Yggdrasill (Free SRPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is an article introducing "Yggdrasill," a simulation RPG created with SRPG Studio.
This is not the final version, and currently only up to map 12 is playable (as of October 2020).
I knew about the game's existence on Twitter and intended to play it after it was finished, but I couldn't resist and ended up playing it.

The story has a dark atmosphere, and the plot is intriguing, leaving you wondering what will happen to the protagonist and what will become of him.
The narrative includes descriptive passages like a novel, and the somewhat weighty writing style draws the player into the story.

The game incorporates various unique systems, making it very easy to play while still offering a challenging experience.
The completion time was approximately 5 hours.

Game Overview

"Yggdrasill" is a game where you move your pieces on a grid-based map to defeat enemies.
The creation tool "SRPG Studio" has a basic system that is the same as that of a simulation RPG like Fire Emblem.
However, this work incorporates many unique features, so I will introduce them one by one.

morale

The bar displayed at the bottom of the map screen shows the morale of both friendly and enemy forces.
Morale levels affect each unit's hit rate, evasion rate, critical hit rate, and critical hit evasion rate.

Morale increases when you initiate combat during your turn or when you eliminate reinforcement spawn points.
Conversely, morale decreases if you are attacked during the enemy's turn, if your allies are defeated (there is no character loss), or as turns pass.
In other words, instead of waiting for the enemy to charge in, you'll gain a significant advantage by proactively launching attacks yourself.
If there are turns in which nothing is done, morale will inevitably decline, so a strategy that involves efficient advancement and relentless attacks is necessary.

Incidentally, the "Rear Support Rank" value (displayed in the upper right of the image) goes up or down depending on the average level of the members who are not deployed.
The rate at which morale increases varies depending on this rank.
If you leave weak members on standby, your support rank will drop, making it difficult to raise morale during stage progression.
Therefore, it is necessary to raise every character to a certain extent.

Charge

The charge command is key to effectively utilizing the morale system and can be used by all friendly units.
By using the "Charge" command that appears after moving, you can temporarily enter a charging state and take another action.
The charge state has limitations, such as reducing your defense to zero and only allowing you to use attack commands, but it allows you to quickly close in on enemies.

Your defense will be zero, but if you use attack methods that don't invite counterattacks, or if you defeat surrounding enemies before the enemy's turn, there are no downsides.
Units that you want to move from the rear to the front lines can also move twice through a charge, allowing for a speedy advance.

Turn rewind

In this game, you cannot save or load at any time.
Basically, you can only save mid-stage; you cannot reload and restart multiple times.

Instead, you can rewind the turn at any time to several turns prior.
It's a more helpful feature than having to start all over again.
However, rewinding the game more than six times on that map will lower your completion rating for the stage.
(The strategy rating is just an optional feature and does not affect the game.)

Alchemy

In this game, you cannot purchase weapons or items.
Both items have their usage count restored upon clearing a stage.

On the preparation screen, you can perform an "alchemy" process, where you can pay money to strengthen your weapons.
Generally, the power increases, but some items have slightly reduced durability.
The higher the crafting level, the higher the cost becomes.
Since the only use for the money is alchemy, let's invest without any worries.

Item organization

You can exchange items in the "Preparation" section of the sortie preparation screen.
In typical SRPG Studio games, you had to check each character individually to see who was using which weapon.
However, in this game, it's immediately clear who is using which weapon type.
Since you often swap weapons with members you don't deploy, this design is very user-friendly.

Enemy targeting

When moving units on the map, arrows will appear indicating which enemy unit will target you during their turn.
This makes it clear where it is dangerous to move units, making it easier to predict the outcome of the enemy's turn.
Previously, only the enemy's attack range was displayed in one place, but this new display allows you to see the breakdown of how many enemies are targeting you.
This will be a welcome feature for players who like to meticulously plan their strategies.

Review (no spoilers)

I've cleared up to MAP 12, which is the only map currently available.
The Normal difficulty setting feels like it's slightly difficult, and there are occasional challenging maps.
However, there are hints for the difficult parts of each stage, and it felt like there were multiple possible ways to complete them.
There are also easy difficulty levels to accommodate beginners, making the game generally user-friendly.

