Jotari

Serra's dress seems to be tied at the side. Perhaps during battle it can be untied to make it distinctly less skirt like and thus suitable (if still not entirely practical) for running in. On the subject of Binding Blade, you know who's character design works as practical and visual appeal? Sonia. She's pure fan service done right, as in game she's meant to be this sexy temptress character that Nergal built specifically to seduce Brandon. There's no reason a design can't cater to visual and practicality.

Haha. Glasses Grandma is way better than Sad Grandma.

Once again, there's absolutely no reason why a transforming unit can't use an axe or a sword or a bow, regardless of what it's fellow tribe members do under the current system. It's not that there's no advantage to what you want, it's that what you want isn't really that extraordinary at all.

Speed only applies to attack speed. Agility would be a more fitting term. Move would be the star you'd need for a race (and if we're to take fatigue into account, high HP).

Now I miss Jake. Bring him back IS!

I don't agree. To me, the class system isn't all that limited (even though by its very definition it's a limitation on the unit). I think they can make any combination of traits they want and call it a class. Take the Dread Fighter in Awakening for example, that's a Hero that also uses Magic. It's not like there was even precedent for that with the class in Gaiden, where it only used Swords (though I suppose it did have RES) they just said "Hey, we want this DLC class to stand out with physical and magical attacks". The class system has also given us loads of esoteric things like Xanes ability to transform, Ballisticians and Laguz. It's not like those things would be any easier or harder to come by if you ditch the class view point. It's all completely possible, with Berwick Saga having almost entirely unique playable cast (assuming what people say is true, I haven't played it). What it really sounds like you want is just more variety among the classes, which I'd totally be on for. Just look how crazy my class tree is.

I'd be very anxious about such a project. It takes really good writing to pull off black comedy well and my fate in modern IS is shaky at best.

Yeah, but I think that's more down to his stats and the fact that he gets killed than any of his personality traits.

That's not ditching classes then, just ditching class names. Because if a character has defined and limited traits, then they're in a class, even if every class in the game is unique. A system without classes would be every character being physically possible of developing in any way the player chooses, even if their base stats lean in one particular direction. Like Final Fantasy II or XII.

I still don't really understand what you mean. We've seen all of those things before aside from a mounted armoured archer, and nothing about the class system makes any of those things impossible or even any less likely. If you remove classes, the only logical result would be a system where all characters can do anything, which doesn't seem to be what you're after as you're specifically calling for characters to have predefinied roles which is exactly the reason classes were invented in the first place.

Is Sigurd hyped by the fan base? I mean, in terms of personality, he certainly gets a lot of hype regarding his stats. I've seen people praise his story in the past, but I honestly can't recall a single comment, good or bad, about his personality before now.

Berkut. I thought the idea was great in concept, but the game handles him just so incredibly badly in my opinion, that he ended up becoming one of my least liked characters in the franchise.

I can see liking the idea of Heart Seals and Second Seals over Personalized Promotions, I'm of that opinion myself, but why exactly would you describe Personalized Promotions as a pain?

Sounds like you're not suggesting the removal of classes, but instead the implementation of personalized promotions, which is what Jugdral did.

Don't know what you mean by this. Are you saying that equipping them both is a bad idea? I'd agree, it's generally not an optimal set up, but at least it gives you the chances of one activating if the other doesn't. Still, it requires so much set up, especially in Fates, I'm not sure why it's even a suggestion for anyone that's not Rightful King Marth. True, but that doesn't exactly make it a bad skill. Luna can screw you over in the same way if you're not killing your enemy, sure it might not screw you as painfully as Astra might if you just so happen to have to die on the fifth hit, but it doesn't stop Astra being worth equipping. What exactly are you arguing? That Astra is amongst the worst skills in the game? Or that Luna is merely better? Because all I'm saying is that Astra is decent. Not the best skill in any game it's in (except maybe Genealogy of the Holy War if you don't count pursuit, but even then it's highly needed by only being available to foot units).

As much as I love Thracia's final chapter, Veld himself is a joke. At least Idounn is a joke because of the super effectiveness of your weapons, and narratively speaking, it suits her. But Veld is legitimately comparable to bosses you fought in the middle of the game. He does have stone though, which is more than I can say for the Fire Dragon who, while bulky as all hell, stands virtually no chance at killing your units if you have your head on straight. At least fomortiis and Idounn can move, meaning theoretically they could be some kind of threat if you didn't one turn them. As for the best, I'd probably give it to Doma. He just feels threatening and has good psnergy with the map. Ashera's is of course a noteworthy one too with a lot more thought going in to her than most.

Yune and Ashera...wait a second.

You seem to be suggesting the removal of everything that makes Innes, Innes.

I more meant Tiki being a figure of authority that Lucina knew and actively served to guide and advise the party.

I never claimed Astra was superior to Luna, though. Just because I think one is good, doesn't mean the other is immediately bad. Two skills being decent isn't mutually exclusive.

Who's claiming Lethality is a good skill? We're talking about Astra.

It's called balance. Skills that have better effects have lower proc rates so they're comparable to skills that have worse effects, but higher proc rates.

Strangely, I wouldn't at all be disappointed if Pents lack of existence in Binding Blade was due to an alien abduction...it'd be stupid but for some reason Pent feels like exactly the sort of person it should happen to.

Tiki, give her something to do in Awakening.

I'm still filling the shield guage way quicker than a regular attack one way or the other. 0% to 100% might be rare against anything that's not a boss, but 40% or 60% to 100% is pretty likely. The downside in it not filling the shield guage all the way arises from the fact that it's outright killing the enemy, which is generally what you want. Astra's a good skill, that's the whole reason it has a lower proc rate than most. If it activated at full damage on skill% and didn't drain durability, then it'd be stupidly bgood. You need all other skills to be as equally devestating and then you end up with Radiant Dawn's end game where the skills are so powerful they have to be disabled against any enemy where they might actually matter.