henrymidfields

So there are a lot of tropes that grinds our gears, whether it is too cliche, too offensive, or too annoying...except for this one example you saw. Either it was just too hilarious to be riled up about it, it was handled exceptionally well and the character became all the more badass/compelling/sympathetic for it, you saw the logic and the author's point behind and found it thought-provoking etc. Conversely there may be classic tropes that you love. But for some reason, you hate, cringe, groan, for this particular trope's example or even lodged a complaint against the broadcaster/producer. TV Tropes have a page for this called Trope Enjoyment Loophole. So any examples of story tropes that you normally hate, but you at least did not mind (or even liked/loved/admitted made the story stronger) for that example in question? Do you also have story tropes that you normally love, but in this particular instance you hated? Normally hate, but with an exception I like: Hate is a massive stretch, but I generally dismiss J-Pop (standalone or as a theme song for movies etc) as something outside of my musical interests. Especially more recent ones, and those that don't sound distinctively Japanese. Even though I am Japanese. Except for the very same kind of songs used in Tokyo Mirage Sessions - and I don't really know why. Normally like but not this one: I generally love classical music in movies, like Finlandia at the end of one of the Die Hard movies, but I'm not a fan of overused ones. Pachelbel's Canon with the wedding scenes in The Proposal (2009 film) was one - I'd really wished they used Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral (in Richard Wagner's Lohengrin; it's actually the song before the famous Wedding March)for the same scene.

Man, I've missed that one cause of the lack of localization AND being one of the few DS games with the stupid region lock.

This is something that I have been wondering since the last few weeks. It has stemmed from my posts discussing a possible remake of FE4, and also my opinions regarding the Switch remake of Link's Awakening. We had stuff like NES/SNES Mini, Virtual Console, and Switch Online ports of originals. Gone are the days when we had to scavenge on EBay or secondhand stores for old games...well, mostly. Many of the games I used to play decades ago are sold on the eShop now. Back when VC was not yet a thing, Shadow Dragon was the closest accessible thing for the me to experience Marth's story. I wasn't a huge fan of how the gameplay and story presentation was a bit too faithful, but at least I can understand why that approach was taken. Which brings to my next question: should remakes be more reimagined and modernised onwards? I'm asking this, because now that accessibility to original versions is not as much of an issue, I don't really understand why we need faithful remakes as much. There still might be cases for them, particularly those on consoles that aren't yet ported online, like some of the stuff from N64 and Gamecube and onwards. To be even fairer, I also acknowledge that newer games tend to be less tedious with cutscenes, scene changes, transitions from overworld into battles, so that may also have to be considered with VC releases. As for my reasons for not wanting faithful remakes? Because then what is the point of a Switch remake? You might as well just ask Nintendo to have it released on the VC with the necessary localizations, which have been done for the original FE1-3. For example, I'm not interested in playing Link's Awakening on the Switch because it's too similar to the original to justify a price tag of approx $60. I've already played that on the GameBoy years ago, and even if I didn't, there's the VC for that which is $5. Instead, I wanted the story and worldbuilding of Koholint to be expanded way beyond the original, and make the characterizations deeper, the history richer, and the story experience as epic as Skyward Sword. If they've modernised the presentation, then I'd wish they've gone the whole way and expanded the game. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, because of how richer the world of Midgar looked, and how much real it was presented as. It shows just how much of a crapsack place Lower Midgar is compared to the above, not to mention how smooth and stress-free the gameplay was - especially the transition into battle. So yeah, provided that ports of old games remain readily accessible I think future remakes should generally be bolder, and designers should be less hesitant to shake things up.

