Holy hell this game. What a fight. Haven't actually beaten it but I came so close, after having recovered from a major screw up halfway through.
That said, the invncible lady who arrives is pretty cheap. And impossible to plan for unless you have played the level before - one of my guys got fucked cause I left him in the area she arrives at. And then most of my team got wiped out by her in like one turn (this is what I was able to recover from).
Does this game ever become more than just a puzzle game? By that I mean, it seems like there's a fairly narrow sequence of moves you can do to achieve victory and the point is to keep trying until you figure out how to "solve" the battle. It doesn't feel very tactical. I'm only a few hours in though.
Eh, I don't think random enemies is what the game needed, it needed AI that played to actively win, rather than rest on it's laurels and attempt to defend for 20 turns.
So, I beat the game. It's a lot of fun, even on the standard difficulty. Some of the later missions drag a bit, but other than that it's a wholly enjoyable game. They did a good job with the credit sequence - it is no afterthought.
I'm particularly pleased that the game answered one of the Big Questions posed throughout the journey.
Who is Irene Koller, author of the Gallian Front?
If only they had answered some of the other questions..
Who exactly is the Old Gentleman is the most prominent, but Yaeger and even Drill Instructor beckoned for a more prominent role in the future.
From the stuff established throughout and how it ends, they seem to have perfectly set up the franchise for a prequel or two, near and far. Very sad that this never happened.
Just such a poorly designed mission. I guess they just couldn't figure out how to incorporate the "theme" of running away from a tank properly. Maybe if there were more intercepting enemies?
Just such a poorly designed mission. I guess they just couldn't figure out how to incorporate the "theme" of running away from a tank properly. Maybe if there were more intercepting enemies?
I think there's no real way to salvage the mission just because of how the game is designed - As in, in the final game, moving your army's CP cost scales with your army size. It's probably one of those things where a mission concept got unfortunately negatively affected by iterative balance/design changes but the mission was already in the game, assets/programming and all so they just gave it bare minimum token enemies and called it a day.
There are missions where enemy reinforcements arrive from "off-screen" so they'll appear out of nowhere. IIRC the mission briefings give some degree of warning when it will happen.
Then again I completely lucked out during chapter
seven
when it happened. If I had gone with my "take the high ground" strategy the entire mission would've been a wash.
Here's an odd question. I played it originally when it first came out and didn't beat it. I'm curious what chapter I was on and how many there are in total.
The chapter I was stuck on
I remember it being a big city, with train tracks and you had to stop a train in the distance on another set of tracks.
Here's an odd question. I played it originally when it first came out and didn't beat it. I'm curious what chapter I was on and how many there are in total.
The chapter I was stuck on
I remember it being a big city, with train tracks and you had to stop a train in the distance on another set of tracks.
Anyone have any idea if it's possible to change the UI/text to Japanese? I know officially the game doesn't support it but neither did FF13/13-2 and someone released a patcher for them..
Well, reaction fire is still more powerful than in the console version, which just means that you have to plan better. One problem would be the big trenches on Naggiar where you can drive your tanks in, but barely out. Not that you need to, but it's a bother no less.
All in all the game is good playable with 60 fps though.
Well, reaction fire is still more powerful than in the console version, which just means that you have to plan better. One problem would be the big trenches on Naggiar where you can drive your tanks in, but barely out. Not that you need to, but it's a bother no less.
All in all the game is good playable with 60 fps though.
Thanks, it sounds manageable enough. I'm guessing the reaction fire buff works both ways. I remember reading some impressions where the tank had issues with inclines. Do you have to wiggle your way out of trenches or something?
Thanks, it sounds manageable enough. I'm guessing the reaction fire buff works both ways. I remember reading some impressions where the tank had issues with inclines. Do you have to wiggle your way out of trenches or something?
Yep, the inception fire works both ways. Makes Shocks more useful.
And well, the Shamrock can wiggle her way out, but the Edelweiss just has big trouble getting out of it. I never managed it.
Anyone have a video or more advanced guide for how that trick to kill all three Batomys radiators at once works? My infantry mortars can't muster up the splash to hit all of them at once - And even then it's barely any damage, and the Edelweiss mortars don't do jack to them at all. Are orders involved in this?
This game can be so hilarious sometimes. I line up a one hit kill on an enemy tank and my shot just goes flying to the right haha. Same with sniper fire.
