Jump to content

Alastor plays and ranks the whole series! Mission Complete! ...For now.


Alastor15243
 Share

Recommended Posts

Heck, the first guns were known as "hand cannons" pretty much.

26 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Although Lycia nominally has no capital b/c aristocratic alliance, it's worth noting Ostia the leading power of the time -and seemingly most direct heir to Roland- is right on the Etruria border. And Pherae happens to be right on the border with Bern, in both cases, the term "march" in the fiefdom/territory sense would actually apply. 

In this Lycian case, I pin it all on the choice of the writers, it makes a straightforward east to west journey across Lycia from 1-8x. Perhaps the same is true with 3H? Throw the capital on the border for the sake of simplifying things?

Well, at least it plays true with the definition of a Marquis. The count/duke in charge of border territory.

Sometimes it's not that weird to see capitals on such locations. I live in a state capital that's right on the US-Mexico border. Not the place you'd want a capital to be, but it ended up being out of necessity due to logistics with contacting the rest of the country. Before that, the capital was a town/city on the coast, again not an ideal place, but the best to make due thanks to geography.

Edited by Acacia Sgt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 9.8k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this earlier, but it Hilda was recruited, the replacement standing between the forces of EVIL and Claude is a female War Master... despite the fact that the class is male-only.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:
3 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

 

Although Lycia nominally has no capital b/c aristocratic alliance, it's worth noting Ostia the leading power of the time -and seemingly most direct heir to Roland- is right on the Etruria border. And Pherae happens to be right on the border with Bern, in both cases, the term "march" in the fiefdom/territory sense would actually apply. 

I've always felt that the Alliance as a whole was a direct parallel to Lycia and that the prominent houses are meant to resemble the mayor territories of Lycia. 

House Riegan most obviously resembles Ostia. The official leader of the federation, its ruling family fatally decreased in numbers, a rivalry with the second largest house and its seat is a prosperous trading town.

House Gloucester directly ties into Laus since its an envious but powerful territory that has an old feud with the ruling territory. And like Laus Gloucester is disloyal albeit less directly than Laus.

And like Caelin Ordelia doesn't seem particularly powerful, disaster recently befallen the territory and the young noble who's supposed to inherit it just wants out

You could make a case of Goneril maybe being a parallel to Pherae due to neighboring the expansionist empire but that's more of a stretch. Pherae doesn't seem militaristic nor do they have it as their official job to keep Bern out. 

Quote

Well, at least it plays true with the definition of a Marquis. The count/duke in charge of border territory.

I was going to say that you were thinking of a Margrave but apparently margrave is just German for Marquis. 

Edited by Etrurian emperor
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Imuabicus said:

Dude. If something survives a Snipers Hunters Volley, with a full and completed build, and it´s not the final boss (or armored tbf), then whatever it is, it is overtuned. That is an attack worth 5 durability with practically every type of enhancement the game offers. You built that Sniper with the explicit intent to kill one enemy on Player Phase and that Sniper can´t deliver on that. Because I had a Shamir who couldn´t kill without Hunters Volley landing a crit, which hey, happens often enough, but I still say that´s pretty fucking ridiculous, but at what point would you say "that´s too much?"

If I build a unit a certain way, then the last thing I want to see is them failing at that one thing, especially with optimal builds.

So to be sure, then, clicking Hunter's Volley isn't an instant kill, but rather is a tool whose effectiveness depends on working with other tools (i.e. the right skills, weapon, battalion)? That seems like good design to me. Also, are you sure you're as optimized as you think you are? Could you have attached a stronger battalion? Given your Sniper an attack-boosting adjutant? Or maybe used Rally Strength, to really push them over the edge? The point is, Maddening's sky-high enemy stats force the player to look through all the tools at their disposal. For my part, I was able to one-round both Dimitri and Edelgard on Groder II (with Sylvain and Constance, respectively), without any crits or Crest activations. I'm not gonna say "enemies that none of your units can one-round with a brave combat art" aren't out there, but they're few and far between.