I've had some further thought about GoHW since I last posted, and rethought about the unique gameplay mechanic. I don't want something too faithful, because then what is the point of a Switch remake? You might as well just ask Nintendo to have it released on the VC with the necessary English, French, and Spanish localizations. I mean, I'm mot interested in playing Link's Awakening on the Switch because it's too similar to the original to justify a price tag of approx $60. I've already played that on the GameBoy years ago, and even if I didn't, there's the VC for that which is $5. I do want some acknowledgement of the unique mechanics, now that I know better about the some of the design decisions and basic narrative behind the game. I now know that GoHW looks at military operations from a more macro scale than most other FE games. What each unit represents in GoHW is essentially what your entire party looks like in most other FE entries. I also now know that batallions/regiments (?) historically had to look after their own equipment, and win their own loot, so I'd like the individualized inventory to stay, but with a couple of modifications for the sake of logic or improving QoL. I'd like purchasing items off each other directly be an option under certain conditions (maybe units from the same faction, or those that have support levels). Married couples should be able to trade freely, as a bonus to further push the whole marriage point for GoHW. Also for what I believe is for obvious reasons, existing family members (parent-child or brother-sister) that are in the player's army should also at least be afforded an option for discounts purchases, unless there's a good in-story reason not to. Also, did I hear that vulneraries don't exist in GoHW? How much of a problem would it be if we add them (as either purchasables or standard army rations)? How much does the lack of vulneraries in the original contribute to an unwinnable situation? My opinions on adding battalions for GoHW has remained unchanged since my last post. As for the story, we might as well add on to the script that is already complete, and add more conversations for the non-Lord characters to further elaborate the characters and the world. Three Houses was good in giving more weight to non-Lord playable units. Not only were there paralogues for the different units, but there were, in general, more appearances and lines for them, and gave a more apparent notion that, the class/team you stuck with actually acts as a team. Paralogues might not be an feasible option for this hypothetical remake (though maybe character-specific sidequests may be), but the increased appearances of non-Lord units should be to both give the feel of an actual history instead of a "insultingly reductive and so slavishly rote" Great Man Theory approach (courtesy of Overly Sarcastic Productions) of FE's story all too often done with most past entries. Related to the previous, Sigurd's personality and flaws should stay intact as is, instead of what happened to Alm in Shadows of Valentia remake. If anything, I wouldn't mind if they rammed his flaws in diplomacy harder than the original.

Another solution: Simply make it as part of a free update.

Someone over at Reddit suggested extra cutscenes depicting Hubert having a celebration drink with Lord Arundel right after Chapter 18, only to then show Lord Arundel collapsing from his poisoned drink. Maybe Shambala could be a Part 3 / story-based Trial Map after you finish CF or AM, or it could be a side quest with Jeritza as a routine exercise to show who's boss when they get uppity. (VW would get the Defense of Deridu instead. Not sure about SS.) Now that you mentioned it, I wonder why that wasn't written in for CF... It could also have been a way to establish how TWISTD managed to infiltrate the Adrestian Government. I think that TWISTD was only a threat to Edelgard because of the anti-Emperor noble's backings. After all, the nobles were also involved (or at least complicit) in the crest experiments on Edelgard. That might have a way of showing how TWISTD gradually lost their power base, and thus their political influence, and how Edelgard started to defang them. Maybe not quite the same as bursting into Shambala with guns a-blazing, but still better than just mentioning them in the credits.

Actually, just how much are their strengths compared to other factions? I've always assumed they managed to spy, lie, deceive, cheat and sabotage well enough to infiltrate the higher echelons of the Adrestian government. Them siding with Adrestia in CF's war should also indicate something. I thought it was more Edelgard limiting her reliance on them when she can.

I've always assumed that this was due to several factors - not all of them directly tied into the current war. It could partly be because she wanted to consolidate her power on her own terms and distance herself away from TWISTD so that they wouldn't cause havoc around her. In fact, I wish there was a flashback scene of her doing her admin during the five year interim, and maybe have at least one or two random supports run and fulfilled. I don't know if I need any more personal growth for Edie during the war phase. If anything, I would have liked to see more of what she did during the five year interim. I'd liked to have thought that she and Hubert (and Alois if recruited) spent time searching for Byleth, while keeping the group together. In fact, maybe make this her moment to continue to reach out to others and fill in a couple of more side "supports" as part of her character growth. Maybe once she finds out what Ferdinand wants in a noble, say Edelgard reshuffles the nobility system so that it cannot be passed down to the next generation, similar to how British citizens can be knighted today. Maybe Edelgard makes her first attempts at her meritocracy thing, and appoints, say, Manuela as the Surgeon-General in the whole Adrestian Army. In all this, Edelgard learns how to let go, and trust and delegate onto others. As for the length, chuck in a few extra chapters showing a timeskip and maybe the climatic battle against TWISTD and Nemesis at the end. So Shambala and the missile launcher has been sabotaged, but Thales fled to regroup - they already found out that Edelgard was gunning for them. Then a revived Nemesis and Thales do their last stand against Edelgard. I mean, we have this huge dramatic Chapter 22 in Binding Blade, and 3 more chapters finding the last boss there. If the narrative there works, the same structure 18: Rhea -> 19: Shambala entry -> 20: Shambala -> 21/Final: Nemesis should work as well.

Thanks. I guess it is an open interpretation at this stage. My personal opinion would be a bit of moral implications, a bit of because Byleth would be enough, and also not wanting to rely on TWISTD as much.

