Class-specific promotion items or Master Seals?

[lonelyVoxel]

Which kind of promo item system works better? I like having a few different items, as long as they can apply to multiple classes. However, having Master Seals exclusively helps you not pile up unnecessary promo items and gives you greater freedom on who to promote and when.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Forceman

[Florete]

Special promotion items for special characters are fine if it's part of the story. Otherwise, Master Seals all the way.

[DragonLord]

Special promotion items for special characters are fine if it's part of the story. Otherwise, Master Seals all the way.

My thoughts exactly, Master Seals are so much more convenient.

[Caster]

Special promotion items for special characters are fine if it's part of the story. Otherwise, Master Seals all the way.

I never understood why special promotion items were even a thing.

Considering we had Master Seals in FE5 and prior, I don't even know why they went class specific items in the first place.

[DragonLord]

I never understood why special promotion items were even a thing.

Considering we had Master Seals in FE5 and prior, I don't even know why they went class specific items in the first place.

Not to mention FE4 doesn't even use a promotion item to promote units.

[Klokinator]

I like my own system.

1-2 Master/Earth seals.

1 of each class specific item.

1 more of specific items, like a knight crest/hero crest.

Then a bunch of master/earth seals.

This way, the first unit(s) you decide to promote is completely up to you, then you get to promote those determined by the fixed items, then finally you can promote the rest.

It gives you more flexibility while not allowing you to start soloing the game with a paladin army in chapter 6.

[BrightBow]

Considering that FE4 didn't have Promotion Items at all, I wonder why they are even still a thing. Especially since they even got rid of the ability to promote without them. I can't imagine that anyone ever complained that you could promote in the console games by simply reaching lv21. Seriously, did anyone ever do that?

Anyway, in the old games this wasn't much of a problem but these days enemies scale like crazy. Under these circumstances, you can't just forbid player units from gaining more levels, else they can't stay competitive. So I'd vote to get rid of them altogether... or at least to allow units to grow past lv 20 without a promotion similar to FE4.

Edited February 9, 2015 by BrightBow

[Azz]

If they don't have re-classing available I don't see the point of any promotion items since you aren't not gonna level up your units to 20 or 21.If they do have re-classing however I think Master Seals are just more convenient.

[Honey Bunny]

I agree with the people saying that master seals should be gotten rid of. For people like me who never promote early they just slowed down the game.

Reading through this thread I came up with an idea for reclassing. Instead of class specific items allowing units of that class to promote, why not change it so that it allows a unit to become that class (as long as it's in their class set). So for example Kellam could become a thief, but first he'd have to use a skeleton key. It would limit some reclassing shenanigans, and since reclassing isn't likely to go why not make it more interesting?

[Melissa]

Class-specific items and promoting at level 20 would make for a nice FE7- style feel

Edited February 9, 2015 by Lord_Seliph

[Alpha Angel]

I personally like the Radiant Dawn way of doing it. You can promote early with a seal, or just upon hitting 21 automatically.

[Melissa]

I personally like the Radiant Dawn way of doing it. You can promote early with a seal, or just upon hitting 21 automatically.

Plus, that game had third-tier classes

[Faye]

If class-changing items return, let them be Master and Second seals again. 8U; Never saw the point of class-specific promotion items.

[Awakener_]

Master Seal 4lyfe, other than that I would like Sword of Plot Advancement back for the Lords. It make them feel special rather than just another unit you have in your army.

[Philranger]

RD's method for sure. I don't like when I have a character at level 19 and 79 Exp going into a chapter and having to remember to pack a master seal on him to ensure I get the optimum Exp for the level without wasting any. They can just keep going due to auto promote. Then in the case of some other characters (looking at you healers), I like the option to be able to promote them out of stave locked classes as soon as I can via master seal.

[Vitezen]

I think having a promotion item is crucial to the balance of the game. Promoting just by leveling up heavily encourages grinding. With that level from 20 to 21 and a new class, you're getting a huge stat boost as well as potentially new abilities and weapon proficiency. I think having a promotion item prevents that from happening at a certain point until the designers decide that it's appropriate for you to upgrade your units in that way. While the same can be said of having specific promotional items for each class, I would think that it would be much, much harder to decide at a specific point what upgraded classes they want you to have, which is why I favor keeping master seals but not allowing promotion through only leveling.

[DomesticHausCat]

Never have been a fan of promoting items, I always feel like I will miss a couple and some of my units won't promote. Even though that never happens because I follow the guides on this website rather thoroughly. However I think it would be cool if they had a system where units could only promote in-between chapters. It makes more sense story wise that the commander of the army would promote their units off the field instead of them magically becoming promoted mid battle. It would also be cool to have a line of dialogue from the tactician or the Lord/commander of congratulations as they promote.

[Knight Falchion]

I like the resource management and choice aspects of choosing who to promote without having to lock out certain units just because they happen to be a different class, so I'm all for Master Seals.

I do like specific promotion items/events for lords, though. That's cool.

[Box]

My biggest problem with promotion items is that there seems to be a huge opportunity cost to using them because they're worth so much money sold. I'd like to feel like I'm not throwing away a lot of money by promoting an underwhelming unit just to see if it turns out any good.

[Melissa]

My biggest problem with promotion items is that there seems to be a huge opportunity cost to using them because they're worth so much money sold. I'd like to feel like I'm not throwing away a lot of money by promoting an underwhelming unit just to see if it turns out any good.

I feel the same way, especially if I have a whole ballpark of units ready to promote, maybe Seals could be early-game items for the sake of convenience

[Knight Falchion]

I feel the same way, especially if I have a whole ballpark of units ready to promote, maybe Seals could be early-game items for the sake of convenience

I would have to disagree with you here since I personally like limited promotion items early on. It forces you to choose who to promote and who to hold back, and it's a cool little bit of resource management in my opinion. That being said, I do understand why it bothers others, so really, a plethora of Master Seals early on wouldn't necessarily bother me. As long as we don't have to go back to class specific promotion items, I'm fine.

Edited February 10, 2015 by The Legendary Falchion

[Florete]

My biggest problem with promotion items is that there seems to be a huge opportunity cost to using them because they're worth so much money sold. I'd like to feel like I'm not throwing away a lot of money by promoting an underwhelming unit just to see if it turns out any good.

That's the point, it's a trade-off. Do you need the money, or would you rather have a team member become stronger? It's the same thing with stat boosters, although they decided to make all of these items cheaper in Awakening. I guess they wanted us to use them more often.

[Box]

That's the point, it's a trade-off. Do you need the money, or would you rather have a team member become stronger? It's the same thing with stat boosters, although they decided to make all of these items cheaper in Awakening. I guess they wanted us to use them more often.

It's a tradeoff but I'm not sure if it's a good tradeoff. Usually the optimal play is to only promote your best units and sell the rest which I find to be a boring outcome.

[Florete]

It's a tradeoff but I'm not sure if it's a good tradeoff. Usually the optimal play is to only promote your best units and sell the rest which I find to be a boring outcome.

Then don't do it.

I personally never had a problem with it, though. I've always used as many promotion items as I needed, sold the rest, and been fine with cash.

[Melissa]

Maybe Seals could show themselves at a reasonable point in the adevnture? Like, for instance, the very middle of the game?