Uncomplicated Strat/Rpgs(Turn-Based)?

[FieryReign]

Shining Force is one of my alltime favorite games and a true classic. And it's a mash of genres I'm not really fond of. Rpgs and strategy games. Boring to me, for the most part. This game and a few others grabbed me though. Vandal Hearts is another that was memorable and addicting. They didn't overcomplicate shit with the battle systems and whatnot, while still remaining fun.

Can't stand the FF Tactics games or all those Disgea things. Too overwhelming for me.

I've been interested in Jeanne de Arc, Arc the Lad, and Saiyuki and thought about picking them up on psn. Are these games more simplistic in nature or do they need faqs to be studied? Any other recommendations?

[Steven]

Try an English translated version of Treasure Hunter G for SNES. Awesome little strategy turn based RPG that's one of my favorites.

[celerystalker]

Dragon Force really simplifies things, and is really fun. I also love Ogre Battle. It can be played using its complex systems in order to get the best endings, but you can also chuck all that out the window and have a great time plowing through it not caring about alignment.

I don't know if there's an english patch, but I had a blast with Langrisser Milennium on Dreamcast, which has a very streamlined system as well.

[Scissors]

I've played through Arc the Lad 1 and 2 and I don't recall them being too complicated. I think Vanguard Bandits was pretty simple too.

[tofu]

I'd recommend Advance Wars. Just ignore the battle ratings and it can get super simple (big tanks pulverize most stuff).

If you are a perv, there is also Sengoku Rance.

[Daria]

Shining Force is one of my alltime favorite games and a true classic. And it's a mash of genres I'm not really fond of. Rpgs and strategy games. Boring to me, for the most part. This game and a few others grabbed me though. Vandal Hearts is another that was memorable and addicting. They didn't overcomplicate shit with the battle systems and whatnot, while still remaining fun.

Can't stand the FF Tactics games or all those Disgea things. Too overwhelming for me.

I've been interested in Jeanne de Arc, Arc the Lad, and Saiyuki and thought about picking them up on psn. Are these games more simplistic in nature or do they need faqs to be studied? Any other recommendations?

I'm not a big fan of strategy games either, but Shining Force is one of my favorite titles. I also loved Vandal Hearts but hate FFT and it's various clones. With that in mind you'd probably love Ard the Lad (especially 2). If you're not opposed to fan translated games, also check out Just Breed. It plays eeriely like Shining Force despite being an NES title from Enix.

[Edmond Dantes]

If you have a Turbografx or are willing to emulate, try out Military Madness, which supposedly is the inspiration for Advance Wars (I've played MM but not AW).

There's also a Playstation version called Nectaris: Military Madness, but I'm not sure if its the same game or not.

[Scissors]

If you have a Turbografx or are willing to emulate, try out Military Madness, which supposedly is the inspiration for Advance Wars (I've played MM but not AW).

There's also a Playstation version called Nectaris: Military Madness, but I'm not sure if its the same game or not.

The PlayStation version has all the levels from the TG16 game and a bunch more.

[Tanooki]

I don't remember Military Madness (TG16 or Windows 9X version) being complicated, but also the old original Ogre Battle isn't either. I'm awful at these games as scripted AI just messes with me when you can't make any good decision, just the right one the coder wanted, and throwing in only indirect commands and no direct fire control is a bad combo.

I would say though if you did Ogre Battle there's a badass PDF online of the Atlus made PS1 copy cat of the game guide online. I've got the original but found out about it because of that PDF. Sure it's a cheat, but if you only use it if you get stuck, or if a lot of the stupid technical crap is over your head, it makes it understandable.

[Steven]

I also love Ogre Battle. It can be played using its complex systems in order to get the best endings, but you can also chuck all that out the window and have a great time plowing through it not caring about alignment.

I bought the SNES version of Ogre Battle last year but haven't played it yet due to fear it may be overly complicated. I do intend to play it one of these days and your post is leaning me toward sooner rather than later (since you said it can also be played plowing through).

