What RPG are you playing right now?

[Ack]

And now I'm playing Albion, a delightful German RPG about a pilot who crashlands on a supposedly desert planet marked for stripmining by the corporation he works for, only to discover it's teeming with life, including a new intelligent species.

[opa]

I'm currently in the middle of Lord of the Rings: Tactics for the PSP; a turn-based strategy game solely for Tolkien enthusiasts.

I have not played other strategy games quite like this one. Your units' movement and attack sequences are in two separate stages. Both you and the enemy choose where you'd like your units to go. After the movement phase resolves, you begin to select your attacks or actions based upon where your units landed. It makes you think more tactically than other games where the real "strategy" is throw your tank up front and let them mow everything down while absorbing hits. Also, units can be stopped in their movement if they get flanked by an enemy. This can be incredibly inconvenient if a unit is about dead and you need him to flee.

So far I am enjoying the game but it is a tad grindy. Missions are selected on a map screen so you aren't forced to move on if your units still need to level up and gain additional skills. I think I've played the mines of Moria stage 15 times just grinding for gold and experience. It's actually kind of funny because Frodo can often crit the Balrog for 50 points of damage (often landing the killing blow).

I like this version of the story:
"You shall not pass!"
*Balrog glares menacingly, taking one step forward*
Frodo, taking up a stone, casts a mighty throw towards the fiend of Morgoth. The Balrog, unable to deal with the might of Hobbit-rage collapses on the bridge.

[opa]

Hey bone. This is happening.

ys_msdos.png (48.22 KiB) Viewed 4463 times

[BoneSnapDeez]

I don't even wanna tell you how long I've been looking for a physical copy of that.

[opa]

It would be awesome to own but I can think of plenty of other things to spend a thousand dollars on. lol
I'm fine with the download.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I thought you were joking until I checked recent eBay listings. lmao, I've lost interest.

I do own the Windows Ys (Ys Eternal), along with its sequel. They're probably my two favorite gaming collectibles.

[opa]

Is there some tree in Ys that you're supposed to talk to? A few villagers keep mentioning it. I've bumped into quite a few trees and nothing.

[BoneSnapDeez]

There are a couple. Look for a solitary tree.

This may be a time sensitive thing and you're doing it too early. Every version of Ys is a little different. Do you have a "roda seed" yet to "use" on a tree? That should be found in the mines, assuming the DOS version of Ys is like all others.

[opa]

I don't have the seed yet although I have started going into the mines. I will check it out. Thanks!

Edit - found the seed and had a heart-to-bark chat with the trees.

[BoneSnapDeez]

You might wanna consult a walkthrough at some point if this is your first time playing the game, btw. Ys is like Zelda in that you really need most every item to proceed and if you miss something you're stuck for awhile.