What Is Occidental Heroes?

Occidental Heroes is a tactical role-playing roguelike developed by Vladimir Jovanovic. The game focuses on managing a traveling company of adventurers across a hostile open world where every action carries risk. There are no easy resets or “safe” battles—if your team dies, the run is over.

The core design revolves around:

• Permanent character death
• Procedural or semi-dynamic encounters
• Strategic travel and resource planning
• Long-term company progression

Unlike typical RPGs, success is not about grinding endlessly but about surviving intelligently.

Key Features

Hardcore Tactical RPG System

• Turn-based combat with high lethality
• Permanent death for characters
• No hand-holding or safety nets
• Real consequences for every decision

Dynamic Adventure Company Management

• Recruit and manage multiple adventurers
• Assign roles and build synergy
• Retire characters to improve long-term progression
• Track company history through multiple runs

Open Exploration Gameplay

• Explore a dangerous “Occident” region
• Take quests from towns and factions
• Travel strategically between settlements
• Encounter unpredictable battles and events

Beginner’s Guide (Start Here)

1. Build a Balanced Starting Party

Your first company should always include:

• 1 tank/frontliner (high defense)
• 1 damage dealer (DPS focus)
• 1 utility/support character

Avoid building an all-offense team early. Survival matters more than speed.

2. Do NOT Accept Every Fight

One of the biggest beginner mistakes is over-fighting.

Instead:

• Avoid unnecessary battles early
• Pick fights you can win safely
• Retreat when needed

Remember: losing one character can ruin an entire run.

3. Learn the Map Progression Danger

Enemy difficulty increases depending on region.

• Early zones = safer for leveling
• Western areas = significantly harder encounters

Stick to safer zones until your company is stable.

4. Manage Quests Carefully

Not all quests are worth doing.

Prioritize:

• High reward escort missions (if safe)
• Simple combat quests
• Low-risk travel contracts

Avoid:

• Multi-combat chains early game
• Long-distance missions with weak party

Core Gameplay Walkthrough

Early Game (First Company Phase)

Step 1: Secure First Town Income

Start by:

• Taking easy local quests
• Fighting low-risk enemies
• Building initial gold reserves

Your goal is stability, not power.

Step 2: Upgrade Equipment Gradually

Do not overspend early.

Focus on:

• Basic armor upgrades
• Reliable weapons
• Essential supplies

Avoid luxury gear early on.

Step 3: Train Survivability Habits

Good habits include:

• Always checking enemy strength before fights
• Keeping a retreat option open
• Avoiding isolated enemies that can trap you

Mid Game (Company Growth Phase)

Step 4: Specialize Your Team

Now start defining roles:

• Tank builds (high armor, durability)
• DPS builds (crit or consistent damage)
• Hybrid utility units

Synergy becomes more important than raw stats.

Step 5: Expand Exploration Range

Once stable:

• Move into higher reward zones
• Take more complex quests
• Start exploring monasteries and remote areas

But always monitor risk vs reward.

Step 6: Handle Character Death Strategically

Death is part of the game loop.

Instead of panic:

• Replace fallen roles quickly
• Learn from failed encounters
• Adjust strategy per run

Late Game (High Risk Phase)

Step 7: Optimize Company Performance

At this stage:

• Only take high-value missions
• Avoid unnecessary fights
• Focus on efficient routing between towns

Every decision matters more than ever.

Step 8: Prepare for Company Retirement

Winning condition is often:

• Retiring your company successfully
• Accumulating gold and achievements
• Preserving key members long enough

A successful retirement is a “win state.”

Advanced Strategy Guide

Smart Combat Positioning

• Always protect fragile units
• Focus enemy fire on tanks
• Avoid splitting your team too far apart

Route Optimization

Efficient players:

• Plan town-to-town routes
• Combine quests in one travel path
• Avoid backtracking

Character Goal Management

Each character may have personal goals.

Best practice:

• Complete goals early if possible
• Don’t risk entire party for one objective
• Rotate characters strategically

Economy Management

Gold is limited.

Spend wisely on:

• Supplies (essential)
• Armor upgrades (survival priority)
• Map information (long-term value)

Avoid unnecessary recruitment spam early.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overextending Early Game

Jumping into hard zones too soon leads to wipe.

Ignoring Retreat Options

Retreating is not failure—it is survival.

Poor Party Composition

All-DPS teams usually collapse fast.

Wasting Gold

Late-game stability depends on early savings.

Fighting Every Encounter

Selective combat is key to survival.

Pro Tips for Better Runs

• Stick to eastern regions early for safer leveling
• Use monasteries and towns as safe recovery hubs
• Treat every battle like a risk calculation
• Retire successful companies instead of risking total loss
• Track what caused previous wipes and adjust strategy

Why Players Enjoy Occidental Heroes

Players love the game because of:

• High-stakes permadeath system
• Deep strategic planning
• Emergent storytelling from failures
• Replayability with new companies
• Meaningful decision-making

Every run feels like a unique survival story.

Final Verdict

Occidental Heroes is a challenging and rewarding roguelike RPG that prioritizes strategy, planning, and risk management over brute strength. It is designed for players who enjoy punishing but fair gameplay where every decision matters. If you like hardcore tactical RPGs with permadeath and long-term progression systems, this game offers a deep and highly replayable experience.