Queenly Arts

https://youtu.be/snUvnpDLmtg For those who already saw my video analysis or Reddit post introducing it, thank you! I figured I should repost this here, as I got a decent amount of survey responses from here, and I wanted to follow up with those respondents just as much as those coming from other spaces. Two weeks ago, I posted a survey on player perception of the term "efficiency". Using the responses alongside further research into the community's history, I made a full analysis of the term's impacts on the community, specifically under the context of gameplay discussions. I believe these issues are complex enough to demand such a thorough discussion. This is not an attack on any person or "side". Rather, I would like to address longstanding issues of communication around gameplay discussions, and move on to a more agreeable, inclusive space for all players. Regardless of your previous experience in the community, I ask that you give the topic serious consideration, so that we can make legitimate progress in issues that have been left unresolved for over fifteen years. I would recommend watching the full video to see the analysis of my survey results. Also, I take a deep dive at the history of arguments over gameplay discussions and how the issues still manifest to this day. Here are my main takeaways: Goals for Gameplay Discussions Give all players interested in Fire Emblem gameplay a space to express their experience and skill Open up new views on available strategies Provide opportunities for players to analyze statistics and further deepen their game knowledge Issues within Current Gameplay Discussions Heated and frustrating debates with no proper resolution Players feel excluded when their gameplay doesn't reflect community standards Players downplay and doubt their skill Causes of these Issues (intentional or not) Making comparisons and value judgements within one context and applying them to other contexts Running or contributing to gameplay discussions assuming a certain definition of efficiency but not making it clear Referencing one playstyle (efficiency) as a metric for "good gameplay" Recommendations for Moving Forward Restrict direct comparisons to playstyles that have a calculated metric of success Expand and open up new avenues for non-comparative gameplay discussions that allow for more players to participate Be careful that value judgements ("bad", "optimal") actually apply the context of the discussion Something I mention in the video and would like to reiterate is that words and actions have meaning past what is directly stated. Holding strategies up to the standard of "efficiency" (usually meaning Reliable LTC) to determine some sort of quality pushes that standard as superior. The issue isn't "telling players how to play", but there is an implication that a certain playstyle demonstrates "high level" gameplay. Furthermore, players who don't follow such metrics are disregarded from serious gameplay discussions. I know that there is a fear that there won't be any interesting discussions if we don't assume a strict standard for comparisons, but this is a slippery slope fallacy. There is a large amount of untapped potential for discussions that we aren't considering. Players have demonstrated a large amount of game knowledge and skill in coming up with strategies to complete various goals, and by opening ourselves up to new formats, I believe these experiences can create more interesting and impactful gameplay discussions. Personally, I have two ideas I'd like to contribute. For one, I think that "team reviews" could be expanded upon. In this format, players show off their teams after completing a playthrough, but I think players could go even further. What was the process like getting the units to where they are now, what were some specific moments where they were particularly effective in achieving the player's goals, what are some potential improvements for having even higher performance, etc. This fulfills the desire for players to express their experience, as well as introducing strategies that other players may not have considered before. For players that really want to compare units, I would suggest a unit performance chart. In this chart, players would consider the different builds that a unit can have, and what level of investment it takes to reach them. The end result isn't a comparison of which units or builds are "better" than others, but a visual representation of what resources it takes to get a unit to help with your strategies. This is a rough idea, but if you're interested in seeing if further developed, let me know, and I can make a full video giving an example in the future. If you have ideas for a new format for inclusive gameplay discussions, I'd love to hear them!

I'm not the most familiar with GameFAQs, so I wasn't sure if this would be an appropriate topic to post there. It appears most posts are (as the name of the website implies) specific gameplay questions, in context of individual games. I didn't find any rules or regulations that would clarify if my post would fit/be allowed. The best approach that I observed would be to post the survey as a new topic under the Engage Message Board. Do you think this would be appropriate?

Thank you for your explanation of the term's origins! Do you happen to know of any post that established/expressed this? In my research, I went as far back as 10 years ago and saw the same critiques of efficiency that we see today, implying that the term would have already been twisted by then. If I can't find anything that specifically demonstrates that the term did not mean this at some point though, I can't include it in my analysis without just making speculations.

https://forms.gle/wKzZmde6zwgamo5o7 No matter your experience with Fire Emblem, you are welcome and encouraged to take this survey! Everyone's opinions are very important! (estimated time: 2-4 minutes) While not the most controversial issue at face value, I believe many frustrating debates within the community are rooted in the "Efficiency Problem". The term efficiency is commonly labeled as "playing fast" and has been accepted as a standard playstyle/context for discussions with no further official definition or restrictions. A couple days ago, I made a post on Reddit asking for players' definitions of "efficiency". Using the responses, I created a quantitative survey that asks you to weigh in on various takes on efficiency. None of these takes are mine, but are based on general types of responses observed from the post. I do not wish to make any larger judgments about the topic until I actually see what the community has to say, and I ask that you also give the topic a fair chance. You may not believe there to be an issue, but as various videos, comment sections, and threads have demonstrated, the topic has a non-zero amount of contention, and is therefore important to consider. We cannot make assumptions about what everyone thinks or feels, even if a handful of comments seem to be in agreement, and I am making a genuine effort to hear everyone's side. If you have any suggestions for how an attempt at answering this question could be better performed, feel free to let me know! One main issue will be having the survey reach a wide enough audience to make for relevant conclusions, so suggestions for expanding this survey's reach would be especially appreciated.