World Map or No?

[Azz]

Title says it all.

Would you like a world map like in 2,8 and 13 or not?

Personally I would.

Whoops,edited the first post,thanks Tryhard.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Azz01

[Sharpshooter23]

No. I personally prefer the usual loop (ie: Narration -> Chapter -> Narration -> Next Chapter and so on) that most FE games follow.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Sharpshooter23

[Tryhard]

no-one remembers 2

I like the whole dynamic map from 2 when if you take too long enemy armies will spawn and move towards you (and congregate with other armies if possible). I think it's nice, but not essential.

EDIT: Plus the fact that it has noted "non-combat" areas where you can freely walk around helps quite a bit. It breaks up the whole "walking from point A to point B" deal.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Tryhard

[Shinehollow]

I'd like something that has 8's map.Only maps which had a shop in the chapter were the only places with those shops unlike Awakening's 'let's just throw a shop in the middle of a temple/desert/volcano/ocean/abandoned building and be done with it'.I've never played 2,so I have no idea how it works.

I'd honestly prefer a world map that isn't Awakenings.

[Hong]

Yes.

World maps have two distinct advantages.

One, is that gaidens/paralogues/sidequests can be done at the player's preference. I think this invites the potential to have them at a difficulty higher than the chapter that would typically appear with them. Thus, the player can decide if they want the more rewarding sensation of beating it immediately when it appears and use the rewards for the main game when they will be even more useful, or get them later after they have potentially diminished in value. For the less adept player, it may present them with an option for having two different kinds of challenges, where one might be better suited for their team composition. Meanwhile, in a linear Fire Emblem it's kind of risky business to have a super hard gaiden chapter relative to the chapter you just completed, because it might be too much for the latter category of player.

The other advantage is that beating every chapter feels like "unlocking" new equipment to buy, which is always a nice feeling.

I think the system can be evolved. Gaiden chapters could change depending on how long they have been on the map, with more difficulty or less reward over time. Also, could have more fun conditions for them appearing, like after the player has made a certain number of attacks, broken a certain number of weapons, promoted their first mage, etc. Instead of appending shops to different chapters, they could just have a "Shop" or "Armory" master list that expands over time.

Just want to add that I'm aware that world maps also allow for optional battles, though I won't necessarily call that an advantage in the sense it is hard to balance the XP and potential goods it can grant you versus the difficulty the game has at that current time.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Hong

[lancerusso]

No. I personally prefer the usual loop (ie: Narration -> Chapter -> Narration -> Next Chapter and so on) that most FE games follow.

I'm with this. A carefully crafted story and game, where there's added challenge, depth and narrative device in being forced to deal with your previous lack of foresight- IE:

Want to level up low level characters? You're gonna have to play smart and let them last-hit enemies.

Preperations and limited resources become important again.

Each playthrough will be unique, especially if you can't change class infinitely. You won't end up being able to max stat any character in any playthrough. You'll be forced to take the RNGs you get

[Giratina]

I thought the world map really gave you more of an idea of where you are...Then again I just really like maps in video games in general so I know how the world is supposed to look around you. I mean if it was left out I wouldn't be too upset, but it'd be nice to have back.

[Carter]

I really liked the way the map worked in Sacred Stones.

As ShadowShine mentioned before, have only shops at chapters that had a shop in them. Awakening imo, was smart to return to the world map idea. I thought it was a bit odd how they had a shop at every location, but I'm not complaining.

[Book Bro]

I don't mind either way, but if it returns I too would prefer one more like 8's. Less shops (which probably also means less powerful equipment, at least until postgame), and hopefully dungeons as well. As far as gaiden chapters, I think you should be forced to complete them immediately after they're unlocked so they can tie in to the main quest better. It felt really odd having sidequests completely unrelated to the story in Awakening and being unlocked at random times. Or they could have some story related ones that are forced and some that are just for bonus rewards that can be accessed whenever.

Edit: by forced I mean if you choose not to go into them right away then you miss out, not that you're literally forced to do them lol

Edited January 24, 2015 by Owain Dark

[NinjaMonkey]

I liked Awakening's world map, so I'd want it to return.

I'd like something that has 8's map.Only maps which had a shop in the chapter were the only places with those shops unlike Awakening's 'let's just throw a shop in the middle of a temple/desert/volcano/ocean/abandoned building and be done with it'.

The idea behind it is that Anna is a travelling merchant, and she (and her sisters) roam the land in search of adventurers with loaded pockets, wanting weapons to defend themselves against all manner of creatures.

Edited January 24, 2015 by NinjaMonkey

[Ryo]

If grinding is an option in FE14 (which I think it definitely would be), then world map will be back. I personally also like it, even though I rarely grind.

[Sentacotus]

Awakening was my first FE that had a world map and I loved it. I really hope this feature returns.

[powerserg]

I wouldn't cry if it was removed but I was sad when it was removed after SS so I would be sad if it was removed for IF. It can be improved but I'd rather have it then not have it.

