2017 - The year of (TB) Squad Tactics

[toro]

mikest is it full release or early access?

I think this was possibly answered by my friend who is making Fell Seal but I'll answer also just for clarity.... This is a Full Release (TM)

We are doing early access on itch.io (as "First Access") and we just released some new keys but haven't really publicized it very much yet. We'll have our teasers and trailer ready soon(ish) and will start talking it up more then.

We're operating from personal funding so there's not a real financial reason to do a Steam Early Access. I personally think it confuses things to have multiple release dates but that's just me. That being said, the plan is to do a few updates after release to add additional content and language support so February won't be final-final.

Already wishlisted.

 

[Alienman]

Do a secret Codex only release

 

[mondblut]

> 2017 - The year of (TB) Squad Tactics



I thought JA2 was released in 1999?

 

[mikest]

>I thought JA2 was released in 1999?

HAHA

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

LESS T_T posted about this on the other thread.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

I'm going to try and sort my thoughts about squad based tactical games that were released during current year (or released into early access or had available demo) that I've played.


Battle Brothers - This was Codex darling prior to release. It didn't turn out to be new coming of X-com (nothing has or nothing [probably] never will be quite as good as X-com), but it is more than decent game about early medieval shield wall infantry skirmishes in fantasy world. RNG heaviness and procedural world creation combined with level scaling makes one wonder if this could have been even better game with fixed map where events take place.
Still one of of the best, if not the best tactical games that's been released during last decade. rapsdjff and co. where ever you are now or whatever you are doing for your next venture, good luck in it.

Stellar Tactics (early access) - This was actually released into early access 23 September 2016, but might as well comment on this since this has seen many improvements since then (for example design dead end of "precision aiming" where player should try to hunt just the right pixel on enemy model, which is animated the whole time btw, to gain a few % bonus to hit was dropped.)
This is a very ambitious project that tries to do both turn based ground combat system and RTwP space combat (with only 1 controllable ship).
Haven't encountered space combat yet so I won't comment about that, but on the space navigation I wish developer(s) would try to copy autopilots from Freelancer or Rebel Galaxy.
Ground combat (which uses AP system) has few problems:
1. Game isn't grid or hex based; sometimes routes that look usable aren't so, also units might block each other in ways that is somewhat hard to fathom on quick glance.
2. Game has system where different body parts of the enemies and players characters are targettable. This is good feature to have, but on execution player have to point mouse cursor on right spot on enemy model which is animated. Depending on camera angle targeted body part might cycle from arms to torso and legs; good luck on timing it right.
Game also level scales which is another reason to worry, but overall it's promising passion project with developer that actively engages with community.

Vigilantes (early access) - AP system using grid based tactical combat is heart of this game. There is no FoW or any interactions with environments or levels that aren't directly related to combat.
Game has system for targeting enemy body parts which has more user friendly implementation than Stellar Tactics. There is also rudimentary morale system which causes badly wounded enemies to try to escape. There is still some very rough edges like for example implementation of shotguns and "deepness" of strategic layer, but it is still very much work in progress.
This might become nice little game with developer that's been active on feedback.
edit.- Melee animations deserve honorary mention.


Pit People (early access) - This actually isn't WEGO, phase paced or whatever the hell people people call games where both sides plan their turns and then watch how the execution unfolds simultaneosly.
Pit People is turn based game where each sides turns get partitioned into 2 parts where one side plans their movement and then executes it and then 2nd side does the same.
In practice during battle moving players units is only thing player decides about, what enemy players unit(s) targets is wholly dependent on positioning and unit's load out (there is no changing unit's load out mid battle).
Game delivers its narrative in cartoony, humorous manner, but gets repetitive soon (I played 10 hours before getting bored). I think that if someone wants tactical game with cartoon humour, then he is better off with Skulls of the Shogun.

Warbanners - Sequel to Drums of War (which sadly is on Slitherine back catalog with pricing that comes with Slitherine). It pretty much offers the same as it's predecessor (sieges, environment that can be molded by unit abilities or items, lighting levels that affect units CHT) with improved graphics, tweaked morale system and added stamina mechanics. Sadly no orc campaign this time.
edit. Developer is active on various forums and game gets new patches quite often.

Torment: Tides of Numenera - Darn thing crashed when I got into 1st real fight. Haven't really touched it since.
Its been patched since then, but the few turns that I managed to play its 2 action based battles didn't impress. Of course combat isn't the main course on "Torment" -game, but early world building and narrative left me somewhat cold too.
I will check it out again later, but I still suspect that WL 2 is the better Inexile game.

Westslingers - I'm only 3 missions in basic campaign. Feels a little bit like Syndicate with much fewer people on levels. Combat so far has been simplistic "draw weapon and shoot someone on the back and then take cover before you mow down rest of the enemies" -affair.
Developers have recently added sand-box mode into game in addition of the original campaign. I will comment more about the game if there is more to comment about.

Fort Triumph (demo) -Tried the recent Steam demo and really not feeling it with this.
Nu-XCOM style 2-action system combined (with additional enemies that activate when you explore too far) with levels that mostly seem to be narrow corridors seems to be a very unfortunate combination.
Low expectations with this one.

 

[Burning Bridges]

You forgot Atomic RPG.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

You forgot Atomic RPG.

Haven't played it.
Yet.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

You forgot Atomic RPG.

Haven't played it.
Yet.

Low Magic Age is actually on my backlog, but I'll be waiting for implementation of adventures and non-combat skills before testing it.

 

[Volrath]

tl,dr;

2017 was a shit year for turn based tactics.

Like the year before that and the year before that and the year before that....

 

[Matador]

What are your squad tactics favourite games?

Mines are:

1. Final Fantasy Tactics
2. Jagged alliance 2
3. Fire emblem for the GBA
4. Ogre tactics

I don't like to include blobbers or party RPGs.

