Byleth Eisner and the Emblem of Fire (Fire Emblem General Thread)

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I'll edit in a huge effortpost later, but I'm pretty sure most of you already know what Fire Emblem is. So let's discuss! 3H, the other mainline games, FEH, romhacks, highlights from your randomizer runs, anything.

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Rhys wants to remind you that he's not as weak as you think he is.

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Finally, a place for me to shitpost.

E: I will, at some point, make an effortpost about Awful Emblem (assuming we still call it that), assuming I can be bothered to write an effortpost about anything.

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Artix wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:08 pm
E: I will, at some point, make an effortpost about Awful Emblem (assuming we still call it that), assuming I can be bothered to write an effortpost about anything.
Change every map to a desert map, change everyone's outfits into swimsuits and/or sunglasses, rename hack to Beach Emblem? :P

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Dang it mages are plenty good in most FE games they don't need that boost!

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Tanegashima wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 1:43 am
Change every map to a desert map, change everyone's outfits into swimsuits and/or sunglasses, rename hack to Beach Emblem? :P
I can't believe the Ferris beach episode is real.

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The Flying Twybil wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 9:00 pm
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Rhys wants to remind you that he's not as weak as you think he is.
His speed, on the other hand, is quite :shock:

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AradoBalanga wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 5:12 am
His speed, on the other hand, is quite :shock:
Hey, it's only a %16 chance, give 'em a break. He's the perfect tank considering he capped strength about seven levels ago.

(...Though Soren the Bow Knight managed to hit a 15% chance in only 4 levels.)

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oh we talking randomizers

(i need to get back to that run, it was absolute nonsense)

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Has anyone else here played the Sacred War hack for Sacred Stones? I've considered starting an LP of it, but I'm nowhere close to finishing my playthrough of it... Though I guess people do blind LPs all the time, this would just be mostly blind.

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Randomisers are so fun for Fire Emblem. I have extremely fond memories of the hot pink skeleton warrior Neimi I had in a Sacred Stones randomiser.
Moonside wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 2:06 am
Has anyone else here played the Sacred War hack for Sacred Stones? I've considered starting an LP of it, but I'm nowhere close to finishing my playthrough of it... Though I guess people do blind LPs all the time, this would just be mostly blind.
Haven't heard of this one! I think a blind LP of it would be fun.

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I'm still traumatised from my 0% Speed growth Mage Ike and 0% Speed AND Strength Myrmidon Soren. The only good unit I had was Axe Knight Rhys, who I later found out had 0% Defense. I did not finish that run.

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I have a level 40 Ingrid with 45 strength in my current FETH campaign. She is an absolute monster.

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Here's something to think about:
We know of the 0% growth hacks, but what about a negative growth hack?

Like, you start with units ranging from having 'ok' end-game stats, to good, to god-unit etc. Except they all have negative growths of varying intensity, so the more you use a given unit the weaker and weaker they get.
Design the maps around 'trying' to get low-turn counts in order to not be force-fed exp; a super asshole map could be one with narrow passages blocked by Entombed or something.

Enemies would also have to get weaker over time, to a point, or it would be impossible.

Maybe introduce a unit or two 1/2 to 2/3 through the game with passable/mediocre 'endgame' stats, but 0% growths so you're guaranteed at least a few usable/workhorse units.

The challenge would be getting to and beating the final map before your entire army is reduced to Trainee level babies.

Have a Nino style late recruit that actually has positive growths, so might be worth the babying in order to actually have a powerul unit?

This has been a ~3am stream of thought.

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Funny you should mention that, MAFC3 had a map with that exact gimmick! All of Tequila's MAFC entries are great.

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This is less a gimmick run and more just a draft run with 5 units.

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Greener223224 wrote:
Tue Jul 07, 2020 6:52 pm
This is less a gimmick run and more just a draft run with 5 units.
I'd actually had the idea to try a hacked all-archer run of Awakening, as in every character is an archer or a sniper, but my hands are too full and I haven't the time to learn the hacking tools.