Re: Poison Strike on Archers, I don't see it as a bad thing. It's more an incentive for avoid-stacking than anything else. 

4 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

So the capital of the Alliance is obscenely close to Kingdom territory, on the seaside. That... is that wise? My instincts tell me that isn't wise. Way too easily invaded and vulnerable if they went to war with the Kingdom, which if I understand correctly, they seceded from. You want to put more between your capital and your enemies, don't you?

My interpretation is, Dierdrieu is the capital of Riegan Territory. And since House Riegan is the "head" of the Alliance, it's the de facto capital of the Alliance. Were Count Gloucester the Head instead, then the capital would likely be in Gloucester territory. 

That said, it does seem in a weirdly vulnerable position. Then again, the Confederates put their capital within spitting distance of Washington D.C., so...

4 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

Wait... he's giving us Failnaught?

...And... dissolving the Leicester alliance?

...Please tell me this isn't another prelude to the avatar becoming unquestioned ruler of the continent.

Well yes, but actually no.

This part never sat right with me. The Alliance's whole foundation was upon a rejection of the Kingdom's King's... king-ness. Now, the other noble houses are willing to accept the rule of a crown prince who's been emotionally stable for barely two months at this point? Alas, the writers wanted all routes to end with a united Fodlan, I suppose.

4 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

Also holy shit is she garbage what the fuck. She's doing worse damage than the generic swordfighter she's fighting, and she's not even doubling. If this is how bad she is on Hard, how the fuck swiftly is she gonna get her ass handed to her on Maddening?

Green units scale on Maddening, just like generic enemies. She'll be fine. ...Maybe.

4 hours ago, Etrurian emperor said:

think there's something else that's odd about Derdriu. Its supposed to be a trading town ala Venice or Amsterdam but....who are they trading with? To their west is the Kingdom which is repeatedly stated to be kinda poor, to its north is Streng which is a land of barbarian tribes, and to their east is Almyra which is Leicester's traditional enemy. The Empire seems the obvious business partner due to being more wealthy and not being as traditionally hostile as the Kingdom or Almyra, but Derdriu doesn't have a sea route to the Empire. 

Maybe Albinea? I don't think we meet anyone from there, but we do get some of their seeds, at least. I imagine chilly Albinea would want for crops that only grow in Fodlan's warmer clime. Perhaps they could supply their own plants, or ore, in return?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

That said, it does seem in a weirdly vulnerable position. Then again, the Confederates put their capital within spitting distance of Washington D.C., so...

Which is another example of circumstances beyond just geography. Richmond being the capital was basically done as a way to get Virginia to join the Confederates.

Edited by Acacia Sgt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Maybe Albinea? I don't think we meet anyone from there, but we do get some of their seeds, at least. I imagine chilly Albinea would want for crops that only grow in Fodlan's warmer clime. Perhaps they could supply their own plants, or ore, in return?

They don't have a sea route towards Albinea either. Streng's in the way and the map doesn't show us a spot where Streng ends and the sea begins, so sailing to Albinea from Derdriu should be impossible. Derdriu seems kinda landlocked between the Kingdom, String and Almyra. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Green units scale on Maddening, just like generic enemies. She'll be fine. ...Maybe.

Maddening!Judith has 39 speed, and Weight -5. The fastest enemies are only 2 speed faster than her. She shouldn't end up like what happens to Shiro after enemies promote in his paralogue... but she won't last long either, so you need to man your battle stations! Let's move, move, MOVE!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also I'd like to point out that Derdriu might not be so easy for the Kingdom to reach as it seems. Its geographically close but to get from the Kingdom to the Alliance you've got to cross Ailel first which seems like a bitch to move armies through. Then they need to fight through Daphnel and it seems there's a river between Daphnel and Riegan too, and historically rivers were always easy defensive points. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

The initial capital was Birmingham, I think.

Montgomery, actually. Right state, wrong city.

