#dark crystal age of resistance tactics

[oz-the-sorcerer]

Kylan in his TACTICS outfits

.

.

(he can tecnically wear every outfit present in game but these are the ones he wears up until the song teller one so i drew them...except for the mender outfit, the mender outfit sucks :D)

#here have your eyes and soul cleansed by his beauty #the man's is the strongest spell caster in my party #his MP never runs out lmaoo #the dark crystal #the dark crystal age of resistance #the dark crystal age of resistance tactics #tdc #tdc aor #tdc tactics #kylan #wise kylan #kylan the song teller

[miloscat]

[Review] The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: Tactics (PC)

A decent tactics RPG if a bit buggy.

The spinoff prequel show to Jim Henson's 1982 fantasy adventure The Dark Crystal was, like the film itself, a brilliant showcase of puppeteering, production design, and worldbuilding. Like many shows on their service, Netflix did not renew it for another series to follow up on its lingering plot threads, but they did at least commission a tie-in game from American studio BonusXP, who had previously made two Stranger Things games for them before shutting down mid-last year. The only other Dark Crystal game was a Sierra text adventure, which got a highly abbreviated browser-based remaster around the time of the show's broadcast.

As an adaptation of the show, the large cast and themes of rebellion and questing lend themselves well to a tactical RPG, although the reality of this game feels a bit restricted, with compact maps and characters usually limited to four or five per stage. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as I appreciated the manageable scope; I don't have a huge amount of experience with this genre but I know how bloated Wesnoth scenarios can get. The setup for this game is square grids with no zone of control, turn order dictated by a dynamic action timeline, and experience and gear gained between levels. On top of equipment customisation, there's a job system where you can shuffle anyone into any role, although they need to get experience in that job to unlock skills and advance to new sub-jobs.

The character roster again could be considered limited, with a final total of 14 selectable characters (although others join as temporary allies in various scenarios). About half are from the show with the others being OCs who fit in well enough. Most of them are Gelfling, who have the most developed job system with three broad categories of soldiers, scouts, and mages who get further specialised as you progress. Apart from them there are two Podlings and two Fizzgigs, who all have a smaller job pool but can usefully fill niches on your team.

The key art depicts the urRu urVa, but they only appear in one mission as an NPC, and the game's store blurb mentions "familiar faces from the classic film" which is just an outright lie, unless they mean broadly the races and creatures of Thra seen in the film... but I won't concede that. Lacking these kinds of surprise bonus characters, a broader array of the show's cast, or other types of creatures for the playable cast like Arathim or Lore, was a disappointment but I have to accept the realities of a likely budget development and to be fair I had loads of possible characters lingering on the bench anyway given the scale of the battles.

My core team was Deet, for me a versatile offense/healing caster, Brea, a strong healer with other utility spells, Hup, who ended up a beast-summoner/debuffer, and Kylan, a dependable rogue-type. In the mid-late game I tried to switch them all into new basic roles to level into the high-end hybrid jobs, but starting from scratch at that point made them all too weak to get by so I just reverted to their existing specialities and went from there. I played on Normal and found the difficulty to be highly variable, some levels being a walk in the park where others kicked my arse. A few missions had specific objectives or required keeping plot characters alive such that they required quite a few restarts, and that's without the crashes...

I do have to mention the state of the game, which will likely never get an update thanks to the shuttering of the studio. At first I tried to run the Mac version, but it crashed on launch without fail. The PC version at least runs, but had a tendency to crash repeatedly during certain missions. This would lose my progress in that level, since there is no ability to save mid-level (which would also have helped in the more demanding scenarios). A couple of times the game also went into a state of intermittent hanging or stuttering, and for a few of the character jobs it would reliably fail to remember my skill choices, so that I would only be able to fill two out of three available ability slots. Pretty frustrating!

The plot of the game broadly follows the show, although it skips quickly through the first half and the pace slows down for the later episode events. But this is fine, as the two mediums are very different and this works for the pace of the game. I liked when things opened up late in the game and there were a lot of sidequests and scenarios that expanded on events unseen in the show, like doing requests for each of the various Gelfling clans to win their support. The enemies consist of other Gelflings who use the same job system you do, Arathim, and Darkening-afflicted creatures, with a few Podlings and Skeksis boss fights thrown in for good measure... I was kind of expecting Garthim to show up, but I guess they really only appear in a late cliffhanger in the show.

