How To Get Into Tactical RPGs | Backlog Battle

[@maniacal1870]

Shining Force will always be my favorite. From the moment I got my first SEGA Genesis and saw the screenshot of a Centaur fighting a Dwarf, I knew I had to play that game, and it introduced me to my favorite RPG genre.

[@Jay-yx5hq]

My first... and few dips into the genre of tactical RPGs was Final Fantasy Tactics when I was a youngster. I remember those long nights playing in the dark room and pretending to be sleep when the times call for it very fondly. Many, many years have passed and to this day, I still think back to that game with a deep desire to play again. I just loved it so much and it was such a great time. I forgot my main point, but yea, I loved this video and I definitely need to get back into it. I need to try Triangle Strategy now!

[@louvella-sama]

Check out Mercenaries Saga too! It's the same gameplay

[@entelin]

I saw a friend playing FFT back when it was new, I always liked the concept. I tried playing it twice on emulator later, once quite a long time ago and I remember only having tried. And again, just now. I have to say, that is the most painfully god awful slow game I've ever had the displeasure of witnessing. I get that it's a great game, the story is very well liked, the character building is great, the systems are probably good I assume. But my god. The first battle took like 10+ mins or so, and that was with only around 5 people on each side and only one of which you had any control over, which amounted to 3 turns. The amount of actual gameplay in that battle was like 5 seconds, and it took 10 mins. Almost the whole thing was just waiting for things to happen, and everything happened crazy slow. Even the text during story cutscenes came up at a painfully slow pace. I seriously have no idea how anyone could have tolerated this game. And no, I didn't get past the second turn of the second fight.

[@seawind930]

May want to try Tactics Ogre too. It was FFTactics predecessor (created by the same guy) and was originally concieved as part of that series beforre it got the Final Fantasy label

[@Sylentmana]

My problem with these sorts of games is that I struggle to think tactically. I have no foresight and will become overwhelmed with all the potential outcomes with any given decision.

[@JayLachMe]

I *LOVE* TRPGs, largely because 1) I adore the character progression you typically see in these games, with branching paths for each character (the one thing holding Triangle Strategy from being my game of the year) and 2) I have a soft spot for political intrigue stories, and TRPGs tend to have a monopoly on these types of stories.

[@Zectifin]

It makes sense though. In a tactical game you're going to want enemies with a similar role so they are most likely going to be other humans, or at least creatures that are very humanlike. It wouldn't feel as heroic just murdering tons of people in a standard "save the world' JRPG, so its monsters you're fighting, which tends not to go the political route. I prefer the political and war stories. Instead of trying to be philosophical about human existence they can talk about the horrors of war and the effect it has on soldiers and how they don't know if they can return to a normal life afterwards.

[@darkorion69]

Thank you for a video which is both thorough and inspirational. I am a lifelong fan of Tactical RPG's and you have done a great job summarizing the strengths that drew me to this genre many years ago. Please make more content about the games you love to play. I added 4 games to my wish-list just from watching this video.

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you! The reviews I’ve made on this channel, while mostly new, do encompass many of the games I love. And in some cases, I manage to capture the spirit of why people love those games/series! Hope you enjoy the games and check out my other vids too!

[@useless1]

My first was vandal hearts and it made me love this genre so i would recommend that one if u like older games

[@popskar]

My absolute favorite genre! You brought really good points for beginners, I’m glad more people are getting into tactical games! 2022 has been insanely good for tactical/strategy rpgs. I gotta recommend the Mario + Rabbids games, specially Sparks of Hope. They’re not the most difficult games, but they bring various new ideas to the genre and have a unique and fun play feel to strategy. It’s competing for GOTY with triangle strategy for me!

[@BacklogBattle]

Wow, that's high praise!

[@Outshinedsg]

I find tactics games very relaxing to play myself, which is why I love them. Due to the turn based nature, you have ample time to carefully consider every decision and try to play for the optimal outcome. The best TBS games are transparent and all the information determining the outcome of your actions is presented to you up front. Your actions are mostly deterministic (or, at least, the random aspects can be accounted for) so the outcome is based purely on knowledge, creativity, and skill. I love the feeling of being handed very limited resources, in the form of manpower, gold, items, or what have you, and the challenge of fighting your way out of difficult battles while attempting to maximize the few advantages you have.

[@jericosha2842]

Completely agree

[@snek8421]

@@jericosha2842 Into the breach!

[@middle_pickup]

I got my start with tactical rpg's on Fire Emblem for the GBA. It's actually a great first timer game. It's very distilled to the fundamentals, and easy to wrap your head around. Perma-death only makes you stronger, forcing you to develop strategies that will take you to the endgame. All those game resets are necessary practice.

[@picleus]

Sacred Stones (FE8) is a good first one, likeable story and pretty noob friendly. FE7 is good too but I think the story is a bit not great. And FE6 is great but pretty darn tough for a new player.

[@middle_pickup]

@@picleus I liked the story okay. I'm biased though since I played it as a kid, and enjoyed it without really having a developed understanding of storytelling. Haha

[@NachtKaiser666]

I would've put Valkyria Chronicles as a hybrid personally. I've played Strategy RPG for years and it really takes you by surprise the first time you take control of a Harter and come under fire in real time. You can even lose units before they act if you're not careful. It's really unique, I don't think I've played other games like it.

[@BacklogBattle]

I was toying with that, but ended up not doing so for reasons. I felt that it wasn’t too important to try and be too precise when it comes to categorization as the whole goal is to get people interested in the genre.

[@BlackJim]

Amazing game!

[@heliogonzalezsanchez8227]

also i recommend people to try out VC 2 and 3 if they already played 1 and 4, they are both good games and they give more background and story for those interested in learning more about the game's universe

[@errata2412]

I hit a bit of a wall with 1 at a certain point and stopped. I should try again.

