Shiren the Wanderer

[Anonymous No.9447815]

Shiren the Wanderer is a series of console roguelikes. If you know of Pokémon mystery dungeon, imagine that, but harder.

>Shiren 1
Snes Original - https://cdromance.com/snes-rom/shiren-2/
DS Remake - https://cdromance.com/nds-roms/mystery-dungeon-shiren-the-wanderer-usa/

>Shiren 2 (N64)
https://cdromance.com/n64-roms/shiren-the-wanderer-2-english-patched/

[Anonymous No.9447836]

I'm planning to dip my toes into this series, Torneko and Chocobo mystery dungeon;
Any tips for beginners? I've played plenty of PMD but not "real" roguelikes.

[Anonymous No.9447851]

>>9447836
Some say mystery dungeon is a lite version of actual roguelikes because you can save items through runs. I'd say if you can't beat a dungeon in one go, try saving your best weapons and items in warehouses.

Don't just rely on making overpowered gear, though. Experienced players can make do with just about any situation and win just about every time. Use scrolls, staves, and even traps when you get the chance. Don't think you can 1 v 1 every enemy you encounter. Fight on your terms, not theirs.

[Anonymous No.9447864]

>>9447851
Ah, so playing defensively is the way to go I'm guessing, thanks for the tips!
What about the 99 floors dungeons, DO you really need to clear them in one go?

[Anonymous No.9447892]

>>9447864
Essentially, yes. I've died many times meleeing an enemy I could've easily swung a paralysis staff on.

99 floor dungeons are optional for the most part. They are usually unlocked after you beat a dungeon with say 25 floors and want something longer. They can be a doozy though, the only way to save your progress is to get lucky with a storehouse jar to save your precious items. But some no carry in dungeons won't let you do that.

[Anonymous No.9447963]

>>9447815
I did a ton of testing a few years back on the DS port and SFC original after I couldn't get reliable info on whether the fortune teller's fortunes have any effect. I did most testing on the original rom using save scumming then confirmed the DS port works the same.

I learned 2 main things. First thing being her fortunes do indeed have quite a significant effect and second that none of the game maps are actually random, they are all pre-made and cycle through a given order.

Each time you take a step or action, the next map up cycles by one. It's the same in towns as dungeons this way you can have the same map generate with different weather predictions. I did calm breezes and hot winds. Hot winds maps both have more traps than the calm breeze, certain fewer items and different enemies. In particular, there are floors in the hot winds run where no matter what you do it's impossible to get more than 2 out of the 5 items that spawn there. Regardless which you go for, weed bandits will make it to the others. The calm breeze version of thar map has only 1 or 2 weed bandits and if you go the right way you can get every item.

Interesting stuff, but I think I got too stuck in the details and lost interest in the game. I don't like most of the other MD ganes but recently started getting into Etrian MD after initial disappointment and I am really digging it now.

[Anonymous No.9448001]

>>9447963
I dunno. I've heard of people delving into the game's files and found nothing about the fortune teller's fortunes holding any water

[Anonymous No.9448006]

>>9447963

[Anonymous No.9448014]

Does it tell you in-game anywhere that throwing money does 1/10th its value in damage? I learned everything else about the game by talking to NPCs but never knew this until I watched a speedrun. It is one of the most important tools in the entire game desu

[Anonymous No.9448023]

>>9448014
I can't remember any NPC that talked about that mechanic. It is quite integral to the game but I'm drawing a blank. Could it have been said by an NPC added in the DS remake?

[Anonymous No.9448097]

>>9448001
>>9448006
I can tell you I did this testing extensively, and it's easy for you to test yourself if you use a ROM. The fortune teller affects things quite heavily, to the point that I don't even think it's winnable starting naked on a cold winds or explosions run.

[Anonymous No.9448405]

>>9448097
By the way, if anyone is curious to see, the method I used is a little tedious at first but not hard. First, start with a clean save file so you don't have companions complicating things. Then make a save, and wander around, talking to the fortune teller and resetting until you get a good fortune. This is just cause the good fortune is a little more rare so it makes the next process easier. Get that fortune, and start an adventure. Once the run starts make a save state before doing anything and if need be take a pic of your starting room so you remember it exactly.

