I want to clarify a thing on speed. The SNES/PS1 version had a speed stat, it's why many would exclusively power level as ninjas for constant turns. They ..tried their best with that version. PSP, One Vision, and Reborn use the Recovery Time system. Every unit has a set amount as their innate countdown to move again. You can add to it, but it can't go down. The weight of every item, the speed of every ability, and the distance you move contributes to your adding time cost. So where in FFT you'd save 25% by not moving, here you'd spend something like 4 RT for every tile moved. Conservative movement and using cheap actions is how you get fast. Also of note is that the Reborn version added Auto skills with no cost, but only a 40% or so chance to activate unless you use a card on it. These changed the speed game entirely. Lastly, in a traditional RPG you'd up your stats to hit harder. Here you'd make an opening and hammer on it. For example: The boss is an Earth knight. 300 HP. Your "heavy hitter" does 60. No one said to play fair. Find your beast tamer, throw some Mead on him for a 50% damage bonus. Get Canopus a dagger, that first finisher is Air, which hits harder on earth, for an extra 30%. Each physical card picked up intensifies breakthroughs (they can't cause a breakthrough, they only intensify them). Get one of those, maybe snag a Crit that was hiding in a box you broke (you can break props for cards)...and now he can be hit for 400 or so. Never fight directly if avoidable, that's the lesson here.
You know Coffee you'd actually be a better resource than me to help with a gameplay tips video, most of everything I know about the intricacies of the mechanics I learned from you. Maybe this would be a good collab?
Finally!! Good job guys! I cover all the lore and story about the Ogre Saga on my channel, if you need help with anything on this issue I'm sure you'll find it there! 🎉🎉🎉 EDIT: Very interesting how you interpreted that the game is about CONFLICTS! There are many concepts of politics/war in Tactics Ogre that correlate with situations that happen in reality, for example: (SPOILERS AHEAD). -A region remains conflict-free if it is dominated by someone stronger than the other groups, preventing agitators from emerging (situation of the 3 factions while Dorgalia governed the island) -There is no power vacuum, people will create conflicts to hold power and create justifications for it (the conflict in the game happens primarily because the 3 leaders want more power [Ronwey, Brantym and Balbatos], It is not an intrinsic difference between the 3 ethnic races) -The morals and concept of right and wrong, and also of justice, of the common citizen can be easily manipulated by a leadership in order to create a war (many of the massacres in this story happened due to the agitation of the leaders: Balbatos subdued the walisters out of consideration- them as inferior beings, inflaming nationalism among the Galgastani. Ronwey encourages his group to make Balbamusa as a strategy of revenge, Brantym appeals to the nobility of the Bakram as worthy of ruling the island). -During direct conflicts, you will have external interference supporting sides through their own interests (Lodis with the Dark Knights interfering to take control of the island, Xenobia to recover their relic). -Conflicts are resolved through 3 possibilities (that's what the game's endings are about): Unification (the difference between people is reduced when they support the same common ruler), Law of the strongest (whoever is most powerful subdues the most weak) or irreconcilable differences, which makes peace impossible, always returning to the same cycle of war eventually. -The only solution that appears to be peaceful at the end of the game is when the island unifies, becoming so strong (and having equally strong allies) that they end up preventing attacks from other powers... in other words, peace (even if temporary) is not created through dialogue and acceptance of difference, but rather through equality in the capacity for violence. Obviously, as it is a gray plot, the interpretation is extremely individual, and for this reason there is no "wrong answer". Again, congratulations on the episode, looking forward to the next ones!
Also, Mike and Casen weren't the ones who interpreted this game as being about conflict. Yasumi Matsuno himself stated outright that this was the theme of the game, in case it's not clear. In an interview, it is clearly written: "Motifs and Themes: Matsuno brings up how it is frequently said that Tactics Ogre is based on the Yugoslav Wars, and says that this is by and large a misunderstanding: It is one of the motifs, but he did not base the game on any one conflict; he brings up the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi by the Hutu in Rwanda as an example of the sort of information that influences him, and points out how there are still similar conflicts around the world right now, such as in Syria, or the recent clashes over territory by Azerbaijan and Armenia. The interviewer asks if Matsuno means that the theme of Tactics Ogre is how the problems of a multi-ethnic country head towards a conclusion within the flow of history. Matsuno says that it is not limited to ethnicity: Like the current BLM movement in America, As long as there are two or more people with differing values, there will always be conflict, and the theme of Tactics Ogre is how that sort of conflict is resolved, and what sort of sequence the conflict goes through as a part of history." Hope this helps!
Love seeing my favorite franchise of all time get some shine. Another tip is you can power level characters as soon as you get the ability to train. You can set two healers against each other remove everything but their healing spell and set them both to cpu and have them wail on each other. Every action gets you xp and eventually they will get high level which will also let any OTHER units you want level SUPER fast. You can use this to control the leveling to a very precise level is l even if you don't want to just power level past any of the story battles since random battles level scale.
Gotta say is a breath of fresh air seeing Casen chiming in the developer's story, makes it more conversational and easy to follow. Not that I don't like Mike's deep dives, but having both of them talking into it really feels more dynamic.
Dynamic or that it's a conversation rather than Mike simply covering the development history. I think the information is valuable, not necessarily being entertained by it.
@@DungeonBricks That may depend on the individual. Some people have a hard time focusing or another issue when just one person is expounding on something.
I really like the comparisons that Mike made between Yasumi Matsuno and Hideo Kojima. There's this really cool Shmuplations interview with both of them, where they discuss their friendship, influences in their own games, and impressions of each other's work: "Kojima: I first met Matsuno at the 1998 Tokyo Fantastic International Movie Festival. I was standing in line to see the premiere of Vampires at the Shibuya Parthenon… I was waiting on that spiral staircase there for 8 almost hours. (laughs) Matsuno: That’s right. I never imagined I’d meet you at a place like that! Kojima: We talked movies on that staircase for hours. You said you didn’t mind waiting if it was a movie you really wanted to see. I guessed then, that here’s a guy with the same DNA as me. (laughs) When Ogre Battle came out, I remember thinking “how did he coax such beautiful graphics out of the SNES?” You didn’t rely on hardware tricks, it was more about good direction. I could see then that Matsuno was a capable director: someone who could first envision a game system, then create a scenario that would fit within its bounds, and do it all while utilizing the hardware specs to their fullest. Even in the era of the Playstation 2, I think that’s still the most important thing: a good sense of direction. I don’t mean it in the cinematic sense per se: game direction is more about creating situations that draw players in emotionally, and about creating atmosphere. I could tell Matsuno was someone who could do that."