[@thatguymatt5816]

These are all valid tips but I can’t help but disagree with the “start out on easy mode”. I feel like part of the draw is feeling that (fair) challenge that makes you want to level up and sometimes that disappears on easy mode

[@PVS-2024]

I agree with you, with a major caveat. it depends on how systems-heavy the game is. I feel like playing a very menu deep game that kicks your butt quickly may not necessarily be best viewed on a harder difficulty. always being able to ramp up the challenge after understanding how to play is a tenant of gaming I stick to, no matter the genre. Also, sometimes feeling like an OP boss like character is a satisfying release after a 9-5 grind.

[@thatguymatt5816]

@@PVS-2024 hahaha yeah that’s a good point. Depends on the type of experience it is in the first place!

[@BacklogBattle]

I appreciate the comment! I do think though that trying to play a game on normal in a genre people are unfamiliar with can lead to frustration if expectations are not managed properly. The reason for this is that logically, assuming that players know what’s fair in a genre that’s foreign to them is putting the cart before the horse. How do I know what’s fair in a genre that I have zero experience in? And if, say, I do play the game on normal and find that it gets too hard fast, the thought of having to replay it in an easier setting - if the game doesn’t allow for players to adjust on the fly - is even more heartbreaking. No one likes wanting to replay through content they’ve already played. It took me more than 12 years to figure out how to play Souls games, for instance, because there simply was no way to adjust the difficulty. And I know I’m opening a whole can of worms on that, and I am not saying it should have selectable difficulty, but ultimately what I’m trying to say is that it all depends on the individual’s comfort level, which does go back to the original comment I read. And by saying Easy is a perfectly good way of learning games, it helps relieves the stigma of playing these difficulties a tiny bit, as there are folks who can’t help but insult others who either use guides or want to play games on easy for a variety of reasons.

[@zerohbeat]

I can really relate with that. I find myself always selecting "hardest" difficulty initially on any game.... Slowly over time I may switch to the lower difficulty/ies depending how I feel. Eg maybe I just want to blaze through the story or the difficulty "feels" too cheap...

[@thatguymatt5816]

@@BacklogBattle gotcha. I see where you’re coming from now 😊

[@WaruiDeshou]

Loved this video! I think you've done an excellent job selling the genre and preparing JRPG fans to ease into it. I shared it with a discord I'm on in hopes of getting some people to take a chance on some sweet sweet tactics. I also really enjoyed the process of getting to contribute to the video via your calls for comments in the community. Very cool.

[@chrislyons3179]

As someone who has bounced off of the TRPG genre for years now, this was just the motivation I needed to give them a try again. I appreciate the thoroughness of the suggestions from you and the community, thank you!

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Try some cards games.

[@tacticslc4805]

Haven't seen Into the Breach mentioned so.. I recommend it, really good indie game, a lot more focused on the thinking puzzle part that the other T-rpgs and since it's a roguelike, you have tons of replay value

[@BacklogBattle]

I'm going to give Into the Breach a shot! I've heard it recommended a year or so ago, but certainly not vocally in my recent posts!

[@ty_sylicus]

Into the Breach is brilliant but I never finished it. Seemed like it went on a bit long. Maybe I'll pick it up again.

[@teddycheddar1114]

Adding another voice for Into the Breach. Great game. I know it semi-recently got a massive free content update that I have yet to check out, but it’s become similar to Darkest Dungeon for me, in that I usually can’t go more than a year without getting the itch to hop back in.

[@sketchman7392]

Not a lot of people talk about this sub-genre which is a shame because I feel like there's a lot to tactical RPGs that people can get into if they only knew how cool and technical it is. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this sub-genre and may you enjoy your next journey into a world full of excitement and tactical gameplay! ♟️🎮

[@alecsabin1224]

For turn based the upcoming Tactics Ogre is a must

[@hundun5604]

It's on my backlog .😅

[@mind-of-neo]

I always thought of Tactical RPGs as advanced chess games, lol. I'd never even seen non-grid ones! Thanks for all the info!

[@huntervo4621]

This might be a weird and niche suggestion but if it’s available to you I think a great TRPG to get SMT and Persona fans into the series is SMT Devil Survivor 1 or 2. It blends deep visual novel aspects and relationship building along with tactical elements inspired by the SMT games.

[@BacklogBattle]

If this came out on Switch, you bet that it’d be one of the games I’d recommend!

[@RwnEsper]

I would so love to see these two games get Switch ports! And give us Devil Survivor 3 while your at it!

[@normallyimnuts767]

Those games are far from niche...but, I'd be hesitant to suggest them to anyone who was just getting into Strat/Tac RPGs. Too much going on here, unless they're already familiar with demon fusions and the other regularly included SMT quirks....then maybe give it a go. If you don't mind balancing learning new game mechanics on top of the complexity of any other SMT game.

[@spellfire2098]

so love the devil survivor games and a huge smt fan

[@nenodoodles3125]

Really nice video I wish I could have find it sooner!And i think the mental approaches that you mentioned are key to make the most of the game one is playing, specially take your time don't rush ,explore the map before each battle( if you can) and see what are the characteristics of the field and troops you are battling against, it will help you to make a starting strategy and chose your setup and characters to have the best chances to win. And if for some reason you don't win a battle, this is great because you can always try a different approach and learn what work and what didn't.

[@BacklogBattle]

Great tips! Thank you for sharing! Glad you found the video too!

[@D13373DSTI]

This video helped me get back into tactical / strategy RPGs. I also first played ultima 4 back on NES, really liked that style of play and then forgot about it until final fantasy tactics, which I absolutely LOVED. Then I really just fell more into other types of games and haven't played many true turn based RPGs since. I'm very glad I found your video!