Reload the original save, and now your goal is to wander back and forth talking to the fortune teller and if she gives you a bad fortune (hot winds or cold winds basically) start the dungeon. What you're looking for is the same room layout as your first save. It will take some time, but there aren't that many map layouts per floor. Just load the save, walk a different number of steps and try again. I would hazard to guess there are 30 or so but could be off, but either way before too long you'll find the same map again.

Then all you have to do is make a save and explore the dungeon flipping between the different fortunes. You can explore each floor freely to see the differences, but in order to get both maps to generate the same next map you have to get both Shirens to reach the stairs in the same number of steps, which at least for the first 4-5 floors isn't too tough.

[Anonymous No.9448423]

>>9448014
It is a puzzle of the tutorial-dungeon from the beginning.

[Anonymous No.9449747]

[Anonymous No.9449751]

Someone is translating the GB games. But I think it will take many years before a real breakthrough.

http://www.grimmtranslations.com/shiren-the-wanderer-gb2/

[Anonymous No.9449762]

Beat sufami Shiren earlier this year. That winning run was probably the most grueling and tense thing I've ever done. Thankfully knew about the Genocide scroll or I probably never would have beaten that boss room. Wonderful game, need to play the others.

[Anonymous No.9449776]

>>9449751
The wait is tough, but I think the Shiren 4 patch that's supposedly near completion will get me through it.

[Anonymous No.9450020]

>>9447815
Are there any important differences between Shiren 1 and 2 in terms of gameplay and mechanics? Which one should I play first?

[Anonymous No.9450295]

>>9450020
Being the first in the series, Shiren 1 can be seen as barebones. The main story is a 30 floor dungeon and there are only 3 postgame dungeons. This is remedied in the DS remake with more post game contnet. It's also easier than the SNES remake, so I'd recommend that first.

Shiren 2 is considered the pinnacle of the series by many fans. The main game is easy and helps ease in new players, while the postgame picks up the challenge and adds a variety of new mechanics.

What I would do is play both versions of Shiren 1 first, see which which one I prefer and stick with it. Then, I'd play Shiren 2 with knowledge of how mystery dungeon games work

[Anonymous No.9450480]

>>9450020
Shiren 1 is harder but also it lends itself into faster games. 2 On the other hand is easier, with longer plays per adventure.

I started with 1, and I think that if you start will 2, it will spoil 1 to you. Also snes 1 is far for being barebones as the other anon said, it has a lot of content in the shape of items, monsters, and companions, with 3 side dungeons (one of them has 100 floors, I don't think you can win that using fair methods). It is actually full of stuff for a snes game. And I think monsters have more distinctive behaviors than 2.

[Anonymous No.9450556]

To everyone here, what's your favorite monster in the entire series? I like these schubells. If it weren't for mamels, they could've been mascots.

Shiren can use these guys to his advantage by getting them to summon monsters to grind for items and exp.

[Anonymous No.9450563]

can i make it save on 64 without removing the sd card and doing some ini shit

[Anonymous No.9450590]

>>9450556
I like this ghost.

[Anonymous No.9450708]

>>9450020
I recommend starting with the DS port of Shiren 1 to start and if you really like it then delve into the sfc original. But that said if it's a choice between paying for a cart of the DS game over just running a rom then check out the original first. The main game is slightly different, but not much.

[Anonymous No.9450779]

Just started the DS one, what a cute motherfucker he is!
Really digging the first town puzzles, really looks like it's one of those "easy at the start, hellish near the end" kinda games and I'm all for it.

[Anonymous No.9450786]

>>9450779
Glad you're liking it so far! Let's see if that lasts when you get to table mountain...

[Anonymous No.9450817]

>>9450786
Aight, will report back when I get there;
Also
>Go to the fortune teller
>"The winds are on your back! Also, don't swing your staves at townpeople"
>Wait, I can do that?
>granny obliterated
Love this series already.

[Anonymous No.9450978]

>>9450817
I'm with him, please keep us updated on your adventures! It's always good to see other people getting into Shiren. Enjoy meeting Oryu! Also keep in mind you almost certainly not win your first adventure, likely not even your tenth, but you will get there!

[Anonymous No.9451003]

>>9450978
I haven't seen this artwork of Oryu before! I'll have to check out more JP places like pixiv for Shiren content.

[Anonymous No.9451045]

>>9451003
I love her so much.