A key difference between the two of them, however, according to Matsuno, is that he tends to be more self-effacing than Kojima was: "Matsuno: Everyone has their own style, I think, and I’m the type of director who wants to oversee and be involved in every little detail. If I’m going to do something, after all, I want to do it right, top to bottom. It’s still kind of rare, whether you’re talking about a work of “art” or a commercial product, to see the signature of the creator in the work. And in that sense, I think there are very few directors like you in this industry. That’s also why I’ve played every Kojima game from Snatcher onwards. But the thing is, and I feel this too when I play your games, is that they have a certain “policy” or inner consistency. I’m not saying that your games are direct reflections of your personal life, of course. Games aren’t vehicles for talking about oneself. All your games, however, are suffused with a certain “Kojima taste” that no one else can imitate. That is something to be admired in a creator. Personally, I don’t see myself as a 'creator'. I’m a businessman who plans out commercial products. To me it’s only natural, since my work is more about doing all I can to please other people, which sometimes means suppressing my individuality. That is what one is supposed to do with a commercial product-and yet, if that’s ALL you do, it gets boring. Even if it’s just 1%, I’d like to leave something of myself in my games. Your works, Kojima, really give off that aura. There’s a lot for me to learn there."
20:34 Akihiko Yoshida doesn't work at Square anymore, he's been with Cygames's CyDesignation since 2014. He worked on FFXIV: A Realm Reborn, after that it was Kazuya Takahashi doing character design for XIV and XVI.
One thing I learned when I was in school was that when making a larger story you want to make your world/history/lore first and fit the characters in it, that way it all matches up. A smaller story like a short story and such you want the world to fit around the character since that'll usually be more of the focus of the story. So it does really smooth things out and I can see why they went about the game like this.
FINALLY!! I'm so excited. EDIT: If you guys REALLY want to go in-depth into mechanics, balancing and such.. there's a TH-camr @CoffeePotato that basically covers this game! They are beyond knowledgeable! Have made thousands of videos on just this game and all versions for years, and their passion is the real thing (even mods and community balancing)! So it would be nice for others to notice them.. though I can't attest he would 100% join if invited. Up to you, since it seems you are covering this almost blind, which is partially a shame.
Steam: Hey Tactics Ogre in your wish list is on sale! Me: Nah probably not gonna play it anytime soon Resonant Arc: Let's do Tactics Ogre! Steam: Sorry too late. Me: ....godamn it. *Buys anyway*
Good for you man. I'm gonna have to put Mario RPG on the back burner for this podcast and get back into TO. Here's hoping they'll cover xenosaga 2 or kh2
Thank you for covering this absolute gem of a game. I know most Tactical RPG fans consider FFT to be the best but I honestly love and enjoyed Tactics Ogre more for its more grounded story and setting. And as much as I love anime stuff, I think the realistic portraits of the original (SNES to PS1) suited the theme of the game more. It helped establish and carry the distressing theme of the game which is prejudice, warfare and dogma. It was gritty it's real. I used to hope upon the release of the Reborn that they'd have the option to toggle between the new and old but also retouched portraits.
This podcast is the excuse I needed to finally get around to playing this game. I LOVE Final Fantasy Tactics and have been meaning to play Tactics Ogre for that reason but just never got around to it. Now I have no excuse, gonna install it and play alongside you guys as soon as I can, very much looking forward to seeing what this game has to offer and hearing your insight.
Tip for enjoyment - increase the battle speed if playing the Reborn version. The game feels really snappy and quick with this turned on, and it still maintains all animations. Autobattle is also very useful in certain situations like grinding, etc.
Ogre Battle definitely set the standard for it's archetype at the time. In 30 years I've never played another game like it. Maybe a cross between Starcraft and Suikoden.
I think Mike's point talking about unicorn overlord is that it resembles Ogre Battle - march of the black queen gameplay style. And BTW, 13 sentinels is a great game, you should totally play it and include it into the podcast
As a possible hint of what they could have watched to have the idea of turn based: in Tendo there is a festival, "Ningen Shogi", that is more than 60 years old.. they play Shogi games in full period armor.. some videos of last years festivals are out there on YT.. it's Shogi, not chess, but maybe "translation"?
You're correct! Thank you! I rewatched the interview and he indeed says "ningen Shogi" which was translated as "human chess". I'll include some footage of that next episode!
54:16 Unicorn Overlord by Vanillaware! Love everything about all their games, especially the visual style. Would love if you guys covered 13 Sentinels! It's pretty short too.
The feeling of overhearing someone talk about your favorite thing and not being able to jump into the conversation is unbearable. I feel like I'm about to burst!!!
@@WarrenReport They do interact with us at the $10/level. I'm familiar with some of your content, and another Patreon member DudeMcGuy seems to know you as well. You can write into them; it'd be cool to have a 4-way conversation with you, Mike, Casen, and Orcbrand in the final episode or something.
Gameplay Tip for the Reborn version: Character Elemental affinities matter quite a bit. Each character has an innate element (Ice, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Water, Fire, Light, Darkness). Ice is weak to fire, Fire is weak to Water, Water is weak to lightning, Lightning is weak to Earth, Earth is weak to wind, and Wind is weak to Ice. Light and Dark are strong/weak against each other. These weaknesses add more damage/resistance for all attacks/abilities, not just magic. So for example a Knight with fire affinity will do extra damage against any enemy with an Ice affinity. Even if his weapon/attack is not fire based. (If does use a fire based weapon/attack he will do even MORE damage). On the Reborn version of the game, you can start a mission and preview the map to review the elemental affinities of your enemies before you deploy your team. Often times the enemy team will be comprised of the same "primary" element for 60% - 80% of the enemy characters. This way you can deploy a team that will give you the elemental advantage. So if you see the enemy is primarily Lightning affinity, you can try to deploy as many Earth type characters as possible. Early on, I recruited 1 ranged and 1 mage character for each element to try and take advantage of elemental weaknesses as much as possible. This seemed like a good idea at first, but as the game went on it required a lot of money and training to try and keep these recruits on par with Denam and my other Melee characters. So while matching elemental weaknesses is important on every map, maybe don't go too overboard with it like I did!
Also, you can bring up a menu in battle (not sure which button, depends on platform) that will allow you to turn on enemy health bars above their head. This can also be toggled to show the health bar as the color of the character's element. That way you can assess each character's element on the map quickly without having to click on each one individually.
I'm excited because this is one of those rare instances where I actually own the game you guys are talking about but haven't played it yet. Looking forward to following along!
This has to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite episode of the podcast so far. Having Casen take a larger role in the Dev History discussion and you being Matsuno fans but having not experienced this game yet shapes up the series to be very passionate and introspective, while also carrying the impressions and freshness that playing a new game brings. Keep up the good work!
I really really like how conflict is told in the matsuno games I played It feels so grounded and human. This serie will be really interresting to follow
I fell in love with this game when it first came out. I didn't realize so many other people loved it too. Canopus is the man! And i always had to do the chaotic run first, just because i couldnt stand to see Lan turn into a bad guy!
PSP and Reborn are %98 the same story wise. Only difference being Reborn having extended battle conversations, most changes being extra Lodis lore in them. Blowgun exploit seems to exist due to someone adding an extra zero to that sell price. Matsuno called it a Christmas gift and so it remained.