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you for your wonderful comment! I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who played Quest of the Avatar on the NES! And I hope you enjoy the other tactical RPG video I made!

[@Ashtarte3D]

I fell in love with the Tactical RPG subgenre back with the original OgreBattle: March of the Black Queen. I rented it from a Blockbuster Video and I think I was the only person that rented it because weeks later they decided to sell the copy they had and I hoovered it up. Ever since then I've played everything I can get my grubby mitts on. My recent favorites have been FE: Three Houses, the XCOM series, Hard West 1 & 2, Symphony of War (which is very like OgreBattle), Tower of Time and of course Mario + Rabbids. Super excited to play TacticsOgre again with the remake.

[@seawind930]

Ever tried Ogre battle 64? Not quite as good in the gameplay department as March of the Black Queen but the story made up for it.

[@JayCruz49er]

Tactical RPG’s are definitely niche but if you get into them they sink their hooks into you and never let go. FFTactics, FFTactics Advance, FFT A2, Shining Force, XCOM, Valkyria Chronicles, there are really so many great ones. I’m replaying Tactics Ogre on my Switch for like the 10th time. Game is so good!

[@saltytbone]

I loved Front Mission 3. Didn't know remakes of the first 3 are planned. That warms my heart.

[@BacklogBattle]

Front Mission 1 comes out November 30th!

[@d_shuffles]

This video was a beautiful representation of the genre!! In the larger gaming community tactics RPGs dont get enough love, my only wish is that more people fall in love with it

[@darwins.2646]

Thanks for tips Alex and the Backlog Battle community. I picked up all the 3DS Fire Emblem games throughout the years, before the prices skyrocketed and have always had a hard time getting through them. I’ve always been told that playing in ‘casual’ mode is not the right way to play, but permadeath has always given me a bit of anxiety. Glad to hear that you played through Awakening with permadeath off.

[@BacklogBattle]

Of course! The option is there, so I'm going to use it damnit! LOL And I'm glad the community helped you out with this!

[@errata2412]

Honestly I always turn permadeath off. Sometimes it's just too hard and stressful

[@mykemztr]

Amazing job as allways !! Really well explained and lots of details of this genre that i love a lot. Mega fan of your channel day by day!

[@BacklogBattle]

Thanks a ton! Glad you liked the video!

[@tembakaugunung6139]

Why nobody talking about The Banner Saga?? That game have the most incredible trpg mechanic i've ever played. No ridiclous hundred and thousand damage, no crazy magic, so balanced and tight.

[@LC-pp4bb]

I love them, im currently playing Fell Seal while I wait on tactics ogre, its great by the way! I think having to have Tanks, DPS, Healer, etc... is what does it the for me, I love how you can switch classes, get passives & abilities from other classes and combine that to make your own unique class. And the battles requiring different strategies, like some enemies are weak against fire magic, or earth, but water heals them or does no damage. I think that's why I love them so much, the customizability of every part of your character. The pre-planning of battle. The combat. The scale. The magic (and magic effects). The classes. The items. Everything. Tho ill admit i really dont care much for story as long as it isnt terrible, but i feel the same way with movies & shows, story is always last for me in everything lol

[@NekoDavid]

Fell Seal was a godsend. It was an oasis in a droubt of the genre. I've nearly gotten every trophy on steam and I played it on switch as well =P

[@Vrir16]

As a long time fan, some entries to check out are XCOM: Enemy Within and XCOM2, both of which are fantastic sci-fi tactics games where permadeath only enhances the connection you have with your squads.

[@richardcaraballo1185]

I was just about to comment this! The difficulty and rng might be a bit much for a beginner, but the presentation and story makes up for it imo.

[@xnightshadyx]

That's what I was coming to say, too. The two XCOMs are tactics at it's best.

[@tonymack]

I loved enemy unknown. I hated 2 so disappointed

[@Vrir16]

@@tonymack what didn't you like about 2 if I may ask?

[@anthonybeyondgames]

13 Sentinels was my gateway as well! Just beat it about a month ago and since having played and bested FE3H and started DioField

[@PVS-2024]

A nice, and brief, introduction to tactical/strategic RPGs. thanks for the insights and recommendations.

[@BacklogBattle]

You’re welcome!

[@ty_sylicus]

Great video. I really like this style of introducing genres. Thank you! I didn't even realize hybrid was a thing as I haven't played any new tactical RPG games recently outside of Fire Emblem (an all-time favorite of mine).

[@devindbass6711]

What a lovely video, I love tactical gaming, and the reasons that you provided really hit home with the reasons I love tactical RPGs. Thanks

[@BacklogBattle]

You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! I plan on making similar videos for other genres too!

[@ZeroFksGvn]

My first was Vanguard Bandits on PS1, loved it so much that I went and found all the other ones on the PS1. Currently own all listed titles and am currently waiting for Tactics Ogre:Reborn, Front Mission Trilogy, and Metal Slug Tactics to come down the pipeline.

[@FamousActor1989]

Just came across your video! I recently borrowed Digimon Survive from a buddy. As a longtime Digimon fan, I’ve been enjoying it. My buddy got it cause of the tactical rpg fighting, but was underwhelmed by it because he’s a die hard for tactical rpgs, and the game didn’t prove challenging enough for him. However, as a newbie to this, I’ve been enjoying it. It’s made me want to research the genre as well as visual novels. Your video was excellent for us beginners. Thorough and well said. Appreciate it and subscribed!

