I'm concerned that during the war phase, we'll still be confined to the monastery.

[Dinar87]

My biggest fear of this game is that the story would be trapped into being at or near the monastery, as the developers won't throw away their work all of a sudden. I'm not talking about if you can still access the monastery but the story moves forward in different locations despite this, but rather that the story LITERALLY never lets you leave it or go very far away, so that you still have access to the monastery's mechanics.

I think a lot of things about the game look amazing like the combat animations and character designs, and having time skip portrait changes seems awesome! But I am worried that the game's story structure won't be that interesting to me personally if we're confined to this one specific place for the whole game pretty much. Hopefully they prove me wrong though! 

[HappyHawlucha.]

Just now, Dinar87 said:

My biggest fear of this game is that the story would be trapped into being at or near the monastery, as the developers won't throw away their work all of a sudden. I'm not talking about if you can still access the monastery but the story moves forward in different locations despite this, but rather that the story LITERALLY never lets you leave it or go very far away, so that you still have access to the monastery's mechanics.

I think a lot of things about the game look amazing like the combat animations and character designs, and having time skip portrait changes seems awesome! But I am worried that the game's story structure won't be that interesting to me personally if we're confined to this one specific place for the whole game pretty much. Hopefully they prove me wrong though! 

The map of Fódlan was designed that way so that no matter which country in Fódlan you were going to there would be some level of accessibility. I'm sure there will be a logical reason in the War Phase why we're occupying the Monastery; and we might even get multiple chapter gauntlets where you can't return to the Monastery in between. I'm sure it'll be fine everything else in the game seems to be being handles with care I'm sure the relevance of the Monastery will vary depending on how much the game actually needs it.

[Dinar87]

3 minutes ago, HappyHawlucha. said:

The map of Fódlan was designed that way so that no matter which country in Fódlan you were going to there would be some level of accessibility. I'm sure there will be a logical reason in the War Phase why we're occupying the Monastery; and we might even get multiple chapter gauntlets where you can't return to the Monastery in between. I'm sure it'll be fine everything else in the game seems to be being handles with care I'm sure the relevance of the Monastery will vary depending on how much the game actually needs it.

Yeah that's what I hoping happens; chapter gauntlets and other time periods where you can't return to the monastery so easily, essentially making the monastery into a limited resource itself. I think having limited access would make each visit to your home base feel far more important and precious, since you wouldn't know when you'd get another chance.

Edited June 25, 2019 by Dinar87

[HTakara82]

well.... every major military force requires a primary base of operations... considering the monastery is literally in the center, it's the most ideal location to have your forces. It's call strategy. 

[Dinar87]

24 minutes ago, HTakara82 said:

well.... every major military force requires a primary base of operations... considering the monastery is literally in the center, it's the most ideal location to have your forces. It's call strategy. 

Too bad I like traditional fire emblem games' story and game structure more than the whole monastery stuff.
It's "call" opinions 🙂

Edited June 25, 2019 by Dinar87

[HTakara82]

1 minute ago, Dinar87 said:

Too bad I like traditional fire emblem games' story and game structure more than the whole monastery stuff.
It's "call" opinions 🙂

so you like things that don't make logical sense, gotcha

[Dinar87]

Just now, HTakara82 said:

so you like things that don't make logical sense, gotcha

Most video games have things that defy some logical sense and reality, including fire emblem with it's magic and dragons and various things.

I'd take a fun and interesting, but illogical game easily over a ""logical"" but uninteresting one.

Again, I clearly stated this was about me not liking the story type three houses is going for...but then you come in with your "it's called strategy" comment (even though I wasn't discussing logical sense but rather what type of story I prefer).

[Kiran_]

14 minutes ago, Dinar87 said:

Most video games have things that defy some logical sense and reality, including fire emblem with it's magic and dragons and various things.

I'd take a fun and interesting, but illogical game easily over a ""logical"" but uninteresting one.

Again, I clearly stated this was about me not liking the story type three houses is going for...but then you come in with your "it's called strategy" comment (even though I wasn't discussing logical sense but rather what type of story I prefer).

I don't really understand the issue. In previous FE games you were just a point on a map? In this one there's a home base of operations, which frankly adds MORE to the story than just what? A traveling caravan? In Awakening, you just moved from point to point to finish the story. You were 'trapped' in the same sense of not being able to go somewhere that wasn't the main story or wasn't a random risen 'spawn'. 

And from what we see there's gonna be the random 'spawn' battles as well, so what's the issue of adding the depth of a home base, so to speak instead of being a random point on the map. This isn't a handheld game anymore, so shouldn't there be more depth?

