Shanty Pete's 1st Mate
-
Posts
3,985 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Shanty Pete's 1st Mate
-
-
1 hour ago, Alastor15243 said:
Shadow Dragon is pretty good for ironmanning in many respects, but one thing that may be a bit demoralizing, or may flat-out drive you up the wall, is the existence of ambush spawns. It's nowhere near as bad about them as the sequel, but it does in fact have ambush spawns, and a lot of them.
Worth noting that, if you play on Normal, there aren't Ambush spawns. They only show up on the Hard difficulties. Normal Mode is super-easy, but if you're ironmanning, that at least could up the challenge somewhat.
Anyway, my two suggestions were Revelation and Echoes. Rev, because it gives you a bunch of units without needing to go to any babylogues (and in a strict ironman, I'd advise against going to any optional chapters, since each one gives you an extra chance of getting Game Over). I ironmanned it once, and it was probably the most fun I got out of Fates, personally. And Echoes, because - while the cast is smaller - there are revival fountains that you can use to bring back fallen units. They tend to go unused in any "reset/turnwheel" playthrough, so it'd be neat to create an experience where they actually matter.
-
4 hours ago, ARMADS!!! said:
I just realized that there are no subforum for arts, if someone wants to share their art, in which topic would it go? I think I might start to share mine here soon (no promises, but I'm seriously considering) but I don't know where Id be supposed to post it.
I imagine it would go into General Forums > Creative, since the pinned post explicitly refers to artwork. Even though there's no dedicated subforum that they could go into. Maybe in the future, they'll introduce one, if the demand is there?
-
On 12/7/2023 at 7:45 AM, Jotari said:
Dolhr doesn't make a whole lot of sense imo. As Gharnef is implied to be keeping Tiki there against Medeus' will or, possible even knowledge, as Medeus would much more likely want to outright kill a powerful a threat to him as Tiki (one of the few things that can kill him in both gameplay and lore). So having anything other than Dolhr soldiers there makes more sense. Labeling them just Raman makes it vague enough to be anything, but imo, they're probably Khadein forces Gharnef brought there himself.
Would Medeus actually want to kill Tiki, though? What we know of him is, he's grown to hate humanity, based on how they victimized his brethren. In that light, he may view Tiki as another victim of humanity. If he could coax the young Manakete to his side, surely that would be preferable to spilling her rare, divine blood.
In that light, the notion of a human like Gharnef hypnotizing her would be doubly offensive. He's made a child of the gods into his own tool of war! So for that reason, I agree that Medeus probably doesn't know of Tiki's captivity. I just suspect it from the exact opposite direction.
-
Your account is "edelbert", but your name is "Mari"? Is this some kind of twisted joke?
...Kidding! I just really wanted to use that line. Welcome back to the forest, Mari!
-
13 hours ago, lenticular said:
Gradivus also shows up in Three Houses, for some reason. As do Parthia, Mercurius, and Hautclere. But Falchion doesn't. This series is hard to make sense of sometimes.
This raises an interesting specter: can a weapon be legendary in one context, but not in another? Like, can we say that Parthia, Mercurius, and Gradivus are legendary in Archanea, but not in Fódlan? It's worth exploring, at least.
4 hours ago, Jotari said:Likewise I thing a distinction of such can be made between Maltet and Rex Hasta. One is just a really good lance, the other is the millennium old weapon from the Scouring.
The S-rank weapons in FE7 are pretty puzzling. Did Nergal make them, for his Morphs to use? Or is there any history behind them? Why don't they exist twenty years later? And why have one for each weapon type, but no Staff?
Really feels like the developers put the whole game together, realized that they had forgotten to design any S-rank weapons, and hastily constructed this bunch to avoid disappointing the players.
15 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:For its worth, Kaga at some point stated that Feena being the only one other than Marth to use the Rapier was a hint to her origins. Whatever that means, however, may forever remain unknown...
I was gonna say "they must be related", but it's not as thougha reclassed Elice can use the Rapier, so. Maybe Marth always wanted to be a Dancer, and that's why he can use the Rapier?
16 hours ago, lenticular said:It's not a push to think that Takumi isn't going to hand the Fujin Yumi over to Setsuna just because she asks nicely, even if she technically could wield it.
They could pretty easily justify this one in-lore. Something like "the regalia were crafted by the dragons, so thry can only be used by those with Dragon's Blood". Ergo, Setsuna would be magically barred from using the Fujin Yumi. Of course, that wouldn't explain why Camilla couldn't borrow Brynhildr. Nor why they seemingly forgot to give unique weapons or staves to any of the princesses...
-
On 12/8/2023 at 5:12 PM, Etrurian emperor said:
I think user reviews tend to go for extremes. Its either a 1/10 over any real or imagined slight, or its a 10/10. Its funny to consider that both groups fall in the opposite pitfalls. Game journalists can occasionally not be invested enough in the game they are playing and produce sloppy work since they have to cover loads of games in tight deadlines. But the user reviews can often be influenced by a perceived sense of betrayal due to being far too invested.
I think it's that, by its very nature, a review system that churns out a "mean score" favors giving an extreme value. The more extreme a user's review is, the more impact it has on the mean score: ergo, the more powerful and influential it is. I don't really have a "fix" to this, admittedly, even though I try to moderate my reviews, as a matter of personal honor.
22 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:Yep. I'm with you on this one. The Last Jedi is as close to an objectively shitty movie as you'll find, but actually expressing that for completely benign reasons gets you lumped in with the cancer of the internet.