[@yy-hj4br]

I'm so happy I found another fan of 13 Sentinels' SRPG gameplay. Most fans think it's the weakest part of the game, but it's my favorite. There really isn't much like it. My favorite SRPGs are the Metal Gear Ac!d games. Both were really good, and I know people prefer the second game, but both are just as good for different reasons. They showed that stealth and deck building gameplay in SRPGs has a lot of potential. Too bad they probably will never see a port outside the PSP.

[@PVS-2024]

I love the acid games but never get too far in them. Something about the clunky card game in there makes it hard for me to get past 5-6 missions in either. If those decks were replaced by a random perk system, I'd be playing those all the time

[@linuxviking]

I absolutely love tactical RPGs. Front Mission 3 was my first, I had no idea what the genre was when I was a kid. Now I play the X-COM games and Gears Tactics. Tactics Ogre is next.

[@errata2412]

Did you ever play Zone of Enders on the Game Boy Advanced? Mecha/politics/and TRPG

[@Wheyfarer]

Nice video. This has been my favorite genre since I first played Final Fantasy Tactics on ps1. Moved over to the brutal Dynasty Tactics on ps2 and have been playing the genre ever since.

[@tizianopilla962]

Never been a fan of turn-based combat games (let alone S/TRPGs) and yet, after trying Disgaea 5 demo last week I remained charmed. It's interesting to see how tastes change with time :D

[@BacklogBattle]

It's pretty fun to check on how our tastes change from time to time!

[@RedSpade37]

If I may chime in here, I wanted to say: If Disgaea 5 is your first in the series, then you are in for several treats if you go back and play 2 and 4!

[@FunkyMcBacon]

@@RedSpade37 more than welcome to chime in my friend :) Yes I red on several Reddit posts that Disgaea 5 is much more polished and accessible, when it comes to gameplay. That’s actually one of the main reason I am interested in it. I also tried the demo for 4 but it didn’t give me the same feeling of accessibility

[@RedSpade37]

@@FunkyMcBacon I'm speaking from bias, of course, and I've played them all, I think, and in my opinion, 2 and 4 are the most fun, but you also can't go wrong with the original, but yeah, 5 is a great place to start! I wish you good luck, and may all your hits be crits!

[@tizianopilla962]

@@RedSpade37 Appreciate your time in guiding a newbie of the series like myself. I will give the demo of 4 another go later today and see if it clicks, since the game on switch is on sale. If it doesn't, I'll stick with 5 and maybe go back and try 4 as well :D

[@SomsaiArts]

I passed on FF Tactics when I was younger. A grid-based TRPG just didn't appeal to me as a kid. Played it as an adult and WOW I was really blown away. Game truly holds up.

[@asturias0267]

So does Total War: Warhammer count as a TRPG? It's not in the Japanese style that seems to dominate the TRPG genre, but the features of the game seems to match up.

[@BacklogBattle]

As I said in the video, I’m not gonna be picky with genre definitions, so sure!

[@pul0y]

I tend to start at the second most difficult setting to get the hang of a new game. With how difficulty settings in tactics RPGs tend to bring entirely new features and skills to enemies, going for the easiest often traps you into a false image and fragile confidence of the game that then proceeds to thrash you when you attempt higher difficulties. At the very least, I would suggest going for "normal" difficulty.

[@robdiquattro5590]

Here to sing praises to 13 sentinels! Sci-fi story for the ages! One of the best stories, and story deliverance I've ever experienced. Xenogears and the Xenosaga trilogy were my previous Sci-fi GOATs, but 13 sentinels bumped them out for first place. WHY AREN'T YOU PLAYING THAT GAME?!

[@SwitchCorner]

I was sold at 13 sentinels in the opening moments

[@Twitchyx7]

Shining Force 2 for the Sega Genesis was my first tactical RPG at age 7 (1996). I didn't understand it at first and hated it, mostly because my other games were platformers like Sonic and brawlers like Golden Axe. Then my best friend's older brother came over and played it and I quickly got the hang of it. 4 years later and I've restarted Shining Force 2 over a dozen times, always getting stuck on the same part about 35-40% of the way through the game; sometimes leaving my Sega on for days at a time because the save feature didn't really work. (Walkthroughs and FAQs were only starting to be written, with a couple reliable cheat code sites.) In the end, I figured out the puzzle because it was literally the last thing I could do. Which ultimately made beating the game that much sweeter, never giving up on the adventure and seeing all my promoted heroes smash Zeon's army was super satisfying. (Also Sarah is best girl) 10/10, will revisit childhood triumph again

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you for sharing your story! I’m actually in the process of rediscovering these games as we’re playing through them as a couple

[@rogersnick17]

Love this vid. Bought a Switch for games like this (Wagroove was first.) The convenience allows me to actually finish all of the games now. Been playing all of them on Steam Deck now and can't wait for Tactics Ogre Reborn.

[@Outshinedsg]

Ah, now you've got me pulling up the Shining Force 2 OST again, haha.

[@khairurrijalkhalis4172]

