Tactical RPG

an example of isometric projection in Tactics Ogre

A Tactical RPG (or Tactical Role-Playing Game-- sometimes abbreviated as TRPG, for short) encompasses a genre of video games that emphasizes RPG elements (customization, character growth, etc) but is mechanically structured around 'tactical' game decisions, forcing the player to think and play strategically. These games, while they might require a great deal of strategy, are not typically associated with the strategy genre.

Overview

a selection of jobs available to each unit in Final Fantasy Tactics

TRPG's function rather similarly to most RPG's in design and mechanic-- typically, your 'party' consists of a main character-- these characters gain experience and grow stronger via engaging in battle. Often, these characters can be customized down to their weaponry and armor (and sometimes accessories, like bangles, necklaces, or cowls) and as the player progresses through the game, they acquire stronger 'gear' for their characters, in essence, making them stronger. Strategic elements come into play here as well, in the customization phase, as some pieces of equipment might be weaker in terms of 'stat' altering values (the amount by which they increment the character's base variables, like strength, dexterity, and so on) but might functionally be stronger in other ways-- for instance, a hood that might be weaker in terms of defense, but functionally viable due to the fact that it protects against status abnormalities like poison, which gradually damages the character over time.

As for elements that differentiate RPG's from tactical RPG's-- TRPG's have become popularly recognizable by the very feature that makes the genre unique-- a grid of some form by which the character's and enemies are aligned, like pawns on a chess board, moving in much the same fashion. The player and enemy team take turns moving units across the grid, the idea being to strategically position units so as to maximize their damage capability, while minimizing their exposure to danger. An isometric grid continues to be the most visually recognizable form of the TRPG grid, though other forms of representation do exist. Further differentiating the two genres, units within the player's party are usually characterized by a class or job, allowing the unit to perform certain abilities of cast certain spells in battle, and this job can be customized to the party's needs-- unlike most RPG's, where characters enter the player's party with a predefined class and set of abilities.

History

It is clear that tile-based tactical combat existed in games as far back as 1983, with Ultima III: Exodus, which was also the first RPG game to feature animated sprites, and Bokosuka Wars, each thought to have contributed to the fundamental mechanics that would become essential to the Tactical RPG genre, though later titles would really develop and shift the genre into the space the space it exists within today.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light

Published in Japan in 1990 by Nintendo R&D1, this series is arguably thought to be one of the defining progenitors of the genre, as it was one of the first to popularize the genre to that scale. Characters had unique classes and stats and were able to level up, like most RPG's of the time-- adding another degree of strategy, as characters ran the risk of being permanently lost in battle if they were to similarly lose all of their health, like any other enemy or NPC. This was an early mechanic of the genre that has shifted somewhat with the advent of newer modern TRPG's-- though Fire Emblem remains one of the few modern series to still implement this feature fully.

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen

Released in 1993 and one of four Ogre Battle games to be released in North America

Final Fantasy Tactics

Developed and published in 1998 by Square

Advance Wars

Developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, Advance Wars is an acclaimed tactical RPG released exclusively for the Game Boy Advance on September 10, 2001. It was well received by reviewers. It received the highest Metacritic a Gameboy Advance game has ever received. It got a perfect score from Edge Magazine and almost perfect score from IGN . The game is highly praised due to its deep and addictive gameplay, typical of the genre.