CYL 2 FEH Channel Announced - Aug 20, 8:30 PM

[Ice Dragon]

6 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

I mean, if they just changed his clothes and not so much his modern facial features you might not get too much question. But if they changed his design super drastically, they might.

Brave Celica's face is the same as Echoes Celica's face. It looks different from Fujikawa Akira's Celica's face because Hidari's art style is different from Fujikawa's.

[Tybrosion]

41 minutes ago, Vaximillian said:

Ike fan calling Celica overrated. It’s either stupidly ironic, ironically stupid, or both.

Are you seriously this desperate to flaunt your Ike hate boner that you have to bring him up in a topic that has nothing to do with him? Etheus didn’t need to call Celica overrated, and likewise you didn’t need to rip a character who isn’t even relevant to this topic.

[Sunwoo]

I don't know if this is the right topic to discuss this, but on the topic of Eirika and Celica ... they both make mistakes in their game that affect the plot in some way, but the way these mistakes are played out in the games themselves make Celica's mistake look bigger.

While Eirika feels equal to Ephraim as a lord (and technically has more chapters in which she is potentially playable), Celica does not always feel equal to Alm in the plot. While Eirika does have to be saved twice by Ephraim, he's never saving "just" her. In both of the scenarios in which he saves Eirika she's with the rest of the playable army, or with the Frelian army plus Innes and Saleh, so Ephraim's saving just her. He's saving everyone alongside her as well. Celica needs to be saved specifically, on the other hand. Which tends to give her more of an impression of being a "damsel in distress" because she's alone.

Another major reason why Celica comes off worse is probably because Alm doesn't make the equivalent of a big mistake in the plot. FE8 has Eirika hand the stone over to Lyon in her path, and she gets grief for that from the fanbase. But in Ephraim's path, he rushes ahead of the rest of the army, gets immobilized, and Lyon destroys the stone. So he has an equivalent of Eirika's big mistake when he is the focal character, and that puts them on the same level. Celica sacrifices herself for naught, because it didn't do what she hoped it would, and she gets grief for that. Alm's big mistake is ... what was it again?

EDIT @Ice Dragon: CYL Celica looks a bit different to me. I think it's the hair. It looks poofier, and a bit odd to my eyes.

Edited August 22, 2018 by Sunwoo

[Ice Dragon]

1 minute ago, Sunwoo said:

I think it's the hair. It looks poofier, and a bit odd to my eyes.

It's probably because she's not wearing a hairband that breaks up the silhouette of the hair.

[Sunwoo]

2 minutes ago, Ice Dragon said:

It's probably because she's not wearing a hairband that breaks up the silhouette of the hair.

That might be it, but it also just looks a lot ... I don't know, unkempt at the sides? Maybe it is the headband, but her hair just looks kind of big. Her design's also a bit plain compared to the other CYL winners.

I don't think it's bad at all, just in my subjective opinion I'm not that much of a fan of it.

[Fabulously Olivier]

4 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

I don't know if this is the right topic to discuss this, but on the topic of Eirika and Celica ... they both make mistakes in their game that affect the plot in some way, but the way these mistakes are played out in the games themselves make Celica's mistake look bigger.

While Eirika feels equal to Ephraim as a lord (and technically has more chapters in which she is potentially playable), Celica does not always feel equal to Alm in the plot. While Eirika does have to be saved twice by Ephraim, he's never saving "just" her. In both of the scenarios in which he saves Eirika she's with the rest of the playable army, or with the Frelian army plus Innes and Saleh, so Ephraim's saving just her. He's saving everyone alongside her as well. Celica needs to be saved specifically, on the other hand. Which tends to give her more of an impression of being a "damsel in distress" because she's alone.

Another major reason why Celica comes off worse is probably because Alm doesn't make the equivalent of a big mistake in the plot. FE8 has Eirika hand the stone over to Lyon in her path, and she gets grief for that from the fanbase. But in Ephraim's path, he rushes ahead of the rest of the army, gets immobilized, and Lyon destroys the stone. So he has an equivalent of Eirika's big mistake when he is the focal character, and that puts them on the same level. Celica sacrifices herself for naught, because it didn't do what she hoped it would, and she gets grief for that. Alm's big mistake is ... what was it again?

EDIT @Ice Dragon: CYL Celica looks a bit different to me. I think it's the hair. It looks poofier, and a bit odd to my eyes.

