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30 Apr 04
It's Friday, it's the end of the month and most people should be getting paid. What more can you ask? Highlights, you say. Well, I'm here to serve. Today's Friday highlight is Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT) for the PS1. I know, some of you are thinking 'that's old, why don't you do chess while you're at it?' or 'oh come on, what's with this console fascination of yours, everyone knows that strategy gaming is on the PC.'
To the first group, I'd point out that FFT pretty much established there was a market for strategy RPG's in the United States. Also, the genre is still trying to catch up with all that FFT brought to the table. Finally, with PS2 compatibility and the greatest hits line, FFT is still available for purchase new. Not many games can say that this long after release. Next time you're in a game store, check out the PS1 section. You'll probably find a copy.
To the second group I'd say, "that's exactly the attitude that keeps me doing this." While childish, it's true. Some PC gamers have a general disdain for consoles. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, ignorance is no excuse to miss out on good games. Some analysts have predicted that all three major consoles will have dropped below $100 by the end of the year. So for the price of a new video card you could have all three. Or just one and a slew of strategy games. So, yes, there's more on the PC, but you're doing yourself a disservice if you ignore the consoles.
Back to FFT. So why is it still available after all this time? Well, first, and obviously, it's got Final Fantasy on the cover. Final Fantasy is huge. It's a juggernaut in the RPG world. Many people preorder or buy Final Fantasy sight unseen. That's a sign of quality and understanding your market. For FFT, this means a few things. There are some standard character and monster types. Certain weapons, items and armor show up. Chocobos are there. Mostly, it's the epic story of saving the world. It's interesting because this game tells you up front that you actions will change the world, but you won't get any credit for it. It will all go to your friend (who might be your betrayer). In short, you get a rich world type with a deep story, not a bad place to start.
If it's a classic, it must have more that just Final Fantasy on the cover. True, it does. It has character. Or should I say characters. The story may be complex, but the characters are fascinating. They feel rich and believable. Most of the time when you end up fighting them, you not only have good reason, but you really want to beat them. The characters draw you into the story and their world.
You could have all that in a regular RPG. So what does FFT let you do differently? Well, it challenges you with difficult battles. Some of the battles seem very hard. They're not puzzles to unlock though. There is no right answer to the battles. You have to use different classes, items and abilities to win. If a battle seem to hard, you're probably not using a good selection of classes. Just because you found one of the wrong answers doesn't mean there aren't many right answers. Playing around with the many possibilities is part of the fun as long as you don't let yourself get frustrated.
Speaking of classes, that's the next great strength. The job system in FFT lets you customize your party any way you want. You're whole team can be jacks of all trades or super specialized. Since you can change jobs at any time (outside of battle), you can customize your team to meet the mission needs. Each class has some cool abilities that make it worthwhile. You even get to experience most of them during your adventures so you can see how useful they are.
Finally, there's the combat itself. Since it's turn based, you have full control of your party at all times. Spells, items, abilities, movement types and formations are all at your disposal. Facing, terrain and weather all affect your battle. Certain characters have bonuses over other characters which can affect your attack strategies. Different victory conditions will change the way you face different battles. Understanding weapon ranges and counter attacks can make a big difference in the outcome of a battle. Harkening back to our discussion on decisions, you have a lot of interesting decisions you can make, but you can choose to skip many of them based on your play style. That's good design.
Today's game is a bit controversial. They've release two beta demos and that might not have been a good idea since some people are jumping on the bugs as if the game had already been released. Anyway, it's Soldner: Secret Wars (official site) from Wings Simulations. It's a tactical combat game set in the near future. You lead a small, elite mercenary team. It has a dynamic single player campaign and support for up to 32 player team based action on the multiplayer side. It's due out next month. Look for the beta demo at the usual suspects.
Jason
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29 Apr 04
As we're closing in on E3, I'm trying to catch up on all the little things I've fallen behind on the site. Keep you eyes open. I'm sure some of you noticed what I was doing today. I put all the old front page articles into the news site. So if you liked (or hated a particular column) you can now comment on it. It also means that all the columns are searchable using the news page search box. Why do I do this? Because I love each and every one of you ( all three of you).
