The Shining Source

I forget whether or not Shining Force had this, and I know they had elemental resistance, but typically a lot of Strategy games, especially Fire Emblem, make it so if your flying units were to get whacked by an arrow, it'd either kill them in one or near enough to be finished off with a pansy with a celery stick.

To be honest, I never really quite understood the theory of that, other than to give them a severe disadvantage from being able to move so far/past walls/water etc. While arrows/guns whatever is the only things able to touch flying units when they are theoretically in the air except when they swoop to attack, they are never posed as being physically weaker than others (and typically get hit for the same amount of damage by a sword as anyone else; also breaking the theory that they are in the air).

I'm pondering whether to include this in my upcoming game, and if SF did do this, does anyone have any clue how they worked out the extra damage?

I know Shining Force 3 did this. From what I remember, it works like this:

Axes > Spears
Spears > Swords
Swords > Axes
Arrows > Flying Things
Ankhs > Undead

You were more likely to get critical hits and do special attacks when fighting something you're strong against. If fighting something strong against you, I think they were more likely to block or counter.

I think Wands were strong against other magic users, but can't quite remember. I haven't played for a while, so can't remember what the damage modification is. I might dig around on the emulator and see what I can figure out.

Thanks! I do remember now that SF3 had it, didn't it use some system in which each weapon (like swords, bows, axes etc) had 3 types? Some would have a ranged weapon like spears and throwing axes, but then there would be others like Halberds and Lances, small and great axes?