Never been a strategy RPG guy so this genre can overwhelm me personally. I did love Shining Force though!

[Tanooki]

Same here, like I said find a PDF of that guide Atlus did for the straight SNES port to PS1. It will help a lot especially if you're no good at this style of game, and he's right you're not forced to deal with alignment.

[Steven]

I have a physical guide for Ogre Battle. Think it's the one by Prima.

[celerystalker]

I have a physical guide for Ogre Battle. Think it's the one by Prima.

I have that one. However, I know from reading RVGFanatic that you love you some magazines, and Nintendo Power did a bunch of great strategy features on it in Epic Center. If I remember right, the issue with Tetris Attack on the cover had one on how to get the most evil ending, and the... maybe Stargate? issue had another detailed one. I'll have to double check.

I didn't play it for years after I got Ogre Battle, as it looked overwhelming. However, I played through the japanese Neo Geo Pocket Color game first, as that was an excuse to ignore all of the micromanaging options and just play, and I fell in love with the actual gameplay, which made me way more receptive to understanding the deeper stuff later in english, as the "how to play" was second nature by then. If you ignore all of the alignment and reputation stuff and just beef up your favorite units to hammer your enemies, you'll find a super fun play, and you'll probably want to explore its systems a little by the end.

[Steven]

I have that one. However, I know from reading RVGFanatic that you love you some magazines, and Nintendo Power did a bunch of great strategy features on it in Epic Center. If I remember right, the issue with Tetris Attack on the cover had one on how to get the most evil ending, and the... maybe Stargate? issue had another detailed one. I'll have to double check.

I didn't play it for years after I got Ogre Battle, as it looked overwhelming. However, I played through the japanese Neo Geo Pocket Color game first, as that was an excuse to ignore all of the micromanaging options and just play, and I fell in love with the actual gameplay, which made me way more receptive to understanding the deeper stuff later in english, as the "how to play" was second nature by then. If you ignore all of the alignment and reputation stuff and just beef up your favorite units to hammer your enemies, you'll find a super fun play, and you'll probably want to explore its systems a little by the end.

Sweet, thanks for the tips! And yeah I have those NP issues so I'll be sure to dig them up.

On a side note, how are these SNES strategy RPGs?

Front Mission
Bahamut Lagoon
Tactics Ogre
Gemfire
Romance Kingdom series
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (if it counts)

[Edmond Dantes]

Gemfire
Romance Kingdom series
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (if it counts)

IIRC Uncharted Waters is sort of like Pirates but more RPG-ish.

Gemfire and Romance are practically the same, just one is in a fantasy kingdom and the other is in ancient China. The first few Romance games look complicated but actually aren't. They probably get more complicated around part four but I can't say for sure. I do know the PS2 installments are practically unplayable, but the 16-bit ones should be fine.

[Emperor Megas]

The first few Romance games look complicated but actually aren't. They probably get more complicated around part four but I can't say for sure. I do know the PS2 installments are practically unplayableThis made me laugh!

[Tanooki]

This is that good Ogre Battle guide -- http://www.amazon.com/Ogre-Battle-Official-Solutions-Strategy/dp/0761512241 Runs $20-25 shipped on ebay in good shape.

[celerystalker]

Sweet, thanks for the tips! And yeah I have those NP issues so I'll be sure to dig them up.

On a side note, how are these SNES strategy RPGs?

Front Mission
Bahamut Lagoon
Tactics Ogre
Gemfire
Romance Kingdom series
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (if it counts)

Well, I do have all of those except Uncharted Waters, where I only have the first one on NES, so...

Bahamut Lagoon-has the most JRPG elements of all of these. I only played it in Japanese, and it was difficult, as you have to feed your dragons different items in order to advance them, and you can feed them stuff you meant to equip. Still, if youenglish patch it on a Power Pak or Everdrive, you'll play something that feels more like a Square Soft take on Shining Force. The combat isn't complicated, but the dragon development is where you spend your time in menus.