[Anonymous No.9451145]

>>9450590
I remember hating those guys when I stared playing Shiren 1 on the DS. Took me a while to realize they move and act semi randomly.

[Anonymous No.9451178]

>>9450786
>>9450978
Mini update: I got the girl safely across the mines after 8 or 9 tries, damn this game wastes no time kicking your ass after the second village.
Also, fuck tanks and their cohorts, I don't think I've hated an enemy more than them till now;
Great game, it causes me both joy and pain in equal measures.

[Anonymous No.9451216]

>>9451178
That's far better than me, it took me well over 20 tries to save the girl.

Enjoy those tanks when they're low leveled, they... speed up when they get cranky.

[Anonymous No.9451227]

>>9451216
I got very lucky with a Katana+3 drop in the earlier floors, not even the cursed shield managed to fuck me up too much.
>They speed up
Fuck me

[Anonymous No.9451423]

Doing a no carry in tainted path run and spawned in the middle of a monster house. I'm thinking it's wraps for this run.

[Anonymous No.9451432]

>>9451423
Yep, died to an oldster tank and inferno, the game just had to put these enemies on the same floor. Tainted path is hard, man.

[Anonymous No.9452134]

>>9451145
They are op, but also one of the first monsters you can eat for easy map exploration.

[Anonymous No.9452137]

>>9451178
Yes, tanks are one of the most hated enemies for me, next to the jelly who steals your levels.
>this game wastes no time kicking your ass after the second village.
The forest before the second village is when things get hairy for me.

[Anonymous No.9452140]

>>9451432
Did you have no scrolls?

[Anonymous No.9452241]

>>9452140
Yeah, I used up my confusion and sleep scrolls. I had a doppelganger stave with only one charge. The dadster tanks leveled up and caught up to me.

[Anonymous No.9452249]

>>9452134
I think the reaper family is far more op. What with their double speed and no clip at higher levels.

[Anonymous No.9452280]

So what do I think about Izuna, the OTHER medieval Nipponese rogue-like?

[Anonymous No.9452285]

>>9452280
Haven't tried it yet. Though I've heard some good things about it. It's definitely on my to-play list

[Anonymous No.9452298]

I've been playing 5 and it's pretty overwhelming to go to from 1, but it's good to see the franchise is still going.

[Anonymous No.9452302]

>>9452298
That's exactly my feeling towards 5. I love the heaps and heaps of new content, but I think 1 was focused and balanced just right. I like alternating between 1 and 5, it feels nice to compare and contrast the changes.

[Anonymous No.9453550]

How's the N64 game? I'm playing Tower of Fortune right now as my first mystery dungeon game and I'm enjoying it while also getting my ass kicked.

[Anonymous No.9453581]

>>9453550
Many Shiren fans view it as the pinnacle of the series. It added upon the first game and in that regard was a great sequel. I've only beaten the main story and I like the mechanics and items they added. Some items like rocks and water pots were added and continue to stay in the series. One thing I'll note is the first few dungeons could be seen as easy, I've heard the game really picks up in the postgame

[Anonymous No.9453609]

>>9453581
Neat. I'll be sure to give it a try at some point.

[Anonymous No.9453767]

Dying on the first floor of Table Mountain dozens of times drove me insane, now I'm grinding mastersword levels by going back and forth between Mountain Town and Canyon village.
Pretty cool that the world progresses between attempts and more characters join your group, even though all of them fucked Shiren up in the past.

[Anonymous No.9453797]

>>9453767
Was there anything in particular that killed you?

I like the personality they give to Shiren's companions. It's too bad Oryu is the only one really worthwhile. They could've given Kecchi and Pekeji special abilities.

[Anonymous No.9453812]

>>9453797
No any in particular, it's the one-two punch of that god awful swamp and the stronger enemies;

Yeah, I dig the companions but Pekeji's fucking useless after like 4 floors if you don't burn through your rice ball stash, but at least Kecchi's strong.

[Anonymous No.9454004]

>>9453767
Yoo holy shit, that grinding payed off!
Managed to get all the way up in one try, I was in absolute panic mode at the last floors, especially against the tainted insect, but fuck him I pulled it off!
What a game, can't wait to play Shiren 2.

[Anonymous No.9454021]

>>9454004
Ayee, nice job! Congrats on getting past those last floors, even with 150+ hours in I still tense up at the three trials. Have fun with Shiren 2 and keep us posted!

