Front Mission 5

• Arena Fights are really goddamn tough until later in the game. Don't feel bad if you find them impossible. Later on, certain mechanics will come into play that will make them somewhat easier.

• The roguelike thing that you can run in the simulator is where all the best gear is found, and is the absolute best place to grind for anything. It's also actually pretty goddamn fun. Be sure to try it a good deal.

• The regular simulator missions are worth doing if you want to gather experience, though they aren't terribly efficient. Do them at least once though, you can get free equipment from them on occasion.

• Early in the game you'll become the leader of your squad and be able to recruit people to join you. Who you want to add to your squad is a matter of personal preference, but keep an eye out for pilots with an S on their card. They get an extra, personal skill over the others. You won't see any for a while, but the S will be obvious the first time you see it.

• There is a fair amount of stuff you can miss if you don't scout the entire base you're in after every plot mission. Doing so can get you anything from more dialog and potential pilot recruits, to free mechs and weapons, and CP.

• Speaking of CP, it's probably the biggest grind in the game. The best place to find CP is in the Roguelike Simulator, in chests. It's fairly worth it though, if only because some higher evolution weapons (that you can't buy) can have VERY useful effects.

• The game is way cooler when you take the time to name and paint your mechs. Give them a new name or paintjob after key points in the plot to make them feel more like upgrades! This is pretty much just a personal tip, I suppose.