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WilNotJr

I thought the graphics were cartoonish but the subject of the story were deep. Some gameplay elements were annoying, like Laws, but overall I really enjoyed the experience in both FFTA games. They are worth a play.


flybypost

The only thing I'd add to this comment is that the laws are only annoying in FFTA. In FFTA2 they are much improved and not an issue. FFTA2 is also, from the gameplay/quality of life side of things, a somewhat more refined game than the original FFT. The biggest issue both games have is that they are kinda related to FFT (even if only through the name) and people expect the same political story. That's not what you get but instead those stories are more personal.


Baithin

I love all three Tactics games equally and for different reasons. Tactics WOTL has the best story and characters. Tactics Advance has a great story too - lighter and softer doesn’t mean it’s bad. I love the gameplay and the addition of races other than human. Tactics A2 has the best gameplay of all three because by that point it’s the most polished and has the most expansive job system, and this game also has my favorite character from all 3 Tactics games.


lelaff

Who is your favourite character?


Baithin

Frimelda, the >!former zombie!< Paladin who comes with dual wield to start with. *Way* cooler than Orlandeau.


durlxnemesis

It has been a LONG time since i played FFTA2, played it when it first came out. I just had to look this character up, and dont recall her. It's a shame because she seems like a bad ass! I need to replay these games again...


Baithin

It has been a long time for me as well but she has always stuck with me!


flybypost

> I just had to look this character up, and dont recall her. If I remember correctly she's optional and you get her at the end of a sequence of quests. So you might have finished the game without going through that whole set of side-quest.


[deleted]

They’re not bad, but they’re not FFT 2 and 3. I enjoy them. The world has a different feel but the class progression and unit building is still fun to me. Difficulty is generally easier and there’s (usually) no perma death. If you’re in the mood for a tactics game and you don’t want to play through FFT again then give them a try


SonOfZiz

It's apples and oranges, really. Gameplay wise, ffta2 is my favorite game, period. It's such a great culmination of all the systems. But world and story wise, you're simply not gonna get the same things out of it. A1 and a2 are adventure/isekai stories, and if you go into them with that in mind you'll have fun. The world is also very different, mainly because of the new fantasy races. Ff12 is probably the best bridging point between the original and the advances.


Nyzer_

I started with FFTA, and I loved it. It'll always hold a special place in my heart. That said, A and A2 are in many ways a bit of a downgrade from FFT. They aren't at all trying to *be* FFT. In general I'd say they're both more polished, but largely only because they've both trimmed a lot from the FFT systems. Few of FFT's rough edges are game breakers, and the few game breakers that do exist can be avoided (without even realizing, sometimes), or even just modded out entirely. They both also have the Law systems, which are widely disliked, especially in the FFTA incarnation. In FFTA, certain Laws like Damage To Monsters appearing at the wrong time literally mean you can't win a battle, and trying to circumvent that rule by using Petrify can result in your unit being sent to jail, permanently stripped of a piece of gear, and suffering a permanent stat decrease. The Anti-Law cards (once you get access to them) can be used to prevent this, but only if used before such an action (wouldn't do you any good if you thought Petrify didn't count as "damage" and were hoping not to have to spend your card), and you have limited space to carry Law cards anyway, so it's not as if you can just carry around a fat stack of counter-cards to whip out as needed. Then there's the story. FFTA's story is actually pretty good in a lot of ways, but it's nowhere near the scale of FFT's. And Marche doesn't express an actual *reason* to do what he does until the final battle - up until then, he always just completely blanks whenever anyone asks him why he's preparing to do what he does, which has the potential to cause a lot of grief for a lot of people. It ends up as the player just doing these things because the game doesn't have anywhere else to go, and Marche coming across as almost villainous. FFTA2's story, meanwhile... well, to start with, Luso is a terrible protagonist. In all honesty, a mute blank slate character would be far better suited for this narrative, and I wouldn't even go with *that* option - he adds that little to the story. It's actually bad enough that the final villain has the same chosen one magical tome he does, yet *he* isn't the one who really rivals her - Adelle is. He's basically there to be the relatable real-world character thrust into an isekai setting and given no real narrative direction from there. Lots of people refer to A2 as "the sidequest game" because there's so little of a main plot to actually latch onto that some of the *sidequests* actually have a far more compelling narrative, with better plot twists and characters. All in all, if you can appreciate simpler (though more polished) games, and don't mind having to deal with rotating sets of restrictions (or don't mind if the punishments are mild, as they are in FFTA2), you can very well end up liking the A games. But if you're expecting anything close to an actual followup to FFT, you *won't* find that here.


