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Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention

Box art
Information
Publisher(s)	Sega
Genre	Strategy
Platform(s)	Mega Drive/Genesis
Release Date(s)
1992

Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, more commonly referred to as Shining Force, is a 1992 turn-based strategy role-playing video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console and later re-released in Sega Smash Pack 2.

GameplayEdit

Shining Force is a turn-based tactical RPG. Battles take place in square grids, and each unit occupies 1 square. Units can belong to one of two sides: allies (controlled by the player) or enemies (controlled by the computer AI). Each unit can move up to a fixed amount of squares along the battlefield, determined by its Move statistic. Depending on its location relative to enemies and to allies, a unit also has the option to attack, cast a spell, use an item, search (if adjacent to a treasure chest), or stay and do nothing, all of which end the unit's turn. Some commands, such as equipping or dropping items, don't count as actions, and the character's turn is able to continue. The order of the turns is determined by the unit's agility score and a random seed. Units can use offensive actions, such as physical attacks or offensive magic, only on units belonging to the other side and can use supportive actions, such as healing magic, stat-enhancing magic, and items, only on units belonging to the same side.

As is most common for the RPG genre, units become stronger by fighting enemies or by performing other actions in battle, such as healing allies. These actions give the units experience points (EXP.), which allow them to gain levels. While the original Mega Drive/Genesis version only allows allied units to gain experience points, the 2004 remake for Game Boy Advance allows enemy and ally units alike to gain experience points. This change is consistent with the system used by many more recent strategy RPGs, such as Tactics Ogre or Final Fantasy Tactics.

In Shining Force, each allied unit is represented by a character with his or her own background and personality, much like in the Fire Emblem series. Although there are no "generic" units, except on the enemy side, many characters contribute little or nothing to the plot upon joining the player army.

Each allied unit also has a class, which defines a set of abilities for that unit and gives an idea of the spells and equipment they have access to. Once a unit reaches level 10, it can advance to a more capable class via an in-game mechanism called "promotion". A unit can be promoted at any level from 10 on up to the game's maximum unpromoted level, 20. Upon promotion the character's level resets to 1 and statistics are reduced by a fixed amount, although they begin higher if the character had been promoted at a higher level.

Battle goals for the player are fairly simple: kill all enemies, kill the enemies' leader, or (in some cases) advance to the town or landmark that the player's army is trying to reach. The enemy side wins when they manage to kill the player's leader, Max, or when the player chooses to escape the battle, either by casting Egress or (in some cases) by retreating to the town or landmark where the battle began. Even if the player army escapes or Max is killed, the player can recover allies and re-fight the same battle. Since the Force is allowed to maintain any experience and money that is obtained, regardless of the battle's outcome, the game is considerably easier than most strategy RPGs. Thus, there is no Game Over, and the player's army gets stronger even upon its defeat, although Max's death results in the player losing half of their money.

Unlike most games in the Shining Force series, Shining Force I also possesses an exploration mode that occurs outside of battle. This gameplay mode is essentially a Japanese-style traditional RPG game along the lines of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, although there are no labyrinths and few puzzles to solve. In this mode, the player's army is represented by Max, who is able to walk around, interact with the people and with the scenario, find treasure, buy equipment and items, outfit the army, and choose which of the army's other members will be used in battle.

PlotEdit

The game opens in the Kingdom of Guardiana, in the land of Rune. The protagonist, Max, is sent on a mission to prevent Darksol, who commands the hordes of Runefaust, from opening the Shining Path and resurrecting Dark Dragon. Along the way, Max recruits a number of allies to join the Shining Force. Opposing the Shining Force are foes such as Kane and King Ramladu, who were both corrupted by Darksol. Eventually Max forges the legendary Chaos Breaker, and uses it to reach the Castle of the Ancients, where Darksol plans to resurrect Dark Dragon.

In the game's final confrontation, a wounded Darksol sacrifices himself to release Dark Dragon. The Shining Force ultimately prevails, and Max seals away Dark Dragon using the Chaos Breaker. As the castle begins to crumble, Max teleports his allies to safety, while he stays behind. The other characters watch as the castle sinks back into the water, and Max is presumed dead. However, after the credits, it shows Max in a different land.

LocationsEdit

Rune - the continent in which the game takes place

The Land of Shining ForceEdit

CharactersEdit

Shining ForceEdit

Allies of the Force (NPC)Edit

BossesEdit

RacesEdit

Specific racesEdit

A number of individuals from generic races may also be any of a number of different classes in the Shining Force, and in other characters (often single individuals of a certain kind) their specific race is combined with their own specific class. Examples of specific races, not classes, include:

Specific races and classes combinedEdit

For detailed articles about these races and classes, see the classes section below. Examples of these include:

Birdman

ClassesEdit

Basic classesEdit

Swordsman or abbreviated in game to SDMN. This sword-orientated offensive class includes the human Max.
Priest or PRST - Magic users who specialize in healing and defense magic such as Khris, Gong, Lowe, and Torasu.
Knight or KNTE - Centaurs such as Arthur, Earnest, Mae, and Vankar.
Warrior or WARR - fighters of short stature yet hardy resolve who specialize in blunt instruments.
Mage - magic users who specialize in offensive magic, often calling on the elements or forces of nature.
Wolfman or WFMN - Beastmen such as Zylo.
Birdman or BDMN - flying warriors
Archer or ACHR - a range-based offensive class often seen in elves such as Hans or Diane.
Assault Knight - a range-based class of centaurs.
Wing Knight or WGKT - Kokichi
Magical Creature or MGCT - Domingo.
Steam Knight or STKT - Guntz.
Robot or RBT - Adam

Promoted ClassesEdit

Hero - the promoted version of Swordsman class
Vicar or VICR - the promoted version of the Priest class
Gladiator or GLDT - the promoted version of the Warrior class
Paladin or PLDN - the promoted version of the Knight class
Wizard or WIZ - the promoted version of the Mage class
Wolf Baron or WFMN - the promoted version of the Wolfman class
Bird Battler or BDBT - the promoted version of the Birdman class
Sniper or SNIP - the promoted version of the Archer class
Bow Knight or BWNT - the promoted version of the Rnager class
Samurai- there is no non-promoted class as Musashi comes already promoted