Getting started on FE2

[Astromime]

So i've played a bit of fire emblem and i've been meaning to get into this one(I only have radiant dawn,thracia 776 and this left to play)

I hear people saying that its like the zelda 2 of the franchise is this true?

Anyway, main questions are, are there huge differences in the core game mechanics? And what should I expect from the lord(s?) in this one?

Also, any info as to what to expect in this game would be much appreciated.

(I sure hope i'm posting in the right place.)

[Book of Ereshkigal]

The biggest difference in FE2 from other FEs are how items work, items are very limited and have infinite uses. Spells are learned by level up, so not just anyone can use any spell, spells also use hp. (Except for nosferatu)

FE2 also has free movement like a traditional rpg, but to be honest, it isn't used very meaningfully until very late in the game in like 2 dungeons.

Edited October 28, 2014 by L95

[BrightBow]

Oh yes, there are very large differences. Sorry for being lazy but I will pull a part of an old post of mine over here:

What you have to understand is that FE2 and 4 are not FE 1 with a few quirks. FE2 is most notable for it's traversable worldmap and FE4 for it's multiple generations system. But both of these games are fundamentally differently designed in order to do justice to those new ideas, something that neither Sacred Stones or Awakening bothered to do.

For example, Gaiden does not have weapon durability. This means that you can freely travel the world and fight enemies without having to constantly maintain your weapons. And this also means, that every item or weapon you find is something that you can truly enjoy, something that has real significance on your performance because stuff doesn't break after like 20 hits or something.

That's not the only change about weapons, though. Every character has one and only one equipment slot. This can be a weapon... but it can also be a shield or a ring or something else you find. Essentially weapons in this game are power-ups. You don't need them to attack in the first place but in order to attack even harder.

Also spells are learned depending on the level of the mage. And every mage learns different spells (and on different levels). Magic in general is a lot more versatile. There is stuff like summoning, 3 range and all kinds of effective spells, among other thing. But most importantly, magic ignores terrain bonuses. Which makes a massive difference in this game, btw.

You don't need to bother about promotion items either. You can promote at any time at a shrine. ...unfortunately this always goes hand-in-hand with a not-so-random encounter, which sucks.

The game also features visitable towns that you can roam around in and talk to locals like in a traditional JRPG. A lot of people would probably say that it is a small thing but I think it makes a world of difference in order to make the game feel more like...well, an actual world. ...as opposed to a game mechanic that exists to waste my time as I have to visit 20 different shops in order to find the one that sells HP tonics.

Another thing that makes the game feel more like a world is that you can actually see all the enemy troops on the world map. Not just their leader but also their numbers and their powerlevel. However, what makes this really interesting is that more reinforcements can show up at the map. They will then start hunting you down.

And if you attack an enemy army while they are on the same tile as an existing army, you have to fight both at the same time. And it's not always smart to simply wait until they separate again. For my part, I rather fight two armies at once then fighting one army led by a Bow Knight in a forest.

Also, you have two different armies that you lead at the same time. On lead by Alm and one lead by Cecilia. If you neglect one of them, reinforcements could make it harder for the other team. The two armies can transfer items with each other by using traders that you can find in some towns.

Btw, both of your armies are comparatively small but some shrines offer an limited amount of Resurrections to make up for that.

The general flow of battles if a lot slower then usual since attacks generally deal less damage and casters use HP for spell as well... but healing is also slower. You can go several rounds without having anyone dying and still technically loosing simply because you can't keep up with the healing. This also means that health restoration points and even minor self-healing abilities make a world of difference in this game. Gaiden's battles are actually a lot like the ones in Battle for Wesnoth. If you haven't played it yet, you should. There is no reason not to since it's freeware and I am sure every Fire Emblem player can appreciate it.

Edited October 28, 2014 by BrightBow

[Tryhard]

What he said except Cecilia u wot. Then again I guess there was Celica, Cecilia and Cecille already.

You may want to check out the calculations since it has some different calculations than other FEs i.e there is physical and magic avoid.

http://serenesforest.net/gaiden/other/calculations/

There's also an easy mode that sole purpose is to give you double xp if you don't want to grind as much (though really, you don't have to in the first place), and it gives you the option to trade items freely between parties infinitely, while in normal there's a limit.

I couldn't really say any more about it without specific questions.

[Book of Ereshkigal]

Oh, I guess you could mention there are units with both magic and physical weapons. (It's only Celica and the female Mage's promotion that get this, though.)

[Astromime]

Thaks everyone, from what I can gather this title borrows alot more elements from classic jrpgs than the others i've played. I'll have to get used to the new calculations, but they seem easy enough. If I enjoy this title i'll have to give battle of wesnoth a try. This game doesn't sound bad, I'll be sure to give gaiden a go after exams.