Finally covering my favourite Matsuno game! As a history buff with a focus on military history etc the game really spoke to me when I first played it. Matsuno's mastery over storytelling and how well he understands the subject at hand just go perfectly together. One of the reasons why I have a lot of criticisms for Trinalge Strategy, it was a fine game on its own but they went out in public saying they were inspired by this and it just seemed like they didn't understand what made it good (their choices are pretty much black and white for example). I pretty much have the same stance as Mike on the current conflict, I just don't know enough to take a side and think it is much more nuanced than one side being in the wrong.
Regarding the people dressed in suits playing chess- it's not a gameshow. I only know this because of an excellent anime, March comes in like a Lion, but there's a region in Japan (I forget the name) that really likes Shogi (Japanese chess). The region has produced a few talented players and even put on a yearly chess festival. The "gameshow" you referenced was likely the news coverage of the event.
I just wanted to say how interesting I found your discussion at the end of the video regarding conflicts. I also found the way I consider conflicts around the world evolve as I've grown up and most significantly through the stories I've experienced, gaming or otherwise. I used to enjoy a lot of what I would now call pro-war stories, because I liked the action and the simplistic 'feels' those stories would communicate, plus was proud of the military background on my Dad's side of the family and it was all so distant a concept, I hadn't grasped the reality of war ongoing today, like Casen mentioned. The way our stories reflect the conflicts of history and our time are hugely impactful on our perception of it, whether we support one side, feel indifferent, or struggle with the moral complexity of trying to figure out what it means to really bring a conflict to an end, because they often don't truly end when one side declares victory. If we ever got to a point where we decided as a planet to really try and put an end to conflicts, or at least seriously attempt to mitigate and resolve them, it would in part be through storytelling that this change comes about.
It's so great to hear you guys talking about jrpgs again. I enjoyed the little break covering different genres of games, but these will always be my favorite types of discussions from you guys.
As far as I can tell, Kachua(alt. Kachhua) is indian for "tortoise", and in Japan the word is usually associated with decorative tortoise brooches of indian design and also a particular brand of handmade indian tunics/one-pieces for women.
@@CasenSperry Perhaps, though I don't know that would be true in India. Probably more indicative of a word that's taken on its own associations in Japan, kinda how like the word "denimu" in Japanese is now synonymous with jeans. They don't actually have the word "jeans" here. All jeans are just referred to as denim lol. It's actually a pretty popular name for female characters in fantasy stories here, having been used in other noteworthy works like Fire Emblem, Gundam, Dragon Quest(X), and Re:zero.
If you stay in the realm of fabrics, like denim, katiua or kashua sounds a bit like cashmere, which is an expensive fabric compared to denim, indicating her higher class? In Japanese you say kashimiya, so it's a bit of a stretch, maybe...
@@sjoerdhogervorst I did some further research and it showed that Kachua tortoise jewelry is connected to the same zodiac signs as the character, so it's seeming more likely it's a reference to this jewelry. It's also worth mentioning that since the other references respect the Japanese spelling of the respective clothes, that it would be kinda strange for Kachua to be a variation not doing the same.
Hi, just want to say "great podcast series" you guys record! I play Tactics Ogre since 2 weeks. Out of curiosity I checked on Spotiffy to see if there was s.th. about the series - and I found u! Have listened to all your OTReborn related content and afterwards scrolled through ur playlist and found another gem, the epsiodes about "Spec Ops The line"...!! Great job, pls continue! Greetings
Yesss🔥🔥🔥🔥 I've been anticipating this episode.. love your work Mike and Casen.🤘 currently replaying Tactic ogre and Brigandine on switch. Watching your podcast is always a delight.. it's really the holidays now.❤❤
I've been waiting for this! SO excited! Reborn is A LOT more streamlined and accessible than all the previous versions, yes. And EVEN STILL it manages to be obtuse as hell with some of it's systems under the hood. Just Matsuno being Matsuno, nothing to see here😁 Seriously though the gameplay has LAYERS, it's quite frankly absurd how deep some stuff goes. But, don't worry those tips given by the subscriber are very very good, short, sweet and to the point, and are all you need to finish the main story content with no trouble at all. We don't talk about the post game here though... At least I hope not. Oh God, no. For your sanity's sake.
Platinumed Tactics Ogre Reborn earlier this year and was one of the most complicated platinums I've ever done, took me about 300 hours due to having to learn a lot of really obscure mechanics and some roadblock battles in the super long dungeons, and I still didn't do all of the content in the game. The content, AI and mechanics are a bit different in the remake though from what I've heard. I did use Poison Cloud a lot in my playthrough, as I believe it does 10% of their HP per tic so it scales nicely throughout the game, and it's one of the few advantages you have in most encounters (at least in the remake) as the lvl caps and gear availability timing keep you equal or slightly behind most enemies.
May Catiua name be a reference to the japanese word for "hairband" (Kachuusha, カチューシャ)? She even wears one. This is also originally a russian word, a dimunitive version on the name "Ekaterina".
I enjoyed Tactics Ogre a lot more than FFT, story wise I also feel it's easier for beginners of the tactics genre like myself, since you can go back in turns, and redo stuff if you miscalculated your strategy or whatever I stopped playing on the final chapter of the neutral route (i started playing FF 1 through 6 pixel remaster), so this is the perfect opportunity to pick the game back up!
This is so strange! I was just wondering if you guys were going to do this video like you did FFT. I love how I played Tactics Ogre much later after the PSP release, and learned just how much this game influenced other RPGs.
Yes, I bought this when you announced you would cover it. I love it, it just feels so Good to be in the matsuno verse and the sakimoto feeling with the wonderful music.
Man oh man, I feel like I have been waiting for you guys to fully cover this game for forever! I recall the quick play for the PSP version that you did years ago and was always disappointed that was the extent of your coverage. Super excited for this series!
Having played Final Fantasy Tactics, Triangle Strategy, DioField Chronicles, and plan on getting Ogre Battle for switch. Having grown up playing Shining Force on Sega Genesis, (you guys and the audience should look into it, it's the grandfather of tactics gameplay) Ogre Battle is one series I've been on the fence about playing but Having listened to this first episode I feel it's time to give this one a shot.
I love the Shining Force 1 & 2 but I can't say I've played much of Shining Force 3. I did really like the extremely prog arranged soundtrack album Sakuraba did though!
@@Scimarad The Shining Force songs are absolute bangers. Three is really good and playing all three scenarios obviously shows you the full story but in order to play all three scenarios in English you need to actually go online and look for it and download the ISOs that have been patched. There was something about the shining force games that just felt different compared to other tactical games at the time even today. Fire emblem comes close and for me it's due to the fact that the camera angles change when actual combat attacks are taking place on the field. That's similar to SF.
