#turn based

[bodhrancomedy]

Wait, wait, not only is Expedition 33 funny and heartbreaking and beautifully designed, but it’s also turn-based??

Did someone reach into my brain for this, 👀

[dynamite-derek]

Sea of Stars: The best game you played as a child that released in 2023

When I was in middle school, I have vivid memories of playing Chrono Trigger. I rented it from my local video store, a poor man's family video. It even had a tanning bed, as was the style at the time. I sat in front of my grandmother's mid-size CRT television and was amazed at just about everything I saw. The beautiful pixel art, the various set pieces, the story, the music. Everything. My inner monologue for about a month after experiencing Chrono Trigger for the first time was using "thees" and "thous" a lot like Frog did in that localization. He was the best character so the way he spoke was the best way to speak. Simple as that.

Often times games try to ape Chrono Trigger because my experience with it is hardly a unique one. Most of the time, I feel these games miss the mark or fall short of it. They tease you with the "Chrono Trigger" but it more hits on some highlights that Chrono Trigger had instead of making an actual good game that can stand on its own merits. The example that comes most prominently to mind is "I Am Setsuna," a game I once wrote about on this blog. It's a game that mindlessly tries to take what makes Chrono Trigger a good game and slaps it onto something else. A soulless product developed by a company with a soulless name (Tokyo RPG Factory.)

My brother has been pestering me to play Sea of Stars for months now. Yet the specter of products like "I Am Setsuna" prevented me from making the jump for a long time. Yes, aesthetically, it played the part...but if I were to go back in time and rent this game from the fake Hollywood Video and play this on the mid-size CRT at my grandmother's house, would it capture my imagination? Would it stand on its own?

Yes.

On the surface, Sea of Stars looks like it's trying to be Chrono Trigger. They have the combo attacks, they have the wacky cast of characters from a variety of different backgrounds, the overworld and spritework looks pretty close and the music...well, the music can often feel like it was lifted straight from that very SNES game. But there's more to it than that. Quite literally. Sea of Stars doesn't just try to mimic the style of one beloved RPG, it lifts from several and becomes something of a Jack of all retro turn based trades.

The combat uses timed hits like Super Mario RPG - a system that's extremely easy to wrap your mind around but is extremely adept at keeping the player's attention. You can't just take your mind off of the game once you hit 'attack.' It also has the ability to change your characters in combat, which gives the game something of a Final Fantasy X (it's odd that a 20+ year old game is the 'newest' thing mentioned here) feeling. Sometimes a spot will call for a poison user, sometimes it will call for your warrior cook, sometimes it will call for your moon user. It's simple, but it makes each encounter feel unique and engaging. It also uses something akin to a limit break system, as seen in various Final Fantasy titles. Everybody gets an elaborate ultimate attack. When is the right time to use it? Even more variables tossed into a fairly easy-to-use system.

It's not just in the gameplay either. One of the big mistakes video game companies make when making 'new' retro games is that they cram too much story into the game. Don't get me wrong, stuff like Final Fantasy IV, Lunar Silver Star Story and Chrono Trigger have plenty of story, but go back and play those games and then go play Final Fantasy VII. The amount of dialogue and dedication to storytelling is next level compared to what you get in SNES games. Older RPGs have a smattering of world building and story but that is bolstered by the gameplay. Sea of Stars is similar in this regard. It does not have 'too much' story, it has about as much as you would see in an SNES RPG. It leaves something to the imagination. Not every last detail of the world is explained, you're left with a sense of wonder.

When I first heard the term 'solstice warrior,' I grimaced. It sounded so lame, like something out of a kid's cartoon. And yet, it is tackled with sincerity. They don't go out of their way to tell you every aspect of what goes into making these warriors, they keep things very simple and straight forward. It just feels authentic. By the end of the game I wanted to learn more about this world and these characters, I did not feel like everything had been spelled out in game and there was something left to discover. Even a post-game twist felt like something a kid would tell you at school and you'd just roll your eyes and say 'yeah fucking right Ned, I'm sure collecting all 60 conch shells will do that.'

