Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
Encyclopedia
is a tactical strategy
game developed by Quest
. It was originally released by Nintendo
in Japan
in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance
, then later released by Atlus
in North America in 2002.
Like Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis features party-based tactical combat on an isometric
playing field. The player has limited control outside of battle, being provided only extremely limited movement on a world map, a shop function, an options menu, and an option to participate in a training session in which the player pits its own forces against each other in order to gain experience. Characters can be hired or acquired in combat, and there are interchangeable classes and a wide array of weapons, equipment and magic spells.
and chapter six Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
and seven Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together which run concurrently.
Ovis is brutally oppressed by the knights of Lodis. Alphonse is a knight in Rictor Lasanti's military unit, the Order of the Sacred Flame, and he is sent to Ovis. When he is later separated from the main forces, he meets Eleanor Olato and Ivanna Batraal, two locals from whom he eventually learns the truth about the horrific events taking place in Ovis.
Various circumstances lead Alphonse to separate from Rictor's main unit. As the plot unfolds, Alphonse begins to question the actions and motives of Rictor. He then begins his search for answers, starting with Ivanna's uncle, the sinister regent Naris Batraal, and the sacred spear, Longicolnis, which is the only instrument that can pierce the skin of the fallen angel, Shaher. It is later revealed that Rictor initially knew about the sacred spear and wanted to obtain it for the Lodis empire. About halfway through the game, the player is presented with two choices, one of which eventually leads to his falling out with Rictor. In fact, the player's choice will significantly affect all plot elements that follow.
There are five possible endings in the game (the Game Over scenario, which is gained by losing to the final boss, is also counted). The "A+" ending sequence features one additional scene which details Lans Tartare's past, in addition to the entire "A" ending sequence. To view the A+ ending, several conditions must be met, including completing the game in under 25 hours. The exact ending sequence with which the game presents the player depends on, among other things, the significant choice that the player has made halfway through the game and Eleanor's presence in the final battle. In particular, the "D" ending excludes Eleanor altogether.
Each character is unique, being determined by several things: material statistics, of which there are only three, strength, intelligence, and agility; alignment, ranging from chaotic to lawful; and element, based on the four original elements. Characters can also earn emblems, certificates given after performing a specific feat or reaching a certain checkpoint. These emblems sometimes have no effect, often alter character statistics, some have a negative effect, and a few are required to advance to certain classes.
The game's playable units are divided into several categories; humans, demi-humans, dragons, Beasts, the undead, transcended beings and denizens of the netherworld. The human class is the only category with interchangeable jobs, with each class being marked by a required, or multiple required statistics, and often an emblem. Some classes can only be unlocked by a certain sex, while other classes are reserved only for certain special characters.
Demi-humans, non-humans, and the undead cannot change classes. Although all categories of units in the game can be persuaded in battle, the undead alone cannot be bought. Instead, undead units are created by using a certain spell on deceased units. Dragons can change classes, a dragon instantly upgrades into a certain new class after reaching several checkpoints in statistics, with the class being determined by the dragon's alignment altering alignment automatically changes the dragon's upgraded class.
After customization of the player's party, the group of units (of which the max limit on any story-based level is eight, with quest-based levels having a restriction of five) engage in combat.
Battle takes place on a large, panel-based playing field. The area is composed of terrain types and various height levels, making movement a critical factor. There are several movement types, ranging from simple walking to airborne flight. A character's movement type is determined by the class of that unit, as well as various special equipment which can change movement type. Terrain levels range from basic dirt and grass, to water (in varying depths and types), to untraversable terrain, such as lava or blank space.
In actual combat, there are also many variations. Simple melee combat can be performed, either barehanded or with single-ranged weapons, to adjacent panels. This means the attacking unit must be directly next to the target, making mobility a critical ability. Some weapons offer different attack ranges, such as the two-paneled pierce attack of spear and lance weaponry, to the two-paneled selective attack range of the whip.
Ranged attacks require the use of either a bow weapon, or a special ability. With such emphasis on movement, ranged attacks are a certain advantage, as units can be far away from opponents, offering possible immunity to counterattack. Abilities require the use of either S.P. or M.P., which both regenerate at a rate of ten per player phase, and vary in impact sizes (panels).
When all units belonging to a specific force are exhausted, having performed their restrictive one action per phase (which includes both movement and ability usage, from attacks to items), the game changes to the opposing player's phase, and back and forth until certain victory conditions have been met by one player, such as destroying all opposing units.
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
game developed by Quest
Quest Corporation
was a Japanese video game company founded in 1988. They were originally known as Bothtec, which had developed The Scheme, a Metroidvania-style open world action role-playing game featuring music by Yuzo Koshiro, that same year....
. It was originally released by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, then later released by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
in North America in 2002.
Like Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis features party-based tactical combat on an isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
playing field. The player has limited control outside of battle, being provided only extremely limited movement on a world map, a shop function, an options menu, and an option to participate in a training session in which the player pits its own forces against each other in order to gain experience. Characters can be hired or acquired in combat, and there are interchangeable classes and a wide array of weapons, equipment and magic spells.