[Book Bro]

I hope so too. I realize it's unlikely as it would take way more work than was probably feasible, but I hoped that we would have several bases during the story after leaving the monastery, like for example a castle for each lord, a campsite (used as the base when travelling), and one or two important towns, changing the home base depending on the story to fill in for the monastery when necessary. All the games and training features would move along with us, just the setting would be different. I now think the monastery will be the central hub for most of the story though.

[eclipse]

And My Castle was better?

I can see how the monastery would work as a base of operations.  The building itself is just that - it's what happens within that makes or breaks the story.  Location-wise, it makes perfect sense for it to be a home base.

Now if you're worried about tea time and all that in the middle of the war. . .we'll just have to wait and see.

[Dinar87]

3 minutes ago, Kiran_ said:

I don't really understand the issue. In previous FE games you were just a point on a map? In this one there's a home base of operations, which frankly adds MORE to the story than just what? A traveling caravan? In Awakening, you just moved from point to point to finish the story. You were 'trapped' in the same sense of not being able to go somewhere that wasn't the main story or wasn't a random risen 'spawn'. 

And from what we see there's gonna be the random 'spawn' battles as well, so what's the issue of adding the depth of a home base, so to speak instead of being a random point on the map. This isn't a handheld game anymore, so shouldn't there be more depth?

Basically, we have all these locations on Fodlan's map, but if we're stuck in the monastery for the story then we can't visit or experience any of them outside of random battles.

[VincentASM]

I think you might have misunderstood the game's structure?

The monastery is really just a fancier and non-mandatory My Castle. At the end of every month, you will go out to a different location to have a battle. Then the next chapter/month begins. The first part of the game is 12 months, so 12 chapters/battles. I'm guessing the 2nd part is about the same length, so you've got around 24 story battles.

So it's just like every other Fire Emblem, except there's a lot more preparation time (which you can even skip if you want).

There might even be other story missions before the month's end. I'm not sure though.

[Owain Dark]

3 minutes ago, VincentASM said:

I think you might have misunderstood the game's structure?

The monastery is really just a fancier and non-mandatory My Castle. At the end of every month, you will go out to a different location to have a battle. Then the next chapter/month begins. The first part of the game is 12 months, so 12 chapters/battles. I'm guessing the 2nd part is about the same length, so you've got around 24 story battles.

So it's just like every other Fire Emblem, except there's a lot more preparation time (which you can even skip if you want).

There might even be other story missions before the month's end. I'm not sure though.

Even the skirmish battles from the quest table thingy are in different locations. 

[Timlugia]

29 minutes ago, VincentASM said:

I think you might have misunderstood the game's structure?

The monastery is really just a fancier and non-mandatory My Castle. At the end of every month, you will go out to a different location to have a battle. Then the next chapter/month begins. The first part of the game is 12 months, so 12 chapters/battles. I'm guessing the 2nd part is about the same length, so you've got around 24 story battles.

 

I kind wonder the length of second arc, 12 seems pretty low, especially for a console Fire Emblem.

It would also have severe pacing problem, since academy seems to be very light on story, mostly just character backgrounds and world building. 12 chapters don't seem to be able to cover whole war/conspiracy part well.

[Dandy Druid]

I'm confused by your expectations? I think the reason we'll stay at the Monastery the whole game is because it's in a good location for a war. There will probably be battles in Faerghus, the Empire, and the Alliance, we'll just most likely return to the Monastery after the battle. I doubt we'll only battle near the school. In fact, doesn't the Raphael + Ignatz paralogue take place within a part of the Alliance?

I do hope the main castle of each faction can become the base or a pseudo-monastery though. It would be interesting to see how each force decorates.

[Marros]

2 minutes ago, Timlugia said:

I kind wonder the length of second arc, 12 seems pretty low, especially for a console Fire Emblem.

It would also have severe pacing problem, since academy seems to be very light on story, mostly just character backgrounds and world building. 12 chapters don't seem to be able to cover whole war/conspiracy part well.

I feel the real pacing problem might be the fact that every major Military operation seems to take place on the last day of the month. It can have some sense in the Academy phase when it's a new presumably mostly unrelated conflict every month and not open war, but in the war phase one story chapter at the end of every month comes off a little forced.

[Sentinel07]

All I ask is that the tone remains appropriate. I don't mind the casual nature during the school phase, but when war comes it should be appropriately serious.

[Pikappa93]

1 hour ago, eclipse said:

And My Castle was better?

I can see how the monastery would work as a base of operations.  The building itself is just that - it's what happens within that makes or breaks the story.  Location-wise, it makes perfect sense for it to be a home base.

