Shining Force - Retro Playthrough - May 2015

[ericeskapade]

Sweet! Have you guys signed up. Thanks for joining.

and another one...

a little shining force goes every time! SF2 was the first strategy RPG i played in the 90s, and i loved it.
I finished SF1 2 years ago, and i still want some more

Put me in, playing it on Sega Mega Drive.

[singlebanana]

Sweet! Have you guys signed up. Thanks for joining.

and another one...

a little shining force goes every time! SF2 was the first strategy RPG i played in the 90s, and i loved it.
I finished SF1 2 years ago, and i still want some more

Put me in, playing it on Sega Mega Drive.

Nice!  It seems we have a nice little group playing this game so far. It seems like we have a few people who have played through it before, so it will be nice to have some experienced members to give advice.

I will say that even though howlongtobeat has an estimated log time of 22-23 hours for this game, some first time players may find it takes a little longer. I started playing it last week and one thing that I have noticed is that combat sequences are very slow and methodical. Now, please take into consideration that this is the first tactical game that I have ever played, so some of you may be much more familiar with this type of system. I initially had a tough time with the slower pace, but I have settled in and the format has grown on me.

I worked out the checkpoints yesterday, so look to be playing around 4-6 hours a week depending on your experience. If anyone has played this game before and has suggestions for achievements, please let me know. I know that a lot of the characters are easily added through the story, but some, like the samurai and ninja, are tougher to find so I have added them to the achievement list.  Looking forward to a great month!

[JerryGreenwood]

I also started playing Phantasy Star 2.

That game is unbelievable. It probably doesn't hold up well today, but IMO it's got one of the best soundtracks in video game history, THE best plot twist in video game history (that a certain other RPG ripped off), and the best ending I've seen in a video game.

[Disposed Hero]

I know that a lot of the characters are easily added through the story, but some, like the samurai and ninja, are tougher to find so I have added them to the achievement list.

General rule of thumb for recruiting characters:  If you encounter an NPC that has a character portrait, most likely they can be recruited.

[singlebanana]

I know that a lot of the characters are easily added through the story, but some, like the samurai and ninja, are tougher to find so I have added them to the achievement list.

General rule of thumb for recruiting characters:  If you encounter an NPC that has a character portrait, most likely they can be recruited.

And also, talk to that NPC every time you enter a town. Some recruits will only join you if you talk to them at a certain time and then return to talk to them later.

[NeoMagicWarrior]

Methinks I'll have to give this one a go. I really enjoy SRPGs and have been meaning to get around to this one....not sure whether or not I want to play it portable yet though...

[singlebanana]

Happy to have you along.

[singlebanana]

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for the playthrough so far. Though the playthrough starts tomorrow, I went ahead and posted the first checkpoint today in case any of you want to get started early and get your feet wet. As I might have mentioned before, this is my first experience with a tactical RPG. I've had only a few growing pains so far, and am really enjoying this game a lot!

As many of you probably already know, Shining Force is an RPG that involves strategic battles where you control individuals, instead of one large group. Encounters are also made up of large battles instead of random skirmishes with "wandering monsters" as in many RPGs.  I mention this, because in this game, grinding is very different and I don't want any first time players to get frustrated if they get to an area that seems impassable. (I AM MARKING THIS SECTION ON HOW TO GRIND WITH A SPOILER TAG, THOUGH THERE ARE REALLY NO SPOILERS. I WOULD ADVISE FIRST TIME PLAYERS READING THIS BECAUSE IT IS VERY HELPFUL).

Spoiler (hover to show)

Instead of wandering around and finding monsters to battle, to grind in Shining Force, you have to enter an encounter, defeat some enemies (not all), and then leave the battle with your main where you entered. When you return to the encounter you did not finish, all of the enemies will be reset. I do not find this game too "grindy," but I did have to do this a few times for one specific battle. Because your characters earn experience individually and not as a group, some may get behind in their levels and a little grinding can be a necessity.

Though this game has its quirks, like Phantasy Star, it is a great example of an early RPG that should not be missed. It's really fun to see how this genre evolved through time and though I don't know a lot about the history of RPGs, there are several classic tropes/mechanics in Shining Force that are still alive today and may owe these to their predecessor. Come and join us, and let's have a great time this month!

As listeners to our podcast know, my kids really love to watch me play these games. My daughter is in 1st grade and has recently taken to writing and reviewing the games I play. Apparently, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Ha! I'm always amazed at the things my kids pick up on and though their comments typically seem simple on the surface, I always find them rather spot on and even as smaller pieces that lead me to think about the game deeper. Anyway, since my daughter's first log about the game is spoiler-free, I thought that I would post it here to start off the playthrough.

[img width=700 height=937]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/Playthroughs/B2283077-163A-4B9B-8E9B-F28699462A7A_zpstdwflise.jpg[/img]

[shaggy]

I just finished the walking dead (great game, Rich) and noticed this is on the Sonic collection, so I'm going to attempt to play this.  I can't make any promises, though.

[Disposed Hero]

Haha, I love the little mini-review Rich.  Better than most of the biased 'professional' reviews out there today.

Anyway, I got started a little later than I would have liked on this one, but I think I'm near the end of Chapter 1 now.  I've really enjoyed this game in the past, but any time I have played it prior to this playthrough has been on an emulator, which has the luxury of save states.  For this playthrough, I'm actually playing on a Genesis with an original cartridge.  I was worried that it would start to feel very 'grindy' without having the option to save mid battle, but so far I'm still really enjoying it.

