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Round 4, Match 30: Grandia II - Winner (4) vs. Persona 4 Golden (2)

Mike MoehnkeMike Moehnke Code: KirinAdministrators
edited July 2014 in Battle Royale!
Match 30: Which battle system do you prefer?
Grandia II
Persona 4 Golden

This one is beginning at something like 2:20 AM on the east coast's Wednesday morning, and I'll try to end it somewhat after midnight on Friday morning to give a little extra time.
As the other semifinal, the debating crowd is slightly larger, and the reader vote counts double.
Who's debating? Ah, those names are Paul, Mac, Trent, Mr. Apps, and Becky! They can have at it any time they choose!
It's not what he's eating, but what's eating him that makes it ... sort of interesting.
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Comments

  • MacstormMacstorm Ysy St. Administrators
    edited July 2014
    This match is both tougher to me and then at the same time clearer. I'm pretty sure of the route I want to take here, but both games make a good case for moving on.
    "The universe is already mad. Anything else would be redundant."
    Twitter @FinalMacstorm
  • OcelotOcelot is not declawed Full Members
    edited July 2014
    Geez, I feel like I should pull out the PS2 and dig my Grandia II disc out of the basement. If only I had time for that.
    Becky Cunningham, Happy Snappy RPGamer Alum
    Twitter: BeckyCFreelance
  • WheelsWheels RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    awesome A vs. awesome B. How they heck am I supposed to decide?

    In one corner we have Grandia II, which interrupted your regularly scheduled RPG combat to provide a slice of awesome

    (I was at the event in the above video)
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  • WheelsWheels RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    In the other corner we have your traditional turn based combat, turned up to 11 with great style, a touch of character relationships, and a heaping dose of demon fusion.

    Yeah I have no clue. Can we send both to the final as a tag-team?
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  • Zeboyd GamesZeboyd Games Member Full Members
    edited July 2014
    If this was Grandia 3 vs. Persona 4 Golden, this would be an easy choice. As it is, it's pretty tough.
    Check out upcoming RPG, Cosmic Star Heroine, at http://cosmicstarheroine.com/
  • Anna Marie PrivitereAnna Marie Privitere Purr RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    Hmmmmm, this will be an intruiging match. I'd swing more towards P4. Good luck to both games.
  • Zeboyd GamesZeboyd Games Member Full Members
    edited July 2014
    Very close in the reader vote so far.
    Check out upcoming RPG, Cosmic Star Heroine, at http://cosmicstarheroine.com/
  • MacstormMacstorm Ysy St. Administrators
    edited July 2014
    I'm finding it rather interesting that the reader polls have been this close the later we've gotten. Sure we didn't match with staff last round, but it wasn't a blow away in the poll.
    "The universe is already mad. Anything else would be redundant."
    Twitter @FinalMacstorm
  • Jmustang1968Jmustang1968 RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    I am sad I havent been able to participate in the latest rounds. It seems like I need to get to some of these I haven't played yet.
  • WheelsWheels RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    Jmustang1968 wrote: »
    I am sad I havent been able to participate in the latest rounds. It seems like I need to get to some of these I haven't played yet.

    If you have not played these final four, then man, gotta play 'em!
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  • AncientRuneAncientRune Member Full Members
    edited July 2014
    no contest here, Persona has more outside mechanics that feed into the battle system but to me its just an exploit elemental weakness fest, Grandia II however has the the awesome action/turn/cancel system thats super satisfying when you go through entire fights without being touched

    Grandia II easily
  • Phillip WillisPhillip Willis Certified Polygameist RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    I wish I could agree with you about the elemental weakness fest, lol. Elemental exploitation are certainly a key ingredient of the soup, but only one of many.

    I love both of these systems, and have supported each of them through this entire journey. Weighed on a scale of this polygameyist's subjective opinion, they each nearly match up. However, we ARE talking about Grandia II... not III. GIII showed us that the action/turn/cancel system of II was awesome, but still had room to grow and be more awesome.

