nephilimdj
Member
If you have a ps3, there are a few psx & ps2 srpg's on psn, even "medicore" ones like Stella Deus are still fun
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Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics?
- Thread starter Sajjaja
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Glass Rebel
Member
As a fan of both series (yes, even FFTA and FFTA2), I have to give the edge to Fire Emblem.
I love the job and skill systems in FFT and Ivalice is one of my favourite fantasy worlds. Fire Emblem has been, for the most part, rather generic in comparison. Not that I don't like some FE characters but FFT has that distinct Matsuno flavour that I enjoy so much and FFTA and FFTA2 have this charming and colourful story with the kids trapped in a fantasy-world inside a book.
Ultimately though, I find the battles in FE to be much more enjoyable. The simplicity and interface definitely help here and perma-death promotes a different playstyle from FFT that really resonates with me. Awakening moved the series closer to FFT in this regard and I did not appreciate all changes tbh.
I love the job and skill systems in FFT and Ivalice is one of my favourite fantasy worlds. Fire Emblem has been, for the most part, rather generic in comparison. Not that I don't like some FE characters but FFT has that distinct Matsuno flavour that I enjoy so much and FFTA and FFTA2 have this charming and colourful story with the kids trapped in a fantasy-world inside a book.
Ultimately though, I find the battles in FE to be much more enjoyable. The simplicity and interface definitely help here and perma-death promotes a different playstyle from FFT that really resonates with me. Awakening moved the series closer to FFT in this regard and I did not appreciate all changes tbh.
Interceptor
Banned
Play the FE games and listen to the tactic games.
Tactics Ogre PSP > FFT > FE > Tactics Ogre > FFT Advance series
Before the PSP revamp, Tactics Ogre was crap with a lot of unfun grinding, permadeath, and cheapness. The SNES and PS1 copies should be avoided at all costs.
If you want some further suggestions...
Brigandine for PS1 is a FFT-like game which also has elements of Dragon Force, in that you must also manage one of several kingdoms and conquer a continent. Brutally long, but a good investment.
Shining Force II shares a lot of basic elements with the Fire Emblem series, and is available cheaply on Steam (or you can find it on Genesis for like $0.25), so there's that. Good game with fantastic graphics for a Genesis title.
Kartia is a fairly little known PS1 title with a lot of Amano art which uses a card-based spell system which can also deform the terrain, raising it to allow you to climb a normally impassable wall or creating a space next to a foe who normally would be unreachable. Very good game.
Before the PSP revamp, Tactics Ogre was crap with a lot of unfun grinding, permadeath, and cheapness. The SNES and PS1 copies should be avoided at all costs.
If you want some further suggestions...
Brigandine for PS1 is a FFT-like game which also has elements of Dragon Force, in that you must also manage one of several kingdoms and conquer a continent. Brutally long, but a good investment.
Shining Force II shares a lot of basic elements with the Fire Emblem series, and is available cheaply on Steam (or you can find it on Genesis for like $0.25), so there's that. Good game with fantastic graphics for a Genesis title.
Kartia is a fairly little known PS1 title with a lot of Amano art which uses a card-based spell system which can also deform the terrain, raising it to allow you to climb a normally impassable wall or creating a space next to a foe who normally would be unreachable. Very good game.
SliceSabre
Banned
My vote would go to Fire Emblem. As much as I love FF: T, I found some of its systems like magic casting to be very restrictive.
As for my favorite SRPG series? Disgaea bar none.
As for my favorite SRPG series? Disgaea bar none.
Minsc
Gold Member
Final Fantasy Tactics with the 1.3 insane difficulty patch, and weep as you repeatedly lose the tutorial battle.
All the things (well a ton of them) people commented about FFT being weak with (Yelling for a dozen times in a corner at the start of a battle to cheapen the game, etc) are fixed, and the AI is ridiculous, pulls all sorts of tricks like reviving etc, as well as a rebalance of skills to eliminate some of the flaws from the balance originally. Pretty much takes the ball from TO and puts it back to FFT's court.
All the things (well a ton of them) people commented about FFT being weak with (Yelling for a dozen times in a corner at the start of a battle to cheapen the game, etc) are fixed, and the AI is ridiculous, pulls all sorts of tricks like reviving etc, as well as a rebalance of skills to eliminate some of the flaws from the balance originally. Pretty much takes the ball from TO and puts it back to FFT's court.