Even though there are no rewards for getting a good rating when clearing a stage, it's addictive because you'll find yourself wanting to restart to get an S rank.
One reason why restarting isn't a problem is that each map is just the right length.
Furthermore, the combination of the morale system and the charge command, which encourages aggressive advances, contributes to the overall good pace of the campaign.

In traditional SRPGs, many mechanics were used to encourage players to advance quickly, such as "if you don't advance quickly, bandits will destroy your village" or "reinforcements will keep appearing."
However, these kinds of mechanisms can create negative motivation.
Thinking things like, "I'd really like to advance slowly, but I need to hurry because I want the items," can become stressful if it happens repeatedly.

The morale system in this game is based on a positive motivation: the more aggressively you attack, the easier things become for yourself.
Therefore, since rushing the advance was my own choice, it didn't cause me much stress.
Furthermore, regarding the common SRPG problem of "the sortie members tending to be fixed," there's a support rank system that encourages you to switch out your members.
This game offers a new solution to traditional SRPG problems such as "waiting tactics being effective" and "the deployment members tending to be fixed."

As for the characters, since their growth is fixed plus a little extra, you won't experience poor growth due to bad luck.
While there are some strong characters, there aren't any particularly weak ones; my impression is that everyone is useful when deployed.
Even within similar troop types, I think they are properly differentiated by their skills and ability scores.

The story itself is rather heavy in content, and the writing style is more substantial than lighthearted.
I felt that the choice of music had an atmosphere that suited heavy themes such as death, madness, and love.
Even the bosses that only appeared on a single map had lines and descriptions that gave them a sense of personality, and I felt that there were hardly any stereotypical characters.
Because many of the female characters are cute, the contrast with their cruelty can sometimes feel grotesque.

In terms of graphics, each character has their own original face graphic and a striking standing illustration, making it very impressive.
(The character designs for this game were created by Hiirinmaru, the author of the SRPG "Londria Story.")
Regarding the music, the background music was chosen to suit each scene, and I got the impression that it was used in a way that made it memorable.
I often clear games without paying much attention to the music, but this one really stuck in my mind.

The story and maps aren't completely finished yet, but even at this stage, I think it's a very enjoyable game.
As an SRPG offering a fresh and unique gameplay experience, I recommend it to a wide range of players.

Strategy Notes - Normal Mode (Contains Spoilers)

This section contains general strategy tips and map-specific strategy notes.
One of the enjoyable aspects of this game is the fun of figuring out how to beat it.
Therefore, please be aware that if you prefer to figure things out on your own and try to solve the puzzles yourself, looking at this section may spoil the fun.

Overall strategy tips

Let's boost morale first.
To boost morale, it's important to attack as much as possible during your turn and avoid taking damage during the enemy's turn.
Therefore, be careful not to carelessly enter the enemy's attack range.

Let's just charge in for now.
Even if you're quite far from the enemy, you can often reach them with a charge.
However, since taking damage during a charge can be costly, it's best to prioritize sending in units capable of ranged attacks first.
After that, if you finish them off with a direct attack unit, you can defeat the enemy without taking any damage.

• Make sure to use valuable weapons as well.
In this game, weapon durability is restored after clearing a stage.
Therefore, there's no need to conserve it too much; use it actively whenever you can reduce the number of enemies.
Since recovery items respawn after clearing a stage, it's perfectly fine to rely solely on items for healing.

Try to defeat enemies that drop weapons whenever possible.
Since weapon durability is restored after clearing a stage, the weapons you acquire will continue to be useful in battle.
Try to defeat enemies that drop rare weapons whenever possible.

- Be mindful of matchups before deploying.
Before deploying, it's important to look at the map and decide who will be responsible for which enemy.
When choosing who to deploy, consider not only the weapon matchups in the rock-paper-scissors system, but also factors like effectiveness against heavily armored units and flying units.
While you can rewind turns and try again during a stage, selecting your deployment members at the beginning is crucial.