    P4G, on the other hand, shores up a few weaknesses in P3's combat system, making an excellent system even more enjoyable. As I said in an earlier thread, P4G is an enhancement of the pinnacle of JRPGoodness (again both in and out of combat). The fact that it could be a SMT game with that level of difficulty and complexity, and still have its broad appeal, says something.
    Co-Host on RPGBacktrack. Follow me on Twitter and sub to my blog if you would like!
  • WheelsWheels RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    AncientRune wrote: »
    no contest here, Persona has more outside mechanics that feed into the battle system but to me its just an exploit elemental weakness fest, Grandia II however has the the awesome action/turn/cancel system thats super satisfying when you go through entire fights without being touched

    Grandia II easily

    As I've pointed out before, as P4 goes on exploiting weaknesses gives way to dealing with resistances and immunities make for more in-depth combat as you gain a larger suite of abilities.
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  • ClephasClephas Member Full Members
    edited July 2014
    I would like to say that I'm unbiased, but the truth is, in my more than two decades of playing jrpgs, I've never played one whose battle system matched that of the Grandia series. I've already pushed it as hard as I could in the previous polls, so I won't rave about all its awesome capabilities... I'll just list up some pros for each.

    Persona:

    1. The ability to give yourself the advantage or destroy yourself by hitting an enemy's weaknesses or strengths
    2. A plethora of possibilities based on what persona you use

    Grandia:

    1. Strategic elements added by being able to delay or cancel an enemy's action
    2. The way the game forces you to consider which enemy to attack first, which is more dangerous, etc

    Mixed feelings:Both games are prohibitive to the use of auto-battle functions, thus slowing down game progression somewhat. This can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your outlook. Either way, it definitely increases raw play time.
  • cajuntechiecajuntechie Member Full Members
    edited July 2014
    I'd have to vote for Grandia 2. I found that Persona's combat system could feel repetitive, but didn't get that feeling with Grandia 2.. OF COURSE this is bearing in mind that when I played G2 I didn't have other obligations like a job and kid and wife, so when I play a game now my feelings are totally different than when I was young.

    I REALLY like the running around in that combat system :) (In Grandia 2)
  • WheelsWheels RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    cajuntechie wrote: »
    I'd have to vote for Grandia 2. I found that Persona's combat system could feel repetitive, but didn't get that feeling with Grandia 2.. OF COURSE this is bearing in mind that when I played G2 I didn't have other obligations like a job and kid and wife, so when I play a game now my feelings are totally different than when I was young.

    I REALLY like the running around in that combat system :) (In Grandia 2)

    I can see that, but it's important to remember that Grandia II is a lot shorter than Persona 4, so the fact that it doesn't get repetitive doesn't mean it wouldn't have were it the same length as P4.
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  • Phillip WillisPhillip Willis Certified Polygameist RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    cajuntechie wrote: »
    I'd have to vote for Grandia 2. I found that Persona's combat system could feel repetitive, but didn't get that feeling with Grandia 2.. OF COURSE this is bearing in mind that when I played G2 I didn't have other obligations like a job and kid and wife, so when I play a game now my feelings are totally different than when I was young.

    I REALLY like the running around in that combat system :) (In Grandia 2)

    For me, combat in Grandia III (Generally considered superior) tickled my combat itch big time. I purposefully sought out things to kill for hours atta time. But when my 25-30 hour adventure wrapped up, I felt comfortably satisfied, with no big desire to go back and run through it again simply to explore the combat system more.
    Co-Host on RPGBacktrack. Follow me on Twitter and sub to my blog if you would like!
  • Jmustang1968Jmustang1968 RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    Wheels wrote: »
    If you have not played these final four, then man, gotta play 'em!

    Only one I've played is Grandia II
  • InstaTrentInstaTrent Opinion Guy RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    Finally in the end zone, eh? This looks like a pretty excellent match up.
    "To tell you the truth, I like drinking tea and eating fresh vegetables, but that doesn't fit with my super-cool attitude. I guess I have to accept this about myself."
  • KeldarusKeldarus RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    My most difficult choice so far. I love Grandia's combat, and P4 is solid and fun even though I have some issues with it. On one hand there's some cool skills in Grandia and managing the enemies is crucial to victory. In Persona, you have a bajillion demons to fuse to create teams and demons with skill sets to help tackle the challenging dungeons. I'm not sure how I'm going to vote yet, but it's still early.