[Julius Nepos]

Of all world maps the series has I like the FE2 world map the most because it adds to difficulty rather than being just a tool to give the player more playing options.

I mean things like armies spawning and moving, and interaction between different routes (i.e. Alm getting promotion in Celica's route, rescuing Teeta influencing recruitment in a different map, the trap at Dragon Crater).

Sure, the FE2 world map isn't perfect, but it feels more like an actual factor in the game's difficulty rather than an extra tool to make the game easier for the player by offering grinding, shops and gaiden chapters.

[Soen]

I really don't care about the map. Sure, it gives a nice image of the world, but FE games without maps did that too. Shops are surely a neat thing to have handy everytime you need it, but I never had a problem with having some spare weapons either. One thing that always bugged me was that, for example, after Emmeryn dies, you can go and do whatever you want, like go beat Risens and all the sadness of the moments fades away. FE8 did this better than Awakening by having some chapters happening one after the other without going to the map. Plot-wise the game is just better without a map, IMO.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Soen

[Jagen]

no-one remembers 2

I like the whole dynamic map from 2 when if you take too long enemy armies will spawn and move towards you (and congregate with other armies if possible). I think it's nice, but not essential.

EDIT: Plus the fact that it has noted "non-combat" areas where you can freely walk around helps quite a bit. It breaks up the whole "walking from point A to point B" deal.

I agree. I really want it to be similar to how Gaiden's map was done. I REALLY want them to bring back the addition to be able to walk around villages like in Gaiden.

[BlueLore]

Overall I would like it to return(because it allows gaiden chapters to be done when you want and it allows to level up some units that are a bit behind),but it should probably handled a bit different in some situations.

For example like some people here said some chapters should happen immedeatly after each other and I think that the leveling should be limited to some extent,like if your units are above a certain level,then they won't get exp from skirmishes,this would allow you to level up your weaker units but preventing you from overleveling your core troops,which is in my opinion a good thing because otherwise it'd encourage you to just level a few units,while ignoring the rest.(In awakenings story mode I actually used almost everyone this way)

[RPGatWill]

I'm for a return to FE 8's world map with the shops only being available on the areas that had shops in them. I liked Awakenings shops on the map so I didn't have to worry about equipping characters during chapters, but at the same time getting equipment from places that couldn't possibly have shops (Like Mount Prism or the Tree area that lead to The Voice) was kind of weird.

As for the Gaiden chapters, those are hard for me to judge. 8 only really had one gaiden chapter, and while I like FE 7's gaiden chapters and they felt like they added a bit more depth to the story, it was never essential. Same with Awakening. The extra chapters were only that, extras. The only two that felt connected to the story in any way was the Donnel and Voice chapters, since those had effects on the rest of the party.

[The Magus]

I personally prefer the more linear style of the chapters; taking a break between entering a castle and escaping it to sortie back across another continent to do a sidequest or visit your hometown just breaks suspension of disbelief for me. However, if they gave us a more limited world map, where only chapters that make sense let you go into it and even then you can only move around a few close-by areas (at least until it could open up fully at the endgame/postgame), I'd be fine with that - especially if this played into the choices aspect, by having multiple different areas you could choose to go to, determining what chapter(s) would follow. Also, I'd rather there are no skirmishes or anything like that avaliable, at least until the postgame. I think that grinding really just kills the "Fire Emblem" feel of the game. As to the "shops" thing, I'd much rather a return to The Tellius games' Base. Not only did it give us extra conversations that served to develop characters outside of supports, it had a set progression of what you can get from shops, and offered what in my opinion was the best FE skill system and Bonus EXP, which lets you train up Ests and such without allowing for infinite levels and crap or screwing up the difficulty curve, since the avaliable BEXP was a known factor.

Also the phrase "could care less" implies that you do care, at least a little. The phrase is "couldn't care less." ...Sorry, that just really bugs me.

Edited January 25, 2015 by The Magus

[Raguna]

I'm in favor of keeping the map system in the new game, but with some adjustments because I agree that it broke flow in the narrative of Awakening. Rather than leaving all discovered areas open, it would be wise to close them off when one's in the more plot-centric chapters only opening back up again when those series of chapters are over. Gaiden chapters could be done before or after completing these chapter In Sacred Stones, there was the tower of Valni where characters like Ross and Amelia could gain a few levels and get out of their trainee stage and characters like Neimi (if you didn't arena abuse) could prepare themselves for the chapters to come. Maybe scattering some Tower of Valnis like structures around could be good.

I also think having the map gives people the benefit of seeing all available character supports the game has to offer when the games length, character's availability or character's usefulness are constricting them. God knows I wasn't going to be pairing everyone up just to see all of the Robin's supports in Awakening if I only had around 25 chapters to work with so having a few easy places to raise weapon level, support level and exp level are nice, but in order to avoid abuse giving the enemies you fight low exp gain after a certain level is good. They would have to fight through the story for their next level up and reach another area where they can effectively gain some levels again.