Tactical RPG is one of my favorite genres, at least it will be a good consideration when I want to buy a game. - Btw, my Tactical RPG experience is quite unique. I come from a small town in a developing country, and in the 2000s it was still quite difficult to get access to game consoles, especially original ones, even for the games you can only get from pirated CDs. when people already have PS1 I just got SEGA. And around 2007 when some of them already had PS3s I had a PS1 that was given to me by a cousin. And my love of Tactics RPGs started on PS1, from the game Suikoden 2. I know it's a TBS game, but their war mode uses a simple Tactics formula that got me started. Then I started looking and found Brigandine, an interesting tactical RPG with a good story, but because of that, pirated CDs often crash, so I'm looking for another game with rpg tactics as the main element. I also found Vandal Heart 2 and Front Mission 3, and because I like robots I took both. But my impression of the two is very different, Vandal Heart 2 has a story that is quite dark for a 9 year old child like me at that time but for some reason the story is very interesting and the battle system provided is unique because in the movement phase one character and 1 enemy run simultaneously makes the possibility of a miss attack more on a target not in a position than a miss because of the system. But Front Mission 3 I really didn't like it, it has a unique story, especially like the military, but I realized when playing tactical rpg, when I shoot opponents from afar I don't like them returning fire. - but i still like robots so i am looking for another tactical rpg robot games that cant shoot back every time. And I found Vanguard Bandits, uniquely the knight robot is something I've never seen at the time, especially when I grew up watching Gundam anime where they shoot each other. And I love it so much, I really feel like the main character is me compared to Vandal heart 2 where I still feel like I'm moving other people's stories. Moreover, they use 3D animation for the battles and have branches in an attempt to reach the ending. Then the tactical rpg that I played started to be more or less, especially when I had a computer and found Emulators for VBA and NDS. Play the games Onimusha, Tactics Ogre, Final fantasy tactics, and Fire Emblem in VBA. Continued on the NDS continued the Fire Emblem series, and a few other games I can't remember, but the one that caught my eye the most was Pokemon Conquest. Combining Pokemon with tactical rpg, with the main characters Azai Nagamasa and Eevee which I really liked at that time.

[@KingZarkon]

Just found your channel and now I’m a fan! Thanks

[@BacklogBattle]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@neil4692]

Sometimes you want to just do a map as a test to see what happens and know what it is going to throw at you and then on your second run you can think of how to handle with that. Diofield is an excellent first game since it was made pretty much for newcomers. Experience yourself with the smaller scale like 13 Sentinels than go onto stuff like Tactics Ogre, Lost Eidolons, Valkyrie Chronicles etc. Agree on perma death being off to start with only do that once you're comfortable with the genre. PS: If you have time Alex you should check out Lost Eidolons since I think you'll love it since it's basically a more serious low budget indie Fire Emblem. For me, it calls back to all the stuff that made me fall in love with Fire Emblem.

[@RexZShadow]

I jumped in as a kid with FE7 on gba. Literally brought it coz cover looked sick af, than advance war and slowly other random ones. I remember trying Final Fantasy Tactics Advance coz of this but man that game pace was just too slow for me.

[@neil4692]

Yeah that's the most common issue I've heard from people not being able to get into them. I've learnt to love the slower pace of the battles (they is usually a interim save feature now). It is like your fighting a huge battle slowly trying to get the upper hand and it is always satisfying when you manage to deal that huge blow to the enemy that seals your victory. The blow can happen at anytime. For example it happened recently in Lost Eidolons in the very first turn on the second run of a map for me with me using a match of 1 skills and 2 spells to get 6 of their units out in 3 moves which sealed the deal for me. You usually want to play it safe like Alex said but there are times when if you see an opening to deal huge damage you should take the risk to do it since it can easily change the course of the battle. It is always about finding that balance between playing defensively and playing aggressively. It will be hard to find it at first but the more you play the genre the better you will come to understand the moments. It is not something you can really explain in a guide but something that can just happen suddenly in the heat of battle.

[@RexZShadow]

@@neil4692 my issue with FFTA was more the animations for each attack was way too slow. I enjoy the large battle field.

[@neil4692]

@@RexZShadow most TRPG's now have options to either speed the animations up or just outright turn them off. Some straight just let you skip the enemy turns. It's mainly old games (FFT, original Tactics Ogre etc) that has slow animations that you can't speed up.

[@asawarai]

Just wanted to say thanks for making this! I’m a long time fan of the genre (mainly Fire Emblem) and I appreciate your efforts here.

[@BacklogBattle]

You’re welcome! Always happy to try and introduce people to something new!

[@Fenrisulf87]

Banner's saga is a great entry for the genre.

[@punk4rockorz]

TRPG is by far my favorite genre. Its both chilling but also something you break your head on even when you dont play. The sense of progression and feeling that you get to know the characters and battle system better and better is just so sattisfying. For me it was the mix of Advanced Wars and Fire Emblem 7 that got me into this genre. Because, portability is just such a luxury. I love my Switch with so many (T)RPGs and visual novels. Really feels like these genres gets the most out of the portability aspect as it is so easy and nice to do a couple of turns, chapters and put it away again.

[@rob.carc.2379]

If you all like TRPG def recommend to look at the Tactics Ogre series, which has directly inspired FFT. A new Tactics Ogre game is coming out next week on consoles and PC (new version of LUCT from PSP).

[@DieB4MeGaming]

I'm A Tactual RPG Fiend since FF Tactics 😎

[@TrynePlague]

Front Mission 3 got me into TRPGs, love that game. I still remember spending hours trying to hack through websites to get new parts hahah. I would also love to see the Vagrant Story battle system integrated into a TRPG.

[@BacklogBattle]

I’d love Vagrant Story to come back fully voice acted. It begged for it even back in the day!

[@rbenusa]

FM III is what got me interested in TRPG, but Super Robot Wars F on the PSX is what really hooked me.

[@TheYdyp]

I'm surprised no mention of Disgaea anywhere, but I guess a lot find it to much focus grinding and lesser so on the story. And I can certainly put my thumbs up behind Valkyria Chronicles.

[@arjun220]

Finished FF tactics on ps1 back when I was in gradeschool. Those were the days.

[@warpuppy4528]

As an introduction to turn based tactical RPGs, I would actually recommend South Park: The Fractured But Whole. It has a grid based battle system where movement and positioning are important, but it doesn't have a massive party roster so each battle can be completed in a relatively short time. The story is also hilarious.

