People preference Does Anybody still like Awakening more than Fates.

[Dengres]

Hidden Truths DLC goes into GREAT detail about this plot point, tho I do concede the main story itself botches conveying that

Ahh that makes sense. I wouldn't know, Hidden Truths isn't out in Europe yet.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Dengres

[Thane]

Well, I can actually tell you where certain locations are in Fates when I can't in Awakening. That's gotta mean something.

I'm not saying he makes up for Fates poor villains, I'm just saying he has more character than most people give him credit for.

I may be a chronic shitposter, but I'm not joking when I say that. I just can't believe there's any reason for Outrealms to EXIST unless every possible choice in this series is actually canon.

The point is simple. Anankos is basically a wild animal. His actions have no real logic, and they shouldn't be expected too due to him no longer truly possessing the sanity necessary to even take logical actions

.

And we know even less about things like Garon's power and influence - the guy didn't seem to think there'd be any repercussions to murdering singers in a city known for things like music.

Fair enough, that's your opinion, and I'll respect it. I just think he's about as shallow as a puddle and it's a wonder he doesn't die earlier in two out of three routes since he adds absolutely nothing to the story as a whole.

The Outrealms exist to allow for things like DLC shenanigans to happen. To say that things just happened in another world is the laziest excuse for why Birthright or Conquest should be considered as canon as Revelation; in that case the kids might as well be canon, even though we're talking about instant pregnancies and periodic leisurely visits even though the main chracters are in the middle of a war and the kids are not even acknowledged in the main story.

This confusion might come from you bringing up the word "canon", which I purposefully didn't at first. I said Revelation makes Birthright and Conquest obsolete story-wise, which it does - you have two objectively wrong choices, and one that resolves everything; which one do you choose?

You're confusing me again; if he acts on instinct alone, why doesn't he keep sending Sumeragi to blow up cities? Why doesn't he immediately teleport Garon to himself so he can regain his power and end the world which is his only real goal? Your explanations seem to contradict the story itself; it's just poorly written and trying to find logic in it is pointless. Not to mention you're ignoring the fact that he's actively manipulating people like Garon.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Thane

[Etrurian emperor]

Thanks for the support. It's amazing how badly people are ripping into me for both my lack of experience with Fire Emblem games and my defensive style strategies that are meant to make full use of all characters avaliable to me and keep everyone on equal footing and EXP which if you've ever played Pokemon is essential.

I don't think that's the problem actually. Just saying you have a hard time getting used to the higher difficulty wouldn't lead to people ripping on you.

But calling the standard setup Fire emblem has had for about 12 games or so unfair because you miss and need the grinding does seem a bit much, especially because pretty much all of those 12 games are held in pretty high regard.

It was probably more the tone then the point which rubbed people the wrong way.

It does make one wonder which direction Is will be going next game in regards to this. Perhaps they will make grinding an optional feature akin to casual mode.

[shadowofchaos]

Thanks for the support. It's amazing how badly people are ripping into me for both my lack of experience with Fire Emblem games and my defensive style strategies that are meant to make full use of all characters avaliable to me and keep everyone on equal footing and EXP which if you've ever played Pokemon is essential.

I'm one of the most adamant defenders of casuals in the community. But your complaints are... for the lack of any other way to sugarcoat it... pretty damn dumb, IMHO.

You're comparing the game to Pokémon and your experience and their design...

Fun fact: Fire Emblem gave you a lot by giving you the option in one version.

Complaining that it's bad design is literally putting the middle finger to longtime fans in a FIRE EMBLEM FORUM.

Preferring grinding is one thing. Disliking the lack of grinding is one thing.

Criticizing it as bad design is asking to get crap flung at you.

Traditional Fire Emblem is about resource management to the extreme. You WILL NOT be able to level all your characters up in most fire emblem games. Expecting Conquest, A TRADITIONAL FE centered design is ridiculous. You have been given a way to experience it with grinding: the DLC.

What you're expecting is the generalization of FE into other more popular games when the design was advertised as a version returning to its roots. Do you realize why you were called out? It wasn't for you being new to the series. It's you not realizing what is valued by many members of the community.

Do you realize that you're calling for the exact opposite of what Conquest was advertised for? That all of the map gimmicks and forcing you to THINK is what makes it fun?

