Since not every level of Disgaea can be solved by breaking pyramids, at some point, choosing the right forces to fight the battle (which is at least partially a matter of training and outfitting those forces) is necessary.
Here is the thing. I consider Disgaea's gameplay in a actual combat oriented map more to be an RPG where the game just so happens to be on a grid. There are RPGs where considering your party makeup and equipment is very important and strategy games have included it to. The issue is the focus and Disgaea doesn't focus on the actual tactical side of combat outside of its exploits.
The exception to this rule is Makai Kingdom (but WOW was it worse tactically) because in order to beat the bosses without very high level characters who actually had to exploit the HECK of the game since they gave huge damage boosts for every hit your party does. Oddly enough as I found out while you CAN do a lot of these missions straight forward they really wanted you to exploit the game.
If this is insufficient to meet your definition of "strategy",
It is a "Strategy" game but it isn't the same kind of strategy game to the point where EVEN considering it a strategy game is pointless because you would never play it to replace one.
You would play them because they waste a lot of time, have hillarious stories, and off the wall attack animations... but no one plays Disgaea because they genuinly feel there is a real strategy and balance to everything unless you also believe that to be the case of RPGs.
Which is the problem ndkid and as you seen not only IS Disgaea a strategy game... but one that requires even MORE strategy then all other tactical strategy RPGs.
Which only proves my point actually. Since no one has EVER argued against me only into my point that Disgaea is different. They just somehow confused my point of "Disgaea is too different to count" with "Disgaea is a suck sucky game and no one should play it because it has no strategy".
So we are back to the point. The issue with Disgaea is whenever someone is looking for a Turn based strategy RPG with a strong focus on tactical strategy. Disgaea shows up.
Actually... Disgaea... is a lot like another RPG when I think about it. Arc the Lad. Though I do consider it a lot tougher and though it lacks classes it does focus strongly on tactical movement. Also La Pucile is the same kind of game as Disgaea but because of how the game is set up requires quite a bit of strategy and a lot of grinding (You need to grind to get spell levels because the "item world" in that game is absolutely malicious.). Though which actually got me to come up with the term!
Disgaea is a Strategy RPG. A RPG with strategy elements. (Strategy is there, but the RPG elements are the focus)
Tactics Ogre is a Tactical Strategy RPG. (It is an RPG and the strategy is a strong focus of the game)
I'll have to test to see if this term actually gets people to stop suggesting Disgaea. Also I need to get another example other then disgaea with another genre. A game that while it shares elements with that genre, doesn't share the same spirit... hmmmm...
Best part is? There was no way to avoid an arguement except not to ask. There is no proper way to even say it beyond "How do I ask for strategy RPGs like Tactics Ogre... without getting a flood of Disgaea?" because the answer I'd get is "Ask for a game like Tactics Ogre" and then I'd say "But what if I would like a game like Bahamat Lagoon?" and they would say "Include that too" and then I'd be like "Well what if I wanted a game like Arc the Lad?" and then at which I hit every single genre of strategy RPG I can think of... and I'd still get Disgaea... Because Tactical Strategy games are starting to become cult (Tactics Ogre I keep mentioning? One game in last few years and it was a remake.) and Disgaea is the one everyone knows and even then even if you disgree with everything I said the general thing people say is that Disgaea is in a category all on its own anyway.
Dang it Disgaea... You are still icecream but you are like Chocolate when all I want is vanilla.
And just to bring up a quote to prove it
Even if the solutions are relatively simple at times, I would dare to say it's considerably more strategy required than anything in FF Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Front Mission etc.
So there we go. I will also defend my statement by this.
Disgaea has SOO much strategy... So much so. That is doesn't even stand side by side with any other Strategy RPG except maybe Phantom Brave.
When I ask for Strategy RPGs I am looking for something with a lot less depth in its strategy but the game that keeps coming up is Disgaea. Why can't they come up with a term that describes Strategy RPGs with less strategy then Disgaea?
I really don't care whether or not Disgaea has more or less strategy that isn't the real point. Hense why I made both arguements here.
Next, you're going to tell me that I don't actually get into role of my character in most console RPGs
RPG is actually related to the Adventure genre that broken off. The only difference between an Adventure game and a RPG that I could tell was a Numeric representation of stats. The game that stretches even that definition is Harvest Moon which is an RPG and the only stat I found with numbers is Stamina (you can build your stamina stat)