That's actually a fair analysis. But then, all of this is in addition to Eirika handing the plot McGuffin (the stone) to someone who she thought was her best friend and who she still thought could be saved. Her naivety is stupid, but also sympathetic and human enough that one can understand where it comes from.

 

Celica, on the other hand, hands the plot McGuffin (herself) to an obvious villain who she has no reason to trust and every reason to distrust. The decision defies common sense, comes out of nowhere, and is so poorly handled that it would make more sense (and somehow be less insulting) if Celica simply had her agency taken away by a spell from Jedah. 

[Tenzen12]

24 minutes ago, Etheus said:

 Lion - one of, if not the best villains in the franchise

Cormag - one of the most memorable wyvern riders in the franchise, alongside Jill (for good reasons) and Camilla (for two reasons)

Lute - clearly memorable enough to be a runner up in CYL1, despite being a minor character, and for good reason

L'Arachel

Dozla

Kyle and Forde - the social knights with the most personality and the best contrast & friendship of any social knight set in the franchise

Joshua

Orson - a simultaneously sympathetic and monstrous villain with a disturbingly memorable plot twist

Myrrh - one of the most developed Manaketes with an above average investment in the plot for her archetype

Valter - one of the most recognizable villains in the franchise within the FE fandom

 

(And Tana - the thickest pegasus knight. Coughs). 

 

That's a lot more than 3 characters. And frankly, that's just what I would consider to be memorable. If I'm just going by characters that I consider to be good, that would involve MOST of the Sacred Stones cast.

 

Innes is my favorite archer in the franchise - because he's everything good about Shinon with more class and without racism. Gilliam is one of my favorite knights (because quite frankly generals are the least characterized class in Fire Emblem, and he's one of the better ones). Gerik is one of my favorite mercenaries because of his backstory and dynamic with Tethys. 

 

Also, the ability to speed through or grind through a map doesn't make said map not exist. For someone playing the game normally, Sacred Stones is a relatively entertaining game. Frankly, I barely forced myself to finish Echoes, and will never play it again. My best friend still hasn't been able to finish Echoes because it is such a lifeless game from a gameplay standpoint. 

OH right I forgot Joshua, the guy with funny hat. I disagree  anyone else you mentioned being memorable in any way or fashion , well maybe except Orson, he is pretty interesting for side character. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Tenzen12

[Fabulously Olivier]

11 minutes ago, Tenzen12 said:

OH right I forgot Joshua, the guy with funny hat. I disagree with anyone else you mentioned, well maybe except Orson. 

I mean you can disagree all you want, and we'll have to agree to disagree. But frankly, if we're just being subjective here, we could apply this to almost any Fire Emblem. 

 

In fact, watch me do exactly that. I would hardly call any of Alm's villagers memorable for one. Or anyone in the Deliverance, besides Clair. I wouldn't call Luthier, Kamui, Valbar, the pegasus sisters, or Deen memorable. Shit, to me, the only memorable characters in Valentia were the main characters, Berkut, Clair, Leon, Zeke, and Saber, if we're ignoring characters like Mae and Faye, who I find memorable for entirely negative reasons. 

Does that mean that I consider the Echoes cast to be bad? No, they're actually excellent. It's just that most are simply "good," not "memorable" in my eyes since you feel like using such an arbitrary criteria to define cast quality in a franchise with damn near as many characters as Pokemon at this point. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Etheus

[wizzard of soz]

12 minutes ago, Etheus said:

There are exactly 3 memorable characters in SS. Eirika/Ephraim, they might not have lot of personality but In exchange they have lot of screen time and then there is Marisa who may not have lot of personality either but is kinda hot. 

As for maps design doesn't matter if it can be instantly blitzed. Not enough time admire anything. 

SS's supports is Big reason why it's listed as my fav game (and it was my first). they had good humour without going to trope town while also breaching more serious ground and doing a pretty good job of exploring multiple facets of characters. 

lol Marisa

remember kids, Ewan invented the internet, so pay your respects 

[Fabulously Olivier]

1 minute ago, wizzard of soz said:

SS's supports is Big reason why it's listed as my fav game (and it was my first). they had good humour without going to trope town while also breaching more serious ground and doing a pretty good job of exploring multiple facets of characters. 

lol Marisa

remember kids, Ewan invented the internet, so pay your respects 

I agree.

