nordopolica

I said no kids, but y'know what? Becuse it's Shiro and because you gave me Fuujin Yumi I'll make an exception. Don't you think you've done enough to cause me pain. (I like these ones so I'll use them as backup units if some don't work out. Husbando Odin confirmed.)

I put this in especially for you.

Wow dude.

Oh, forgot to add: DLC path bonuses are available too! 2 Dread Fighters and Dark Falcons, I think?

Oh, nice! Thanks so much!

Both!

So, we are officially a month away from European/AU release, but I'm having a little bit of trouble keeping my personal hype alive. I've already played all three routes in Japanese, so I'm looking forward mostly to keeping things interesting by playing around in my first Conquest and Birthright playthroughs. This means using units and end classes that I usually wouldn't use to keep me on my toes. So, because I'm original, that means asking you guys for help. I will be playing Hard/Classic for these two routes, and ideally a Female Avatar (Asset, Flaw and Talent can be chosen, as well as her spouse.) I'd ask that you keep it fair for me, but... who am I kidding? My only rules are that no sibling is chosen as the marriage candidate, no kids, and that at least one healer is afforded. Since I'm no sure how quickly this'll fill up, it'd be cool if multiple units are chosen. If a multi-route character is chosen, please specify which path. [spoiler=Conquest (currently: 16 units)]1. Sorcerer Avatar (+Str/-Mag: Dark Mage) with S Odin 2. Strategist Elise (thank you) 3. Swordmaster Leo (A+ Odin) 4. Wyvern Lord Xander 5. Berserker Peri (S Arthur) 6. Berserker Nyx (A+ Charlotte) (Last Resort Reserve: Dark Knight Nyx) 7. Sorcerer Charlotte (A+ Nyx) 8. Sorcerer Benny (S Nyx) 9. Strategist Silas (S Elise) 10. Great Knight Felicia (A+ Peri) (Last Resort Reserve: Paladin Felicia) 11. Master Ninja Laslow 12. Malig Knight Camilla 13. Wyvern Lord Selena (A+ Camilla) 14. Wyvern Lord Beruka (thats a lotta wyvern) 15. Paladin Arthur (S Peri) 16. General Keaton (A+ Benny) (Reserves: Witch!Azura, Maid!Flora and Dark Falcon!Odin) [spoiler=Birthright (currently: 16 units)]1. Master Ninja Avatar (+Str/-Lk: Mercenary) (S Kaze) 2. Priestess Sakura (thank you, again) 3. Hero Kaze (S Avatar) 4. Kinshi Knight Ryoma 5. Mechanist Hana (S Saizo) 6. Onmyoji Kagero 7. Merchant Orochi 8. Sniper Takumi 9. Spearmaster Hinoka 10. Maser of Arms Oboro (S Ryoma) 11. Great Knight Silas 12. Maid Rinkah (S Jakob) 13. Oni Chieftain Jakob (S Rinkah) 14. Samurai Oboro!Shiro 15. Kinshi Knight Kaden (S Azura) 16. Basara Azura (S Kaden) (Reserves: Dread Fighter!Setsuna, Ballistican!Saizo)

They made quite a bit of money, so I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted it again, but I'd be disappointed if they did. So much of Fates is already drafted from Awakening that if the next game is just Fates 2.0 it'd just feel gratuitous. I hope they take the opportunity afforded to them by Awakening and Fates' success by branching out and trying something new - maybe completely new - or returning to FE's roots (which they've already done a little with Conquest's gameplay.) Honestly I'm just sick of the Hoshido vs Nohr arguments like the fandom wasn't already fragile and divided Either way I doubt we'll be seeing the next game anytime in the near future.

I like Kozaki's art a lot, and I think technically he's very, very, skilled, if a little on the anime side (most games have been, but for some reason Awakening and Fates are more evidently identified as anime). As for actual character design, however, I do find myself yearning for the days of Sachiko Wada. I adore FE8's art style, colour, and (for the most part) character design, so I wouldn't mind her coming back, her recent work for the series especially is absolutely phenomenal. I also really liked Eiji Kaneda's FE7 designs, though his FE6 designs weren't my favourite unfortunately. And as much as I like Senri Kita's male designs, I can't say the same for the females. Something about the dead animu eyes, maybe, at least for the younger-looking ones. Basically, every FE game has had its ups and downs when it comes to design, however I do think that Kozaki's designs do lean a little too much towards the fanservicey. Whether this is because of his art direction, his designs, or the direction of the series, is anyone's guess, but I do hope that maybe they try out someone new for FE15 and maybe tone down the butt-and-panty windows (and please... no Shadow Dragon-esq portraits again.)

Kaze!Sophie is, unfortunately, impossible. Do it. Marry Saizo. Make me proud. Carry on the good work.

