep wanting to like that game.

I would wait for reviews on Tactics Ogre. I hunted down the GBA version used years ago, after I loved FFTA. I had a very difficult time getting into Tactics Ogre GBA; it was clearly much more "primitive" than FFTA (or FFT, for that matter), with no shiny coat of Final Fantasy mechanics. For example, there seemed to be very few "spells"; maybe I didn't play far enough into it.

All I'm saying is, the GBA game was really, really unexciting compared to FFTA and Jeanne D'Arc.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I would wait for reviews on Tactics Ogre. I hunted down the GBA version used years ago, after I loved FFTA. I had a very difficult time getting into Tactics Ogre GBA; it was clearly much more "primitive" than FFTA (or FFT, for that matter), with no shiny coat of Final Fantasy mechanics. For example, there seemed to be very few "spells"; maybe I didn't play far enough into it.

All I'm saying is, the GBA game was really, really unexciting compared to FFTA and Jeanne D'Arc.

While I agree about TO: Knights of Lodis being kind of lackluster, I felt it was way better than FFTA. They limited your characters' progress far too often and slowed the series down to a crawl with the change of development teams. The change in tone also bothered me. Normally "kiddie" doesn't do that, but I really liked the (retranslated) tale of political intrigue in the first game.

I recently played about 2 hours of Jeanne D'Arc but couldn't jive with the seeming lack of character customization. It reminded me a little too much of Vandal Hearts or Luminous Arc.

I'm too picky about my SRPGs, really.

Is there character customization in TO:KoL? I could hardly see any classes or spells. Granted, I only put about an hour into it, but it was kind of a shock after FFTA. Does it open up into a gigantic world of customization and crazy classes after that?

Also - there's not as much customization in Jeanne D'Arc. In truth, it's an incredible hybrid between a T/SRPG and a straight up JRPG.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Is there character customization in TO:KoL? I could hardly see any classes or spells. Granted, I only put about an hour into it, but it was kind of a shock after FFTA. Does it open up into a gigantic world of customization and crazy classes after that?

There were 15 or so classes for standard human characters I believe, plus 20-25 special classes for monsters, liches, dragons, etc (I remember liches and dragons in particular because they were so strong).

Definitely less spells than FFT and TA, though. For my money Ogre Battle 64 was the best in the series, but it's not the same kind of game. It's more like a simple RTS mixed with SRPG character building mechanics.

Blind_Evil wrote:

Definitely less spells than FFT and TA, though. For my money Ogre Battle 64 was the best in the series, but it's not the same kind of game. It's more like a simple RTS mixed with SRPG character building mechanics.

Well that's disappointing. I was just coming here to ask if Tactics Ogre was anything like Ogre Battle 64. Are there any SRPGs with a similar formula? I still consider that one of my favorite games ever, which may or may not be nostalgia clouding my judgment. Maybe I'll grab it on the Wii VC sometime and find out.

Dyni wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

Definitely less spells than FFT and TA, though. For my money Ogre Battle 64 was the best in the series, but it's not the same kind of game. It's more like a simple RTS mixed with SRPG character building mechanics.

Well that's disappointing. I was just coming here to ask if Tactics Ogre was anything like Ogre Battle 64. Are there any SRPGs with a similar formula? I still consider that one of my favorite games ever, which may or may not be nostalgia clouding my judgment. Maybe I'll grab it on the Wii VC sometime and find out.

I don't know of any except the original on SNES, which is also on VC. The Tactics Ogre series was a spin-off meant to ape Nintendo's Fire Emblem games IIRC, and FFT is their direct successor (same team and all).

I did pick up Ogre Battle 64 and it is pretty slow-moving for my tastes nowadays, even with the battle speed set to fast. I guess I should turn of battle animations or something.

I do recall the game picking up once you have more units under your command (I remember the variety of character types and difficulty unlocking them being the best part of the game), but I don't think I can tough it out til that point, especially with my ever-expanding pile of things to play.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Also - there's not as much customization in Jeanne D'Arc. In truth, it's an incredible hybrid between a T/SRPG and a straight up JRPG.

I think it has nice cut scenes, but its gameplay is definitely, ah, simple. Not a terrible game at all, but I think it gets more credit than it should nowadays.

garion333 wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

Also - there's not as much customization in Jeanne D'Arc. In truth, it's an incredible hybrid between a T/SRPG and a straight up JRPG.

I think it has nice cut scenes, but its gameplay is definitely, ah, simple. Not a terrible game at all, but I think it gets more credit than it should nowadays.

A bunch of us here belong to a cult in its honor. We are looking for some blood sacrifices, so careful what you say!

...in all seriousness, I'm not sure what it was about that game. I really enjoyed the combat and the story. And the spell unlocking mechanic was totally addictive; Level 5 is really good with those.