 

I seem to be one of the few here that actually likes Sacred Stones a lot. It is possibly my most replayed Fire Emblem (alongside Path of Radiance and Awakening), and something about it has always clicked with me. I actually preferred it to Blazing Sword (blasphemy, I know) because the story, setting, and some of the characters resonated with me more.

[Landmaster]

43 minutes ago, Ice Dragon said:

And yet if we got a Brave Marth based off of his pantsless FE1 self, I don't think anyone would question it.

I for one would question nothing!

[Fabulously Olivier]

33 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

Alm's big mistake is ... what was it again?

Not marrying Clair instead. 

[Tenzen12]

14 minutes ago, Etheus said:

I mean you can disagree all you want, and we'll have to agree to disagree. But frankly, if we're just being subjective here, we could apply this to almost any Fire Emblem. 

 

In fact, watch me do exactly that. I would hardly call any of Alm's villagers memorable for one. Or anyone in the Deliverance, besides Clair. I wouldn't call Luthier, Kamui, Valbar, the pegasus sisters, or Deen memorable. Shit, to me, the only memorable characters in Valentia were the main characters, Berkut, Clair, Leon, Zeke, and Saber, if we're ignoring characters like Mae and Faye, who I find memorable for entirely negative reasons. 

Does that mean that I consider the Echoes cast to be bad? No, they're actually excellent. It's just that most are simply "good," not "memorable" in my eyes since you feel like using such an arbitrary criteria to define cast quality in a franchise with damn near as many characters as Pokemon at this point. 

See, you just causaly named 11 characters from Echoes who gave impression remember what their personality is like. are like and am pretty sure you could remember some more.

I will try same with SS: Incest duo, Joshua (funny hat Karel) , Marissa, Orson, two meter tall dwarf. Flying not!Tikki

Yeah that's it. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Tenzen12

[Fabulously Olivier]

8 minutes ago, Tenzen12 said:

See, you just causaly named 11 characters from Echoes who gave impression remember what their personality is like. are like and am pretty sure

I will try same with SS. I

Incest duo, Joshua, Marissa, Orson two meter tall dwarf. Flying not! Tikki

Yeah that's it. 

Echoes has a small roster and I finished playing it like two months ago. I would hope my memory would last that long. Sacred Stones is almost 14 years old at this point, and I still remember more of its characters positively than I do Echoes characters. 

 

I can remember the names and faces of most of the characters in this series. That does not mean that I find their personalities memorable. (Though, again, "good" and "memorable" are two different concepts which are not mutually exclusive nor synonymous.)

 

And again, your reductive opinion is ridiculous, especially now that you're reducing characters to "incest duo," "not Tiki," and "Dwarf." Unless you have something of value to add, I'm done with you. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Etheus

[wizzard of soz]

2 minutes ago, Etheus said:

I agree.

 

I seem to be one of the few here that actually likes Sacred Stones a lot. It is possibly my most replayed Fire Emblem (alongside Path of Radiance and Awakening), and something about it has always clicked with me. I actually preferred it to Blazing Sword (blasphemy, I know) because the story, setting, and some of the characters resonated with me more.

yeah it's my most replayed too (along with RD, i prefer to replay over PoR because of how huge the cast is, and trying my best to take at least one Dawn Brigade unit to endgame on Hard...so far i've done Meg, Fiona, Volug(?), and Leonardo..the pain and suffering...). i think i only beat Blazing once and it was so long ago, so i don't want to lay out my judgment with finality here, but i as well think i still preferred SS. the postgame content was a nice touch, too.

[Lau]

I couldn't even finish SS, so maybe I should stay out of this, but...I don't understand why you're arguing about how 'interesting' or 'memorable' a character is. Everyone has different tastes and opinions, just agree to disagree. You're going to be trapped in a neverending cycle otherwise, hahah.

 

I love Celica's art. I think Hidari did an excellent job bringing back a design from 1992, where outfits were...questionable. I think Celica actually looks better without the headband, it makes her hair look...what's the word? Free? Idk.

Also, it opens the door for pantsless Marth and Gaiden Alm, and I would whaleeeee, for them.

[mampfoid]

I like (two of) the banner units, but I was a little disappointed by this FEH channel. If you compare it to the banner trailer, the only additional new information was about the free pull. 