Prologue: The Avenger of a Fallen Nation

MAP 1

If we split into two groups, I think it would be best for Tees to take the upper route and the other three to take the right route.
For the three characters who have means of healing, let's aggressively charge in and launch an attack.
If Edith attacks in a charge state, equipping Satan will give you some peace of mind as you can absorb HP during the follow-up attack.

Chapter 1 The Princess of the Empire

MAP 2

Tees and Leah should target the fort in the upper left, while the other three should aim for the fort on the right.

Give Horay the hammer you got in the previous map and eliminate the armored knights blocking the path.
Rhea helps Teese advance while eliminating the archers directly above and the enemies on the cliff.
Depending on the timing of the advance, the members on the right route might engage the boss before Tees and Leah capture the fort in the upper left.
For future reference, let's clear the stage after destroying the bases and obtaining the Horse Killer.

MAP 3

In the second half of the race, the bridge will be the main battleground.
The enemy armored knights are eliminated with Horay's hammer or Tees's magic.
Once you defeat the archer in the middle, an armored knight will appear in ambush, so advance Horey beforehand.
To provide support, it's convenient to advance Tees and Cheshire onto the bridges on either side, as they can perform magic attacks across the bridges.

When dealing with enemies near the boss, try to eliminate them gradually, and then finish them off at the end.
Infantry units wielding Duel Axes will reward you with Spark when defeated, so try to take them down whenever possible.

Chapter 2 The Cursed Emperor

MAP 4

Teese, Stahl, and Rea are useful to deploy to deal with enemies on cliffs and flying units, and Alice's exclusive weapon is also useful against bosses.
Before deploying, it's helpful to forge a Stahl's Nightbow once, as it allows you to defeat magic-using enemies in a single battle.
The enemy Sky Soldiers have Horse Killer weapons, so Ronius should be careful.

For strategy, ignore the enemies on the left side of your starting position for a while and advance clockwise.
The archers on the cliff should be quickly eliminated by attacking them with rare units from the upper squares.
During the enemy's turn, you will be attacked by a nearby longbow archer, but your absolute evasion ability will activate, so you will be safe.
The reason for attacking from above is to prevent having your Absolute Evasion consumed by an attack from the Dark Mage.

If you go clockwise, you'll immediately encounter enemies standing on a magic circle blocking your path.
There's a weakening magic circle, so let's eliminate it by using magic to indirectly attack it.
It would be easier if we could intercept the enemy pursuing us from the other side here.

With Starl and Tees, enemy flying units can be intercepted without any problems.
Even Torka, who appears along the way, can be attacked with indirect magic without any problems.
The dangerous bandit in the upper left has the skill "Anti-Air Interception," so be careful, as approaching him with a rare unit will automatically trigger an attack.

The boss, Geno, can barely be damaged unless attacked by units capable of follow-up attacks.
Let's focus on defeating Alice's Mercurius.

MAP 5

Each turn, the maximum HP of all units decreases by 1.
Therefore, it is necessary to aim for a swift advance.
Also, the archers at the bottom center of the map have a long range, so be careful not to let Rare carelessly enter their range.
It's easy to eliminate them with a rare charge from outside their range.

First, you'll want to eliminate the Evil Armors on the left and right, as well as the archers on the small island, on the first turn.
The Evil Armor will be dealt with by the hammer-wielding members, and the archers will be eliminated by Stahl and Rhea.
There are enemies with poisoned weapons on the left route, so assign Ophelia, who is equipped with a staff of rest, to the left side.

The Necromage in the bottom right has high physical defense and can nullify damage below a certain level.
Defeat them with high-attack characters like Hatchet or with indirect attacks from magic characters.
The boss, Melia, isn't a tough opponent if you disregard the enemy commander's bonus.

Chapter 3: The Torn Sisters

MAP 6

If you try to head south immediately, you'll find the impenetrable Bob blocking the way, so the safer route is to head south across the bridge in the middle.
By using the magic circle on the bridge in the middle, which extends the range of magic attacks, you can safely defeat Bob.
Other bandits and thieves can also be dealt with to some extent by long-range magic attacks from the bridge in the middle.
For the enemies on the far right bridge, you only need to take care of those within range of your long-range magic attacks.
The archer climbing the sniper ladder should be careful of the range of the shots.