[Anonymous No.9454051]

>>9454021
Thanks, I will!
Oh, and RIP is pieces Pekeji, he became Razorgator lunch so I could level up 5 times in a row.

[Anonymous No.9454495]

>>9454004
Did you do it the real way or the cheat (Genocide scroll) way?

[Anonymous No.9454542]

*Ting ting ting ting ting ting ting ting*

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Anonymous No.9454628]

>>9454004
If you played the DS version, you didn't beat it.

[Anonymous No.9454793]

>>9454495
Does that work in the DS version?

[Anonymous No.9454974]

>>9454495
Oh, what does that do? Never came across it in my playthrough.

[Anonymous No.9455017]

>>9454974
It kills all the enemies on the floor and gives you the exp for the kills

[Anonymous No.9455019]

>>9454974
If you're playing the SNES version, I think it can only be used by writing on a blank scroll

[Anonymous No.9455021]

>>9455019
The last village can sell them for 50000

[Anonymous No.9455027]

>>9455019
Shopkeepers sometimes sell Genocide scrolls but they cost like 50000 so they are too expensive to buy but you can steal one from a shopkeeper in the dungeon with a Bigroom scroll.

[Anonymous No.9455036]

>>9455017
>>9455027
Damn, that would have been handy for the trial rooms.

[Anonymous No.9455040]

>>9455027
Ah, I see. I must be confusing it with the DS version

[Anonymous No.9455083]

this is the type of games that makes vidya something big, i´ve been exploring those dungeons for years, my obsesion has reach to some point that lands with dementia but the goal is find new treasures or leyendary bosses, keep searching and looking for adventure thats my goal. N64 game is top notch but also sufami Torneko is god tier. i can say it, some people call me "Torneko no kamisama" for a reason.

[Anonymous No.9455167]

>>9455083
Are you Holocron perchance? He's the one who made that tier list so I had to guess.

[Anonymous No.9455329]

>>9455083
How is pokemon MD so high and Etrian so low?

[Anonymous No.9455475]

>>9455329
It's called having a good taste in games.

[Anonymous No.9455607]

>>9455475
I was hoping for a more real response. To me the PMD games are easy to the point of being boring until you've ground through the story mode and unlock end game dungeons. Etrian MD at least gives you a good challenge. I like the regular EO games though.

[Anonymous No.9455665]

>>9455329
I didn't make the list nor do I play PMD, but I think Etrian is low because it doesn't quite capture the essence of what made mystery dungeon good.

[Anonymous No.9455684]

>>9455329
because >>9455665
for me the essence of mystery dungeon is the most important thing, also Pokemon games are comfy as fuck, not every game has to be tough as Shiren but also have a good story mode.

[Anonymous No.9455729]

>>9455684
For me, gameplay is king. That's why I didn't try out PMD yet. I'm glad people enjoy it's story and more laid back gameplay, but I personally prefer the ball-busting difficulty of Shiren and Torneko.

[Anonymous No.9455793]

>>9455729
highly respectable opinion after all those years i still thinking that Shiren n64 and Torneko no daibouken are peak mystery dungeon games, never surpassed neither story or gameplay but sometines i like the comfy pokemon style having a good time exploring dungeons and collecting rare items thats why Pokemon is so high

[Anonymous No.9455794]

>>9455684
That's fair I guess, to me without tension roguelikes become really boring. I actually put down Etrian MD for a long while because the beginning felt like that, but picking it up a month or so ago and giving it a more fair shake I'm really digging it now.

[Anonymous No.9455826]

>>9455729
If you like this kind of roguelike, one of my all time favorites was originally made to run on the GBA called Powder. It's straightforward get to the bottom of the dungeon, kill the boss and get out. It has a really great class system where your current class is determined by which god you currently follow and you have to play in accordance with what they like to gain favor (warrior attack a lot, wizard cast spells a lot etc) but all the gods are watching all the time and will get variously pleased or annoyed with you. Then it's also got tons of other neat little features and tricks. I've been playing it for like 15 years and it's always fun to go back to.

http://www.zincland.com/powder/

[Anonymous No.9455842]

>>9455826
That looks cool! I'll try it out, hopefully it'll scratch my mystery dungeon itch

[Anonymous No.9455994]

No one will believe me but I beat Shiren 1 on DS on my first attempt. Hardcore PMDfag so I knew all the mechanics from the get go and got very lucky with items.