Conquest had a LITERAL WARNING SIGN at the beginning stating "THIS IS CATERED TO FE VETERANS".

Implying "USE THE DLC IF YOU DARE TREAD HERE".

Conquest is the most fun I've had gameplay wise in any single FE game in the series.

It is literally praised by many FE veterans for the gameplay despite their disagreements on its value with story.

You are asking them to contradict all of the designers' hard work they did to design the hardcore experience for that version of the game *AND CALLED IT A DESIGN FLAW* just because you liked Awakening's "pro-casual" approach more.

Now do you realize why people chewed you out?

I literally defend casuals and newcomers as much as I can in the FE community.

But you seriously need to stop faulting the designers for your own lack of skill and effort.

Edited May 31, 2016 by shadowofchaos

[twice]

I wish this thread was a poll

Anyways, I like both. Awakening is nice but I rather Fates gameplay overall.

[Slyfox]

Hans does show a different side to him, even if 95% of the time he is evil. By that logic, he already is better than most of the recent Fire Emblem villains.

Also, I do think that, as Awakening introduced and Fates reinforced, everything is canon because of the Outrealms, including the three different paths.

Revelation being the golden ending is inexcusable though. They needed a villain that was just as dangerous as Garon, but not more, in order to keep the other routes relevant.

[Captain Karnage]

The Outrealms exist to allow for things like DLC shenanigans to happen. To say that things just happened in another world is the laziest excuse for why Birthright or Conquest should be considered as canon as Revelation; in that case the kids might as well be canon, even though we're talking about instant pregnancies and periodic leisurely visits even though the main chracters are in the middle of a war and the kids are not even acknowledged in the main story.

This confusion might come from you bringing up the word "canon", which I purposefully didn't at first. I said Revelation makes Birthright and Conquest obsolete story-wise, which it does - you have two objectively wrong choices, and one that resolves everything; which one do you choose?

by that logic I'd argue that any other game besides Awakening is noncannon

Even Chrom goes as far as to say that the stories of Hoshido and Nohr are just legends and you are just going through said legends

just like Mystery of the Emblem

everyone plays their games differently and different characters are MVPs and other characters are dead in some one else's playthrough, which is why I believe that there is no true cannon

also IS has labeled Birthright as FE 14 and Conquest as FE 15, so maybe Revelations is non cannon and that's the legend Chrom was mentioning

Edited May 31, 2016 by Captain Karnage

[Thane]

by that logic I'd argue that any other game besides Awakening is noncannon

Even Chrom goes as far as to say that the stories of Hoshido and Nohr are just legends and you are just going through said legends

just like Mystery of the Emblem

everyone plays their games differently and different characters are MVPs and other characters are dead in some one else's playthrough, which is why I believe that there is no true cannon

also IS has labeled Birthright as FE 14 and Conquest as FE 15, so maybe Revelations is non cannon and that's the legend Chrom was mentioning

No.

Most Fire Emblem games are separate from each other unless they're directly stated to take place in the same world, like Binding Blade & Blazing Sword and Path of Radiance & Radiant Dawn. You can't compare Fates to that.

Secondly, I didn't use the words "canon" at first just to avoid this pointless argument. If you would go back and look at the first post which started it all, you'll see I said that Revelation makes Birthright and Conquest obsolete in terms of story.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Thane

[Yvette]

Thanks for the support. It's amazing how badly people are ripping into me for both my lack of experience with Fire Emblem games and my defensive style strategies that are meant to make full use of all characters avaliable to me and keep everyone on equal footing and EXP which if you've ever played Pokemon is essential.

Mostly all I care about is building up support points not actual exp since we can buy skills anyway (making children and master seals etc redundant), but given that it takes time to bring characters to bare with stats to take at least a couple of hits while dishing out decent damage was my biggest issue with Conquest. I am playing Revelation, which fixes most of my gripes about Conquest save for the unengaging characters *cough Corrin/Kamui cough* and unengaging story, at least for Revelation. Conquest was good though. And to make it crystal clear I assumed that Conquest would allow for some grinding. Even if I wanted to use "Boo Camp" (which I can't by the way because the DLC isn't avaliable for me to play as of the last time I played Fates) I would rather have my units about the same level if not one or two levels ahead of the enemy, same as Pokemon for very obvious reasons as stated above.