My discovery with this game is that in order to create a 'love letter' to a genre, you need to focus on more than one game. It needs to just focus on lots of things. I am Setsuna feels like a shallow clone of Chrono Trigger. Sea of Stars feels like a game that saw great elements from a lot of other great games and came to its own conclusions by throwing those things together. I fully believe a middle school aged Derek would have been glued to his Grandma's CRT for a month straight playing this game. It's the highest compliment that I can pay this game. It's not better than Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI or Earthbound. But it still stands on its own and it is fantastic.

[shirozen]

Turn-based side dishes

[smallgraygames]

Upcoming Game Announcement: South of the March

It's finally time to announce my next game in development! South of the March is a fantasy/horror RPG featuring a hybrid of JRPG-style turn-based combat and semi-open world visual novel exploration. It's set in the same medieval setting as The Salt Keep.

The current plan for the full version of South of the March is a free release sometime in spring of 2024. It's planned for release on Itch.io and Steam, and will run on PC and Mac. It's also intended to function as a prototype and companion game for a larger upcoming project, so keep an eye out and follow for updates!

[eyecantread]

[dimalink]

Techniks 16 bit

Pixel art for today based on videogame Advanced Daisenryaku for game console Super Nintendo. Power of 16 bit in in that point that it has a difference videogames. Also, a wargames. Strategies.

Something strategy about tanks and something about historical or pseudo historical theme.  Wargame. Hex squares. And by them you need to move your resources. And then enemy do the same. As chess. Almost. Also, interesting genre. It adds some variations in a game library. So, I for myself, already want some cartridges for Super Nintendo!

And this is my drawing based on. I dream for a long time about something like wargame. So, it is a picture now, also a wargame it is. I noticed that in origin game it has a date 1939. It should to mean something. But I don’t want to go into a historical moment. And mainly as a base theme. So, age around 1939 or something like that. But a little in a fantastic format.

Pseudohistorical such type. Or maybe even be better no to set with certain historical age at all.

And you it can be easy to see all units – are just silhouettes. And I can draw a lots of them. Very different forms. From different ages. Wargame will be about tech. Vehicles. And it can be a forest, desert. Something not hard pixels landscapes. And it is can be like even arcade format of wargame. But now it is only a drawing.

Game, for example, can goes just one map after another. Map1, map 2. And so on. With different landscapes. Such a simple retro. It can be said it is dedicated to Super Nintendo, 16 bit, IBM PC MS DOS 386SX2, 486 DX2. And I remember for myself I played in videogame Fantasy general, and  I  like it a lot. But I do not play a lot. It is hard. For me it is hard. It is boring. And what if such a type, but not hard to play. And everyone can play it. So, when I played Fantasy general I had this idea. So, such a light format, entertainment. It is only a picture now.

Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

WEBSITE: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html ITCHIO: https://dimalink.itch.io/ GAMEJOLT: https://gamejolt.com/@DimaLink/games

BLOGGER: https://dimalinkeng.blogspot.com/

[vermilliongrey]

Looting after a battle in a turn-based RPG:

[ozoraslegend]

If the 9Digi-Protagonist were turn-based game's characters... (part 1)

Only Takato and Takuya for today! Matsuda Takato. Imaginary. Preservation.

Voiceline: Battle Begins: Weakness Break: "Attack is the best shield. Careful, though!"

Voiceline: Battle Begin: Danger Alert: "What should we do… Ah, I shall raise defense!"

Voiceline: Turn Begins: "I'm on guard. Stay caution!"

Voiceline: Turn Idling: "I understand if you want to wait for a better time…"

Basic ATK: Sketch the World!

Deals small Imaginary DMG to a single target enemy.

Voiceline: Basic ATK: "Capture this moment!"

Skill: Let's start the dream.

Deals small Imaginary DMG to a single target enemy and additionally deals DMG many times, with each time dealing small Imaginary DMG to a random enemy. With each enemy being hit, provides all allies with an Aegis shield that can block DMG lasting for some turn(s). When repeatedly providing Aegis shield, the Shield effect can stack, up to a certain amount of the Shield provided by the current Skill.

Voiceline: Skill: "Aegis! Let my dreams keep you safe!"

Ultimate: All the world is my dream.

