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[Augemitbutter]

what does nature's touch do? (shm skill)

i don't get it.

 

[JKTrix]

Description says "Add bonus damage to next elemental spell cast".

 

[Jefklak]

So can anyone provide general tips on how to level/grind new classmarks one does find? Do you usually hire a new person via the shop and change their class or do you recruit someone to get better stats? What's the fastest way to level them up, do you temp. change more than one unit in that class to have it progress more (that will net you two useless chars in the battlefield when grinding because they are too fragile and don't do any damage)

 

[Masaki_]

So can anyone provide general tips on how to level/grind new classmarks one does find? Do you usually hire a new person via the shop and change their class or do you recruit someone to get better stats? What's the fastest way to level them up, do you temp. change more than one unit in that class to have it progress more (that will net you two useless chars in the battlefield when grinding because they are too fragile and don't do any damage)

In battles, take as few characters as you can to win the game along with the class you want to level up to maximize its exp gain. I can clear the first battle in Phorampa with just my two best archers, so more than half of the exp from battle goes to the low level class.

Also, if you're confident in your team, you can let the AI fight for you while you do something else.

 

[Augemitbutter]

Description says "Add bonus damage to next elemental spell cast".

oops, i've meant to say nature's whisper. i don't know why i would want to know about the state of elements on the map when it's clearly visible without the spell.

 

[oracrest]

Fuck, I am trying to recruit one of the white dragons at the volcano, and he keeps landing on this one spot in the lava, then can't move out of it.

I can't get right next to him, so I just gotta kill him every time :/

 

[Masaki_]

oops, i've meant to say nature's whisper. i don't know why i would want to know about the state of elements on the map when it's clearly visible without the spell.

It also shows which element on the map does less damage. But that isn't very useful either, since if you want to deal big damage with magic, you'll be using just one element regardless.

 

[Acquiesc3]

Spoiler

I must've spent 2 hours doing the last battle of the balmamusa dead sidequest (Nybeth kept on making undead units) only to find out I couldn't recruit Cressida at the end. FML

 

[Unknown One]

Yeah I did that battle four times total.

Spoiler

Make sure to still the zombies only on your way up to her. Don't get rid of them unless it's those story character he revives. That way he doesn't summon a lot of blue coated jackasses out of his ass. Take out Nybeth as soon as possible.

 

[mjemirzian]

I don't really like the game. There's no way to skip the combat animations, making the pacing execrably slow to me. It's a simple, boring game where almost every mission is completed by dumping TP skills onto a boss while negating their TP skills so your units don't get one shot. For all the "depth" of the game it just comes down to blowing your TP load on the enemy's face before they get to blow theirs. And it heavily encourages grinding if you want to use the new classes given to you throughout the game. Not my type of game at all.

I've played up to late chapter 4 law route while doing no grinding (which basically means I'm limited to the Ch 1 starter classes), fleeing from all random battles, no incapacitations, and no autosaves. Those restrictions do up the difficulty level a bit but I still can't stand how tediously slow the combat pacing is. According to guides I'm a couple missions away from the final battle. Working on a full review but I'm having trouble picking up the game to finish it.

 

[JEKKI]

whoo~!!! started playing this a minute ago!!

the good news is I got to name my main character Outrun, just like the driving game!!!

the bad news is, my PSP keeps shutting off when trying to access the first map!!!

I did a quick google search, and it seems other ppl had the same problem, but I couldnt find a solution to it... can anyone help me?? I am playing the game on UMD with a CFW PSP.

and last question, does this game do the Persona thing where the clock keeps running when you put the game in sleep mode?? coz if so, that is annoying...

thanks!!

 

[kuroshiki]

whoo~!!! started playing this a minute ago!!

the good news is I got to name my main character Outrun, just like the driving game!!!

the bad news is, my PSP keeps shutting off when trying to access the first map!!!

I did a quick google search, and it seems other ppl had the same problem, but I couldnt find a solution to it... can anyone help me?? I am playing the game on UMD with a CFW PSP.

and last question, does this game do the Persona thing where the clock keeps running when you put the game in sleep mode?? coz if so, that is annoying...

thanks!!

