Battle System

While Wayfarer of Time has 11 potential playable characters, a maximum of four can participate in a battle. Crevaniel must be in the party at all times.

The Growlanser series has a unique battle system that blends turn-based and real-time strategy.

Growlanser games use a free-range movement Strategy RPG battle system. Unlike grid-based SRPGs, a character can move virtually anywhere on the map, avoiding obstacles along the way. In addition, movement speed is based on the amount of "MOV" points a particular character has. The player can choose up to four straight line paths so the character can move whenever you like.

Instead of each side taking its turn in waves, both sides act based on individual units' speed stats. Melee or ranged attackers must move towards the enemy to connect the blow within its range. Additionally, each attack has an attack speed; the lower the stat, the faster the character can act. Magic users must take the requisite time to chant their spells in exchange for being able to hit enemies from further away. Because these actions play out in real-time, a player can interrupt the characters' actions at any time to issue new commands.

Rather than simply needing to kill all the enemies, all major battles feature missions. Missions are a list of varying objectives that must be met to get the best outcome. Examples of mission objectives include protecting NPCs from being killed, destroying an enemy base, or simply escaping from overwhelming enemy forces. At the end of any mission you get a status based on how you completed the mission: Mission Complete is awarded if you complete the mission parameters successfully and do it in short time (meaning that the counter at the beginning of the mission that gives you some time does not turn negative). Mission Clear means you fulfilled any of the two earlier parameters successfully and Mission failed means none of the objectives were completed successfully. The mission statusinfluences how much experience and money the party receives and also influences your party members' opinion of you (see Relationship System).


Magic and abilities
Magic uses a level system in which the player selects a magic spell and then you choose how many levels to chant. You need at least a level 1 spell to cast any spell and depending on the level, and the time to cast the spell, the strength of the magic increases. To cast high level magic, such as long ranged offensive spells, two characters must cooperate by combining their spells (the same goes for high level support magic).

Abilities in the game are learned via the use of gems that give various abilities like increasing HP, learning magic, and getting techniques. All abilities have maximum levels and you must learn those abilities level by level (i.e. to get level 5 cure you must learn cure 5 times).

Gems are equipped in slotted rings. Rings are equipped and most rings have 3 slots to put gems in. Gems have levels that go from 0-9 and the slots on the rings have levels that must match the level of the gem (i.e. a level 4 movement up gem must go in a level 4 slot or higher to have effect). Thus, the gems added to the rings give various stats bonuses like increasing strength, HP, defense, and more.

yes good work Daveyd. The thing in this series is that unlike most games where the strategy is based on wich character class you take agaisnt another class, or Fire Emblems weapon triangle, here the strategy is based is how you act depending on the mision parameters.

Thats why ilove Growlanser.

quote Guildenstern8

It seems very close to Generations battle system. Heritage is a bit different for the good and for the bad...

Is more close to Growlanser 3 with some changes.

quote Guildenstern8

quote kratoscar2011

Is more close to Growlanser 3 with some changes.

Thats what i meant xD, i actualy forgot there are two Growlanser Generations. Huh Kratos, how are the sidequests in that game? One of the most amazing thing about the series is how the strategy blend with RPG elements. How much content/stuff to do is available?

Here is a list.

Vacations: you get one every some mission battles where you get to know the characters and do sidequests.

Sidequests: some sidequests are done outside vacations so they must be done during the game in order to
continue the vacation sidequests.

Fate events: Special sidequests that involve saving characters from death (Like saving Arieta or Michelle.

Optional battles: some sidequests come with special mission battles outside mandatory ones.

staff recruiting: Later in the game you get a HQ of sorts (wich you can name) and to run it you need to get
some npcs and some require quite an effort since they ask some favors before join.

Bonus Dungeon: a fun 11 level dungeon with 50 lvl plus enemies.


Colisseum: Here you will spend a lot of times since here is where you get the best rings, gems, ultimate armor
or abilities, items for learning skills and if you seek to complete it it will take quite some time since later
you need high levels to finish the last parts of the colisseum.

there is quite a lot to do and getting the 40 + endings get the replay value really high, since you can only have one familiar per playtrought and there are four, you know you will replay this a LOT.