Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Lets just call this official)

[FuryFox]

This game is _so_ good.

I wish they'd done a bit more work on the menus (not being able to see an items stats easily while equipping is annoying, and not having an equip option in the shop sucks). Both of those things would be minor, but the whole skill system is based around your equipment. It also sucks that there's no filters at all for equipment. It is sorted by class, but scrolling through a long ass list of items is no good. I also find myself going forward and back through menus quite a bit, and they aren't instant, so it takes up time.

But those are minor gripes. The game itself is great fun. For once, I genuinely wish I knew more people who owned gbas and played it, linking up looks like it'd be really cool.

I would thought playing Disgaea would have numbed you to those problems

[Victrix]

er, no, I love the menus in disgaea

[MVS]

I'm about 15 hours in.

It's very good, and only slightly behind Tactics Ogre as a game.

[Kidnemo]

I like the FFT series (ah, that feels good saying that) more than the TO series just for the fact that I find that the FFT/FFTA job system is a lot more enjoyable.

[epmode]

from an interesting gamefaqs thread (stop laughing):

Although I can't say I have extensively played the Japanese versions, from my own experience and the various comments made, the following changes seemed to have been made:

Several law types have been removed.
Chief among these is laws where you would be penalized for not doing damage less than or equal to "X" amount, for not doing equal or *more* damage than "x" amount, and corresponding "less, equal, or more" laws regarding HP recovery. The ban on healing can still be found.

Another set of laws not featured in the US version banned those which started or ended with certain katakana or kanji which would start or end that way when rendered in hiragana (if I've messed this up majorly, let me know - I'm not good with Japanese concepts).

I also haven't seen the ban on the four elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Wind), but I have the feeling it's there somewhere, possibly as "Elements Ban" (which I think I've seen).

Judges now reward 1 JP for following certain "Recommend" 'laws'.
Counter to each "Forbidden" law, there is now a "Recommend" law, which if followed will cause the acting unit to receive 1 Judge Point. Example, if one of the current "Recommend" laws is "Sabers", then a successful saber hit by a Fencer will earn that unit 1 JP.

Both of the above law changes are likely due to the head designer's dislike of the final Japanese product's law system.

he details other changes, but they relate more to the story.

having read about some really horrible laws present in the japanese release, these changes are welcome. maybe i'll actually manage to buy the game this weekend.

[flux=rad]

I just have to say that the law system is about the stupidest gameplay "feature" that I've ever seen in a game.

Just wait until you have like 3 different laws to remember (that change each fight), and when you can't win a fight without the proper anti-law card (or without getting a million yellow/red cards). Dmg2: Animals is the worst offender that I've encountered so far.

Other than that the game is pretty decent, but a good bit inferior to FF

[MVS]

The Laws are pretty lame.

[MVS]

Though, I think the Dispatch Missions are even lamer.

There are 300 missions, but not 300 battles. 75% of so of the missions you just send one person to do them, and they come back a few days later with it done.

It's not hard to do 6 at a time or miss the people, when you get new Clan Members like every other sucessful Dispatch Mission.

Weak.

[Kidnemo]

The Laws are pretty lame.

I like the law system a ton more than I thought I would.

When you hit the 10ish hour mark you will have the ability to start counter acting/changing laws too, which adds to the stategy and makes it quite a bit less restricting.

It's not hard to do 6 at a time or miss the people, when you get new Clan Members like every other sucessful Dispatch Mission.

Weak.

Unless you're spending time "raising" nearly all your clan members, doing that many at a time (while you're still doing normal missions) isn't very realistic.

When you get farther in the failure rate really starts increasing, so you just can't use any new clan member.

But yea I agree, when I heard "300 missions" I was expecting them to be of the traditional "fight it out" variety, and not including the dispatch missions.

[Captain Vegetable]

But yea I agree, when I heard "300 missions" I was expecting them to be of the traditional "fight it out" variety, and not including the dispatch missions.

There aren't any "dispatch missions" in Disgaea...FRENCHY!