The Fire Emblem Thread

[Delterius]

Conquest's gameplay isn't just pretty good. Its easily top 3 in the franchise. Perhaps the very best.

What's shocking is how bad the story is. Its not just mediocre, like Awakening's, its outright madness in how every choice is made. It feels like this strange combination of too many cooks in the kitchen and 'production targets' from above -- game must have children, must appeal to children, must not have politics, etc.

An edgelord might say that's irrelevant. But its not. I never hated a Lord as much as I hated Corrin. I wanted him to die a painful death and I relished every moment in the story he felt like shit. So I made the most of it by killing all his friends and letting him die at the hands of BETRAYAL. The canon ending, in my mind.

 

[Vorark]

To this day I'm not sure if Awakening was exactly the savior the series needed, wish it was FE12. Fuck Nintendo for not bringing it over.

 

[Endemic]

What's shocking is how bad the story is. Its not just mediocre, like Awakening's, its outright madness in how every choice is made. It feels like this strange combination of too many cooks in the kitchen and 'production targets' from above -- game must have children, must appeal to children, must not have politics, etc.

You should check out the story mod I linked. Even if you can't hack your 3DS, you can follow along the altered script on Youtube (Agahnim has uploaded up to Chapter 16 so far). He said he's planning to make some changes to Birthright and Revelation as well.

 

[Delterius]

You should check out the story mod I linked. Even if you can't hack your 3DS, you can follow along the altered script on Youtube (Agahnim has uploaded up to Chapter 16 so far). He said he's planning to make some changes to Birthright and Revelation as well.

I shall. Considering is called Good Guy Garon mod it at least tried to deal with one of my 'bulletpoints to save fates' writing. That is, to change Garon's character. I don't know how they did it, but I'd try and make Garon into a diabolical villain instead of whatever he is now.

 

[Endemic]

I shall. Considering is called Good Guy Garon mod it at least tried to deal with one of my 'bulletpoints to save fates' writing. That is, to change Garon's character. I don't know how they did it, but I'd try and make Garon into a diabolical villain instead of whatever he is now.

The title of the mod is a little misleading, considering Anankos is still there - I think the main objective was to make siding with Nohr seem less retarded, and grey up the conflict a bit. Almost every character is changed though. There are notes in the video descriptions explaining what the edits were for each chapter.

 

[Zanzoken]

To this day I'm not sure if Awakening was exactly the savior the series needed, wish it was FE12. Fuck Nintendo for not bringing it over.

You can play FE 12 on an emulator with a translation patch. I started it a while back but had just beaten FE 11 and needed a break from the series.

Been itching to play again though so it'll either be this one or FE 4 which I have still yet to play.

 

[Vorark]

You can play FE 12 on an emulator with a translation patch. I started it a while back but had just beaten FE 11 and needed a break from the series.

Indeed, played it both on the real hardware and then on desmume. I preach about it to everyone who enjoyed a FE game because it's truly great and worth of attention.

 

[Zanzoken]

I was able to get DeSmuME going on my work computer so FE 12 it is. I picked the second-to-highest difficulty but opted for Casual death.

Was hoping to make a wyvern rider Avatar but since that's not an option I went cavalier. For some reason I am partial to cavalry and fliers in FE games even though they aren't technically any better (and sometimes worse) than foot soldiers or mages.

 

[eric__s]

I just can't like these games. I love strategy RPGs, I love humongous maps that take forever to beat, I love the permadeath mechanic, but I just can't stand any of these Fire Emblem games. I've tried so many. I have all of the ones on the 3DS, I think I've tried all of the DS ones, I tried the Wii and Gamecube ones, a bunch of the SNES ones, I even played really far into one of the NES ones. I think I may have tried most of this series and I just didn't like any of it. Which one is the best and why? And what is the appeal of these games?

 

[Latro]

I just can't like these games. I love strategy RPGs, I love humongous maps that take forever to beat, I love the permadeath mechanic, but I just can't stand any of these Fire Emblem games. I've tried so many. I have all of the ones on the 3DS, I think I've tried all of the DS ones, I tried the Wii and Gamecube ones, a bunch of the SNES ones, I even played really far into one of the NES ones. I think I may have tried most of this series and I just didn't like any of it. Which one is the best and why? And what is the appeal of these games?

you are lord susumu and watch as he cuts down baka bandits with crits 20 times in a row one-after-another for 20 minutes a CPU turn

then u get to play and move lord susumu next to ms. susumu and watch romance; then cpu rams bandits into u again

 

[80Maxwell08]

I just can't like these games. I love strategy RPGs, I love humongous maps that take forever to beat, I love the permadeath mechanic, but I just can't stand any of these Fire Emblem games. I've tried so many. I have all of the ones on the 3DS, I think I've tried all of the DS ones, I tried the Wii and Gamecube ones, a bunch of the SNES ones, I even played really far into one of the NES ones. I think I may have tried most of this series and I just didn't like any of it. Which one is the best and why? And what is the appeal of these games?

