Astral Gate (Non-Field RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is an article introducing the indie game "ASTRAL GATE" by the independent circle "Ichidesuk".
This is a non-field RPG where you choose any four characters from a set and take on fixed enemies in battle.
As the title "Command RPG Battle Test" suggests, this game is focused on combat and demands strategic and tactical skills.

It took me about seven and a half hours to complete the game the first time.
Trying out various party compositions or aiming for a high score will likely take even more time.

Game Overview

Four heroes, seeking a treasure that can grant any wish, encounter Alicia, a researcher of ancient ruins.
With their goals aligned, they work together with Alicia and venture into the depths of the ruins.

When you start the game, you first select four characters from the nine available to form your party.
You can check each character's abilities, initial skills, and learned skills, so think carefully before making your choice.
A warning will appear, but due to the game's system, it will be difficult without at least one character who can use healing magic, so please keep that in mind.

You won't really know how a character feels to use until you actually play the game, so I think it's best to just pick the character that catches your eye first.
The real fun of this game lies in retrying, experimenting, and improving through trial and error.

When you start the game, you will be taken to the main screen.
It starts with the first layer and ends with the seventh layer.
This game is a non-field RPG, so you'll basically be repeating this screen and the battle screen.
I will briefly explain each command.

In enemy selection, you choose which enemy to fight, similar to the Mega Man series.
Since enemy behavior patterns and information are clearly stated to some extent, it is possible to prepare thoroughly.

The number of enemies you need to defeat to clear a level is predetermined; for example, in the first level, you clear the stage by defeating 4 out of 6 enemies.
In other words, you don't need to defeat both of them.

The equipment you obtain and the skills you learn when you defeat an enemy are fixed depending on the opponent.
(You will always obtain equipment, but you cannot learn skills unless you have a character capable of learning them.)
Avoiding strong enemies is important, but the rewards you can get can be key to later battles, so the rewards for taking on challenges are significant.
You could say the battle begins at this stage, when you decide which enemies to fight and which to avoid.

The battles are turn-based command battles, where allies and enemies act in order of their AGI (Agility) stat.
Being able to act before the enemy is a crucial element in this game, so be sure to check this before each battle.

The enemy's HP is displayed when you attack, so use it to decide whether to engage in a war of attrition or launch a full-scale offensive.
Additionally, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the attributes are displayed on the right side of the screen.
Exploiting the enemy's weaknesses is crucial in combat, so before a battle, check who has the skills to exploit those weaknesses and then formulate your tactics accordingly.

The equipment command allows you to change accessories and also use money to enhance your equipment.
You earn money when you enter a new level, so don't forget to upgrade your equipment.
Upgrading weapons increases ATK and MAT (attack power and magic attack power), while upgrading armor strengthens DEF and MDF (defense power and magic defense power).
Emblems enhance MHP and MMP (Maximum HP and Maximum MP), while magic stones primarily enhance AGI (Agility).
In this game, it's crucial to consider whether upgrading your equipment will enhance your strengths or compensate for your weaknesses.

Review (no spoilers)

I managed to clear it with a rank of A+.
While the game is primarily combat-focused, it's a non-field RPG where not only combat itself, but also the equipment and skills acquired leading up to the battles, play a crucial role.
Since you can't replay the same battle multiple times, the game becomes more tense as you progress through the levels, much like an arcade game.

I think there are at least two ways to enjoy this work.
The first way to enjoy the game is to complete it to the end at least once.
The second way to enjoy the game is to see how high you can get your score.
The score is influenced by factors such as the number of times you were incapacitated in battle, the time spent thinking during battle, the percentage of remaining MP, and the percentage of remaining TP. I think it's innovative how the smartness of your battles is quantified and analyzed in detail.

However, personally, I would have preferred to be able to save and load, even if it meant losing my score, so that I could challenge the same enemies on the same floor multiple times.
Even if you want to try a new strategy, if you try it at a deeper level and fail, you'll have to start all over again.
Getting back to the same point isn't difficult since the strategy is already established, but it still feels like a lot of work.
However, the inability to save is undeniably what creates the tension, so I feel that something would be lost if a save function were incorporated.

