[Skinship is out, says kotaku (new info on page 71)]

were just 23 day away from becoming the new (insert indecisive/annoying fanbase)

FE already kind of is considering that there are people that prefer the hardcore maps of past games, people (like myself) that I only started with Awakening and that's all they know, and people who are fans of past games but still like the Awakening format as well. It'd just be dividing a preexisting division.

[Vacation/sick day on February 19th?]

I'm currently unemployed and am working on getting a GED as my health has made finishing high school too frustrating. For me it's a matter of when my mom can drive me to Best Buy where my pre-order is supposed to be shipped to. Considering that Friday's are usually flexible with her work schedule I should be able to get it as soon as the store opens. I've been able to do that with Splatoon and Happy Home Designer (the New 3DS bundle) so I doubt it would be much different. I'd drive to get it myself but I don't even have a permit because car insurance is expensive.

[DLC Map Pack 1]

Being on the cart doesn't mean it's accessible from the get go. Heck, Anna is on the cart and can't be recruited until April.

Here's GameStop's product description of the special edition:

Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition Includes:

• All Three Versions of Fire Emblem: Fates (Birthright, Conquest, Revelation*) on a Single Cartrige**
  • *Allows purchasers to play Revelations three weeks prior to launch on eshop
  • **Only way to get all Three Versions on a Single Cartridge
• Hardcover Art Book
• Nintendo 3DS XL Carrying Pouch featuring Game Art

I didn't know about this until my brother told me a few weeks ago. Apparently that's supposed to be the biggest incentive for getting the SE.

[What Difficulty do you think you'll pick for your first playthrough?]

I almost want to be a lunatic and start on lunatic. At least for Birthright anyway. Considering that the game will let you lower the difficulty once I'm genuinely tempted to just go full lunatic.

...But that's probably a bad idea and I'll probably end up doing Hard/Classic for all 3 at first. I'll also being doing all 3 at once because SE allows me to play that way.

[The Official US English Fates Website Updated]

Yeah... I prefer Tsubaki as well. I also don't like the fact that they took the u from saizou and kagerou. Looks weird with Kagero now lol

Saizo doesn't bother me as much as Kagero, but unlike Tsubaki I feel like I could get over it. I'll probably continue to type Tsubaki instead of Subaki, tho I might still probably end up typing Ryouma rather than Ryoma just by force of habit.

I have an internet friend whose name irl is Tsubaki and when I mentioned the character with the Ts they got excited because someone actually spelled it right. I felt bad telling them NOA spelled it wrong.

[Skinship is out, says kotaku (new info on page 71)]

Polygon is now reporting representatives have told them that it's being cut out.

I'm not sure how people feel about Polygon like how people feel about Kotaku but Polygon was actually at the event with the demo so...

[The Official US English Fates Website Updated]

At first I was kinda annoyed over Benny (I will say he's one of the characters I know very little about but apparently I've since heard the game calls him that as a nickname), but now I can't help but read in in a Tommy Wiseau voice and I think he's probably going to end up as one of my favorite characters because of that.

Meanwhile my poor husband, Laslow was the best you could think of, honey? It's not bothering me much either, I just find it really funny.

I'm just still annoyed over Tsubaki being Subaki. Someone made a nice graphic thing with characters and their names meaning (both English and Japanese names) and Tsubaki's was just kinda painful to see have the English one essentially being "people don't get this name without the the T, it's just not a thing". I hate the idea of being a "Japanese/original is always better" kind of fan, but I'm going to have to be with Tsubaki because it annoys that much.

[DLC Map Pack 1]

You don't get access until they are available for individual purchase, just like those of us who have purchased the special edition won't have access to the third path until it is released.

I only found out a few weeks ago but those will the special edition will have Revelation 3 weeks early. As someone who manged to get a pre-order in for the SE I'm super stoked about that.

[Aqua's song]

YES!!! But like a clean version, without all of Garon's....umm....grunting?

I believe there's going be a CD thing with 4 songs by the singer that provides the voice for Aqua/Azura. i know the main song is going to be included on it but perhaps it'll also be one of the other 3? I'm p sure they're all related to the game. It comes out in early July.

[Aqua's song]

Would you mean this song?