What if Berserkers started each map beserked?

[Dr. C]

Playing Final Fantasy V (Which incidentally also has Berserkers wielding Axes and hammers)

the gimmick behind that class in that game is powerful but no control.

So I thought to myself what if we made Fire Emblem Berserkers like their Final Fantasy counterparts?

Now I have some questions to pose to this community.

 

is it possible to hack this?

Second, what are some things you would do to in price the Berserkers class to incentivize using them despite this handicap? 

[Shadow Mir]

The better question is how to make Berserkers worth using - as is, they're already hard to justify using, especially in some games, like Fates and Binding Blade for two. Aside from that, there's no way that what you're proposing could be good - having a unit you can't control in a game like this is just asking for trouble.

[Von Ithipathachai]

2 hours ago, Dr. C said:

Playing Final Fantasy V (Which incidentally also has Berserkers wielding Axes and hammers)

the gimmick behind that class in that game is powerful but no control.

So I thought to myself what if we made Fire Emblem Berserkers like their Final Fantasy counterparts?

Now I have some questions to pose to this community.

 

is it possible to hack this?

Second, what are some things you would do to in price the Berserkers class to incentivize using them despite this handicap? 

I don't know if it's possible to do in hacking, but I'm sure you can do it in SRPG Studio with eventing.

But why you would want a unit you have no control over is absolutely beyond me.  Even if Berserkers have a unique version of the Berserk ailment that doesn't let them attack allies (only enemies), you probably still wouldn't want to use them because they'll die with no easy means of being removed from danger unless either their AI is exceptionally good (which I wouldn't bet on) or they have a crapton of Def and Res, which they've almost never had, if at all.

[Interdimensional Observer]

It would be difficult as was just said to make a Berserker ally work. It'd have to be a "no ally attacking" version of Berserk. And, FE unlike FF has permadeath, which is not good with the AI. Even better FE AIs I think can't judge the danger posed by multiple enemies, only each of them individually.

This said, I'm the kind of person who oftentimes so I think doesn't outright cross out the viability of an idea just because it has apparent faults.

• An uncontrollable Berserker would need universally high stats, besides a flaw or two minor ones that isn't the lack of controllability.
• FEs since Tellius have featured autobattle functions, and Tellius's yellow Allied units can be controlled to a degree. A form of control like these would make using a Berserker significantly safer. If things seem fine, send the order to Attack, if too many enemy Mages are approaching they'd toast the Berserker's poor Res, use Retreat.
  • The idea of an ally that serves as a "Tamer" who could issue more direct orders to the Berserker if they are within ~4 spaces could be a form of semi-control. Albeit one that requires you field the Berserker and now this second unit. I'd rather not make this Tamer not its own class, nor include more than maybe two Berserkers. Instead, "Tame" would be a personal skill locked to a specific character, an Archer or Mage or Cleric would be good choices, a unit who even without the Berserker fielded could be competent.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Interdimensional Observer

[Dr. C]

4 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

It would be difficult as was just said to make a Berserker ally work. It'd have to be a "no ally attacking" version of Berserk. And, FE unlike FF has permadeath, which is not good with the AI. Even better FE AIs I think can't judge the danger posed by multiple enemies, only each of them individually.

This said, I'm the kind of person who oftentimes so I think doesn't outright cross out the viability of an idea just because it has apparent faults.

• An uncontrollable Berserker would need universally high stats, besides a flaw or two minor ones that isn't the lack of controllability.
• FEs since Tellius have featured autobattle functions, and Tellius's yellow Allied units can be controlled to a degree. A form of control like these would make using a Berserker significantly safer. If things seem fine, send the order to Attack, if too many enemy Mages are approaching they'd toast the Berserker's poor Res, use Retreat.
  • The idea of an ally that serves as a "Tamer" who could issue more direct orders to the Berserker if they are within ~4 spaces could be a form of semi-control. Albeit one that requires you field the Berserker and now this second unit. I'd rather not make this Tamer not its own class, nor include more than maybe two Berserkers. Instead, "Tame" would be a personal skill locked to a specific character, an Archer or Mage or Cleric would be good choices, a unit who even without the Berserker fielded could be competent.

All good suggestions but speaking to the “Tamer” options,

There was a character in a fantasy novel I read wherein there was a legendary warrior hero who was ferocious on the battlefield but indiscriminately hurt allies when coming down from his battle rage.

His lover, though possessing no combat abilities, was able to calm him with a loving touch or embrace. So naturally the tribe agreed to deploy her n battles to make use of the hero in war.

So automatic S/A support a la Pent and Louise could make it work. 

Edited July 29, 2019 by Dr. C