I'm quite rigid in my thinking, so once I've cleared a stage, I can't seem to come up with a completely different party composition or strategy.
I would love to see various types of players (especially those who enjoy combat) play the game and see their different strategies.

Strategy Notes (First Playthrough) (Spoiler Warning)

Summary

In any case, there was no tightrope walk to achieve victory, and the strategy was reproducible.
In the final battle, I was able to fight with considerable ease because I used all the TP I had been saving up until then.
However, I regret it a little because it lowered my rating as a result.
It seems that you need to clear the level first to get a feel for it, and then gradually refine your approach before your score will improve.

Party Formation

This party composition prioritizes firepower and agility, aiming for a quick victory.
I'm a little worried because Kiel is the only healer, but my plan is to just defeat the enemies first.
Either way, since Claire and Kiel are the only healers with high agility, I chose Kiel because of his higher damage output.

In terms of offense, the three characters other than Leon can use elemental magic attacks, making it easier to target the enemy's weakness.
Additionally, since all three characters can use the area-of-effect magic Exburst from the beginning, you'll have a significant advantage against groups of enemies.
However, since Ash is practically the only one who can land effective physical attacks, you'll have some trouble against opponents who are resistant to magic.
Since healing relies almost entirely on Kiel, there will be times when Kiel's MP consumption is quite high, but the burden can be reduced by using Leon's Repeat Heal and healing from the Healing Bracelet in combination.

Regarding equipment enhancement

First and foremost, the top priority is to strengthen everyone's AGI so that it is higher than that of the enemy you plan to fight.
At that time, increase the AGI of Leon and Duke, who will be using buffs, so that Ash and Kiel can act afterwards (because you want to use offensive magic immediately after applying buffs in the same turn).

After that, we'll focus on strengthening our attack capabilities to increase our firepower.
Since Leon hardly attacks anyway, you only need to upgrade his weapons when you have extra money.
Since Kiel tends to consume a lot of MP after learning Exheal, it's a good idea to prioritize strengthening his HP/MP over other party members.

Below are individual strategies for each floor.
○ and ◎ indicate usefulness, while × indicates a reward skill that no character can acquire.

Layer 1: Quota 4

- Aura Brim (〇 Fireproof Ring, ◎ Exburst)
Rather than focusing on reducing the number of enemies, each person should attack a different target, aiming to deal as much damage as possible to maximize the total sum of damage.
You can inflict significant damage by exploiting its weakness with Duke and Kiel's Frost.
I think there will only be 1 or 2 left at the start of the third turn, so make sure to defeat them all.

- Ooze (○ Water-resistant ring, × Armorbreaker)
You can instantly defeat them with three newly learned Exbursts.

・Laughing Mushroom (〇Windproof Ring, ◎Restore)
I don't think we'll have much trouble, so let's make Ash and Kiel, who can use Crag, the core of our attack.
After Duke and Leon use their boosts on both of them, they attack with normal attacks.

・Queen Widow (◎Ring of Resistance, Windblade)
Duke uses Fire, Leon boosts Duke and Kiel, Ash attacks, and Kiel attacks with Frost.
Once the enemy lays eggs and reinforcements arrive, Duke should continue using Fire, while Ash and Kiel use Exburst.
If we continue our offensive, we can overwhelm them.

Layer 2: Quota 3

・Levinas (Ring of Keen Eye, ○Flame Dance Sword)
As long as we can prevent them from losing consciousness, they're not a threat.
Equip Leon with the Ring of Resistance, and quickly heal any unconscious allies one by one using Restore.
I think you can defeat them if Duke and Kiel attack with Frost, and Ash uses Dual Blades or normal attacks.
If Ash can learn Flame Dance Sword here, it will increase your fire-element attack options and make things easier.