1 hour ago, Shadow Mir said:

Maddening!Judith has 39 speed, and Weight -5. The fastest enemies are only 2 speed faster than her. She shouldn't end up like what happens to Shiro after enemies promote in his paralogue... but she won't last long either, so you need to man your battle stations! Let's move, move, MOVE!

Thanks for the numbers. Admittedly, enemy Swordmasters with Quick Riposte may still present an issue.

1 hour ago, Etrurian emperor said:

They don't have a sea route towards Albinea either. Streng's in the way and the map doesn't show us a spot where Streng ends and the sea begins, so sailing to Albinea from Derdriu should be impossible. Derdriu seems kinda landlocked between the Kingdom, String and Almyra. 

Huh. I had forgotten that we didn't see the (presumable) tip of the Sreng Peninsula.

2 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Which is another example of circumstances beyond just geography. Richmond being the capital was basically done as a way to get Virginia to join the Confederates.

The move occured after Virginia's secession (which I don't believe was ever conditioned upon such a relocation). This source suggests the move was made for historical and industrial reasons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Montgomery, actually. Right state, wrong city.

Darn, and my second guess was Mobile, so I was half-right twice, and that's a full wrong.

14 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

The move occured after Virginia's secession (which I don't believe was ever conditioned upon such a relocation). This source suggests the move was made for historical and industrial reasons.

Oh, interesting. I guess that's another Civil War misconception to clear up, then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

Darn, and my second guess was Mobile, so I was half-right twice, and that's a full wrong.

Oh, interesting. I guess that's another Civil War misconception to clear up, then.

Full disclosure: according to this other source, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens suggested that, should Virginia secede, then Richmond could become the Confederate capital. It's not clear whether that actually swayed their decision to secede, though. A Virginia-based capital may have been just as desirable to the existing Confederate polity, as it was to the Virginian delegates themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Full disclosure: according to this other source, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens suggested that, should Virginia secede, then Richmond could become the Confederate capital. It's not clear whether that actually swayed their decision to secede, though. A Virginia-based capital may have been just as desirable to the existing Confederate polity, as it was to the Virginian delegates themselves.

Perhaps the real answer is lost along with those who knew. Cool to know though, a lot of people just assume the Richmond thing was a bribe and I'd bought into that story myself. It's important to be aware that the situation was more ambiguous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I've been catching up on this, and I just got to the end of Shadow Dragon, and I didn't see anyone clarifying the enemy manaketes' Spd, so...

Unit stats come from personal bases + class bases, capped at the class caps. The trick is that dragonstones actually cause a class change, so it sort of un-caps the stats you can see. The dragonstone "bonuses" are actually the difference between the class bases of the Manakete class and the dragon class being transformed into.

For the manakete with a Firestone and 26 total Spd, its personal stats are high enough that it rams its caps in the Manakete class (hence the displayed Spd being 20) but, on changing to the Fire Dragon class, its personal stats + the new class bases sums to 26 thanks to it now having a Spd cap of 30.

So it's not that the enemy has super-dragonstones; it's just an artifact of how the reclassing system works combining with the low caps of the Manakete class and the high personal bases of Savage mode enemies to make Shadow Dragon's interface even less accurate than you'd expect. This is where it's good to know that Avoid = AS in this game, because that lets you see their true Spd despite it not being displayed properly. (For other stats, though, you're SOL.)

(This is also why the stat boosts from the Divinestone can't put Tiki above 30 Def/Res; those are the caps of the Divine Dragon class.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Seafarer said:

Okay, I've been catching up on this, and I just got to the end of Shadow Dragon, and I didn't see anyone clarifying the enemy manaketes' Spd, so...

Unit stats come from personal bases + class bases, capped at the class caps. The trick is that dragonstones actually cause a class change, so it sort of un-caps the stats you can see. The dragonstone "bonuses" are actually the difference between the class bases of the Manakete class and the dragon class being transformed into.

For the manakete with a Firestone and 26 total Spd, its personal stats are high enough that it rams its caps in the Manakete class (hence the displayed Spd being 20) but, on changing to the Fire Dragon class, its personal stats + the new class bases sums to 26 thanks to it now having a Spd cap of 30.