[wizzard of soz]

1 minute ago, Lau said:

I couldn't even finish SS, so maybe I should stay out of this, but...I don't understand why you're arguing about how 'interesting' or 'memorable' a character is. Everyone has different tastes and opinions, just agree to disagree. You're going to be trapped in a neverending cycle otherwise, hahah.

much agreed.

 

yes, Gaiden Celica in this batch is a clear herald that CYL 2019 will bring us Pantsless Marth. the question is how many of us will still be playing by that point. must hold strong.

[Fabulously Olivier]

11 minutes ago, wizzard of soz said:

yeah it's my most replayed too (along with RD, i prefer to replay over PoR because of how huge the cast is, and trying my best to take at least one Dawn Brigade unit to endgame on Hard...so far i've done Meg, Fiona, Volug(?), and Leonardo..the pain and suffering...). i think i only beat Blazing once and it was so long ago, so i don't want to lay out my judgment with finality here, but i as well think i still preferred SS. the postgame content was a nice touch, too.

I've been replaying some of the older games to re-evaluate my opinion on the series, and it's left me questioning things.

 

Path of Radiance used to be my unquestioned top FE game, miles ahead of any other. With a replay, however, I have noticed its questionable early game unit availability, multiple straight-up worthless units, and lack of quality of life features.

My Radiant Dawn playthrough has really demonstrated to me just how bad its unit availability and some of the early game maps are. The unit availability in Radiant Dawn just kills the game for me, and I have to rate it much lower than my nostalgia had previously placed it.

 

I still need to replay Blazing Sword and Sacred Stones, preferably replaying all paths. Blazing Sword did not leave a lasting impression on me in my youth, but I suspect it may now. Conversely, I no longer have the patience to grind risen enemies, so I suspect my Sacred Stones playthrough will be very different from the ones I remember.

 

At this point, I do not know what my favorite FE is anymore. It was absolutely PoR, but as mentioned above, it hasn't aged especially well (even if I did still greatly enjoy my time with it), and I find myself thinking that Awakening, for all of its faults, may be my favorite FE by a slim margin (though I should replay it as well). Hopefully 3 Houses will be as impressive as I think it will be; it could totally blow everything else out of the water if it is half the game I think it could be. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Etheus

[DefyingFates]

53 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

I don't know if this is the right topic to discuss this, but on the topic of Eirika and Celica ... they both make mistakes in their game that affect the plot in some way, but the way these mistakes are played out in the games themselves make Celica's mistake look bigger.

While Eirika feels equal to Ephraim as a lord (and technically has more chapters in which she is potentially playable), Celica does not always feel equal to Alm in the plot. While Eirika does have to be saved twice by Ephraim, he's never saving "just" her. In both of the scenarios in which he saves Eirika she's with the rest of the playable army, or with the Frelian army plus Innes and Saleh, so Ephraim's saving just her. He's saving everyone alongside her as well. Celica needs to be saved specifically, on the other hand. Which tends to give her more of an impression of being a "damsel in distress" because she's alone.

Another major reason why Celica comes off worse is probably because Alm doesn't make the equivalent of a big mistake in the plot. FE8 has Eirika hand the stone over to Lyon in her path, and she gets grief for that from the fanbase. But in Ephraim's path, he rushes ahead of the rest of the army, gets immobilized, and Lyon destroys the stone. So he has an equivalent of Eirika's big mistake when he is the focal character, and that puts them on the same level. Celica sacrifices herself for naught, because it didn't do what she hoped it would, and she gets grief for that. Alm's big mistake is ... what was it again?

EDIT @Ice Dragon: CYL Celica looks a bit different to me. I think it's the hair. It looks poofier, and a bit odd to my eyes.

 

43 minutes ago, Etheus said:

That's actually a fair analysis. But then, all of this is in addition to Eirika handing the plot McGuffin (the stone) to someone who she thought was her best friend and who she still thought could be saved. Her naivety is stupid, but also sympathetic and human enough that one can understand where it comes from.

 

Celica, on the other hand, hands the plot McGuffin (herself) to an obvious villain who she has no reason to trust and every reason to distrust. The decision defies common sense, comes out of nowhere, and is so poorly handled that it would make more sense (and somehow be less insulting) if Celica simply had her agency taken away by a spell from Jedah. 

I'm not sure how this conversation started, but I'd just like to say that these analyses hit the nail on the head perfectly.

