Saving
You can save anytime except for when the enemy units are taking their turns. If you turn off auto-turn advancing, you can even save after all your current units have taken their turn, but before the enemy units begin to act. There are 200 save slots for you to use, so save often!! Don't be afraid to use up tens, or even a hundred save slots on a single mission (fifty's a minimum for me on story missions). It's better to be able to backtrack a few saves when something unexpected happens than to start the entire mission all over again.
The Save/Load screens also include the useful functions of moving or copying your saves to other slots to avoid accidental overwriting.
There is a tab for AUTO saves next to the tab for saves 195-199. Auto saves are made whenever you return to the mission screen, and they can be very very useful. For example, after completing a mission you may realise that you overshot the completion limit for another mission which is now greyed out and unplayable until your next playthrough. Even though you may have neglected to make a save at the mission screen earlier, you can always reload from the autosaves.
The save files are saved on your computer hard disk at C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data\Eushully\姫狩りダンジョンマイスター
On Windows 7, it's C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Eushully\姫狩りダンジョンマイスター
(Usage of UAC virtualization/virtualstore may further complicate the correct save path for a particular user)
Room control
Room control is an important tactical aspect of Princess Hunting Dungeon. Units can only move one space at a time into enemy controlled territory. When units move into enemy controlled territory, they will take control of each space they have occupied. When a unit enters an unoccupied room, you gain control of the entire room instantly.
You gain complete control of a room when the following conditions are fulfilled:
- Your unit(s) are the only units left in a room e.g you have killed or otherwise cleared out all enemies
- The enemy does not control any Magic Towers in the room
There can be Euclid Kingdom Rally points (blue flags with a circle underneath) or unclosed Magic Vortexes (The purple whirlpools) remaining in a room, but the room will still be considered completely under your control until enemy units appear on those summoning points.
In the opening phases of any map, it is generally a good idea control as many rooms as possible. Like chess and most other boardgames (unless the pieces can jump like in checkers), you can choke down your opponent's (in this case, the AI's) mobility and options, while allowing you to develop your units into attacking positions, merely by developing rapidly. You can do so by having units with similar MOVE leapfrog over each other. Stacking the same amount of units as their max MOVE (like a row of 3 units with 3 MOVE, or 2 with 2 MOVE) allows you do use their full movement capability each turn, assuming you can eliminate any hidden enemies with a melee attack (thus allowing you to move into their positions). Key point: ALWAYS try to maximize your units' movement ability when expanding territory.
On an unfamiliar map, it is a good idea to send out probe teams with the search ability down every single branching path. These allow you to find hidden rooms without having to backtrack later, letting you clear the map quickly for more CP and Max Mana bonuses. These units often come with the lockpicking ability,although by the time you get units with only search, you can also use them by equipping them with an item that grants lockpicking when you find a chest or gate.
Probe teams should have at least two units, with one magic and one melee, unless you have overpowered units. These allow you to deal with any threat accordingly, except for the map's main army, which is usually revealed at the start anyway.
Regardless, one my personal favorites is a Colette + Femme probe team, due to their sheer mobility, though they have problems with enemy tank units. Colette's double move ability, however, allows you to fudge through difficult encounters by save-scumming, but it is a good idea to tack on a 4 MOVE harpy (or another high MOV caster) for magic support.
A captured mana pillar can allow you to develop units even faster. You usually get one at the beginning, and your base works the same way. Deploying any unit does not really cost any mana, the unit 'borrows" the mana cost temporarily (with a coresponding decrease in your max mana) and will return it when they are withdrawn (even by finishing a map). If they die however, your max mana is restored, but you lose the mana leased to the unit. Moving any unit into a mana pilar allows you to withdraw it. This also restores the unit to full health (HP SP FS) and cures all non equipment-caused negative statuses (those can only be undone by unequipping that equipment). As you can subsequently deploy a unit and move it the next turn, there is no reason why you shouldn't withdraw it unless there's an immediate threat to your mana pillar, or if the unit has the double move ability, and you need it to activate after capturing a mana pillar. Withdrawing unit becomes especially important mid-game when you're running up against the limit on number of units allowed on the map. Furthermore, redeploying the unit to a square adjacent to the mana pillar next turn basically gives you a free +1 MOVE. You can also pick up treasure around a mana pillar quickly by withdrawing the capturing unit, then deploying your reserves to pick up the treasure. You can withdraw them the next turn.
Any enemy unit adjacent to a mana pillar of yours (you can create one by rushing an enemy pillar) is basically mincemeat. This allows you to deploy a melee unit on the same square as the mana pillar, hit the poor sop adjacent to it, and retreat back to the mana pillar if both parties survive. You are then free to withdraw that unit, giving you a free slot in your active army. Repeat ad nauseam until the enemy unit dies or you run out of reserves. Basically this method allows you to unload all the melee units in your reserves on a single enemy. Ouch. Works well against a certain knight....
In any case, it is a good idea to target the mana pillar first, then deploy your units to deal with the enemies. I have fond memories of plopping down 3 golems with 3 casters behind in a single turn after withdrawing most of my previous army (who are quite damaged anyway). This helps you get around the golems' poor mobility. you can then withdraw the golems and redoploy your army, after they are done tanking for the casters (who can then target the enemy again the next turn).