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Mini-update: Farland Franchise discussion
(Once again, all of this information has been translated from a Chinese fan site and whatever other information I could find on the internet as I have only played FS1, FS2, and I think at least one of the Farland Odyssey games. As none of these games have official English titles, I translated all of them to the best of my ability. If you guys have any interest in seeing LPs of these games, let me know--but given that these are very old games and I might not be able to buy or find copies to install, and if I do need to shell out money I'm going to have to ask for donations because I'm pretty much broke.)
Like I mentioned in the first post, Farland has a long history, and though most of them don't stray very far from the general formula of "Ragtag Bunch of Heroes Meet, Fight Threats, Save the World" they still have their charm.
Farland Story: Stories from a Distant Country
First published: 1993
Platforms: PC98, PC-FX, Super Famicom
Genre: Turn-based strategy (top-down view, alternating allied/enemy turns, engaging units shows a close-up animation a la Fire Emblem/Advance Wars/etc.)
Plot synopsis: Overcome by ambition, the Queen killed the King and captured a summoner named Ferio in an attempt to call the demon king into the world. It's up to the young prince Ark and his merry band of misfits to shatter the Queen's ambitions and save Farsaria.
Additional comments: As you can see from the screencaps, the Almighty Protagonist Headband gained its origins all the way back in this game.
Farland Story 2: King Ark's Crusade
First published: 1994
Platforms: PC98, FX, SFC
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: Shortly after becoming king, Ark's Sword of Plot Importance gets stolen by the enemy, so Ark goes on the warpath to get it back and save the world.
Farland Story: the Four Seals
First published: 1996
Platforms: Windows, Playstation (1)
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: A remake/rerelease of Farland Story 1 and 2 in one package, with slightly updated graphics and voice acting.
Farland Story: Tears of an Angel
First published: 1994
Platform: PC98
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: Not sure, as this game was not localized into Chinese, but it still takes place in the Farsaria kingdom and stars Ark and company.
Additional comments: Kazue Yamamoto, who was also the character designer for Dance of Destruction, Silver Wings, The Bonds of the Earth, The Inheritance of the Gods, as well as Farland Saga 1 and Farland Saga 2, made her debut here.
Farland Story: Dance of Destruction
First published: 1995
Platforms: SFC, Sega Staturn
Plot synopsis: Still the Farsaria kingdom, but this time the threat is from the Vardeath empire, and the protagonist is Riard, son of emperor Reid, who is running away from home with his childhood best friend Sarina so she (skilled in the Dance of Destruction) won't be used as a weapon of war.
Farland Story: Silver Wings
First published: 1994
Platform: PC98
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: This time, the Almighty Protagonist Headband goes to completely ordinary everyman Phil, on the run from an evil empire along with talking duck Weil and pixie girl Glass. This is also a game I haven't played so that's about as much information I can find in Chinese. (There's a Let's Play of the Japanese version here, if you care to take a look.)
Farland Story: The Bonds of the Earth
First published: 1995
Platform: PC98
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: Rebellious Princess Kashina has decided that she'd rather run away from home than be forced into a political marriage to seal a peace treaty. Given that this is a JRPG, this ends up saving the world anyway. (This game has also been Let's Played in Japanese.)
Farland Story: The Inheritance of the Gods
First published: 1995
Platform: PC98
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: The Great Thief Gray quickly finds himself in over his head when he tries to steal a MacGuffin and ends up embroiled in a plot that spans the fate of the world.
Additional comments: According to the blogger, Sorel from Farland Saga 2 originates from this game.
Farland Story: The Beast King's Testimony
First published: 1995
Platform: PC98
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: Fantasy racism causes man and beast to be at war with one another in a never-ending cycle of violence. They have a fight; everybody loses.
Additional comments: According to the blogger, this game is where "the Kansai dialect is a holy dialect" gag originated.
Farland Story: The Capital of the Mad God
First published: 1996
Platform: Windows
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: Humanity hits peak oil magic energy and start a mad race for some other fuel to run their advanced societies.
Additional comments: Features cameos from The Inheritance of the Gods and The Beast King's Testimony, suggesting that these three games take place in the same world.
Farland Saga
First published: 1996
Platform: Windows
Genre: Isometric turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: The blog gives away a few screenshots that don't make that much sense out of context and names playable characters (as well as a handful of villains), but otherwise doesn't spoil; still, please read this LP for details!
Farland Saga 2: The Signposts of Time
First published: 1997
Platforms: Windows, SS, PS (1)
Genre: Isometric turn-based strategy
Plot synopsis: Second verse, same as the first.
Farland Odyssey: Those Who Continue the Legend
First published: 1999
Platform: Windows
Genre: Rogue-lite (I think; I never bothered to test what happens if your entire party wipes in a dungeon, and it doesn't hide information from the player, but otherwise it's very much a top-down turn-based dungeon crawler)
Plot synopsis: A young man named Ark decides to start a life of being a bounty hunter, being attracted to the prospect of wealth and prestige, but, just like his ancient namesake, soon gets swept up in a battle for the fate of the world.
Additional comments: Many staff members had left TGL by this point, including character designer Kazue Yamamoto.
Farland Odyssey 2: [My] Serenade to You
First published: 2000
Platform: Windows
Genre: Classic turn-based rpg (dungeons, encounters that start up a separate battle screens, etc.)
Plot synopsis: The trials and tribulations of Uni, a lady mercenary, in a war-torn land.
Farland Symphony
First published: 2002
Platform: Windows
Genre: Isometric turn-based strategy rpg (each unit moves at its own speed)
Plot synopsis: When his teacher goes missing after an attack, Adi sets out from the village where he grew up into the greater world.