In some senses the game works well as a tie-in to the show, but there are limits to how one is able to capture the charms of the puppetry and production design in a budget 3D video game. Apparently the range of movement of the in-game models is accurate to the puppets themselves, but rendering the characters the way they have, while necessary, does lose something, not to mention the world being built of square tiles for gameplay purposes gives the environments something of an artificial feel. You also sadly lose the show's all-star voice cast, as the game is entirely unvoiced. There are nice hand-drawn cutscenes from time to time which I would compare favourably to the better Dark Crystal comics, but they're few and far between.

Given the technical issues I had in my playthrough I find this game hard to recommend, but I did enjoy the customisation, the strategy of the battles, and the little expansions on the show's story. This definitely works best as a supplement to the show though, as it doesn't do much to flesh out the characters, assuming that the player is familiar with them. It's something to treasure in that it's a rare game based on this marvellous but niche Henson property... just don't expect too much.

#the dark crystal #the dark crystal age of resistance tactics #jim henson #bonusxp #review #pc

[theworldofthedarkcrystal]

Deet, Dark Crystal Tactics

#dark crystal tactics #the dark crystal #dark crystal #the dark crystal age of resistance #deet #screenshot #video game #merchandise

[octodoctor]

Best Dads!!!!!!

#Skekgra #Urgo #Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics

[thebibliomancer]

Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics liveblog pt 6

The Crystal Desert kind of grinds this liveblog into wheel spinning for a while.

The game expands one meeting with the Dousan and one funeral into four plot missions to prove yourself to Rek’yr individually and the Dousan collectively. The desert also has a bunch of new non-random encounter level/money grinding missions.

So I’m at a point where as a savvy watcher of the show, I know that the Heretic and Wanderer are the next big plot point but the game wants me to beat up things in a desert for a while first.

---

The Nest: Drifting Dunes

"The Dousan have asked the heroes to help rid their lands of a pack of Darkened Nurlocs"

I kind of feel bad murdering all these animals with super fantasy rabies when the show itself took a more compassionate approach to the concept.

Buuuut the Dousan won't scratch my back all the way to the circle of the suns unless I scratch theirs so whoops here we go attacking wildlife.

So I don't have to use Rek'yr here so I won't. He started off higher level than some of my guys. That will not stand. Instead we have good pal Gurjin, also good friend Kylan, good sister Naia, one of my original friends Breg who I sort of forgot about for a bit, and other original friend Alyadon.

Rian probably is sitting in the party waiting room wondering whether he's still the protagonist.

Nope, its Gurjin.

.... welp.

Hello unit called Nurloc Young who we have to beat to death before they can call for their mothers.

I killed the baby worms but I didn't like it.

And also the rest of the wildlife.

---

Woo rewards. Kylan learned Adrenaline. I thought that's something that people just. Sort of did automatically. But there we go.

Apparently its a passive that lets Kylan move an extra tile when under 50% HP. Which, yeah, that sounds like Adrenaline.

And Gurjin learns Deafening Roar. Hell yeah, Gurjin.

It lets him inflict silence on all adjacent units for three turns. Are we sure this is a Stone Warden ability and not a Librarian ability? Oh, right. Brea killed them all...

Oh! Opened up two non-random random encounters. Drifting Dunes "Fight a challenge to test your mettle" and Windy Cliffs "Fight a challenge to test your mettle." Huh. Lot of proving going on in this desert.

I should already be talking to a delightful Heretic and here I am trying to win hearts and minds.

---

Well, might as well do some non-random encounters and see whats up with them. Surely not a bar fight in the middle of the desert, right?

Windy Cliffs: Encounter

Time for Breg, Alyadon, Rek'yr, Brea and Boggi to get some extra proving in before dinner.

I have to beat up several Dousan to prove myself? Havent we been over this?? There's not going to be any Dousan to join the great gelfing alliance at this rate! I'll have beaten them all up to prove myself to them!

Okay. Wow. Maybe I did need to prove myself. Those dern Dousan paladins can sling a mean rock. They killed poor, sweet Alyadon!

Although the really annoying part of the level is that the windy cliffs are windy and one of the enemies got blown to the bottom of the cliffs and I had to climb down to beat him up. You'd think a fall from a cliff would make him less eager for fights but this is The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics

Nothing stops these Gelfling from beating each other up.