If you want to play the game with the original SNES gameplay mechanics, I would suggest playing the Saturn version. It was fan-translated recently, using the PSP/Reborn script as a base (with some terminology changed to fit the Saturn version of Ogre Battle, which they also translated). It's the most polished version of the SNES original, with voice acting. Other than that, for story, the PSP version (and Reborn) has the most story content. The script was greatly revised and expanded and includes more characters, and more scenarios. It also includes a four-part post game epilogue called CODA, along with all of the other usual Matsuno post game content (such as Palace of the Dead). Reborn has the same story content as the PSP version, with some changes made to make certain unit recuitments easier. But, as you have said, the biggest differences are the gameplay changes.
OG LUCT had perma-death for all characters if they died. The classes and leveling system weren't balanced which meant extreme difficulty if you didn't know what you were doing. The Remake (Wheel of Fortune) added in a bunch of new systems (Skills, Chariot, World, Magic/Weapons/Stats). Many more story beats that were patched in (Ravness especially - if you played the OG you can tell she's just pasted in around existing content). Reborn (Remater of WoF) gave a lot of QoL to those systems.
woot thank you for covering this!!!! I got the 2o22 remake and started playing it mostly blind. Got burned out on it in chapter 2 and just never got back to it. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!
I remember trying the remaster when it came out and bouncing off because of the difficulty of an early stage (I just found out it's optional). I somehow managed to beat FF Tactics months after, so I'll try this game again alongside the podcast. 54:42 I would 100% be down to hear your thoughts on 13 Sentinels in whatever format you guys think would be suitable. It's a huge departure from Vanillaware's previous fantasy games in many ways, and yet I think they did an incredible job in telling its narrative in such a satisfying way. Unicorn Overlord is probably my most anticipated game early next year with how dense it looks gameplay-wise based on recent previews.
While Ogre Battle may have not hit everyone, I still consider it to be the greatest game on the SNES bar none. The size and scope of that game was unmatched, and like other games that are maybe "ahead" of it's time, it might have been too much for the time it came from. There is no denying though, it's a totally unique experience that no other game on the SNES offered, and it absolutely nailed what it was setting out to do. Really excited to watch this full podcast, because the Ogre Series has a very special place in gaming history, as it was truly setting out to create new styles of play.
Hell yeah! You guys might consider Crimson Shroud for 3DS, Matsuno's last actual game. It's very short but a lot of fun, could probably hammer it out in a couple of episodes.
funny i'm playing the PSX version on emulator at the moment. Which prompts me to say : you should have precised it's Tactics Ogre REBORN you're talking about... Great to find this series nonetheless, big fan of Matsuno's work as well, will def watch the Vagrant Story podcast !
When I tuned in I did not think about how topical this game would be until the end when they started talking about Israel/Palestine. I’ve never cared too much about the ogre games but now I’m quite interested to see where this all goes and how I might feel about this game given I am living during this time where there is a conflict happening somewhere that doesn’t directly involve me
the game show mentioned sounds like it could have been Takeshi's Castle, it was really popular in Japan and they did a lot of things like that with costumes. It's hard to say for certain, but the description fits the absurdity
If you are interested, tumblr user Catuapavel has been cataloguing every playable character’s death quotes under the tag “tactics ogre death quotes”. Very spoiler heavy, but when that ceases to matter it’s a good resource.
Hey, looking forward to eventually playing this and listening to the later episodes. I subbed to subscribe star and sent you a message because the discord link isn't working. It's been a few days and I haven't heard back. Great work and love the content. Thanks!
On the topic of how difficult Reborn is compared to the original, it largely retains the difficulty, so you can look forward to some challenging battles ahead. They did a great job in Reborn of removing many of the tedious elements from the original game and make the whole experience more approachable while retaining the depth and complexity. As someone who played the original game on PS1, they did a fantastic job with this remake/remaster! As an aside, this is EXACTLY what they need to do with Vagrant Story! Come on, Square!!
Excited to hear your thoughts on this game. No spoilers but the final boss in this game is some next level JRPG level bullshit. Think Wiegraf in FF Tactics level of bad. Be prepared to lose 5 to 8 hours of progress if you're not prepared and have to reset to a previous save.
Honestly, guys, I think your new setup looks great! The quality of the video looks so much more HD. Idk if it's just me, but I like it. And as always, thank you guys for all you do and the stellar content 👍🤙kepp it up!
I want to clarify a thing on speed.
The SNES/PS1 version had a speed stat, it's why many would exclusively power level as ninjas for constant turns. They ..tried their best with that version.
PSP, One Vision, and Reborn use the Recovery Time system. Every unit has a set amount as their innate countdown to move again. You can add to it, but it can't go down. The weight of every item, the speed of every ability, and the distance you move contributes to your adding time cost. So where in FFT you'd save 25% by not moving, here you'd spend something like 4 RT for every tile moved. Conservative movement and using cheap actions is how you get fast.
Also of note is that the Reborn version added Auto skills with no cost, but only a 40% or so chance to activate unless you use a card on it. These changed the speed game entirely.
Lastly, in a traditional RPG you'd up your stats to hit harder. Here you'd make an opening and hammer on it. For example: The boss is an Earth knight. 300 HP. Your "heavy hitter" does 60. No one said to play fair. Find your beast tamer, throw some Mead on him for a 50% damage bonus. Get Canopus a dagger, that first finisher is Air, which hits harder on earth, for an extra 30%. Each physical card picked up intensifies breakthroughs (they can't cause a breakthrough, they only intensify them). Get one of those, maybe snag a Crit that was hiding in a box you broke (you can break props for cards)...and now he can be hit for 400 or so. Never fight directly if avoidable, that's the lesson here.
Hey hey, welcome here friend!
Man! You should totally join them on at least an episode!
Loved your stuff for years when no one else was covering the game.
@@Big_Dai I agree! Mr Potato would be a great guy to help with gameplay and other tips
You know Coffee you'd actually be a better resource than me to help with a gameplay tips video, most of everything I know about the intricacies of the mechanics I learned from you. Maybe this would be a good collab?
This guy is an expert in #TacticsOgre! You should invite him!
Finally!! Good job guys! I cover all the lore and story about the Ogre Saga on my channel, if you need help with anything on this issue I'm sure you'll find it there! 🎉🎉🎉
EDIT: Very interesting how you interpreted that the game is about CONFLICTS! There are many concepts of politics/war in Tactics Ogre that correlate with situations that happen in reality, for example:
(SPOILERS AHEAD).
-A region remains conflict-free if it is dominated by someone stronger than the other groups, preventing agitators from emerging (situation of the 3 factions while Dorgalia governed the island)
-There is no power vacuum, people will create conflicts to hold power and create justifications for it (the conflict in the game happens primarily because the 3 leaders want more power [Ronwey, Brantym and Balbatos], It is not an intrinsic difference between the 3 ethnic races)
-The morals and concept of right and wrong, and also of justice, of the common citizen can be easily manipulated by a leadership in order to create a war (many of the massacres in this story happened due to the agitation of the leaders: Balbatos subdued the walisters out of consideration- them as inferior beings, inflaming nationalism among the Galgastani. Ronwey encourages his group to make Balbamusa as a strategy of revenge, Brantym appeals to the nobility of the Bakram as worthy of ruling the island).