(Edited for dumb spelling errors)

Did you even read what people said? No one was angry at you for not being good at the game, they were angry that you felt your own inadequacy meant that the series has to revolve around you: that Conquest should have to mold to your grind-to-win formula despite saving the series for many veterans.

Fire Emblem and Pokemon, hmmm. Yeah, not very similar. Also, there's no reason to use all units at all. What does that have to do with playing defensively? Many of the units are intentionally similar so they can be interchangeable when one dies. Look, do what you want in Birthright and Revelation, just don't complain when Conquest doesn't hand victory to you.

You can grind supports and not exp in online battles in Conquest. Paralogues can be used for exp if you end up needing it that badly.

[TheWerdna]

I in the end of the day enjoyed Awakening more.

While in terms of gameplay Fates is a better game, I enjoyed everything else more in Awakening.

Awakening's story, while not great by any means, did do some interesting things with subverting a lot of the FE tropes in terms of how Robin ended up being the main hero instead of the main lord, and how he was thr exact opposite of a chosen hero (basically being the anti-chirst). Plus it handled time travel well. Meanwhile Fates' story was an unmitigated mess. I also am more attatched to the Awakening characters, where I only really care about a handful of them in Fates. Oh, and Corncob actively irritates me.

How 2ed gens are handled in Fates is a serious negetive in my mind, where in Awakening it was one of my favorite parts due to actually making sense.

There are also the little things. Like the lack of weapon icons in Fates, the world map in Awakening giving a better sense of what the world is like, longer and better written supports in Awakening, better DLC in the form of the scramble maps and Future Past (the equivalents in Fates were worse IMO).

Also my one true OTP (hooray for redundancy) is in Awakening

[TheWerdna]

Also, Awakening has Future Past which, while it absolutely doesn't substitute the main story, is the best storyline Intelligent System has ever written so far in my opinion.

Which is ironic, because the Fates equivelent of Future Past, Heirs of Fate, is among the worst stories they've ever writen.

Totally agree on Future Past though, that DLC got me to write an entire fanfiction based on it.

[Lethal Llama]

I'm still playing Conquest, so maybe my judgement isn't ENTIRELY fair, but I am most of the way through it (stuck on Takumi's freaking wall). I'm just gonna compare the two in several different categories (Note that this is only in terms of Conquest cos I'm not made of money):

GAMEPLAY

Definitely Fates. While it isn't a flawless game, I truly believe it boasts the most rewarding and involving gameplay in the series, with well-balanced and tough-but-fair level design. The mechanics such as rebalanced pair up, the new weapon triangle, and weapon effects make each and every new level a tactical gem, at least for me. Awakening is kind of broken really easily, and the maps are generally pretty uninspired. It's not terrible, but definitely not as good as Fates.

STORY

Awakening takes this one pretty easily. My first time running through a story, I'm pretty easy to please. While I'm now aware of the many plot issues Awakening has, my first time I found it extremely compelling and involving. I couldn't wait to see where things went next, and I was very satisfied with how it ends. Fates, on the other hand, had its moments but really lost me in the latter half, at least before the final chapters (I have seen how it ends so I can still compare fairly). Essentially, if I were to replay Awakening now I still wouldn't skip the story scenes, and I don't think I could say the same for Fates.

VISUALS

I'll try my best to be fair to Awakening in terms of the perceived hardware restrictions by IS, so I won't hold feet against it. That being said, Fates still wins this one for a better visual style. The Japanese and European aesthetics for Hoshido and Nohr respectively are really distinct and interesting, and a lot of the units (even generics!) look fantastic. Fates also seems to make better use of colour, while Awakening is more washed-out. Visually Awakening is nice, but a little bland in comparison. And what the hell were the Knights in Awakening anyway.

SOUNDTRACK

This one was very close. In my opinion both games have fantastic soundtracks. But I like Fates' a little more. I feel like both games had tonnes of good music, but Fates had a few more great tracks. A Dark Fall is just brilliant in every sense of the word, and is my single favourite map theme for the series. But this one was really close, and is quite subjective, so I could see others deciding the other way.