[@Gpjr55]

Well been playing this genre for about 20 years and its still my favorite game type slow and steady is the way to go imo i dont like fast paced stuff as u can imagine everything from Final Fantasy Tatics, Fire Emblem, Fell Seal and many more ... i like the long battles ,the risk of losing someone 4ever, even the bad luck sometimes is amazing but shitty at the time ( me dying from a 1%crit or missing a 98% chance to hit ) i like the class sistems and customizing the characters how i please and i love the replay abiity of said games because the same battle can be diffrent if u have diffrent classes on the same soldiers , i understand its not a genre for everyone i think nowadays people have less patience or time to actualy think in a game and just act "brainless" to relax or have fun but i still would like to see more TBSRPG's in the current market anyway that's my 2cents have a good day everyone !!

[@tradnux5848]

Playstation1 introduced me to JRPGs, I loved the grandeur of quality art and riveting story, but I long found myself not enjoying grinding through mindless battles against random encounters. And then I tried Tactics Ogre, my introduction to TRPG, when I played this game I enjoyed the battles even if they took longer, even grinding for stats of various classes as part of my next battle strategy. Next game was Brigandine, that game was grand, it feels like you are a general trying to win a war and then a commander to lead single battles, there are many characters with interesting histories that you'll get to know and care about. I knew that TRPG is the genre I much preferred esp. games that has mercenary-like squad where you can recruit minor or unnamed characters that are open to stat growth and becomes valuable to battles. I am glad that game developers are still creating them and remastering the classics for modern gamers. Today, my Western and Japanese TRPG backlog is close to a hundred now, to which I could say I have enough supply to last a lifetime.

[@tradnux5848]

As for recommendation (easily accessible through modern hardware): - Tactics Ogre - Brigandine Legend of Runersia - Triangle Strategy - Fire Emblem Three Houses - Fire Emblem Engage - Unicorn Overlord - Battle Brothers - Wartales - XCOM 2 - Front Missions 1st - Advance Wars - Super Robot Wars - SD Gundam G Generations - Marvel's Midnight Suns - The Banner Saga

[@clay.invictus]

Well crafted video. I am trying to get into playing Fire Emblem games since I want a change from fantasy/adventure genre to turn-based/tactical.

[@emilykline8586]

Thanks for the tips! It’s a genre I definitely want to try but seems intimidating sometimes. I’ve particularly had my eye on 13 Sentinels, so I’m glad to hear you like it so much!

[@BacklogBattle]

I can't say enough good things about it! Check out my review if you have some time! It's very comprehensive and spoiler free!

[@iveybullard8988]

This is a perfect video for me. Ive played a few of the classics, fft, front mission 3 and valkyrie profile on the ds. But i just cant seem to get into them these days but i own a lot of them. I want to get into them so im trying.

[@JustJulyo]

Now I need to download 13 sentinels after that pitch

[@costelinha1867]

Honestly, the slow battles is the main reason why I mostly only play Fire Emblem as far as Tactical RPG's go, it seems to be the only game I know in the genre in which battles feel, dynamic, fast paced, even on harder dificulties where you have to really think of what you're doing. (I'm looking at you FE12 Lunatic/Lunatic Reverse) I guess the problems is not that the battles are slow, it's that they FEEL slow. Or at least, slower than they should be to me.

[@Xammblu_Games]

TRPGS featuring multi class/job characters are my very favorite part of the genre! Be it finding the synergy between skills or permanent passives, or just grinding it out until each member gets a cherished skill (like counterattack!) is one of my favorite gaming passions. Two titles that shine in this regards are Fell Seal: Arbiters Mark and God Wars: Future Past.

[@Sheebert]

Tactical RPGs are my favorite genre, triangle strategy was my game of the year.

[@YuiYounha]

Tactical RPG are my second best genre to play(4x game is the first. e.g. Civ 6 & CK3). I like to think/plan in games rather than rely on reflex and eye and hand coordination games like souls/action game. My fave TRPG are Super Robot War Series and Tactics Ogre.

[@nateb2715]

Tactical RPGs always reminded me of playing a board game. I loved DnD as a kid but never had any one that wanted to play. TRPGs brought that feeling to life even all by myself

[@ガリ-ダメラム]

Hi there 🙂 I'm from the UK I have just recently subscribed to your channel. I just watched this vid and really took me back! I started rpgs and tactical rpgs back in the super Famicom/playstation 1 era I have lots of fond memories of playing ff-tactics back then I had to import this game from the USA as the UK didn't get ff tactics until the psp! I remember going in blind I had never played a tactical rpg before I was 16? If I remember correctly but everything about this amazing looking game just pulled me in the visuals the character's magic and the deep back history of ramza beoulve and delita hyral I was hooked! Even though after 2 or 3 days I was still learning all the systems of this great game 😄 I think there was a character called marquis elmdor? And with my super souped up thief class after 2 or 3 grueling attempt I managed to steal all the genji equipment he was equipped with! I remember this game at the end bringing a tear to my eyes because of what had happened and the realisation the game was over😟. After that I went on to tactics ogre years later I'm really looking forward to reborn next week also keep up the great work! Love your videos I'm sorry this isn't directly about this video but I just wanted to share this moment because of watching your video and my love of jrpgs and trpgs. Thanks and now I think I'm going to check out some more of your uploads 🙂. good luck with your channel in the future.gaz uk

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you very much! Here's hoping Final Fantasy Tactics gets a remake in the future!

[@roxstar5088]

I like TRPG's because you have a large roster of (if it's a good TRPG's) interesting characters, all with their own drive, personalities and ambitions. It's also why I like Colony survival games like Rimworld over city builders like simcity. This and I just like more slow tactical gameplay in my games over fast flashy ones that leaves no impression other then "lets go to the next." In a typical RPG, I don't think back about mob battles but only focus on the boss battles, and even those only a few actually stick. In a TRPG I have so many times that I remember "minor" battles because something happened that stick. A set-up tactic that worked perfectly for example.

