Turn-based strategy?

Firebrand

I just started playing Advance Wars DS again after stopping on mission 21 last time, and I had somehow forgotten how much I enjoy playing it. It has simple, non-random game rules (not unlike that other Intelligent Systems franchise, Paper Mario, as well as most of Sid Meier's games), coupled with great visuals and music. Nintendo really need to make an online sequel to this.

Anyway, provided I do finish it this time, I was thinking of picking up something similar after it, and I figured there are several franchises with similar gameplay; Fire Emblem, Shining Force remake, FF:Tactics Advance come to mind.

What would be your favorites when it comes to turn-based battle strategy, what would you recommend? The platforms I personally own are GC, DS, GBA and PC, but feel free to mention games for other platforms (I assume the PS2 has its fair share of strategy JRPGs) as well. I'm also not opposed to other elements mixed in, such as roleplaying, exploration, city-building etc.

FCD

The Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation games for the GBA are quite fun, though the second one is rather difficult. They have JRPG characteristics, such as leveling up individual pilots, a continuous story between the two games, anime character designs and lots of dialouge. The translation into English that Atlus has given this part of the series is also nicely done, with few typos.

Magic Pink

Love FF:Tactics Advance and Tactics Ogre. For PC I groove multra on Age of Wonders Shadow Magic and Disciples 2.

Xagarath

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is king of the genre for me.

As far as the more RPG-esque variants go, Disgaea is probably the best of them.

jclast

Hm. For the GBA it's hard to go wrong with Rebelstar Tactical Command. It's a portable X-Com Lite.


And if you ever pick up a PS2, grab Disgaea and Front Mission 4. Disgaea is great if you really like building up your characters. Granted, 2 is even better in that regard, but the story and characters in the first game are light years ahead of the second. And Front Mission 4 is great if you have an interest in mechs and their customization. Want a hovering mech toting a missile launcher and a repair pack? Can do. Or would you rather have one with spider legs and two missile launchers? It's all possible in FM4, and the linking system is fun, too.

Echo

Firebrand wrote: »

blah

I laughed at your sig. :^: (Is that Faxanadu?)

TheMorningStar

Does anybody know how hard it is to find, Advance Wars DS used somewhere. I need to pick it up, I loved the other two.

Cloggerdude

On a side note, Circuit City has Disgaea 2 for $16.96. The store I work at had two copies left, both of which were marked at $49.99 still. Might be worth swinging by your local CC to see if they have any left.

Pb

Echo wrote: »

Firebrand wrote: »

blah

I laughed at your sig. :^: (Is that Faxanadu?)

Yes, it is.

LewieP

Alpha Centauri

Trevor

Silent Storm for PC, hands down. There's nothing quite as satisfying as blowing up a whole building full of nazis with a stray bullet to an explosive barrel you didn't even know was there. I think there's a package deal with the original game and the expansion out on the internets somewhere.

subedii

Jagged Alliance 2: Squad level turn based strategy game set on a fictitious island that you need to take over through guerilla tactics. Gain money from mining operation in towns that you free, hire and fire Mercs, salvage weapons from the field (and buy them off the in-game internet shop). RPG elements mean that the characters level up skills the more they use them, although you're still advised to invest in good mercs. Plenty of good personality to it as well, and a pretty solid gameplay system means that flanking and cover are very important. It's pretty much remained a cult-classic to this day.

Silent Storm: A bit like the above, but more recent and set in WWII. No weapon purchasing, and your squad doesn't cost you money. Similar emphasis on cover and strategy. Chief point of notoriety for this game was the completely destructible buildings, which drastically affects the kind of crazy strategies you can pull off. Aside from shooting through doors or blowing them off their hinges altogether, you can blast through floors and ceilings to climb up / down levels in structures. Enemy in a house but the front doors risky? Blast a hole in the brick wall on the back. Heck, you can blow up the whole building if you want. One of my favourite moments in-game was sneaking my (high level-ish) grenadier around to the front of a house that had a lot of enemies in it and booby trapping the front door. Run away. Badguys hear someone running and head to the door to investigate. Most of the front was demolished in the ensuing kablooey, and whoever was left inside was easy pickings for my squad positioned out front (since pretty much half the house was gone and everyone inside could be seen).

august

Disciples II.

Magic Pink

august wrote: »

Disciples II.

The Undead make me so gawddamn hard.

As does the art style. It's so dang great.

Rye

I'll second the Disgaea claim. However, it might be hard to find.

Disgaea 2 is good too, but i'd reccommend starting on 1.

the Heroes of Might and Magic series is excellent, especially the older ones (2 and 3).

Fire emblem is pretty much a staple too.

MalaysianShrew

In the same vein as Advance Wars DS, Age of Empires DS is pretty good. It plays a lot like AW but you contruct your buildings and research upgrades. It's a little more in depth than AW which means it takes a few more games to master but that is also its downfall because it doesn't have the perfect balance of AW.

Evil Multifarious

For the DS: Battles of Prince of Persia. I know it sounds stupid, but my god is it ever good. It's like Advance Wars plus Warmaster (the GW specialist game, same company that makes Warhammer), with a little bit of Magic the Gathering. It's got a card-based order system, along with mechanics for attrition, flanking, morale, fleeing troops, the general's influence, etc etc. Brilliant game, and great multiplayer potential as well.

solsovly

Rye wrote: »

I'll second the Disgaea claim. However, it might be hard to find.

Disgaea 2 is good too, but i'd reccommend starting on 1.

the Heroes of Might and Magic series is excellent, especially the older ones (2 and 3).

Fire emblem is pretty much a staple too.

Disgaea one shouldn't be too too hard to find after the reprint they did. I still have a sealed copy I was holding onto before they reprinted it

Lork

Thread needs more X-Com.

Mordrack

UFO/X-Com and Jagged Alliance. Great TBS in those.

durandal4532

The Battle for Wesnoth. Free, excellent.

Also, Free.

You can find it here.

Hell, it doesn't even have very terrible graphics anymore, they've added a lot of animations and some cooler terrain. Very awesome game, and if you have a good idea, it might even be included.

Firebrand

Thanks for the suggestions, people. I'll check them out.

leaf

Heh, reminds me of buying Star General. Freakin ancient hex tbs. I should get some dosbox going so I can make an attempt to run the thing again.

Shadowfire

MalaysianShrew wrote: »

In the same vein as Advance Wars DS, Age of Empires DS is pretty good. It plays a lot like AW but you contruct your buildings and research upgrades. It's a little more in depth than AW which means it takes a few more games to master but that is also its downfall because it doesn't have the perfect balance of AW.

AoE DS is great, but... make sure the store you buy it from likes you. You may end up visiting several times to return the game until you get one that works right.

lowlylowlycook

Mordrack wrote: »

UFO/X-Com and Jagged Alliance. Great TBS in those.

Jelloblimp

LewieP wrote: »

Alpha Centauri

I keep installing that & the expansion every other year.


For something more exotic (in the future) Wakfu for the ds, makers are Ankamagames which have made turnbased (flash-) mmorpg:s that are pretty but VERY heavy on grind.