...Oh, boy. I could raise some unpopular opinions here, but it's not a video game, so I'll respect the thread.
22 hours ago, vanguard333 said:Yeah, that's really annoying; it's especially annoying to hear people use stuff like critic vs audience score to pedal politics when the particular movie/show/game is one that you yourself happen to dislike, because then the person also tries to lump you in with them.
The mirror image of this frustrates me, too. When I feel like there's something I "should" like and support, because of the message it's trying to convey, but I don't. Either because I'm not interested in the material, or because I did experience it, but found it flawed and unenjoyable. Like, it sucks to think of myself as part of the "public backlash" that made Random Movie "underperform" because of the "message" it was advancing - when honestly, I just didn't care.
21 hours ago, lenticular said:Review scores are basically completely worthless, regardless of whether they're from professional reviewers or from the public at large. It does me no good at all just to see that a game got an 8/10 on Polygon or is rated mostly positive on Steam or whatever.
I think there are some cases where the score matters, though. If I see a "4/10", I can pretty comfortably assume that the game's a buggy mess, not worth playing in its current state. Conversely, a "10/10" is a polished masterpiece, which will grant an excellent experienxe to its target audience. But as you said, a raw "8/10" doesn't say a whole lot on its own. The wording of the review is going to have much more impact on whether or not I'd pick it up.
-
6 hours ago, lenticular said:
One thing that's long bothered me is the name, "Falchion". One of the first things that I think of when I hear "legendary weapon" is that it should have a name. Owain may be a bit of a blowhard, but he was right about that much, at least. But for the single most iconic weapon in the entire series, they just decided to name it after a specific type of sword. Despite the fact that Falchion isn't even a falchion. It drives me to distraction.
Very odd choice, that, to call the weapon "Falchion" when... it wasn't one. Perhaps Kaga just thought it was a cool-sounding name? He loved it enough to use it again in the very next game.
6 hours ago, lenticular said:On the other hand, one thing that I like is how Radiant Dawn gives us a chance to create our own legendary weapons. We can have specially forged weapons, name them, strengthen them with magic coins, and then have them blessed by a goddess all in the course of the game. In the unlikely event that we ever see a game set in the future of Tellius, I would be disappointed if some sort of legendary weapon that we made in RD didn't show up. Other games have had some degree of forging and customisation, but nothing else has ever reached RD's level.
It's interesting how, although Forging has become a series standard since Tellius, it's never again taken the same form. Back then, it was crafting wholly original weapons, based on certain templates. But that changed to modifying existing weapons, or evolving them into new models. Would be cool to see "build-a-blade" become a thing again.
Hm, it might be cool - in a Tellius remake or remaster - for forged weapons to "transfer" from PoR to RD, if the player chooses to transfer? Like, is Soren finishes the Ashnard map with 12 uses left on his "Solcalibur" Wind forge, then when he rejoins in III-P, he'll come with... a 12-use "Solcalibur" Wind forge. Might need some limits to prevent it from totally wrecking the economy, though.
32 minutes ago, indigoasis said:A common thread among legendary weapons, which is kinda obvious, is that they're usually one-of-a-kind. Of course... there are exceptions to this like Falchion, which has a twin in the Valentian Falchion (there's also the Parallel Falchion that Lucina brings with her from the future, so you could make an argument that there are at least three distinct Falchions), as well as Ragnell and Alondite since, while technically entirely separate entities, they are functionally identical.
I was just thinking - how many Falchions are there, actually?
1. The Archanean Falchion, used by Anri, and later Marth
2. The Valentian Falchion, used by Rudolf and Alm
3. Nagi's Falchion, gifted to Marth if he should visit the Alterspire
4. The Ylissean Falchion, used by Chrom and eventually "Exalted"
5. The Parallel Falchion, which Lucina brought back through time with her
Of course, #4 is said to be a reforged version of #1 (in light of the drastic change in appearance), while #5 is an "alternate timeline" version of #4. And #3 might be an "alternate timeline" version of #1. So, depending on how you interpret them, you could argue your way from 5 down to 2.
And then there's the Amiibo fighters, and the Emblem Ri-
38 minutes ago, indigoasis said:Aside from all of that, if a certain legendary weapon shows up in a particular game, chances are it's the only one in existence... typically.
I broadly agree that "a legendary weapon should be one-of-a-kind, or if a duplicate exists, it should warrant an explanation". Kind of like the multiple Falchions in Awakening. There were also the "Dark" versions of the Hero's Relics in Verdant Wind Endgame, although those ones were never really explained. Did the Elites make two copies of every Hero's Relic? Were they buried with them? Or did the Agarthans make them at some point? Still, I don't think they really challenge the "legendary" status. Now, if a random War Master happened to have an extra copy of Crusher, then I'd have some concerns.
45 minutes ago, indigoasis said:To add onto Exhibit J, FE4 also has a unique situation where certain Legendary weapons can end up being wielded by multiple characters. For instance, a weapon like Tyrfing is technically Sigurd's Personal weapon, but it also ends up being Seliph's Personal weapon later on as the weapon isn't necessarily tied to either character, but rather that they meet the criteria to wield it through having Major Baldr Holy Blood, which functionally makes Tyrfing their Personal weapon. Balmung is kinda funky, though; Shannan is meant to be the sole wielder of it, but if Larcei and Scáthach's father is Chulainn, they end up inheriting Major Od Holy Blood, meaning they can wield Balmung just like Shannan can, assuming the player means to trade it over.
