Cysx

For sure, if I ran into people saying it's essential to the FE formula and should absolutely come back by any means necessary, I'd find them equally as unreasonable. I can distinctly remember Light&Dark>"Anima" being lore in Jugdral, and things like fire > wind are relatively grounded in logic. I'm not sure we ever got an explanation as to why anima would beat light later on, though. Isn't that always what they are? Though this was just meant as an example mind you, of something that could come and go without any of us really caring, and for good reason.

I oversimplified for sure, but the hostility towards the magic triangle in our community has always been a bit puzzling to me. At worst, it's basically just lore with little bearing on gameplay. I can completely agree that improvements would be welcome, but I just never saw any shortcomings to its existence. It'd be like... let's see... if we were vocally against the return of wo daos, because they're pretty underwhelming and slightly redundant.

But you're fine with it not being there just because?

To be fair, taking it away didn't make the games any better either. The worst part about it is that it's less significant than one would want, but it didn't actively make things worse by existing.

I guess the difference is mostly visible in terms of lighting. In engine cutscenes have the 3D models dynamically reacting to light sources, while the animated ones typically have consistent coloring and segmented shading across surfaces. That's how you can tell that this is in engine: and this is animated: The quality of that last scene might admittedly be slightly lower, but such inconsistencies aren't too uncommon from what I can tell. Beyond that, yeah, I do think your point makes perfect sense.

It's a start, but I don't think that's really enough. The best ones would still end up on key units even with an equipment slot, and it'd become yet another tool to snowball through the game. I kinda want measures to stop that from happening, the series would only be better for it imo.

The feel of the character is pretty much the exact same, which is a big deal for sure. I just don't go through a Zero level the same way I go through one in Gunvolt, if that makes sense. Plus, the X series has a really similar feel too. Zx is a bit out there because its levels are all part of an open-world so to speak, and its gameplay focuses on transformations. See the four guardians you fight in Zero 1, 2 and 3? One of the main feature in Zx is that you get them as transformations(altered, but still with the same core ideas) to use at your leisure. I guess one of the biggest differences is that there's a lot of close range combat in Zero and ZX, but neither Coppen nor Gunvolt really provide that.

Technically, there's also the very last part of trailer 2, where Byleth is assaulted by darkness while wielding the bonesword... but looking at it again, you can see trees behind him, so even that might happen very early. Your reasoning seems perfectly sound to me; I don't think all of those are an opening cinematic per se, but they may take place at a point where your customization options are limited, and they did give you new hairstyles as you went through New Mystery of the Emblem, so there's precedent.

Dunno if I'd agree, Gunvolt is primarily score based(and not in a Zero way) and the tagging mechanic is pretty central and different compared to anything even ZX did(even model A was nothing like it). Gunvolt also has a much more in depth equipment system than Zero ever did, and stats. I like Gunvolt but it doesn't scratch that itch afaic. Someone brought up Shining Force so I'm gonna say Skies of Arcadia. Excellent rpg that is begging for a sequel, but it seems like the devs are focused on Valkyria Chronicles now, since Skies wasn't even part of the poll Sega released recently. I'd really like an honest followup to the Sonic Adventure games, too, with Chao garden and all. OG Phantasy Star would be great as well. Not that I'm trusting Sega to put the adequate effort into any of that, or people to show up and buy these games, but hey, one can dream... Also, Golden Sun.

I do think there's room for a particularly 1-2 range friendly but weaker physical weapon in FE, though the fact that RD was filled to the brim with 1-2 range for every weapon type admittedly didn't make them stand out outside of forges. Also being stuck to thieves, that didn't help either. But I have more of an affinity for that than them being busted in Fates, to each their own I suppose.

I really like the way RD knives were balanced with having access to 1-2 range forging. I'd take hidden weapons too really, though the debuffs are probably best left in Fates. Legendary magic that has background, a cool animation, and isn't worthless when it comes to gameplay. FE6 probably did that best. Shards in MotE and scrolls in Thracia, while not really balanced(especially the latter), are still a gameplay feature I'd really like to see again in some form. They'd have to take measures so that it doesn't allow you to empower already strong units even further, though. That's all I can think of right now, but there are probably many more I could bring up.