Referring to your other analysis: Well there we go. I've still yet to play the other alternate histories, so that'll be something new. I think I know the reason why she would use the Demonic Beasts. (Are those TWISTD's?) As for CF, would it be because that she's already have Byleth and felt that the Beasts could be deployed elsewhere amongst the Imperial Troops?

Is there a difference between hard military numbers of the Kingdom vs Empire? While a Doylist ideal might call for more chapters and drama in between, I think the Watsonian argument was that for all intents and purposes, the numbers were there, the training of the troops were there etc. At least the fridge brilliance entry in TV tropes make that argument for the smaller number of chapters.

1. Binding Blade - twice on normal 2. Sacred Stones - once on normal 3. Awakening - completed once on normal, once on hard, aborted on lunatic 4. Shadow Dragon - completed on normal and hard 1 5. Fates Conquest - once on normal 6. Three Houses - Currently on Chapter 14 of CF, first run

I was actually drafting out a possible fanfic story for Crimson Flower with elements of Verdant Wind added once I experience all four routes. The above comment gives me an idea on how I might write a less bloody invasion into the Alliance, leading into Claude or Lorenz joining forces with Edelgard... Good question. It could paradoxically be due to Rhea's actions taken immediately after Chapter 12. Here's a possible scenario: In CF, Rhea decided to bail out, seeing her own base hopelessly overrun. This turned out to be the right choice for her, because she snuck out before Imperial Troops started occupying the Monastery proper. As for the troops themselves, they either couldn't capture her as she had already evacuated, and/or didn't bother doing so as this wasn't their primary objective...yet. And the presence of Rhea in CF boosted morale in the Kingdom and the populace and the territories were either happy to make her de facto leader, or were too intimidated to oppose her - maybe with the exception of the western territories. The Imperial Army, on the other hand became more cautious about engaging with the Kingdom in a fight. As for the other routes, she probably decided to stay put at Garreg Mach as she felt she had no reason to flee, seeing that Byleth's group successfully repelled the Imperial invasion. Except she was wrong there, as she was somehow captured - maybe Imperial Troops snucked into the Monastery grounds and ambushed her as their last desperation attempt? (Which may also mean that as they failed to take over Garreg Mach, they decided to settle with capturing Rhea.) Her absence ruined what little morale or faith people had left in their society and led to the Kingdom into further disarray, and this must have emboldened the Empire to do their early incursions.

I thought Claude couldn't wipe Edie off because of the disarray with the Alliance teamwork, unless if there's something I've yet to see in further chapters or other routes that supports your claim. It implies so in some of the conversations in December 28 right before Chapter 13 where some if the Lords turned pro-Empire, and them only prevented in joining due to Claude making the Lords turn on each other to feign neutrality. I mean, if your claim is true, then the war/game would have been long over by the time Byleth woke up.

