#turn-based

[villainousintent]

Oh so Star Wars gets to be turned-based but not Dragon Age. I see how it is EA

[90sfantasyanimestuff]

Cast of Farland Story 5: Daichi no Kizuna. Source.

[vgprintads]

'Duòluò Tiānshǐ'

[PC] [TAIWAN] [MAGAZINE] [2000]

"Lost Continent was originally ruled by the Fallen Angels. The Angel War 500 years ago allowed the Holy Angels, who had been in opposition for many years, to forcibly seize control. Most of the defeated Fallen Angels died in the war, but legend has it that there is a force that can gather the power of the elves and help the Fallen Angels revive. Five hundred years later, all power on the continent has been replaced by money, and as a result, three major companies have emerged: Jackson Enterprises, Tyra Trading Company, and Miguel Trading Company. The world is controlled by companies, and this setting is a bit like Final Fantasy and Cyberpunk 2077. The characters in "Fallen Angels" all have their own unique personalities and characteristics. The battle is turn-based, and all actions require the consumption of action points. The AP consumed by each action is different, which adds strategy to the battle." ~"Howling Civet Cat", WLGOOO.com (Machine Translation)

Source: Soft World Magazine, December 2000 (#140) || Internet Archive; NashG

[cassette-fanfics]

I need everyone to play Cassette Beasts right now

I've recently finished playing Cassette Beasts and it's so amazing, I have no words. I think it's the most hiperfixated I've been on a piece of media since I've first started watching The Owl House nearly four years ago.

It has everything I've ever wanted in a game: a turn-based RPG with brilliant music, an ✨80's aesthetic✨, playable companions you can build a relationship with (both romantic and platonic), a huge island to explore, an engaging main storyline with a plethora of slice-of-life sidequests, elditch horrors beyond your comprehension, an optimistic message about humanity, post-game content, good queer and PoC representation, cute doggos, in short - everything you could ever want and more.

It's lowkey making me want to go back to writing fanfiction for the first time in years just to see more stories set on the island on New Wirral and more interactions between the characters.

TL;DR I'm Very Normal™ about this game

[dmdarius]

Let's Try Dawnsbury Days |01| THE FIRST PATHFINDER 2E CRPG

Look to the indie badasses to make the first Pathfinder 2e game accurate to the system itself! Behold character creation to the cheap, beginner friendly Dwansbury Days!

#dawnsburydays #pf2e #crpg

[highretrogamelord]

Zeeslag for the ZX81

[linuxgamenews]

Discover Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir - A Must-Play RPG

Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir launches its turn-based mystery dungeon fantasy RPG game on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the brilliant work of Operaludica. Available now on Steam. Independent developer Operaludica has just launched Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir, a turn-based mystery dungeon fantasy RPG. If you're into tactical RPGs or the Dragonero comic series, this one’s definitely worth checking out. Operaludica will also be showcasing this title at the Tokyo Game Show 2024 from September 26-29 at the Makuhari Messe. If you're lucky enough to attend, swing by to see what’s happening in person! The game is based on Dragonero, a popular comic series by Sergio Bonelli Editore. Operaludica has even more good news for players: later this year in Q4, they’re dropping a free ‘Master Mode’ DLC! This mode lets you create your own dungeons and campaigns and share them with the community on Steam Workshop. Imagine making your own Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir adventures and seeing others dive into them! Marco Pirruccio, the head of Operaludica, expressed his excitement: “We’re thrilled to bring the world of Dragonero to life with The Rise of Draquir. The comic has always been about drawing readers into Erondàr, and now players can truly live in that world. With the upcoming ‘Master Mode’, you can even create and share your own stories.”

Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir Release Trailer

Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir takes place after the events of the comic story Dragonero: The Origin. You'll also follow the journey of five heroes who must save the world of Erondàr. Each hero has their own unique adventure to tackle before they all come together in the main quest. So you’ll get to play as Ian Aranill, Gmor Burpen, Myrva Aranille, Alben, and Sera of Rômelinwe. Each due to bring their own flavor to the game. Level them up, boost their skills, and prepare for the ultimate team-up. Explore the massive world of Erondàr, filled with a mix of procedurally generated and hand-crafted dungeons. You’ll face tough enemies, make tactical choices in turn-based combat, and even tweak your own storylines. The Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir Master Mode lets you create custom campaigns with tools like the ‘Dungeon Wizard,’ ‘Creature Wizard,’ and ‘Quest Wizard.’ Once you’ve built your adventure, share it with other players or try out their custom dungeons. There’s plenty of tactical combat, so every decision matters. Take on dangerous enemies, level up your gear, and make sure your squad is ready for action. The more time you spend in a dungeon, the riskier it gets, but the rewards are worth it! Outside of dungeons, you’ll roam through cities, meet the locals, pick up new quests, and trade for better gear. You can grab Dragonero: The Rise of Draquir turn-based mystery dungeon fantasy RPG is now on Steam for $17.99 USD / £15.07 / 17,55€ with the 10% discount.. If you’re curious, there’s also a Linux demo available to try out before buy. So, if you’re ready for an epic RPG adventure, now’s the time! Available on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[francostrider]