It works mechanically, but I don't know, they look very different. You're right! This kind of throws it all out of the window. Makes me wonder if troops really are supposed to represent classes in the first place, but, they share their models with enemies, and enemies not having a class is unheard of in FE afaik. Also it's a detail, but I think we got a low quality portrait for that guy. Still, two classes that can wield both bows and swords, and potentially more? That's pretty bizarre. As for the troop colors, I'd assume enemy(or at least bandits, western church are white and red) is grey, Adrestia is red, and Byleth is white + the color of the house the player picked? Maybe?

The headband seems to be for low level troops first and foremost, since that's what the thief's soldiers with bows also wear in trailer 2(the one Bernadetta fights). I'm not certain they're supposed to have a class. Unless mercenaries can use bows too.

You're right, we did see them before... it's interesting. I wonder if it's because out of all the characters we've seen, Byleth is the only one that's probably not a Noble/Trainee, resulting in his troops looking a bit more advanced. The females could pass as myrmidons for sure, though the males are a bit too bulky, so... maybe mercenaries instead? In any case, the japanese trailer 2 did have those female troops visible in that same scene: As for Linhardt, tough to say for sure... could be something tied to faith magic somehow(since he's been presented as your primary healer thus far), or perhaps your objective here is to defend him, considering his positioning? Doesn't sound very likely. It does stand out, but apart from protection, I have no idea of what it could be.

Dang, they have curtains in buses in Japan? I... want that. Can we get that too? Well... time to analyze! Though Calico probably unearthed it all already. Edit: Oh, hey, we're back in that trailer one chapter during that first shot, apparently. This is interesting, because we know for a fact that this is an earlygame map. So, two possibilities: - These are in fact low level troops, hopefully the different appearance is a general thing and the models we saw before were just temporary. - We come back here later in the game for some reason, or the game will allow the player to grind on older maps like we've seen in the past, and that's what's going on here.

They could be. It could also be specific to Caspar, or that gauntlets just get their double attack before the enemy's counter, as Armchair General said. At least it shouldn't be a combat art, since those appear on top of the unit's name when used.

Seems legit.

Eh, it's a bit early to say, but it seems unlikely to me. It's probably just a difference in advertising, if that.

It's not just that though, she sounds... exaggeratingly radiant, like she's reading some tale about a princess to an infant. It feels like she's telling us about the best news ever, but alas... That's correct, the japanese narrator only says that you(the player) are the main character.

Gotta admit, every time I rewatch that trailer for one reason or another, this part sticks out as some kind of bad omen. Her tone really doesn't help either.

Kind of omitted to comment on this, I have to agree, your version is better than what we're getting. I thought Claude was a bit too much in the focus on v1, but you've done a pretty good job at fixing that too.

I mean, who knows at this point, that being said the three stars are next to faith magic, not reason. Maybe it's a hurdle to overcome to turn her weakness into a strength, maybe it's something Byleth himself is better at teaching, perhaps faith magic will be/has been the subject of a test and this is the notation...

It's visibly not the same bow, though; plus what he's been carrying in every trailer thus far is an iron bow, while the equipment on the cover looks more regal; Dimitri's lance is potentially a silver lance, potentially something else, there are red markings on Edel's axe, and both Byleth are holding the whip sword.

That's pretty much the issue, yes. I think the game would also face heavy criticism for being lazy, rehashed and repetitive. As you said there's probably a way to make it work when it comes to gameplay, but there's no avoiding some repetition in terms of themes. It would also guarantee that we'd never really get to leave the academy pretty much, which many are still hoping won't be the case.

No worries, just because I say it shouldn't make it happen for real. If I had this kind of powers, I'd probably use it to help the poor and miserable throughout the world in some way or another as well as get me a ton of cookiiiiiiiiies Unfortunately this isn't exactly my field of expertise either. The only ones I'm aware of, Sieglinde and Siegmund, can only be roughly linked to Ephraim and Eirika because they are twins. They were not separated at birth, and any romance between the two is implied at best., which largely leaves it up to interpretation. Heroes did jump head first into referential naming(accurate or not, I definitely couldn't say myself), but I wonder if it's that relevant when it comes to Three Houses, since from my understanding the teams aren't the same.