Just a reminder that Thrones and Patriots, the expansion to Rise of Nations, just came out. The early buzz is extremely positive. Unfortunately, I still have that crashing error with the original so I can't justify spending money on the expansion. Hopefully BHG will releasing a patch soon that might clear it up.
A quick final word on Strategy and Tactical games. Personally, I love when you can combine them. Maybe in the form of an Allegiance or Savage or even within a strategy game. Let's face it some people like turtling. Heck, I tend to do it when I'm unfamiliar with a game. It's nice when you can play a cooperative game with one person managing the troops at the front and allies feeding troops to that "general." Of course, not all strategy games allow for shared unit control, but I'm not sure why that shouldn't be an option. In essence, you get the best of both worlds. Your tactician can masterfully maximize the effectiveness of the troops while the turtler can focus on defenses and maybe another ally working the economy and tech tree. Then when the major offensive hits all focus can shift to the front.
Today's game is the next effort from Spellbound Entertainment. You know them from such games as Desperadoes and Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood. Today's entry is Chicago 1930 (official site). Yes, you guessed it. It's about managing a cabaret. No, seriously, it's a gangster game. You can either fight as a mafioso trying to take over the city or as the cops trying to take it back and clean it up.
Jason
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28 Apr 04
Following up yesterday's column, I figured I'd talk about why I like tactical games. Before you go, "Dude, that's just semantics," I'd like to say I don't think it is. Sure a game like the original Ground Control could be called a tactical game and the distinction between some games like that is small. However, the tactical genre covers a lot of ground. From a game like Operation Flashpoint to a game like Silent Storm to a game like Ground Control to a game like the upcoming Full Spectrum Warrior tactical games come in many flavors. Generally speaking, I think most strategy gamers like one or more of those flavors.
So what do I like about tactical games? Well, first there's the tighter focus of tactical games. Sure, yesterday I said I liked the grand scope of strategy games, but I also like getting in there with my troops. Whether I'm counting on them to cover me while I get into a good sniping position or positioning my cavalry to prepare for their charge, it's fun sometimes to feel like your in the middle of the thick of battle.
Next, I like the increased value placed on each unit (soldier, vehicle, whatever). You rarely get reinforcements in tactical games. You have to maximize the combat effectiveness of each unit. That means you can't let them get meaninglessly slaughtered. If you need to sacrifice a unit, it's carefully calculated as necessary to meet the mission objectives. Since many tactical games allow units to gain experience, keeping units alive becomes even more important.
Of course, most of the things I like about strategy games apply to tactical games. You certainly have the mental challenge and the satisfaction of winning. Some tactical games even provide you with full evaluations of your performance of each mission. This can help you get better and get you more involved in the game.
Finally, I like the fact that better tactics work. I was in the Air Force for six years. Though I never went to war, I certainly heard more than my fair share of war stories. I certainly learned that all the things we teach in the military are there for a reason. It's nice to see that reflected in games. Superior tactics can result in disproportional impact. Four of us who aren't hyperreflexive can take out four who are if we work together using proper techniques. As I do get older, that makes me happy.
Today's game is another rare PS2 title. It's Dropship (official site) from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Some people might argue that the website is better than the game, but that's only because it's a cool website. The game has an interesting premise. You get to engage in air to air combat, air to ground combat and ferrying troops and vehicles around to maximize their impact on the battlefield. It is a niche game, so check it out before it becomes impossible to find.
Jason
Comments?
27 Apr 04
I've said many times that I like strategy games. I suppose I should explain why. I do play many other types of games, but consistently my collection contains more strategy games than other genres. We all have limited gaming time and strategy games do tend to last longer than most games, but I can't claim cost savings a reason.
The main reason I like strategy games is that I like mental challenges. Whether it's a puzzle or riddle or reading, I like things that challenge my mind. I've been fortunate enough to meet a genius or two in my life. There's nothing that shatters any illusions one may have about your intelligence level as meeting a true genius. You quickly realize that there's a long way between above average and genius. Still, as much as in weight lifting, use it or lose it applies to your brain. So while most of us won't achieve Schwartzenegger equivalent mental levels, we can all have good tone.
