How Would a Western Fire Emblem be?

[Jingle Jangle]

What if in some alternate reality universe that a Fire Emblem is created by a western studio? (Of course this is very unlikely due to Japan and Nintendo being protective of their properties, but ignoring that). I would think that the game would be more cinematic with a greater amount of cut-scenes. The artstyle would be leaning on the realistic side since that is popular among developers. Characters wise I don't know, most studios that I know of don't have much experience writing an ensemble cast. The biggest part gameplay, I feel will be less of a priority to the gameplay. How would you think it will be handled?

[Slumber]

Very similar to Xcom. That seems to be the western template for turn based strategy games now. 

Edited April 28, 2018 by Slumber

[Johann]

Cowboy Emblem

yeeeeeeehaw

[Rukina]

A space themed game that focuses on defending colonies located on each planet in a solar system.  The invaders would be alien creatures that come in on asteroids of varying sizes, with a massive planet sized asteroid serving as their crumbling home.  Moral conflict arises between the aliens who want to claim the planets that are already being inhabited and the settlers who already colonized the planets but made the native wildlife suffer in the process.  The player can side with the aliens searching for a new home world, who weaponize nature or the settlers defending the colonies, who have access to an array of defense mechanisms.

[Kahvi]

Instead of a blue haired sword wielding pretty boy, the main character is a gruff 30-something man who's either very angsty or makes snarky comments every two seconds (possibly both). Instead of anime aesthetics, the game would of course look as realistic as possible, even if said graphics will inevitably look out-dated in few years. Of course, the violence is also amped up to eleven as well with blood and gore. The cast would include a ton of characters but only about three of them have any personality and rest are just randomly generated. The characters would of course have to be unlocked via lootboxes. Either the weapon triangle would mean absolutely nothing or would be way harsher, as in, axes would always have a 0% chance to hit swords. Or hey, who even needs axes, when you can have guns? Just replace the weapon triangle with a gun triangle. Gameplay wouldn't be turn-based but would include you actively doing stuff. Of course, this would mean that all other characters would have to be AI commanded and therefore dumber than a rock.

And no, I wasn't serious about any of that. It would probably be something like a medieval x-com.

[Griffinlwgameplayer]

The Template for Western Strategy games tends to be Real-time rather than Turn-based. Well at least in recent memory. The graphics would have a much more gritty look, everyone would have normal hair colours, basically, it would look more realistic but incredibly bland. Things would most likely be much darker and more serious with the characters being significantly more normal, which could be appreciated but it will absolutely make them much more boring. One thing Western games often have is a more sandbox-like feel to them, where you have the freedom to do things your way and have very few limitations to your behaviour.

I actually think that Fire Emblem would be turned into Mount and Blade, a real-time medieval strategy game where you build your claim to fame by building your character and army to eventually join or create your own kingdom. But if it had to be turn-based it would probably be some weird half RPG half Strategy game. Among other things the characters wouldn't die permanently, armour and weapon upgrades would be a huge deal, there would be a lot of customising possible with skills, weapons, armour, etc.

[ping]

I've actually just watched the start of an LP of the new BattleTech game, up to the end of the introductional mission (the episode basically ended with "and now it's 3 years later"), and it looks very much like a western Fire Emblem IN SPACE!! with giant mechas and lasers instead of dragons and mages. It seems to have a much bigger economic overhead than FE, but the combat system is both turnbased and grid-based (hexes instead of squares, and there isn't just one huge PP and EP per round, but whatever), your mech pilots carry over between missions and can upgrade their stats, but might be injured or killed in battle.

Even the general shape of the plot could just as well be used in the next FE game - the uncle of the good, if rash, princess ursurps her throne on the day of her coronation (for added bonus, it's because the princess refused to institute a despotic government) and the princess is seemingly killed during her escape, but the intro already spoils that she actually survives and the avatar is going to help her reclaim her birthright.

[Hawkwing]

Well, there would definitely be a lot more desert tiles and maps, but they probably wouldn't carry the movement penalty that they currently do, or at least, it wouldn't be as heavy. The dismounting mechanic would also be more in-depth than previous examples, as the high movement would have unparalleled utility, but the penalty to actually attack while riding a horse would make it risky to rely on. That, and because all the weapon types would be shared between all the classes (with some exceptions), the classes would instead differentiate themselves almost entirely through stat focus, being simultaneously interchangeable yet unique. That is, unless they decide to balance the range and melee options with the weapon triangle we have now. That could actually be interesting, as then we'd have cowboy samurai, who would wield katanas will high skill but would be mediocre at range, and sharpshooters who would be just the opposite...

Waddya mean it ain't that kind of Western?!?!

Ok, on a serious note, I would overall see the series as being more realistic with greater focus on the "war" aspect of the series. The characters would be older than the standard, and they would be a bit less colorful, but they would have more grounded personalities with more noticeable character development. That is, if there even is a named cast, as your units could just be recruitable and unique but expendable (in the sense that loosing them is a bad idea and a waste of experience, but they can be replaced, unlike in a normal Fire Emblem game). The combat animations would be more brutal and realistic, and so would the classes. I just wonder if it would be a low fantasy that has magic, but few fantasy creatures and a focus on humans, or a high fantasy that has elves, dwarfs, etc.