CHARACTERS

Another close one. Both games had their fair share of gems (Gregor and Forrest) and duds (Stahl and Nyx). But I think that I'd have to give it to Awakening's cast. While Fates is certainly great (seriously, I want to have Arthur and Forrest in my life for realsies), I also feel that it has more weak links, and that they're typically worse than Awakening's worst. I just want Nyx to go away and come back super old so I can watch her die (OK maybe that was a bit much).

I also felt that Fates cast was the most uninspired. Disregarding the Awakening trio (who I actually love in Fates as they actually exhibit growth), Hayato is Ricken 2, the reincarnated Awakening Hoshido children are worse versions of themselves, and there are a number of other characters who I feel like I've seen a million times (No, really Effie, tell me how your obsession with training sets you apart as a Fire Emblem character).

Awakening is not perfect, but I feel that most of the cast has a warmth and charm that seems genuine and absorbing. I don't know if I could nail it down really, but it feels like they're a more cohesive group than the Fates cast. Though I do like how Fates has royals families who all feature in the story. And for all of its criticisms of shallow archetypical characters, I feel like Awakening did character depth and complexity much better than Fates.

So, according to my system, Fates would be the better game. And I do believe that it is objectively better. But subjectively Awakening will always be my favourite. Where it excels it really excels, and its shortcomings always feel less significant. Maybe it's because I've had more time with Awakening, but as of now I still prefer it.

[TheSilentChloey]

I am not shiting on Fates' gameplay mechanics, they are fun to work with and add the extra touch of strategy that I wish was present in Awakening. I like My Castle and the ability to meet others' avatars, I like dressing my avatar up to suit my tastes and enjoy the more interactive fun you can have with the characters if you want.

I found that I just wasn't invested in Conquest or Revelation, admittedly I was and am like "When the hell is this game going to be finished already so I can go back to Awakening?" and that isn't the case with Awakening, I would happily replay Awakening and I have at least 230 +hours of gameplay if not more. Awakening was worth the spending I've done in spades even without DLC. Fates...well at least I got an art book and had some distration while I was in hospital. Which I would not have to have been had I not gotten the game...but that's a story for another day.

Can people please just pay attention. Perhaps I should have sugar coated it for you all and said "Fire Emblem's mechanics" instead of just Fates; if you elitists were going to be so damn stupid about it and put words into my mouth that were never there or implications that you want to be there when there is none. I cannot believe that people have ignored the fact that I clearly said that I wasn't invested in Conquest or Revelation and that was the main issue at hand not level grinding, that is why I don't like those games. To quote what I said orginally:

"Having little or no experence hurts game play a little.

Aside from that Conquest is alright, I guess. Not as good as Awakening with training and skills being a moot point (thus a waste of time to have children), but at least I can work with it. I'd still go back to play Awakening hands down."

Did you even read what people said? No one was angry at you for not being good at the game, they were angry that you felt your own inadequacy meant that the series has to revolve around you: that Conquest should have to mold to your grind-to-win formula despite saving the series for many veterans.

Fire Emblem and Pokemon, hmmm. Yeah, not very similar. Also, there's no reason to use all units at all. What does that have to do with playing defensively? Many of the units are intentionally similar so they can be interchangeable when one dies. Look, do what you want in Birthright and Revelation, just don't complain when Conquest doesn't hand victory to you.

You can grind supports and not exp in online battles in Conquest. Paralogues can be used for exp if you end up needing it that badly.

Aparently not, but they didn't pay attention to what my actual post was stating in the first place and ran in like a pack of wolves all the same. It's not about a "grind to win" formula at all, it was me stating reasons I didn't like Fates specifically. This isn't about my own inadequacy in playing the game (although I do belive that it's a part of it no doubt there), this is about my own personal feelings on the matter. Again people don't pay attention to what I said. If you still have a problem then PM me, don't derail the thread and waste everyone's time.

On that note if I have offended anyone, that was never the intent to begin with; I'm truly sorry for that, however jumping the gun like that instead of perhaps asking why makes you look worse at this point. Also what would you have done in my position? The only other strategy game that I've ever played that is remotely like Fire Emblem is Pokemon Conquest, which I soon decided to just leave because it was too hard to play. And I've been playing Pokmon for at least twenty years of my life as opposed to the singular year of any Fire Emblem game.