Strategy games are constant mental challenges. Even better they have both multiple right and wrong answers. Have you ever gone back and read a strategy guide for an RTS after you finished the game. I'll bet that most people didn't do exactly what the guide tells you to do. Yet eventually we all end up in the victor's circle. Each moment (or turn) brings new challenges and decisions. You have to constantly balance your overall goals with your short term needs and the changing circumstances in the game world. Even when you lose a battle you tend to learn. You learn, adapt and get better.
Next, there's the sense of scale. While you are technically saving the world in Doom or Final Fantasy, it rarely seems grand overall. In strategy games, you can have the clashes of armies or tribes or worlds. The world (or universe) trembles with the might of the conflict. Even smaller scale games have you leading impressive forces in pitched combat.
Finally, there's the satisfaction of winning. I remember the end boss of Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force ( a first person shooter). It lasted a long time, but it was boring. When it was finally over, I was rather more frustrated than when I started. It was not an epic conclusion. Winning a strategy game almost always feels very satisfying. The amazing thing is that a well fought defeat in a strategy game can feel satisfying as well. After a hard fought battle, you tend to truly feel like you were bested by superior play (leaving rushes aside for now). Perhaps the fun is really in the playing more than the winning.
Today we're going back to our friends at KOEI. Now we have the Kessen series (official site) for the PS2. While the two games are set in different eras and countries, they both tell dramatic stories around large scale battles. You have to learn to use your troops and their abilities effectively if you want to win. Your choice of deployments, units and their officers will have a large impact on how the battles unfold. They also have interesting uses of cut scenes to dramatize the events in the battles. Both games can be found inexpensively now.
Jason
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26 Apr 04
Things are afoot in the gaming world. That's hardly surprising as we're closing in on E3. Right now it doesn't look like we'll be having any reports from E3 unless someone in LA or already going volunteers. Still, there's no shortage of information available and I'll try to keep people up to date on the news section of the site.
Right now, IGN is busy reporting that EA and Microsoft have come to a deal to have EA support Live. No official word yet, but perhaps soon. Given the number of big budget games that EA puts out this could give Live a shot in the arm. Having experienced the maturity level on both EA sports games and on Live, don't expect any improvements in the quality of discourse (unless you count learning new swear words). Personally I feel that growing the online market is good for all consoles and gamers.
Oh, Mori and Raydude have finished up their Play by Email game of Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin. What a great read. I really couldn't have asked for more from our first player vs. player story. I won't tell you the outcome, but it was close, very close. Perhaps some of our seasoned Combat Mission generals can critique and offer advice. Well, actually I'd like everyone to discuss the story. I started a discussion thread so we can talk about it. Maybe they'll even inspire some more interest in writing up your gaming exploits.
Another Live announcement, Microsoft has started to roll out the Tsunami upgrades. Right now it just means that you can leave 15 second voice mail messages with friends, but that should help round up a crew for a game. It'll probably be even easier when the MSN messenger support is fully implemented.
A little Gone Gold news, Rich LaPorte, the site's founder and leader, has announced that he's back in action. Rich has had a rough stretch on the health front. We send our best. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Speaking of Gone Gold, I was having an interesting discussion in their forums about why good games fail. I put forth one reason as "games being labeled as short" being a kiss of death. Other people countered that gamers only buy what they know and that original titles will often languish beyond the now very short window of opportunity for success. I wonder if that's a problem. With all the calls for new game types and innovation, are gamers out there actually unwilling to put their money where there mouth is? I'd like to think not, but the list of innovative failures grows longer. Hopefully, I'll have some more coherent thought tomorrow. Cheers.
Almost forgot, Today's game is Shadow Vault (official site) from Mayhem Studios. It's a PC strategy RPG set in a post apocalyptic future. It's got turn based combat and allows you to customize your team. You can see if it's the next Silent Storm perhaps as early as next week.
Jason
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