Question to the community about Seisen no Keifu

[The Silencing Darkness]

Hello Serenes Forest! I've been playing through Fire Emblem 4, For the first time. A question crossed my mind pertaining to 4 and Fire Emblem as a whole I wished to express with the community. In your opinion, Where would you place Fire Emblem Seisen no Keifu in your top 5 of Fire Emblem titles in regards to difficulty? Please justify your answers as well. I'm anticipating these answers, Albeit judicious or groundless reasoning. Enlighten me!

[MacLovin]

Yes, due to 1RN system.

But on the bright side, its easy once you get to know it better.

[Darros]

Where would I place it for my top 5 hardest FEs? Not in it at all. Lack of harder difficulties and 2nd gen being ridiculously broken if you set it up right is why. Generation 2 basically hands you Shanan and Aless, and you can destroy everything with them. Generation 1 isn't that hard either. Then again I've played FE4 a thousand times, but I've never found it too hard.

[Book of Ereshkigal]

Yeah, FE4 isn't anywhere near being the hardest FE, or hard, really.

Still a fun game though.

[Baldrick]

I would place it third, after FE5 and FE10, assuming normal modes. It's fairly easy to get stuck in an unfavourable position if you're not careful, but it doesn't throw any really unfair situations at you like those two do. In terms of hard modes, it's probably a little easier than FE6 HM and the higher difficulties of FE11.

[Integrity]

Just for difficulty? Way down the list. Like, harder than FE9 and FE8 but that's about it. The game is only really difficult by virtue of being different (high enemy concentration with high spacing) which is already a thing I like dealing with.

Plus all the broken shit you get handed without trying, yeah.

[Momo]

I'd wager to say this is the easiest FE after FE11 normal mode.

[Samven]

I had some tricky moments here but that was mostly my own fault. There's nothing really "bone crunchingly hard" about Genealogy. Even the final boss isn't really difficult. Just... long, assuming you don't use a certain spellbook. Otherwise, it's a doddle.

[Thor Odinson]

Gen 1 might prove a little trouble for a first time player 'cuz it's a bit different from other FEs and it'll take a bit of time to adjust. Nothing close to being actually difficult though.

Gen 2 is "holy shit I have so many broken units let's just go on a killing rampage yeaaaaaaaah"

[Shin]

For a first time player, it can be a little tricky, since it differs from other titles in the series. However, it's pretty much on par with normal modes from FE6/7/11. It's got nothing on any of the hard modes other than 8 and 9. I'd put it somewhere in the middle, above the likes of 3, 8 and 9, but below monsters like FE5 and FE6HM.

[Sasori]

Its pretty difficult when you start out especially if your doing a blind playtrough.

The amount of broken units the game trows at you makes it a lot easier, but the the non holy weapon users can still get in trouble since the enemies hit pretty hard in this game.

[The Silencing Darkness]

Wow! Excellent answers. Thanks for the insight kind humans. It is my first blind playthrough, And I'm at the second part of the game. I've been through Fire Emblem 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. That was simply for quick reference. Honestly, I will make the admission I am finding it quite difficult. It is fun, But can be exasperating for me at times. An example would be on the current chapter I'm in. Chapter 7 I think? Shannan keeps getting raped by DAT RNG. But I am tenacious to complete the older Fire Emblem titles. My knowledge and experience is clearly too diminutive. It's the novelty of playing through a 'new' FE. This game seems quite extolled by people, So I must see for myself. I digress. If you were to offer any advice (omitting spoilers) To and old school FE Neophyte, What would it be?

[Rehab]

Its pretty difficult when you start out especially if your doing a blind playtrough.

On the one had, I think you/this is right in that the game doesn't really tell the player much about some key things, stacked up to modern game design. On the other, knowing much about it really defangs it that much.

Looking at it just as a gamer, it doesn't throw players to the wolves with regards to pairings as much as it possibly could have, in that there are notifications for conversation opportunities that often involve relationship points (I like conversation notifications a lot in general), and of course the player gets not-too-hard chances at baller units that can take the second half by themselves if pairings didn't work out, but it's still a major part of the game on which the player gets little explicit information. It's a great game, but far from the first choice I'd have to introduce somebody to either the franchise or games in general.

As a Fire Emblem player who looks shit up compulsively and lives by the numbers NUMBERS, it's just not much of a challenge in comparison. It's usually fairly easy to either run circles around the average enemy, counter them harshly, or both.

^Arr I kinda forget how possible this is, but are you able to limit to a relatively small amount of attacks each turn, such that he won't be in too much danger during a single enemy phase? I know the mages can be a pain, but I forget exactly how much area they cover.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Rehab

[Quirino]

I found it to be fairly difficult the first time, because I had a hard time dealing with big groups of enemies at once, but it really took some getting used to, after that it was easy enough.