Tactics Ogre-has a super complex system for classes and leveling skills by using them in battle, as well as tons of modifiers for character adjacencies, class, terrain type, and elevation, not to mention equipment. Like Final Fantasy Tactics, you can spend forever in menus between battles. I love the aesthetics of the game, but it just demands a lot more micro-managing than I care to do myself.

Front Mission-It's pretty playable even in Japanese, and the combat moves pretty well. Its complexity lies in how you choose to outfit your mechs, as they have several different frames and dozens of different parts for each piece and weapon. A lot of the strategy involves bringing in a good payload and optomizing it with postioning for terrain and position bonuses. One of my good friends adores the series, but he also loves tinkering with ACs in Armored Core for hours on end. If you enjoy tinkering with robots like an old-school Battletech nut, it's amazing, but if not, you'd probably find it dull. I prefer the more action oriented Gun Hazard.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms-These are pure strategy and politics sims. The planning is much more critical than the combat itself, as the quality and loyalty of the officers mean more than the number of troops assigned to each. You need the correct units for the terrain, enough money to keep them paid, enough food to keep them fed for as long as it takes, and it'll help if you're allied with neighboring territories in order to keep them out of it or at least on your side. There is a sense of urgency to combat, as you have to finish before you run out of supplies. These games, though, are menu on top of menu on top of menu, and require a high level of patience in order to complete, as victory hinges more on turning each conquered city into a prosperous, loyal economy that can provide for you conquests moreso than your tactical prowess in battle. Super slow paced.

Gemfire is much like Romance, but it simplifies a few things, and is closer to Ghengis Khan in that it's just a tad simpler in every aspect, but it's the same concept. Same with Liberty or Death.

Uncharted Waters-has more of an RPG feel than strategy, as it's really more of a trade and exploration sim than strategy game. You travel the globe, trading resources to sell from port to port where they're more desirable, and pay a crew to man your ship. It's extremely open-ended, but is much more focused on historic sea travel and economics than any strategy.

Hope that helps!

[SparTonberry]

Bahamut Lagoon-has the most JRPG elements of all of these. I only played it in Japanese, and it was difficult, as you have to feed your dragons different items in order to advance them, and you can feed them stuff you meant to equip. Still, if youenglish patch it on a Power Pak or Everdrive, you'll play something that feels more like a Square Soft take on Shining Force. The combat isn't complicated, but the dragon development is where you spend your time in menus.
If you do use a flashcart, I think you have to watch out as there were two versions of the patch. One hardware compatible and another that took advantage of inaccuracies in older emulators for a speed-up feature, I think. (like, they knew even then it was incompatible but released both versions since flashcarts didn't exist and the only way to play on hardware was old copiers that relatively few people had)

[Edmond Dantes]

Tactics Ogre-has a super complex system for classes and leveling skills by using them in battle, as well as tons of modifiers for character adjacencies, class, terrain type, and elevation, not to mention equipment. Like Final Fantasy Tactics, you can spend forever in menus between battles. I love the aesthetics of the game, but it just demands a lot more micro-managing than I care to do myself.

IIRC, the guy who made Tactics Ogre was actually the same guy who made FF Tactics, so I would imagine if you didn't like one then you won't like the other.

I'd check for confirmation tho, as I've never played either of them.

[Edmond Dantes]

I've been interested in Jeanne de Arc, Arc the Lad, and Saiyuki and thought about picking them up on psn. Are these games more simplistic in nature or do they need faqs to be studied? Any other recommendations?

I just bought Arc the Lad from someone here so I'll be able to comment on it soon.

I actually DO own Saiyuki: Journey West and I can tell you, its pretty un-complicated, at least as far as I played (I never finished it). It should be up your alley. Main thing that stopped me is I want to read the book first.

[celerystalker]

IIRC, the guy who made Tactics Ogre was actually the same guy who made FF Tactics, so I would imagine if you didn't like one then you won't like the other.

I'd check for confirmation tho, as I've never played either of them.