Still an interesting concept given how generally weak archers tend to be, especially in the games where they're primarily limited to an attack range of 2. The balancing of mages to archers has never really been kind, and even where Gaiden/SoV gives them very boosted attack range, they all still suffer from being somewhat flimsy and a poor hit chance in general (not to mention rarely doing enough damage to get past most enemies defenses).

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The Flying Twybil wrote:
Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:21 am
Still an interesting concept given how generally weak archers tend to be, especially in the games where they're primarily limited to an attack range of 2. The balancing of mages to archers has never really been kind, and even where Gaiden/SoV gives them very boosted attack range, they all still suffer from being somewhat flimsy and a poor hit chance in general (not to mention rarely doing enough damage to get past most enemies defenses).
The "longer range, but low accuracy and average stats" method of Gaiden is still a great way to balance bow users going forward, though. It gives them a niche without being made redundant by mages or Javelin cavs in early-midgame, and it lets them become worth the investment by becoming lategame stompers. I certainly wouldn't mind FE17 trying it out to make Midayle, Jamka and Briggid into uber units. Or just apply the FE16 Mini Bow method of 1-range no-doubling combat to all bows, that'd work too.

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Greener223224 wrote:
Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:01 am
The "longer range, but low accuracy and average stats" method of Gaiden is still a great way to balance bow users going forward, though. It gives them a niche without being made redundant by mages or Javelin cavs in early-midgame, and it lets them become worth the investment by becoming lategame stompers. I certainly wouldn't mind FE17 trying it out to make Midayle, Jamka and Briggid into uber units. Or just apply the FE16 Mini Bow method of 1-range no-doubling combat to all bows, that'd work too.
True enough, they do get a usable niche instead of being pushed out later by mages. Late game Gaiden about all they're useful for though is chunking a bit of damage off of fliers or mages you don' t want to get close to. It's also worth noting that jav-cavs aren't easy to get a hold of in Gaiden in general, and even SoV doesn't make it too easy on you. Bows getting melee retaliation is something that really does help their usefulness, but I'd more than trade that for them actually being able to double something that's not a knight, and be able to damage something that's not just a flier.

Though, I'm that person who has a soft spot for archers and tries to use them when possible. Never on anything in the Lunatic/Maddening range, but still.

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Killer Bows. Archers in SoV want Killer Bows. Gives 'em what's essentially Hunter's Volley.
Longbows are useful too, having a skill that reduces enemy movement to 0 for a turn.
You can easily get through SoV fielding nothing but bows.

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Yeah, but that's FE15. We're also talking about FE2, where the best you get is a Steel Bow for three chapters, and it's not until halfway through Chapter 4 that you get a Silver and Blessed Bow.


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Serious question: which Fire Emblem games have the people in this forum played?

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I've played 6-11 to completion, and tried 2, 4, 5, and 12 to varying points before getting distracted/bored/frustrated. 6 was, tedium, Shadow Dragon is Shadow Dragon, RD has ProblemsTM that severely hamper my enjoyment, 7 is fun, 8 is a bit easy but still very fun (and was at least my first physical copy of a fremblem if not the first), 9's my favorite. Gaiden was just too archaic for me to get into (especially without a translation), the sheer length of Genealogy's maps burned me out early and the only character I liked never joins you, Thracia is thracia, 12 I think i just struggled to focus on (I only finished SD because it was handheld fremblem that I hadn't burned like 500 hours on already).

I've tried a bit of Echoes but Citra had issues running it (this may have changed, it's been a while since I've cracked Citra open) and I don't have the money to buy it.

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So far I've played 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 15. Currently playing Three Houses, and intending to get around to finishing Sacred Stones and Binding Blade.

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List with some brief thoughts:

Genealogy of the Holy War- I love the ambition of this game but it never really comes together. Having giant maps so it's easier for the player to fit together the geography is cool on paper but it creates so much dead space mid-map it's absurd.

