I can't get over a Blatant Lie in Advertising (Spoilers)

[Alazen]

Blazing Blade still had more variety of supports and paired endings.

Among other issues, having an Awakening-style support system with all that comes with it rules out any QuanXEthlyn pairings (must let the Mary Sue marry them all) and paired endings like LegaultXIsadora's or most of the ones with Priscilla (can't split up since there's a 2nd Gen without a timeskip).

Edited July 23, 2015 by Alazen

[NekoKnight]

I'll give you the second point, but I will have to disagree with you on the first.

Wil: I won’t leave you again… I’ll always stay near… and protect you…

Franz: Yes… Well, I do have a brother, though. But I don’t remember my mother. But I swore that I would live my every moment to its fullest. I swore to my parents that I would live a long life for them and be happy. Amelia… You’re living the same way, embracing each passing moment. You believe in yourself, and your faith burns in you, making you shine. I don’t know what it is you plan to do with your life, but as long as we travel the same path, would you let me walk beside you? I have my own path to follow, I know, but… I believe we’re both walking toward the same goal.

Amelia: Franz…?

Franz: You don’t like that?

Amelia: No! That’s not it. I’m…very happy! Franz…!

Franz: Amelia, I’ll protect you.

Amelia: Franz… Thank you… I’m really happy. But…I want to protect you, too. I am a soldier of sorts as well, you know. So…let me be your shield to protect you…

Franz: And I will be your sword and fight for you. From now on. You’re not alone anymore, Amelia.

Amelia: Thank you, Franz.

It's still not as explicit or binding as marriage. With both Franz/Amelia and Will/Rebecca, they pledge their companionship but that could be any number of things. True love? Sure, that's a possibility but it could also be an oath of friendship or the beginnings of romance. The characters are becoming close but the degree of that affection is left vague enough to where we can draw our own conclusions on how their relationship will eventually develop. Marriage is too cut and dry, not to mention has some unfortunate implications when it's children getting married to adults.

As for some of the other supports you mention, it's easier to swallow "sudden" romance when it's with characters who had existing relationships before joining the player, such as the case with Gerick, Tethys and Marisa. Those supports felt very natural to me and their affectionate relations were more "revealed" than "spontaneously created to satisfy the player's shipping preferences".

Mind you, I'm not saying supports were always done flawlessly in the past, just that the current system is objectively worse at selling believable romance. Infinitely so when it comes to being romantically involved with your adoptive/step-siblings.

[Sunwoo]

Marriage in the game is almost as much as an insult to the writing as children is. How many characters have s-rank supports that don't come out of nowhere? What would compel characters to get married during the war? Why would they feel like getting married without even starting a romantic relationship? Let S-ranks just denote Shared endings.

I think the sad thing about Fate is that IS will think they covered the family focused story already and not do it again in future titles, even though Fate's attempt was a total failure.

This is actually what I meant to say when I said marriage. I don't mind the S-support in itself because it lets you support as many people as you want rather than locking people into just five supports per character. The S-support should've just been an indicator of a paired ending rather than marriage happening right then and there in the game. My wording sucks when I'm tired.

EDIT: Also, if I recall correctly, in Tethys and Marisa's supports at least it's established that both women have a crush on Gerik.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Sunwoo