If I recall, the "Heirs of Fate" DLC does something similar. Brynhildr, for instance, becomes Forrest's personal weapon. Even though he can't wield it in the base game. Go figure!
In any case, I'm inclined to interpret "family" weapons as an offshoot of "personal" weapons. That is, one's where the ability to wield them depends on the user's identity, rather than their trained proficiency with the weapon type. And they can overlap with "legendary", but don't necessarily. In fact, the aforementioned Brynhildr may just be one such edge case!
-
Ahoy, one and all! ‘Tis I, Shanty Pete’s First Mate! In all me time ‘round the seven seas, I’ve dug up many a treasure. But in the process, I’ve discovered the greatest treasure of all. Is it love? Or friendship? Neither, ye silly livers – it’s legendary weapons! Tools of extraordinary value and immense power… those are the Captain’s favorite. Even though he can’t always make use of them…
But what, exactly, makes a weapon “legendary”? What traits does it need to fulfill? Does its narrative function matter more, or should we only look at gameplay? And how can I avoid spending a boatload of gold on “Missiletainn” – how was I supposed to know it wasn’t “Mystletainn”?!? The Captain had me hide for that one, and I’m lookin’ to get back into his good graces.
There are, essentially, two ways to do this. One is to look at all the “legendary” weapons, and see what traits they have in common. The other is to define a bunch of “legendary” traits, and see which weapons fulfill them. I don’t think it’s possible to strictly do one, or the other. If I do the former, then an easy objection is “wait, [weapon X] isn’t legendary!”, or “why didn’t you count [weapon Y]?” If the latter, then it’s “that trait doesn’t make sense, since it doesn’t include [weapon Z]!” As such, my approach will be to first take a look at a handful of “consensus” legendary weapons – that is, those that ninety-nine percent of players would probably call “legendary”. From there, we can identify shared traits, and use them to evaluate “edge cases”. Let’s start at the start.
Exhibit A: Falchion (Archanea)
This sword was forged from the fang of the great dragon, Naga, roughly a millennium before Marth embarked on his original adventure. It was used by the hero Anri, who would go on to found the Kingdom of Altea, to slay the Earth Dragon, Medeus. A century later, however, the sorcerer Gharnef revived Medeus, and took Falchion as his own. However, Marth would reclaim the sword, and use it to finish off Medeus for good. …Until three years later, when Marth had to do the same stuff all over again.
Why am I so confident calling Falchion a “legendary weapon”, right out the gate? Simple, really – it’s in the lore. Falchion is divine in origin, with a storied history of defeating a fearsome foe of great power. In the original title, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, it’s the “Blade of Light”. If Falchion can’t be called legendary prima facie, then I may as well pack my bags and ship right on out.
Between its four Archanean appearances, the Falchion differs somewhat in stats, although other traits stay the same. On the S/NES, it has 10 Might, but this increases to 12 Might on the DS titles. Its Weight also fluctuates. However, certain traits remain the same for it – it has 100 Hit, 0 Crit, and infinite durability. It can only be used at 1-range, and Marth is its only user. It doesn’t become available to him until the second- or third-to-last mainline chapter in any game. While it has no explicit value, it cannot be sold to the shop. Even in games with forging, it cannot be forged to become stronger.
At first blush, this may not seem so impressive. The Silver Sword has 12 Might and 100 Hit in all the Archanea games (well, 90 Hit in Old Mystery). And while it demands a high weapon rank, it can be used by any Sword-wielding class. So, is Falchion just a Marth-exclusive Silver Sword, with infinite durability? By no means!
Here’s where we get into the special effects. In all of its appearances, the Falchion does bonus damage against the final boss, Medeus – and in all games beyond the first, this extends to all enemy Manaketes as well. What’s more, in the first game, it can seal certain physical attacks from the enemy. Finally, in all games but Old Mystery, Marth can use it to restore his own HP, whenever he feels like it.
There are plenty of traits here that may grab the eyes – infinite durability, limited accessibility, and effectiveness against the final boss, to name a few. But are any of these conditions necessary, or even sufficient, for a legendary weapon? Let’s not be satisfied with a sample size of one here!
Exhibit J: Book of Forseti
This is a tome of wind magic, originally crafted (written?) by the dragon who shares its name. It was gifted to the Crusader, Sety (using this name to distinguish him from Erinys’ son), with whom he made a blood pact, in the Miracle of Dahna. Sety then used the tome, alongside his similarly empowered allies, to turn the tide of war against the Loptyrian Empire. Together, they were able to defeat Emperor Galle XII, and his benefactor, the dark dragon Loptyr. After Sety founded the Kingdom of Silesse in northern Jugdral, the Book of Forseti became its national treasure. Centuries later, Queen Rahna would bestow it upon her son, Prince Lewyn, who used it to reclaim his homeland and aid his ally, Sigurd. In one possible future, it is inherited by his son Ced, who joins Prince Leif in liberating the Munster District from the Grannvalean Empire and the Loptous Cult.
In gameplay, the Book of Forseti is a Wind Tome with a * ranking. This means that it can only be used by individuals with Major Forseti blood. In the first generation of Genealogy of the Holy War, this is Lewyn. In the second generation, this is Lewyn’s son. However, among Lewyn’s possible sons, the only ones who can ever wield wind magic – and therefore, Forseti – are Arthur, Coirpre, and Ced. The last case is what Thracia 776 goes with – in that title, Forseti is effectively Ced’s personal weapon.