Sword of Seals- I think I could tell even playing through in 2010 or whatever before Shadow Dragon came out that this was a back to basics reboot sort of game. Worth playing once but yeah, badly outshone by most later games. Zephiel kinda works as a villain though.

Blazing Sword- I have a lot of affection for this game that I cannot, having played it less recently than every other entry, properly remember why that was anymore. Good map variety and some easy-to-like characters sounds familiar.

Sacred Stones- You really have to play both paths of this I think to get what it's going for, which is unfortunate. But I love that what divides them is how each lord related to Lyon and how both halves gel so well. It's also a fun stomp of a game if that's your bag.

Path of Radiance- Strong execution of the Original Fire Emblem Plot and... yeah it's pretty much just that for me. I appreciate the seeds laid down for RD though.

Radiant Dawn- So this is messy and flawed but god, I love how this plays out overall. I love all the weird hidden lore at the end if you can get it, and all the implications they touch on, and I love how they handle Sephiran, and I really wish the Super Duper Secret Support with Ike and Soren was more trivial to get because god damn I love that the game goes there.

Shadow Dragon- I enjoyed this a lot at the time and then immediately forgot everything except Wing Spear and Tiki stomping the game to dirt. Which is still cool. Probably the overall weakest game I've played, and definitely the weakest localized game.

Awakening- The first third is very strong, and I really like Lucina's story a lot. Also the only game where one of the DLC bits really impressed me, I love Future Past and its ending, it sells the nature of Lucina's backstory in a way the main game doesn't quite even if I still like her there.

Fates (CQ/BR)- The part of CQ that's all "and we have to win really fast before the main army gets here to slaughtger everyone! ... the main army arrived to slaughter everyone" viscerally bothers me, so even though other parts of CQ are the best material in Fates (the Nohr siblings are the game's biggest success by far) I still like BR's "Fire Emblem doing Fire Emblem Things" plot more overall.

Shadows of Valentia- Up through the start of chapter 3 I absolutely adore this game. Lovely presentation, I get why Alm and Celica are drawn to one another, and why they're driven to go their own ways, and the supporting cast is strong to start out.
Decisions were made in the rest of the game that weigh it down a great deal.

Three Houses- I mean, it's the best one.

Anyways, 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16. Probably going to end up playing either Thracia or New Mystery some time this year, we'll see.

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I've played through 6-11 and 13-16. I tried playing Genealogy a few times but never got far.

I might play FE3 in the future, since I finally want to get the complete Archanea story after a very fun Shadow Dragon playthrough I had recently but couldn't get into New Mystery afterwards because Kris is annoying.

I also really should replay the other pre-3DS games some time, it has been way too long since I last played them.

Currently I'm doing a Conquest Ironman run on Hard. It's my third attempt (through the second doesn't really count; it fizzled out early on because I got interested in other things and when I felt continuing, I decided to just start over and go for a different Corrin built)
I'm not using any DLC to grind, but I do use the rewards gotten from unlocked routes, DLC, and online features. This means I have access to a handful of statboosters (especially noticable are the two pairs of boots), a full set of Dual weapons, and the DLC classes. A lot of underwhelming units can be made quite servicable thanks to the latter, since it basically gives them promotion boosts at base level. Even if they still fall off later on, it at least allows them to contribute for a while, like a mini-Jagen.
I made a +Mag/+Res Cavalier Corrin who's job is to ride around and smite enemies with a Levin Sword. It proved to be really powerful on my first attempt.

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I've played some of 1, a few chapters of 3, all of 4, about half of 6 (I'm not a big fan), 7, 8, Awakening, Conquest (unfortunately) and 3H. I didn't have the right consoles for 9 and 10 but I did watch a friend play it. I also did a bit of Heroes, but I only care about the nice art and getting to hear voice actors for pre-9 characters.