Deals significant Imaginary DMG to all target enemy, and have high chance to inflict Sleepy (bear Additional Imaginary DMG when beginning turn, delay action and remove this debuff) on all target enemy, lasting for some turn(s). Gains three stacks of Hazard.

Voiceline: Ultimate: Activate: "It's time to sleep… a sweet dream for everyone!"

Voiceline: Ultimate: Unleash: "Perfect sketching. This is-… This is the world I- envision!"

Talent: A Hazardous Dreamer, I am.

For any single unit with Aegis, their Effect RES increases, and when they get attacked, gains 1 point of Hazard. When having Aegis, resist debuffs. This effect can trigger again after some turn(s). Additionally gains 1 point(s) of Hazard after this unit getting attacked. Upon reaching 8 points of Hazard, consumes the 8 points to launch a 8-hit follow-up attack, with each hit dealing medium Imaginary DMG to a single random enemy. Hazard is capped at 11 points. When being in battle, "Night" will appear in the Action Order, lasting for 1/4 cycle. After disappearing for 3/4 cycle, Night will appear again. In "Night" period, DMG of ally and enemy increase.

Voiceline: Talent: "I'm with you! Gungnir, attack."

Technique: Preparation for a Hazardous Dream.

Increases DEF of all ally. When entering battle, gains three stacks of Hazard.

Voiceline: Technique: "Ready to have a sweet dream? Find safety."

Voiceline: Hit by Light Attack: "Ough! Stung…"

Voiceline: Hit by Heavy Attack: "So… strong… I'm- …okay."

Resonance:

Gram and Aegis:

Increase CRT rate based on DEF.

Welcome to Dreamscape:

When battle starts, grants all allies an Aegis shield, whose Shield effect is equal to 100% of the one provided by the Skill, lasting for some turn(s).

Protection from Nightmare:

After an ally with Aegis launches a follow-up attack, accumulates 1 Hazard point. This effect can trigger up to 3 time(s). And its trigger count resets at the start of his turn. After launching his Talent's follow-up attack, provides all allies with an Aegis shield, and additionally grants an Aegis to the ally with the lowest Shield effect, lasting for 3 turns.

Voiceline: Follow-up Attack: "Blutgang! Quo Vadis."

Voiceline: Shield from Resonance: "Emergency Defend! Are you okay?"

Voiceline: Down: "Don't wanna give up… Yet even longest dreams will end…"

Voiceline: Return to Battle: "Hah~ Seems like the sketch hasn't completely been ruined."

Voiceline: Health Recovery: "Ah, that feels a bit better. Thank you!"

Voiceline: Battle Won: "We did it! So, do you want me to draw an art for it?"

Voiceline: Treasure Opening: "Let's see what wonderful things we've found!"

Voiceline: Precious Treasure Opening: "Wow! Can this be added to our collection?"

Voiceline: Successful Puzzle-Solving: "Aha! I figured it out! It's just like connecting the lines in a drawing!"

Voiceline: Returning to Safe Zone: "Finally, back to safety. Maybe time to sketch out what happened…"

Voiceline: Enemy Target Found: "We should be careful… Look dangerous."

Space-Time Slice:

"First Dream of a Hazard": Increases the wearer's DEF. When the wearer provides a Shield to an ally, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases, lasting for some turn(s). When the wearer's follow-up attack hits an enemy target, increase the DMG taken by the attacked enemy target, lasting for some turn(s).

---

Kanbara Takuya. Fire. Destruction.

Voiceline: Battle Begins: Weakness Break: "Already burned out?~ Hah!"

Voiceline: Battle Begin: Danger Alert: "Hmph, bring it on! I'm not backing down!"

Voiceline: Turn Begins: "Time to make my move! Let's turn them into ashes!"

Voiceline: Turn Idling: "What are we waiting for? They can't turn into ashes themselves!"

Basic ATK: Agnimon, Human Warrior of Fire.

Deals small Fire DMG to a single target enemy.

Voiceline: Basic ATK: "Burning Salamander Break! Heh, feel it?"

Enhanced Basic ATK: Aldamon, Fusion Warrior of Fire.

Restores HP by a certain small amount of this unit's Max HP. Deals medium Fire DMG to a single target enemy.

Voiceline: Enhanced Basic ATK: "Plasma Inferno Destroyer! This is the power of a Warrior!"

