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{{Header Nav|game=The 7th Saga}}
{{Header Nav|game=The 7th Saga}}


== A very hard game ==
== The Story ==
'''The 7th Saga''' is known for its difficulty. It is not a role-playing video game for beginners. It can be hard even on an emulator. It requires a good amount of grinding, even more than early RPVGs for the NES like [[Final Fantasy 1]] and [[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest 1]].
The old king Lemele recruited seven apprentices from all over the world of Ticondera. After five years of training, the apprentices are ready to start their quest to collect seven magic Runes.


: '''Leveling up'''
You are one of those apprentices, and this is your story. But beware: the other six are looking for the Runes as well, and they'll try to get them by any means!
It is strongly recommended to be at least at Level 42 before the end of Chapter 9. That means that you should stop and grind at the beginning of every chapter to raise your level 4 times the chapter number, including the very beginning. That means: leave the first town at level 4, when you get to the beginning of Chapter 2 stop and grind up to level 8 (4x2), at the beginning of Chapter 3 grind to level 12 (4x3), and so on. Anyway, sometimes you'll meet powerful enemies that will force you to stop for extra grinding.


A very good grinding spot is in Chapter 3, where the Brains enemies not only are worth a good amount of gold and experience points, but they also are the only source of Life Recovery items, that cannot be obtained anywhere else (except for occasional chests and an enemy in the very last chapter).
== Introduction ==
In '''''The 7th Saga''''' (originally '''''Elnard''''') you control a hero and a team of just two adventurers in a quest across the fantasy world of Ticondera. During the game, the party members can progressively acquire several weapons and armors, but also many other items and a wide array of spells.


: '''Items, magic and runes'''
''The 7th Saga'' is a role-playing video game. Specifically, it belongs to the sub-genre of Japanese-style RPVGs.
The effects of items, magic spells and Runes are similar or even identical. That's not lack of creativity; on the contrary, it is a stimulus for careful planning. You will need to use all three of them (items, magic and Runes), because even when they have the same effect, each one has advantages and disadvantages:
* Magic spells can be used until the character runs out of Magic Points (MP);
* Items require gold (G) to be purchased, and you can carry only up to nine of the same;
* Runes can be used unlimited times without MP consumption, but they can be lost or stolen (and they definitely will!), therefore learn not to rely too much on them.


Before advancing from town to town, or from town to dungeon, make sure you have 7/8 of each available item. Not 9, because you can find items in chest, and you can't afford to waste anything. When you're advancing in enemy-infested areas, use this priority list:
Three aspects that can define the genre of RPGs are listed here, and they apply to ''The 7th Saga'' as well:
# use magic spells until your character runs out of MP; if your character learned the ''MP-Catcher'' spell, cast it a lot;
# Text is an essential part of the game, and the characters have to talk and interact with non-evil characters to proceed in the adventure;
# use Magic Herbs to replenish MP; use just one at a time, or two if you need lots of healing, because many enemies can steal your MP;
# There are permanent upgrades, in the form of enhancements of the various attributes of the characters (attack, strength, magic etc.);
# when you are low on both MP and M. Herbs, start using the other menu items; items are more expensive than the MP provided by Magic Herbs;
# There is freedom of exploration, all the areas are connected by an "overworld", and areas that have been previously cleared can usually be re-visited; in other words, the game is non-linear.
# when you are low on menu items as well, start using the Runes; at this point it's probably better to teleport back to a town, where you can rest and save.


Of course, you should definitely adjust this priority list according to individual situations.
Japanese-style RPVGs like ''The 7th Saga'' focus more on the plot, while American-style RPVGs focus more on exploration and "body-building" of the characters. Nevertheless, all three aspects are present in every RPG.


 
== Gameplay basics ==
== Area types ==
{{sect-stub}}
=== Area types ===
There are three modes of play: safe area, enemy-infested area, and in-battle.
There are three modes of play: safe area, enemy-infested area, and in-battle.


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Gaining experience results in attaining levels which improve a character's skill. Buying better weapons and armor with the money improves a character's fighting ability. Note that due to space constraints, the names most equipment you obtain are severely abbreviated.
Gaining experience results in attaining levels which improve a character's skill. Buying better weapons and armor with the money improves a character's fighting ability. Note that due to space constraints, the names most equipment you obtain are severely abbreviated.