Anyone have a video or more advanced guide for how that trick to kill all three Batomys radiators at once works? My infantry mortars can't muster up the splash to hit all of them at once - And even then it's barely any damage, and the Edelweiss mortars don't do jack to them at all. Are orders involved in this?
This game can be so hilarious sometimes. I line up a one hit kill on an enemy tank and my shot just goes flying to the right haha. Same with sniper fire.
I found myself fighting the urge to treat my Lancers like place kickers and "bench" them when they shanked too many shots. I was getting seriously superstitious past chapter 8, lol.
Psssh, in the original XCOM, the last sectoid came out of a hut. Entire squad opened fire, the hut was entirely demolished and the Sectoid was still there.
Shocktroopers are much better for defensive purposes during enemy phases and are a little meatier for punching through defended positions that happen to be within their movement range.
Scouts make way for the shocktroopers to steamroll through. You really only need one or two shocktroopers per battle because the first turn or two will be for scouts.
I found myself fighting the urge to treat my Lancers like place kickers and "bench" them when they shanked too many shots. I was getting seriously superstitious past chapter 8, lol.
Scouts make way for the shocktroopers to steamroll through. You really only need one or two shocktroopers per battle because the first turn or two will be for scouts.
Lol I havent been playing right then. I havent used scouts the whole way through - rely on Shocktroopers entirely.
Three more missions to go until the game is over. Tried and failed twice on the mission I'm on - but I have some ideas. I would try using scouts but they are under leveled - less than 11.
Ah well. 3 missions to go, I'll just power through.
I just did a 70 minute or so stream of the game; I had the PS3 version set up for visiting family to play and it got me in the mood to finally start a PC playthrough. Recording of tonight's play is here: http://www.hitbox.tv/video/362014
It's about as goofy as you expect someone who doesn't really remember the maps at all trying to complete them in as few turns as possible anyway.
Haha same. For example, Largo sucks, but Elyse and Jann are my champs.
Lol I havent been playing right then. I havent used scouts the whole way through - rely on Shocktroopers entirely.
Three more missions to go until the game is over. Tried and failed twice on the mission I'm on - but I have some ideas. I would try using scouts but they are under leveled - less than 11.
Ah well. 3 missions to go, I'll just power through.
That's exactly who I settled on! I only break Largo out when I need the extra CP, Capt. Bancho there can ride pine with his Darcsen-hating ass, and Beatnik Boy always flubs his game-winning shots.
Shocktroopers are much better for defensive purposes during enemy phases and are a little meatier for punching through defended positions that happen to be within their movement range.
Scouts make way for the shocktroopers to steamroll through. You really only need one or two shocktroopers per battle because the first turn or two will be for scouts.
I guess my problem was thinking shocktroopers would be the core of my army, so, at first, I put like 4 of them in the battle, only to see my 2 scouts and snipers destroy everyone. Chapter 15 battle 2 right now!
I've got a problem. When I first met the Old Gentleman, he offered to teach me Retreat for some 6,000 EXP, which was more than I had, so I declined. I declined the second time he offered as well. Now I'm on chapter 7 and every other time I've visited him, he says he can't remember any orders to teach me. Did I break the old man?
So, I beat the game. It's a lot of fun, even on the standard difficulty. Some of the later missions drag a bit, but other than that it's a wholly enjoyable game. They did a good job with the credit sequence - it is no afterthought.
I'm particularly pleased that the game answered one of the Big Questions posed throughout the journey.
I've got a problem. When I first met the Old Gentleman, he offered to teach me Retreat for some 6,000 EXP, which was more than I had, so I declined. I declined the second time he offered as well. Now I'm on chapter 7 and every other time I've visited him, he says he can't remember any orders to teach me. Did I break the old man?
I guess my problem was thinking shocktroopers would be the core of my army, so, at first, I put like 4 of them in the battle, only to see my 2 scouts and snipers destroy everyone. Chapter 15 battle 2 right now!
That was my first thought after playing this game for the first time years ago. Directly controlling your character's turns really felt like an evolutionary step for the genre, and I hoped it would inspire other games to build on this style of play. FFT would be a perfect fit.
Heh, as a followup to my post earlier in the thread about scratching that itch I am 99% close to getting NAtURAL DOCtRINE just after new years because I hate myself and want to suffer.
edit: for the lazy: It's a similar first-person-tactics thingoo but ridiculously unforgiving set in a more fantasy universe.