Random Encounters in RPGs

Every once in a blue moon, I want to play a Japanese style of RPG. It is kind of hard to explain why, considering the hit or miss history I’ve had with the genre. Final Fantasy VII was not only my introduction to JRPGs, but to a lot of terms in RPGs in general, from leveling up to turned based systems and so on. But after hearing about the more western styles of RPGs, and how you could create a character and backstory and so on, I remember one night playing FFX thinking to myself “I really wish I was playing that.” But then games like Chrono Trigger, the Fire Emblem series, Golden Sun, Tales of Vesperia, and some of the Dragon Quest games have become some of my favorites.

But there is one aspect that I have been wanting to accept, but never really could: Random Encounters. Come to think of it, many of the above examples do not have them (even the versions of Dragon Quests VII and VIII do not have them). There is something kind of pure about them, as the combat runs on dice rolls and it would only make sense for encounters to follow suit. It can also be a good test of resource management, having enough potions and recovery items and deciding whether or not to use any right now. Yet, it tests my patience more than the actual combat system itself. I am fine with a standard turn based system. It’s kind of like how Doom is still very playable despite its age; it’s standard, but easy to pick up and play and still fun. But when I am barraged by them endlessly, it starts to get numbing after a while. The ultimate goal is to make these fights easier with leveling up, but that does not make it any less dull. I am here for challenge as well as story, after all.

And this is a shame, because this is a barrier to a lot of highly regarded games. Breath of Fire, Phantasy Star, most Dragon Quest games, have random encounters, and I want to play them, but I am growing more and more impatient with them. And it can be anxiety inducing, running through a maze, just trying to pick up an ite-- BAM THE 70TH SLIME IS OUT TO GET YOU. This one dungeon seems to have an infinite number of these creatures.

And that last point is really what opened up the true issue I have with these random encounters. You are given no context to why they are in that spot. A lot of this has to do with graphical limitations and there is only so much you could put on a map back in the day. But a lot of JRPGs still hold onto this tradition. Big empty room, and suddenly this 20 foot behemoth comes out of the blue.

The big counter point for this is the Tales series, namely the ones I’ve played through, Vesperia and Arise. I have given Arise grief, but it does encounters well. Now, we are not talking about whether it is turned based or not, merely the way you enter these combat encounters. The enemies you see in the exploration map will be the ones you face.

Now, Dragon Quest has also played around with enemies on the map in recent years. Often they appear and disappear at random, and wander around in random directions before they run at you. While this is preferable to the classic method, what Arise does better is take it another step. They’re not just milling about, there are set encounters placed on the map (reappearing when you leave and enter the area) and have some context. Giant wolves around an overturned wagon, Airborne monsters in a high place, bonus bosses in their given lairs.

The way they are distributed in Tales of Arise serves a couple of purposes. One, as noted, giving them context. Two, giving you a feeling that you cleared an area for the moment, that defeating the monsters has made the place (albeit temporarily) safe. Three, it makes the hunt for monsters in a given side quest into a search and not just bumbling around waiting to be struck.

Lastly, it also makes entering an encounter into a decision making process. Do you destroy every single one again for the exp, and possibly lose precious resources? Or have you done this room already and would like to take the path of least resistance to find your way to other treasures or a boss? This makes the interaction with these encounters more engaging.

While this is subjective, I stand by my statement that this is a more fun method. As for the supposed “purity” I am looking for, it probably is not what I think it is. On a tabletop, most DMs won’t have you barraged with fight after fight, since there isn’t enough time for that in a given session. And usually, an encounter is made for a story reason, not just to throw more goons at you. Simply put there is a lot more potential in having set up encounters on the map than random encounters. In my personal opinion, it is perhaps one of the many grandfathered systems (like gear grinding and constant number inflation) that needs a thorough re-evaluation.