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Greener223224 wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:22 am
Serious question: which Fire Emblem games have the people in this forum played?
A few chapters of 2, 4 and 6, and then everything else up to the present day except for 12 and Echoes (and I guess Birthright and Revelations if we're counting the three routes of Fates as different games). Didn't finish Radiant Dawn on account of some kind of recurring crash that I couldn't figure out how to fix and I've only played one route of 3H so far, but I played through everything else.

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Moonside wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2020 10:12 pm
Didn't finish Radiant Dawn on account of some kind of recurring crash that I couldn't figure out how to fix
Is it the one where going into the preparations screen for the Part 4 Endgame freezes the game on a blackscreen?

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Nope, it was a different one where seeing magic animations froze the game. I don't remember if it was all magic or just a specific one, it's been years since I played.

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I think it's that sometimes certain effects can cause a crash, I had a highly repeatable crash when promoting Nolan on my last hardware playthrough on the game but it didn't crash when I totally restarted the map and promoted him then. There's probably some logic to it, but it's so rare that I haven't been able to figure it out (that promotion crash was the only time I had it happen). e: And I had the very earliest version of the game, the one with the easy mode transfer freeze.

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Finished 6-Fates, played bits of 4/5 but didn't like either, and finished Crimson Flower of 3H before coming to the conclusion that there was no way in hell I was sitting through another 3 routes of this shit. SoV is okay but too janky for my tastes. Conquest was a fucking disaster of a plot but it was fun enough in a first playthrough that I powered through. Birthright was just boring, and Revelations was fucking trash.

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Greener223224 wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:22 am
Serious question: which Fire Emblem games have the people in this forum played?
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The ones I've actually completed are Gaiden, Mystery Book 1, Blazing, Sacred, Awakening, and Valentia.


Gaiden and Valentia are interesting purely as a novelty to me. I like some of the new mechanics, but I wouldn't want the other games in the series to be like it. Mechanically, SoV's a jank game, but that's just because it's faithful to what it was, unlike what happened with the DS-remakes. Just give me some remakes of the same quality and I'll be happy.

Mystery BK1 was actually a pretty enjoyable strategic experience up until the end, where it just kinda becomes a slog.

Blazing Blade has a compelling story, the tightest mechanics, and Hector- if you asked me what my favorite is, my split second reaction would be this one. There's still some annoying maps and stuff, but the game is balanced nicely for the most part.

Sacred's the final take on the GBA format and works well overall, but has some issues with map design. The two different routes both adds to and kinda takes away from the experience.

Awakening, despite being maybe the game I have the most hours in, is my least favorite of the ones I've played. Only the first third of the game's story is compelling, though it progresses too fast, while the rest seems weak overall. Lucina's probably the most interesting character in the game, which does hold it up past Robin stealing the spotlight while Chrom just becomes a paper cup plot-wise. Mechanically, it's bloated with far too many numbers, piles of skills, and dysfunctional leveling curves on any difficulty above Normal- all of which damaged the strategic gameplay for me. If you're just looking to watch bunches of numbers go up or do a bunch of minmaxing, it does that well. I still think of it as a firmly "okay" game, really, it just doesn't match up to what I'm looking for in a FE.

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I've played through portions of Mystery Book 2, Genealogy, Thracia, Seals, and PoR. LP-wise I read/watched through the rest of Seals, PoR, Radiant Dawn, and Fates: Birthright to fill in the gaps on what I didn't see.


I, for the life of me, cannot get used to Genealogy- something about it doesn't jive right with what I expect out of an FE game.

Thracia's just rude, and didn't feel like a good use of my time, the same as Mystery BK2.

Seals is alright, but very rough around the edges. Roy is a very disappointing lord to deal with as a unit, though the story's pretty alright.

I don't personally know why I haven't finished PoR, but I guess it's just that I know the story already, and that's the one selling point of that game.

Fates is just a trainwreck fun to watch in slow motion, not nearly as much play from what I've gathered. I'm not planning on touching it anytime soon.