[shadowofchaos]

so damn stupid about it and put words into my mouth that were never there or implications that you want

it was me stating reasons I didn't like Fates specifically.

You outright stated the following:

That is just plain unfair.

Still doesn't justify it.

A fellow Phoenix-moder newcomer that has about the same skill level as you enjoyed Conquest's story.

And pretty much said your complaint was ridiculous.

A reason why you don't like Conquest specifically is because it's unfair that they warn you and even give you a difficulty mode that was able to get you through it?

Your personal feelings show a huge lack of interest in Conquest's gimmicks.

Which is fine.

However, you seem to be blaming it as "unfair and unjustified" towards the developers.

That's the sole reason people got on your case.

We weren't putting words in your mouth.

You just didn't realize what you were implying.

When you dislike an element of a game, put some thought into your post. Because you sounded more or less spoiled when you said "still doesn't justify it".

How much justification does one need when they tell you outright "hey this is what we're doing. DON'T BUY THIS OR PLAY IT IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT. Or play Phoenix Mode or buy the DLC."

It's disgusting that if you want to play Conquest as a beginner that you have to go Phoenix mode just to clear chapter 16 and onwards! Now that might be because I am not that skilled but come on! A beginner should be able to clear at least normal casual without failing like I did.

Read your post again. Doesn't it sound like you're saying it's too hard and too easy at the same time?

There are plenty of beginners that use both Normal Casual and Normal Phoenix and beat Conquest.

Were you ashamed to use Phoenix mode or something? That's what it sounds like.

"It's disgusting".

Why?

Because you know... that's what it's there for.

I'm legitimately curious...

Why are you turned off by the fact that you "had" to use Phoenix mode?

How do you suggest the design of the game isn't compromised to give you an easier time?

How do you make an easier time for newcomers without compromising tradition?

Edited June 1, 2016 by shadowofchaos

[Yvette]

I will however say that I didn't like that being forced to have units not gain experience outside of the main story in Conquest. That is just plain unfair.

I had to use Phoenix mode just to clear the game!

No, it's things like saying "that is just plain unfair" that made people angry with your original post. Calling something "disgusting" also doesn't help, so although your intentions in your original post may not have been bad, you came across differently than I think you wanted.

I wouldn't be surprised if Pheonix mode was introduced solely for Conquest: there's no shame in having to use it if that's your last resort.

It's amazing how badly people are ripping into me for both my lack of experience with Fire Emblem games

No one was ripping on you for lack of experience. No one could care less- we were trying to defend Conquest's gameplay, and that's about it.

Can people please just pay attention. Perhaps I should have sugar coated it for you all and said "Fire Emblem's mechanics" instead of just Fates; if you elitists were going to be so damn stupid about it and put words into my mouth that were never there or implications that you want to be there when there is none.

Aparently not, but they didn't pay attention to what my actual post was stating in the first place and ran in like a pack of wolves all the same. It's not about a "grind to win" formula at all, it was me stating reasons I didn't like Fates specifically. This isn't about my own inadequacy in playing the game (although I do belive that it's a part of it no doubt there), this is about my own personal feelings on the matter.

however jumping the gun like that instead of perhaps asking why makes you look worse at this point. Also what would you have done in my position?

"If you elitists were going to be so damn stupid": again with the wording, this is why people were angry to begin with. Perhaps your gripes with Conquest and Revelation's stories were your main issue. That's just fine. Does that mean we shouldn't reply to the lesser, and actually more bulky part of your post about gameplay? Story is an entirely different, debatable matter.

Not all three versions offer the same experience, and that's how it should be. I find Birthright's gameplay terribly bland in comparison to Conquest, but that doesn't lead me to criticize people who feel comfortable with the easier difficulty.

I don't believe I look any worse at all, actually. If I do, I don't care because I was defending gameplay that I feel is very competent and some of the best in the series. In your position, I would have expressed my discontentment with a level-head and moved on.

Look at it this way instead: IS made a very smart decision in making Conquest traditional, and Birthright (and Revelation) more Awakening-like. To make either of the two games like the other would alienate that portion of the fans looking for their preferred gameplay experience, thus potentially decreasing revenue generated by the games. Less revenue means less successful FE, which means a series that could eventually begin to die off once more. I think we can all agree that's not what we want.