[@grutfrut5817]

You had me at "Front Mission 3".

[@Sacraty]

Totally agree on Front Mission 3. I love everything about that game!

[@BacklogBattle]

Are you looking forward to the remake/remaster?

[@Sacraty]

@@BacklogBattle heck yea! I actually heard this from your video the first time and it got me really excited!

[@costelinha1867]

I agree here, It's ok to disable permadeath in Fire Emblem if you feel it will make it easier to learn the mechanics. (And besides we all know 90% of the people will just reset the game if a character dies, which honestly, kinda goes against the whole point of permadeath in my opinion.)

[@sherrdreamz7232]

Not at all, whether you reset or not it serves as a deterrent from reckless play. Not having it makes combat overall meaningless aside from whatever variance of fun you glean from it. An equivalent would probably be like if in Dark Souls when you died all it did was set you back to your last checkpoint and you didn't drop your Souls/Humanity. Without any stakes the only value of engaging with gameplay is whatever form of fun is gained by proverbially throwing oneself at the meat grinder until you eventually plop out the other side. Granted when one mostly only cares to experience a games story that is a perfectly viable decision. however it definitely renders the gameplay objectively moot.

[@costelinha1867]

@@sherrdreamz7232 Yeah, but you see my thing is, while you still end up facing consequences for reckless play for being forced to reset, I still think it defeats a bit of the point of permadeath to never allow any character to stay dead. Now I'm not saying you should just play Iron Man runs every time, (Although totally do it if you enjoy it) but don't you think it's kinda weird that in a game about war like Fire Emblem, no one, and I mean NO ONE in your entire cast dies? And that's comming from a guy who resets a LOT, although I felt some games like FE7 are actually a lot more fun if you do let some of your characters die, as it forces you to adapt to the new situation. If you reset every time a character dies, you'll lose that. (Not to mention that maps like Battle Before Dawn are such huge festivals of bullshit that I find it hard to wanna reset to save a character from death there, even recruiting Jafar was definetly not worth it for me.) Now again, if you wanna just play for the story, or you really don't want to see your characters die, then by all means, reset, or play on casual mode. I don't have any right to tell anyone how they should play, nor do I want to.

[@vaporsaver]

FF Tactics Advance and Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis were my first tactical rpgs, on GBA. Always love the Japanese trpgs, but i'd like to give some honorable mention to some of the western tactical RPGs, like Divinity: Original Sin 2 which plays just like a turn based tactical jrpg, but without the grid. Great writing and quests. Then there's Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny, which are more what we're calling hybrid here, also referred to as real time with pause, but Pillars of Eternity 2 actually allows for the choice between turn based and real time with pause. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous allows you to switch between combat modes on the fly, which is pretty nifty. The Shadowrun games are turn based cyberpunk trpgs. And many more! Great western tactical rpgs I feel like should be supported, so they can make more of them.

[@nekonekomelfred]

The great thing about TRPGs is that you're like playing a chess. You have to think carefully how you make the moves and win the battles. I'm also at first dont know the flow of TRPGs. I'm used to TB RPGs where you just aproach the enemy like typical battles. But when i get the hang of it, i become to love TRPGs. I like playing Super Robot Wars and Disgaea series and Tactic Ogres.

[@aerostrider41x98]

For what I could recommend which you might love because just like triangle strategy features choices that matter spanning a long play time is Record of Agarest War which you can find on steam. Though I will say it is more geared towards people who know what they are doing.

[@joker9in]

The reason i love tactical rpgs is the complexity of combat. I first got into rpgs with the old school jrpgs like final fantasy breath of fire on the playstation. I loved these games, and i still do to this day. The great stories, lore rich worlds, and complicated characters spoke to me in a way that video games had neved done before. Because of that i often didnt care about the shallow combat these games had. You know how most fights boiled down to; attack, attack, attack, cure, attack, and attack. It didnt much matter to me because these games strengths far outweighed their weaknesses. Tactical rpgs were a godsend for me because combined the tactical combat of an rts with character and story of an rpg. Combat was now one of the funner parts of the game. Ive discovered many different forms of rpgs since then and i love them all, Action rpgs, open world, crpgs, etc... At the end of the day tactical rpgs are still my favorite.

[@nojuanatall3281]

I started with FFTA, then advance wars 2, then went to xcom enemy within, followed by FFT war of the lions, fire emblem awakening, then front mission and now xcom2 is my jam. I'm currently eye balling mario v rabbids kingdom battle, xenonaughts and triangle strategy.

[@zerohbeat]

Hope this video gets more people to enjoy the genre :D! I always liked more strategy based games.... I used to be quite good at Age of Empires & Starcraft. "Feels like chess", executing my ideas and having the ability to experiment, enjoying fantasy elements and medieval settings are probably some of the main reasons I like S/T RPGs. One day I saw Disgaea and somehow I knew that I need to play that. I bought a PSP, Vita and the Switch just so that I can play Disgaea! haha.. (I even bought Disgaea 5 twice - in English and Japanese). In some ways, Disgaea has ruined me as it has generally very quick battles, can set your own goals and I actually enjoy grinding in this game series haha

[@azure8696]

Strategy/Tactics games are a fun way to stimulate the mind. Some of these later game maps can get crazy AF, like for example the Super Robot Wars games.

[@teddycheddar1114]

Great video! I’m relatively inexperienced as far as TRPGs go, but, as always, your video has encouraged me to give more a go. Also, not specific to this video, but your channel in general has really caused my verb set in how I think and talk about games to expand by leaps and bounds. You do great work.

