A good game is one that is easy to learn, yet gradually allows for complex and deep gameplay. In the opinion of this reviewer, the last game to accomplish such a difficult feat was Advance Wars on the Game Boy Advance. The equation is rather simple, however putting it into effect is something else indeed. When it comes to the turn-based genre, such a game requires a variety of units that are balanced with one another, a medium that will utilize the full potential of these units, a sensible battle system, and governing rules that will allow neither side too much freedom nor restriction.
Such is the case with Tactics Arena Online(TAO), a turn-based strategy game that can be played online against others, and can be found at www.tacticsarena.com. It is composed of very balanced units, and allows for a variety of effective and unique strategies.
Tactics Arena Online has all of these qualities. All turn-based strategy games find their father in chess, and TAO is no exception. Two sides battle it out on a basic looking field composed of one-hundred and nine squares--but even this basic layout has intelligent reasoning behind it. Unlike a chess board, the field is not just a simple square; it looks more like a square with all four corners evenly chipped off . This means that the four corners have jagged edges, allowing for formations and defenses to be made which would otherwise be impossible with just normal corners.
TAO is also different from chess in that the player is allowed to start the game with whatever formation he or she wishes. There is, of course, a default formation that is mindful of a typical chess one(and quite a well-balanced one at that), but the first reason why this game has such a deep strategy level is because one start out however one wishes. Offensively, defensively, a mixture of both; the variety potential leads to very unique styles and signatures, but this cannot be fully understood without an understanding of the units that make up these formations.
As stated above, the units are quite different from one another, yet all have their strengths and weaknesses. The knight is perhaps the best all around unit in the game, capable of taking many hits, moving quickly, and giving highly damaging hits in return. Unlike chess, where even a piece that seems mighty, like a rook, can be taken out of play with one move, every unit has a certain amount of health points, the percentage of attacks that they can defend, and how much of their health points they will lose if struck. Hence, the knight is quite a useful piece, scoring among the highest in all of these categories.
However, a formation can consist of up to ten units, and there are only three knights in the barracks. 3 knights alone, though an effective force, would not be able stand long against a more complete formation that can be composed of witches or pyromancers, who cannot take many hits but can strike with range and attack more than one person at a time. Alongside of them might be an enchantress, who can paralyze everything that gets next to her, effectively removing them from play. Assassins can attack in every immediate direction at once, and move farther than a knight. The deadly scouts can attack from very far away. A nearly invulnerable lightning ward can be placed in the path of an attack, dealing a devastating blow from heaven on to whatever comes near it. And even if those three lonely knights do make it through all of this to reach the cleric, the heart of the opposition due to his healing powers, their swords may strike harmlessly off of a force field set up by a barrier ward.
Obviously, those three knights will need a bit of help of their own, which leads to battles of amazing strategy and complexity. Like chess, the players take turns moving their units. Unlike chess, some units can not be moved at every opportunity. For example, if a scout moves and attacks, he’ll have to wait two rounds until he’s able to do something again. Understanding this concept is key to winning, and quite often an important reason as to losing.
But the above units aren’t the only ones available; these are the only units freely available, and to get more, it currently costs five dollars a month. Considering the price of normal video games that don’t come close to the quality of gameplay in TAO, the cost is small. In return, there is access to the slow yet powerful dragon tyrant, the hit and run menace named the beastrider, the defense-making furgons, and three golems. One golem can paralyze an opponent from long range, another can increase the defense of allies, and the final can teleport behind an enemy unit, striking without fear of being blocked.
Perhaps it is here that we might find the first flaw of this game; paying to have a “gold” account instead of a “gray” one is obviously a way for the genius developers behind the game to make money. It also provides much more of a choice as to what to bring in a formation. However, in terms of winning, a skilled “gray” player can defeat anyone but the best of “golds”. This is highly debatable, and much has to do with what one brings in a formation(giving more of a compliment to the deepness of gameplay), but there is the opinion that paying the five dollars per month just isn’t worth it.
At the same time, there is an added benefit to having a gold account. Periodically, due to the weight on the servers, the free gray accounts are all erased. This can be devastating to some, because one perk in the game is the ability to win new units with time. If a gray plays all day, and manages to win the five free units that are “dropped” every twenty-four hours, this gray will lose all of those units and everything else he or she might have gotten once things are reset. The golds are immune from this problem, and can build up an army of thirty-five potential warriors.
Are these rules unfair? Is this a tricky way to get people to pay five dollars a month? That’s up to opinion, but one thing is clear; it’s difficult to PURCHASE a game that provides the level of strategy, gameplay, and enjoyment that TAO gives, so the fact that grays can play for free is quite a blessing. Also, it needs to be considered that even the lowest level computers of the modern age can manage TAO. It requires no major updates, no graphics cards, no memory space. Everything is done over a simple Flash plugin, and the updates come around automatically.
The other flaws of the game have more to do with the nature of the internet more than anything else; there is as of yet no option to ignore annoying spammers in the lobby, there are “spy” accounts made just to see a formation before bringing in the real account with an advantage, and no way to invite others to a game without being open to be played by all. There is a brilliant chess rating system for every player, yet finding the ratings of other people requires typing and can be a tricky task with those who have some strange screen names. It would be much better if simply a double click of the mouse would reveal player statistics. Also, wins, losses, and draws are not tallied with a player’s ratings, records that many would be happy to see and have.
Of course, these may be sacrifices that have to be made to keep the game open to all, simple, and orderly. The developers of TAO should never forget that, as they are constantly working on making new units and adding updates. Sometimes, adding too many features to a game can make what is currently a very balanced game unbalanced, or may lead to an unpopular increase in the monthly price of the gold account. This simple strategy can also be seen in the graphics and sound—the game is above average in both categories, quite sufficient, yet is composed of nothing that will impress regular console and PC gamers. The units are distinct, yet not especially detailed(though the animation of the ice golem is quite well done), and the sound accurately portrays the sound of a bow, or the clash of steel on shield, or the imaginary whines of magical effects.
As of the time of this writing, Tactics Arena Online is a wonderful and well thought-out game, given that this reviewer is aware of the human need to constantly add things to an equation in the future, and thereby ruining that equation. So far, however, every addition to the game has only improved the overall gameplay and strategy, and the “simple complexity” of the entire system is grounded in genius. This game is highly recommended to anyone, but is simply a MUST for anyone who thinks they are good in turn based strategy games.
(Be sure to check out the [netjak.com] clan in the “Banff”, "Great Lakes", "Armageddon", and "Revelation" servers...we’re awesome!)