Now if you're worried about tea time and all that in the middle of the war. . .we'll just have to wait and see.

Exactly this. 

It's not the monastery per se, my fear is the general tone. Suppose a character died in the last battle, be it for plot or my negligence, I'd like the other characters to at least acknowledge that death to some extent. Unlike Fates in which you went back to My Castle and it was like nothing ever happened. 

[timon]

51 minutes ago, Pikappa93 said:

Exactly this. 

It's not the monastery per se, my fear is the general tone. Suppose a character died in the last battle, be it for plot or my negligence, I'd like the other characters to at least acknowledge that death to some extent. Unlike Fates in which you went back to My Castle and it was like nothing ever happened. 

I mean has that ever happened in Fire Emblem? Characters noticing deaths that aren't story related?

I get that in Fates they didn't even acknowledge those, so the worry makes sense, but hoping that the game adjusts based on gameplay permadeath might be a bit much to ask.

[Druplesnubb]

It happened in SoV, but nowhere else really. I think Roy and Marth make some offhand comment if Lilina and Caeda die, but that's it.

[Armagon]

36 minutes ago, timon said:

I mean has that ever happened in Fire Emblem? Characters noticing deaths that aren't story related?

Path of Radiance (and SoV's endings).

[Onestep]

I, for one, cannot wait to interrupt my crusade to destroy an evil dragon threatening to destroy the continents, so I can take Bernadetta out for tea.

Seriously though, I fully expect the Monastery to be the base of operations for the whole story.

[Pikappa93]

1 hour ago, timon said:

I mean has that ever happened in Fire Emblem? Characters noticing deaths that aren't story related?

I get that in Fates they didn't even acknowledge those, so the worry makes sense, but hoping that the game adjusts based on gameplay permadeath might be a bit much to ask.

Not to a big extent, sure, but I recall Path of Radiance did something. I'm not asking for something extreme, just some little quotes would be fine. 

[Ertrick36]

This concern doesn't really make sense to me because, like...  Literally no FE game ever has contained itself within a small region.  Even Thracia 776 - a game that restricts the region it covers by its very name - covers a lot ground.

The concern people should have is the overall execution of all these things.  The mechanics, the plot, the characters...  Thing is, what I don't want to see in terms of this monastery is it being a place that is horribly detached from the conflict like MyCastle was.  The side effect is they'd have to make the supports properly reflect the overall tone of the game, which is tricky without making them all feel "samey".  At the very least, there needs to be an element in every support that lets you know that hey, these characters are in an actual army that's fighting in a conflict where people are dying.  In Fates, what you had was Felicia doing laundry and other chores, Arthur running around giving everyone a helping hand, and Sakura trying to make a plan with Takumi to survive some silly banquet.  There were more serious supports, sure, but a lot of the time they made it feel like you were in an entirely different setting than that of a war setting.

Just now, Armagon said:

(and SoV's endings).

I'll add the endings of the Archanea games.  Characters who had some relationship with other characters (e.g. the Whitewings) will have changed endings if those characters died.  This was most apparent if Caeda dies in Shadow Dragon/Book 1, because the tone in the ending changes very drastically (instead of it being Marth asking for Caeda to return with him to Altea and it generally being pretty happy, it's Nyna consoling a mourning Marth and telling him that he suffered the curse of the Emblem).

I'd like at least that much recognition of character deaths.  Oh, and speaking of character endings, it'd be nice if paired endings weren't lazy copy-paste jobs like in Fates.  It was really aggravating how no matter what, Oboro's paired endings always had her become a humble merchant, even if she married literal royalty (it sort of made sense in her ending with Takumi, because they deliberately made it a point that Takumi wanted Oboro to set up shop beforehand, but elsewhere it just feels like a canned ending).

2 minutes ago, Onestep said:

I, for one, cannot wait to interrupt my crusade to destroy an evil dragon threatening to destroy the continents, so I can take Bernadetta out for tea.

For Bernadetta I'll even bust out the scones.

Because that is the face of a lady who is ready to have her face stuffed with some kickass scones and tea, lmao

[Ivy Wife Supremacy]

There's nothing wrong with the Monestary being the base of operations and its the best neutral place between the war around and to travel to other locations. I hope the tone doesn't change that much if character death is a major thing I don't mind a mention at least after the events once but I don't want it to be mood brooding all the time I like my lighthearted feel to be intact which I'm sure it will still be(want a great tea time with my chosen girl!).

Edited June 25, 2019 by Dorothea Joestar Arnold