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Last year I borrowed my cousins copy of Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, and asked for some advice. Once again, I thank everyone who responded. I frequently referred to the topic throughout my playthrough and it was helpful each time. This time, I asked to borrow Birthright, and my question is what difficulty should I play it on? I completed Conquest on hard casual, and in terms of pure gameplay, I would consider it the best in the series. It remained challenging yet fair throughout, it knew when to inform the player about a gimmick or mechanic and went to let the map design and enemy abilities speak for themselves, and I can count the amount of bullcrap specific to this game on one hand. That said, the sheer number of things to keep track of, combined with how long certain levels could last and how certain gimmicks could have been given a bit more time to stew, did result in me getting exhausted with the game. I know that Birthright is considered much easier, so after beating Conquest, would it be a good idea to start a blind playthrough on hard or lunatic difficulty? I also ask how well does the game handle permadeath, as I am curious whether to start on casual or classic mode. I enjoy doing Ironman runs for most games in the series, and I have done blind Ironman runs for Shadow Dragon and Blazing Sword, so this wouldn't be my first rodeo. Thanks in advance. (Also, I swear I am going to do a Ryoma Solo run of the game after my first playthrough, as I am legitimately curious if he really is that powerful.)

Trying to make a long story short: I have had my 3DS since December 2011 (got it as a Christmas gift), and I've played it with varying frequency throughout the years. It was around 2017 that I started noticing that my 3DS battery tended to run out faster than it had before, and that it charged more quickly than what I was used to as well. At the time, I simply chalked it up as my 3DS getting old, as well as some games being more graphically intense than others, since some games lasted one hour before needing to be recharged while others took 2 or 3, and the graphics and animations of said games varied wildly. While I was surprised by how quickly I needed to charge my 3DS when playing Fates back in July, it was during the month of October that I thought it was becoming a more serious issue. I had bought Metal Gear Solid 3D and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (As I decided I wouldn't have much luck hoping they would eventually show up some time at a game store, much less at a reasonable price, so I bought physical copies online), and when I started playing the former, my 3DS ran out of power in the middle of the first cutscene. Even when playing Shadow Dragon, the game barely lasted 10 minutes before the red light blinked desperately, and it charged in less time than that. Since I never had issue with DS games draining the batter quickly, I knew something was up. I still managed to play these games, but I had to be permanently have my 3DS hooked up to a charger, and now my 3DS can barely stay on for more than 5 seconds before turning off again if it's not plugged in. Today, when trying to complete Metal Gear Solid 3D, my 3DS quit in the middle of the session. I don't know if I bumped something or what, but I decided enough was enough, and opened the back of the case to see what had happened to the battery. I took some pictures, which are shown in the spoiler below: Since this is the first time I've encountered a technical issue like this before, I have a few questions: - Are there any dangers I should know about from playing with a possibly swollen battery? - Could I keep using this one until I replace it, or should I throw it out? - Would it even be worthwhile to replace the battery, or am I better off just getting a new 3DS? - Are there any specific things may have caused this issue (like the surrounding temperature or how long I kept it charged and so on) or is it just a result of my 3DS being nearly 8 years old? Thanks in advance for your answers. If there are any other things you believe I should know or questions you have to ask, feel free to put them down.

Short story shorter: I'm borrowing my cousin's copy of Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest for a few months (her "borrowing" my copy of Kid Icarus: Uprising for five years may or may not have anything to do with it), and I'm curious if there are any general tips or advice I should know before diving in. For reference, I have completed ironman runs of Awakening on both the Normal and Hard difficulties (and the first Normal run was technically a no-grinding run, even if in truth I did it four times. To be fair, two of them were getting to shops that I wanted to buy from, and another was to test out support facts from the site), as well as Echoes on Normal and Hard (does it count as an ironman if everyone survived and I never resetted, but still used the turnwheel?). I've also tried Mystery of the Emblem, Blazing Sword, and Sacred Stones, but my emulator crapping out prevented me from getting far in any of them. I have experience with this series, but I'm not all that knowledgeable on the specifics of what Fates does differently. I know that they changed how pair-up works, the reclassing system is expanded upon, there are still children, and weapons don't have durability but instead have drawbacks, but other than that I know next to nothing about Fates. Also, is there anything I should brace myself in regards to the story, supports, and characters? I don't want spoilers, but I know that Fates is infamous for its... let's say lackluster story, and I want to know what to prepare myself for. This is coming from the guy that thought that Awakenings story was alright (personally believe it's over-hated, but at the end of the day it's merely average) and that its cast and supports are underrated (although I can understand why some don't feel/think the same way). I also liked Echoes plot (although I will also be among the first to admit that it is very, very flawed) and enjoyed the characters. I admit I don't have the highest hopes with Fates in the writing department, but I'm also going to decide for myself how good or bad its quality is. Thanks in advance!