In either game, it’s a powerful weapon, with high Might (30 in FE4, 20 in FE5), 90 Hit, low Weight (5 in FE4, 6 in FE5), and 50 uses. As with most magical spells, it can hit at 1-2 range. Most substantial, however, are the stat boosts that it provides. In FE4, that’s +10 Skill and a whopping +20 Speed. In FE5, it’s +20 to both Skill and Speed, alongside 30 base Crit rate, and effective damage against enemy fliers.
As for its availability – well, that depends. In generation I of Genealogy, the Book of Forseti cannot be acquired until after Castle Silesse is liberated. At that point, there’s just one more castle to go in chapter 4, as well as the whole of chapter 5. In generation II, it comes with his son. So, if Arthur is Lewyn’s son, it will be usable as soon as chapter 6. But if Coirpre is his son, then it won’t be available until chapter 9, and won’t be usable until his son promotes. With Ced as his son, it comes late in chapter 8. As for Thracia 776, while green unit Ced will use it in chapter 4x, playable Ced won’t come around until chapter 23. That is, with just two or three chapters left to go in the game.
One more thing – much like Falchion, the Book of Forseti cannot be sold in either appearance. However, while its uses may appear limited in both games, that’s not entirely true. In Genealogy, the Tome can be repaired at any castle – I assume the blacksmith has a store of fresh ink. However, it comes at a cost – 1000 Gold per use! For comparison, the Tornado, an A-rank wind tome, has a cost of 240 Gold per use. In fact, this price is shared with all other usable * rank weapons, excluding the Valkyrie Staff.
Exhibit E: Armads
Armads, the Thunder Axe, was forged by mankind during the Scouring, about a millenium before the events of FE6. It was used by the Berserker, Durban. As one of the Eight Legends, he fought against Dragonkind, and claimed Elibe for humanity. After the war, he stowed the weapon in a cavern in the Western Isles. There, it lay undisturbed, until the Lycian lordling Hector took it up as his own. He used it to defeat Nergal and the Fire Dragon, saving the continent from war… for about two decades. Returned to its original hiding place, it was taken up again by one of Roy’s comrades, to rescue Elibe from King Zephiel’s nihilistic machinations.
Armads is a weapon of high Might – 18 in both appearances – but it’s offset by its high Weight (13 in FE6, 18 in FE7). It’s also relatively accurate for an Axe (75 Hit in FE6, 85 Hit in FE7). Its durability is limited, however, with 20 uses in FE6 and 25 in FE7. That said, it does provide effective damage against enemy dragons, alongside a welcome +5 Defense to the wielder. It cannot be sold, in any case.
Speaking of which, who can wield Armads? In FE6, it’s an S-rank Axe. Ergo, any unit who has reached S-rank in Axes can equip it, be they named Dieck or Douglas, Barth or Bartre. The same does not hold in FE7 – in that game, the Thunder Axe is exclusive to Hector. While it comes relatively early in FE6 (chapter 12x, roughly halfway through the game), it isn’t usable in FE7 until the very last chapter.
One more trait of note – in FE6, Armads is necessary for achieving the “true end”. It must not only be acquired, but also have at least 1 use remaining on it, in order for the player to progress beyond chapter 22. The same is true of Durandal, Forblaze, Aureola, Mulagir, Maltet, Apocalypse, and the Binding Blade.
Exhibit T: Alondite
The mighty sword, Alondite, is a weapon blessed by the Goddess Ashera. It was used by the Beorc heroine, Altina, along with its sister blade, Ragnell. In tandem with the Laguz Kings, Dheginsea and Soan, she fought to seal the Goddess of Chaos, Yune. From this point, Altina founded the Kingdom of Begnion, and Alondite became one of its national treasures. Fast forward a few centuries, and Alondite has become the personal weapon of the enigmatic Black Knight. Strange… why would a general of Daein be wielding Begnion’s national treasure? The Black Knight uses Alondite to defeat the hero Greil in single combat, but Ike would return the favor three years later, using its twin blade Ragnell (or a Hammer LOL). From there, Yune may bless Alondite, to make it a useful tool against the remaining Disciples of Order – not to mention, Ashera herself.
Alondite is a powerful weapon in both appearances, with 18 Might, 80 Hit, and 1-2 range. It also comes with a massive 20 Weight, but with a minor 5 Crit, alongside infinite durability. It also grants +5 Defense to the user. While it is enemy-exclusive in Path of Radiance, it becomes available to the player during the Endgame of Radiant Dawn. While its sister blade, Ragnell, is exclusive to Ike, Alondite can be used by any unit with SS rank in Swords. Unlike Ragnell, it cannot be used to deal the final blow on Ashera.
Exhibit F: The Lance of Ruin
The Lance of Ruin is a Hero’s Relic, associated with House Gautier of the Kingdom. Within the story’s narrative, it was stolen by Miklan, the elder son of Margrave Gautier. Regardless of which house they choose to lead, Teach will travel north to the Tower of Black Winds, to reclaim the Hero’s Relic. However, Miklan, who lacks a Crest, finds himself transformed into a hideous Black Beast. Once the Black Beast is defeated, Teach will give the Lance to Rhea – or Sylvain will interject, asking to take the Lance of Ruin for himself. While the Archbishop is disturbed by the request, she relents, instructing Sylvain not to let anyone else use the Hero’s Relic. Teach is free to disregard this directive with little-to-no penalty.