In fact, I've always been annoyed by people hating on Eirika when Celica's decision is far more illogical, so hearing two people explain the difference so eloquently makes me very happy.

(And yes, SS is my favourite FE and the cast is a major reason for that.)

Back on topic, which Hero is the best as a standalone unit (i.e. with or without an Armor/ Cavalry Emblem team)?

[Humanoid]

It's a fraught topic, but I think the two situations are comparable, with the deciding factor being friendship on one side, and religion on the other. Yes, from a rational, dispassionate viewpoint she made a pretty dumb decision, but plenty of people in real life have done worse for the same reasons. I don't want to go any deeper into it because discussing religion on the internet is like holding a live hand grenade, but I end up disliking Celica's character not because I feel she's poorly written, but because she uncomfortably reminds me of people I know, people I don't enjoy being around.

As for the games, I've only played both of them fairly recently, within the last year or two. Sacred Stones I think played well and had a pretty likeable cast, but it had pretty perfunctory worldbuilding and I feel it was the right decision to not have another game set in Magvel. Echoes was well-presented, with the art and voice acting adding surprising depth, and they did a reasonable job rehabilitating a 25-year old story that probably resembled Swiss cheese (though for all I know, Echoes added the holes itself). On the other hand, it was not at all enjoyable in terms of gameplay - getting through it was like pulling teeth.

Never played the Tellius games because Nintendo doesn't want us to.

[Sunwoo]

I get the feeling that Celica suffers from a similar problem Azura from Fates had -- in a way, they're both supposed to be the princess that you're supposed to save, no matter how much agency she's supposed to actually have.

Lyn and Eirika and Micaiah have all had their moments of being saved by dudes, but Lyn and Eirika's moments are (to the best of my memory) never immortalized in a cutscene movie or image. Micaiah has one opening movie where Sothe saves her, but after he does she's shown actively fighting off their pursuers -- and for the most part doesn't really get any cutscenes aside from that final one. Heck, Lucia's rescue cutscene is portrayed as a far more dramatic moment. Lucina in the main story never has a situation in which she's portrayed as a damsel in distress, the most she has is a very emotional scene in which she's reunited with Chrom properly.

Azura ... well, she has that one cutscene where dragon!Corrin is choking her and another one in Birthright in which she's dying painfully. She's clearly meant to be portrayed as a victim, or someone you want to feel sorry for and save. Celica gained a brother in the remake who really has no purpose other than to occasionally save her. At the end of the game, Alm, the boy who loves her, is also trying to save her. There are a handful of cutscene images in Echoes in which Celica's being rescued or she just looks helpless. Maybe that is one issue with Celica. Nothing's particularly "wrong" with her character other than that not everyone will like it (something every character is guilty of), but the way she's portrayed in the story does her so much injustice for someone who should be co-lord.

Edited August 22, 2018 by Sunwoo

[wizzard of soz]

1 hour ago, Etheus said:

My Radiant Dawn playthrough has really demonstrated to me just how bad its unit availability and some of the early game maps are. The unit availability in Radiant Dawn just kills the game for me, and I have to rate it much lower than my nostalgia had previously placed it.

it really is. i was pretty miffed you couldn't even use Fiona on the swamp level, which i never even noticed before because permabenched. i think Tormod is the worst offender because i can't even remember why he isn't there for like half the game. the flip flopping around of units between teams and maps (mostly Elincia's part i think) is pretty annoying and jarring. what don't you like about the early game maps? the chapter you get Nolan is kind of bad to me because of how RNG centric it is (not just miss/hit, but things like Edward triggering Wrath and critting which ends up with him dying).

playing a Valni/Ruins shall not be touched run is a new experience for sure. i think a lot of things are lost on us when played as youngsters, and our views and perception change a lot over the years so i bet it might.

it's really hard to pick a favourite because they all have their strengths and weaknesses (and like you said, forgetting stuff if you haven't touched a game in a while). i think the only one i can say i really dislike is Shadow Dragon. granted, i played on Merciless, and only my foolish pride drove me to finish it. least fun i've ever had playing a game, story or characters couldn't redeem it. even though we don't have much to go on for 3 Houses yet, it seems promising. or maybe it's just the fan speculation i've read that sounds cooler than the actual game will be :P

Edited August 22, 2018 by wizzard of soz

[Fabulously Olivier]

8 hours ago, wizzard of soz said:

what don't you like about the early game maps? the chapter you get Nolan is kind of bad to me because of how RNG centric it is (not just miss/hit, but things like Edward triggering Wrath and critting which ends up with him dying).