-During direct conflicts, you will have external interference supporting sides through their own interests (Lodis with the Dark Knights interfering to take control of the island, Xenobia to recover their relic).
-Conflicts are resolved through 3 possibilities (that's what the game's endings are about): Unification (the difference between people is reduced when they support the same common ruler), Law of the strongest (whoever is most powerful subdues the most weak) or irreconcilable differences, which makes peace impossible, always returning to the same cycle of war eventually.
-The only solution that appears to be peaceful at the end of the game is when the island unifies, becoming so strong (and having equally strong allies) that they end up preventing attacks from other powers... in other words, peace (even if temporary) is not created through dialogue and acceptance of difference, but rather through equality in the capacity for violence.
Obviously, as it is a gray plot, the interpretation is extremely individual, and for this reason there is no "wrong answer".
Again, congratulations on the episode, looking forward to the next ones!
Warren report is the GOAT for Ogre series content!
I love your content, and it's great to see you here. I hope coffeepotato shows up too.
@@philipboardman1357 Im sure he will be here in a minute
Also, Mike and Casen weren't the ones who interpreted this game as being about conflict. Yasumi Matsuno himself stated outright that this was the theme of the game, in case it's not clear.
In an interview, it is clearly written:
"Motifs and Themes: Matsuno brings up how it is frequently said that Tactics Ogre is based on the Yugoslav Wars, and says that this is by and large a misunderstanding: It is one of the motifs, but he did not base the game on any one conflict; he brings up the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi by the Hutu in Rwanda as an example of the sort of information that influences him, and points out how there are still similar conflicts around the world right now, such as in Syria, or the recent clashes over territory by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The interviewer asks if Matsuno means that the theme of Tactics Ogre is how the problems of a multi-ethnic country head towards a conclusion within the flow of history. Matsuno says that it is not limited to ethnicity: Like the current BLM movement in America, As long as there are two or more people with differing values, there will always be conflict, and the theme of Tactics Ogre is how that sort of conflict is resolved, and what sort of sequence the conflict goes through as a part of history."
Hope this helps!
@@michs7451 Nice!
Love seeing my favorite franchise of all time get some shine.
Another tip is you can power level characters as soon as you get the ability to train. You can set two healers against each other remove everything but their healing spell and set them both to cpu and have them wail on each other. Every action gets you xp and eventually they will get high level which will also let any OTHER units you want level SUPER fast. You can use this to control the leveling to a very precise level is l even if you don't want to just power level past any of the story battles since random battles level scale.
Gotta say is a breath of fresh air seeing Casen chiming in the developer's story, makes it more conversational and easy to follow.
Not that I don't like Mike's deep dives, but having both of them talking into it really feels more dynamic.
Dynamic or that it's a conversation rather than Mike simply covering the development history. I think the information is valuable, not necessarily being entertained by it.
@@blumiu2426 I agree to that BUT, as a counterpoint, it's easier to digest when there's a conversation behind it, right?
@@DungeonBricks That may depend on the individual. Some people have a hard time focusing or another issue when just one person is expounding on something.
Oh hell yeah, it happened!
I really like the comparisons that Mike made between Yasumi Matsuno and Hideo Kojima. There's this really cool Shmuplations interview with both of them, where they discuss their friendship, influences in their own games, and impressions of each other's work:
"Kojima: I first met Matsuno at the 1998 Tokyo Fantastic International Movie Festival. I was standing in line to see the premiere of Vampires at the Shibuya Parthenon… I was waiting on that spiral staircase there for 8 almost hours. (laughs)
Matsuno: That’s right. I never imagined I’d meet you at a place like that!
Kojima: We talked movies on that staircase for hours. You said you didn’t mind waiting if it was a movie you really wanted to see. I guessed then, that here’s a guy with the same DNA as me. (laughs)
When Ogre Battle came out, I remember thinking “how did he coax such beautiful graphics out of the SNES?” You didn’t rely on hardware tricks, it was more about good direction. I could see then that Matsuno was a capable director: someone who could first envision a game system, then create a scenario that would fit within its bounds, and do it all while utilizing the hardware specs to their fullest.
Even in the era of the Playstation 2, I think that’s still the most important thing: a good sense of direction. I don’t mean it in the cinematic sense per se: game direction is more about creating situations that draw players in emotionally, and about creating atmosphere. I could tell Matsuno was someone who could do that."
A key difference between the two of them, however, according to Matsuno, is that he tends to be more self-effacing than Kojima was:
"Matsuno: Everyone has their own style, I think, and I’m the type of director who wants to oversee and be involved in every little detail. If I’m going to do something, after all, I want to do it right, top to bottom.
It’s still kind of rare, whether you’re talking about a work of “art” or a commercial product, to see the signature of the creator in the work. And in that sense, I think there are very few directors like you in this industry. That’s also why I’ve played every Kojima game from Snatcher onwards.
But the thing is, and I feel this too when I play your games, is that they have a certain “policy” or inner consistency. I’m not saying that your games are direct reflections of your personal life, of course. Games aren’t vehicles for talking about oneself. All your games, however, are suffused with a certain “Kojima taste” that no one else can imitate. That is something to be admired in a creator. Personally, I don’t see myself as a 'creator'. I’m a businessman who plans out commercial products.
To me it’s only natural, since my work is more about doing all I can to please other people, which sometimes means suppressing my individuality. That is what one is supposed to do with a commercial product-and yet, if that’s ALL you do, it gets boring. Even if it’s just 1%, I’d like to leave something of myself in my games. Your works, Kojima, really give off that aura. There’s a lot for me to learn there."
It would be really cool if Matsuno and Kojiima collaborated on a game.
@@Dzzy123 They spoke about doing that in the Shmuplations interview I read, but it never came to pass…
20:34 Akihiko Yoshida doesn't work at Square anymore, he's been with Cygames's CyDesignation since 2014. He worked on FFXIV: A Realm Reborn, after that it was Kazuya Takahashi doing character design for XIV and XVI.
I usually do not comment or watch these videos (I’m a podcast user) but I wanted to say thank you so much for covering one of my favorite games ever!
🎉🎉🎉
One thing I learned when I was in school was that when making a larger story you want to make your world/history/lore first and fit the characters in it, that way it all matches up. A smaller story like a short story and such you want the world to fit around the character since that'll usually be more of the focus of the story. So it does really smooth things out and I can see why they went about the game like this.
Chrono Trigger, Link to the Past and FFT have always been close to my heart... My favorites... TOR is welcome right along side them
FINALLY!! I'm so excited.
EDIT: If you guys REALLY want to go in-depth into mechanics, balancing and such.. there's a TH-camr @CoffeePotato that basically covers this game! They are beyond knowledgeable! Have made thousands of videos on just this game and all versions for years, and their passion is the real thing (even mods and community balancing)! So it would be nice for others to notice them.. though I can't attest he would 100% join if invited. Up to you, since it seems you are covering this almost blind, which is partially a shame.
CoffeePotato is awesome!