 

[Ezeekiel]

What are your squad tactics favourite games?

Mines are:

1. Final Fantasy Tactics
2. Jagged alliance 2
3. Fire emblem for the GBA
4. Ogre tactics

I don't like to include blobbers or party RPGs.

JA2 is basically a party RPG though? Just happens to not simplify combat the way other western RPG's do. I feel like a hybrid game like that is basically the way the genre should have evolved. As it stands we usually get light RPG elements and shitty combat.

1)JA2 <- I wish Fallout 1&2 etc had combat and object destruction like this. It would have been the natural evolution... Alas. One of the few western games with great gameplay, unmatched by other tactics games before and since. Feels like it could have been a Fallout game too, if you'd literally just changed the setting. The whole "train up local militias/unconventional warfare" aspect would have been great for wasteland 2 as well, along with the combat and so on... But instead we got what we got. Sad.

2)TFTD <- Not perfect or anything, but it has nice atmosphere in general and esp. underwater which is something all the other x-coms are lacking. Gollop never seemed to get the hang of that part himself... Maybe his new game will have it finally. TFTD's little A.I. tricks help make the Aliens seem more menacing, at least at first. Kind of like F.E.A.R. in a way.

I'd have to think for a while about the other numbers... FF Tactics was ages ago, I honestly don't remember much about it other than the weird map gimmick or whatever that was. Am I even thinking of the correct game here? I should probably replay it already... Same for Ogre Tactics and Fire Emblem.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Anyone played this?


Any good?

 

[toro]

Anyone played this?


Any good?

Buy it.

 

[Alienman]

The friendly fire mechanic would piss me off so much. They seem to have no regard for friendlies stepping in front.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Shock tactics - Bought this alongside Strain Tactics, because I was going to try it eventually and at least it was on sale.
Uses AP system, but attacking is last action unit can do in its turn (I really would like to find people who decided that this is good mechanic in turn based tactics and backhand 'em hard and then immediately relocate tactically). Levels have much verticality, but are in many cases difficult to navigate messes. No inventory meaning grenades and such are talents (another trend that I pretty much loathe) also some of those talents are outright useless. Weapons 5 hours in campaign have been boring, but that might chance since at least 30% of that 5 hours has been loading screens. AI is braindead and might send line of units into same killing zones.
Game has some base building and over world exploration, but those seem mechanically so shallow to be almost pointless. There is also some story about Germans trying to grab as much lebenstraum as possible.
Everything seems reasonably pretty, but it seems that that's where most of the resources were used (last patch is from august and game is still unoptimized mess).
Mainly serves as cautionary example what happens to projects that overreach.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

This was 2017 release.

 

[Ezeekiel]

Anyone played this?


Any good?

I bought it out of boredom when it came to steam but found the straight up top-down perspective kind of weird... The controls were clearly influenced way too heavily by tablets/cellphones or whatever, awful.
But the developer has been incredibly responsive and changed quite a lot about it at request of the players. Haven't played the newer versions myself, though.

It really was held back a lot by being a port from a simpler system.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Steam Marines 2

Apologies for , but too drunk to start a new topic for Steam Marines 2.
mustawd. could you tell whats wrong with 1st one? I haven't played it yet.

 

[Mustawd]

mustawd. could you tell whats wrong with 1st one? I haven't played it yet.

It's stupid hard to the point where you feel like it's just not properly balanced. This is especially true for a RL. There is an overall strategy guide, so if you follow that to the T you might do better.

I think this steam review sums it up pretty well:

While the game isn't offensively bad and is okay if you get it real cheap, I wouldn't really recommend this for anyone to buy. At this time, I've only got ~4 hours and have only gotten to the third level, so maybe the game gets better later, but I've felt pretty much the same way about the game since my second or third attempt.

The game is difficult. As in the very first enemies you meet can easily kill you in one turn from ful health if you're not careful. The second enemy type I encountered was completely invincible from the front, which is an issue with 1-tile wide corridors. The third enemy type I encountered had a ranged attack that 1-shot someone from full health. Fighting these enemies didn't feel like I was overcoming some obstacle, but instead like I was tying to manipulate the game just to stay alive.

The levels can be a bit wonky as well. Some rooms and up completely unconnected from others, including the rooms you start a level in or the rooms an elevator is in. In one instance, this was a nice surprise as the room was filled with robots like a trap, but in all the other cases it was just a bit annoying.

The "upgrades" were not only few and far between, but also weren't neccessarily better than what you started the game with. About the only reason to ever switch to some of these is because you've run out of ammo or armor.

I'm also not a fan of shooting mechanics. You can only shoot forwards in a straight line, so it's near impossible to safely get multiple guns on the same target unless you form a conga line or in a nice open room. The "100% accuracy at max range" is an interesting concept, but the fact that everything past max range can't be hit at all leads to some wonkiness, especially with short range weapons. Also, you can miss with a grenade launcher. How do you fail to do any damage with a grenade launceher? It launches grenades!

Finally, there is this wierd bug where you end a move between tiles, and it seems a coin flip which tile you start on next turn. The includes one instance where I was halfway between a tile that was in range of a robot and another tile just out of it's range, and I ended up not getting attacked as if I was on the tile that was too far away, but on the next round started on the other tile, which meant I was now sharing the tile with the robot. This bug is especially annoying in the few cases where it happens in the middle of a turn, becuase you have no way of knowing which tile the game thinks you're on until you move again, making going around corners or through doors a crapshoot.

Also, IIRC it was kinda buggy.

 

[ColCol]

Review sums it up well. I should also add the movement system is cumbersome and tedious. In regards to the second one, 25 seems pretty pricey. I will wait to see how it shapes up.