Book 1, Chapter 3 is, in my opinion, one of the worst balanced chapters in the series as it represents a brutal early game difficulty spike that should have come late in Book 1, if not Book 2 or 3.

Book 1, Chapter 5 would be great, but it being a defense map with several powerful allied units means that the player will likely miss out on a large amount of crucial early game exp due to the turn limit and allied units stealing kills.

Book 1, Chapter 6-2, again, has a huge potential for lost experience due to being a boss killing mission with a boss that has a large movement range. Also, it is a huge missed opportunity, as it is one of the few chapters which would be perfect for Fiona to gain experience, but she remains neutral during it.

Book 1, Chapter 8 is a swamp level with time pressure to defend weak, suicidal neutral units. To top this off, your only flying unit (Jill) is unavailable for this chapter, which she would be ideal for. This is incomprehensibly bad.

Book 1, Chapter 9 is one of the worst chapters in the entire series, from concept to execution. Who thought that a partially-solo stat test for a squishy mage would be a good idea? I mean, Micaiah will likely waste a Seraph Robe and other stat increasing items solely to survive this chapter.

Book 1, Chapter 10's difficulty and uphill fights encourage the player to waste experience on the Black Knight - a terrible idea for Micaiah's experience-hungry party.

 

The rest of the chapters I'm generally fine with. 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Etheus

[Interdimensional Observer]

10 hours ago, Sunwoo said:

I suppose so, but it still feels like a questionable decision nonetheless. Let's not bring up the fact that all Celicas are also red.

 

And aren't all of them "Quick Burn Cannons" too? As in once injured, their offense drops precipitously? Although I get it kinda aligns with Valentian magic mechanics and Combat Arts, and I think most characters will find their alts playing at least somewhat similarly to their old selves.

 

10 hours ago, Etheus said:

Cormag - one of the most memorable wyvern riders in the franchise, alongside Jill (for good reasons) and Camilla (for two reasons)

You forgot Haar, and Minerva also gets a fair amount of attention. 

Dozla

Looks too dwarvish to me, Dwarves are something FE has never had, and it is thus a bad thing, since I don't want FE to have them. His hearty personality only does so much when he seems so stupid. Doesn't help his Garcia A support got totally rewritten in the English version to remove some depth from him.

Kyle and Forde - the social knights with the most personality and the best contrast & friendship of any social knight set in the franchise

I love Forde, and while I use Kyle (who typically ends up better than Forde) he is just generically serious and dull. 

Joshua

I read all his supports once. TMG- Too Much Gambling. I like him as the secret prince of Jehanna, and him having a connection to Caellach is neat, but I needed him to show more of his depth, which is presently lacking.

Orson - a simultaneously sympathetic and monstrous villain with a disturbingly memorable plot twist

Not sympathetic enough because you only have one brief chapter with him before his betrayal. 

Myrrh - one of the most developed Manaketes with an above average investment in the plot for her archetype

"Most developed" as a character? Yes, I see the argument here, even if she like Tiki and Mar Mar calls Ephraim oni-chan. 

However, Manaketes felt shoehorned in Sacred Stones for me, why do they exist? How did this "Great Dragon" Morva is help the ancient heroes of yore Grado, Latona, Somebody, Somebody, and Somebody? Myrrh says Manaketes are neither monster nor human, but this is it, Magvel's terribly lacking world building affects Myrrh and her kind (of which we only know of two), and makes her existence unnecessary to me.

Just my criticisms in bold, don't mean to start a raging argument or anything, I'm fine with tempered discussion though. Deleted any character I didn't want to or would not argue.

As for other characters I tend to like, Tethys, Gerik (stereotypical old mercenary, but I like him), Knoll, Duessel, and I guess Amelia (more than the other two trainees at least). I try to like Rennac and Syrene for some reasons, but I'm not sure how much I can.

 

2 hours ago, Etheus said:

Book 1, Chapter 10's difficulty and uphill fights encourage the player to waste experience on the Black Knight - a terrible idea for Micaiah's experience-hungry party.

The BK doesn't need that much use. Have him clear the way to climb the first couple of cliffs, and you can retire him for the rest of the match.