On the hunt for a new tactics/strategy RPG

[BORTZ]

Hi there fellow tempers.

I am on the prowl for a good tactics rpg. Here's what I have already played or tried:
Final Fantasy Tactics (PSP) -Tough and I thought it was pretty good
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) - This was the first one I played, and I freaking loved it
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 (NDS) - Not as good as FFTA but still fun, if you disable the laws
Shining Force (GEN) - My first tactics rpg, and my favorite.
Fire Emblem series - I've tried a lot of them, but dont really gel with the idea of perma death
Tactics Ogre (PSP) - Tried it a bit and it seems like it might be a decent romp, but really complex
Disgeae (series) - didn't dig these games at all, just couldn't deal with the humor and way battles work
Front Mission (NDS) - Giant mechs, customization. Loved it. Oddly enough...
Front Mission 3 (PS1) -...I didn't really like this one. I don't know why. I would kill for a FM2089 translation
Devil Survivor (3DS, series) loved the first one, and played about half of the second one. Great games.

So I've been around a bit, and there might be a few I am forgetting, but please, I would love to hear your suggestions.

 

[aqulue]

the latest release for 3ds, Stella Glow looks promising

 

[FAST6191]

If Shining Force plays in this I am not seeing any advance wars/wars franchise in there. And even if it was just an omission I would also say go poke around the hacks ( http://forums.warsworldnews.com/ being a good start). Advance Wars' main rival would be another series called Daisenryaku, not many have English versions but it is also worth a look. For what it is worth I am not a fan of Fire Emblem, though it was never the permadeath that bothered me as much as not being able get into the flow of things/logic of the game, be it the older/simpler ones or the later ones.

Back on the GBA you might also like Onimusha Tactics. Personally I would have said the Final Fantasy Tactics on the GBA was the weakest of the out and out tactics game on the GBA (even compared to Yu-Yu-Hakusho - Tournament Tactics), though several of the others have not aged the best. Move into things like Super Robot Taisen OG1/OG2 and Rebelstar - Tactical Command and though I liked them quite a bit as games if you are trying to be scratching a tactics itch then I am prepared to have the suggestions called into question if I suggested them over FFTA. Yggdra Union did not work for me at all (right at the end of the GBA we got this and Riviera: The Promised Land, neither worked for me which was not the best way to cap off the GBA) but I have been called strange for that and I have no real comeback, grab the PSP version though (the GBA version is fine but the PSP is where it is at). As I have a fairly complete list if you count your post I am probably supposed to mention the lord of the rings turn based game, I like the real time sequels more and if I am going there then I do things like mention CIMA: The Enemy which is very much real time so I will stop there.

Other than advance wars and FFTA2 there was not a lot on the DS if you limit things hard towards tactics. You get stuff like Diamond Trust of London, the guild and such but they are more high level (think drug wars or the main map in total war) than battle, and if I am including those then I have to include Sea Trader Rise of Taipan on the GBA. This said I have not played Drone Tactics enough to really say I have (or at least I can not remember doing so) and there are worse things in the world than the Age of Empires games on the DS, though they are not a tactics/Shining force style game -- they are turn based strategy in the same way Myst is a first person shooter.

I did not do much tactics type gameplay on the PSP but there are a few options that could be worth looking into, seemingly more than the DS.

I appear to be waffling so I will stop there.

 

[BORTZ]

I appear to be waffling so I will stop there.

No, please continue, I insist. I usually can't even pay people to talk to me about tactics games. I have in fact, played 2 of the 4 Advance wars games, 2 and Days of Ruin. DoR was awesome, even if it did sell poorly and take a vast departure from the other 3 games. My issue with those games are how near impossible they get after about 15 missions, unless of course you are a supercomputer. I completely forgot about Onimusha tactics, I think I got to a mission where the battlefield is covered in machine guns and I got torn to shreds, and that's where I put it down. And I did own Age of Empires 2 DS at one point... I forgot about that too. What a strange game that was.