I'm also up for Base conversations to flesh out some characters and lastly I haven't played the second Fire Emblem but if countries are at war, it would be nice to see enemy detachments coming for you to destroy your country instead of just patiently waiting for you. I'm sure my idea isn't perfect, but I see more positives in keeping the map instead of discarding it.

[Sharpshooter23]

I'm with this. A carefully crafted story and game, where there's added challenge, depth and narrative device in being forced to deal with your previous lack of foresight- IE:

Want to level up low level characters? You're gonna have to play smart and let them last-hit enemies.

Preperations and limited resources become important again.

Each playthrough will be unique, especially if you can't change class infinitely. You won't end up being able to max stat any character in any playthrough. You'll be forced to take the RNGs you get

Hear, hear. I feel like I'm reading my own thoughts here. I'd also like to add rankings like the ones found in FE 7 to the mix. Aiming for perfect ranks always further motivates me to replay the games featuring it.

[Nébulya]

Yeah. But I would like a thing like..The level from enemies keep up with you. Or a thing like that, because when you're unit are too good, that's too easy.

[lancerusso]

Hear, hear. I feel like I'm reading my own thoughts here. I'd also like to add rankings like the ones found in FE 7 to the mix. Aiming for perfect ranks always further motivates me to replay the games featuring it.

Exactly, this is why FE7 is my favourite- It's story has plenty of fallacies and holes, but paired with great characters, music and having the plot moving swiftly forward (without too long spent questioning Hector's eagerness to kill any passing guards in red armour) chapter to chapter, placing a priori on gameplay fills those gaps.

I feel the whole 'important choices' thing in FEif kind of demands, if not a lack of world map, at least limited world traversing. It looks pretty obvious that you'll be fighting on different sides quite often, and I can imagine some choices making it stupid if you could backtrack to reminisce about life in that field all the other main characters found you in back in the prologue

Edited January 26, 2015 by lancerusso

[Tryhard]

Tear Ring Saga's map restricted encounters or skirmishes that you could partake in heavily, leaving it so you could only do so at certain sections of the game. Personally, if someone wants to tediously grind in order to trivalise the game I don't mind. You could do that just as easily through arena grinding anyway in any of the games that do follow a linear structure. Bonus experience in Tellius, too. There's many things you can exploit to take any semblance of challenge or depth from the games. Just because you have the opportunity to take advantage of unlimited resources doesn't mean you should, but people want to maximise their stats for whatever reason, that's fine. In some cases unlimited "resources" like FE2 this generally didn't matter because weapons had no durability and you would not gain anything from killing enemies aside from experience, and experience gain was slow and tedious if you were fighting encounter enemies most of the time (mummy forest notwithstanding). They may have a drop rate for items, but they generally were extremely low and there was no gold.

I never really found any of the games to be balanced, but that's not what I particularly looked for or enjoyed. So when people say they play the series for challenge and depth I have to wonder if I'm just completely in the other direction. Still, if there's one thing I'll agree with it's that it can knock the pacing off. The way FE2 was you might be fighting on the map for ages to get through to the next desired location before being fed another story part slowly. Partly due it to it being an old game, it's a NES game so giving it a break, and having very little text, but TRS did it in a way where there was quite a lot (I would even argue too many, so much text) of story events whenever you visited a place for the first time to break up the encounter fighting, I kinda liked that. There were parts were you simply couldn't go back to where you were before quite often, and it worked from a story point of view. But at the same time, you've got to wonder about the urgency of the main storyline if you're farting about killing brigands. So I can see that, and I see that as a disadvantage. But I don't see that as enough to just throw the entire thing out.

Either way, I didn't really mind having a world map versus not having one, but it kinda strikes me like the mechanics seem very similiar to Awakening from what we've seen currently, so I wouldn't be surprised if we did see the same sort of style. They could do a lot more interesting things with it, though. I think they really could improve Awakening's map and make it more like FE2 and TRS. In my opinion, FE8 stole concepts from FE2 and almost universally did them poorly, and the map was one of them.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Tryhard

[euklyd]

I was gonna say like,

I don't really see how they'd do paralogues / spotpass missions / DLC (which I'm positive they'd have given how well they worked) without a world map, and I could care less about the format it takes

but then I saw [spoiler=this post]

Also the phrase "could care less" implies that you do care, at least a little. The phrase is "couldn't care less." ...Sorry, that just really bugs me.

which broke my indecision about whether to use could or couldn't (tipped it in favor of the former)

that being said I can totally get behind [spoiler=this]

I personally prefer the more linear style of the chapters; taking a break between entering a castle and escaping it to sortie back across another continent to do a sidequest or visit your hometown just breaks suspension of disbelief for me. However, if they gave us a more limited world map, where only chapters that make sense let you go into it and even then you can only move around a few close-by areas (at least until it could open up fully at the endgame/postgame)

also the shops thing

edited because spoiler/quote interactions are dumb

Edited January 26, 2015 by Euklyd