- Double-bladed armor (Bracelet of Blessing, × Slash Wave)
Our strategy is to take down the armored enemies first.
Since Ash is the only one who can exploit the armor's weakness, I'll use Boost on Ash and keep attacking with Wind.
Use Duke's Exburst, Kiel's Heal (and Exburst if he has a free hand), and Leon's Protect to strengthen your defenses with each character in turn.
When you're close to defeating the armored enemy, I think it's a good idea for everyone to go on the offensive.

・Blade Tail (◎Sleep Resistance Ring, ×Barrier Crush)
After boosting Leon and Kiel, Duke provides support with an Exburst.
Leon prioritizes protecting the attackers, and restores them if they become poisoned.
Ash continues to use the Crag relentlessly.
Kiel primarily uses Crag and heals allies who have taken damage.
Since it attacks twice, you'll probably find yourself lacking healing options in the later stages of the fight.
In the second half, let's go on the offensive and try to finish them off.

*While Demon Pots are easy to defeat, they offer little benefit to this party, so it's better to defeat Blade Tails to obtain the ring.

Third layer, quota 3

- Nightmare (◎ Healing Bracelet, ○ Alchemy)
If you equip Leon with the Ring of Sleep Resistance, there's no risk of everyone falling asleep and being hit by Despair.
They occasionally use Wind or Exwind, but Kiel's heal should be more than enough to keep you healed.
Leon should use Restore to wake up any sleeping allies, and when he has a free moment, he should use Boost or normal attacks on Duke.
Duke should just use Fire, Ash should just use Flame Dance Sword, and Kiel should use Heal or Frost.

- Ooze King (Ring of Weakness, ◎Exheal)
The strategy is the same as with the Ooze in the first layer: use Exburst to defeat the surrounding Ooze while healing characters who have taken damage.
Leon will cast Protect one by one, Kiel will heal damaged allies, Duke will boost Ash and then equip a healing bracelet to act as a healer, and Ash should just keep attacking with Wind.
The Ooze King's powerful attacks are quite strong, so if your armor isn't somewhat upgraded, you might not be able to heal in time.
It would be easier if it generated ooze after expanding, but it's tough if you're unlucky and get hit by an ooze burst.
Furthermore, since the revived Ooze has about half its HP, it can be wiped out with a boosted Exburst.

*The following requires you to defeat one of the two (Dark Guide or Agni)

- Dark Guide (Ring of Foresight, ○Raise)
If you want Raise, defeat this one.
It's much easier than Agni.
Five enemies appear simultaneously, and reinforcements appear twice for each of them, so you have to defeat a total of 15 enemies.
The Hellhound's AGI is 149, so let's make sure to boost it higher than that.
That way, you can use Exburst repeatedly with three people and completely shut them down.
If your MAT is low, you might not be able to defeat all the decaying warriors, so use Leon to attack and compensate.

・Agni (○Bracelet of Critical Hits, ○Repeat Heal)
If you want Repeat Heal, defeat this enemy.
Personally, I recommend this one.
Since physical attacks will result in counterattacks, be sure to continuously attack using Duke and Kiel's Frost spells.
Equipping the Healing Bracelet to Ash and using him as a healer is an efficient strategy.
Agni's attacks consist only of Exfire and Fire, so they don't inflict much damage.

Layer 4: Quota 2

・Umbral (○Ring of Barrier, ○Expert)
Equip Leon, who can use Restore, with the Ring of Stun, and quickly heal any allies who are knocked out.
Aura Brim has some time before it self-destructs, so if any of your party members can use Exburst twice within three turns, you can wipe it out.
However, since being knocked unconscious and having your calculations thrown off could be dangerous, it's best to deal with it as quickly as possible.
Especially after AGI is lowered by the Water Cage, Aura Brim will act first, so extra caution is needed.
The main strategy is to use Ash and Kiel to use Crag to whittle down the Umbral.