Well if you have tried that many, I doubt the 3 GBA ones will be the ones you like. I guess the best way to describe the appeal is that they are simple to play. All of the stats are laid out and easy to understand so you always know how strong each enemy is and how much of a chance your units stand against them. I would say the 7th game has the best balance of having more complexity than it's predecessor while not adding in so much that the game gets unbalanced because of it.

 

[Siveon]

I just can't like these games. I love strategy RPGs, I love humongous maps that take forever to beat, I love the permadeath mechanic, but I just can't stand any of these Fire Emblem games. I've tried so many. I have all of the ones on the 3DS, I think I've tried all of the DS ones, I tried the Wii and Gamecube ones, a bunch of the SNES ones, I even played really far into one of the NES ones. I think I may have tried most of this series and I just didn't like any of it. Which one is the best and why? And what is the appeal of these games?

The appeal is that it's more or less incredibly simple and easy to learn, while still retaining some sort of difficulty. A lot of the games also remove the grind of SRPGs, almost being like an opposite to the Nippon Ichi Software formula (see: Disgaea). It's also incredibly addicting, since many of the decisions you make involve taking risks, there's a lot of gambling and going for high risk high reward calls. A smaller appeal was that there was a friendship/romance mechanic, although the 3DS games made that the focus which was pure decline. However if you play SRPGs for character building, for deep complex combat systems, or even for a particularly good story - Fire Emblem doesn't fit that role all too well.

The best game in the series to me is Path of Radiance (GC), since it actually has a fun story, some of the best systems in place, and really fun/difficult maps. If you don't like it, just accept it's not your thing and move on?

 

[Delterius]

And what is the appeal of these games?

Funnily enough, what got me into the franchise were the 2D sprite animations from the GBA games. Then I learned to enjoy the tactics aspect of the series. Animations took a nosedive once 3D became irrevocable, though.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

And what is the appeal of these games?

It is simple to learn. Each status do something you expect them to do and interaction between them is clear.

Perma death. You character permanently dies and thus adds a more tactical sense to the game.

Is actually hard on Hard and above if you want to avoid as much death as possible (which you actually need to do so because exp is limited (not so much in the newer games where you have exp arena DLC, even then it is optional) and having a good character being dead could pretty much ruin your save).
In some sense when you play on Hard and above (only available in NG+ on the gba games, I suggest downloading someone save to access it outright if you play in emulator) the game becomes strategy/puzzle hybrid. Even the newer games is hard in Hard difficulty, and they are considered easier than classic FE.

 

[Ventidius]

I just can't like these games. I love strategy RPGs, I love humongous maps that take forever to beat, I love the permadeath mechanic, but I just can't stand any of these Fire Emblem games. I've tried so many. I have all of the ones on the 3DS, I think I've tried all of the DS ones, I tried the Wii and Gamecube ones, a bunch of the SNES ones, I even played really far into one of the NES ones. I think I may have tried most of this series and I just didn't like any of it. Which one is the best and why? And what is the appeal of these games?

In case you like Western squad tactics games and came into FE expecting something similar, you have to understand that the latter takes a radically different approach to the former. Fire Emblem games lack the freedom to experiment with different tactics and strategies that X-COM gives you, they lack the simulationism of Jagged Alliance 2, and they also lack the complex ruleset and character customization of Mordheim. If you liked any of the above games for those aspects, I can't guarantee you will like FE, as the latter's approach is basically puzzle-based, which means sharp asymmetry in the balance of forces that favors the enemy, a relatively limited number of ways in which the missions can be cleared, and rather gamey mechanics that don't really scratch the realism itch. The upside of all of this is that it allows for some of the most punishing mission design to be found in any tactical RPG out there, the series is concerned with simply offering as much challenge and variety as possible in the encounters it throws at you, and at this it succeeds spectacularly. Indeed, it is probably due to the puzzle-like school of design that these games are among the few that can dodge the charge often levied against tactical RPGs of being superfluous due to the fallibility of AI, as the scripted, hand-crafted nature of the missions means that the AI has little wiggle-room to mess up, this probably also goes a long way towards explaining why these games offer a tougher PvE experience than most tactical games.

These games are meant to be played at the hardest difficulty available, as they are most interesting when they push your boundaries. If you haven't played them like that, e.g. for the challenge, then doing so might do the trick for you, if not, then they are probably not your thing as the other aspects are relatively lackluster. In my experience, the most difficult ones on their respective max difficulties are New Mystery of the Fire Emblem, Awakening, and Conquest; on default difficulty the hardest one is Thracia 776. However, if you are still relatively new to the series, any of the games cranked up to the max should do the trick for a while.

 

[Tigranes]

The GBA ones are the best, and the post-GBA ones are variously loaded with romance and all the other retarded bullshit, though.

But the core gameplay is almost identical in all of them, so it's a question of whether you enjoy that. Ultimately FE isn't particularly complex or with a huge amount of variety or anything - but as others have said it's about simple mechanics to pick up, then sufficient difficulty to really make you squeeze out every drop of combat efficiency.