The enemy general has strong defenses, so be sure to save your armor-effective weapons, such as hammers.

MAP 7

Let's ignore the two swordsmen on the right for now and advance steadily to the left.
Cavalry units can prevent being attacked all at once by effectively using Guilden's Intimidation.
The enemy Dragon Knight coming from the bottom right has low magic defense, so it can be dealt with using archers or magic attacks.

To deal with the enemies fortifying the bridge, use the archers' magic circle to take down the archers with longbows first.
After that, you can take them down one by one with indirect attacks, starting from the front line, and you should be fine.

The sniper Recker in the bottom left is a formidable opponent.
Since it has anti-aircraft capabilities, approach it with walking units and attack.
Because it's so fast, it's difficult to get another attack, but if you can reduce its HP by half, you can follow up with Ronius's finishing blow.

Once you reach the bone line, the boss Red Code will launch a warp attack in combination with the Priest.
However, if you approach from the sea using Rhea or Leeds and defeat the priest, the Red Code will stop moving.
If possible, use two flying units to take down the priest and archer at the same time.
If you've only deployed one of them, I think it's a good idea to use the Rescue Staff to save the other.

Chapter 4 The Power of Transcendence

MAP 8

This is a difficult map.
One possible strategy is to first defeat Yusina on the right ship, then Erectus on the left ship, and finally defeat the boss Burning.
If you don't mind the enemy commander's bonus in Burning mode, you can charge straight in, but it's quite tough.
You can also defend from the magic circle on the bridge, but the morale system works against you when defending.
Therefore, we will board the ship on the right and launch an attack, then continue attacking the center and left in that order to prevent morale from dropping.

I will keep all the magic-user members on standby and only deploy physical attackers and archers.
(If you're worried about recovery, you might consider deploying Cheshire alone.)
Since there are many heavily armored enemies and you might run out of heavy armor effectiveness, equip your archer characters with "Arrows of Compassion" to switch to heavy armor effectiveness.

First, to cross the bridge to the ship on the right, you'll need a character equipped with a hammer to fight.
There are many bridges below, but let's push forward with characters wielding spears.
During the first turn, archers can still attack, so provide covering fire to help them board the ship on the right as quickly as possible.
For now, ignore the enemy ships coming from the left and prioritize capturing the ship on the right.
Most of the enemies around Yushina are powerless, so you should be able to defeat them calmly.

Once things have calmed down somewhat, let's use the bridge we just crossed to ambush any pursuing enemies.
Be careful, because if you get poisoned by the poisoned sword, you'll be vulnerable to the enemy's poison parade attack.
Allies with the Heavy Armor Special Attack skill should carefully eliminate any heavily armored units they encounter on their way to Burning.

Before you can get close to Erectus, you'll likely have to engage any enemy flying units that become operational.
Dragon Knights wield hammers, so be careful of their special attacks.
After defeating Erectus and lowering the enemy commander's modifier, have your remaining allies on the right ship charge.
Burning is also heavily armored, so hammers and Mercurius are very effective against him.

MAP 9

I think the Ice Sword will be essential for defeating the dragon, so let's make sure to equip it to the sword users on both the right and left routes.
Having it refined will make it even more reliable.
Another effective attack method is Horey's powerful blow.

Leave the enemies with long-range healing and the archers just above the starting point alone.
If you try to defeat them with rare items, you might get hit by a Heavenly Minion with guaranteed hits, or be pulled away by Dark Rescue.
You might be tempted to charge forward recklessly, but you should gradually bring the Heavenly Beings and other enemies into your attack range, lure them in, and defeat them.

Enemies with Dark Rescue can be defeated by archers with a range of 3 from below.
By defeating this enemy, you can safely take down the enemies with long-range healing and archers below.

If you can sufficiently deplete Mari's enemy commander bonus, you can defeat him with Edith's Ice Sword + Wolf Fang attack.
If you're aiming to defeat the dragon beneath Mari, you can fight safely by also using the Rescue Staff.