Lastly, I'll just say this: there are plenty of people on this forum who would be willing to help you. If you're having difficulty with a particular chapter, just ask. Myself included, no one would mind trying to assist you through a game that is widely accepted as difficult.

[HK Motendra]

While I very much like Fates and am still playing through it, I feel that I was MUCH more invested in Awakening that for some reason wasn't there with Fates. I suppose one factor is Awakening actually has post game content, while Fates doesn't PLUS legacy characters. Lately, I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to make new games (In Awakening, I only ever did 3-4 complete run throughs, including paralogues and Xenologues. To this day, I still have my very first file, and don't plan on ridding of it.) and if I do, I never get rid of my original, out of it being my crowning achievement.

Props to Fates gameplay tho. Sadly, I can't quite say the same for its music, that 9/10, is the battle music that sells me, which I dont get to hear much of, unless I actually paused a battle just to do so. If Because of that, and a lack of "ablaze" versions in the records and/or extras, next to none of the soundtracks were ever memorable, save for Lost in Thoughts All Alone.

I suppose I'll have to wait till Fates grows on me, but until then, I'd say Awakening takes the cake

No.

Most Fire Emblem games are separate from each other unless they're directly stated to take place in the same world, like Binding Blade & Blazing Sword and Path of Radiance & Radiant Dawn. You can't compare Fates to that.

Secondly, I didn't use the words "canon" at first just to avoid this pointless argument. If you would go back and look at the first post which started it all, you'll see I said that Revelation makes Birthright and Conquest obsolete in terms of story.

You know, Thane, can one really say that Revelation makes them obsolete when both Birthright and Conquest were alluding to it the whole time? Sure, the idea that they're separate games would make it seem that way, but through a different approach, its not so much. Personally, I see the story of Fates is structured in a multiverse theory-like approach, where the end goal is simply to end the war, as indicated by the Branch of Fate menu option. You, being the player, having hindsight of the previous routes before Revelation, are suppose to piece everything together. Sadly, such an approach just doesn't work for a game like Fire Emblem that normally ends in just under 30 Chapters. Bear in mind that this is just was I think of it all, and is probably not as coherent as I imagined

Admittedly, I was kinda on the same page as you for a while, until I played through both Hidden Truths and Heirs of Fate (up to IV).

Hidden Truths has Anakos tell Owain (Odin), Inigo(Laslow) and Severa(Selena) that they were going into a world that was closely affected by choice.

As of Heirs of Fates IV, Shigure tells both sides that they're literally from different worlds after Shiro and Siegbert couldn't understand how they had different records of how the war ended (Shiro's group says Hoshido won, with Xander & Elise passing away, while Siegbert's vice versa with Ryoma & Takumi), along with why there are two respective Kana's and Yato blades from a parent with the same name, but different gender

From all of this, I can say that Revelation takes off from what Birthright and Conquest allude to. One could theorize it to probably be why Revelation was released later on than the other two, but if that was necessary, they could have just had it unlockable once one finishes both paths. Now if only IS could have made that much clearer, via giving Azura an ending monoluge -the likes that she and Shigure did in Heirs of Fate- at the end of both games.

Overall, I'd call it a case of bad storytelling.

Feel free to eat this up

[Thane]

While I very much like Fates and am still playing through it, I feel that I was MUCH more invested in Awakening that for some reason wasn't there with Fates. I suppose one factor is Awakening actually has post game content, while Fates doesn't PLUS legacy characters. Lately, I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to make new games (In Awakening, I only ever did 3-4 complete run throughs, including paralogues and Xenologues. To this day, I still have my very first file, and don't plan on ridding of it.) and if I do, I never get rid of my original, out of it being my crowning achievement.

Props to Fates gameplay tho. Sadly, I can't quite say the same for its music, that 9/10, is the battle music that sells me, which I dont get to hear much of, unless I actually paused a battle just to do so. If Because of that, and a lack of "ablaze" versions in the records and/or extras, next to none of the soundtracks were ever memorable, save for Lost in Thoughts All Alone.