Apparently that was the problem with people playing bootleg copy.

 

[Unknown One]

Best to ask that question in the Official PSP CFW thread.

http://neogaf.net/forum/showthread.php?p=26633737

 

[Totakeke]

I don't really like the game. There's no way to skip the combat animations, making the pacing execrably slow to me. It's a simple, boring game where almost every mission is completed by dumping TP skills onto a boss while negating their TP skills so your units don't get one shot. For all the "depth" of the game it just comes down to blowing your TP load on the enemy's face before they get to blow theirs. And it heavily encourages grinding if you want to use the new classes given to you throughout the game. Not my type of game at all.

I've played up to late chapter 4 law route while doing no grinding (which basically means I'm limited to the Ch 1 starter classes), fleeing from all random battles, no incapacitations, and no autosaves. Those restrictions do up the difficulty level a bit but I still can't stand how tediously slow the combat pacing is. According to guides I'm a couple missions away from the final battle. Working on a full review but I'm having trouble picking up the game to finish it.

I was going to agree with you because you're on a no incapacitation run but then I remembered seeing your username somewhere.

Please use a better argument then "all this game boils down is to staying alive and accomplishing x", seriously.

 

[krYlon]

I don't really like the game. There's no way to skip the combat animations, making the pacing execrably slow to me. It's a simple, boring game where almost every mission is completed by dumping TP skills onto a boss while negating their TP skills so your units don't get one shot. For all the "depth" of the game it just comes down to blowing your TP load on the enemy's face before they get to blow theirs. And it heavily encourages grinding if you want to use the new classes given to you throughout the game. Not my type of game at all.

I've played up to late chapter 4 law route while doing no grinding (which basically means I'm limited to the Ch 1 starter classes), fleeing from all random battles, no incapacitations, and no autosaves. Those restrictions do up the difficulty level a bit but I still can't stand how tediously slow the combat pacing is. According to guides I'm a couple missions away from the final battle. Working on a full review but I'm having trouble picking up the game to finish it.

You don't have to grind to use the new classes. I find it's much better to bring new classes into the main battles and let them take a backseat. They level-up significantly if they survive a story battle.
Sure it makes the game harder, but if you wanted a challenge then it would have been better to play that way I think.

I do kind of agree with you on the TP, I usually store up the finishing moves and it does take strategy out of a lot of battles, but trust me if you brought in a mix of newbies and established classes into battles it would not be as simple and you would have more fun experimenting with different classes.

Also, I'm surprised you find the battle animations slow, I thought they were pretty fast!

Saying all that, they could have made the game harder no doubt (though I'm still in chapter 3 at the moment).

 

[zoukka]

Apparently that was the problem with people playing bootleg copy.

Ouch.

 

[charlequin]

Apparently that was the problem with people playing bootleg copy.

Nope. He describes it correctly: the game doesn't play well with current CFW out of the box, even if you play directly off the UMD or rip it yourself.

You don't have to grind to use the new classes. I find it's much better to bring new classes into the main battles and let them take a backseat.

Yup. Especially if your goal is to make the game harder, play with no incapacitations, and avoid grinding, replacing one or two party members with vulnerable newbs would definitely be the way to go.

 

[oracrest]

Got my third dragon type last night, so now I have red, purple, and yellow. How many types are there? I really want one of those big white ones.

 

[Soulhouf]

Got my third dragon type last night, so now I have red, purple, and yellow. How many types are there? I really want one of those big white ones.

You can class change them right?

 

[Jerk]

Yup. Especially if your goal is to make the game harder, play with no incapacitations, and avoid grinding, replacing one or two party members with vulnerable newbs would definitely be the way to go.

While true, his point about the class system still stands.

As a whole, it is a poorly designed wreck that effectively discourages the player from using newer classes.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

While true, his point about the class system still stands.

As a whole, it is a poorly designed wreck that effectively discourages the player from using newer classes.

Hyperbole, much? It doesn't take long at all to catch a new class up to the rest of your party. Either way I much prefer this system over the classic Tactics Ogre approach.

