Is maniac mode really that "maniac"?

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Many people say, that Mard/Maniac mode in Radiant Dawn is a pain in the ass. Seriously I know no one except for MageKnight404, who did a LP of Radiant Dawn on hard mode.

To my mind the differences between Normal and Hard mode aren´t that huge:

- no enemies´s range: I love this feature. You really have to think. But f you´ve mastered on normal 3-4, you know, what you have to do.

- classic save: no new feature

- no tutorials: no problem, because you know the whole concept

- no weapon triangle: in my opinion even an advantage, because you don´t have to calculate the weapon boni. You just have to care about the biorhythm.

- no affinity boni: Another advantage, because more enemies than your units get them.

- enemies got higher levels and stats: Well, that´s a problem for the Dawn Brigade. In part 3 the laguz (tigers with 41 Strength and cats with speed 22) kill everyone with 1-2 hits except for Volug, Tauroneo and a good Jill. It´s painful, but if you use the appropriate skills to the appropriate characters and you play considered, you can take the win. The chapters with the Crimean Knights and Greil´s Mercenaries are not too bad, especially if you got PoR-boosts. Part 4 is not a problem either, if your groups are balanced. I recommend to bring Jill to the Silver-Army, because she´s the best in the desert chapter (4-3).

- much less Bexp: Another valid point, especially for the DB, because you haven´t got enough to class change all DB members before part 3.

- the number of the enemies is the same like on Normal.

- all the bosses got the same stats and weapons like on Normal.

Hard/Maniac mode is challenging, but I like the challenge. You just have to think and play carefully to master it. And to my mind it´s lots of easier than Lunatic mode on Awakening, which is more unfair. But that´s just my opinion. I´m really interested about your opinions.

[Scarlet]

This game on Hard Mode isn't exactly difficult outside of some of the Failure Brigade chapters, just really annoying.

I really don't see how removing tactical components (weapon triangle, affinity bonus) is supposed to make the game more challenging, but what really seals the deal is the removal of a simple comfort feature (showing enemy range). In the end you just have to count how far your enemies can move yourself, which is just time-consuming and annoying.

[Tables]

This game on Hard Mode isn't exactly difficult outside of some of the Failure Brigade chapters, just really annoying.

I really don't see how removing tactical components (weapon triangle, affinity bonus) is supposed to make the game more challenging, but what really seals the deal is the removal of a simple comfort feature (showing enemy range). In the end you just have to count how far your enemies can move yourself, which is just time-consuming and annoying.

Quoted for truth. FE10 Hard is certainly more challenging than many of the previous FEs (especially since FE8 and 9 are some of the easiest in the series), but it's not exactly Awakening Lunatic or Shadow Dragon H5. The Dawn Brigade suffer most, with now having to deal with such hilarity as multiple members of their team being OHKO'd by even archers (srsly Leo and Micaiah are OHKO'd by an archer in 1-3), EXP gain being reduced in a team strapped for EXP, and then two of the games hardest chapters shortly after (1-E and 3-6). But the real issue is that the mode is just frustrating a lot of the time. Not being able to see enemy ranges doesn't add anything to the game. It just means you can sometimes miscount or misremember the move cost over certain terrain, and suddenly someone dies. Is that fun? Is that an extra strategic element? No, it's just an annoying reset that makes you feel cheated. Does removing the Weapon Triangle add anything? No, it just means you pretty much stick to one weapon type since there's no little incentive to use Lances on Haar when he can smash everything with Axes.

I've beaten FE10 on Hard twice, and have no interest in doing it again. Conversely, most other FE's I still enjoy playing on their hardest difficulties.

[Junkhead]

Like everyone else has said, not being able to count enemy tiles simply isn't an actual difficulty thing. They've covered it.

I like this HM above the others, because I think it's reasonably made, overall. In terms of enemy-difficulty- They don't exactly throw you overpowered enemies like FE13's LM or FE11's H5, but actually makes them tolerable. And regarding Part 1, I don't even think it's that bad...it's bad, if you're used to using the whole DB. I think training 2-3 unpromoted units should be reasoable and it's actually feasible, at a relatively quick pace. Then you have guys like Sothe, Zihark, Volug and the other pre-promotes who just cover holes here and there. Jill is also a really solid choice, despite not being fantastic right off the bat (although she can almost be).

