[zombero]

So, when I first set out to make this hack, my intention was really only to make a more balanced, more interesting, and harder game. The reason I emphasize harder is because while I thought I could certainly make it harder than vanilla, I didn't think it would be feasible to make it hard. The reason being that OB vanilla just had so many exploits in it. As I seem to find myself removing each of the exploits that I previously saw as unremovable, and spending more time on this hack than I originally intended to, it seems about time to look at perhaps the biggest elephant in the room: Tarot cards.

The first option that comes to mind is limiting tarot usage to once per battle. This synergizes well with the new restriction on retreating. I would say the only downside to it is that hit-and-run benefits the most from the change, since the shorter the battle, the more frequently you can get in tarot card attacks. Though, on the other hand, many tarots like World, Strength, Hanged Man, etc really have more potency in longer battles. I would say this is a fairly light touch solution that leaves most regular/legitimate usage of tarots in play, and just prevents spamming down bosses with them, or at least elongates the process of doing so. I think it also makes the choice to use a tarot a bit more interesting, since you have to consider that if you use one now, you won't be able to use one later on in the same fight.

So what do you think? Do you have any ideas for other tarot limitations? Do you like this limitation? Do you think there shouldn't be a limitation?

P.S. A hardertype that disallows tarots is entirely possible, but that's not gonna be the solution in the regular hardtype

[Far Horizon]

One tarot per battle seems to work well with the restricted retreat change: it should encourage using more units against the boss (though I suppose those units wouldn't have to be effective to allow a tarot use).

Also if there is that one enemy unit that gives your army tons of trouble, this should serve as a discouragement for "taroting away" that unit & instead encourage altering formations/groups/tactics to deal with it. At least to some degree. Tarots like World could still render the enemy 3xSiren or Slyph unit useless of course.

[LargeDolphin]

One per battle should be fine. Between that and the limited availability of Tarot cards it should be much more strategic and less cheese-able.

Hit and run is still a possible issue, but I'll have to "play it out" (lol) before I can comment much on that.

[zombero]

LargeDolphin, on 18 August 2012 - 10:23 AM, said:

One per battle should be fine. Between that and the limited availability of Tarot cards it should be much more strategic and less cheese-able.

Hit and run is still a possible issue, but I'll have to "play it out" (lol) before I can comment much on that.

Yeah you'd definitely have to give it a try. Currently I would say it's unknown as to whether hit and run will still be an issue, as it is most an issue in late game, and no one has reached late game in the new version yet.

[Far Horizon]

Right now (stage 15) I can run away after 1 enemy hit-all or so. This obvious prevents pure hit & run, but it allows some wear down tactics.

I commonly will run away in battles, but not nearly as much as my 1.03 play where after the enemy starting using multiple hit-alls, I ran away from each "mage" group at least once. This is party because Kraken are so hard to kill, partly because I've been taking more time to level up between stages & partly because I've learned a lot from the first play.