Skill: Vritramon, Beast Warrior of Fire.

Consumes certain HP of this unit's Max HP and regenerates a fixed amount of Energy. Deals medium Fire DMG to a single target enemy. If the current HP is not sufficient, reduces this unit's HP to 1 when using this Skill. Advances this unit's next Action by 25%.

Voiceline: Skill: "Corona Blaster! Flame Storm! Hard- to-... control!"

Enhanced Skill: KaiserGreymon, Transcendent Warrior of Fire.

Restores HP by a certain medium amount of this unit's Max HP. Applies Fire Weakness to a single target enemy, lasting for some turn(s). Deals significant Fire DMG equal to this target and medium Fire DMG to adjacent targets.

Voiceline: Enhanced Skill: "To control the power, of dragon's veins!"

Ultimate: Fire Trailblazing.

Enters the Legendary Inheritor state, advances this unit's Action by 100%, and gains Enhanced Basic ATK and Enhanced Skill. While in Legendary Inheritor, increases SPD, and when using the Enhanced Basic ATK or Enhanced Skill, increases this unit's Weakness Break Efficiency by 50% and the Break DMG dealt by this unit to the enemy targets, lasting until this current attack ends. A countdown timer for the Legendary Inheritor state appears on the Action Order. When the countdown timer's turn starts, this unit exits the Legendary Inheritor state. The countdown timer has a fixed SPD. This unit cannot use Ultimate while in Legendary Inheritor.

Voiceline: Ultimate: Activate: "Overheat, trailblazing!"

Voiceline: Ultimate: Unleash: "Spirit Evolution! Feel the heat of a true warrior!"

Voiceline: Exit Legendary Inheritor: "Feel like… the fire was extinguished. Just need to ignite the embers!"

Talent: Unyielding Blaze.

The lower the HP, the less DMG received. During the Legendary Inheritor, the DMG Reduction remains at its maximum effect, and the Effect RES increases. If Energy is lower than 50% when the battle starts, regenerates Energy to 50%. Once Energy is regenerated to its maximum, dispels all debuffs on this unit. When being in battle, "Dawn" will appear in the Action Order, lasting for 1/4 cycle. After disappearing for 3/4 cycle, Dawn will appear again. In "Dawn" period, increase Break Effect of this unit and all ally.

Technique: Ruin of Flame.

After using Technique, creates a special dimension that Taunts and Stuns nearby enemies, lasting for 10 second(s). At the start of each wave, applies a Fire Weakness to all enemies, lasting for some turn(s). Then, deals significant Fire DMG to all enemies.

Voiceline: Technique: "Think you can avoid being burned to ashes~?"

Voiceline: Hit by Light Attack: "Ah! You little!"

Voiceline: Hit by Heavy Attack: "A-Arch! Hmph, you ask for being burned to death!"

Resonance:

All Things Must Burn:

During Legendary Inheritor, attacking enemies that have no Fire Weakness can also reduce their Toughness, with the effect being equivalent to 50% of the original Toughness Reduction from abilities.

Only Remaining Ashes:

When this unit is in Legendary Inheritor with high Break Effect, attacking a Weakness-Broken enemy target will convert the Toughness Reduction of this attack into 1 instance of Super Break DMG.

Adding Oil to Fire:

Increase this unit's Break Effect based on ATK.

Voiceline: Down: "Why… do… all… flames… die out…?…"

Voiceline: Return to Battle: "I will burn longer this time!"

Voiceline: Health Recovery: "Thanks~ Super soothing!"

Voiceline: Battle Won: "Had claimed that they would be burned to death."

Voiceline: Treasure Opening: "Let's see what treasures we can forge in this fire!"

Voiceline: Precious Treasure Opening: "Whoa! This is some high-grade fuel!"

Voiceline: Successful Puzzle-Solving: "So that's the right spark?"

Voiceline: Returning to Safe Zone: "Time to cool down, huh?"

Voiceline: Enemy Target Found: "Looks like something needs to be incinerated!"