Zekra Dezivad
Member
Buy Tactics Ogre, if you can't then just buy Final Fantasy Tactics.
Probably the best SRPG games ever.
FFT Advance is really good and it's on par with most of the Fire Emblem games.
There are all good games, after all.
Probably the best SRPG games ever.
FFT Advance is really good and it's on par with most of the Fire Emblem games.
There are all good games, after all.
KojiKnight
Member
Sir_Crocodile
Member
heathen
KojiKnight
Member
Random in the sense that the thread is about 2 particular ones.
FE: Path of Radiance is one of my favourite games ever (along with Advance Wars Dual Strike) so I'm always going to be biased to Fire Emblem in a discussion like this. I've actually just started playing FE7 thanks to the WiiU virtual console, and it's an excellent game. I could never get in to FFT.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
OP added a "talk about whatever srpg you like clause" soon after creating the thread, makes sense to mention the reigning, defending champion of the world
or as synbios would put it in s1
"....................."
Novel Mike
Member
^ This, just hard to play unless you are going to pirate. 3 games (Scenarios) with 3 completely different forces and the things you choose or choose not to do can impact certain characters you get in the later Scenarios creating great replayability and likely one of the most interesting political plots ever (its better then FFT's). Emperor Domaric is still one of my favorite villains ever for just how evil and manipulative he is.
FFT I've always found to be fairly overrated, there is very little strategy involved with such a small selection of characters in each battle and generally comes down just a simple FF based battle system setup on a turn based grid. It's still a really good game but I find it fails to have less then compelling gameplay for an SRPG.
Fire Emblem (well FE7 on GBA) is really good although it starts off very slowly with a long forced tutorial you cannot skip (literally the first 10 chapters are all a tutorial) but it picks up greatly after that. If you enjoy the game there is an alternate campaign you play post game that adds a few chapters and changes who the second half of the game centers around, its really cool.
KojiKnight
Member
Okay, then I take it back and reassert random as in 'hey look, some random not as good as the SRPG I mentioned' then
Seriously, it's criminal how few people have played Dragon Force.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Okay, then I take it back and reassert random as in 'hey look, some random not as good as the SRPG I mentioned' then
lol
I think Quinn Mallory once slid to an alternate dimension where SF3 didn't exist and DF was the champ
it was considered "a worse place then the one with the talking monkeys"
Yeah, I think the big problem is simply that there wasn't that many of us with a saturn - SF3 s1-3 and Panzer Dragoon Saga have the same problem. Criminal that Sega never ported them, but then that held for most of their saturn masterpieces. Creative wise, Saturn/Dreamcast era was sega at their finest, business wise they were as smart as a toaster.
I bet they don't even have the source code for any of these anymore
Hey this is pretty much exactly what I was going to post.
KojiKnight
Member
And this is the saddest truth of all.
OuterLimits
Member
I actually love Vandal Hearts 1 and 2. Seeing the huge blood spray when a character dies never gets boring to watch. Both games have solid stories and music as well.
Overall I would give Fire Emblem the slight edge although I certainly love FFT and Tactics Ogre.
SRPGs are my most played genre. Even much less popular games like Ragnarok Tactics, Vanguard Bandits and Saiyuki Journey West have been fun to play. The only one I truly hated was Hoshigami.
Overall I would give Fire Emblem the slight edge although I certainly love FFT and Tactics Ogre.
SRPGs are my most played genre. Even much less popular games like Ragnarok Tactics, Vanguard Bandits and Saiyuki Journey West have been fun to play. The only one I truly hated was Hoshigami.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Vandal Hearts is brilliant. I remember playing it for the second time and realising I could beat the Crimson Guard instead of running away - so fun. Getting Ash to Vandelier was insanely complex, but he becomes such a cheat character afterwards, especially if you went for two archbishops - payoff is totally worth it.
VH2 was a lot less fun for me. Being able to see characters armour that you chose was super-cool, but the enemy moving at the same time as you made the game so easy it was ridiculous.