[Tables]

I think the game is harder than a lot of people give credit for. Yeah, you get things that can roflstomp the entire game, but at the same time you get a fair amount of stuff thrown at you which can ruin you if you don't know how to deal with it - massive mobs of enemies, various 'scenario' type encounters e.g. Aless and Patty, Fury taking your castle, Cross Knights, Brigid, Tiltyu & Claude, Ishtar etc.. And you can't rely solely on the holy weapons, as they're just too expensive to use constantly.

It's one of the easier FE games, but it's well above FE8, FE9 and FE11 (EM).

[Integrity]

and FE11 (EM).

FE11 NM is hardly even a game. I don't want to think about what FE11 EM would be. :P

[Guy Starwind]

Personally if you don't read up on any of the best pairings, don't turn on the save after every turn(I admit I do this though), and don't come to these forums I think the game can be fairly hard. However, most people don't do that and so the game is way easier. Once you've beat it you get a good idea on how to do everything. If you play a second time you'll realize the game is much easier. If you enjoy it and want a challenge I suggest playing one of the hacks like the Shin patch or the Camus patch. Hell even I just finished a hack of the game(although mine is just a few adjustments to certain boss fights which I felt were lacking in difficulty and other random features. In fact it's easier in some aspects but harder in others but I digress)

My first run was hard because I tried to play as blind as possible. I had horrible pairings, I didn't know I could get Holsety, I didn't get the holy bow(I can't spell it) by accident, and I didn't use half my team because they sucked so bad.

[Baldrick]

On the other, knowing much about it really defangs it that much.

Knowing much about FE11 H5 defangs it as well. The only way to really gauge the difficulty of an SRPG is to go in blind.

The advice I'd give to the OP is keep a backup save after you conquer every castle and pay close attention to conversations and the fortune teller.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Minor Baldo

[Mekkah]

Fire Emblem is generally Nintendo Hard. If you know nothing, the game is pretty difficult. If you know everything, the game is pretty easy. The difference between FE4 and the GBA FEs is that if you've played one GBA FE, you should know your way around in the other two as well, whereas in FE4 you will be confused even if you've played other games in the series before.

[Paperblade]

Are we talking about ranked or not?

[omglmaowtf]

I think the game is harder than a lot of people give credit for. Yeah, you get things that can roflstomp the entire game, but at the same time you get a fair amount of stuff thrown at you which can ruin you if you don't know how to deal with it - massive mobs of enemies, various 'scenario' type encounters e.g. Aless and Patty, Fury taking your castle, Cross Knights, Brigid, Tiltyu & Claude, Ishtar etc.. And you can't rely solely on the holy weapons, as they're just too expensive to use constantly.

This. In fact FE4's difficulty is 3rd only to FE2 & FE5

What makes it hard:

1) Almost all of Gen 1...actually, Gen 1 units not named Sigurd, Dew, or Levin has nearly no level-up stat growths. This is so that the Gen 2 children don't cap everything before promotion without rings or holy weapons

2)And Dew sucks in combat

3)Because of the huge maps, only your mounted units will ever see combat. And of those mounted units, no Pursuit means can't double unless using hero weapons. So that "you can use everybody" thing?...Yeah not.

[Integrity]

This. In fact FE4's difficulty is 3rd only to FE2 & FE5

What makes it hard:

1) Almost all of Gen 1...actually, Gen 1 units not named Sigurd, Dew, or Levin has nearly no level-up stat growths. This is so that the Gen 2 children don't cap everything before promotion without rings or holy weapons

2)And Dew sucks in combat

3)Because of the huge maps, only your mounted units will ever see combat. And of those mounted units, no Pursuit means can't double unless using hero weapons. So that "you can use everybody" thing?...Yeah not.

0: FE2 is hard? Honest question. I found it not difficult, just a little tedious.

1: Player growths don't exist in a vacuum, neither are they the only criteria measuring units against each other. You can get away with low player unit growths when enemies aren't growing especially faster than player units which - as I recall - they really don't. And anyhow, Sigurd alone is enough for most of the game, so even if his support is all scrubs + Ethlin you can still truck through. Same thing with Pursuit from the third point - your Mounties aren't all doubling (that being "only" sigurd, alec, fin, midir, beowulf, fury are [author's note: that's more than half of your mounted units and lex gets exclusive dibs on the hero axe anyway]) but neither are most enemies.

3: Entirely - entirely - based on playstyle. Run through on full MOV every turn, of course only your mounted units will see combat. Stand around for a little while (note: you're likely to do this on a first play) while you get back into formation for a new castle and your footsies catch up, just like every other FE ever. Hell, in most other FEs your mounted units will outstrip your footsies pretty quickly if you play breakneck, it's just that the difference is less stark due to smaller maps.

I'm failing to see how any of these things is proof that FE4 is hard. ;/

[Shin]

Enemies have worse growths than most playable characters, plus they don't get personal bases. Only the enemies with Holy Blood tend to prove troublesome.