June, 2020, Together Retro - Strategy RPGs!

[prfsnl_gmr]

I may be a day late...but nothing about SRPGs is ever short. Here’s Markies’ description for this month’s Together Retro:

Strategy RPG's

Let's look at a niche genre inside of an already thought of niche genre. Strategy RPG's are the thinkier version of RPG's. They are normally longer with battles lasting close to hours. The stories are more about war instead of the normal RPG tropes. They also have more options. For a strict list, here is one for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Tactical_role-playing_video_games

Have fun!

[Nemoide]

I was thinking about playing Disgaea this month, but it feels like I've been punishing myself too much lately with long/difficult games. Last time I played that game I enjoyed it, but it also kind of kicked my ass regularly.

So instead I'm playing a game that's been on my backlog for over 15 years: Blazing Heroes (aka Mystaria: Realms of Lore aka Riglord Saga) for the Sega Saturn!
I got this game for free from a friend in high school. I've started it a few times but always got extremely turned off by the extremely ugly graphics. But this time around I'm actually HAVING FUN WITH IT. I'm still early in the game, but I've gotten to the world map and I'm pretty sure that's farther than I've ever gotten before!
It's also the only Microcabin game I've played; I don't really know what their reputation is like, but I've occasionally encountered their name while reading about other games (usually on platforms I don't have, like PC-98 or 3DO).

[BoneSnapDeez]

Microcabin is one of my favorite developers ever. The Xak games are extremely good if you like Ys formula at all. Xak I & II (PCE CD) is one of the best things I've ever played, and it definitely has a top-10 soundtrack.

Lucienne's Quest is a cute lil JRPG with some interesting early 3D graphics. Just as fun, if not more, than many of the PSX classics.

A huge chunk of their library is inaccessible if you don't know Japanese. Overall, I'd recommend Xak I/II/III, Fray in Magical Adventure, Lucienne's Quest, Guardian War, and the aforementioned Mystaria.

[marurun]

Mystaria/Blazing Heroes was mechanically a very solid game. Microcabin had great systems programmers, even though their mastery of the Saturn's graphics hardware was pretty poor and their artists bad at 3D. I never beat the game, but I enjoyed the crap out of what I played. It felt manageable and accessible and fun. It's really too bad that it is just so damn ugly.

[Markies]

I hope everybody enjoys my other Month and play some good SRPG's. They are incredibly long, but I love them so much as well.

I was thinking about playing Disgaea this month, but it feels like I've been punishing myself too much lately with long/difficult games. Last time I played that game I enjoyed it, but it also kind of kicked my ass regularly.

Disgaea is a great game series. You need to do some grinding to get further in the game, so don't forget to spend some time just doing battles whenever you can.

I have way too many SRPG's to replay that it would take me years to finish them all.

I could play new ones as well such as Ogre Battle 64, Growlanser: Heritage of War, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love, Stella Deus or even GrimGrimoire, though I might consider that one a straight strategy game.

However, since I just beat the Arc The Lad collection last month, I think I'm going to hold off.

[alienjesus]

I’m already half way through an SRPG for My summer games challenge, so I’ll probably start off this month my finishing that off - it’s Fire Emblem 4, for Super Famicom.

I also have a modded Game Gear on order, along with a copy of Crystal Warriors, so I might also try to get through that one this month too.

[pook99]

Blazing heroes is a game I havent thought about in about 25 years, I remember playing it on the saturn and enjoying it, but can't really remember anything about the gameplay.

I definitely want to play an SRPG this month, I was planning on shining force 2 but that game just didnt do it for me, I'm not sure what to play but some options:

1) Langrisser (switch, remake of my all time favorite strategy game)
2)Langrisser 4 (ps1) translated sequel, i have been meaning to play this for a long time
3) Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
4) Onimusha Tactics
5) Mercenaries saga (switch, I played one on the collection, it was very good)
6) Vagrant Story (ps1)

[alienjesus]

There were a lot of votes to play SRPGs, but I'm not seeing a lot of SRPGs being played 10 days into the month!

Anyone else started one yet?

[PartridgeSenpai]

Got through the first mission of FE: Mystery of the Emblem today (wasn't really in the mood for SRPG stuffs today). It's a really weird experience for someone like me who's way more familiar with GBA-era FE and onward. Having so much less info available to the player (the chance to hit and stuff like that being way harder to read is certainly unwelcome) and all the menus being way clunkier is certainly a lot to get used to, but that's what save states on my SFC Mini are for

I don't really see myself finishing this game, as I tend to lose interest in console FE games after a dozen or so missions even at the best of times, but we'll see. I probably won't finish it this month, but I very well may get at least far enough to see the end of the Shadow Dragon arc~

[pook99]

I have so many good SRPG's I want to play but I dont know if I will be able to have time to play any. Trying to put together a high school graduation in the midst of a pandemic is extremely time consuming so probably not the best time to get into such a time consuming genre.