    -Kel
    http://superdogphotos.com
  • Rya_ReisenderRya_Reisender Solipsist Snowflake Full Members
    edited July 2014
    Very easy for me as I think turn based battle systems are pretty boring by default. Grandia is so much better than Persona.
  • InstaTrentInstaTrent Opinion Guy RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    I'm just going to take a crack at writing what I like about both combat systems.

    Grandia II:

    - Turn-based battle system in real time
    - Choices based on time-to-execution (the IP gauge)
    - Time-to-execution based on power of special moves/magic
    - Combos (and group combos), cancels, special moves, and magic
    - Battlefield location important in determining whether attacks will connect
    - Millenia's uncontrollable rage sequences

    Persona 4:

    - Traditional turn-based approach
    - Exploitation of elemental damage + additional moves
    - Dependence on Analysis or just trying different things
    - MP and HP depleting maneuvers
    - All-Out Attacks
    - Post-battle Shuffle Time

    I dunno. I love both games, but in terms of battle systems I feel like Grandia II has more going on.
    "To tell you the truth, I like drinking tea and eating fresh vegetables, but that doesn't fit with my super-cool attitude. I guess I have to accept this about myself."
  • MacstormMacstorm Ysy St. Administrators
    edited July 2014
    At this point I feel like everyone's given great details about both games. I'm just going to briefly brainstorm what I like about each system.

    Grandia II is action packed, yet still turn-based enough to be great. Persona 4 Golden is easily the best of the Persona 3/4 games in terms of how the battle system works.

    Grandia II is hurt by being older and not as memorable to me. Persona 4 Golden is hurt by bosses feeling like HP sponges.

    Hmm...
    "The universe is already mad. Anything else would be redundant."
    Twitter @FinalMacstorm
  • 7thCircle7thCircle Proofer of the Realm RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    Past matches have gone over the differences between P3 and P4 in detail, but I'm curious what sets Grandia II apart from similar systems? I've played Penny Arcade 3 and 4, and Child of Light. What did Grandia II do better than those three games? Or did the later games refine the system, but not by much and Grandia II is the most widely played game to use this system?
    The lesson here is that dreams inevitably lead to hideous implosions.
  • MacstormMacstorm Ysy St. Administrators
    edited July 2014
    That's a good question, one I wish I could answer...but I really couldn't tell you the fine differences between them. I bet werezompire could.

    PS: We might have to extend voting a day if no one is ready to decide by tonight. ;)
    "The universe is already mad. Anything else would be redundant."
    Twitter @FinalMacstorm
  • OcelotOcelot is not declawed Full Members
    edited July 2014
    I...um...errr.....

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0dy45go24Xcbb1vdidR8Q5BcdxbKMF6HCYDbdb_wy6Ta41QKk

    Vote: PERSONA!

    Just went with my gut on this one.
    Becky Cunningham, Happy Snappy RPGamer Alum
    Twitter: BeckyCFreelance
  • MacstormMacstorm Ysy St. Administrators
    edited July 2014
    Way to...pull the trigger...on that one. :)
    "The universe is already mad. Anything else would be redundant."
    Twitter @FinalMacstorm
  • Anna Marie PrivitereAnna Marie Privitere Purr RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    You're both terrible people, LOL XD
  • ClephasClephas Member Full Members
    edited July 2014
    I am interested to see which side the staff takes... I'd prefer to see Grandia II win, because this is about battle systems, rather than gameplay as a whole (where the persona fusion issue comes up). However, since the end result is yall's decision and the info about what each has to offer is already available as ingredients for a decision...
  • WheelsWheels RPGamer Staff RPGamer Staff
    edited July 2014
    This decision is un-bear-able

    tumblr_mnjsg0Mdbq1rzkxhio1_400.gif
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This discussion has been closed.