TheBattyOne

Raftina, why would you want Panne to be forever alone? Even if you change nothing else, Virion!Yarne isn't too shabby. Plus, most people recommend Robin x (someone from Gen 2) so you have seven pairs in Gen 2 instead of six.

Well, that's actually how my friend came to believe bisexuality isn't a thing. We had lots of high school friends who called themselves bi, experimented, decided they were straight/gay, and moved along. Myself, I identify as bisexual because I'm sexually attracted to males and females. Whenever there's a male/female pair of, say, romantic leads in a movie or dancers or models, I pay much more attention to the woman because I usually find her more attractive. But I'm also attracted to men and have an easier time relating to them on a romantic level.

Pardon me while I toss in my opinion having only read the first post. When I have a problem I know I can't resolve, I take comfort in understanding it. If I know what the problem is, why it's a problem for me, and why it won't be resolved, it often makes it easier for me to deal with it. At that stage, I can decide what to do about it. I walk away, if I can. Otherwise, it's a matter of accepting the situation for what it is and making the best of it.

Hello. I'm bisexual. That's never how I introduce myself, by the way, but I felt it was important to start with that so everybody can know up front my stance (and my bias) in this issue. I want to talk about some of the myths and mindsets surrounding bisexuality. The thing I noticed after I "outed" myself (and I've told very few people) is their behavior afterward. My siblings support me 100% and believe, like I do, that sexuality is a spectrum where very few people are completely straight, completely gay, or exactly in the middle. My religious best friend has accepted that being homosexual is no more a choice than being hetero, but believes that bisexual people don't exist. She thinks that it's just an excuse to sleep around. I haven't told her yet. My mom has ignored any hints I've dropped that I am attracted to women and hasn't ever spoken to me about my sexuality. I think she's honestly uncomfortable with it. One reaction I hear is common (I've received it myself): "Well, have you done anything sexual with both men and women?" If the answer is no: "Then how can you know you're bi?" That confuses me because you don't have to do that kind of thing to know you're straight or gay. At least, not that I know of. A similar reaction: "Doesn't that mean you have sex/relationships with a man and a woman at the same time?" Not necessarily. Frankly, having more than one romantic partner at a time would give me a headache. And it's annoying that the word "bisexual" is sometimes translated as "automatically up for a threesome" or, even more damaging, "will have sex with anyone". This all makes me wonder what it must be like to be asexual, or demisexual, or any kind of "other"-sexual that tends to be misrepresented in the rare circumstance that it's represented at all. I went on too long. Sorry. Anyway, that's my take on things. What do you guys think?

I think porn is entertainment, at its core. But it can become unhealthy, especially if approached with the wrong mindset. Child pornography is illegal for a reason, and I by no means condone it or any other form of pornography that is harmful in intent or nature. (BDSM is fine, as long as it's obviously consensual. I have a thing about gags. I just don't like them because it plants a seed of doubt in my mind that the person who is gagged may not be enjoying themselves. I know it's not rational, but as long as they can't physically SAY what they're thinking or that they want to stop, I get uncomfortable.) One should be aware that porn is fiction. It is staged and acted and edited just like any other filmed medium. It's fake. Don't do exactly what you saw in the video and expect the exact same results. A lot of the actual sex is missing, like the foreplay and the part before that where people get to know each other. Sex is a great bonding experience and a way to learn a lot about a person, and often implies some level of trust. Those things are not present in porn because that is not its purpose. (The line becomes fuzzier with written stories because they're, you know, stories with time for character development. Sometimes.) I think the main issue with porn is that too many young people learn most of their sexual techniques from it and think that porn depicts sex accurately. It really doesn't. And it's really not that pleasurable. Plus, it takes a long time to train that mindset out of people. Having said that, it's good fun if you know that it's not realistic and are okay with that. It can be fun to watch as a couple, and it can be fun to attempt to recreate it. Just... you know, be careful. Sexual injuries are awful things to deal with.

Well, center mass is the easiest target. But we still don't know exactly what went down - did the dad shove Owain out of the way or did he jump in the way? Was he hit with just the one arrow, or did the Risen fire again? Did the dad die right away? Did the wound get infected? Was the arrow poison-tipped? Was it coming in from above? Plus, it's still possible that the Risen was aiming for Owain's head. It's probably left vague on purpose so that one can imagine a scenario where whichever Gen 1 man married Lissa dies protecting Owain from an archer. Even Virion, the archest of archers, or Kellam and Frederick with their armor since they don't wear helmets. And I really don't think it would be out of character for any of the Shepherds to risk their lives protecting their children.

True. Actually, now that I think of it, I don't remember Owain actually saying WHERE the lethal arrow landed.

Ah. That makes sense, too. I'm still going with my thing because I refuse to admit I could be wrong about something

To whoever said that Kellam!Noire makes sense... You know, I see where you're coming from. Plus, Noire -> noir -> black, so black hair would satisfy my being picky about that sort of thing. I hear a lot about how Virion doesn't really work as Inigo's father because Inigo talks to women the way he does because of his mom, but I think it works. Olivia tells Inigo that he should face his fears by talking to girls more; he follows his dad's example. Plus, when Virion gets all annoyed at him, I picture him thinking, "Wow. Is that what my own son really thinks of me?" But then again, I like to over-analyze.