But where does the Lance of Ruin come from? As a Hero’s Relic, it’s a gift from the Goddess, originally provided to Gautier, one of the Ten Elites. Don’t mind all the twitching, it’s true! …From a certain point of view.
SpoilerIn fact, the Lance of Ruin was constructed from the bones of one of the Nabateans, an ancient draconic race who lived in Zanado. Think Falchion coming from Naga, but this time, taken involuntarily. The same applies to all authentic Hero’s Relics – they were borne out of Nemesis’ massacre, which turned Zanado into a Red Canyon.
Now, it should come as no surprise that the Lance of Ruin is another powerful weapon. It has a shocking 22 Might, alongside 20 Crit, and a rather low Weight of 9. However, its hit rate is just 65, which could be problematic. Moreover, it has a meager 20 uses, but it can be repaired using the rare ore, Umbral Steel. However, it cannot be forged into a stronger form. The Lance of Ruin can be acquired right after chapter 5 (with Sylvain on the player’s team), or otherwise, once Sylvain’s paralogue has been completed.
Strangely enough, the Lance of Ruin can be used by… anyone? Really? That’s right, it’s an E-rank Lance. And since literally any class can use Lances, there’s no unit who can’t equip it. However, some do so better than others. If a unit doesn’t have a Crest, they will take up to 10 (non-lethal) damage after every phase of combat. Units who have a Crest take no penalty, but they receive no benefit otherwise. With one exception, in the Crest of Gautier. Any unit with the Crest of Gautier (Sylvain in NG, anyone with the Crest Stone in NG+) can use the exclusive combat art, Ruined Sky. This grants a stellar +13 Might, as well as +10 each to Hit, Crit, Avoid, and Dodge. Moreover, this art deals bonus damage against flying and draconic enemies.
One more thing – while Three Houses does not give weapons exclusive icons, there are differences among them. While most Lances have Bronze icon, the Lance of Ruin has a Golden icon. The same applies to other Hero’s Relics, including the “artificial” ones, like Aymr. Other weapons, such as the Spear of Assal or the Axe of Ukonvasara, have a Silver Icon. Finally, a black icon is exclusive to the Scythe of Sariel, the Death Knight’s signature weapon.
Well, with all these cases assembled, I’m all ready to… to… honestly, I’m done. I had already planned this to be a multi-part series, but Part I is ending sooner than I had anticipated. Obviously, I’m not going to do a “rundown” of every legendary weapon – no matter what the Captain tells you, I’m not a masochist. However, using these cases, it should be possible to analyze what traits are shared among the weapons, and where differences emerge. This should help to interpret the “legendary” status of other weapons, and in particular, should provide a template for analyzing “edge cases”. Beyond this point, I’d like to talk about what I view as the positives and negatives of legendary weapons, and how I’d like to see them handled in future games.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think in the comments below! If I've made any mistakes, please let me know, and I'll correct them. If you'd like to bring attention to any other legendary weapon, feel free to do so.
-
Sol is almost always better. Think about enemy phase: Sol can only help, by restoring the user's HP, improving their survivability. While Luna can only hurt, by killing more enemies, and giving the user more chances to take damage.
One substantial exception, I will say, is in Genealogy. Dew is the only unit with Sol by default, and his combat is... bad. He'll do very little damage, and against most enemy types, he'll get two-shot. Restoring a couple points of HP isn't saving him. Likewise for Dew!Patty. And Dew!Leen is actively hurt by this skill, since it sabotages her Miracle strats in the Arena.
Compare with Luna, which comes on Chulainn. It can help him achieve surprising one-rounds in the field, or "punch above his weight" in the Arena. Sure, it's weaker than a crit in this game, but it can stack with a crit - or with effective damage. And any of the kids can benefit - even just in the Arena, more Luna means fewer durability points to repair.
-
9 hours ago, Jotari said:
It's really down to Pokemon's recurring issue of playing it too safe. It's been four years guys and the DS is still going strong. What should we do? Silver/Gold remake? Something like Pokemon Coliseum again? Shake up the formula entirely somehow? Nah, let's just get the artists in here to design a few more Pokemon and release a new generation. Then we can do all that same stuff only now it feels vaguely newer.
Huh? HGSS came out as part of Gen IV, before BW. They had already remade Johto. Admittedly, they were probably working on both games simultaneously.
And Gen V deserves credit for, if notjing else, introducing the most Pokemon at once. Sure, a lot of them were derivative of templates that had been around since Gen I. But there were plenty of creative winners in the bunch.
-
1 hour ago, Perkilator said:
Thank you!! 5th Anniversary of Super Smash Bros. SP Release"
Huh, TIL I learned that Ultimate's Japanese name is Super Smash Bros SP.
-
3 hours ago, Jotari said:
though Ace Attorney is probably better ranked by individual trials than by overall games).
Ace Attorney "have a third case that's actually good" challenge
3 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:Hello, it's me, the guy that calls AAI2 his favorite Ace Attorney game.
...That's all.
Yeah, I haven't played AAI2, but I've heard really good things about it. Of course, every review is anecdotal on some level, so it's hard to evaluate its "objective" quality. My own "gut feeling" is that it was more of a timing issue.
