Triangle Strategy Dropping one of its hardest maps early on in its story campaign. To be fair, it’s by no means one of the most grueling encounters in the game. I made the fight a lot harder than it should have been because the alternative was becoming an arsonist.
Yes, you read that right. In chapter seven of Triangle Strategy, you have two choices: either fight against the more powerful Aesfrost army, which has just taken over the whole country, or you can surrender to the fugitive Prince Roland to live another day. Most of my friends agonized over this decision for days, but I don’t have the luxury of being a game-playing journalist to cover. So I stuck with my “idealism” where I would protect the prince with my ragtag army. I thought to myself: victory in the face of certain defeat is just the way of a JRPG. Oh, how naive I was.
I’ve gathered enough votes to send my friends into a battle for their lives. Before the war started, my subordinate Benedict pulled the protagonist aside and told him about the secret fire traps throughout the village. By pressing a button inside the hawk, a number of walls will increase to enclose all units within a certain range of the house. The traps will then fill with oil and light up everything – including the house where these traps are attached. When I watched the tutorial simulation, I was appalled. See, to end the voting before the battle, I have to explore the village and talk to the people who live there. Many feared the coming invasion, but they trusted that their new lord would protect them.
As Lord of the Wolffort, protagonist Serenoa is obligated to protect the lives of these people. People can’t enjoy being active if they’re dead. And, hey, my subordinates told me to use those fire traps. Is not using them would be completely insane. On the other hand, I don’t know if these people were evacuated before the battle. I assume they will, but the game doesn’t tell me explicitly. What if this is one of those sick design moves where people stay in their homes during an invasion for some reason only to make me feel bad afterwards? I set up my units on the map and told myself I would only use fire traps if I had no other choice.
I don’t use a fire trap. Instead, I reloaded this map dozens of times. I grit my teeth in frustration because the level is explicitly designed with the assumption that you’re using these traps. The archers fired at my army from the rooftops, I was surrounded by no less than three waves of reinforcements, and the boss actively pursued me after a certain number of turns. If I thought the war vote was tense, I’m pretty sure the Wolffort Town battle took years of my life. I recall a few moments when I saw countless enemies gathered near a house and thought to myself, “It wouldn’t be a pity if who hot oil bath there? “It would have been, but I didn’t. My Serenoa Wolffort was too soft to destroy everyone’s dear homes.
Or maybe he was too tough? Instead of flaunting the war by punching holes in General Avlora’s army, I had to use cunning strategies and change my plans at once. At one point, the general was pushing my troops into her line of reinforcements. I would be completely wiped out if my magicians and healers were exposed that way. So I crouched near the narrow stairs with Erador and Serenoa. If either of you go down, then my entire defensive formation will collapse. I had my mages blast Avlora with spells while Hughette blinded any archers that tried to snipe through my human shield. Roland rewarded my decision to keep him by acting as a rear guard.
Some of my party members only agreed to fight Aesfrost after they learned of the powerful fire traps. Turns out, tactical acumen also works. Finally, when Avlora withdrew, I went through the most rushed phase of the game. I didn’t just beat one of the most fearsome fighters in the game – I did it without using my hidden trump card.
The villagers thank Serenoa for protecting their home, but they don’t throw flowers at him or anything. They don’t know how much time I went through to make sure they had a place to go back to at the end of the day. And you know what? I will choose this path again when I play New Game+.
