Info about TRIANGLE STRATEGY:

Official game description:
Digital Deluxe Edition
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This product is a Digital Deluxe Edition, a bundle that contains the game and the TRIANGLE STRATEGY Mini-Artbook (digital download).  
(The TRIANGLE STRATEGY Mini-Artbook (digital download) is an abridged version of TRIANGLE STRATEGY Design Works THE ART OF TRIANGLE 2018-2022. It comprises 20 pages, including character sketches of the eight members of the Wolffort house and a collection of pixel art.)
About the Game
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Three mighty powers have long waged war on the great continent of Norzelia.  
This land bears a long and scarred history that includes the Saltiron War, a war that erupted over control of salt and iron resources. A balance of power has been achieved between the Holy State of Hyzante, which controls the salt, the Grand Dutchy of Aesfrost, a land of iron clad in frost and snow, and the forested Kingdom of Glenbook, which lies nestled between the other two powers.  
However, a certain incident shakes the balance between these three powers, which then begins to crumble away...  
The player's sense of justice will be tested in the face of convictions.
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Various actions and choices within the game will build up to form your conviction, based on three sets of values - Utility, Morality, and Liberty.  
This will affect your path through the story and which allied units will join your cause.
Voting
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Important decisions that will decide the fate of the protagonist and his allies will be determined through a vote using the Scales of Conviction.  
For the player to assert their own opinion, they must convince their allies. Choices with a profound impact on the destinies of the group will likewise have a major impact on the story.
Highly strategic battles
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It will be crucial to use the terrain and differences in elevation to position yourself advantageously.  
Enjoy satisfying and challenging battles and strategy with great depth: with the ability to select from characters with uniquely different traits in your party formation, and gameplay systems that allow flanking the enemy to perform follow-up attacks or using your allies' abilities to coordinate attacks.
Converse with and strengthen your allies in the Encampment
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In the Encampment, you can speak with allied characters and purchase goods from shops. You can also strengthen your characters and weapons at the Sundry Shop and the Smithy.  
Additionally, once you've strengthened your characters, you can put their strength to the test at the Tavern by taking part in Mental Mock Battles.  
These battles range from standard combat to those with somewhat unique victory conditions, allowing you to enjoy Triangle Strategy's combat on an even deeper level.

Release date: Oct 13, 2022

Categories: Tactical RPG, Turn-based Combat, Grid-based Combat, Choice-based Narrative, Political & Espionage Systems, Moral Decision-Making, Multiple Endings, Character Progression


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Exceptional turn-based combat (weight 0.99): The game's combat system is highly praised for its depth, balance, and strategic design. Players highlight its classic yet innovative mechanics, encouraging experimentation and rewarding mastery. The combat is described as polished, fun, and engaging across all difficulty levels.
- Branching storylines with impactful choices (weight 0.97): The narrative features meaningful choices that significantly alter story paths, endings, and character recruitment. This branching structure, including a unique voting system, enhances replayability and player agency, making decisions feel consequential and immersive.
- Strategic depth in unit positioning (weight 0.76): Terrain, elevation, and unit positioning play critical roles in combat outcomes. Players emphasize the importance of tactical movement, high-ground advantage, and dynamic map layouts, adding layers of strategy to battles.
- High replayability and NG+ features (weight 0.59): Multiple endings, branching paths, and New Game+ modes (with carried-over progress and scaling challenges) incentivize repeated playthroughs. Players appreciate the strategic depth and content that justify replaying the game 2-3 times.
- Political intrigue and mature storytelling (weight 0.56): The narrative excels in political storytelling, blending personal and geopolitical conflicts with moral ambiguity. Themes of war, resources, and ethics are well-executed, offering a nuanced experience that surpasses typical tactical RPGs.
- Immersive soundtrack and audio design (weight 0.5): The music and voice acting (especially Japanese) are highlighted for their quality and emotional resonance. The soundtrack enhances immersion, while voice acting fits the narrative tone and elevates key moments, such as character deaths.
- Nostalgic appeal for strategy fans (weight 0.33): The game is celebrated as a modern classic, drawing comparisons to *Final Fantasy Tactics* and *Fire Emblem*. Its tactical gameplay and narrative depth resonate strongly with fans of turn-based strategy games, offering a fresh yet familiar experience.
- Stunning HD-2D visual style (weight 0.3): The game's art direction, blending 2D and 3D elements, is widely praised for its beauty and charm. The HD-2D aesthetic is considered top-tier, enhancing immersion and complementing the tactical gameplay.