I suppose I'll have to wait till Fates grows on me, but until then, I'd say Awakening takes the cake

You know, Thane, can one really say that Revelation makes them obsolete when both Birthright and Conquest were alluding to it the whole time? Sure, the idea that they're separate games would make it seem that way, but through a different approach, its not so much. Personally, I see the story of Fates is structured in a multiverse theory-like approach, where the end goal is simply to end the war, as indicated by the Branch of Fate menu option. You, being the player, having hindsight of the previous routes before Revelation, are suppose to piece everything together. Sadly, such an approach just doesn't work for a game like Fire Emblem that normally ends in just under 30 Chapters. Bear in mind that this is just was I think of it all, and is probably not as coherent as I imagined

Admittedly, I was kinda on the same page as you for a while, until I played through both Hidden Truths and Heirs of Fate (up to IV).

Hidden Truths has Anakos tell Owain (Odin), Inigo(Laslow) and Severa(Selena) that they were going into a world that was closely affected by choice.

As of Heirs of Fates IV, Shigure tells both sides that they're literally from different worlds after Shiro and Siegbert couldn't understand how they had different records of how the war ended (Shiro's group says Hoshido won, with Xander & Elise passing away, while Siegbert's vice versa with Ryoma & Takumi), along with why there are two respective Kana's and Yato blades from a parent with the same name, but different gender

From all of this, I can say that Revelation takes off from what Birthright and Conquest allude to. One could theorize it to probably be why Revelation was released later on than the other two, but if that was necessary, they could have just had it unlockable once one finishes both paths. Now if only IS could have made that much clearer, via giving Azura an ending monoluge -the likes that she and Shigure did in Heirs of Fate- at the end of both games.

Overall, I'd call it a case of bad storytelling.

Feel free to eat this up

I have a hard time figuring out how to respond since you seem to be doing it for me. It is bad storytelling, the current formula used to tell the story doesn't work and there are some allusions to Revelation in the other route - the problem is that they all fall flat, and you're later told that what you've been doing is wrong and that you had the golden path in front of you the entire time, locked behind a paywall that cannot be purchased on its own.

So why do the other two routes exist?

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

what i wanna know is how on earth did the the villians on conquest acheive the S rank hammer and magic tome when they are locked away in chests on the third route in valla, somewhere they clearly shouldn't be able to go or get.

[Dotty]

Props to Fates gameplay tho. Sadly, I can't quite say the same for its music, that 9/10, is the battle music that sells me, which I dont get to hear much of, unless I actually paused a battle just to do so. If Because of that, and a lack of "ablaze" versions in the records and/or extras, next to none of the soundtracks were ever memorable, save for Lost in Thoughts All Alone.

Upgrade your Records Hall. :v

[HK Motendra]

I have a hard time figuring out how to respond since you seem to be doing it for me. It is bad storytelling, the current formula used to tell the story doesn't work and there are some allusions to Revelation in the other route - the problem is that they all fall flat, and you're later told that what you've been doing is wrong and that you had the golden path in front of you the entire time, locked behind a paywall that cannot be purchased on its own.

So why do the other two routes exist?

So I really did just echo everything you've been saying to the entire Fates board? Just when I thought I had a breakthrough :V

Upgrade your Records Hall. :v

But I did....?

*checks*

.... Even worse, I literally forgot they were there. I just keep taking L's today, don't I? Either way, my stance is still the same.

[Thane]

So I really did just echo everything you've been saying to the entire Fates board? Just when I thought I had a breakthrough :V

My arguments are, obviously, impenetrable, and I'm converting people to my side one mind slave at a time.

You also forgot my whining about Corrin, Xander and several other characters.

[MCProductions]

My arguments are, obviously, impenetrable, and I'm converting people to my side one mind slave at a time.

You also forgot my whining about Corrin, Xander and several other characters.

You'll never convert me

Granted, I knew I was going to like Fates' story the second people started bitching about it, but still...

[Thane]

You'll never convert me

Granted, I knew I was going to like Fates' story the second people started bitching about it, but still...

How very unique you must be.

[darkestdarkness]

*checks*

.... Even worse, I literally forgot they were there. I just keep taking L's today, don't I? Either way, my stance is still the same.

think you might have to beat the game in their respective route (i.e. beat birthright for alight storm) for them to show up.

[Dotty]

You don't, I have them and I have yet to finish BR (or any path).