Do you like True Endings?

[Knight of Spear]

Mystery of the Emblem and Binding Blade both had the player go through a few extra hoops to get to the true conclusion of their stories. These amounted to game long collectathons in practice, some would say.

Did any other games have this mechanic? Should other games have this concept? Did you personally enjoy the extra challenge or is it just another thing you don't want to have to worry about?

For my money, I think Fates would have been better if that was how it was handled. Birthright and Conquest would have extra challenges players would have to overcome to reach a true conclusion with Anankos and happier endings overall. Revelations could still have been kept as a shorter, straight to the source, here's all your units campaign.

[X-Naut]

Eh, I find it unnecessary. Binding Blade does a poor job of telling you about the true ending, Mystery does a better job but it's still after you encounter a missable shard. Nor do I like the final chapters being gated behind a set of requirements.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Radiant Dawn also dabbled in the concept. It didn't change the ending in any way I can remember, but you were rewarded with another character if you made a bonus third choice on a repeat playthrough. And another one for the final chapter if you fulfilled a list of requirements.

In general I like multiple endings. At least when the basic ending is still satisfying, It can be more than a little dumb when a 30 hour RPG suddenly nopes you out of a proper conclusion when you neglect one little side quest or collectible. In an age of Youtube, you can just google the content you missed, so it's seldom frustrating. I wouldn't mind alternate endings in Fire Emblem so long as I don't have to pull up somebody's google sheet of a long list of missable requirements just to unlock it.

Edited January 10, 2020 by Glennstavos

[Interdimensional Observer]

42 minutes ago, Glennstavos said:

Radiant Dawn also dabbled in the concept. It didn't change the ending in any way I can remember, but you were rewarded with another character if you made a bonus third choice on a repeat playthrough. And another one for the final chapter if you fulfilled a list of requirements.

Considering a post-credits scene is added by saving said second character, they kinda count. Not sure if I'd say "True Ending", but "Ending+" at least.

 

When a game has a true ending, I always feel inclined to go for it on the first play, which usually means reading a measure of spoilers online. I like the idea of extra effort to get something more, though given the length of games and the sometimes obscure (at least pre-bad ending) requirements, in practice I'm not so fond of them. I have to see them ingame to really feel them.

[Fates-Blade]

It depends on how the story is IMO.

[Acacia Sgt]

I certainly like the idea of True Endings. I'm used to them, mostly thanks to being a long-time fan of SRW, which employs them much more often. Though lately they're more of a True Route, rather than Ending.

On the other hand, most of the time SRW uses a simpler system for unlocking them, so I suppose reactions could vary when comparing. That said, I do like the idea of having to put effort that gets rewarded with something like a True/Golden/Perfect/Canon ending.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

I'm okay with it, if the "untrue" or "bad" ending is still a strong conclusion. In FE6, there are a bunch of loose ends if you don't make it to the true ending (which you can lock yourself out of as early as chapter 8, or at any time by not hoarding your legendary weapons). I prefer how FE7 handled it - certain choices and actions added extra details to the main antagonist, plys an extra ending CG. FE7 bungled the execution (mistranslation, plus 19xx having asinine requirements to reach), but I prefer that approach (small bonuses, rather than a full-on extra campaign). Same with Radiant Dawn, and the secret "one thousand years later" scene - any ending without the real final boss would be anti-climactic.

[Chard]

I'm playing the final chapter of Fire Emblem: Binding Blade today. and I know I will not get the true ending. I am relatively new to the series. I played Three Houses first, then Blazing Blade, and now this.

 

So from my new, fresh eyes experience, I can't stand it right now. I heard that the game isn't new player friendly, but I didn't think it would be *this* unfriendly. I won't make an essay of all the things I'm not liking here, but after all I've gone through, I feel cheated out of the ending. I will never play FE6 again, and I'm going to watch the true ending on Youtube. Personally, if what ending I got had to do with choices I made in the story (if I made choices to begin with) I would understand, but this was performance based. Designed in favor of people who have already played through the game multiple times, knowing where enemies spawn (or looking it up). So it really depends on how it's handled, right?