Yeh he's the GOAT w. Tactics Ogre
@@Andrew-r1l3y you bet
His video on mid game unit building is super helpful for new players
@@WarrenReportDude, YOU should be joining the too!!
Steam: Hey Tactics Ogre in your wish list is on sale!
Me: Nah probably not gonna play it anytime soon
Resonant Arc: Let's do Tactics Ogre!
Steam: Sorry too late.
Me: ....godamn it. *Buys anyway*
I can't believe it's really happening. My whole life, I've been waiting for my favorite show to cover my favorite game!
Same!!!
I was hoping they would take on Tactics Ogre when I first finished it only like 6 months or so back!
Very fortunate!
Good for you man. I'm gonna have to put Mario RPG on the back burner for this podcast and get back into TO. Here's hoping they'll cover xenosaga 2 or kh2
🎉🎉🎉
Thank you for covering this absolute gem of a game. I know most Tactical RPG fans consider FFT to be the best but I honestly love and enjoyed Tactics Ogre more for its more grounded story and setting.
And as much as I love anime stuff, I think the realistic portraits of the original (SNES to PS1) suited the theme of the game more. It helped establish and carry the distressing theme of the game which is prejudice, warfare and dogma. It was gritty it's real. I used to hope upon the release of the Reborn that they'd have the option to toggle between the new and old but also retouched portraits.
This podcast is the excuse I needed to finally get around to playing this game. I LOVE Final Fantasy Tactics and have been meaning to play Tactics Ogre for that reason but just never got around to it. Now I have no excuse, gonna install it and play alongside you guys as soon as I can, very much looking forward to seeing what this game has to offer and hearing your insight.
Tip for enjoyment - increase the battle speed if playing the Reborn version. The game feels really snappy and quick with this turned on, and it still maintains all animations. Autobattle is also very useful in certain situations like grinding, etc.
Grinding or POTD, right? hehehe
@@WarrenReport exactly lol - I did the whole Warren PotD CODA on autobattle while at work just occasionally clicking to move to the next battle :)
@@TheCmurley131 same here friend
Ogre Battle definitely set the standard for it's archetype at the time. In 30 years I've never played another game like it. Maybe a cross between Starcraft and Suikoden.
I think Mike's point talking about unicorn overlord is that it resembles Ogre Battle - march of the black queen gameplay style. And BTW, 13 sentinels is a great game, you should totally play it and include it into the podcast
Thank you for highlighting 13 sentinels. It's criminally unheard of due to coming out during the pandemic craze.
As a possible hint of what they could have watched to have the idea of turn based: in Tendo there is a festival, "Ningen Shogi", that is more than 60 years old.. they play Shogi games in full period armor.. some videos of last years festivals are out there on YT.. it's Shogi, not chess, but maybe "translation"?
You're correct! Thank you! I rewatched the interview and he indeed says "ningen Shogi" which was translated as "human chess". I'll include some footage of that next episode!
54:16 Unicorn Overlord by Vanillaware! Love everything about all their games, especially the visual style. Would love if you guys covered 13 Sentinels! It's pretty short too.
The feeling of overhearing someone talk about your favorite thing and not being able to jump into the conversation is unbearable. I feel like I'm about to burst!!!
Agreed!
Same here 😂
You can jump in by signing up as a Patreon member! For us at the $10/level, we get to interact with them in real time and jump in.
@@michs7451 I only have xenobian money friend 😟
@@WarrenReport They do interact with us at the $10/level. I'm familiar with some of your content, and another Patreon member DudeMcGuy seems to know you as well. You can write into them; it'd be cool to have a 4-way conversation with you, Mike, Casen, and Orcbrand in the final episode or something.
Gameplay Tip for the Reborn version: Character Elemental affinities matter quite a bit. Each character has an innate element (Ice, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Water, Fire, Light, Darkness).
Ice is weak to fire, Fire is weak to Water, Water is weak to lightning, Lightning is weak to Earth, Earth is weak to wind, and Wind is weak to Ice. Light and Dark are strong/weak against each other.
These weaknesses add more damage/resistance for all attacks/abilities, not just magic. So for example a Knight with fire affinity will do extra damage against any enemy with an Ice affinity. Even if his weapon/attack is not fire based. (If does use a fire based weapon/attack he will do even MORE damage).
On the Reborn version of the game, you can start a mission and preview the map to review the elemental affinities of your enemies before you deploy your team. Often times the enemy team will be comprised of the same "primary" element for 60% - 80% of the enemy characters. This way you can deploy a team that will give you the elemental advantage. So if you see the enemy is primarily Lightning affinity, you can try to deploy as many Earth type characters as possible.
Early on, I recruited 1 ranged and 1 mage character for each element to try and take advantage of elemental weaknesses as much as possible. This seemed like a good idea at first, but as the game went on it required a lot of money and training to try and keep these recruits on par with Denam and my other Melee characters. So while matching elemental weaknesses is important on every map, maybe don't go too overboard with it like I did!
Also, you can bring up a menu in battle (not sure which button, depends on platform) that will allow you to turn on enemy health bars above their head. This can also be toggled to show the health bar as the color of the character's element. That way you can assess each character's element on the map quickly without having to click on each one individually.
@@dudemcguy1227the tip about the enemy health bars sounds pretty helpful!
I'm excited because this is one of those rare instances where I actually own the game you guys are talking about but haven't played it yet. Looking forward to following along!
Also: yes, I would really really appreciate a "Beginner's Tips / How To Get Started" video if that's not asking too much.
I have been waiting for a long long time for this podcast. Thank you for covering this game.
This has to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite episode of the podcast so far. Having Casen take a larger role in the Dev History discussion and you being Matsuno fans but having not experienced this game yet shapes up the series to be very passionate and introspective, while also carrying the impressions and freshness that playing a new game brings. Keep up the good work!
I really really like how conflict is told in the matsuno games I played It feels so grounded and human. This serie will be really interresting to follow
I fell in love with this game when it first came out. I didn't realize so many other people loved it too. Canopus is the man! And i always had to do the chaotic run first, just because i couldnt stand to see Lan turn into a bad guy!
PSP and Reborn are %98 the same story wise. Only difference being Reborn having extended battle conversations, most changes being extra Lodis lore in them. Blowgun exploit seems to exist due to someone adding an extra zero to that sell price. Matsuno called it a Christmas gift and so it remained.
Yes.
Finally covering my favourite Matsuno game! As a history buff with a focus on military history etc the game really spoke to me when I first played it. Matsuno's mastery over storytelling and how well he understands the subject at hand just go perfectly together. One of the reasons why I have a lot of criticisms for Trinalge Strategy, it was a fine game on its own but they went out in public saying they were inspired by this and it just seemed like they didn't understand what made it good (their choices are pretty much black and white for example). I pretty much have the same stance as Mike on the current conflict, I just don't know enough to take a side and think it is much more nuanced than one side being in the wrong.
This game is a masterpiece that deserves more recognition!!
Respect for your points here, Mike: 1:21:50. And I'm similarly excited to see where we go over the course of this series!