 

[eric__s]

I picked up Fire Emblem: Conquest and I'm giving it a shot. I played a bit of Birthright and it was the Fire Emblem game I enjoyed the most out of the ones I tried, but I'm letting my friend borrow it right now so I won't be able to play it for about a month. I thought Birthright was okay, but every battle eventually gets to the point where you have to perfectly choreograph your moves or one of your guys will get double attacked and permanently killed. I got up to this battle on a boat. I don't remember much about it, but I think I got a promoted pegasus unit.

So far I'm kind of liking Conquest. I'm still at the very beginning. I made a female protagonist this time to see if the game was any different, and I have this butler who I can't stand instead of the maid babe when I was a guy. The plot is kind of nonsense, but I like that I can't train or get gold in between battles, unlike Birthright, because it places so much more importance on conserving your resources and picking your strongest characters.

In both games, I play on hard mode and I very rarely pair up. Is that something I should be doing more? I honestly can't stand that mechanic, but I guess it's kind of important.

 

[eric__s]

Some questions!

What is the point of inviting people to your room? They show up on the screen for like 3 seconds, say a weird quote, and then disappear. Am I missing something? I don't understand it.

Apparently there is a third path I could have taken at the kingdom choice that costs $20. Is it any good? Are any of the DLCs good?

 

[Siveon]

Revelation (third DLC choice) is supposed to be the 'True' ending but retains the gameplay of Birthright. I.e grind. You can easily skip it unless you like the garbage story.

Pair-up is overpowered because it raises relationships easier (better stats) along with increase the stats of your units and giving you free hits/blocks. It's incredibly useful and there's no reason not to use it.

My-room is for people into waifus. In the Japanese version you can flirt and blow on (yes, blow) to increase the MC's relationship with them (better stats).

 

[eric__s]

My-room is for people into waifus. In the Japanese version you can flirt and blow on (yes, blow) to increase the MC's relationship with them (better stats).

Is this not in the American version? What is actually happening when I invite them? Because at least in my version, they appear on the screen for maybe 3 seconds, I can move the camera around, and then they disappear. It feels like it has actual gameplay mechanics but it lasts for such a short period that I can't actually do anything. I feel like I'm missing something, but I'm not sure there's anything to miss at all. I just don't understand it.

 

[Delterius]

What is the point of inviting people to your room?

you can have a fulfilling relationship with a 2D girl

Apparently there is a third path I could have taken at the kingdom choice that costs $20. Is it any good?

by all indications it is a very uneven experience in terms of map design, with some of the worst map gimmicks in all three versions of the game

Conquest is pretty much the best Fire emblem fates. With a painful story but easily top 3 in terms of map design.

 

[eric__s]

Conquest is pretty much the best Fire emblem fates. With a painful story but easily top 3 in terms of map design.

I'm not far yet, but the story is bizarre. I was hoping the character would embrace being a bad guy, but they want to be a good guy on the bad guy's team.

"I came to the Ice Village because I was ordered to kill you, but then you rescued me, so I don't actually want to kill you."

"We're going to defend ourselves from you."

"It looks like I have no choice but to kill you now."

 

[Delterius]

Conquest is pretty much the best Fire emblem fates. With a painful story but easily top 3 in terms of map design.

I'm not far yet, but the story is bizarre. I was hoping the character would embrace being a bad guy, but they want to be a good guy on the bad guy's team.

"I came to the Ice Village because I was ordered to kill you, but then you rescued me, so I don't actually want to kill you."

"We're going to defend ourselves from you."

"It looks like I have no choice but to kill you now."

And then there's phase 4:

Spoiler

I didn't actually kill you back there

 

[Siveon]

My-room is for people into waifus. In the Japanese version you can flirt and blow on (yes, blow) to increase the MC's relationship with them (better stats).

Is this not in the American version? What is actually happening when I invite them? Because at least in my version, they appear on the screen for maybe 3 seconds, I can move the camera around, and then they disappear. It feels like it has actual gameplay mechanics but it lasts for such a short period that I can't actually do anything. I feel like I'm missing something, but I'm not sure there's anything to miss at all. I just don't understand it.

No it's not. It was removed for censorship reasons (I assume). A hacked 3DS can bring it back but it's a useless feature anyway, you can safely ignore it.

 

[TigerKnee]

If they have a heart next to them when selecting from a list, inviting them to the room raises their relation count towards the MC by a bit (which eventually unlocks the Supports)

In the Japanese version, you had to use the stylus to "pet" them, but there was a huge web drama stink and it got removed from the English version.

The proper pair-ups significantly increases the power of your key units (Fire Emblem's optimal strategy tends to involve a small amount of powerful units rather than a huge group of weak ones) and is also much easier to build relationships with, which helps in getting you access to the child units faster. Some units can be left solo such as your Staff users and Dancer but your combat units should usually be paired.