Yep, in My Castle there's an option to visit the castles of your friends, I believe. As for being spoiled, I've fortunately already played the game in Japanese, so the AU version will most likely be my 'definitive' version that I go all-out on. Planning on doing a Hard/Lunatic PMU for my first run-throughs to make things interesting.

Hopefully when the game comes out we can all add each other's friend codes and exchange My Castle codes like the Americans did. Maybe on release we should make a separate thread for that?

I haven't played the ENG version yet (soon!!) so this is all based on JP playthrough: [spoiler=Spoiler for Length] Corrin(m) vs Corrin(f) - Not a fan of either but I guess I got attached to the avatar I used, namely through yelling at her bad decisions and the jokes me and my translator would pull at her expense whilst playing. Kana(m) vs Kana(f) - Again, not really a fan of either. But Male Kana is the one I got and if nothing else his design is cute. They're both bland as all hell, though, and stat-wise I've only ever had one or two decent Kanas (Saizo and Odin-fathered, both with a lot of hard work and favouritism that I'm not sure was worth it.) Felicia vs Jakob vs Flora - Best design, best personality. If I ever play a dude, I know who I'm marrying first. Silas vs Sophie vs Xander vs Gunter vs Seigbert vs Peri - Based on design and supports, my onii-chan can't be this cute. Hinoka vs Shigure vs Caeldori vs Subaki vs Reina - Actual Disney prince and bloodthirsty milf? Yes please. Both have really great designs but Shigure wins out by a bit for that singin' voice and the impending Matt Mercer Lost in Thoughts All Alone cover. Takumi vs Kiragi vs Setsuna - I would say Setsuna for design since I'm not a huge fan of Takumi's especially in his Live2D model, but he's a big cutie from what I've seen of the localisation. JP I couldn't really care less about him but he's growing on me every day. Niles vs Nina vs Shura - This one was hard since I love Shura but Niles' design and voice are a bit more appealing to me, and he was a bit more useful to me on Conquest given the supreme favouritism I bestowed upon him and a select few others. Forrest vs Elise vs Dwyer - cmon it's elise, the most precious girl in all the lands. Sakura vs Mitama vs Azama - I don't really care about the other two and Sakura is cute I guess? SAIZO vs Kagero vs Kaze vs Asugi - I'm in love with him. Midori vs Mozu vs Yukimura vs Azura - Main girl + Dancer utility + Nice supports. Fuga vs Ryoma vs Hinata vs Hana vs Hisame - that dodgetank powerhouse. Design is, although sound, a bit iffy in my subjective opinion but like Takumi he is growing on me. Rhajat vs Hayato vs Orochi vs Izana - N/A Odin vs Nyx vs Ophelia - One-time daughter bias, plus she can be a gotdamn powerhouse. Arthur vs Charlotte vs Rinkah - Some people complain about her but I somehow made her into the MVP of the Nohrian army who ORKO'd most enemies in Endgame. Percy vs Beruka vs Camilla vs Scarlet - Tough since I love the lil' Luchador but for some reason although every sense screams for me to dislike Camilla, I just can't. I suppose it's my headcanons and wishful thinking getting the best of me. Oboro vs Shiro - Little cheese. Effie vs Benny vs Ignatius - Conquest Earlygame Steamroll. Soliel vs Lazlow vs Selena - The other two shit me. Kaden vs Selkie vs Veloruia vs Keaton - :) Marth vs Ike vs Lucina vs Robin vs Anna - N/A do not own any. Well that was fun.

You have so much self control. For me it comes out at the sweet point between two weeks of heavy, heavy assignments that will determine the brunt of my grade, and yet I'm still thinking that I'm going to play the shit out of it anyway. At least I don't have final exams; my degree involves a hell of a lot of essays and presentations instead, but did it really have to be May? The busiest time in the semester? Either way I'm glad it's finally coming.

Based on playing all of them on hard/classic, I'd say Conquest is definitely up there in the series' difficulty, but since I haven't played FE5, 2 or the original 1+3, I can't really comment on its overall ranking. I'm playing through Binding Blade right now, and it certainly seems comparable to that, albeit I'd say the earlygame difficulty is derived from having a lack of units rather than the abundance you are given in earlygame BB. It's definitely above FE7 and FE8, but not quite as difficult as I found 10. Birthright is easy, probably comparable to Hard mode Awakening if not a little easier, and Revelation is an absolute cakewalk. I'd say it's the easiest in the series, honestly, and is manageable for even the most casual player on Lunatic in my opinion (though Chapters 5 and 6 are a bit tricky).