Oof. My reward for beating a non-random encounter is that I unlocked another non-random encounter at Crystal Desert Outskirts where I have to, you guessed it, test my mettle.

Well here we go.

---

Crystal Desert Outskirts

This encounter has a bunch of Gelfling thieves so I think this is less about proving my mettle and more about the Dousan trying to murder and rob me.

Rude.

Time for Alyadon again (since she got knocked out last time), Rek'yr again, Hup yay, Deet, and Gurjin.

One of the spawning spots for my party is way on the other side of the map separated from the rest of the friends by all the enemies. I'm convinced that this is a mugging.

Yeeeeeah. I lost.

Its all Gelfling thieves getting two turns to my turns and picking my guys off with bolas. It went suuper bad. I ended up with Gurjin vs their last guy and I tried healing but he got to attack twice to Gurjin's one very slow turn.

I guess I proved my mettle was bad...

Tried again with Alyadon, Rek'yr, Kylan, Boggi, and Rian.

This time went a lot better, what with packing the team full of the faster peeps. Try and rob me, I'll show you whats what.

And to the victor (me) go the spoils (sweet new moves)

Alyadon got Maneuver. I'm terrible at using simple buffs though. Rek'yr got Daring Strike which attacks a Marked and Poisoned target which is a level of synergy I don't know if I'm capable of. But wow that possible damage. And Kylan gets Eye Shot, in which he shoots someone in the eye. Geez, Kylan.

---

And for the final not-random encounter mission. Time to test my mettle at the Drifting Dunes. The previous testing my mettle did not count.

At least this time its Arathim instead of Dousan. Don't know what they're doing out in the desert. Working on their spider tans.

I feel awkward about killing the Arathim when they're meant to be my friends. Gurjin will hug the crap out of them. But later.

Although. Some of these beefy spider units are called Arathim Devourers and that gives me a scare.

Hup (and nurloc friend), Deet, Gurjin, Naia, and Breg lets gooooo

Its my policy to take my lowest level people into non-random encounters, for they need the execution points more. And its only a level difference generally. Got to keep everyone roughly even.

Boom. Compared to the previous non-random with the thieves, this was straightforward. Mettle tested.

And! Deet learned Overthink hah, Naia learned Edged Slice, Breg learned Daring Strike, and Gurjin learned Bandage. Don't know why he only learned how to do that at this point in his life but I'll take it! This was a good spider beating day for learning new moves.

---

Hopefully in the next chunk of game, I’ll finally get to the Heretic and the Wanderer.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #dark crystal age of resistance tactics #THE GAME #liveblog #i just want to get to the fireworks factory #but i also can't resist shiny things on maps

[kittenderly]

Is there a more powerful combo than Encouraging Yap and Ultimate Solo 2? Pombo and Boggi make a good team - together they can do an attack that hurts every enemy on the field, and heals every ally. It’s super useful, and I spam the shit out of it, lol. 

#dark crystal #age of resistance #dark crystal age of resistance tactics #pombo #boggi

[geekcavepodcast]

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics “Heroes of the Resistance” Trailer

Publisher En Masse Entertainment has released a trailer for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, based on Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. 

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics releases to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One devices, and PC in late 2019.

#dark crystal age of resistance tactics #dark crystal age of resistance #dark crystal #en masse entertainment #netflix #nintendo switch #ps4 #xbox one #pc #TGCLiz

[imagin8]

OMG OMG OMG it's here!!!!! 🤩 I waited so long for this, and it was worth the wait! I already played some of the game on my brother's Xbox, but now I get to play it all by myself on the switch :) the fizzgig is really soft and fits in your hand and the art is beautiful!

And with my Name day coming up this is a beautiful early present!

#the dark crytsal: age of resistance #the dark crystal #age of resistance #age of resistance tactics #video games #nintendo #special edition #fizzgig #gelfling

[punkcalf-art]

Hi everyone!

Since I could use both the space and the money I'm selling my entire book and game collection.

Shipping will be from Europe, payment via PayPal.

All these were bought to collect meaning that they never been read or played.

Please DM me for details as I am not comfortable sharing my location pwp- feel free to rb this. Everything will be shipped with a track and trace code.