So it's not that the enemy has super-dragonstones; it's just an artifact of how the reclassing system works combining with the low caps of the Manakete class and the high personal bases of Savage mode enemies to make Shadow Dragon's interface even less accurate than you'd expect. This is where it's good to know that Avoid = AS in this game, because that lets you see their true Spd despite it not being displayed properly. (For other stats, though, you're SOL.)

(This is also why the stat boosts from the Divinestone can't put Tiki above 30 Def/Res; those are the caps of the Divine Dragon class.)

But then why is avoid displayed correctly?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Seafarer said:

Because it's always calculated from the unit's true Spd in combat, not the Spd displayed on the unit's status screen.

Well your explanation at least explains the inconsistent bonuses, I think, if I understand it correctly. Still makes no goddamned sense that they chose to do it. Easily the worst part of the game's design.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Alastor15243 said:

Well your explanation at least explains the inconsistent bonuses, I think, if I understand it correctly. Still makes no goddamned sense that they chose to do it. Easily the worst part of the game's design.

I absolutely agree with this. It's worse than true hit is about lying to the player, and doesn't have the excuse of playing to people's preconceptions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Thanks for the numbers. Admittedly, enemy Swordmasters with Quick Riposte may still present an issue.

Lucky for her, and the player, swordmasters are a no-show on that map, just heroes, mortal savants, snipers, and fortress knights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Etrurian emperor said:

I've always felt that the Alliance as a whole was a direct parallel to Lycia and that the prominent houses are meant to resemble the mayor territories of Lycia. 

House Riegan most obviously resembles Ostia. The official leader of the federation, its ruling family fatally decreased in numbers, a rivalry with the second largest house and its seat is a prosperous trading town.

House Gloucester directly ties into Laus since its an envious but powerful territory that has an old feud with the ruling territory. And like Laus Gloucester is disloyal albeit less directly than Laus.

And like Caelin Ordelia doesn't seem particularly powerful, disaster recently befallen the territory and the young noble who's supposed to inherit it just wants out

You could make a case of Goneril maybe being a parallel to Pherae due to neighboring the expansionist empire but that's more of a stretch. Pherae doesn't seem militaristic nor do they have it as their official job to keep Bern out. 

What is it with FE and female rulers running away from responsibility

Actually, on a serious note, aside from Claude are there any male rulers who abdicate responsibility of ruling their territory and just leave it to whoever the main lord/avatar is? Claude only half-counts because he's fucking off to Almyra, where he also has a throne, so ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/25/2021 at 12:17 PM, Imuabicus said:

 

 

12 hours ago, Imuabicus said:

It is the safest and with that I daresay most reliable way to play and that is the only thing I care about. It took me ~60 turns to get through AM final chapter, but I did so in one attempt and with rewinds to spare.

Are you trolling? It makes more sense that you're trolling than these as elegitmste opinions. You choose to play the game in a way you find unfun and then complain about it beong unfun. It doesn't make any sense.

12 hours ago, Imuabicus said:

In what way is TH built around that on any difficulty - because I did just that with decreasing diffculty. The only game that actively punishes you for bait and switch turtle tactics - in my mind - is CQ and even that depends on the map.

I could answer this, or I could let you answer it.

On 11/25/2021 at 12:17 PM, Imuabicus said:

Re: Smort: It´s a smarter way than havin to gain addditional skill ranks on player units. I also only included it as a sort of safety, because I know people will be like "But what until you have Alert Stance?" Additionally TH enemies seem to trigger as a groups often enough - luring at minimum one enemy will lure more than one, but I´m sure you knew that and chose to ignore it for an entirely justified reason. 