1 hour ago, Jotari said:Honestly it's a bit strange they even made the original Black and White to begin with and didn't just stick to the one generation per hand held console format they'd established before. They could have kept things spinning without a whole lot of effort and still earned a bunch of money.
It was very weird for me, coming of age in the GBC/A era, to see another "generation" on the same console. Admittedly, though, RBY came out (internationally) super late in the Game Boy's lifecycle, while the Color and Advance had relatively short reigns. The DS went 7 years strong, and it probably could've lasted another year.
1 hour ago, Punished Dayni said:But in all seriousness, considering how the 3DS did in the first year or so of sales, it probably would have liked better first game . Now Game Freak probably could have cut out BW2 from development to get a title out sooner for 3DS, but that's not what happened there. Some of that could be driven by GF going for the established base they had for the DS games with how Unova was a bit of a sales dip (A crying shame, because again PEAK), combined with keeping to the same hardware base for the game that was a direct sequel to their previous title.
Admittedly, Pokemon has always been late to the party. The original RG came out in 1996, while RB made it out of Japan in 1998. On a console that came out in 1989/90. Months before the Game Boy Color was due out. RS took about 18 months, while Diamond & Pearl came out about 30 months after the DS in North America. Likewise for X & Y. Game Freak probably don't want to get out in front of any unproven console.
-
2 hours ago, Jotari said:
If I were to guess, I'd say Shadow Dragon did a lot better with the Japanese market than the international market. As there was actual potential for nostalgia there. If Shadow Dragon really did do well then they probably would have localized New Mystery. Today it would be virtually unthinkable for Fire Emblem to release a new main line title and not see a western release even if a console is almost finished. I like Shadow Dragon's box art, but honestly it might have been better if they'd stick Marth's face up there front and centre so at least the Smash Bros. fans could know straight away that this is "the Marth game".
The thing is, New Mystery came out in July 2010 in Japan. So, it would've made it to other territories in late 2010, early 2011. Just a few months before the 3DS was due out. Nintendo probably figured that it was too late in the system's lifespan to localize it. Capcom did the same thing with Ace Attorney Investigations 2, which was February 2011 in Japan. Who's getting excited for a new game on yesterday's system? Pokemon fans notwithstanding...
Looking at this site, it seems to be the case that Shadow Dragon did roughly as well as each Tellius game (outside Japan), while surpassing the Tellius games inside Japan. So, perhaps New Mystery would've come out if the ratio for Shadow Dragon were more internationally-skewed. Still, it's impossible to ignore the timing within the handheld's lifespan.
13 minutes ago, Jotari said:Thracia is king when it comes to that. It came out closer to the Game Cube release than the Nintendo 64's! So on that original point, I can't imagine Nintendo or IS blame Thracia much for its weak sales. No doubt they knew it was a niche title for hardcore fans when they brought it out. Hell, it actually was a limited addition exclusive to Nintendo Power for a few months before it got a general release.
To pay homage to this, Nintendo will remake and rerelease Thracia 776, but only to players who have accumulated (and are willing to spend) 10,000 Platinum coins on their "My Nintendo" account.
-
4 hours ago, Eltosian Kadath said:
The other remakes almost killed the franchise, and they didn't learn their lesson for Echoes, why would they have learned from this far lighter setback.
Huh? Most sales data I can find indicates that Shadow Dragon sold better than either Path of Radiance or Radiant Dawn. It didn't "save" the series, but it somewhat reversed the "low point" of marketability in the Tellius era.
6 hours ago, Etrurian emperor said:Too bad for him that Monica has eyes only for Edelgard.
...Well you've got me there. Ochward.
-
6 hours ago, Lord_Brand said:
Incidentally, I made my own version: https://www.deviantart.com/crossfire7/art/Wapeach-Crossfire7-Version-999290276
I quite like the design! Has a very "femme fatale" vibe. It'd be especially cool to see this sort of "Evil Peach" if they ever revive the Wario Land series.
-
1 hour ago, Samz707 said:
Eh to be fair here, Fire Emblem itself has a very messy relationship wtih romance.
The only good romance in Fire Emblem is in Sacred Stones. Between Orson and Monica. He was really willing to do anything for his "darling".
1 hour ago, Jotari said:You understood me, but my comment actually was a bit unclear. Seluf talks about Claude's ghost. Claude is definitely dead by the time of Thracia yet is still interacting with the world.
I understood. I was just joking about Sleuf getting M-preg'd by the Ghost of Claud.
Anyway, I'm fine with ghosts hanging around, since Genealogy's secret scene, in chapter 10, featured the ghosts of Sigurd and Dierdre.
-
6 hours ago, Jotari said:
There...uh... actually is precedent for ghost Claude. As Sleuf references talking to Claude in Thracia.
Oh, boy. Maybe Sleuf can have Claud's babies instead?
6 hours ago, Jotari said:was actually looking forward to playable Berkut when I first heard him announced, that is to say before I saw his characterization and just knew they were introducing an Alm cousin character. My initial thought was "Cool, someone to use the Royal Sword in the final battle after Alm gets Falchion." But not only did we not get playable Berkut, we didn't even get sword wielding Gold Knights despite Rudolf being famous for using Falchion >.>
Hm... perhaps they could've given Rudolf and Berkut a "Conqueror" class? That is, 8-move Cavalry with both Swords and Lances. That way, Rudolf would be able to use Falchion in battle, while Berkut could use whichever Sword he feels like. The "radical" play would be to give Alm access to the class - either right after defearing Rudolf, or solely in the postgame.