Sure, it's a minor flaw in terms of encouraging experimentation but I've never played an SRPG with a perfect leveling system.

 

[krYlon]

While true, his point about the class system still stands.

As a whole, it is a poorly designed wreck that effectively discourages the player from using newer classes.

I really don't understand why. Maybe I'm not far enough into the game, but so far it has been fine to bring newer classes into the main battles.
They level up really quickly, within a few battles they are almost on the same level as my older classes.

 

[oracrest]

While true, his point about the class system still stands.

As a whole, it is a poorly designed wreck that effectively discourages the player from using newer classes.

I agree. It would be nice if all members at least shared a fraction of what EXP you get from battles. If I decide to start focusing on a new class, I would rather they have gotten at least a few levels up already, and not start them off at the one-hit-death level 1. Ive had to turn the game off a few times when an enemy archer, by rule of AI, attacks my new class first, because he's weakest and kills him in the first few turns.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

I agree. It would be nice if all members at least shared a fraction of what EXP you get from battles. If I decide to start focusing on a new class, I would rather they have gotten at least a few levels up already, and not start them off at the one-hit-death level 1. Ive had to turn the game off a few times when an enemy archer, by rule of AI, attacks my new class first, because he's weakest and kills him in the first few turns.

All it takes is a few random battles and your new unit should be at least competent enough to sit at the back lines during story missions without dying. I know this isn't exactly ideal and a lot of people would call it "grinding" but it doesn't seem like typical grinding to me because of the way the EXP is distributed. A level 1 unit fighting alongside a few level 20's will get almost all of the experience, so you don't have to worry about your party being over-leveled.

All of that said, I do think what you mentioned about every member getting a share of EXP from each battle is a good idea.

 

[mjemirzian]

No, they don't level up 'really quickly'. If your party is lv 20 and you get a lv 1 class, it's going to take a lot of grinding to get them close to that level. The game encourages grinding in far more ways than handing you level 1 classes. Telling me I'm not 'challenging myself enough' is completely ridiculous. It would still be the same slow, boring, simple game if I were taking low lvl classes to story missions, as it changes nothing about the games core strategies and pacing. In a factual analysis assuming the player uses everything available to them including grinding, the game would be even more tedious to plow through.

Yes the entire optimal strategy of the game is based around using your TP skills while negating the enemies TP skills. Everything else is window dressing. Almost the entirety of the games depth is repetitive or strategically meaningless.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

No, they don't level up 'really quickly'. If your party is lv 20 and you get a lv 1 class, it's going to take a lot of grinding to get them close to that level. The game encourages grinding in far more ways than handing you level 1 classes. Telling me I'm not 'challenging myself enough' is completely ridiculous. It would still be the same slow, boring, simple game if I were taking low lvl classes to story missions, as it changes nothing about the games core strategies and pacing. In a factual analysis assuming the player uses everything available to them including grinding, the game would be even more tedious to plow through.

Yes the entire optimal strategy of the game is based around using your TP skills while negating the enemies TP skills. Everything else is window dressing. Almost the entirety of the games depth is repetitive or strategically meaningless.

With the right map and party setup it would probably take no more than 1-2 hours so I suppose it depends on your definition of "really quickly." That doesn't seem like a considerable time investment in a game that easily has 100+ hours of content. Could it be better? Sure, but it's certainly not going to take "a lot of grinding." But I suppose that depends on your definition of "a lot."

I understand your complaints about the significance of TP skills in battles but I honestly feel like this type of situation is nothing new for a game in this genre. Are there any SRPG's that you do like?

 

[Atolm]

So I'm with the 3rd (and last) post-game DLC...

Spoiler

The use of World Tarot to rewrite plot events like Lanselot amnesia or Golyat raid seems like total BS to me. I'll just pretend this is non-canonical stuff and I hope that if we ever see an Ogre Battle Saga chapter IX Matsuno will ignore this.

So, I think I've read somewhere that you can get the weapons wielded by the Loslorien commanders in this DLC by clearing the battles with just Denam, Vyce and Catiua. Is this correct? My Ozma would be so sexy with that whip...

