Do you think future Fire Emblems will continue to have self inserts and children?

[Magikarpador]

I really like how they were introduced and it's been working well, but I feel that continuing to rely on could kind of drop the quality moving forward. I mean, the children characters are already shoe-horned in to be playable, imagine how bad it'd be once they start running out of ideas. As Awakening sold so well, I feel like that it set many standards for the games moving forward, and while I do like some of it, I just can't help but feel that continuing to rely on these conventions will cheapen the experience.

[kantoorfarina]

They will. It's not even debatable, it's a fact and i'm pretty sure nobody has their hopes up.

[Fire Emblem Fan]

Oh gosh I really hope not. I really hope the next game has no self-inserts or children characters.

[Shinehollow]

I hope not, but they'll try to make more off Awakening's success if they do make another one.

[Avarice Shadow]

It will. It would be nice if they did it like FE4 though and have it where your child character takes up the mantle of main character.

[Yoshi2398]

i don't really have a problem with self insert characters with the exception of kris in FE12 because he was clearly shoehorned into the story and was overall extremely bland. but i would prefer it if the next game didn't have a self insert(especially if it's a remkae) and instead had more original characters with established personalities.

as for children characters i don't mind them but in FE14 they have no plot relevance at all and are extremely poorly explained it hurts. if they returned i would like them to be plot relevant like FE4(and to a much lesser extent FE13)

[Etrurian emperor]

I do think we shall keep seeing an avatar sort of character. More people seem to like the feature then those that don't and while they aren't handled perfectly I do think they are easier to accept in a lot of cases.

It could go both way with the kids. The children mechanics in Fates was there simply for the sake of having it and that it in no way fit with the story or theme of the game did not stop IS from implementing the feature. This shows that they like, or think they will benefit from the feature enough to make the (almost inevitable) clunky implementation not matter very much.

Though the children mechanic in Fates seemed to have been universally criticized for being so out of place so perhaps IS will just let the feature rest if they don't know how to implement it properly.

[birdzgoboom]

I personally prefer stories that don't use self-inserts for main characters, but I have a feeling that avatars are going to stay no matter what. I do hope they're not the 'main' character in the next game, though, but I'm not sure how IS would handle something like that unless they pull another Robin...

But even with that said, I don't mind avatar main characters. So if they're kept, they're kept, and if they're not, they're not. *shrug*

As for children, I don't really care for them to come back unless they're actually relevant (like FE4 or even FE13). The way they were put in Fates feels very forced-- I would've just rather seen the 'children' characters be their own characters not tied in by marriage and parents.

If they do implement children characters again, hopefully they do it in a better way, but I feel like the mechanic has the potential to grow old pretty quickly...

Edited February 24, 2016 by birdzgoboom

[Alertcircuit]

They know that self-inserts and waifus are successful, so they'll include them unless shown a reason not to.

[shadowofchaos]

I'd rather not have second gens. I'm okay with the Self-inserts. Even if Kamui was about as relatable as a dead cow.

[Draxal]

Self inserts definitely (they're already predefined chars that the players has no real input on their choices asides from Chapter 6 and choice of spouse). It allows both women and men to play a MC as their own gender.

Children, maybe. They're definitely not as well received in this game compared to Awakening (and Awakening was well received because it was a call back to Seisen).

[Limstella]

I'm cool with self inserts as long as they aren't too tacked on.

As for children, let's either take a break, or have them exist for a purpose. Or maybe just don't make them playable, and have them as NPCs?

[henrymidfields]

Yeah, the child system in Fates seems unnecessary. Awakening was all right because it wasn't as shoehorned. Ideally, though, it should be done like Jugdral, and have the story actually span over two generations - that makes the best story justification. A hypothetical remake of Elibe 1+0 would benefit from this Jugdral-style child system too.

[Anacybele]

I'm fine with Avatars as long as they're done well, but children, I want them to go unless they actually have a purpose. Not the forced shoe-horned crap in Fates. I'm not bothering with the kids in this game because of that.

