I just got around to playing this game again, and I have to say something about it.
Final Fantasy Tactics, the original. Let's face it, when you compare it to Square's other strategy games, like FFTA(2), Tactics beats them both out by the same size margin as the core of the Earth to the peak of the highest surface point.
Characters. Like in FFTA (I don't know about Grimoire of the rift since I haven't played it =/), you get about seven characters to start with. Each character is human. If you've played Tactics Advance, but not Tactics, you're probably thinking "Wow, that's not a lot of jobs to use!" You are completely wrong. It's barely an exaggeration to say that the jobs that can be used in Tactics are higher in number than in Tactics Advance. Archers, Knights, Wizards, Priests, Lancers, Thieves, Monks, Samurais. A lot of those jobs were specific to a race in Tactics Advance. Now, anyone can use them.
In TacticsA, you learn abilities through weapons. In Tactics, you learn them through Job Points, gained everytime you use an action. After the battle(s), on the main map, you can use the JP you earned to buy skills. These involve having the license (yes, like Final Fantasy XII, only better) to use Potions, Hi-Potions, Phoenix Downs, or even battle skills like Dash or Throw Stone. Once a job gains every possible ability, that job is mastered, and no more JP can be gained for it. It takes plenty of battles to master a job, and there's about 20+ jobs (estimation from full job selection screen) available.
Tactics has guest characters, although you're usually limited to having one or two in the battle. These cut down the units YOU are allowed to involve. If you have two guest units, you have your main character (defaultly named Ramza), and three characters, for a total of six characters. In optional battles, where Guests aren't involved, you can bring out four units, for a five-on-4-to-6 characters.
Unlike in TacticsA, you can even recruit monsters. A class called a Mediator can talk to enemies and have them join your side. It only works on enemies in optional battles though. This means you can recruit Chocobos, which can heal and increase a units' movement range if they ride on it.
Magic spells are much better in this game than they were in TacticsA. This time, it costs time to use a spell, or even charge an attack. The amount of time required varies. It can take 20 turns to cast a Flare spell one turn, and next turn it could be used instantly. The area the spell can affect can be either following the enemy (get your units out of his adjacent panels) or just on a piece of land, which enemy units will avoid completely. Choosing an attack carefully makes this game all the more interesting. One wrong spell and your units could be dead, with the enemies hot on your heels. Be careful, as there is no retreat function. Fight with your brain, or die by stupidity.
My favourite part of this game: Height. The abilities Dash and Throw Stone have a high chance of pushing enemies (and allies) by one space. They usually do very little damage too. Enemy Archers are usually placed on high cliffs. If you can get one to the edge of the cliff, you can push them off. This causes high damage. If it's a cliff like in Dorter Trade City, which is at about 14 height (A guess), you can be assured of an instant death. Enemies usually will attack, but not push your archers on cliffs. Being on a high point in the area increases your Archer's attack range. If you're in Deep Dungeon first floor, at the cliff on top, you can target almost the entire area, possibly even the whole area. This makes Archers on high grounds formidible, yet fragile. Guard your Archers near cliffs. One critical hit can push your archer to his death.
Final Fantasy Tactics is easily my favourite PS1 game, beating out Final Fantasy 7 and 9 by a large margin. Even though it's years old, it never gets boring. Changing jobs and killing enemies constantly to master a job has it's perks.
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