[Anonymous No.9456016]

>>9455994
I believe it, the game's very intuitive and you already have experience with mystery dungeons' controls. Did you try the postgame dungeons?

[Anonymous No.9456168]

>>9455842
I hope you enjoy! It can be quite a challenge and you will have many deaths that come out of nowhere, like in that screen some monster had found a wand of create monster, so on just the 4th floor of the dungeon at level 2 I got one-shotted by an iron golem which is one of the most powerful monsters in the game.

There's luck involved, but you also need to be flexible. For example, each god has a dress code they prefer and following it will get you certain bonuses. But item types are also randomized, so part of the dress code for a wizard includes pointy slippers, but depending on the run those might be boots of speed which would be amazing, but they also have a chance to be squeaky shoes which do nothing but make you louder. In which case I would switch from wizard and follow someone else.

There was a very handy wiki, but this is all I find now and the links seem broken. I will look again for it later though and can answer any questions if you check it out.

http://powder.coolpage.biz/powder/index.php/Main_Page/

[Anonymous No.9456173]

>>9456168
Are you playing on the phone version? Is the one on the website the most recent?

[Anonymous No.9456201]

>>9456016
No, still trying to get more familiar with the main quest first. One playthrough isn't enough for me before I jump into ball bustingly hard 99 floor stuff

[Anonymous No.9456208]

>>9456201
To tell the truth, I haven't beaten any 99F dungeons yet either. tainted path is really hard even though people say it's the easiest 99F dungeon to beat.

[Anonymous No.9456357]

>>9456173
I actually mostly play it on PSP because I like buttons, but out of convenience I have it on my phone too. The links on the first site are the most up to date, it's his own site. The psp version is a little older, but they're virtually identical.

[Anonymous No.9456380]

>>9456357
Gotcha, I'll download it for PSP aswell.

[Anonymous No.9457012]

>>9447815
hmm don't get it
why should I play it over other roguelikes

[Anonymous No.9457018]

>>9457012
Cute graphics over ascii and it's good for beginners to get into the genre. Other than that not a ton though.

[Anonymous No.9457891]

>>9456380
Enjoy! I checked that wiki and actually most of the page links work so I recommend looking through it for many vital tips. The one that is broken is the one detailing the classes, which sucks but you can ask if you want advice.

My preferred strategy if I'm not doing a specific challenge like playing as one class the whole game is to start by following Xom the chaos god. He's challenging because his will shifts between all the other gods at random, so one moment he'll be wanting you to play like a wizard and you'll be zapping spells and and wands trying to avoid combat and then the next round he turns barbarian and if you cast a single spell it will reverse all your good favor and he'll curse you.

So that said, Xom is always watching anyways so that can happen either way (though it's less likely not following him to have built up enough good will) and more importantly you only know which god he's mimicking if you follow him so that alone is a boon. But better, he's one of only two gods who can bless your water and holy water is one of the most useful items in the game, letting you uncurse objects.

So I follow him until I get holy water and then look at my situation, what gear I gave and what the specifics for the run are. If pointy slippers are jump or speed boots and I have decent spell books I'll usually go wizard for a while. Floppy hat, plain robes, two rings and pointy slippers is the dress code and he increases your mp regeneration speed which is super handy.

[Anonymous No.9458629]

>>9450556
I hate them, but something about rice changers is super cute.

[Anonymous No.9458697]

>>9458629
I like em too. They can help the player out by giving them food, and they have a quirky little weakness to riceballs. I'll never forget how clever I felt throwing a rice ball at a rice master.

[Anonymous No.9460068]

>>9451423
>>9451432
I find with many of the bonus dungeons that they feel even more like slot machines than the main game. You have such limited options beyond the items it chooses to spawn and in most cases those just aren't sufficient to deal with the rest of what it throws at you. It turns it from feeling like a fun challenge to usually a waste of time.

[Anonymous No.9460098]

recommending Azure Dreams, it's not officially a mystery dungeon, but it's basically the same idea. I had a lot of fun with it.

[Anonymous No.9460240]

>>9460068
I see what you mean. At the same time, I like how stingy the game is with items. In that run, I used up sleep and confusion scrolls and could've found a way out of that situation. Retroactively, I know what to do next time. It's that grind that makes me loves this game in a twisted sort of way.