===Saving the game===
You can only save your game at the inns that are found in every town.
== Similar games ==
''The 7th Saga'' is one of three games made by [[Produce]] & [[Enix]] for the [[SNES]]. The three together can be referred to as the '''"Elnard Trilogy"'''.
* [[Brain Lord]] has a different gameplay from the other two games; anyway, it shares some plot elements with them, including the name of some characters;
* [[Mystic Ark]] is commonly considered the real sequel of ''The 7th Saga'';
* A fourth game, [[Mystic Ark: Maboroshi Gekijo]] was made for [[PS1]], but very little is known about it outside Japan.
''The 7th Saga'' shares elements with many other RPGs, especially those where the player controls a team of characters and where there is clear separation between white and black magic. Some famous examples are the following:
* The [[:Category: Dragon Quest|Dragon Quest]] series, starting from the third episode;
* The [[:Category: Final Fantasy|Final Fantasy]] series;
* The [[:Category: Seiken Densetsu|Seiken Densetsu]] series.


==Saving the game==
You can only save your game at the inns that are found in every town.




{{Footer Nav|game=The 7th Saga|prevpage=|nextpage=Controls}}
{{Footer Nav|game=The 7th Saga|prevpage=|nextpage=Controls}}

Revision as of 11:42, 26 June 2013

The Story

The old king Lemele recruited seven apprentices from all over the world of Ticondera. After five years of training, the apprentices are ready to start their quest to collect seven magic Runes.

You are one of those apprentices, and this is your story. But beware: the other six are looking for the Runes as well, and they'll try to get them by any means!

Introduction

In The 7th Saga (originally Elnard) you control a hero and a team of just two adventurers in a quest across the fantasy world of Ticondera. During the game, the party members can progressively acquire several weapons and armors, but also many other items and a wide array of spells.

The 7th Saga is a role-playing video game. Specifically, it belongs to the sub-genre of Japanese-style RPVGs.

Three aspects that can define the genre of RPGs are listed here, and they apply to The 7th Saga as well:

  1. Text is an essential part of the game, and the characters have to talk and interact with non-evil characters to proceed in the adventure;
  2. There are permanent upgrades, in the form of enhancements of the various attributes of the characters (attack, strength, magic etc.);
  3. There is freedom of exploration, all the areas are connected by an "overworld", and areas that have been previously cleared can usually be re-visited; in other words, the game is non-linear.

Japanese-style RPVGs like The 7th Saga focus more on the plot, while American-style RPVGs focus more on exploration and "body-building" of the characters. Nevertheless, all three aspects are present in every RPG.

Gameplay basics

This section is a stub. Help us expand it, and you get a cookie.

Area types

There are three modes of play: safe area, enemy-infested area, and in-battle.

When the player is in a safe area, usually in a town, he/she can walk around as much as they want. The player can talk to non-player characters (NPCs), buy and sell items, search for hidden items, and rest at an inn. Also the player may duel the other characters, or even convince one to assist in the search for the runes.

When the player is in an enemy-infested area, the Magic Crystal item in the top-left appears. That crystal shows where enemies are, where cities and dungeons are, and where a rune is located. If a white dot gets too close to the center, a battle will break out. The player must move around quickly while grabbing chests and finding the way, since the enemies are always getting closer.

When the player is in battle, the perspective shows the character and ally, if any, from behind looking at one to three enemies. The player then select a command and take turns with the enemy and ally. The player can attack, defend, cast a spell, use an item, or run. If the player wins, his/hers character gets experience points and gold. If he loses, half of his/her money will be gone. If the player loses to one of the other main characters, his/her rune will be taken by that character. One common tactic before talking to a potential playable ally is to save the game first, then to talk to see if that character is hostile, and if he/she is, reset the game.

Gaining experience results in attaining levels which improve a character's skill. Buying better weapons and armor with the money improves a character's fighting ability. Note that due to space constraints, the names most equipment you obtain are severely abbreviated.

Saving the game

You can only save your game at the inns that are found in every town.

Similar games

The 7th Saga is one of three games made by Produce & Enix for the SNES. The three together can be referred to as the "Elnard Trilogy".

  • Brain Lord has a different gameplay from the other two games; anyway, it shares some plot elements with them, including the name of some characters;
  • Mystic Ark is commonly considered the real sequel of The 7th Saga;
  • A fourth game, Mystic Ark: Maboroshi Gekijo was made for PS1, but very little is known about it outside Japan.

The 7th Saga shares elements with many other RPGs, especially those where the player controls a team of characters and where there is clear separation between white and black magic. Some famous examples are the following: