Silentpony said:
Hey, so I'm really struggling with this game. Now, just to put this rant into perspective, I beat both 40k: Chaos Gate and X-Com Enemy Unknown on hard without losing a single unit, ever. So its fair to consider me a veteran of turn-based strategy.
But Valkyria Chronicles? Oh man, is this one a *****.
I just played a desert mission, with sandstorms and ruins and the like. It was a chore. I brought along three of the lancer class guys, which are your basic rocket anti-tank dudes. Starting around turn 5 I was in range to start taking shots at some tanks over yonder. Each turn I moved the dudes closer, and took a shot. Each man, 1 shot per turn minimum(as sometimes I used extra CP to use the unit twice). And I eventually finished the mission on turn 17.
Okay, so three dudes, lets say an average of 1.5 shots per turn for 12 turns. A grand total of about 54 shots, give or take 1 or 2. At increasingly closer range.
Never. Hit. Once.
Likewise with some snipers I had. Two of them on a ridge overlooking most the battle. I hit 1 out of every 10 shots. At best.
And keep in mind, my classes are all lvl5, which I assume it decent for mission 5 in the campaign. So I'm not walking around with squirt guns and potato canons here.
And in keeping with the absolute null accuracy, the Edelweiss command tank, this supposedly amazing feat of engineering...misses more often than it hits. I've used the machine gun against an enemy scout who only need 1 more shot to go down, only to miss every shot. At damn near point blank range too! Also the main canon? Never use it. I've never hit with it, save the first mission where you have the tank. After that, never once hit. The mortar has better accuracy, for fuck's sake!
I'm basically left relying on grenades to take out enemy armor, and that's about as fun as it sounds.
Conversely(of course) the enemies seem to make every single solitary shot. Going back to this desert mission, there are two enemy snipers on a small little hut at about the center of the map. And damn if they didn't reap a terrible toll! Every time, no matter the cover my dudes were in, 1-shot KOs. The first enemy turn I lost 4 dudes, all of whom were crouched behind sandbags. Each one head shot.
I actually had to replay the desert mission 2 times because the enemy lancers could hit the Edelweiss from damn near half the map away. It was practically a slaughter and I was reduced to save scumming. Playing the same turn over and over until things went well.
And that just leaves such a sour taste in my mouth. Anyone else have difficulty? Is there a way to change the difficulty? Am I missing some key component? I've done all the training and R&D work. I've played the skirmishes multiple times each. But I just can't seem to get into the mindset this game requires.
Use Assault and Scouts almost exclusively during the first part of the game, with maybe on Lancer. NEVER try to attack the enemy head on. Instead, try to outmaneuver them, then finish off what's left. Focus on your objectives, not on killing the enemy. For instance, in the dessert level you're supposed to ignore the enemy tanks entirely, then move closer to the flag during sand storms. Trying to brute force your way through the game is... really going to hurt. Don't think about how to DESTROY enemy armor, think about how to get AROUND them.
Lancers: Don't use the lancers if you can avoid it, and try to keep them near the enemy if you do. You're supposed to get around the enemy and hit their weak spot. The Lancers are useful during certain missions, but they're limited outside of the "boss" battles. I typically bring one, unless I need more for a specific purpose. You can always call more if you need to.
Sniper: DON'T USE ANY until you get MARINA WULFSTAN. They are utterly worthless for the entire first part of the game, and they are immediately targeted by enemy soldiers. Now, once you get Marina, things change. Increase her level immediately, and get her an upgraded gun. You now have one of the deadliest units in the game. She can essentially clear out an entire area single handedly. You're basically guaranteed 1 death=1 turn. She can't really move, so you need to drop her in a vantage point quickly, but when she's situated, she really lays down the pain.
Edelweiss: It's a liability, not an asset. A well placed missile will kill it in one shot. It takes twice as many points as other units, and is actually less accurate and less powerful. It WILL miss every shot, and is little more then mobile cover. It's also more expensive to upgrade. The best strategy is to back it into a corner where it won't get killed. You get a smaller, lighter tank later. That ones actually pretty good.
Engineers: Useful support units, but not great for combat. Bring one if there are a lot of mines, if you need to give your Lancers more ammo, or if the Edelweiss is in danger. They can save your butt if the tank is about to blow. Otherwise, don't bring any if you can avoid them. A wasted space.
For the most part, put the points into the Assault and Scouting class. They become incredibly dangerous throughout the game, and powerful assault units will make the last level a piece of cake if you give them enough experience. Overall, the most versatile unit will always be the Scout, though. I hoped that helped.