Plot
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis follows the adventures of Alphonse Loeher. The Game Boy Advance game is set before the events of chapter five - Ogre Battle: March of the Black QueenOgre Battle: March of the Black Queen
is a 1993 real-time strategy role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, directed by Yasumi Matsuno with artwork by Akihiko Yoshida...
and chapter six Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
, sequel to Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, is a real-time strategy role-playing video game developed by Quest and published by Atlus for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Though basically similar to the original Ogre Battle, it has borne some notoriety for significant game play tweaks that...
and seven Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together which run concurrently.
Ovis is brutally oppressed by the knights of Lodis. Alphonse is a knight in Rictor Lasanti's military unit, the Order of the Sacred Flame, and he is sent to Ovis. When he is later separated from the main forces, he meets Eleanor Olato and Ivanna Batraal, two locals from whom he eventually learns the truth about the horrific events taking place in Ovis.
Various circumstances lead Alphonse to separate from Rictor's main unit. As the plot unfolds, Alphonse begins to question the actions and motives of Rictor. He then begins his search for answers, starting with Ivanna's uncle, the sinister regent Naris Batraal, and the sacred spear, Longicolnis, which is the only instrument that can pierce the skin of the fallen angel, Shaher. It is later revealed that Rictor initially knew about the sacred spear and wanted to obtain it for the Lodis empire. About halfway through the game, the player is presented with two choices, one of which eventually leads to his falling out with Rictor. In fact, the player's choice will significantly affect all plot elements that follow.
There are five possible endings in the game (the Game Over scenario, which is gained by losing to the final boss, is also counted). The "A+" ending sequence features one additional scene which details Lans Tartare's past, in addition to the entire "A" ending sequence. To view the A+ ending, several conditions must be met, including completing the game in under 25 hours. The exact ending sequence with which the game presents the player depends on, among other things, the significant choice that the player has made halfway through the game and Eleanor's presence in the final battle. In particular, the "D" ending excludes Eleanor altogether.
Gameplay
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis offers a strategic field-and-class based combat system. Although the player starts with a meager army of only six units (with the classes of those units being determined by questions the player answers in the beginning of the game), the army can later blossom to as many as thirty-two.Each character is unique, being determined by several things: material statistics, of which there are only three, strength, intelligence, and agility; alignment, ranging from chaotic to lawful; and element, based on the four original elements. Characters can also earn emblems, certificates given after performing a specific feat or reaching a certain checkpoint. These emblems sometimes have no effect, often alter character statistics, some have a negative effect, and a few are required to advance to certain classes.
The game's playable units are divided into several categories; humans, demi-humans, dragons, Beasts, the undead, transcended beings and denizens of the netherworld. The human class is the only category with interchangeable jobs, with each class being marked by a required, or multiple required statistics, and often an emblem. Some classes can only be unlocked by a certain sex, while other classes are reserved only for certain special characters.
Demi-humans, non-humans, and the undead cannot change classes. Although all categories of units in the game can be persuaded in battle, the undead alone cannot be bought. Instead, undead units are created by using a certain spell on deceased units. Dragons can change classes, a dragon instantly upgrades into a certain new class after reaching several checkpoints in statistics, with the class being determined by the dragon's alignment altering alignment automatically changes the dragon's upgraded class.
After customization of the player's party, the group of units (of which the max limit on any story-based level is eight, with quest-based levels having a restriction of five) engage in combat.
Battle takes place on a large, panel-based playing field. The area is composed of terrain types and various height levels, making movement a critical factor. There are several movement types, ranging from simple walking to airborne flight. A character's movement type is determined by the class of that unit, as well as various special equipment which can change movement type. Terrain levels range from basic dirt and grass, to water (in varying depths and types), to untraversable terrain, such as lava or blank space.
In actual combat, there are also many variations. Simple melee combat can be performed, either barehanded or with single-ranged weapons, to adjacent panels. This means the attacking unit must be directly next to the target, making mobility a critical ability. Some weapons offer different attack ranges, such as the two-paneled pierce attack of spear and lance weaponry, to the two-paneled selective attack range of the whip.
Ranged attacks require the use of either a bow weapon, or a special ability. With such emphasis on movement, ranged attacks are a certain advantage, as units can be far away from opponents, offering possible immunity to counterattack. Abilities require the use of either S.P. or M.P., which both regenerate at a rate of ten per player phase, and vary in impact sizes (panels).
When all units belonging to a specific force are exhausted, having performed their restrictive one action per phase (which includes both movement and ability usage, from attacks to items), the game changes to the opposing player's phase, and back and forth until certain victory conditions have been met by one player, such as destroying all opposing units.
Music
There are several CD's of music for the series, including:- Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
- Ogre: Grand Repeat
- Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Caliber - Original Soundtrack
- Ogre Battle Image Album: The Entrance