[Aircalipoor]

I don´t like this mode for some reasons.

Decreasing BEXP is actually a good choice, but decreasing the normal exp gain makes training units tedious and not worthwhile. This has an impact on the choice of your units. You are limited to use the prepromotes. Sure, thats common on harder difficulties, but other FE games gave you still a chance to train weak units and it could pay off. Base Stats matter more and a huge part of the game feels irrelevant of growths. You basically get some units, use them for two chapters, get new units and replace the first units with them and so on. I´m exagerating and this not the norm in Part 3, but it is noticable.

The other reasoon was named. Not knowing about the range of enemies can be a huge deal. The biggest problem is the introduction of new terrain. I still don´t know how many tiles a unit wastes by climbing up a floor to the next level. Or how much they need to get over sand or swamp or whatever. There are situations when I can´t know how far an enemy can reach, even though I know about his movement. If this game wouldn´t have so much unique terrain, I wouldn´t complain as much about this.

[Baldrick]

Everyone else has covered why no enemy range is bad, but I think no weapon triangle was bad as well. Unlike enemy ranges, it was a simple calculation that didn't require you to memorise the stats for every movement type on every terrain, just a simple rock-paper-scissors system (I guess there are three, but the magic triangles are mostly irrelevant since you generally only use physical units against mages), and it removes the strategic aspect of choosing the right weapon for the job.

[PKL]

Another bad thing RD did is buff enemies through their defenses and resistance rather than their offensive prowess and HP (like the DS games did). This made sages completely awful and low-strength units like Fiona (never stood a chance anyway) suffered even more due to that.

[Junkhead]

I especially love how Knights, a supposedly "slow" enemy type", is sort of on par on Spd with the other enemies. At least during Part 1. Later on, you can start doubling them...just not enough to make people like Mages useful in what they should be best at. Gawd, even in FE13's lategame Generals aren't as fast.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Quoted for truth. FE10 Hard is certainly more challenging than many of the previous FEs (especially since FE8 and 9 are some of the easiest in the series), but it's not exactly Awakening Lunatic or Shadow Dragon H5. The Dawn Brigade suffer most, with now having to deal with such hilarity as multiple members of their team being OHKO'd by even archers (srsly Leo and Micaiah are OHKO'd by an archer in 1-3), EXP gain being reduced in a team strapped for EXP, and then two of the games hardest chapters shortly after (1-E and 3-6). But the real issue is that the mode is just frustrating a lot of the time. Not being able to see enemy ranges doesn't add anything to the game. It just means you can sometimes miscount or misremember the move cost over certain terrain, and suddenly someone dies. Is that fun? Is that an extra strategic element? No, it's just an annoying reset that makes you feel cheated. Does removing the Weapon Triangle add anything? No, it just means you pretty much stick to one weapon type since there's no little incentive to use Lances on Haar when he can smash everything with Axes.

I've beaten FE10 on Hard twice, and have no interest in doing it again. Conversely, most other FE's I still enjoy playing on their hardest difficulties.

I don´t like this mode for some reasons.

Decreasing BEXP is actually a good choice, but decreasing the normal exp gain makes training units tedious and not worthwhile. This has an impact on the choice of your units. You are limited to use the prepromotes. Sure, thats common on harder difficulties, but other FE games gave you still a chance to train weak units and it could pay off. Base Stats matter more and a huge part of the game feels irrelevant of growths. You basically get some units, use them for two chapters, get new units and replace the first units with them and so on. I´m exagerating and this not the norm in Part 3, but it is noticable.

The other reasoon was named. Not knowing about the range of enemies can be a huge deal. The biggest problem is the introduction of new terrain. I still don´t know how many tiles a unit wastes by climbing up a floor to the next level. Or how much they need to get over sand or swamp or whatever. There are situations when I can´t know how far an enemy can reach, even though I know about his movement. If this game wouldn´t have so much unique terrain, I wouldn´t complain as much about this.

The main downside of Radiant Dawn is, that the three groups are complety unbalanced. At first you got the fragile DB. In part 2 the promoted and decent CKs, who has to fight mainly tier 1 units. And in part 3 you got the overpowered GMs (especially with PoR-boosts). The game starts very hard and becomes from time to time easier, because your groups will be better compared with the enemies. In part 3 you got "easy" chapters with the GMs and "annoying" chapters with the DB.