Plus, Anacybele, there's the fact that people just got married young at the time this game may or may not be taking place in. I mean, they had a nine-year-old queen, for Gods' sakes. In the context of that setting, it's probably a perfectly valid cultural thing if an adult were to marry a teenager. Pretty much, as soon as you're old enough to sire children, you're eligible. Besides, we don't know how far into the future Gen 2 is from. Lucina says "more than ten years", but that's obvious since they're all teenagers (or close to it). It could be that they don't have kids for some number of years after the marriage. It's not like they have a lot of time to consummate their unions in the middle of a war, after all. This is of course assuming you consider it canon that none of the father dies, since their deaths and the continued existence of the kids imply that their wives were already pregnant. And yeah, I have to point out that I'm not entirely comfortable with the Nowi situation. She is physically, mentally, and emotionally the equivalent of a human twelve-year-old girl, so no matter who she marries, that issue is still present with me. But in the game's culture, it seems fine, so... (Besides, Nah is too awesome to pass up.) As for Frederick marrying Lissa or someone else her age... given that he grew up in the culture Awakening's world is implied to have, it could be argued that that behavior would be in character for him.

Sorry if I'm repeating anything. Tired me is tired and bad at the English. So, I think Cynthia and Lucina make for very in-character siblings, probably more so than any of Lucina's other potential sibs. Especially Kjelle. I can't see her using Falchion to cut up an apple; I see her trying that sword out if she got to be alone with it. It's very easy for me to picture Frederick as Kjelle's father. They just... they seem so similar to me. Idk. Yarne worrying that Lon'qu might be sleeping around? Has he MET Lon'qu? Gregor and Gerome works great for me, except that Gregor can understand Minerva in his support with Cherche, so he should understand her in his support with Gerome, too. Gaius's support with Severa seems very in-character to me. Cute, too. Brady's interactions with his dad crack me up, especially if that's Donnel. It's just a nice way to tie in the contrast between his upbringing and Maribelle's. Owain works with almost all of the guys, but more so I think with Frederick and Lon'qu. Honestly, my first Olivia pairing was with Libra, and I thought the contrast between religious Libra and "womanizing" Inigo was really cool. (I put "womanizing" in quotes because he fails at it.) Libra's exasperation with Inigo and then their resolution just work for me. I probably have more, but I'll say it later when I'm not late for class.

Wow. I loved S Part 2. Kudos for completing it!

'Kay, how about Nowi x Stahl, Panne x Frederick, Cherche x Vaike? I'm basically trying to choose between Vaike and Kellam for who to pass up. Awesome Str versus awesome Def? Then again, maybe I should wait until I pair the kids so I know whether I want Nah in the front or in the back. (But she has low Spd either way, and if Gerome's going to be supporting as well, then he doesn't need the Def... I see your point.) Also, I have a female Robin with +Spd/-Lck. I'm totally undecided as of now, but I'm thinking of pairing her with Stahl!Yarne (if that's still happening) so Morgan becomes a hard-hitter with massive Skl and Spd stat mods. But Frederick!Yarne would suit that purpose, too. EDIT: Never mind Laurent. I want a more physical Morgan.

Alright. I've been working this out for way too long, and I've come up with my pairing list for Lunatic +. Still haven't figured out the Gen 2 pairings yet, or where Robin fits in, but I plan to work them out next. Tharja x Gaius Sully x Donnel Lissa x Libra Olivia x Henry Miriel x Lon'qu Maribelle x Ricken Sumia x Chrom Cordelia x Gregor Nowi x Kellam Panne x Stahl Cherche x Frederick Gaius gives Noire Galeforce, Vantage, and Vengeance. Donnel gives Galeforce to Kjelle, and he's a better father for her than he is for Nah. Lon'qu makes Laurent a total badass with V/V and wicked good stats. Libra and Henry should be the parents of Inigo and Owain for V/V, and swapping fathers gives weaker stats. Chrom is the last good option left for Sumia, and his other option sires a boy (no Aether). The only magic-build father left is Ricken, and he'll be like a steroid shot for Brady. Gregor gives V/V to Severa with great stat synergy. Kellam makes Nah an absolute tank. Frederick gives his kid the General class and the Pavise/Aegis combo, something well suited to bulky Gerome. Stahl as a father makes for a great overall Yarne. This leaves Virion and Vaike forever alone. I considered both of them for Yarne and Gerome, but in the end, they lost to the other two. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Well, I always try to make it clear to them that I'm fine with being friends, and that I'd much rather have that than lose them completely. When they reject me, I'm bitter for two days and then I'm fine (and I try not to see them during that time anyway, to avoid making them uncomfortable). By then, though, it seems they just don't want to have anything to do with me anymore. On the rare occasion that i get to even explain that I'm okay, they don't believe me anyway. And then I'm upset, not because I got rejected as a date, but because I got rejected as a person. When it becomes a pattern, though... that worsens the sting and forces me to wonder why.