As for "playable Berkut", it might've been cool when we didn't know much about him. Same with Rinea. That said, given his personality and arc, I'm rather glad he's not playable. He's an awful person who crosses the moral event horizon at the end, and the "redemption" he receives is already morally insulting. In a just world, Rinea would've dumped his ass long beforehand.
8 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:.I'd tweak Claud to crippling injuries in such a case. He remains basically bedridden for the rest of his life, secreted away in hiding by loyal Bragi priests, to whom he murmurs revelations, prayers, and words of guidance in these dark times. He can do the genealogy deed, and then passes away from his wounds no more than a couple years after that.
That could work, I suppose. Maybe hide him in the Bragi Tower, given Orgahill's remoteness. Still seems a little morbid, making him a "vegetable-dad" of sorts.
8 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:Sylvia (aged 18) escaped to a monastery at Darna, as per Claude’s recommendation. After leaving Leen behind, she left and wandered around in search of Claude. Three years later, she reunited with Claude, but he had tragically changed. Sylvia became his eyes and his limbs, watching the changing times and keeping an eye on their children. As for Corple, he was born when Sylvia was 23 years old. Afterwards, Leen married Aless and become the Queen of Agustria, while Corple became the head of Edda. Two years later, they finally reunited with Sylvia (aged 38). However, Claude perished after his role ended. Later, his name was carved into the relief at the altar of the 26 saints
Ah, that kinda matches the previous idea. It's interesting, that it's simultaneously "Word of God", but also a kind of "headcanon". Since the player's choices can dictate who marries whom, thus making this outcome easily contradictible.
-
2 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:
But then again, Echoes is the counter-example. They didn't make Rudolf playable even though he's that game's Camus (well I mean, the archetype. I know Literal Camus is playable in the game). Berkut and Rinea could easily have been written to survive (since they are not adaptations of existing characters) but they followed through on their fate. Echoes had, let's be honest, way too much awful DLC. But none of said DLC is a villains package.
I would contend that Berkut is intended to be the Camus, whereas Rudolf is the Hardin. Of course, neither becomes playable (thankfully), so it's really a wash. Here's hoping that Reinhardt isn't, either.
1 hour ago, Jotari said:Genealogy was actually fine in letting characters die at Barhars. It's Kaga that had the problem letting them stay dead. The only survivor we actually see is Lewyn, and most of the other mentioned survivors went off and died or vanished in other ways. The only one that seems to be safe and off screen is Lana. The issue gets egregious when Thracia reveals Brigid survived (for no reason that makes Evyle a better character imo) and then his notes mentioning plans for a bunch of other survivals.
Well, characters like Sylvia have to survive, because their children haven't been born yet. And whoever her husband is has to survive, because Coirpre, at the very least, hasn't been conceived yet. In fact, Ayra is the only mother who definitively gives birth before the battle, and thus the only one who could die in it (assuming she's paired up and lives to see it). Depending on the player's choices, as many as 13 characters (out of 20 playable at that point) would necessarily survive the ambush - assuming none of the other kids have been born yet.
Actually... this creates a contradiction. Claud foresees his own death at Belhalla. But if you pair him with Sylvia, then he must be the father of Leen and Coirpre. But in Gen II, twenty years later... I mean, maybe Leen is old enough, but Coirpre? No way. He barely looks like he's passed puberty. He couldn't have been conceived before Belhalla. The only reasonable assumption? Claud's ghost gets Sylvia pregnant the second time.
41 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:Only actual reason she could be there for is to rescue the children, as it were.
Maybe have a map with "green unit Ishtar" defending a bunch of child NPCs? And you need to clear the map before she - or any of the kids - get killed or captured, for the maximum reward? Could be a cool way for her to function. Not as cool as making her playable, but slightly less dissonant wuth the fact that you eventually have to kill her.
-
21 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:
That getup belongs in Nights before Mario
I read this as though "Nights Before Mario" were a game title... any potential for this crossover?
-
This class barely exists. Which should make for a quick rundown! I'll only be counting those games that I've played to completion, wherein there's a playable, infantry (non-Armored), Lance-oriented final promotion. So, not stuff like Recruit Amelia in Sacred Stones. From worst to best:
Spoiler4. Three Houses. Dimitri's personal classes count, technically. I already considered them in the Lord classes, but the pool is quite shallow, so. They're passable, but not the best in any regard. Paladin and Wyvern Lord offer Canto; War Master gives more Crit; and, Assassin is ideal for "sit in a forest and dodge everything" strats. Do I count the Soldier class here, too? Eh, sure. Reposition is the best repositional art, but Def +2 is the worst statboost skill, so it balances out. Worth mastering for fliers and defensive tanks, at least.
3. Path of Radiance. Nephenee is the picture of a growth unit, starting with poor bases and weapon ranks, but having a lot of potential - especially with the Knight Ward equipped, and a forged Javelin in hand. As for Devdan... I don't think I've ever used him. Still, his bases aren't bad at all, and innate Serenity mitigates Biorythm issues. Seems like he could be solid, especially with a support partner.
2. Fates. I like Oboro, but I can't say that I've used Shiro. Ryoma's late jointime, both in BR and Rev, means he comes super-late. Anyway, Seal Defense is nice against tough foes, especially in combination with Seal Speed from Spear Master. Swap could be nice utility, and Lancefaire on lromotion is welcome. The Waterwheel is functionally exclusive... it's defensive buffs are nice, at least. Basara is also an option here, with Rend Heaven and Quixotic providing serious (but unreliable) firepower. They're not bad classes, albeit ones I don't use much.