 

[Basileus777]

So I'm with the 3rd (and last) post-game DLC...

Spoiler

The use of World Tarot to rewrite plot events like Lanselot amnesia or Golyat raid seems like total BS to me. I'll just pretend this is non-canonical stuff and I hope that if we ever see an Ogre Battle Saga chapter IX Matsuno will ignore this.

Spoiler

It's fan service DLC/bonus material. Hell, even the ending after all the DLC ignores the whole Golyat scenerio.

 

[Lafiel]

Hyperbole, much? It doesn't take long at all to catch a new class up to the rest of your party. Either way I much prefer this system over the classic Tactics Ogre approach.

Sure, it's a minor flaw in terms of encouraging experimentation but I've never played an SRPG with a perfect leveling system.

Yeah the leveling system is perfect but i kinda dislike the way the class system is set-up, it bothers me that i always haft to have two weakish characters on the backlines in all the battles. And random encounters are very infrequent, so i always haft to use them for the important battles or they fall to behind!

 

[Jerk]

Yeah the leveling system is perfect but i kinda dislike the way the class system is set-up, it bothers me that i always haft to have two weakish characters on the backlines in all the battles. And random encounters are very infrequent, so i always haft to use them for the important battles or they fall to behind!

Leveling is fine. New classes starting at level 1 is the issue I have.

Another issue lies with some classes not being distinguishable enough at lower levels and high RT melee units not being effective enough at higher ones.

Hyperbole, much? It doesn't take long at all to catch a new class up to the rest of your party. Either way I much prefer this system over the classic Tactics Ogre approach.

Sure, it's a minor flaw in terms of encouraging experimentation but I've never played an SRPG with a perfect leveling system.

Hardly minor. And it is not the only thing that discourages experimentation. The silly classmark system does so as well.

Yes the entire optimal strategy of the game is based around using your TP skills while negating the enemies TP skills. Everything else is window dressing. Almost the entirety of the games depth is repetitive or strategically meaningless.

This part is not even necessary most of the time.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Yeah the leveling system is perfect but i kinda dislike the way the class system is set-up, it bothers me that i always haft to have two weakish characters on the backlines in all the battles. And random encounters are very infrequent, so i always haft to use them for the important battles or they fall to behind!

Random encounters are as frequent as you want them to be, just walk back and forth between a few spots on the map until one pops up. If you play some of those you won't have to worry about bringing weak units into every story battle.

Hardly minor. And it is not the only thing that discourages experimentation. The silly classmark system does so as well.

I guess it just depends on how "easily discouraged" you are. Personally I've been using many of the newer classes and haven't had any issues with leveling them to competence. Classmarks haven't been an issue to me at any point so far, I always seem to have the ones I want. I think it's generally easier to recruit characters who are new classes anyway.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

So I'm heading into the final battle.

Spoiler

Is there anything last minute I should do before entering the Hanging Gardens? Also, are there actually 18 battles in the Hanging Gardens, one per floor? (I've heard people say that it's way too drawn out.

Also, Matsuno sure likes putting his cities in the middle of deserts. Also, the Heim maps were so incredible looking.

I need more Matsuno. Stat.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Also, Matsuno sure likes putting his cities in the middle of deserts. Also, the Heim maps were so incredible looking.

Matsuno invented Egypt.

It explains everything.

 

[mjemirzian]

This part is not even necessary most of the time.

Going to have to disagree with that. You need TP skills to burst down the boss before they get healed and before they reach enough TP to use their own skill. You need to negate their TP skills to avoid being one shot - either by CCing them (not likely, given most bosses are immune or highly resistant to it) or cornering them with Phalanx using knights to absorb their attack.

Like I said, almost every mission is beat up trash for TP while ignoring the boss, then burst boss down before they hit 100 TP and use their skill to one shot someone. You're probably right though Jerk that it won't be necessary if you're grinding and have some uber dual wield guys and hard to kill tanks that can take a TP attack and survive.. that's not the case in my current playthrough.

I haven't run into the post game content but maybe someone can tell me whether the strategies increase in complexity there. In most RPG/SRPGs the post game is just more of the same with bigger numbers flying overhead.