Chapter 5 Those Who Seek Man

MAP 10

Our forces are divided into three groups, but by deploying flying units, we can cross the wall and provide support to the troops on the other route.
However, be careful not to approach the magic circle that extends the range at the very end of the upper and lower routes, as there are enemies with anti-aircraft and anti-surface capabilities waiting there.
Since heavily armored enemies are positioned both above and below, don't forget to bring weapons designed to counter them.

Jarvis is a formidable opponent; if you attack him, he will immediately take one action using his "Frenzy" skill.
To defeat them, first eliminate the enemies on the upper and lower routes to sufficiently reduce the enemy general's bonus.
Place Rudy in the lower magic circle (Archery), and place the magic-using members in the upper magic circle (Magic), and prepare for the battle.
Once preparations are complete, have either Ronius or Hadan wait at the magic circle near Jarvis.
Let's chip away at their health from a distance, focusing on magic attacks and bow attacks.
The Critical Guard skill significantly reduces the damage from Jarvis's special attack.
Furthermore, using Rudy's sniping skills will allow you to inflict even greater damage.
Make sure to give healing items to your tank character beforehand, or have Ophelia ready to heal.
When you're close to defeating it, launch an attack to deliver the finishing blow.

My team when I cleared the game consisted of Horay, Alice, and Reese at the top, Edith, Leah, Ronius, and Ophelia in the middle, and Tolka, Rudy, and Cheshire at the bottom.

MAP 11

First, attack the impenetrable Giska in front of you with a poisoned sword.
This way, during the enemy's turn, their HP will drop below 100%, and you can defeat them with a counterattack.
Let's quickly take down the cavalry units on both sides.

By utilizing the magic circle that extends the shooting range in the center, you can defeat enemies quickly and easily, which is quite amusing.
To make the most of them, deploy mages and archers.
We'll eliminate the priests who can quickly warp in reinforcements from their base as soon as possible.

Master Knight is a formidable enemy that cannot be damaged unless attacked with an advantageous element.
It's dangerous if you don't defeat it quickly using Edith's Wolf Fang or similar abilities.

The boss, Lucilus, is a tough opponent because he has a high critical hit rate and is positioned on a magic circle.
If you have the Pegasus Spirit Stone battle item ready beforehand, you can fight safely.

MAP 12

That was quite a challenging map.
Two archers are essential, and be sure to include members who can use axes and spears in your army.
In this map, the durability of your weapons will decrease each turn, according to their crafting level.
If you proceed too cautiously, you might end up with no way to defeat the boss.

We would like to advance quickly, but there are several difficult sections.
It's important to have a plan in mind for how to deal with enemies like Dark Rescue, the formidable Sword Master, and the approaching Master Knight.
Let's save Edith's Satan and Doldam's Jabberwock for Boss Shirley.

On turn 1, first defeat the Necro Archer located just above the starting point.
Then, send in Doldam and defeat the Evil Armor above him using Abyss or similar abilities.
Next, send Rudy and Stahl upwards to defeat the priest with Dark Rescue.
These are the essential actions.

The other members head north with them, as if trying to escape from Master Knight.

On the second turn, Rudy and Stahl defeat the undead rat.
At that moment, Stahl deliberately enters the range of the priest on the left's Dark Rescue.
This will take Stahl to the other side of the wall, but from the next turn onwards, you can safely attack Sword Demon Ginyu with Longbow + Hawkeye from across the wall.
The other members continue to flee from the Master Knight, taking care not to enter the range of Dark Rescue.

On the third turn, Stahl attacks Ginyu from inside the wall with a longbow and hawk eye, and defeats him by exploiting the type advantage with a spearman.
At this time, if you attack from one space below the magic circle with a range 2 weapon such as a javelin or slender spear, you can also lure out the assassin during the enemy's turn.
Don't forget to use Rudy to defeat the priest on the right who is holding Dark Rescue.
The members below will intercept the Master Knight.
I'd like to take advantage of the weapon matchups and defeat both of them.

If you can lure the assassin down one more step or more on the fourth turn, you can finally defeat him on the next turn.
After taking care of the Master Knights, we head north.
Use members like Doldam and Rudy, who utilize magic circles and magic, to defeat the Dark Mage in the back.
That way, only Shirley will be left.
After Edith attacks with Satan + Wolf Fang, have Doldam use Jabberwock from above the magic circle to defeat it.

