![]() In most RPGs the few strategic planning options tend to be limited to equipment and skill learning. If you can't produce more units mid-field, you naturally get smaller squad sizes (like Final Fantasy Tactics). When you start getting into the tactical RPG category, I think you'll find a lot more elements you like. I'd go so far to say that Advance Wars is 90% a strategy game because you almost never get missions in which you can't produce units. Starcraft has unit maneuvers but it's called an RTS Total War creates a whole new field for battles but it's called a strategy game and to use your example of Advance Wars, a major element of your success is capturing factories and buildings and creating new units. So with that out of the way, usually strategy games that contain some tactics generally eschew the word 'tactics' in the genre, since strategy is an umbrella over tactics, one layer up. Furthermore, equipment, production, supply lines, allegiances, and even domestic politics are strategic concerns. losing a squad decoy in order to deliver a decisive blow elsewhere. But it also involves attention to the grand scheme of a war, e.g. Strategy = preparation ensuring that, when an engagement occurs, you have the most advantageous position possible. Tactics = small unit maneuvers that directly determine victor and loser for a particular engagement. Well first off, I think you're fudging some genres here. Then you move on to sneak up on the next alien group.Īs a result I think the game is lacking larger strategic concepts compared to the games I mentioned, for example in Wesnoth you might throw a few weak but survivable units in front of an advancing enemy just so you can slow them down to complete a flanking maneuver or have reinforcements arrive from elsewhere on the map.Ĭoncerns like timing, survivability, and flanking don't seem to enter into XCOM2 because if the enemy lives long enough to return fire you are losing. As the enemies run to grab cover and return fire, your overwatch units take them out. Sneak up on the enemy, put every unit on overwatch (reaction-fire ability), and throw a grenade into the enemy group to trigger the beginning of the firefight. ![]() The guy I've been watching plays every scenario the exact same way to prevent that. In addition, because of the permadeath mechanic, you're very strongly incentivized to NEVER let the enemy units have a chance to fire at you on their turn. The problem I have with that game is since it is a firefight simulator, all your troops are really variations on infantry (grenadier, ranger, sniper) it doesn't have the combined-arms rock-paper-scissors feeling of the games I mentioned. I also adore the way the game combines cutscenes and 3D camera moves while staying near to its isometric roots. I have been watching an XCom2 play-through on YT, and the game looks amazing plus I love that your squaddies have tons of little cusotmizable abilities and weapons. How can games balance these competing imperatives? But on the other hand, if it was just small missions throughout the game things would start to feel samey (artillery beats infantry for the 10th time) because there would be nothing new to discover. That's why the early and midgame are the most fun for me. The joy of these games comes from the rock-paper-scissors unit interactions. It doesn't feel tactical anymore when the last mission has 30-60 units facing off and the 'battle' is just to see which side will end up with 5 living units and the other side completely eradicated. The problem for me is that these games always start to stall out by the 3rd stage, and the 4th stage is just a massive attrition battle. Then things start to get more advanced as the game introduces more concepts like terrain, ranged units, stealth, medic units, units with special abilities and so on.Įventually you will reach a new "chapter" of the game where you encounter a whole new set of enemy unit types, or the scenarios start involving a whole new arena of battle such as air or naval.įinally the game culminates in a bunch of endgame scenarios that put everything together in a few huge battles. Towards the beginning of the game are small "tutorial" scenarios that teach you about the basic footsoldier/tank units. All of these games seem to follow the same pattern:
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