[Slumber]

On 4/28/2018 at 4:22 AM, Kahvi said:

the main character is a gruff 30-something man who's either very angsty or makes snarky comments every two seconds (possibly both).

Nah, the new norm is an amoral 40-50 something with a kid sidekick that's nothing but a lazy vehicle to humanize him by putting him into a father role and manipulates you into caring about the characters.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Slumber

[Armagon]

On 4/28/2018 at 5:22 AM, Kahvi said:

Instead of a blue haired sword wielding pretty boy, the main character is a gruff 30-something man who's either very angsty or makes snarky comments every two seconds (possibly both). Instead of anime aesthetics, the game would of course look as realistic as possible, even if said graphics will inevitably look out-dated in few years. Of course, the violence is also amped up to eleven as well with blood and gore. The cast would include a ton of characters but only about three of them have any personality and rest are just randomly generated. The characters would of course have to be unlocked via lootboxes. Either the weapon triangle would mean absolutely nothing or would be way harsher, as in, axes would always have a 0% chance to hit swords. Or hey, who even needs axes, when you can have guns? Just replace the weapon triangle with a gun triangle. Gameplay wouldn't be turn-based but would include you actively doing stuff. Of course, this would mean that all other characters would have to be AI commanded and therefore dumber than a rock.

And then the game gets 10/10s everywhere and game journalists be like "this game has a complex, emotional, storyline and we need more games like that" as if games haven't been doing that for a long-ass time.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Armagon

[qwernst]

On 4/27/2018 at 9:55 PM, Jingle Jangle said:

What if in some alternate reality universe that a Fire Emblem is created by a western studio? (Of course this is very unlikely due to Japan and Nintendo being protective of their properties, but ignoring that). I would think that the game would be more cinematic with a greater amount of cut-scenes. The artstyle would be leaning on the realistic side since that is popular among developers. Characters wise I don't know, most studios that I know of don't have much experience writing an ensemble cast. The biggest part gameplay, I feel will be less of a priority to the gameplay. How would you think it will be handled?

XCOM or maybe more RTS-style like the Wargame series or Age Of Empires.

BUt a Wild West Fire Emblem would be funny. nothing but desert maps or how ranged units are OP. Arenas are now just Poker minigames too.

Edited May 5, 2018 by qwernst

[Ae†her]

On 4/29/2018 at 3:19 PM, Slumber said:

Nah, the new norm is an amoral 40-50 something with a kid sidekick that's nothing but a lazy vehicle to humanize him by putting him into a father role and manipulates you into caring about the characters.

Are you talking about the new God of War here?

I would imagine a Western FE to be a little bit on the darker side so that it could be emphasize the story, but the gameplay may not be as amazing as we know Fire Emblem to be. I also would hate it because it wouldn't have Genealogy/Thracia, and PoR/Radiant Dawn. I feel like it would be on the PS4 and X-box One by now, and it would be a lot more 3-D like Radiant Dawn, and wouldn't have as cool looking characters as Fire Emblem currently does. It also wouldn't be called Fire Emblem.

[Slumber]

18 minutes ago, Ae†her said:

Are you talking about the new God of War here?

I would imagine a Western FE to be a little bit on the darker side so that it could be emphasize the story, but the gameplay may not be as amazing as we know Fire Emblem to be. I also would hate it because it wouldn't have Genealogy/Thracia, and PoR/Radiant Dawn. I feel like it would be on the PS4 and X-box One by now, and it would be a lot more 3-D like Radiant Dawn, and wouldn't have as cool looking characters as Fire Emblem currently does. It also wouldn't be called Fire Emblem.

The Walking Dead. The Last of Us. God of War. I feel like there's at least one or two more here that I'm missing. I've noticed that it's become a trend as of recently for "serious" western stories to be about gruff middle aged men taking care of children, and people are absolute suckers for this.

not that i cried like a baby at the end of TWD season 1 or anything

Edited May 6, 2018 by Slumber

[Viewbob]

At first I thought you meant a Fire Emblem western, which would in my opinion be infinitely cooler!! I can see it now!

"I have a very strict fort control policy: if there's a fort around, I want to be in control of it."

 

[Totally Not Inigo]

I always imagined that a World War style Fire Emblem would be fun to try out.

But then again, that's just advanced wars.

[Eurydice]

On 28/04/2018 at 3:28 PM, Johann said:

Cowboy Emblem

yeeeeeeehaw

Originally thought this when first saw the title thread as well. Cowboy Emblem would be pretty neat, judging by how Wild Arms games can go.

[DragonFlames]

Lootbox-infected open world first person shooter where half the game is locked away behind overpriced Season Passes and pre-order "bonuses". There you go. That's how a western Fire Emblem would look like. /joke

Nah, I think due to the fact that Fire Emblem already has that European flair to it in its universe, I don't think it would be all that different. Maybe the characters' hair wouldn't be as colourful as they are now (and I think the game would very much lack in colour anyway because of "realism").

Edited May 26, 2018 by DragonFlames

[thecrimsonflash]

a sin.

Honestly, I think that fire emblem would be way less fun and more generic, I remember someone mentioned elves and the typical tolkien theft races, I doubt that we would have manaketes and in general I doubt that we would have the aspects of fire emblem lore that make it stand out, every main character would be a villager.