I understand your complaints about the significance of TP skills in battles but I honestly feel like this type of situation is nothing new for a game in this genre. Are there any SRPG's that you do like?

Sure. Check this link and just browse around the site.

 

[Totakeke]

Going to have to disagree with that. You need TP skills to burst down the boss before they get healed and before they reach enough TP to use their own skill. You need to negate their TP skills to avoid being one shot - either by CCing them (not likely, given most bosses are immune or highly resistant to it) or cornering them with Phalanx using knights.

Like I said, almost every mission is beat up trash for TP while ignoring the boss, then burst boss down before they hit 100 TP and use their skill to one shot someone.

Because you're playing a no incapacitation run.

You're setting restrictions on the game, hence creating less freedom of experimentation and less ways to play the game. It's no one's fault but yourself for making the game less fun. Pick any game up and do the same thing and it would have the same issues.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Sure. Check this link and just browse around the site.

Some great games in that list, no doubt.

The thing is, it seems like your main problem with Tactics Ogre is based around what you call the "optimal strategy." You reduce TO down to one of its more significant features (TP points and skills) and present the game in an oversimplified manner that is more focused on pointing out the easiest way to beat the game instead of the easiest way to enjoy the game. The funny thing is the same can be done for most of the games I've played from the list you linked.

I love Fire Emblem, but if you're a good min/maxer you can take care of that game with little to no problems, and make it seem incredibly simple and boring in the process. However, even if you do play the game with efficiency as your primary concern there is no reason why you can't still enjoy it. I honestly feel like this is the case with any SRPG, at least with the ones I've played.

That said, I do think the issue you've discussed here is more prevalent in games like FFT and Tactics Ogre than Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. So in that sense I can at least agree with you somewhat.

I'm just glad you don't have Disgaea listed on that site...

 

[JEKKI]

whooo~!!! good news! I learned how to patch the game and now I can play it!!!

also good news!! I get to name more things!!

cleveland is the city where we come from so run run!!!

bad news!! this game is hard as balls!!

as much as I wanna keepin em on the run with a me shotgun I swang with a clip tight clang, I cant even beat the 2nd stage!! all my doods kept getting killed!!!



any advice on what to spend the money that the king or duke or whatever guy gave me? coz I went into those first 2 battles raw!!!

 

[Unknown One]

I completed the last DLC episode and post game it shows that everybody

Spoiler

aged 2-3 years.

Is that some sort of clue for things to come?

Boy that was a lot of soldiers in that last battle with just Denam, Vyce, and Catiua. The Wheel of Fortune card made it a cinch though.

 

[Atolm]

Regarding the last DLC...

Spoiler

I've done the battle against the seven Loslorien commanders and saw the cutscene about Denam telling his father (in the past) how he fulfilled his promises to him. Is there anything else beyond that? I remember a screenshot showing Iuria, Lans and Warren departing for Xenobia with Canopus, Mildyn and Gildas, but nothing appears on my Warren's report

 

[Unknown One]

Spoiler

It's similar to the first ending. It's pretty much a departure with Lans, Warren, Deneb, and Iuria added to that boat scene. It is told by Iuria talking about wars of past, present, and future.

 

[Jerk]

Going to have to disagree with that. You need TP skills to burst down the boss before they get healed and before they reach enough TP to use their own skill. You need to negate their TP skills to avoid being one shot - either by CCing them (not likely, given most bosses are immune or highly resistant to it) or cornering them with Phalanx using knights to absorb their attack.

Like I said, almost every mission is beat up trash for TP while ignoring the boss, then burst boss down before they hit 100 TP and use their skill to one shot someone. You're probably right though Jerk that it won't be necessary if you're grinding and have some uber dual wield guys and hard to kill tanks that can take a TP attack and survive.. that's not the case in my current playthrough.

You forget two things: Archers and Canopus (and Ninja).

Until about Chapter 4, you can comfortably just ignore most every other unit on the map and gun for the boss. At that point, the only purpose the non-enemy bosses serve is to allow your archers to build enough TP without also building up the boss.