[Anonymous No.9460332]

>>9460098
That's a great recommendation for people who like the Mystery Dungeon games. Random dungeon exploring mixed with town building is a fun mix.

[Anonymous No.9460348]

>>9460068
Oh man, i got to floor 50 of the tainted path and it was just rng pain, I just got bags of money while half dead and starving because of the polygon fucks.

[Anonymous No.9460364]

>>9460348
That's one thing I hate about no carry in runs. You're almost dependent on getting armbands. You might as well reset when you don't get a sleepless armband and meet the sleep radishes.

[Anonymous No.9460621]

>>9460348
>>9460364
That's what killed the game for me a little after I did all that testing with the fortune teller, nothing in Shiren is really rng. Unless the bonus dungeons are coded completely differently than the main one, which I doubt, all the maps, their enemy and item placements are pre-made. The game is designed so that the main quest is unwinnable doing a naked run under some weather conditions. Not just very challenging, or relying on you being very careful with items, it's just plain not possible with what the game gives you versus throws at you. So that floor of all money wasn't just random bad luck, it was designed that way simply to fuck you.

[Anonymous No.9461476]

>>9460098
>>9460332
The Dark Cloud games are action based but otherwise kinda similar. Dark Cloud 1 is meh, but 2 is really good.

[Anonymous No.9462307]

>>9461476
Chocobo Mystery Dungeon also has action based (ATB) combat while the movement is still purely turnbased which creates some weird gameplay. Pure melee monsters can be killed safely from distance with spells while against casters you have to rush into melee distance as fast as possible.

[Anonymous No.9462710]

>>9462307
I should play that one again, I think I only rented it a couple times and wasn't really into roguelikes then.

[Anonymous No.9462993]

>>9455826
>>9456168
I tried this and fan barely get anywhere what the fuck? Floor 5 or 6 I get raped by dragons and kobold. Usually playing warrior because it's supposed to be one of the easier classes but should I switch?

[Anonymous No.9463676]

>>9462993
You're probably leveling up too much. One of the semi quirks of powder is the monsters that spawn are much more tied to your current hit dice than the floor of the dungeon you're on. Unless you're hungry it's almost always best to leave non-aggressive monsters alone. You're just passing off Pax for one thing, but then it also opens up that spot the mobster was taking up to probably get replaced with something stronger. Ohh and you may have noticed already but if you hear Xom laugh, get off the floor as quick as possible, it means he just spawned something way tougher than should have been.

[Anonymous No.9464152]

>>9462993
Ohh and klaskov is good, one of the easier gods to follow and make happy. But if you're still getting used to things and not big into roguelikes you can try playing agnostic a while and get used to the rest of the game without the gods getting in the way.

[Anonymous No.9464506]

>>9460098
>>9460332
Has anyone played the Gameboy azure dreams? Is it any good?

[Anonymous No.9464617]

>>9452280
it's fine, but the officially produced ecchi artwork is the tops

[Anonymous No.9464618]

>>9455083
this reads like a drunk post and I approve

[Anonymous No.9464625]

>>9455826
yooooo powder is tight, they made a release for it for DS that I had on my hacked DS lite.

I started playing vanilla angband recently and it's a hoot. everybody talked me into trying frogcomposband and... honestly it might be too autistic for me. there are so many fucking moving parts that it feels kind of flabby. I don't know what to do with it. I miss vanilla.

[Anonymous No.9464703]

>>9464506
I have, it's pretty nice. Much smaller scope than Shiren, though.

[Anonymous No.9464781]

>>9464625
I'm the opposite, frogcomposband is my favorite *band and Angband didn't click with me. I'm still a beginner to traditional computer roguelikes but I really like frogcomposband and brogue. Those two feel like the closest to mystery dungeon games somehow.

[Anonymous No.9465728]

>>9464625
>>9464781
I'm so behind the times I'd never even heard of frogcompostband, but it does look fun. I haven't even played angband since maybe the early 00's, it was fun though. I should spread out more.

[Anonymous No.9467839]

I know it's not retro but I just want to shill Etrian MD briefly because it's becoming my favorite in the series. Boss fights when you can have up to 8 characters makes parts even feel like a strategy rpg and having it roll around fucking everyone up so you still barely win by the skin of your teeth... great!