Common complaints:
- Excessive cutscenes disrupt pacing (weight 0.86): The game is heavily criticized for its cutscene-heavy design, with players reporting 70% reading/story and only 30% gameplay. Long intros and mid-game cutscenes make the experience feel like a visual novel rather than a strategy RPG.
- Weak and outdated gameplay mechanics (weight 0.74): Players consistently describe the gameplay as boring, repetitive, and lacking depth. Combat is criticized for being basic, restrained, and secondary to narrative, with limited customization and variety.
- Shallow story and character development (weight 0.73): The narrative is criticized for being slow, predictable, and lacking emotional depth. Characters are underdeveloped, with clichéd backstories and limited arcs, making the story feel forgettable or childish.
- Poor difficulty and balance design (weight 0.61): Hard mode is described as unfair due to enemy durability, stat scaling, and terrain exploitation. Players report excessive grinding requirements and unbalanced enemy behavior, making progression frustrating.
- Unintuitive UI and controls (weight 0.53): The interface is confusing, especially at the start, with poor mouse support and frustrating command layouts. Controls feel designed for gamepads, making PC play awkward.
- Forced replayability for true ending (weight 0.23): Players must complete multiple New Game+ runs to unlock alternate routes or the true ending, with no hints provided. This design is seen as tedious and punishing, especially for achievement hunters.
- Poor localization and voice acting (weight 0.22): Voice acting is inconsistent, often flat or mismatched to emotional scenes. Localization issues (e.g., changed names, poor translations) further disrupt immersion.
- Overpriced for content quality (weight 0.18): The game is widely regarded as overpriced, with players feeling it lacks the depth, polish, or replay value to justify its cost. Regret over full-price purchases is common.
- Flawed voting system mechanics (weight 0.1): The Scales of Conviction system is criticized for being opaque, formulaic, and dependent on stats rather than player choices, making decisions feel meaningless.
- Misleading marketing as strategy RPG (weight 0.08): Players feel misled by the game’s marketing, which emphasizes strategy RPG elements, while the actual experience is heavily narrative-driven with minimal tactical depth.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dialogue-heavy storytelling (weight 0.51): The narrative is character-driven with extensive dialogue, cutscenes, and political intrigue. Some players note the pacing trade-off between story and combat, especially in early segments.
- Grinding and progression systems (weight 0.3): Leveling, resource management, and training missions are tied to progression. While grinding exists (e.g., for money or XP), it is often optional or mitigated by New Game+ features.
- Unique character abilities (weight 0.28): Units have distinct roles (e.g., archers, mages, tanks) and fixed or customizable abilities, adding strategic depth to combat. Players appreciate the variety in playstyles and synergies between characters.
- Enemy scaling and challenge (weight 0.19): Enemies adapt to player levels and exploit mistakes, especially in hard modes. Scaling mechanics ensure consistent challenge but may frustrate players seeking a casual experience.
- Terrain and environmental strategy (weight 0.18): Combat heavily relies on terrain utilization (e.g., height, flanking, elemental interactions) to gain tactical advantages. Environmental effects like weather and status conditions further enrich strategic gameplay.
- Balanced but repetitive combat (weight 0.09): Battles can feel tedious or overly easy if players outlevel enemies, though the lack of random encounters is praised. Some criticize repetitive patterns in later stages.

Performance notes:
- Steam Deck and low-end optimization (weight 0.07): The game runs smoothly on Steam Deck and is optimized for lower-end devices, including laptops, ensuring broader accessibility. Performance improvements like 60 FPS on Steam enhance the experience.
- Crashes on specific hardware (weight 0.05): Players report random crashes, particularly when playing too quickly or using Intel Graphics. This suggests stability issues that may affect performance on certain systems.
- Manual 60 FPS cap adjustment (weight 0.03): The game requires manual tweaking to unlock a 60 FPS cap, which may frustrate players expecting out-of-the-box performance optimizations.
- Forced pause during window switching (weight 0.03): The game pauses automatically when switching windows, which can disrupt gameplay flow, especially for multitasking players.

Recommendations:
- Ideal for tactical RPG fans (weight 0.58): The game is highly recommended for fans of turn-based tactics, deep narratives, and story-driven gameplay, particularly those who enjoy titles like Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre. Its blend of strategic combat and rich storytelling appeals to this niche audience.
- Best purchased on sale (weight 0.18): Many players suggest buying the game at a discounted price rather than full price, citing its value as more appropriate for budget-conscious gamers. This reflects concerns about its perceived worth at launch.
- Modern tactical RPG benchmark (weight 0.11): The game is regarded as a modern standard for JRPGs and tactical RPGs, drawing comparisons to classics like Final Fantasy Tactics. Its design and depth are seen as setting a new bar for the genre.
- Strong narrative with mixed reception (weight 0.1): The game’s storytelling and character depth are praised, but some players found the exposition or pacing off-putting, leading to mixed opinions on its narrative execution. This polarizing aspect affects its broader appeal.
- Localization and controls matter (weight 0.06): Players emphasize the importance of playing in English for better localization and recommend keyboard controls for an optimal experience. This reflects the impact of technical polish on enjoyment.
- Cult following potential (weight 0.06): The game is positioned as an underrated gem with a dedicated fanbase, appealing to collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate niche, high-quality titles. Its replayability and depth contribute to this perception.
- Design flaws noted (weight 0.06): Criticism of the game’s design, including pacing and mechanics, leads some players to advise against purchasing it. This feedback highlights areas for potential improvement in future iterations.
- Demo recommended for unsure players (weight 0.05): Players advise trying the demo before purchasing, as the game’s unique mechanics and tone may not suit everyone. This highlights the importance of firsthand experience for potential buyers.
- Alternatives suggested for some (weight 0.04): A subset of players recommend alternatives like 'Sword of Candelaria' or 'Those Who Rule' for fans of similar genres, indicating that the game may not fully satisfy all tactical RPG enthusiasts.