#the dark crystal #the dark crystal merchandise #merchandise #tdc #the dark crystal age of resistance #tdc aor #age of resistance #creation myths #beneath the dark crystal #power of the dark crystal #the dark crystal tactics #song of the seven gelfing clans #the dark crystal bestiary #the world of the dark crystal #the epic return to thra #the dark crystal ya books

[sifanjewel]

I GOT IT!!!

I know it said it won’t come for another couple months or so but OH MY GOD I GOT IT!! YES!!

#dark crystal #age of resistance #dark crystal age of resistance #dark crystal tactics

[jojoseames]

Been playing The Dark Crystal: Tactics, and there’s a level where you’re up against the General...and also some hollerbats, who are labeled “General’s pet”, and I am absolutely delighted by the implications of those two little words!

Ink & Digital, 10 x 13 inches JoJo Seames, 2020

#the dark crystal #the dark crystal: age of resistance #the dark crystal: age of resistance: tactics #skekvar #skekvar the general #hollerbat #skeksis #art #illustration #digital art #jojo seames

[oz-the-sorcerer]

I'm in the Tactics hell again after so long. And currently drawing Kylan in all of his outfits 👀

Don't know how they will turn out but I'm pretty excited!

#the dark crystal #kylan #the dark crystal tactics #wise kylan #the dark crystal age of resistance #im back with my cursed kylan content hi lol

[the-stonewood-drenchen]

Me: *just getting off work* "omg I'm so exhausted. I'mma take a nap."

My Brain, knowing damn well I'm just gonna boot up the ps4 to play Age of Resistance Tactics: "You are a lying whore..."

#the dark crystal #the dark crystal: age of resistance #i have too many blogs #thra #ps4 #gamer #age of resistance tactics

[theworldofthedarkcrystal]

“Welcome Clever Brea, [...] Proud All-Maudra, Fierce Naia, Wise Kylan, and Gurjin.”

“...that’s it?  just - Gurjin?”

#dark crystal tactics #chamberlain #The Dark Crystal #Dark Crystal #gurjin #the dark crystal age of resistance #video game #merchandise #screenshot

[babycharmander]

Question: Has anyone ripped the models from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics?

skekSil in particular?

#skeksil #the dark crystal #the dark crystal age of resistance #the dark crystal age of resistance tactics

[thebibliomancer]

Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics liveblog pt 5

HEY! We're finally out of the flashback zone and into the arbitrarily chosen present!

In this stretch of video games, violence is the universal language of peace and brotherhood. For some reason.

Journey into the Desert

Crystal Desert Outskirts

HEY! We're out of the flashback zone and into the arbitrarily chosen present. In this part of the game plot, me and my peeps have to gain the trust of the Dousan Clan. By beating the shit out of them? Maybe.

Yup. Yup. In order to gain their trust, I'm going to beat the crap out of them.

Hope Rek'yr doesn't hold a grudge.

Its more Advance Wars level prove yourself through violence. Desert is dangerous so if we can't beat up some Dousan then clearly we'll never be able to beat up the desert.

I'm kicking his ass pretty badly actually so stick that in your pants and smoke it, Rek'yr. I'm totally able to survive a video game desert.

But he's summoning more guys partway in. Not cool, Rek'yr. Nobody said we could phone a friend.

Rek'yr, lying face down in the sand "Ah, well done! You are fierce warriors indeed!"

I think he just told me to do sidequests to unlock the plot.

I'm pretty sure he did it for free in the show because he liked Brea's funeral throwing skills.

---

I have since finished the netflix series. Good times, good times. Now I don't have to worry about getting ahead of the plot in the video game.

I've also managed to accidentally learn more about Kylan between then and now and I have become error. My boy Kylan should be a bard. And I don't know if there's time to course correct. We'll see.

Anyway, so time to do some sidequests to get the Dousan to trust me because there's no Press X to throw amazing funeral button prompt.

---

Desert Pilgramage

Rek'yr: "Princess, I can sense a deep sorrow within you. Have you suffered some sort of loss?"

Huh. I think I CAN press X to throw amazing funeral after all.

Rek'yr is inviting Brea plus some add ons to the Dousan burial grounds.

Where no doubt, we will do violence to gelfling or spiders.

Rek'yr: "Won't you please accompany me? A warmth such as yours would bring great comfort to a land so cold." Flirt!

Okay that wasn't a mission, that was a story segment that opened the real mission.