A couple of partial headcanons mixing with actual canon for my current playthrough of Crimson Flower: Edelgard being ultimately more successful here than in other routes is more due to her regaining trust with other people, being more strategic with her ruthless behaviour, and having a better shot at distancing away from TWISTD. While she made better progress at the start of other routes, she ended up losing support due to her cold-heartedness overriding long-term political wisdom. Here, however, Edelgard was more cautious, and while she saw less progress in annexation at the start, the few places she managed to annex provided their full support, and other areas also became enamoured with the more favorable conditions in the Empire. Edelgard losing some of her cold-heartedness when Byleth teams up with her is pretty much canon. In more detail, after Byleth took over the Black Eagles class, Byleth encouraged Edelgard and others to reach out to each other (hence Byleth's teacher log including notes of relationships between others - which in the games manifests as the Support level progress page). This could have been easily reversed, however at the end of Chapter 11, if Byleth sides with the church. Which is implied canon, I think. But even if Byleth sides with Edelgard, stating that Byleth would have some stern words for her head student would be an understatement. This was one case where Edelgard and Byleth's friendship could have gone all wrong, but Byleth, being unnerved by Rhea's behaviour prior, and reading Daddy Jeralt's diary which describes implications of Rhea's underhandedness (and the coverup of the Gautier incident) decides that at least Edelgard isn't as creepy. While some of their classmates were initially hesitant about joining the invasion during March 1181 (the weeks leading up to Chapter 12) and sometimes even a few years after that, they ended up being swayed, both by Edelgard's propaganda, her more sensitive and in-touch attitude towards commoners, and by other classmates who knew her better. Lysithea was already disaffected by the church due to her trauma from crests being unaddressed. Sylvain also had hardships from his crests thanks to the people around him, and especially Miklain, and he was generally disaffected by the political instability in Faerghus. His family disowned Sylvain after his defection, however. Annette was swayed by her uncle to continue supporting Edelgard, as he himself decided to do so after being fed up with the political instability with Faerghus. After Annette's return to Dominic Province, she pleaded to her uncle to take Mercedes in for a while. Baron Dominic appointed Mercedes as one of the surgeons for his troops. In 1185, Mercedes was headhunted by Edelgard to rejoin the Black Eagles as Manuela's assistant. While Mercedes still believed in the Goddess, she was also disaffected by the church's complicity with crests when it brought her nothing but hardship. Her and Manuela's disaffection became part of what was to become the Protestant movement in Fodlan in the years after the Great War of 1185. Manuela always had a soft spot for the Embarr as it was somewhat less stratified than other places in Fodlan. It also helped that she was appointed as the general surgeon for the Black Eagles right after Chapter 11, and eventually for the whole army by 1185, one of the first commoners to be appointed to the position in generations. This also served to be the benchmark of how to introduce commoners to high government positions: starting small, and working the way up. While Hanneman was more hesitant in supporting the Empire, he couldn't really cut ties with the place and family he grew up with. It also helped that he started to see the negative effects of Crests on people and is now researching Crests more for the effects on people and society, and started to agree more with Edelgard's anti-Crest stance. While Ignaz was not too enthusiastic about supporting the Empire initially, he kept in touch with other units he had a support conversation with, such as Petra, Shamir, Lysithea, or Mercedes. Seeing that they are doing well under their new master made him decide that working for the Empire might be better than with the Alliance in disarray. Leonie initially stayed with the Black Eagles for Chapter 12, but after Byleth became MIA, Leonie left for a while. She undergoes similar revelations as Ignaz when she corresponds with Bernadetta and Alois. As for why she doesn't seem to make apparent progress during the five year timeskip, this was due to a combination of factors: Edelgard's insisted in stabilising the domestic situation, and the territories on former Western Faerghus. This meant: stimulating the economy on both so that she could indirectly raise more revenue. cleaning up the other nobles - both through Edelgard siding with the commoners, and pitting Edelgard's political enemies against TWISTD - to remove political corruption and recover more of the appropriated taxes She also decided that she needed to cultivate relationships beyond the other high-rank nobles within her government and with TWISTD and consolidate her authority. Through the empowered commoners, Edelgard's friends made at school (possibly canon), and her indirect friends through Byleth and others (optionally canon), she managed to keep TWISTD at bay - they had to compete with a lot more factions for support, and they been losing political sway ever since. Edie also persuaded her ministers (particularly the entire Bergliez family, and Count Hevring) to gradually disengage with TWISTD, only engaging with them as a last option. As they had no idea about the Empire's financial situation, they didn't realise that they've been gradually outfunded by other factions. Lord Arundel caught wind of it sometime between Chapter 15 and 16, but by that time, it was too late. As Edelgard's cause gained popularity and as she also granted amnesty for defecting, TWISTD even lost some of their rank-and-file members. The Arianrhod Incident immediately after Chapter 16 turned out to be their last desperation attempt in intimidating Edelgard. In the short-term, they managed to put a dent into Edelgard's war effort. They were doomed in the long-term, however, as the launching of the Javelin gave away their location, allowing Edelgard and her force to reform their Strike Force to incorporate previously unrecruited survivors from the other Houses, and to clean the proverbial house several months after CF's ending. While she managed to win Garreg Mach during Chapter 12, the loss was high enough to dissuade her to fund further campaigns in the immediate future. Furthermore, Rhea decided to bail out, seeing her own base hopelessly overrun. This turned out to be the right choice for Rhea in the short term, because she snuck out before Imperial Troops started occupying the Monastery proper. As for the troops themselves, they either couldn't capture her as she had already evacuated, and/or didn't bother doing so as this wasn't their primary objective...yet. And the presence of Rhea in CF boosted morale in the Kingdom and the populace and the territories were either happy to make her de facto leader, or were too intimidated to oppose her - maybe with the exception of the western territories. In the short-term, this was a setback for the Empire, and they became more cautious about engaging with the Kingdom in a fight. Instead Edelgard and Ferdinand started proxy wars and orchestrated rebellions across Western Faerghus and part of Leicester through possible recruits such as Baron Dominic and Annette for the former and Count Gloucester and Lorenz for the latter. The former was quite successful (if you recruited Annette - as I have done), the latter less so. It was enough to distract both Faerghus and Leicester for a while, however.