[wigc]

Size Isn't Everything in Turn-based Mini Roguelike 'Rerun'

Being doomed to an endless struggle doesn't exactly sound like the most fun thing... unless it's in a video game. Like, say, Rerun, in which the odds are rarely, if ever, in your favour, and the outcome will always be the same: your demise. But don't let that tiny detail get in the way of your fun!

Continue reading

[brutalgamer]

King Arthur: Legion IX shambles to consoles next month

The recently launched RPG/Strategy hybrid expansion King Arthur: Legion IX is set to bring undead turn-based action to consoles.

[konnetwork]

Suikoden II HD Remaster breathes new life into a classic RPG, refining gameplay, visuals, and the story without losing its original charm. A must-play for newcomers and longtime fans alike! #RPG #SuikodenII

[vgprintads]

'Worms - "Letter"'

[MULTI] [GERMANY] [MAGAZINE, MULTI-PAGE] [1996]

"Dear teacher, Thank you for repeatedly mentioning my name in the class register. I was extremely happy about that. And the wicked lovely letter in the cool blue envelope was very delightful for me and especially my folks parents. I am looking forward to learning everything again next year, together with the kids that I used to beat up. I thank you for your friendliness and will visit in a moment to THANK YOU PERSONALLY … … with my favourite toy!" ~Translation by Enchanters_Eye, via r/translator

Source: PC Joker, January 1996 || Internet Archive; Haagen_1

[dmdarius]

Let's Try Death Howl Demo |07| Gotta Collect’em All! | FINALE

We didn’t get a Great Spirit to fight, BUT you know what is something I dig about card games? Collecting the cards themselves! Time to collect them all and wait ever so patiently for the full release!

#deathhowl #deckbuilder #soulslike #keymailer

[highretrogamelord]

Star Soccer for the ZX81

[linuxgamenews]

dotAGE: Folkways Releases to Revolutionize Roguelite

dotAGE: Folkways launches for the turn-based roguelite village builder game for Steam Deck, Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the awesome mind of solo dev Michele Pirovano, who keeps the creativity flowing non-stop. Which you can find now on Steam. Alright folks, buckle up — because dotAGE: Folkways launches for the turn-based roguelite village builder title. It’s bringing some serious chaos (in the best way possible) to your village runs via Steam Deck and Linux. If you haven’t played dotAGE yet, it’s a super unique roguelite village builder, all about trying to survive the apocalypse while managing your little village turn-by-turn. It’s like a mix of strategy, panic, and charm — and now, it’s getting its first ever expansion. Yep, the solo dev behind the game, Michele Pirovano (legend), is back with Folkways, and he’s seriously going all out. So what’s in this expansion? In short: a ton of new stuff that’ll completely change how you play. First off, meet the Pipfolks — new types of villagers that aren’t just faceless workers. They’ve got unique needs, cultural quirks, and give you special bonuses. Some are picky about food, others bring cool perks, and some even trigger special events. Basically, your villages are about to get way more personality — and drama. Then things get wild. dotAGE: Folkways launch also adds Prisons, Cages, Gallows, and... Pip Butchers? Yeah, managing your villagers just got a little darker (and maybe a bit funnier, in a twisted way). You’re not just fighting the apocalypse anymore — you're running a whole messed-up society.

dotAGE: Folkways - Launch Trailer

Oh, and there are over 100 new buildings. We’re talking Gold Mines, Koi Ponds, Aqua Parks, Statues, Inkwells, and even Latrines. Each one adds new layers of strategy and hilarious complications. But wait, dotAGE: Folkways launches with even more! Expect tons of new events, resources, ailments, VIPs, and Boons to mix things up every run. The replayability just went through the roof. And the cherry on top? Three new Elders with wild playstyles:

Trisavolo, the Dwarf King: Build a fortress in the mountains with your hammer-swinging dwarves.

Ronomy, the Old Wise Cat: Yes, a whole village of cats. Herd mice, play with yarn, and survive — cat-style.

Dad, the Jack-of-all-trades: Craft unique buildings, make Pipbots, and cut down forests like it’s nobody’s business.

To celebrate the launch, dotAGE will be front and center on Steam’s homepage on March 23rd with its biggest discount ever — 30% off during the DLC launch window! So mark your calendars, fellow survivors — dotAGE: Folkways launches for the roguelite village builder, and it’s bringing the madness. Time to rebuild, re-strategize, and probably get eaten by Pipfolks. Again. You can find now on Steam for $7.19 USD / £6.02 / 7,01€ with the 10% discount. With support for Steam Deck, Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[ncc-42069]

You encounter a PRETTY DANCER!

The pretty dancer...