You're very correct on that. Much of the same development team worked on both. I can't say I dislike them so much as I have to be in a very patient mood to play them. Just so much micro-managing to do between fights... it's not often I'm ready to spend so much time in menus. Still, for what they are and for the right audience, they're fantastically made games.

[Einzelherz]

The GBA Advance Wars games and Pokemon Conquest are the only ones I could ever get into.

[Tanooki]

I was OK with just the first advance wars. But when on the back end it out you against three ai I got fed up with stacked odds. Also the game cheated on fog of war maps as it could still see and only you were blind despite the game in training saying all were blind which was infuriating.

[bangtango]

Sunsoft released a budget-priced turn based RPG game for Playstation/PS1 called "Eternal Eyes" which should be right up your alley. Not overly difficult and you utilize monsters. Still easy to find today and not overly expensive. Also very simplistic and linear, but a good story and soundtrack.

[Wraith Storm]

If you have a Saturn I highly suggest checking out Mystaria or its re-titled second printing Blazing Heroes.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF9mgOXOpz4)
The game plays almost identical to Shining Force and has an incredible sound track to boot. It was a first generation Saturn game however, so the animation is pretty bad and the pre-rendered graphic design is what you can expect of that era. Regardless of its surface warts, there is a LOT to love from the game especially if you are a Shining Force fan.

The major difference between this and SF is that each of your characters have different "skill/technique trees" and the more you use a particular skill or attack the quicker you will learn new attacks, techs and skills from that tree. I have a ridiculous amount of good memories associated with this game. Lots of late night play sessions and quite a few strange dreams actually! LOL.

[triverse]

Just wanted to re-iterate that Gemfire is a fun game. I had tried playing turn based strategy games prior to Gemfire on the SNES and could not get into them. I gave Gemfire a chance after a friend that worked at Electronics Boutique suggested it. Easy to learn and can be quite challenging if you don't plan accordingly.

[celerystalker]

If you have a Saturn I highly suggest checking out Mystaria or its re-titled second printing Blazing Heroes.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF9mgOXOpz4)
The game plays almost identical to Shining Force and has an incredible sound track to boot. It was a first generation Saturn game however, so the animation is pretty bad and the pre-rendered graphic design is what you can expect of that era. Regardless of its surface warts, there is a LOT to love from the game especially if you are a Shining Force fan.

The major difference between this and SF is that each of your characters have different "skill/technique trees" and the more you use a particular skill or attack the quicker you will learn new attacks, techs and skills from that tree. I have a ridiculous amount of good memories associated with this game. Lots of late night play sessions and quite a few strange dreams actually! LOL.

It also has a sequel, Riglordsaga 2, which may have an English patch by now, and it's sort of a spiritual successor to the 3DO game the Guardian War.

If you dig Shining Force 3, Wachenröder on Saturn is awesome. Extremely similar combat, but you have these chainsaw swords to rev up for damage at the cost of fuel/AP.

[Wraith Storm]

It also has a sequel, Riglordsaga 2, which may have an English patch by now, and it's sort of a spiritual successor to the 3DO game the Guardian War.

If you dig Shining Force 3, Wachenröder on Saturn is awesome. Extremely similar combat, but you have these chainsaw swords to rev up for damage at the cost of fuel/AP.

I bought Riglordsaga 2 because I loved Mystaria so much, but damn its almost unplayable without knowing Japanese. If there is a patch that would be amazing, but I have never come across one.

Wachenröder is a fantastic game and easily playable without knowing Japanese. It's a shame it never got released here in the US. It really was a AAA blockbuster. I am also a HUGE fan of Yoshitoshi ABe and his artwork added SO much to the atmosphere of that game.

[Einzelherz]

Sort of related: does anyone else get irritated at hold long a "player turn/phase" and "enemy turn/phase" screen stays on in some of these? I know it's only a second or two at most, but in some games (thinking bahamut lagoon) it feels like an eternity.

[Edmond Dantes]

I don't get "irritated" so much as when those screens last longer than ten seconds, I keep suspecting the game has locked up. Scarring battlehood experiences do that to a person.