Other player notes:
- Frequent comparisons to classic SRPGs (weight 0.07): Players often compare the game to titles like Final Fantasy Tactics, Shining Force, and Fire Emblem, suggesting it shares mechanics or aesthetics with these beloved strategy RPGs. This indicates a niche but dedicated audience.
- Language learning utility (weight 0.03): The game is praised for its transcription tools, which are helpful for Japanese language learners. This highlights an unexpected but valuable use case for the game’s features.
- Achievements require grind (weight 0.03): Players note that 100% completion requires multiple playthroughs, which may frustrate or challenge achievement hunters. This suggests a design choice that impacts replayability.
- High-quality Thai translation mod (weight 0.03): A paid Thai translation mod is widely praised for its quality, indicating strong community-driven localization efforts and demand for accessibility in non-English languages.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.29): Players experience frustration primarily due to poor design choices, such as forced New Game+ playthroughs, excessive grinding, and repetitive gameplay loops. Issues like opaque voting systems, lack of route tracking, and inconsistent difficulty scaling (e.g., unfair enemy stats in Hard mode) exacerbate the problem. Additionally, tedious mechanics like manual positioning, cumbersome upgrade menus, and lengthy cutscenes disrupt pacing and immersion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.16): Disappointment stems from unmet expectations regarding gameplay depth, story quality, and customization. Players criticize the simplistic storytelling, flat character development, and lack of strategic variety, which make the game feel outdated or shallow. Poor localization, unbalanced difficulty, and opaque systems (e.g., the Conviction point mechanic) further contribute to a sense of wasted time and underwhelming value.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Satisfaction arises from the game’s strategic depth, rewarding combat, and well-crafted narrative choices. Players appreciate features like adjustable difficulty, impactful decisions, and replayability through multiple endings. The balance between offense, defense, and support mechanics, along with character progression systems, enhances long-term engagement and enjoyment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.07): Players appreciate the game’s tactical depth, narrative complexity, and high-quality production values. Standout elements include the HD-2D visual style, immersive storytelling, and well-designed character skillsets. Features like retreat mechanics (preserving progress) and modern takes on classic SRPG tropes are also praised for reducing frustration and enhancing immersion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Enjoyment is driven by the game’s handcrafted battles, strategic depth, and engaging story. Players highlight the balance between combat and narrative, as well as the impact of choices on gameplay. Shorter play sessions and features like New Game+ with scaled enemies help maintain challenge and replayability, contributing to overall satisfaction.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement is generated by the game’s HD-2D visuals, impactful story twists, and deep strategic customization. Players are drawn to the branching storylines, unit variety, and the emotional weight of character arcs. The anticipation of sequels and the discovery of hidden content (e.g., true endings) further amplify engagement and enthusiasm.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom results from excessive text, repetitive gameplay, and predictable story beats. Players cite long cutscenes, stale dialogue, and mandatory grinding (e.g., mock battles for leveling) as major detractors. The lack of dynamic pacing and engaging combat variety makes the experience feel tedious, especially toward the end.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is directed toward the game’s art style, music, and narrative depth. Players praise the political intrigue, memorable characters, and rich world-building, which elevate the experience. The unique unit playstyles and tactical depth are also highlighted as standout features that set the game apart.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by the game’s resemblance to classic tactical RPGs like *Final Fantasy Tactics* and *Fire Emblem*. Players appreciate the throwback to 90s JRPG aesthetics, humor, and gameplay mechanics, which resonate with fans of the genre’s golden era.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is fueled by the game’s immersive story, lore, and meaningful choices. Players are drawn into the world through compelling character dynamics, tactical combat, and narrative depth, which create a sense of investment in the outcome.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arises from perceived poor design decisions, such as frustrating narrative elements (e.g., absurd story reveals) and wasted development resources. Players feel misled by the game’s direction, particularly when mechanics or storytelling undermine their expectations.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret stems from underdeveloped side characters, weak combat feedback, or purchasing the game at full price. Players feel their investment was not justified by the final product, especially when compared to other titles in the genre.
- Fatigue (weight 0.01): Fatigue is caused by excessively long dialogues, heavy tone, and lack of fantasy elements. The game’s length and pacing can overwhelm players, making it difficult to sustain interest over extended play sessions.}