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I've partially seen 3H through LPs and other various stuff. It's a game I might've found amazing a few years ago before depression reared it's ugly head, but nothing I've seen about it now makes me actually want to play it. I just don't know, it doesn't strike any chords with me.

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I've played 4-16 in full save Thracia, which I've played I think 3/4 of the way through a couple of times and then got distracted by other things. I'm very familiar with the script of it though, because I lurked in the latest translation project's servers. I really love the Manster arc of that game though, in a similar way that I enjoy Act 1 of Radiant Dawn - you have really limited and weird resources to manage that require playing the game in a way that's different to the typical map.

Awakening was the first one I played and the one that got me in to the franchise, which is funny because looking back on it I don't like it very much. I've tried to replay it a couple of times recently and it's just not fun.

FE4, 3H and Valentia are my favourites, which I determine as "which of these games can I play over and over again and still get enjoyment out of them?" and those three are by far the games I have played the most.

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metis wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:28 am
Awakening was the first one I played and the one that got me in to the franchise, which is funny because looking back on it I don't like it very much. I've tried to replay it a couple of times recently and it's just not fun.
I honestly have to think hard as to when I really had fun with Awakening, because it just isn't most of the time. Normal difficulty's almost too easy most of the time, while the higher difficulties focus for maximum assholery with loads of enemy turn reinforcements that exacerbate the issues of already agitating maps. There's a good bit of mechanics designed for replayability in Awakening, but I just don't know if I ever feel like returning to it thanks to this stuff. Hell, usually when I played it, my runs would run out of steam somewhere after the first act of the game and would take a few weeks to me to eventually get back to it, if ever.

I think I had a little fun with having god-units with entertaining battle lines later, but I don't think I can really note much fun until, surprisingly, my Lunatic playthrough which would normally be the antithesis of fun. For a short while there I was actually enjoying myself when I'd managed to fight my way above the difficulty curve.

I mean, given Lunatic, it didn't last for longer than a few chapters then the game had paced itself far beyond me again. Not to mention the reset count in the high hundreds just making it that far. *sigh*

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Wow, hundreds of resets for Lunatic Mode? Every time I feel like smashing my 3DS into bits trying to play FE13 or FE14 on Lunatic, it’s usually only around a dozen tries, tops. I have no idea how you’re able to persist in doing something that sounds so joyless and unrewarding.

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The Flying Twybil wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:15 am
Normal difficulty's almost too easy most of the time, while the higher difficulties focus for maximum assholery with loads of enemy turn reinforcements that exacerbate the issues of already agitating maps.
Yep this is exactly the issue! I felt that a little bit with 3H as well, but maddening wasn't as bad as lunatic and I find the characters and story more engaging so I'm able to put aside issues with gameplay more.

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Greener223224 wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 8:27 am
Wow, hundreds of resets for Lunatic Mode? Every time I feel like smashing my 3DS into bits trying to play FE13 or FE14 on Lunatic, it’s usually only around a dozen tries, tops. I have no idea how you’re able to persist in doing something that sounds so joyless and unrewarding.
I mean, in order to get through it without losing any units and without DLC/grinding, basically every map had to be played to specification, oftentimes hinging on a 20% or lower chance at some point. I even have detailed information for the first 5 maps, and precise movements for the first 3, just in case I ever thought about it again. I usually have zero patience for this kind of thing, and I've got no clue as to how I suffered through it without giving up. I guess I was holding out for those rewarding moments when I finally beat a map/managed to break the level curve.

I may or may not have been in manic depression at the time as well. I can't really remember.
metis wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 10:37 am
Yep this is exactly the issue! I felt that a little bit with 3H as well, but maddening wasn't as bad as lunatic and I find the characters and story more engaging so I'm able to put aside issues with gameplay more.
Unfortunately for Awakening, it's story's not that engaging once you've seen it already, making the only character things worth sticking around for the supports you haven't seen yet. For Lunatic, I mostly skipped all the story aside from parts wherever my Robin's silly name would trigger something.

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I mean, it was the only time I got to see a truly great armor knight:

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