Wind along the Cliffs

Windy Cliffs

"Rek'yr has asked for the heroes' help crossing the desert to reach his family's burial grounds. First, they must brave the blustery cliffs."

Okay but who will I be beating up?

Huh! Not Gelfling or spiders! New enemy type? Windsifters who have been affected by the Darkening. Or I think new. I may have fought them in Brea's missions and forgotten since I didn't pause to fight much in the room under the throne.

And of course, many Darkened Nurlocs. They're so much smaller in the game than they are in the show.

So I have to bring Rek'yr but I'll also bring Brea since he invited her specifically. Boggi is going to invite himself along because he's puppy. And Deet is going to come to give Brea emotional support. And Hup is going to come to support Deet because I'm sad he got dropped out of the plot in the show and didn't get to be there for Deet.

Luckily, the mission objective is to just get three heroes to the exit and not let Rek'yr die. So I don't have to murder absolutely everything.

Rek'yr has a pretty good moveset. Swift Strike, Mark, Maneuver, Focus, Entangling Bola. He is also several levels below my party so I think maybe I've been overpreparing.

I can't believe Rek'yr is criticizing me for getting into unnecessary conflict instead of rushing towards the exit. Its like he hasn't even played this game.

Thank goodness I taught Deet to RAISE THE DEAD

Had to murder everything anyway because the level is narrow and the damage sponge enemies clogged it up.

The three heroes that crossed the finish line? Boggi, Brea, and Hup...'s pet nurloc.

In this way do we find closure for the dead.

Niiiice level ups all around except for Hup. Deet learned to Purge Rot. Maybe she'll learn to Purge Darkening. Brea learns Aughra's Ire. That sounds like a fun spell. And Boggi learns to chew on spells with Spellchew.

---

So I'mma switch Breg to Thief and Kylan to Tracker. Gotta get that sweet canon compliant bard Kylan.

So Purge Rot removes the poison status from an enemy. And makes them explode. DAMN DEET. Feels weirdly appropriate to have her learn this. And since she already has the Toxic Fumes ability, well it makes a good combo.

Spellchew lets Boggi eat buffs off of enemies. That is... amazing. I don't know that a lot of enemies use buffs so I don't know that I'll get a lot of use out of it.

And Aughra's Ire inflicts Magic Defense Down to targets in an area for five turns. Possibly by swearing. That's usually the form Aughra's Ire takes.

---

Uninvited Guests

Dousan Burial Grounds

"The heroes have reached the burial grounds, but it is overrun with darkened windsifters"

They're really expanding this part of the show with some beat up some things.

Well, at least we're already at the burial grounds. It'll be easy to clean up.

This time we got Hup again (he wants that lvl up), Gurjin because he's friend shaped, Kylan because he's cool, and Naia because she's here to kick ass and support her brother. Also, Rek'yr is here because he's trying to have a nice funeral party and monsters keep happening.

We actually don't have to murder everything. Just the Windsifter Matron.

=|

Well, Brea is here to mourn her own mother so its almost like. A metaphor? Assonance? Something?

Ok so I did just focus on beating a mother bat to death =( instead of indiscriminate slaughter. And its good ol' Hup whose guitar struck the final blow.

He needed revenge for his pet Nurloc who was summoned and died twice at the teeny claws of these bats.

Woo! Rewards! Hup gets his level up! And learned Feeding Time! I also get Rek'yr! I seem to recall that he doesn't really join the party in the show but that won't fly in video game. And neither will he. Except he might. Because the Dousan have flying beasts. I also got a Crystal Cutter which looks interesting.

---

You'd think that getting Rek'yr to join the party would be enough winning over the Dousan that they'd direct me to the Circle of the Suns but nope screw me I guess.

So Feeding Time lets me heal a friendly beast. Finally, Hup can do something next time his pet worm is being nibbled to death by bats.

And Crystal Cutter is the special dagger of the Dousan Clan. I should probably give this to Rek'yr. Who has jumped up several levels from joining my party. Teamwork really does make the dream work.

Hmm. Three more spaces on my party screen. I imagine one has to be Seladon. Dare I dream that another is Tavra? Who does that leave?

Checked out the new equipment but ooof way to expensive. The game doesn't give you a lot of money and I don't want to go back to barfighting when I already feel over-leveled.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #dark crystal age of resistance tactics #THE GAME #liveblog