Space-Time Slice:

"Blazing Start of the Trailblazing Journey": Increases the wearer's Break Effect. When the wearer deals Break DMG to an enemy target, inflicts Scattered Ash on the enemy, lasting for some turn(s). Targets afflicted with Scattered Ash receive increased Break DMG from the wearer, and their SPD is lowered.

---

Next time it would be Taichi and Daisuke!

[massgalaxy]

Trading Blows with the enemy From our upcoming game ARC SEED a Mech Tactics Roguelite game.

[silentstaresfanficandfanart]

^w^ if you guys want a turn based combat game in godot, I've got the skeleton all set up! if you go to the github link in the desc you can get the repository! I hope this helps some folks get started! + a little video explaining how it works and why it works! I tried to cover things I got stuck on when I was first starting Godot and keep it as simple as possible! Let me know if you wind up using it (if you want!) so I can see how it goes :D

note: made in godot 4.4

[dreamrefuge]

Got Ryza 2 this time 😊

After Resleriana shutting down, I realized I needed more Atelier in my life 👀

Then, Reddit community helped me (many thanks 🥹) and I'm starting with Ryza! Having so much fun until now 🐱

Alchemy time!

The monsters are very cute 🐣

[dmdarius]

Let's Play Talisman |01| A New Journey!

Nomad Games remade their game with the new Fifth Edition rules. Which means, with as many hours as Link and I have, we must see how much has changed between the two editions and what new bugs and changes may be in the game’s code!

#talisman #boardgame #fantasy

[cryptic-paw]

Midboss P4 | Floor 8, Grinding With Ghouls!

Midboss by Eniko 😈

Take on the role of a lowly gremlin whose only ability is to possess other creatures in a procedurally generated dungeon! Will they be able to grow strong enough to become the new big boss of the dungeon? Toe Bean rating at the end!

An indie video game about dungeon diving, turn-based combat, and roguelite mechanics.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/561740/MidBoss/

🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹🎮🕹

Are you an indie game dev who wants me to play and rate your game? Feel free to send me a message at crypticpaw@gmail.com or through my website! Let's help get you out there and improve your game design skills!

[hot-take-tournament]

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT!

PRELIMINARY #208

Submission 703

I wish final fantasy went back to turn-based combat

I feel like the best final fantasys are the turned-based ones. ff11 is archaic and came out before WoW actually made mmos good, no one remembers ff12, the ff13 trilogy is contentious at best, and ff15 has some of the most bland and mind numbingly easy combat in the franchise. I know ff14 and ff16's gameplay are considered good, but ff14's base game was so bad they had to essentially bomb the whole game and start from the beginning. I don't have too many complaints about ff16 combat and I think it is good but it looses that spirit of final fantasy because it's essentially a dmc clone. But you only get to play as one character and one of the best parts about ff is the diversity of characters in your party.

Final Fantasy started as a turned-based rpg and in this new direction, the series is loosing its roots and it doesn't feel like final fantasy anymore.

Random poll encountered!

Propaganda attack!

Critical damage!

Used reblog spell!

Exposure was raised!

[capsulecomputers]

FANTASIAN Neo Dimension – Gameplay

Originally released for Apple platforms back in 2021, Fantasian is a traditional JRPG developed by Mistwalker, whose founder is none other than Hironobu Sakaguchi - the Father of Final Fantasy.

Fantasian is a full-fledged, feature-rich RPG heavily influenced by classic titles from Square-Enix. The game is finally available on modern systems. Fantasian Neo Dimension includes substantial improvements and new features.

We brave a world threatened by the ever-spreading “Mechteria"- an interdimensional plague capable of draining people's life force. As the amnesiac Leo, we explore the game's beautifully crafted towns and landscapes, showcasing the game’s interesting take on random turn-based battles.

If you enjoyed the video, give us a thumbs up and subscribe!

Embark on an adventure to discover your memories and save the world from a mechanical infection. Maneuver your skill trajectories during battle, and dive into a new dimension with a unique twist on a classic RPG experience.

FANTASIAN Neo Dimension Developer: Mistwalker Corporation Publisher: Square Enix Platform: Windows, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5|4 Release Date: 6th December, 2024 Price: $49.99 USD

Available here - https://fantasianneodimension.square-enix-games.com/

[monochromesong]

Sea of Stars is GOTY and now in my top five games of all time