1. Radiant Dawn. Pretty clearly the best showing for lance infantry. Nephenee is the only returning unit, and she's much-improved, coming as a pre-promote with splendid availability. Great growths, too, making her an ideal user of the Wishblade. Danved is a strangely familiar newcomer, with solid offense in his relatively few chapters. Aran is a game of extremes - if his Speed suffers, and he gets doubled by Tigers, then he's hopeless. But with good levels-up, or a Speedwing, he can become one of your better defensive units - with great accuracy and power, to boot. Anyway, the promotions enjoy innate crit boosts, while Sentinel can just Impale to insta-kill.
That's what I think, at least. Not many to talk about here, really. It's been a great series, though! Big thanks to @Whisky for kicking it off, and @Zapp Branniglenn for closing it out.
-
She doesn't look particularly "evil" or "mischievious", outside of a darker outfit. Maybe the "horns" were supposed to be devil horns? But they look kinda like cat ears, which are innatelly cutesy. I do like the "goth"-ness of her outfit, at least.
I feel like they could've done more to make her look "weird". Like, Wario is chubby with a wide pink nose, while Waluigi is lanky with a pointy pink nose. Perhaps Wapeach could've been given a drooping nose, a la Squidward, in the same bright pink shade? Maybe an upside-down crown (flat on the top, pointy on the bottom) too, as a counterpart to Peach. Actually, a stylized fez could work to that end. And if they don't want to give her a mustache, at the very least, she could be rocking a unibrow.
As for the name, "Wapeach" isn't the worst... bit perhaps they could do something more localized? Like, Peach is a fruit, so her counterpart should be named for a vegetable. In light of her purple outfit, how about Princess Eggplant?
-
4 hours ago, Imuabicus der Fertige said:
what i was referring to was you quoting the same sentence twice but the quotes are from different people (me and jotari)
Oh, I see it now. That's weird. Maybe a glitch? I definitely had meant to quote your text.
2 hours ago, Jotari said:Oh obviously it would have a knock on effect on game balance. I wasn't suggesting merely transporting him as is to the start of the game. I was more just espousing the idea of a magic based Jeigan with the Gaiden spell mechanic, which I think synergizes particularly well.
Truthfully, I'm not opposed to this sort of Jeigan. I'd wanted a "Bishop Jeigan" for a while, which we kinda sorta got in Fates. In terms of Gaiden/SoV, I think it'd be alright... if they have some kind of Achilles Heel. Like a low Luck stat, or a personal skill where their spells are more accurate, but cost them more HP.Something to make them not "strictly superior" to the other units joining at the same time.
-
Not much to add, other than that I can't stand the all-too-frequent rejoinder of "we need to judge historical figures by the standards of their times". It's never really justified, and generally just stated as some kind of morally obvious axiom. So, do I judge Harriet Tubman as a radical criminal who was wrong for subverting her rightful place as a slave? Surely, Thic Quang Duc should've abandoned his regressive religion, and certainly not lit himself on fire! And what's this carpenter from Galilee, preaching against retributive justice and plural marriages?
...Bit of a rant there. But the point is, people who "judge them by the standards of their time" generally aren't consistent about it, and it's just turned into a shield against criticism. Ultimately, there's not a "uniform moral standard" in any given time and place, even though there are ones more powerful than others. And the only reason we have the moral understanding we have today, is because people in the past held themselves to a different (higher?) standard than their contemporaries.
-
10 hours ago, Jotari said:
But then the game wouldn't be discriminating against Deen, and we can't have that!
It actually would have made a tonne of sense if Nomah just went with Celica from the start and was her Jeigan. Think about it, a powerful unit who can wipe the floor with enemies, but is limited in how much he can do it by the fact that he is actively damaging himself every time he attacks. It actually could have worked out really well both in gameplay and story.
Getting Nomah at the start would dramatically throw off the balance, though. He's essentially doing what Celica, Mae, and Boey can already do, but a lot better, due to his higher stats and starting spell list. Plus, he adds a second healer to the bunch. And he gives an additional support boost to Celica. Act II is already pretty easy, but it would just turn trivial in this context.
Re: bolded - we already have that, and her name is Mae. Nomah isn't unique in losing HP for casting spells - anything but! And the fact that he brings another Recover to the table mitigates the "spending HP issue" that your starting Mages all struggle with.
8 hours ago, Imuabicus der Fertige said:what happen here
I'm referring to the "Up to the Mountains, Down to the Countryside" movement. It was a campaign by Mao to displace rising urban intellectuals into rural settings, so as to "build character" (and eliminate the threat he believed they posed to himself and the Communist Party). Authoritarian nonsense, if you will.
Help me choose a game to do my 1st iron man run in.
in General Fire Emblem
Posted
So I agree in principle, but I also recently soft-Ironmanned FE7 Eliwood Normal Mode, and never hit a Game Over. Even though I was unnecessarily fielding Lyn. It's probabpy because I've played FE7 about 10 times, and ENM is exceptionally easy.
I do think there's a stronger case to be made against FE7, given the existence of "don't let the Green Unit die" maps. Namely, "Merlinus the Peddler" and "Battle Before Dawn". Inexperienced players can really find themselves screwed on either of those maps - not necessarily by any fault of their own.