And I lol at the idea of effectively using tanks. While Rampart Aura is nice to have on your front-line units, any class that can be defined as a 'Tank' is much too slow to leverage properly in a fight. By the time I completed my run, my army was composed exclusively of Mages, Ranged units and light Front-liners.

 

[Basileus777]

You forget two things: Archers and Canopus (and Ninja).

Until about Chapter 4, you can comfortably just ignore most every other unit on the map and gun for the boss. At that point, the only purpose the non-enemy bosses serve is to allow your archers to build enough TP without also building up the boss.

And I lol at the idea of effectively using tanks. While Rampart Aura is nice to have on your front-line units, any class that can be defined as a 'Tank' is much too slow to leverage properly in a fight. By the time I completed my run, my army was composed exclusively of Mages, Ranged units and light Front-liners.

This is a far more accurate assessment of the game. If you are finding the game to be about micromanaging TP, you must be using a weird combination of classes. And Tanks are pretty much useless except on a few maps with easily held choke-points. Phalanx has no real use unless it's on a Lord or your exploiting the AI by putting it on a Knight with no armor.

I really wish this was a PC game that could be easily modded for better balance and higher difficulty. Alas, we're stuck with an easy game.

 

[Totakeke]

Because he's on a no incapacitation run. His assessment is accurate with those restrictions. For one, you cannot simply deploy front liners with low defense without significant healing to back them up.

I also feel like a broken record.

 

[Jerk]

Because he's on a no incapacitation run. His assessment is accurate with those restrictions. For one, you cannot simply deploy front liners with low defense without significant healing to back them up.

I also feel like a broken record.

No it is not.

On a no-incap run, (ab)using Archers and other ranged units is an even better idea.

My strategy:

-Precision kill the closer units with Crossbow or Bow Armed Archers/Dragoons/Canopus.

-Use mages/blowguns to Charm/Petrify/Hobble/Shackle enemy units (also to occasionally deplete enemies of TP).

-Use Priest/Princess/Cleric/White Knight to maintain health (The lobber is amazing here).

-Send Third-finisher Crossbow Canopus/Ninja (with leaping Monkey)/Longbow Archer to quickly kill the boss.

The main thing I try to remember is to not attack anything I do not expect to kill before it takes a turn.

 

[Totakeke]

No it is not.

On a no-incap run, (ab)using Archers and other ranged units is an even better idea.

My strategy:

-Precision kill the closer units with Crossbow or Bow Armed Archers/Dragoons/Canopus.

-Use mages/blowguns to Charm/Petrify/Hobble/Shackle enemy units (also to occasionally deplete enemies of TP).

-Use Priest/Princess/Cleric/White Knight to maintain health (The lobber is amazing here).

-Send Third-finisher Crossbow Canopus/Ninja (with leaping Monkey)/Longbow Archer to quickly kill the boss.

The main thing I try to remember is to not attack anything I do not expect to kill before it takes a turn.

You're not deploying any light front liners. You're deploying all ranged units.

 

[Jerk]

You're not deploying any light front liners. You're deploying all ranged units.

I use 2 Ninja and a Rogue...

 

[Totakeke]

I use 2 Ninja and a Rogue...

With ranged weapons. They're ranged units. Do you send them into the front line? Not really.

 

[Jerk]

With ranged weapons. They're ranged units. Do you send them into the front line? Not really.

Ninja 1: 2 Katanas
Ninja 2: 2 Daggers
Rogue: 1 Dagger, 1 Blowgun
White Knight

Until I deem the boss close enough, they handle clean-up after my ranged units are done.

 

[Totakeke]

Ninja 1: 2 Katanas
Ninja 2: 2 Daggers
Rogue: 1 Dagger, 1 Blowgun

Until I deem the boss close enough, they handle clean-up after my ranged units are done.

If those are truly front liners, then they take damage and need healing. If you keep them out of the range of enemy attacks most or all of the time, they aren't really front liners.

 

[Jerk]

If those are truly front liners, then they take damage and need healing. If you keep them out of the range of enemy attacks most or all of the time, they aren't really front liners.

Wait, this silly argument is a matter of semantics?

Never mind then.