Another huge problem is the availibility of characters. For example Tormod is just a guest. He steals Exp in part 1 and comes totally underleveled in part 4, so he´s (unfortunately) useless. On the other hand Ilyana has the best availibility for any reasons.

Characters like Meg and Fiona are impossible to train on hard mode, because the other DB members are MUCH better at this point, and the enemies will double attack and kill them.

The disabled enemies range is a question of taste. Like I said, I like it, because you have to think. It takes much time, but it´s training for the brain (to my mind). It´s an interesting and unique feature in the series. Yes the problems are swamps and slopes. I believe swamps cost 4 and sand 5 spaces of the moving range. 1-8 has the most annoying terrain, because of the swamps and the draco knights.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Everyone else has covered why no enemy range is bad, but I think no weapon triangle was bad as well. Unlike enemy ranges, it was a simple calculation that didn't require you to memorise the stats for every movement type on every terrain, just a simple rock-paper-scissors system (I guess there are three, but the magic triangles are mostly irrelevant since you generally only use physical units against mages), and it removes the strategic aspect of choosing the right weapon for the job.

I completly agree, that was a bad idea to disable the weapon triangle. It´s part of the series. No weapon triangle makes it easier to calculate the damage, which is contadictory on hard mode. It enhanced the biorhythm, which is annoying, because the biorhythm is improved compared to PoR. Characters who got a "worst" biorhythm for lots of turns will get much trouble to hit and avoid enemies.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Like everyone else has said, not being able to count enemy tiles simply isn't an actual difficulty thing. They've covered it.

I like this HM above the others, because I think it's reasonably made, overall. In terms of enemy-difficulty- They don't exactly throw you overpowered enemies like FE13's LM or FE11's H5, but actually makes them tolerable. And regarding Part 1, I don't even think it's that bad...it's bad, if you're used to using the whole DB. I think training 2-3 unpromoted units should be reasoable and it's actually feasible, at a relatively quick pace. Then you have guys like Sothe, Zihark, Volug and the other pre-promotes who just cover holes here and there. Jill is also a really solid choice, despite not being fantastic right off the bat (although she can almost be).

To my mind Jill is the most balanced character in the entire game and the best female dracoknight in the Fire Emblem series. She ended up first in my both hard mode runs. Her starting HP (seraph robe helps) and strength are her only weaknesses (speed penalty even with hand axes). For being a dracoknight she has growths of a Pegasus-Knight: High speed, resistance and amazing luck with decent strength and defense. She can cover all weaknesses. In part 3 she can take the laguz with at least a B-support in earth-affinity, resolve and a braveaxe. In part 4-prologue she can rape the paladins even as a dragonmaster with a horseslayer. With paragon she can get 10-15 levels in this chapter. And thanks to her high speed cap 35, she can double everyone in 4-3. With Bexp she maxed out every stat and her caps are terrific.

[Nicolas]

I don't think that giving enemiea huge buff is right way to make game harder.

I think that hard modes inFE should be like hard modes in Advanced Wars, where level design is huge change.

[kirbymastah]

Chapter 1-5

[Tables]

I don't think that giving enemiea huge buff is right way to make game harder.

I think that hard modes inFE should be like hard modes in Advanced Wars, where level design is huge change.

I think it's fine, as long as it's reasonably playtested. With what you propose, it requires designing and playing out basically twice as many maps a lot of the time, and that's a significant drain of limited resources for making the game. It does make for some memorable second quests, but when you want many difficulty settings (i.e. 3-4+) it's not such a great way to do things.

And chapter 1-5, oh boy. Even when not recruited, RNJill loves to kill your attempts :(. Seriously, that chapter was almost Lunatic+ bad in that you could lose through no fault of your own, just Jill deciding that death would be helpful on turn 6.

I had serious trouble on that chapter my first time through, since Jill managed to repeatedly get herself killed on turn 2. The only person that can realistically even reach Jill in 2 turns is Volug, and if you rush him there that quickly, he's in danger himself.

I think that hard modes inFE should be like hard modes in Advanced Wars, where level design is huge change.

[dondon151]

The only person that can realistically even reach Jill in 2 turns is Volug, and if you rush him there that quickly, he's in danger himself.

what

also sothe gets there pretty quickly too because he doesn't have a very severe movement penalty going up ledges.