... Now I'm more confused. RaR3? Sorry. EDIT: Never mind! I know what you're talking about now.

Ooh, good idea! I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

Drat. And here I spent a whole day coming up with something I thought was original. :/ Then again, this is a more defensive take on the V/V thing because, like I said, I like to have half of my pair-up dedicated to the Enemy Phase and the other to the Player Phase (where the latter uses Galeforce to switch between them). What's LB farming?

I'm about to start Chapter 5 on Lunatic, and I can't seem to get more than a turn in without killing poor Ricken or poor (actually rich but still deserving of sympathy) Maribelle. I mean, sure, I have a Rescue staff, but it only extends three tiles. I'd bring in my Pegasus Knights to rescue the two if I had two Pegasus Knights, but it's just Sumia. I used DLC to grind everybody below Level 5 to Level 5. I've got one or two people at Level 6 and Lissa's at Level 8. Guess I'll just try again... and again and again... man, I never liked this chapter.

Arright, I've come up with a 4-skill combo I want to run: Vantage + Vengeance + Wrath + Lifetaker. Any unit with this combo will attack first if under half HP with a significant boost to Crit, plus a shot at extra damage with Vengeance. This will really increase their likelihood of killing the attacking unit, which is where Lifetaker comes in. The fifth slot depends on the individual character, I guess. You can have up to four Gen 2 units in one playthrough with this set (not including Morgan or Robin's potential other kid). I think the best way to pair those up is like so: Lissa x Libra (or Henry, but I prefer Libra's stats) Olivia x Henry (or Libra, but I prefer Henry's stats) Miriel x Lon'qu (possibly inherit Renewal or Dual Support +) Cordelia x Gregor (inherit Wrath) As for Skill #5: Laurent has wonderful magic-oriented stats with Lon'qu, but he's fragile, too, so having Renewal or Dual Support + will help him last longer. But I prefer the reliability of making him a Sorcerer with Nosferatu (Hello, Tomefaire!). Severa is the only purely physically-oriented of the four. That can be capitalized on with Lancefaire or Swordfaire. Owain is magically built and Inigo can go either way, but they're both balanced enough that there's room to play around. They could have Tomefaire and either the Sage or Sorcerer class (Hello, Nosferatu!). Alternately, Counter will greatly increase their damage output but put them in more danger. Like Severa, Inigo can get physical with Axefaire or Swordfaire. Any of these guys can take on Lethality, Tomebreaker, or Bowbreaker (for Severa and Inigo) for a little extra insurance. Gasp! No Galeforce!? Well, my idea's still in the works, but I want units like these to be out for Enemy Phases and the ones they're paired up with to handle the Player Phases, using Galeforce to switch between them. These strategies focus on counter-attack, not offense necessarily, so Galeforce won't actually be helpful where it counts. Having said that, all of these guys except Laurent can still learn Galeforce by inheritance or inherited class. It's still the best thing for Owain and Inigo to inherit from their moms, especially if you want to play with different strategies for them. tl;dr: I'm trying to pass off a lack of Galeforce as a reasonable tactic while overusing commas. (P.S. Please tell me nobody's already posted this same thing already! I don't wanna read 50 pages to find out. >.>)

Based on stat mods alone, it looks like Noire is more magic-inclined and Severa's more physical-inclined. Especially Noire's default +4 Mag - that's a lot of potential to go to waste if she doesn't use it. Can they flip-flop because of the potential skills and classes from their fathers? By the way, I really like the Pavise/Aegis skill combo. The only way to give Lucina that combo is to have Chrom marry Sumia, and then she and Cynthia both have it (without Cynthia having Frederick for a dad). Unless, of course, you have Robin pass it down, but Robin's better off marrying someone from Gen 2.

Yen'fay. Seriously, this guy deserves more love.

Well, this is pretty good. Honestly, the Gen 2 units will be better than most of the Gen 1 units without even trying. Having said that, I wouldn't pair Miriel x Kellam for gameplay purposes. After all, Laurent has Mage build written all over him. I always go Miriel x Lon'qu for the awesome skill set and Skl/Spd boosts. I'd also put Kellam x Panne and Gaius x Cordelia for this set. (Or Kellam x Nowi, Gregor x Panne.) People tend to recommend you have Avatar marry a Gen 2 to maximize Morgan's potential, so with your +Mag, I'd go with Noire. Even without her father's help, her Mag mod is awesome. But Morgan kicks butt no matter who you marry because Morgan can access almost all of the classes and skills available. Just play to her assets and you're good.

I'm having trouble keeping the highest number in the corner (and sometimes getting it there in the first place). Tips?

Ooh, just remembered another! The Walking Dead: Telltale Games. Wonderful story, love the choices (and how there's usually no one "right" decision). Pretty much no matter what you do, someone is going to hate you for it. And sometimes, you have to quickly choose to save one of two people, knowing the other will probably die... yeesh. I've gotta play that again sometime.