So I just discovered bonus box is a thing. An extra twenty missions to complete, it would seem.

Is this game endless?

This game sounds sick...

If you have ever played Ghost Recon Shadow Wars/Advance Wars or Valkyria Chronicles, don't worry about what the right thing to do is. It teaches you how to play really well, and 40 hours later you will wonder how you ever missed this series before.

Like me.

I think I'm on like 45 hours now. :o

Am I the only one disappointed that you don't control units with the stylus like later Advance Wars? I guess it's the only way for the 3d effect to be on, but still....

Completed the first 2 missions and loving it though.

Side mission 2 was put to bed early this morn after a few sporadic goes during the week.  Imagine my horror that the ally I have been working so hard to keep alive on the hopes that she would join up, did not.  No idea why I thought she would, just had a feeling.  I would of nailed that level hours ago if I had known different.  No deaths, but Lon'qu's sword bit the dust.   He is atm, half a bad ass till I get him a new toy.

Just glad to be back on the story shiz for now.

Yeah, on it breaking I thought I would do a little more research into repairs etc, seems the golden rule is, if you got a fav decent weapon, save the mofo till you really need that crit bonus for some hardcore enemies.  One man army Freds killer lance has been put into storage.  Oh well, live & learn.

Just a quick question, is there a finite number of units you are given? Is it possible to be painted into a corner once most of your units are killed? Only asking because I've already lost a member!

Fuck chapter 7 & it's...

Chapter 11 is gonna be a real challenge.  Only had 4 goes at it, but cant decide if offence or defence is the best way to go.  I have survived longer going defence & soaking it up, but once the enemy mages get into position it(well rather my decision making) goes to shit, It is a full on onslaught by the enemy, there is f'in tons.

Forging from what little I know allows your weapons to have a higher chance of a crit.  Not really used it to be honest, though I am sure I will at some point.

Lon'qu now has a new killing Edge, but is second place in the badass stakes.  Panne now sits on the badass throne.  Love her soundbites.

After searching the local indies with no luck(didn't think I would get one, but you never know) I now have the OG GBA game on my phone.  Not as sexy as if it was being played on my micro, but beggers cant be...

Hard/classic is the way.

Well chapter 11 dusted but with 2 deaths, so its back to the drawing board.  Did not restart as I wanted a reccy on how the rest of the map played out.  One death I would of probably took(bringing my total to 3 for the campaign, those 2 at the very beginning would of been spared if I had my game head on), as its full on war that level, but the second death was lil' Ricky, not losing my strongest mage.

With 10 chapters done & 4 side missions the game clock is just shy of 5 hours.  Checking the activity log & it reads just approaching 30 hours, that is a chunk of restarts.

62 hours, and about to start what I assume is the final mission unless there's more exposition to be had.

I am also finding it tough specs.  I played upto chapter 6 on normal & I was cruising it, no challenge. Def getting my dolla worth now.

About to try chapter 11 again, though if I am honest, the lessons learned from my reccy/suicide run are telling I may need to grind up a little more as the main enemy on that level stinks of being a terminator.

Love everything about this game except, when an enemy scores a crit against YOU!  That's a hard thing to take.

Fuck it.  Two more attempts ending in failure.  Grind it is.

I'm on the verge of posting early findings

ok, 

HOLY FUCK!!! This could be one of the best games i've ever played. Not only is it brutal but its also massive. There seems to be so much depth. The game is so different to SS (Sacred Stones), in SS you could send Seth out on his lonesome I suppose a bit like F*******. But in that game he could win a whole battle by himself. The main units have been nerfed in this.

The whole talk/bonding thing is actually working now too. It was in SS but was kinda difficult to track or understand. Now its alot more overt and I think thats a good thing. It really means that you have to plan not just a couple of units but constantly move EVERYONE in a battle formation which maximises multiple attacks. 

To be honest i've not paired up much unless in desperation. I've not really seen a value to it yet unlike in the previous game. In the previous game the picked up character became practically invincible but the holder was more under threat as they were slower and took bigger damage. Looks similar in Awakening. 

Then there's the forge stuff, only realised you can start boosting each line up. Not sure how that works though if that weapon runs out? Does it carry to next time they pick up (for instance) a iron lance or something? Seems an expensive levelling system if it doesn't carry to the next time the character gets the same weapon. Might come in handy when you have a level A or S rank weapon and are taking on the final bosses. 

Downloaded the map packs but haven't played them yet. Got my first streetpass with content so got some freebies which was fucking dope. 

Put together a team for future SP's now. Not sure how that mechanism works though. 

Then I downloaded some random battles? Where some of the units i'm fighting are going to be rock fucking solid!! Can't even beat the first/weakest group yet. I'm surrounded at the start and haven't really got a plan. 

I wonder if ..(warning big potential spoiler)