Regarding the people dressed in suits playing chess- it's not a gameshow. I only know this because of an excellent anime, March comes in like a Lion, but there's a region in Japan (I forget the name) that really likes Shogi (Japanese chess). The region has produced a few talented players and even put on a yearly chess festival. The "gameshow" you referenced was likely the news coverage of the event.
I just wanted to say how interesting I found your discussion at the end of the video regarding conflicts. I also found the way I consider conflicts around the world evolve as I've grown up and most significantly through the stories I've experienced, gaming or otherwise. I used to enjoy a lot of what I would now call pro-war stories, because I liked the action and the simplistic 'feels' those stories would communicate, plus was proud of the military background on my Dad's side of the family and it was all so distant a concept, I hadn't grasped the reality of war ongoing today, like Casen mentioned.
The way our stories reflect the conflicts of history and our time are hugely impactful on our perception of it, whether we support one side, feel indifferent, or struggle with the moral complexity of trying to figure out what it means to really bring a conflict to an end, because they often don't truly end when one side declares victory. If we ever got to a point where we decided as a planet to really try and put an end to conflicts, or at least seriously attempt to mitigate and resolve them, it would in part be through storytelling that this change comes about.
It's so great to hear you guys talking about jrpgs again. I enjoyed the little break covering different genres of games, but these will always be my favorite types of discussions from you guys.
So happy you are covering this! Also, yeah, I think it would be awesome to hear your opinion on Aegis 13 story
You guys have awesome in-depth discussions about games! Thanks for making this content, and keep it up!
As far as I can tell, Kachua(alt. Kachhua) is indian for "tortoise", and in Japan the word is usually associated with decorative tortoise brooches of indian design and also a particular brand of handmade indian tunics/one-pieces for women.
Ah. So a nice accessory or something worn that's indicative of high class?
@@CasenSperry
Perhaps, though I don't know that would be true in India. Probably more indicative of a word that's taken on its own associations in Japan, kinda how like the word "denimu" in Japanese is now synonymous with jeans. They don't actually have the word "jeans" here. All jeans are just referred to as denim lol.
It's actually a pretty popular name for female characters in fantasy stories here, having been used in other noteworthy works like Fire Emblem, Gundam, Dragon Quest(X), and Re:zero.
If you stay in the realm of fabrics, like denim, katiua or kashua sounds a bit like cashmere, which is an expensive fabric compared to denim, indicating her higher class? In Japanese you say kashimiya, so it's a bit of a stretch, maybe...
@@sjoerdhogervorst
I did some further research and it showed that Kachua tortoise jewelry is connected to the same zodiac signs as the character, so it's seeming more likely it's a reference to this jewelry.
It's also worth mentioning that since the other references respect the Japanese spelling of the respective clothes, that it would be kinda strange for Kachua to be a variation not doing the same.
Hi, just want to say "great podcast series" you guys record! I play Tactics Ogre since 2 weeks. Out of curiosity I checked on Spotiffy to see if there was s.th. about the series - and I found u! Have listened to all your OTReborn related content and afterwards scrolled through ur playlist and found another gem, the epsiodes about "Spec Ops The line"...!! Great job, pls continue! Greetings
Oh man was really looking forward to this one, gonna be awesome as always!
YAY! I was WAITING for this cause now I can finally play along with y'all which I hadn't really been able to do before. Very excited.
Yesss🔥🔥🔥🔥 I've been anticipating this episode.. love your work Mike and Casen.🤘 currently replaying Tactic ogre and Brigandine on switch.
Watching your podcast is always a delight.. it's really the holidays now.❤❤
Amazing, I've been waiting for this since last year and it's finally here.
Go Go State of the arc!
Silence is one of those really important spells to use at the beginning of a battle that so many people forget about
I've been waiting for this! SO excited!
Reborn is A LOT more streamlined and accessible than all the previous versions, yes. And EVEN STILL it manages to be obtuse as hell with some of it's systems under the hood. Just Matsuno being Matsuno, nothing to see here😁
Seriously though the gameplay has LAYERS, it's quite frankly absurd how deep some stuff goes. But, don't worry those tips given by the subscriber are very very good, short, sweet and to the point, and are all you need to finish the main story content with no trouble at all.
We don't talk about the post game here though... At least I hope not. Oh God, no. For your sanity's sake.
Oh yeah, Matsuno loves Queen. Like, literally there's a Queen song called "Ogre Battle" -- it was that huge of an inspiration.
Absolute legends for covering this underrated masterpiece. The game is gigantic though, good luck.
Platinumed Tactics Ogre Reborn earlier this year and was one of the most complicated platinums I've ever done, took me about 300 hours due to having to learn a lot of really obscure mechanics and some roadblock battles in the super long dungeons, and I still didn't do all of the content in the game. The content, AI and mechanics are a bit different in the remake though from what I've heard. I did use Poison Cloud a lot in my playthrough, as I believe it does 10% of their HP per tic so it scales nicely throughout the game, and it's one of the few advantages you have in most encounters (at least in the remake) as the lvl caps and gear availability timing keep you equal or slightly behind most enemies.
Pedantic note at 58:40 - Human sacrifice was outlawed in Rome before the Empire, over 400 years before it was Christianized.
May Catiua name be a reference to the japanese word for "hairband" (Kachuusha, カチューシャ)? She even wears one. This is also originally a russian word, a dimunitive version on the name "Ekaterina".
I really enjoy the process of creating characters, establishing the world, and it's lore. Never been too good at the story writing that follows.
Lets go! I've always wanted to play this game, and I've been waiting for you guys to cover it. So thank you!
Been waiting to play this cuz I knew you guys were gunna cover it.
After asking for this back in the Final Fantasy Tactics episode, it's finally here!
resonant arc analyzing another matsuno game....christmas has come early
They are running out of them to cover after this :(
@@EdreesesPieces :( true. there are rumors of him being in development with something, but it’s been years now…..
@premsarin9866 I hope so that'd be amazing. There's also Crimson Shroud. And not sure if FF12 counts or not since it's half Matsuno.
Oh wow. This is my favorite game of all time. I’ll def start a new play though to follow along. Looking forward to it
Is it Catiua as in like "Catch you up"? To reflect how crazy people were for those jeans
😂😂😂
I've never played this game but am super interested in it! So glad you're covering it!
Going to play along with you guys for the first time!
I enjoyed Tactics Ogre a lot more than FFT, story wise
I also feel it's easier for beginners of the tactics genre like myself, since you can go back in turns, and redo stuff if you miscalculated your strategy or whatever
I stopped playing on the final chapter of the neutral route (i started playing FF 1 through 6 pixel remaster), so this is the perfect opportunity to pick the game back up!
This is so strange! I was just wondering if you guys were going to do this video like you did FFT. I love how I played Tactics Ogre much later after the PSP release, and learned just how much this game influenced other RPGs.
Let's go! #TacticsOgre is a masterpiece that deserves more recognition.
