Comments on: What I Think I Like

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:23:30 +0000

Langrisser/Warsong (Genesis) was another one of those games you can only play if you’re unemployed, although the complexity level was relatively sane (I never did figure out all those different units in FFT/FFTA/Ogre Battle). I keep thinking that Growlanser will be more like Vanguard Bandits/Epica Stella, but I can’t be sure.

By: Heironymus Merkin

Heironymus Merkin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:33:18 +0000

*cough* don’t mind me, just making a second plug…even if there’s a .05% chance esteban will even come back to this particular post, AND has not already tried this.
The PC version of Nectaris is a lot different than the console versions. Most different things are good, but the little buggies now shoot annoying pew-pew lasers instead of rockets. They used to be my favorites but the sound alone keeps me from using them now. Blargh!
Anyway, two new planets to explore (for a total of 96 single-player missions), the two new planets have new units, including sea-based! (Similar to their land counterparts, but with different stats, so combat between one and the other isn’t a straight 1-1 mirror match). About 20 multiplayer maps that support up to four CPUs/players. And the AI in the map actually fights one another like real humans would, as opposed to gangbanging you right out the gate. Also some classic units had their stats beneficially adjusted, and a few of the old ‘EX’ maps had unit loadout changed slightly.
There’s also a simplistic map editor.

Only cons: May or may not need DOSbox. Graphics are a slight bit cartoonish when compared to the original. Brighter and with slightly enlarged vehicle parts.

By: esteban

esteban — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:47:34 +0000

If you enjoyed Advance Wars, then there is a chance you might enjoy the Nectaris / Military Madness series. Well, I’m being generous by calling it a series, since many installments are a rehash of the original game with new maps.

Personally, I find Nectaris to be the superior of the two series because of its emphasis on pure strategy (terrain effects, surrounding your enemy for advantage, etc.) as opposed to managing resources. I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that .

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:41:57 +0000

Ohhh…. Trin, you are evil. I didn’t need to know this addictive game existed!

By: Trin

Trin — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 06:13:50 +0000

Did you ever try Dice Wars when it was being linked by many?
http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/dice/dice.html
That addictive little game (which I’m afraid to even open longer than to provide the link) took the strategy game and boiled it down to its most basic elements – building your armies and flinging them against your enemies hoping the odds are with you in your numbers to conquer the map – so that a single game could be played in a matter of minutes. You never had to worry about whether you remembered what was going on if you left for a few days or weeks, because the game really was that simple. But you could never play just once.

It seems to me that the greater barrier to entry into the genres we once treasured is the time commitment of staying with it often and consistent enough to see it to the end. The semi-conscious awareness that I now lack that staying power [and time] is likely what makes me shudder to pick up the controller even when I know I am so close to the end. Or even worse, shuddering before I even peel off the seals on the game itself.

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:43:39 +0000

I played through Fire Emblem once despite some annoyances with the tactical system. The thing that killed most of the people I lost was them being too good. If they could kill enemy soldiers with a single hit, enemies would swarm them. One would advance on the poor skillful hero. He would hit him (or her) for a few measly points. Then my hero would strike him down in a single awesome blow. This would free up the space in front of the hero. Repeat until hero is wittled down to nothing. I probably wouldn’t have finished the game except I had made good progress in it, then I drove from Austin, TX to my little town in Oregon with my fiance and it was all I had with me.

Maybe I should try advance wars.

By: arixey

arixey — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 03:17:28 +0000

I bought a used Phantom Brave a year or two ago after so many recommendations about Atlus strategy games. I played for a rainy weekend afternoon and that was enough for me. It feels to me like Japanese RPGs, and especially Japanese strategy RPGs, seem to relish in making things complex just for the sake of complexity. I just want to move little pieces around a map and make them hit each other; the Japanese games want me to move a piece around a map next to a guy with the same color hair who is a friend of mine, know the enemy’s astrological sign, spin around three times, level up my weapon, say “please”, look up three different icons in the manual, hope I’m on the correct terrain, and THEN hit the enemy only to find out that my little guy has the wrong blood type…rendering all attacks useless.

What I played of Advance Wars, I liked. I didn’t need to have a spreadsheet open to play the game, and didn’t have to worry about much more than moving little guys around a map and making them hit each other. I should pick it up some day…