[secondworld]

Avatars are definitely staying, which isn't something I'm particularly ecstatic about, given that I don't think playable avatars can ever actually be good in FE(this is based on the fundamental concept as opposed to how they've been written so far).

I'm not as sure about 2d gen, but I'm leaning towards yes.

Edited February 24, 2016 by DavidSW

[Sunwoo]

Man, like, I'm almost certain that future games will have at least the avatar. IS has the impression that the avatar is selling games and they aren't going to take it out. However, I wish they wouldn't bring it back for EVERY SINGLE GAME from now on. I think it's asking too much for IS to take out the avatar entirely, but could we at least have every other game not use an avatar? And do we REALLY need to have marriage and children EVERY SINGLE GAME from now on, too?

One thing I liked about the previous FEs was that even if it was the same basic gameplay, there was enough change in between each of the games so that each universe felt distinct. Aside from a few gameplay improvements over Awakening, Fates just feels like more of the same and you don't really get the idea that Fates and Awakening are two distinct worlds.

[Loki Laufeyson]

MU is likely to remain a thing in some fashion. Children, on the other hand...im not sure about. I feel like they might actually put kids in a game where theres a timeskip or something. Kids are kinda awkward without a good plot reason. I also dont think we will always see the same kind of pair up mechanics. FE is always changing things up so who knows.

[Magikarpador]

One thing I liked about the previous FEs was that even if it was the same basic gameplay, there was enough change in between each of the games so that each universe felt distinct. Aside from a few gameplay improvements over Awakening, Fates just feels like more of the same and you don't really get the idea that Fates and Awakening are two distinct worlds.

Eh, I dunno, I'd say it's about on the same level as FE7 to Sacred Stones.

[Harker]

I'm sure they will. Just really hope they go the way of Genealogy and make it a time jump to a second campaign. I would really enjoy that, but I can't stand them in Fates. Completely takes me out of the narrative. Even if I buy the deeprealms thing, there isn't enough time in the campaign for someone to get pregnant and carry the baby to term.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Harker

[Magical Glace]

Avatars, as much as I loathe them, aren't going anywhere. Which sucks, but eh I have Nightmare of Sleeping Girl to fulfill my SRPG desires for the time being.

Children I doubt after the widespread criticism their Fates implementation got. The "baby realm" as Magyars and I call it is just so stupid and all, I don't think they'll become a frequent thing without good plot reason. Which I can't think of, for the sake of letting FE4 and FE13 keep their own reasons to themselves.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Lord Glenn]

Considering that Fates sold 300,000 copies already in North America (not even counting whatever it sold in Japan or what it might sell in Europe if it ever gets a release date), I don't think that any of stuff that Awakening popularized and used to draw in the crowd that hadn't been into Fire Emblem previously are going away any time soon. The sales numbers speak volumes that this is what the overall consumer base wants (or is ambivalent to) going forward.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Lord Glenn

[DarkDestr0yer61]

I think it will stay. But I rather it not. I like the children in 4. It was... not implemented well in 13, but at least it was somewhat relevant to the plot... I don't like their inclusion in 14.

I have never been a fan of self-inserts. It was my least favorite thing in 12 especially since it was a remake.

[DragonLord]

Self-inserts would definitely return, I don't mind them too much, though I prefer not to have them included. Now children, I can definitely do without.

[Alertcircuit]

I don't see a problem with the kids since they're completely optional and don't really affect the story in any way.

[Tolvir]

I don't think children will return. Even in Japan quite a few complained about it, and thought it was unneeded. Marriage is almost a guarantee to return, but skinship, or something like it, definitely won't happen again so they can avoid the controversies of this last time. Little mini-games or something that is about interacting with your spouse in someway like we got in localization will probably return though.

To be honest, I really hope My Castle becomes a main stay, because out of all the new features, this is the best of them, and has so much potential to be expanded upon. That is also my view on Avatar units is that in a way I hope they return, just in the hope that they get better and better at it. I hope they can get better at the writing and customization of these units so that we can have something on the level of Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Tolvir