And the fact that a good part of the support is based on their father-daughter-esq. relationship? Yeah, me too. All of the sibling romantic supports skeeve me out. Like someone else said, if they wanted things to be this way they shouldn't have based the majority of the game's premise on familial relationships directly linked to the avatar character. Camilla's support and the letter-writing ones are the worst offenders IMO. (And Elise's, but that's a different issue, I think.) The fact that it is not acknowledged narratively with any of them kind of solidifies my position on that.

http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=62414&hl Hasn't been posted in in a while, though.

I probably would have said Shiro if not for my soft spot for the Luchador of justice. Least favorite, Soleil. In theory she is great, but her execution and inconsistency makes me uncomfortable... well, anyone who hits on their mum does. Every other kid is meh. I really couldn't care less about a good majority of them.

Hero!Saizo (A+ with Las) Master Ninja!Ryoma

[spoiler=Kiragi and Soleil S Support] Soleil: I don't think that's ever going to change. As far as I'm concerned, you'll ALWAYS be my best buddy. Kiragi: Yessss! I'm SO glad to hear you say that! And I'll always be yours too, of course. Soleil: You and me, Kiragi. Friends forever! The funniest part about her "platonic" S supports is that they sound like they're quite embarrassingly written to the point that their BFFness is kind of gratuitous.

Odin is a good choice for +Mag. Ophelia is a beast and Kana can be trained as a Nohr Noble Dragonstone tank (makes btter use of his personal skill, otherwise it kind of goes to waste.)

Yes, the point I was trying to make was that I'm sure and I and a lot of others are probably a little jaded when it comes to stories. I adored Awakening when it came out and even after years had no qualms with it whatsoever. It's probably hard for you to empathise with since to you the problems Conquest represents are so glaringly obvious that only an idiot would miss them. (I'd also like to clarify that I have no played the English version, only a watered-down JP version dictated to me by a translator who would make things more fun like calling Anankos' puppets "meat puppets" and making my avatar's only discernible character trait the fact that she whined and called things "spicy" (辛い)) I never felt disgusted, I suppose because I never thought of it that way, and maybe my Nohr bias got the best of me. I'm sure when I play the English version, I will be able to point out these things as well, because now I know of their existence and they'll be clearer than ever, but can you at least see why someone playing the game for the first time, all wide-eyed and innocent, wouldn't have so much of a problem with these things? Like I said, nowadays I'm more interested in conversing about all three routes' obvious flaws, but honestly I have more of a problem with some of the support choices, children, and the fact that these almost completely contradict the main theme of the game, sacrificing its integrity for a player avatar's waifu freedom.

On one hand, I kind of like that Kana got platonic'd, because he's canonically a little kid in the localisation to match his looks. But what shits me is Midori and Percy - why the hell weren't they given the same treatment? And why aren't THEY the ones that Kana can "marry?" If anyone, I thought it should be them - make their supports about innocent childhood love and make a promise to get married when they're older like kids do. But no, Percy and Midori are ~adults~ and I'm guessing the only reason for that is that the Player "Magic Junk" Avatar can bang them to make Kana. It's the same with Soleil - the localisation bent over backwards to clarify - "no, no, she's bisexual. See? We added this line. She likes boys and girls." But then her only opposite-sex romance is with a dude who looks like a lady and, yes, you got it, the player avatar, while simultaneously having no romantic female supports (instead, hers are just kind of... creepy, at least early on.) I suppose the localisation has something in common with IS in that they just can't make up their minds or commit to a single idea. EDIT: God I'm angry this morning. Please excuse the vitriol, I just got up and I have no idea why I'm like this today.

My first playthrough, I liked the ending of Conquest too. It wasn't until I allowed it some time to gel in my head that it started to sour. I liked that the siblings were conflicted about their father - I liked that the chapter + endgame were really triumphant and cool, and I liked the epilogue (- crashing into tiddies. Seriously IS? The balloon sound and everything?) Yes, their indecision was annoying in hindsight, but somehow I just thought of it as good execution while seeing it for the first time. I hate slime dad as much as the next person, but honestly I have no idea why I didn't mind it at the time. Honeymoon glasses? Now, obviously, I feel differently, but I do think it's probably just the feeling you get when you complete it rather than the disappointment, anger and confusion I feel now after taking the time to reflect on the story. Some people, also, just aren't as invested in the story as you, I guess? And some people like it, I suppose because they don't try to analyse it, or had no expectation, or just purely take it for what it is (man I wish I could do that.) I know you think that Fates is probably the worst example of video game writing in history, but I've played much, much worse, and in addition to my overwhelming Fire Emblem bias, I was willing to put aside some of its faults if only for the first playthrough. Again, that has changed.

Yeah I like to think that she doesn't have a Prf weapon because the devs originally had one on her and were like 'gee whizz too OP' so they took it off her to make everything a little more balanced. Seriously though if the only reason was "the brothers are inherently more important in the story and the sisters are only there as waifu bait and player worshippers" I'd be mad so I prefer to former.