 

[Deleted-236924]

What about Nobunaga's Ambition? At least the Pokémon one that came out a few years ago seems similar to FFT, the other ones might be worth checking out too.

 

[BORTZ]

What about Nobunaga's Ambition? At least the Pokémon one that came out a few years ago seems similar to FFT, the other ones might be worth checking out too.

Shizzz there are a lot that I have forgotten about. NA seemed like a really cool idea, but the more I played it, two things became apparent. The game is far too difficult for a casual pokemon player looking for another pokemon game, and far too simplistic for someone like me looking for a decent strategy/tactics game.

 

[FAST6191]

Continuing with the DS it appears I forgot Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, mixed would be the general response to that and I am not sure where I fall in that one.
You also have things like Hoshigami Remix, a port/remake/slight reworking of a PS1 game called Hoshigami Ruining Blue Earth.

On advance wars then I usually find the key is to remember what you are doing -- I quite often see people get the map dragging on, getting quite a few units out, possibly getting a bit defensive of the units and then not paying attention and putting units in lines of fire and whatever else. I struggle with this for things like Civilisation (which by the way has a truly solid DS entry and probably should be mentioned by itself in this) but seemingly not for Advance Wars. That then means you lose in the mid game/late game and that is no fun at all.

Luminous Arc and the sequel (there is a third Japanese only one as well) have their fans but I am not really one of them, don't let me put you off trying though. They are playable enough but most of the time I sit there thinking I could be doing some Hoshigami or Advance Wars hacks or something. Even further down that path you have Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command, though I would seriously consider the PSP version there instead or one of the many other warhammer games on other platforms (not that I have played many since Warhammer: Dark Omen was new).

If the more resource management stuff did not put you off then you can look to the very dim and distant past and get King of Dragon Pass on the PC, though I hear it is also on android and IOS these days. Speaking of old PC games then Jagged Alliance got a DS remake, it was not good at all though. There are some great computer versions of Settlers and Carcassonne for basically everything (the DS versions do well if you setting up there though).

I never played Hero's Saga Laevatein Tactics or payed any attention to it, most people seem to reckon by the numbers.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is getting a bit off topic (the DS has a bit of a thing for genre blending, though that is no bad thing from where I sit) but was surprisingly fun.

I took a quick look at some lists to make sure there was nothing really obvious I was forgetting, Mage Knight: Destiny's Soldier might be one but it was 2006 when it dropped and there were not many alternatives so I doubt it aged well. I think one of the Atelier games had something but again I would go for the guild or iron master if it finishes getting translated. On the DS it was not translated but other systems do have some Uncharted Waters aka Daikoukai Jidai games.

I suppose to end on a bad note I should mention Pokemon Conquest. It is a crossover between pokemon and Nobunaga's Ambition -- if (Famicom) Wars and Daisenryaku are two of the big names in Japanese strategy games then Nobunaga's Ambition is the king daddy of them all. Alas too many pokefloods and time manning release and hacking sections have left me repulsed by all things pokemon. If pokemon is my first RPG then this is my first strategy game in basically the same way and if my first strategy game is what you are after then it will probably do.

 

[DarkCoffe64]

I know a few more unknow titles that might interest you...
Drone tactics for ds
Mytran wars for psp
These other ones are made by the same team that made Disgaea (I believe), so I dunno if you'd like them or not.
Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger for psp
Phantom Brave for ps2
Makai Kingdom for ps2

I believe I do know some more titles, but right now I don't remember.

 

[Cyan]

Your thread here has the DS Tactical RPG, but most have been suggested already.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/ds-rpg-list.219632/
I played NDS Valkyrie profile recently, it's a short game. But you'll have to play few times to get the good ending (or cheat) so it's fine that it's short.