That being said, I think all of you who are playing on a platform that allows you to use save states (Steam, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, etc.) will really come to appreciate that feature while playing this game.  Some of the battles can get quite long, and not being able to save during a battle can often clash with our busy adult lives.  I hope it doesn't become much of an issue for me or anyone else playing on the original hardware.  *crosses fingers*

[singlebanana]

I just finished the walking dead (great game, Rich) and noticed this is on the Sonic collection, so I'm going to attempt to play this.  I can't make any promises, though.

Yeah man, I'm a few hours into TWD and am going to get back to it (even already bought Season 2). The playthroughs take precedent and family life has taken a good deal of my time. Hope you can join us Shaggy.

Haha, I love the little mini-review Rich.  Better than most of the biased 'professional' reviews out there today.

It's funny, but I think she has a tendency to express these sort of deeper thoughts in the simplest way, or more so has the ability to make me think about these games more. For instance, one of her observations is that "the [girl] is the most [powerful]." With all of the Gamergate stuff in the news (yes, I will politely stay away from this topic), of course my mind has naturally begun to think about the role of gender in a lot of the games I play. My daughter is very "girly," except on the soccer field where she is extremely aggressive and eats kids' lunches. She has a really cool and adamant sense of "girl power" and really thinks about the roles of the girls in the games I play. Here, she is referring to the roles of the mages in SF and she is pretty spot on about their influence and power in the game. She was beside herself the learn that Samus was a girl when we played Super Metroid, and I thought that was a pretty cool moment for us. I can see us having some great quality time gaming as she grows up.

Anyway, I got started a little later than I would have liked on this one, but I think I'm near the end of Chapter 1 now.  I've really enjoyed this game in the past, but any time I have played it prior to this playthrough has been on an emulator, which has the luxury of save states.  For this playthrough, I'm actually playing on a Genesis with an original cartridge.  I was worried that it would start to feel very 'grindy' without having the option to save mid battle, but so far I'm still really enjoying it.

That being said, I think all of you who are playing on a platform that allows you to use save states (Steam, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, etc.) will really come to appreciate that feature while playing this game.  Some of the battles can get quite long, and not being able to save during a battle can often clash with our busy adult lives.  I hope it doesn't become much of an issue for me or anyone else playing on the original hardware.  *crosses fingers*

I agree that some of these battles can be long and sometimes the unpredictability of the AI can end your battle quickly if you are not careful. However, I am playing on my Retron5 and will not be using save states. I know that there is a risk, but I want to play the game as it was originally intended to be played. If others want to use save states, that's completely cool. As I have said before, we want everyone who joins our playthroughs to enjoy their experience during the month, so do what gives you the most joy out of gaming. I will admit that I am actually using a character guide to ensure that I get all of the characters in the game. I have a bit of an obsession with games that have collectible characters, so yeah...........there's that.

[Disposed Hero]

I agree that some of these battles can be long and sometimes the unpredictability of the AI can end your battle quickly if you are not careful. However, I am playing on my Retron5 and will not be using save states. I know that there is a risk, but I want to play the game as it was originally intended to be played. If others want to use save states, that's completely cool. As I have said before, we want everyone who joins our playthroughs to enjoy their experience during the month, so do what gives you the most joy out of gaming. I will admit that I am actually using a character guide to ensure that I get all of the characters in the game. I have a bit of an obsession with games that have collectible characters, so yeah...........there's that.

I'm also going to use a character guide since I'm sure there are plenty of characters I missed when I played it before.  I thought I had recruited Gong on my earlier playthroughs, but the method for recruiting him doesn't sound familiar and not like something I would have done without instruction, so now I'm not so sure.  Either way, he's actually a pretty good character, and having more characters for the early battles can be invaluable.

I agree with the unpredictability of the AI, and there is also a lot of randomness in the battles that can come into play.  I actually ended up getting wiped out on the third battle of the game because a random knight strolled up to my main character, did a double attack, and killed him outright (I had full health before the attack).  I almost rage quit, but one good thing to keep in mind is that if you do lose a battle, you still retain all of your experience and levels from the battle, so be sure to save before you throw the controller and turn off the system!

[singlebanana]

Yeah, double enemy attack for the suck. Double player attack FTW!

[Raidou]

Played through to the end of Chapter 1 last night and I am enjoying it so far. I have played a few later SRPGs and most of the core game elements seem to be here in Shining Force.  I do like that it can transition between an SRPG combat engagement to a more traditional style of RPG to suit the flow of gameplay, although the menu system is aggravating- having to open a menu to talk to people and rearranging character inventory every time you open a chest gets old fast.

Spoiler (hover to show)

I've recruited Gong and Gort. Gong can be recruited after the 2nd battle, so the walkthrough is wrong on that point.  That said, I didn't get the hamster.

And yes, Tao is so far the best character (so long as she has meat to hide behind).  Oddly enough, Centaurs are the hardest to keep alive

[shaggy]

I just finished the walking dead (great game, Rich) and noticed this is on the Sonic collection, so I'm going to attempt to play this.  I can't make any promises, though.

Yeah man, I'm a few hours into TWD and am going to get back to it (even already bought Season 2). The playthroughs take precedent and family life has taken a good deal of my time. Hope you can join us Shaggy.

Get the tissue ready for TWD.  I hear ya about family life, that's why I've been leery of playing any of these playthroughs.  2 kids in karate, chess club, and a slew of other things.  I'm going to try this month, though.  I love these games and I have never played this one.  Doing it with a community will hopefully help push me.