In addition there's also gambits meaning if you try to enemy phase a unit they can windsweep you leaving you staggered with reduced stats. Also three range archers with poison strike and fast enemies that can on round most units. The things you're generally complaining about because they make it more difficult to play in a manner you stubbornly insist on doing even though you don't like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 8 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

 

...So the capital of the Alliance is obscenely close to Kingdom territory, on the seaside. That... is that wise? My instincts tell me that isn't wise. Way too easily invaded and vulnerable if they went to war with the Kingdom, which if I understand correctly, they seceded from. You want to put more between your capital and your enemies, don't you?

A lot of times capitals are where they are not for their strategic position in war, but their strategic position in peace.

 

9 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

 

...Dimitri seems to think that Claude... deliberately let his country get this thoroughly invaded... so that Dimitri's forces could pincer attack them from behind.

...That, uh...

...Either he allowed tons of Alliance soldiers to die for this plan...

...Or they just repeatedly ran away and the Empire didn't get suspicious at all.

Either way this feels like a really dumb way to show off Claude's “strategic mind”.

This is irritating because I think I can see what they were trying to do with this, hinting at Claude using Fabian Strategy, but they failed to really explain that to the audience, or keep with it thanks to the nature of FE as a tactical game. Fabian Strategy is about actively avoiding large battles, and instead focusing on smaller skirmishes against smaller forces the other army uses to gather supplies, or maintain supply lines, scouts and forces left behind to maintain control of conquered territory, wearing the army down through slow attrition, and crippled supply lines, using the advantage of home terrain to defeat a much greater army. Claude pulling back, wearing the Empire down with Fabian Strategy while waiting for Dimitri to retake the kingdom would be showing off Claude's “strategic mind”, but FE needs a big battle to have a chapter, and touching on the details of supply line, and means of maintaining conquered territory has never really been something FE wants to touch (barring Radiant Dawn...)

 

9 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

But Arundel refuses to say anything, with a line that's such a hilariously childish attempt at being edgy that I'd have expected to see it in a teenager's Kingdom Hearts fan-fiction.

You are not qualified to look into the darkness.”

And as if to hammer the comparison home, his dying words are “There it is... the light...”

...wow, it really is such a Kingdom Hearts kind of nonsense line... "You are not qualified to look into the BEES"

 

9 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

 

Dimitri says that if they try to avoid Fort Merceus, they'll just be pincer attacked later. Honestly though, from what I understand of warfare, attempting a siege on a powerful fortress and getting pincer attacked are both really undesirable outcomes. There might actually be a genuine debate as to which one is worse.

It is generally seen as unwise militarily to leave a enemy stronghold in your rear, so taking the fort is probably the common consensus without some extenuating circumstances.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

Do ships have cannons yet?

I can confirm that yes, cannons exist on ships in Three Houses. You can visibly see them on the Deirdru map on this chapter. Though I'm not sure if this was intention lore. As the scaling for the ships doesn't seem tonwork with the units. The cannons look really tiny. Which makes me think they ripped the ship model from somewhere else.

hour ago, Sunwoo said:

What is it with FE and female rulers running away from responsibility

Actually, on a serious note, aside from Claude are there any male rulers who abdicate responsibility of ruling their territory and just leave it to whoever the main lord/avatar is? Claude only half-counts because he's fucking off to Almyra, where he also has a throne, so ...

Rhea might want Byleth to take over the church, but functionality Seteth is the one who gets to decide to make that a reality. That's all I can think of for Three Houses. For the series as a whole Pelleas is a promenant example.

Edited by Jotari
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Jotari said:

Rhea might want Byleth to take over the church, but functionality Seteth is the one who gets to decide to make that a reality. That's all I can think of for Three Houses. For the series as a whole Pelleas is a promenant example.

Does Pelleas really count though when he had no actual claim to the throne he gave up?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

Does Pelleas really count though when he had no actual claim to the throne he gave up?

Of course he does. He was the one ruling. Unless you believe in the divinity of kings (in which case Soren is the one unknowingly abdicating). Its not like the one he gave it up to had any more inherent right to it than he did. Micaiah's royal lineage has nothing to do with Daein. Pellets is the uncontested ruler of the country who voluntarily chooses not to be.

Edited by Jotari
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...