I sunk over 100 hours into this game at the end of last year/start of this year, and listening to this I'm ready to start again.
Very excited to see this on my feed. Looking forward to playing along!
Yes, I bought this when you announced you would cover it. I love it, it just feels so Good to be in the matsuno verse and the sakimoto feeling with the wonderful music.
so glad yall are covering this game
I still hope we get Ogre Battle Episode 8.
Man oh man, I feel like I have been waiting for you guys to fully cover this game for forever! I recall the quick play for the PSP version that you did years ago and was always disappointed that was the extent of your coverage. Super excited for this series!
Thank you gentlemen for another great podcast.
Having played Final Fantasy Tactics, Triangle Strategy, DioField Chronicles, and plan on getting Ogre Battle for switch. Having grown up playing Shining Force on Sega Genesis, (you guys and the audience should look into it, it's the grandfather of tactics gameplay) Ogre Battle is one series I've been on the fence about playing but Having listened to this first episode I feel it's time to give this one a shot.
I love the Shining Force 1 & 2 but I can't say I've played much of Shining Force 3. I did really like the extremely prog arranged soundtrack album Sakuraba did though!
@@Scimarad The Shining Force songs are absolute bangers. Three is really good and playing all three scenarios obviously shows you the full story but in order to play all three scenarios in English you need to actually go online and look for it and download the ISOs that have been patched. There was something about the shining force games that just felt different compared to other tactical games at the time even today. Fire emblem comes close and for me it's due to the fact that the camera angles change when actual combat attacks are taking place on the field. That's similar to SF.
That section about theory crafting reminded me of your ff16 podcast 😂 good video boys
If you want to play the game with the original SNES gameplay mechanics, I would suggest playing the Saturn version. It was fan-translated recently, using the PSP/Reborn script as a base (with some terminology changed to fit the Saturn version of Ogre Battle, which they also translated). It's the most polished version of the SNES original, with voice acting.
Other than that, for story, the PSP version (and Reborn) has the most story content. The script was greatly revised and expanded and includes more characters, and more scenarios. It also includes a four-part post game epilogue called CODA, along with all of the other usual Matsuno post game content (such as Palace of the Dead). Reborn has the same story content as the PSP version, with some changes made to make certain unit recuitments easier. But, as you have said, the biggest differences are the gameplay changes.
OG LUCT had perma-death for all characters if they died. The classes and leveling system weren't balanced which meant extreme difficulty if you didn't know what you were doing.
The Remake (Wheel of Fortune) added in a bunch of new systems (Skills, Chariot, World, Magic/Weapons/Stats). Many more story beats that were patched in (Ravness especially - if you played the OG you can tell she's just pasted in around existing content).
Reborn (Remater of WoF) gave a lot of QoL to those systems.
woot thank you for covering this!!!! I got the 2o22 remake and started playing it mostly blind. Got burned out on it in chapter 2 and just never got back to it. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!
One of my favorite games! I’m looking forward to this series!
what an awesome time, I just started this game yesterday!, looking forward to it, greetings from Mexico City
I remember trying the remaster when it came out and bouncing off because of the difficulty of an early stage (I just found out it's optional). I somehow managed to beat FF Tactics months after, so I'll try this game again alongside the podcast.
54:42
I would 100% be down to hear your thoughts on 13 Sentinels in whatever format you guys think would be suitable. It's a huge departure from Vanillaware's previous fantasy games in many ways, and yet I think they did an incredible job in telling its narrative in such a satisfying way. Unicorn Overlord is probably my most anticipated game early next year with how dense it looks gameplay-wise based on recent previews.
So excited to be covering this game. It's been on my backlog forever 😭
Here for it! Glad you’re covering this!
For the first time ever, I'm actually playing through reborn right now. I'm about 25% into chpter 3. I might catchup to your videos!!
This game is great, this podcast is great, this community is great. So stoked for this series!!!!
Really looking forward to this podcast series!
Matsuno created an entire world combining Shakespeare and classic fantasy with ivalice.
My favorite franchise, HANDS DOWN.
Thank you for putting this video together!
Can you do triangle strategy next?
Would love to see them cover Triangle Strategy at some point.
The new temporal space is TIGHT!
While Ogre Battle may have not hit everyone, I still consider it to be the greatest game on the SNES bar none. The size and scope of that game was unmatched, and like other games that are maybe "ahead" of it's time, it might have been too much for the time it came from. There is no denying though, it's a totally unique experience that no other game on the SNES offered, and it absolutely nailed what it was setting out to do. Really excited to watch this full podcast, because the Ogre Series has a very special place in gaming history, as it was truly setting out to create new styles of play.
Hell yeah!
You guys might consider Crimson Shroud for 3DS, Matsuno's last actual game. It's very short but a lot of fun, could probably hammer it out in a couple of episodes.
WELP, Ive got no choice but to play along, I cant wait for this discussion!
funny i'm playing the PSX version on emulator at the moment.
Which prompts me to say : you should have precised it's Tactics Ogre REBORN you're talking about...
Great to find this series nonetheless, big fan of Matsuno's work as well, will def watch the Vagrant Story podcast !
When I tuned in I did not think about how topical this game would be until the end when they started talking about Israel/Palestine.
I’ve never cared too much about the ogre games but now I’m quite interested to see where this all goes and how I might feel about this game given I am living during this time where there is a conflict happening somewhere that doesn’t directly involve me
I've never played Tactics Ogre before but as a massive MegaTen my guess is that N, C and L stand for Neutral, Chaos and Law
the game show mentioned sounds like it could have been Takeshi's Castle, it was really popular in Japan and they did a lot of things like that with costumes. It's hard to say for certain, but the description fits the absurdity
Had a lot of fun with the Saturn port over the summer. Hope you guys dig it. Save often.
If you are interested, tumblr user Catuapavel has been cataloguing every playable character’s death quotes under the tag “tactics ogre death quotes”. Very spoiler heavy, but when that ceases to matter it’s a good resource.
Hey, looking forward to eventually playing this and listening to the later episodes.
I subbed to subscribe star and sent you a message because the discord link isn't working. It's been a few days and I haven't heard back.
Great work and love the content. Thanks!
Grateful for this game
On the topic of how difficult Reborn is compared to the original, it largely retains the difficulty, so you can look forward to some challenging battles ahead. They did a great job in Reborn of removing many of the tedious elements from the original game and make the whole experience more approachable while retaining the depth and complexity. As someone who played the original game on PS1, they did a fantastic job with this remake/remaster! As an aside, this is EXACTLY what they need to do with Vagrant Story! Come on, Square!!
Excited to hear your thoughts on this game. No spoilers but the final boss in this game is some next level JRPG level bullshit. Think Wiegraf in FF Tactics level of bad. Be prepared to lose 5 to 8 hours of progress if you're not prepared and have to reset to a previous save.
Honestly, guys, I think your new setup looks great! The quality of the video looks so much more HD. Idk if it's just me, but I like it. And as always, thank you guys for all you do and the stellar content 👍🤙kepp it up!