[@dacx17]

In my 30 plus years in gaming tactics games are some of the very best games in the industry. I'll never stop playing. Hope FFT gets an amazing rework or remake imo. 😁😁

[@BacklogBattle]

I'm hoping that's next!

[@dacx17]

@@BacklogBattle btw love the videos about tac. rpgs :D really liked your take on the new tactics orge i can't wait to play it

[@armorvil]

I was surprised I had to scroll down that much for someone to finally mention the best TRPG : Final Fantasy Tactics (War of the Lions). I couldn't get into 13 Sentinels, too wordy / slow for my tastes (at least at the start), and the visuals during battle are totally unattractive to me. I felt like I was playing with dots and commas. In the same genre I'd take the low poly Wanzers and cities of Front Mission 3 over it any day (and shoutout for mentioning this awesome game in the video!).

[@dacx17]

@@armorvil yes i have to agree it is (to me) still the BEST trpg of all time lol with front mission in a close 2nd to tactics orge lol. oh, guys keep an eye for 'CAPES' a superhero tactics game on steam. the demo is up now, go have a look. i love it, looking forward to that one too lol

[@jayanthonymangubat1905]

what i want is FFT online. .to see who can build stronger party 😁

[@sinisterdesign]

Interesting video! I'd say it's more than just a tactical RPG's battles being individually shorter than exploring JRPG dungeons--there's a quality difference there, too. You're trading in a bunch of highly repetitive, low-complexity encounters for one big, interesting one. If a JRPG dungeon is a plate loaded up with circus peanuts, then a TRPG battle is a slice of tiramisu: the tiramisu is dense and individually much more filling than any one marshmallow, but once the meal is over it'll leave you with a more complex and interesting flavor relative to the total calories consumed. By the way, game recommendation: you should totally check out Telepath Tactics: Liberated. It's highly rated for a reason. 😉

[@grodon909]

I feel like I started getting into TRPG after playing Divinity Original Sin I, and moreso after the sequel. They are among my top 10 favorites, but didn't even realize they were essentially TRPGs until I started looking for games that that had similar mechanics. If you're more of a RPG player, I think the DOS games (particularly II) are a really good bridge between RPG and TTRPG and TRPG.

[@timm8998]

Divinity is really not a trpg/srpg it is a crpg 100% like all the other crpg's released last 10 years.

[@grodon909]

@@timm8998 Eh. It seems pretty close. Position based tactical combat, turn based, etc. From a functional standpoint, there's not a huge difference.

[@crestfallenwarrior6996]

Thank you for this. I want to get into this genre and it looked like a steep learning curve. I’m stupid and getting old so yeah lol

[@micallefrederick9622]

In my opinion, apart from the obvious successful titles like FFT, a hidden gem on the playstation 1 is Vanguard Bandits, a mecha strategy rpg that has 5 endings. And an absolute marvel is Ogre Battle 64, the story is spectacular and as soon as you get a grasp of the hidden gameplay features that are never explained properly, you’ll be seeing the fruits of your labour.

[@ValeVin]

Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics made me fall in love with the genre, but I think if I were recommending TRPGs to someone new, I'd probably point them to Fell Seal. The gameplay is just so good, and even the writing/character holds up a lot better than something like Triangle Strategy. There's also the multiple difficulty sliders. Watching a few friends play, everyone took a different approach in regards to permadeath, drowning, and all the other difficulty options. (I liked to buff the number of enemies on a map as high as it would go, including an extra 'elite' unit per level, but I'd turn off wounds and permadeath.) I'm hoping when TO:Reborn releases, it'll be a new entry point for people. Heck, maybe we'll see remasters (or just new releases) of the other games in the series.

[@bkillinm]

You should give “Into The Breach” a try feels like it would be right up your alley with the mechs it’s an amazing trpg don’t sleep on it.

[@BacklogBattle]

A lot of people here in the comments recommended it too! I actually have a part 2 of this video where I recommended it!

[@S.O.G13]

Tactics ogre is another great game to give a try. This is such an amazing genre of people only give it a fair shake.

[@BacklogBattle]

Definitely would recommend it, but not for beginners.

[@Despoina_Nyx]

Does xcom counts? I love xcom2 due to the resistance setting and slowly building up your forces from nothing but also always having the risk of losing people in battle

[@BacklogBattle]

It sure does!

[@Sheamu5]

I don't know how hard it would be to play now but another tactical rpg I have very fond memories of is Ring of Red on ps2

[@BacklogBattle]

I remember that one!

[@farisaddaukas3281]

It wasn't me who was looking for this genre, but this genre that found me My first two games that made me falling love with this genre is fft and hoshigami (ps1) then i discovered another masterpiece Front mission n brigandine (ps1)

[@OGpackirby]

the first that i played in the genre was probably between the project x zone games and fire emblem awakening ever since i started to love them so much is like an rts where you well, manage an army and do stuff but without city building or economies, just combat and that's what i like about it

[@OGpackirby]

ok it will sound weird but yeah

[@andrewtatian7495]

plz tell me the name of the game at 7:50 thank you i want to play it D:

[@BacklogBattle]

Trails from Zero!

[@andrewtatian7495]

@@BacklogBattle thank you very much

[@baladasanudas]

Shining Force 1 & 2! These were my first TRPG's.

[@dagensvisa]

Thank you so much for the video. Which game are the characters in the thumbnail from BTW?

[@BacklogBattle]

Byleth on the left from Fire Emblem Three Houses and on the right is a character from Triangle Strategy!

[@dagensvisa]

@@BacklogBattle Hey thanks man. As it happens I own both, just have to clear some backlog ;^_^ !

[@BacklogBattle]

Good luck with your backlog! Hope you have a blast with these two!