Saiyuki was fun. Vanguard Bandits had great story branching and awesome mechs. Love that game
Sammy Samusu
Member
Fire Emblem is better but Tacticts has more replay value.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
Well, *avatar quote*
FE is the superior game (and series) by a long shot, in my opinion. FFT has more content in terms of systems and mechanics but that's not necessarily a good thing. In FE everything has a place and purpose, and the game is designed with a strict sense of balance in mind. It is the perfect mid-point between player choice and tight design. FFT is begging to be broken and feels hopelessly imbalanced in comparison. Arithmatiks break the game wide open, for example. Everything feels tighter in FE, from the way EXP is handled to the rules for archers, it is simply a better designed game.
FFT has a better script (especially War of the Lions), and perhaps a better story but that's about the only advantage I'd give to it.
Don't get me wrong, I love FFT, but it is no FE.
A more interesting question would be TO vs. FE as I consider TO to be a superior game to FFT, but I'd still go with the one true king.
FE is the superior game (and series) by a long shot, in my opinion. FFT has more content in terms of systems and mechanics but that's not necessarily a good thing. In FE everything has a place and purpose, and the game is designed with a strict sense of balance in mind. It is the perfect mid-point between player choice and tight design. FFT is begging to be broken and feels hopelessly imbalanced in comparison. Arithmatiks break the game wide open, for example. Everything feels tighter in FE, from the way EXP is handled to the rules for archers, it is simply a better designed game.
FFT has a better script (especially War of the Lions), and perhaps a better story but that's about the only advantage I'd give to it.
Don't get me wrong, I love FFT, but it is no FE.
A more interesting question would be TO vs. FE as I consider TO to be a superior game to FFT, but I'd still go with the one true king.
manueldelalas
Time Traveler
True, but FE still has good replay value (hard mode is always worth it IMO) and is a series with a ton of great games, whereas tactics is a series with two great games and two awful games.
Coinspinner
Member
FFT if you want to customize your individual units into little engines of death and have an intricate battle system into which to deploy them. It's more RPG than tactics.
Fire Emblem if you want each move in battle to matter. It's more Tactics than RPG.
Fire Emblem if you want each move in battle to matter. It's more Tactics than RPG.
Devilgunman
Member
I think many misread OP, he's asking about FFT1 and FE on GBA, not the entire series a a whole.
KojiKnight
Member
If nothing else, this thread has accomplished it's secret goal of making me unearth my Sega Saturn...
Gameplay FE>FFT
Story FFT>FE games>FFA games
Gameplay in Fire Emblem is truly a thing of beauty. And this is coming from someone who typically hates turn based games. It's the best turn based strategy RPG engine you can find.
As far as strategy games are concerned, it's only outdone by its close cousin, Advance Wars... which isn't an RPG. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see why this genre is "a thing".
Story FFT>FE games>FFA games
Gameplay in Fire Emblem is truly a thing of beauty. And this is coming from someone who typically hates turn based games. It's the best turn based strategy RPG engine you can find.
As far as strategy games are concerned, it's only outdone by its close cousin, Advance Wars... which isn't an RPG. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see why this genre is "a thing".
Aaron-Lagann
Banned
I view them as different versions of the same genre. They have significantly different pros and cons, but if I had to choose between them I'd say I enjoy Fire Emblem as a whole more.
Disgaea, though, goddamn have I put too much time into those games. Complexity of systems has never been so addicting.
Disgaea, though, goddamn have I put too much time into those games. Complexity of systems has never been so addicting.
ryanofcall
Member
I've only played FFT Advance, but I'd definitely go with Fire Emblem.
Best SRPG being Fire Emblem: Awakening
Best SRPG being Fire Emblem: Awakening
Agree with this.
FFT is a masterpiece all around... Fantastic story and a godly OST. Get it.
Wyndstryker
Member
I like them for different things. The story in FFT definitely trumps any Fire Emblem but the support convos allow me to get attached to most characters in FE.
Although I'll take a Tactics Ogre game over an FFT anyday.
Although I'll take a Tactics Ogre game over an FFT anyday.
Zuhzuhzombie!!
Member
FFT and Tactics Ogre are the better individual games but FE has the better series. FFT pretty much went to shit when it went to the GBA. Tactics Ogre on the GBA ain't great either.
Ogre Battle is a whole 'nother story. If you allow Ogre Battle to be thrown in with the Tactics games then the Tactics games have the better series overall as well.
SF3?