This is all the map currently available.
The later maps became more difficult to clear, so there wasn't much room to shorten the number of turns.
The total number of turns required to clear all 12 maps is 99.

Character usage experience

Edith
As the main character, he grows well and is strong.
In particular, mastering the Wolf Fang technique will allow you to excel as a killer against powerful enemies.
In addition to critical hits, the effect of completely dodging attacks in that battle is also very reassuring.

・Horley
It has high strength and powerful attack skills.
This character is reliable because they can deal a fair amount of damage even to opponents that would be difficult to defeat without a special attack weapon.
Since both technique and speed improve significantly, you can still follow up with attacks fairly well even after activating a powerful attack.

・Tees
This character is easy to use and very useful because all the necessary abilities for a magician develop evenly.
Magic is very effective against heavily armored enemies, and the Wind Caliber can also deal effective damage to flying enemies.

Ophelia
I'm a healer.
In this game, healing items are fairly effective, so compared to typical SRPGs, their importance seems slightly lower.

Alice
Although somewhat weak, Mercurius's cavalry and armored unit effectiveness is useful in the early stages, so he gets a lot of use.
Since she's in the heroine position in the story, I'm looking forward to seeing how she interacts with Edith in the future.

・Ronias
As a mounted unit, its strength lies in its mobility, which allows it to maximize the effectiveness of its charge attacks.
Another advantage is that you can use two types of weapons: swords and spears.
With the pursuit skill "Chase Attack," which doesn't depend on speed, and the critical guard that halves the damage of special attacks, you can take on even tough enemies.
In terms of stats, he's a well-balanced type, so he doesn't have any particular distinguishing features at first, but as he grows, he can excel in any situation.

Cheshire
Thanks to its blessing skill, placing it in the center of your party allows for somewhat aggressive charges, which is a major advantage.
Furthermore, the ability to perform magic attacks is inherently powerful, so deploying this unit is always a good idea.
This character has a quirky, almost eccentric personality, but they seem like they'll become popular.

·rare
Its greatest strength is its ability to move over obstacles.
The ability to evade one attack after defeating an enemy is also a welcome skill for fragile flying units.
While not particularly powerful in terms of individual abilities, this unit holds strategic importance.

Stahl
His strength and technique are on the lower side, but his low accuracy can be compensated for by Hawkeye's skill.
Because of his high magic defense, he has an advantage against mages compared to Rudy.

Gilden
With high defensive and intimidation skills, this character can hold off enemies to some extent even on their own (although the morale system means there are fewer opportunities to actually hold them off).
Its low mobility is a drawback, but the Metal Armor skill makes it convenient as it virtually eliminates the downsides of charging.
This unit is valuable because it can wield both axes and spears, but its growth rate seems somewhat low.

・Torca
Compared to Horey, he's an axe warrior whose strengths lie in skill and speed.
While its strength is on the lower side, the axe's attack power itself is high, and there are many opportunities to use the hammer's special attack, so it's not much of a problem.
His HP and defense are on the lower side, so he seems a bit more fragile compared to Horey.

Robin
Buster Blade's guaranteed special attack is powerful.
My impression is that a character's strength depends on the strength of the sword they are wielding.
I didn't get much screen time in this playthrough.

Hadan
He didn't have the same defensive capabilities as Guilden, and his only weapon was a spear, so he came across as a somewhat mediocre character.
Compared to Ronius, who has good mobility and can use two types of weapons, he inevitably pales in comparison.
I like the character illustrations that have a contrast to their serious image.

Rudy
He's a reliable archer with high combat abilities.
Covering fire can be a very powerful skill depending on how it's used.
Learning sniping will further enhance your offensive capabilities.

Leeds
He's a unique being: a magician who can fly.
You can think of them as a highly mobile mage, but their weakness to archers is a slight drawback.
The exclusive weapon, the Snow Laser, has a range of 3 and is easy to use.

・Doldam
Based on my experience on Map 12, despite being a Dark Mage, his stats are quite good, with decent accuracy and attack speed, making him easy to use.
His dark magic is quite powerful, and his physical defense is average, so he's sturdier than you might think.