There's also other tactical RPG from NIS (Nippon Ichi), like La Pucelle (PS1, PSP (with english patch in PSP forum section)), or Phantom Brave (Wii has a remake), Makai Kingdom (PSP remake)

on PSP there are also Wild arms XF, Jeanne D'arc

PS3/X360: Resonance of face (I never played it, so I don't know how much Tactical it has)

 

[Arras]

Since you noted "don't like permadeath" under Fire Emblem, it's worth noting that Awakening and the upcoming game have an option that disables permadeath. If a unit dies in battle, they are just removed from the battlefield and don't die permanently.

 

[emigre]

Certainly different from the stuff you listed.

 

[flame1234]

Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS) - Can set the option for no permadeath
Shining Force 2 (PC or GEN) - It's better than Shining Force if you ask me

 

[Flame]

try Pokemon Conquest if you do the post game stuff... its almost endless.

Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS) - Can set the option for no permadeath
Shining Force 2 (PC or GEN) - It's better than Shining Force if you ask me

also was the name Flame. taken that you had to use flame1234?

 

[Santaros]

Vandal Hearts 1 & 2 [PSX]
Legend of Kartia [aka Rebus & Kartia - the World of Fate] [PSX]
Stella Deus [PS2]
Soul Nomad & The World Eaters [PS2]
Project Monstania [SNES]
UFO Enemy Unknown / Terror From the Deep [PC & PSX]

Personally ploughed plenty of time into all of them, check them out and see what you think.

I'd also highly recommend giving Tactics Ogre another shot, it is pretty solid hard initially but it eases up once you get a bit further in & know what you are doing. Use a guide to get a better idea of what you need to be doing initially if you want to. It really isn't that complicated, not making good use of the skill system is where your probably going wrong at a guess.

 

[Cyan]

*Snip image*
Certainly different from the stuff you listed.

I tested the first game and liked the system, but ... it's sooo hard. Or I'm sooo bad
It's too much realist and I die too often ahah
I think I went up to mission 4 or 5, but I hope I could play it again

 

[weavile001]

If you didn't liked the Perma-death of Fire emblem, just try New mystery of the emblem,Awakening and Fates( when it's released here)
all of them have the ''Casual mode'' which your characters just fade if they reach 0 HP, but will be good as new on the next battle, just like other SRPGs.

 

[BORTZ]

Thank you all for the suggestions! This is way more than I thought I would get.
I do have the Luminous Arc games on my flashcart now that you mention it, I guess I was saving those for some...day. I certainly could try them.

I'd also highly recommend giving Tactics Ogre another shot, it is pretty solid hard initially but it eases up once you get a bit further in & know what you are doing. Use a guide to get a better idea of what you need to be doing initially if you want to. It really isn't that complicated, not making good use of the skill system is where your probably going wrong at a guess.

Sounds like a solid idea, they explain a lot to you in the first few battles, but I seem to get lost somewhere in all the chatter. Also, I should note that I am against anything I cant play on a handheld. Tactics games on a console seems like a really quick way to get tired of them.
For some dumb reason I had kinda forgotten how man tactics games there are one PSP...
Tactics Orge
FFT
Jean D Ach
Wild Arms XF
Blazing Souls
Spectral Souls
Gungnir
Ragnarok Tactics

Maybe I should dust off the ol Vita and see how many of these I can get on the store.

 

[Sakitoshi]

I don't know why you didn't liked Disgaea's battle system if is the one that let you do more things per turn. In fact is the only TRPG that I really like because of that. I can understand that you didn't liked the humor as is like watching an anime so if you aren't a fan those you wont like it.
Look at Makai Kingdom (or Phantom Kingdom on PSP) and Phamtom brave (both in PS2, Wii, PSP) if you want, they are different as you aren't restricted to grids and you can use enviroment elements to attack too.
You can also take a look at Hyperdevotion Noire, though I don't know much about that game aside that is a TRPG.
Last, Stella Glow launched recently on 3DS and has a demo, you can check it out.

 

[GameSystem]

I'm really disappointed in you GBAtemp. How could nobody recommend Lock's Quest for the Nintendo DS?

 

[FAST6191]

Give or take the setup stage (and even there you are still on the clock) it is very much a real time game.