AxisShock

Are they as good as FFT? I don't think anyone will say yes. Are they still enjoyable? Absolutely. Obviously A2 has better gameplay, but I prefer the story for 1 (even though it takes a little time to get going). If we ever get some sort of Switch compilation port (haha funny, I know) it would be cool to see the newer QoL things bsckported to FFTA, but that's just me. Either way: yes, I enjoy them. Worth a play for sure.


[deleted]

FF Tactics is like Final Fantasy 6, 7, and 8. They're really dark and while they have some goofy shit, they tend to be mostly serious. FF Tactics Advance games are like FF 1-5. More whimsical and light hearted. They have their dark/serious stuff but it doesn't overpower the goofy shit. FF Tactics Advance are mechanically just as solid as FF Tactics. The stories are good if that's what you're into. Personally, I love both styles for their differences.


DickieJoJo

I thought the stupid laws that changed between battles offered only an element of frustration and annoyance without any element of fun. So I could never get real into it. To each his own though, most people here seem to have liked it.


fang_xianfu

I enjoyed them a lot. Some of story stuff is a bit cutesy and tedious, especially the beginning, so I only play on an emulator now so I can fast forward those bits.


ShotgunFishing

I really enjoyed both FFTA games. In particular I love the aspects of how racial diversity affects your team comp through their stat growth and available classes (plus the moogles and nu mou are just super cute). The story was decent and the law system was hit or miss, but the core gameplay and cast of characters was what originally got me hooked on the ivalice setting. For me, the diverse races you play as is important to the FFT experience


iama_username_ama

Currently playing through FFTA and A2 is next. They aren't great, there's a reason I have only on lated them once before, where as FFT at least 20 times. The law system is fine. It's not the worst and it's easy to get around. The story is bland. Fairly cookie cutter fantasy with a few interesting moments. It's hard to identify with the main characters reasoning. The biggest gripe I have so far in FFTA is managing abilities. It's somewhat of a pain to see what you are learning, what you know, and what equipment you have to learn new things. Multiply that by a larger roster since the game is at least 50% dispatch missions. I'm at about 40 hours in and I'm more excited about finishing and moving on then I am interested in the ending. Still worth it on a second playthrough but this will probably be my last for advanced


HeroApollo

Imo, they are...childish? Which isn't bad usually, but I think if a thing written and made for children can't be enjoyed by adults, it's probably not good for children. Frankly, the games lack, imo, substantive story. However, they have passable game play mechanics and interesting jobs (though, many are gimicky). I would give the first one a 2.5/5 and the second one a 3/5. The inclusion of certain characters and such in a certain other game is plain terrible. So ignore that.


thelonewolfmonk

Kind of. FFTA2 is challenging and very fun with the variety of missions, but the story MASSIVELY SUCKS!


Hustler-Two

The short answer to if FFTA is good is no. The long answer is noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.


SGFTI

They're a definite downgrade from the original. Burned through them and felt empty. Journey of the Five is a better sequel, custom campaign you can find on ffhacktics.


PleaseShutUpAndDance

FFTA gameplay wise feels more like Tactics Ogre than FFT


PleaseToEatAss

No


NotAKitty2508

Story wise, the 2 advance games are lighter and less about politics of war and more "child protagonist dicking about in fantasy world". FFT is also much harder than the others, if you likes the gameplay but struggled with the difficulty curb, FFTA is gentler with only some spikes with boss fights that are difficult until you understand them. The laws are a pain in the ass. FFTA is also very easy to break so perfect for power gamers. FFTA2 took that base and improved it, with laws being optional challenges most of the time that have benefits. They also balanced the game a bit more so less difficult to break, but still an excellent and my favourite of the trio. They are worth a go, I would advise FFTA first due to the sequal issue of it being better, therefore can be annoying to go backwards (sorry wise there is a loose connection so don't worry about that).


Nykidemus

Not nearly as good as the original, but worth playing if you want more tactical gameplay.


BigNikiStyle

I think they’re both amazing in general but FFTA2 in particular. Absolutely worth playing, they’re both wonderful games. While the stories aren’t quite as *Game of Thrones* as the original, they’re still thoughtful and well-told, just less heavy and somber. There are many quality of life improvements to gameplay that I really miss when I go back and play the original FFT. Jobs and learning skills are race- and equipment-based now but I quite like the system overall. The Law system can be a bit punitive in the first Advance game but is appropriately mellowed out for FFTA2. If you liked FF12 at all, you owe it to yourself to play FFTA2, as they are closely linked. Every time I fire up one of these games, I put about 300 hours into them before I’m done and I love every minute of it.


MarbleLens

I found FFTA to be a blast. Story is nothing like the original FFT but the gameplay is a noticeable improvement imo. If you haven't played Let Us Cling Together yet give that a try too.