・Vanesha (○Ring of Sturdiness, ○Exbarrier)
The attack pattern is predictable and regular, as it follows the sequence of [Charge → Poison Fang → Exwind → Attack].
However, the troublesome part is that it disables commands in the following order: [attack seal → skill seal → defense seal].
With this party composition, Ash is the only member capable of effective physical attacks, so there isn't much we can do during the skill-disabled turns (equipping Ash with the Critical Bracelet can improve his damage output).
During the turns when skills are prohibited, just accept it and focus on defense.
Since the command restriction limits the number of turns you can heal, it's important to heal whenever you can.
By combining Repeat Heal, Exprotect, and Defense, it's possible to fight relatively safely.
I think you'll eventually run out of time to recover, so be careful about when you launch your offensive in the second half.

Fifth layer, quota 2

- Bael (Bracelet of the Mind's Eye, ◎High-level magic attack)
This enemy will explode after 2 minutes and 20 seconds, so you'll want to input your commands without hesitation before then.
It doesn't end the moment the seconds reach zero; the big explosion occurs during the action taken in the final turn.
Therefore, if you have a higher AGI score, you'll have a chance to attack in the end, so don't give up.

Duke and Kiel use Frost exclusively.
Leon should use Repeat Heal to reduce the effort required for healing, then use Boost on Duke and Kiel, and if there's still time, switch to healing with the Healing Bracelet.
Ash should be fine using normal attacks while equipped with the Bracelet of Critical Hits.
When Bael's HP drops below half, it will start acting twice per turn and its attacks will become more intense, so be careful not to let anyone get defeated.
We don't have the time to rebuild.

- Warrior of a fallen kingdom, archer, and mage (○ Hero's Ring, Adheal)
The archer's silence ability is annoying, but their threat level is relatively low, so let's leave them alone at first.
First, let's focus on defeating the warriors.
Since the warrior will use a substitute on the second turn, if all three characters use the area-of-effect magic Exburst at that time, you can deal 3 x 3 = 9 hits of non-elemental damage.
Even if things don't go that smoothly, aim to defeat the warrior before they can unleash their powerful attack.
After that, target the mage. Ideally, you should defeat him before he can gather his power, but if that seems impossible, defend yourself to withstand Ragnarok and then take him down for sure.

Layer 6, Quota 1

- Gate Guardian (Forbidden Bracelet, ○Ragnarok)
Since all attacks are magic-based, let's change to accessories suitable for magic attacks.
Equip the water-resistant ring to the character you least want to be defeated.
Ash and Kiel will use Adcrag, while Duke and Leon will focus on providing support.
Duke provides support with boosts and heals, and if Leon uses Repeat Heal at the beginning, healing won't be needed, making the situation stable.
Furthermore, increasing the MDF with Exbarrier would make it even more formidable.

Partway through the battle, the enemy will start buffing themselves at the beginning of each turn, so when that happens, use Dispel every turn to remove the buff.
Otherwise, the counterattack from the Aqua Cannon when you attack with Adcrag will be extremely painful.
(Using Dispel will make its power negligible.)
At this time, Duke Leon's AGI, which allows him to use Dispel, must be higher than Ash Kiel's AGI.
If the stats are low, you'll end up attacking with Adcrag before dispelling, and in that case you'll get hit with a heavily buffed Aqua Cannon in retaliation.

If they use Focus, a massive torrent will follow, but if you use Dispel and the debuff from Aqua Cannon is still active, you won't take much damage, so it's nothing to be afraid of.

Layer 7: Quota 1

Soul Master
While attacks are mostly magical, many of them deal fixed damage, making both MDF and MHP important.
As the battle progresses, your MHP will gradually decrease, so you'll want to keep your MHP high enough to avoid being instantly killed.
Upgrading your equipment to maximize your MHP is important, and Leon's Invincible is also crucial.

Duke should primarily attack with Adfire, and use Heal as needed.
Ash simply continues to attack with his Flame Dance Sword (you can also use Potential Release).
Leon should use Repeat Heal, Invincible if his MHP is reduced, and other support magic to provide assistance.
Kiel should participate in the attack with Adfrost, and use Ragnarok when Curse appears.
Ragnarok alone may not be enough to defeat them, so it's a good idea for Duke or Ash to provide support with Exburst.