Ogre Battle is a whole 'nother story. If you allow Ogre Battle to be thrown in with the Tactics games then the Tactics games have the better series overall as well.
SF3?
Naked Lunch
Member
Final Fantasy Tactics 1 is still the best strategy RPG ever made and nothing even really comes close. Its a shame someone hasnt done anything with the genre since. There is so much potential.
cubicle47b
Member
Final Fantasy Tactics is a classic and I'd take it over any individual Fire Emblem game. However, I'd rather play a Fire Emblem game over any other game with a style similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.
Advance Wars or Nectaris / Military Madness are better strategy games than either.
Advance Wars or Nectaris / Military Madness are better strategy games than either.
Truthfulness
Banned
My favorite of this type is Three Kingdoms....
Okay, then I take it back and reassert random as in 'hey look, some random not as good as the SRPG I mentioned' then
Seriously, it's criminal how few people have played Dragon Force.
Dragon Force is my favourite Saturn game, but it's a very different type of game. It's more of a RTS with RPG elements than a traditional SRPG.
That's unfortunate.
Head to head I'll take FFT over any other srpg (and most other games). If you play it and like it, try hard mode next.
Riposte
Member
Tactics is the SRPG for JRPG fans who want all the tropes to follow them. Matsuno can't design a videogame without fucking it up sonehow.
It's a small thing, but I agree completely. I tried playing FFT on vita after finishing Awakening, and ai felt like I was fighting against the horrible camera angles more than enemies. Same issue with Disgea.
Perspective aside, I prefer FE's harsher limits with permadeaths and limited use items. Really ads another dimension to the genre.
Vanguard Bandits is probably my favorite individual SRPG though.
I forgot alllllll about Kartia! Fun game!
People complain about this a lot, but I think it's important to remember that it's not that easy to abuse the Calculator for a first time player. It's a difficult class to unlock, and not even good until you have unlocked most of the skills as well as high-level spells in the other mage classes. And until you figure out that you can abuse the job postings to get JP (or grind a ton) it's also a really difficult to level the class up, since it is so slow.
I see the Calculator as an option for people who have played the game before and want to be able to make an over-powered character. Of course, if you want the game to be harder, just don't make a Calculator. It's not like the game drops one in your lap; you have to go out of your way to get one. Even for an experienced player who is specifically going for a Calculator build from the outset, it is still going to take you until mid-game, unless you want to sit around and grind forever.
Megalosaro
Banned
Full disclosure: I love Matsuno more than any man should ever love another man. Everything he touches is golden.
Fire Emblem is a good series, but FFT and TO blow them out of the water. Those two games are pinnicles of Japanese game design. TO has some design flaws, such as the final dungeon being pretty boring, but the story and atmosphere and battle system all make up for it. FFT feels like it could have been a chapter longer (the fourth chapter feels a bit rushed to me), but for my money, I can't think of a better written game altogether. Can you break the game? Yes. But it takes work to do so.
Fire Emblem is a good series, but FFT and TO blow them out of the water. Those two games are pinnicles of Japanese game design. TO has some design flaws, such as the final dungeon being pretty boring, but the story and atmosphere and battle system all make up for it. FFT feels like it could have been a chapter longer (the fourth chapter feels a bit rushed to me), but for my money, I can't think of a better written game altogether. Can you break the game? Yes. But it takes work to do so.
Can't go wrong with either. The gameplay in Fire Emblem is much simpler than FFT games but I also think requires more strategy if you want to walk away unscathed (perma death rocks).
That being said, despite popular opinion, FFTA2 is my favorite SRPG and has tons of replay value in the various challenges (play it on Hard).
That being said, despite popular opinion, FFTA2 is my favorite SRPG and has tons of replay value in the various challenges (play it on Hard).
Permadeath is why I find the strategy elements boring in FE games. Because of the permadeath, most of your strategies have to be very defensive/conservative (the original TO release had this problem too, and even the PSP one still does to a lesser extent).
With non-permadeath games, you open op a lot more viable aggressive strategies, such as sending characters on suicide runs. Instead of just starting over when a character dies, you now need to consider attrition rates and opportunity costs. Just think how awful chess would be if you conceded whenever you lost a piece. The depth of strategy comes from balancing your losses vs the opportunities they give you.
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