Edited January 10, 2020 by Chard

[Roland]

If they bring a satisfying conclusion to the story of the game, then yes. 

If they're handled like Fire Emblem Fates Revelation, then no.

[Timely Rain]

I don't think it matters much, to be honest. These games don't have any continuity as a general rule, so it doesn't really matter what happens at the end: future games will likely not be related, so the story can go anywhere. 

As for your point about Fates, I don't agree. I think they split paths for a reason. If you wanted to play as a bad guy, you could always pick conquest and play that part of the conflict. Of course, the story is trash in that game and you didn't end up being the actual bad guy, but if they had a true ending, then the story would be set on a path that can't be changed. At that point, why even have so many versions if the true one makes your prefer choice non Canon anyway? 

[Mylady]

I prefer multiple endings depending of choices, so no, I dislike "true" endings, Fire Emblem doesn't need that and I'm happy the developers probably also realized this.

Also Fire Emblem is not a game that will give game over for making certain choices but instrad it's a game about customising your units and playing with a lot of possibilities so  I feel true endings and pushed pairings or "holier than thou" paths are a bit disrespectful to the player. Why give the option if there's a correct end that few will get making the whole previous experience hollow?

Also I don't think Revelations should be considered a true ending. It's mostly the happy ending but the most unlikely to happen 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Mylady

[Flere210]

I hate having the best ending hidden behind unpredictable elements that a normal player will not find out. For example i found out that there is a golden Ending in Pathfinder Kingmaker after i already cleared 2 acts and now i am paranoid that i may have already failed it long before you get any hint about that ending being possible. It's not even like they are going to sell more guides whit this shit, because checking onnthe internet is free. But now we are in a "doomed if you do, doomed if you don't situation". If you are checking on the internet whatever a golden ending exist or not you are likely to find spoilers, if you do not, you will only find out when it's too late.

Whit mystery, i will be fine if the game tell you "The zodiac shard are important, try to collect them all" before they start appearing, but the game only tells you after.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Flere210

[Faustino]

As stated, it depends on how satisfying the story is to the end.

Otherwise, it's unnecessary.

[Robert Stewart]

On 1/13/2020 at 12:41 PM, Flere210 said:

Whit mystery, i will be fine if the game tell you "The zodiac shard are important, try to collect them all" before they start appearing, but the game only tells you after.

The game actually informs you that the star shards exist and are beneficial before they start being missable - the first appears on the Chapter 3 boss, and as such is unavoidable. Then in Chapter 4 a villager will mention that "good things will happen" if you hold them. Admittedly, this is a bit vague, but it is a hint.

(Also, if you've played some form of FE1 beforehand, you would remember the significance of the starsphere and might be reminded of it, but that might be too generous of an assumption.)

The first actual mention of the plot relevance of the star shards comes at the end of Chapter 6. Between Chapter 3(which, as I've already established, has a shard that AFAIK is impossible for the player to miss) and the end of Chapter 6, the following star shards appear:

• Gemini is on the chapter 5 boss(unmissable)
• Samto is holding Aquarius in Chapter 6 - missable if you don't kill or recruit him(which I assume most players will try).
• Libra is in a chest in Chapter 6
• Cancer is on the Chapter 6 boss(unmissable)

So of the five star shards that appear before the game tells you their plot significance, three are unmissable, and the other two are won from side objectives that I assume most players will attempt.

Edit: I almost forgot - FE3 also offers you a handy dandy screen to check your collection of Star Shards, which is available in Chapter 1 even!

 

It even shows them in roughly the order they appear in. All you have to do is press A on the status screen. (IIRC the manual mentioned this, but I'm not 100% sure)

Edited September 4, 2021 by Robert Stewart