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Saint Nightroad

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    Best Paladin in the Series

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    Yeah, I understand that much... I was asking if he sees how flawed that is. >_>;

    Not flawed at all?

    What's a better character... one who can break the game in an actually challenging game, or one that can "break" the game in a much easier one (that doesn't even include any sort of meaningful ranking system)?

    And Aless is amazing without Mistoltin... now throw in an incredibly powerful and easily repairable sword.... Titania... just lost the game.

    Things that made you say, "What were you thinking IS?"

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    You forgot Sedgar, Wolf, and Caeda who are all better than most of the people you listed. Cord's great. There's a long list of good units. There's just a long list of crappy units, too.

    There isn't much in the way of character. It's mostly units, so who cares if you change their class?

    It WAS written 20 years ago...

    I think RD had a good plot until part 4. Then it sucked.

    How did I forget Sedgar and Wolf... well those two are absolutely game-breaking in and of themselves... Caeda... isn't she low in the tier list? She is certainly not better than anyone I listed. But the list of good units pretty much ends there, give or take 2 or 3 units. That still leaves over half (maybe as many as 3/4) of the cast who are mediocre or even absolutely horrible.

    Still... when there isn't much in the way of character, when you change their classes you completely trivialize what little identity and novelty they did have.

    Don't care. Bad games or plots are not to be babied because "They were good for their time."

    Even after P4, RD's plot was above average by FE standards... did it suck? Yes, but not half as much as most FE plots. Before P4, RD had one of the 3 best plots in the series hands down.

    Things that made you say, "What were you thinking IS?"

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    Barst and the 3 cavaliers don't completely break the game. Also I feel that the discrepancies between units make the game much more balanced than Radiant Dawn's "everyone is pretty much the same stat and growth-wise and caps everything at the end, so those with the highest avaivability, level and best class win". Yeah, something being more balanced by being unbalanced sounds like an oxymoron but RD showed us that the opposite is possible.

    Funny how you avoid saying that gameplay-wise it is the logical evolution and improvement of branched promotions.

    A Fire Emblem with no story would be a Fire Emblem with just trial maps.

    Just because Shadow Dragon doesn't interrupt the game with 10 minute long cutscenes it doesn't mean that it has no story.

    Call me when 3D FEs will have fortresses, villages, thickets, pillars you can stand on and the same terrain types look more varied.

    I'd have liked RD's plot more if it only focused on the Dawn Brigade and it would've stayed as a straight 'good vs. evil' plot. To you people who will say "At least they tried to be original!" there's a reason why our favorite video games, movies, books, etc. are variations on the same few story types.

    -----

    On topic, what was IS thinking when enemies in FE5 can strip your units off their entire equipment the same turn they capture them. The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about "The Computer is a cheating bastard" is this.

    Ok... who is useful in FE:11 .... Cain, Abel, Frey (unusable in anything but normal), Barst, Cord, Ogma, Merric, Navarre... the rest of the cast is divided among mediocre and useless, with the majority going to the latter. Now I have heard that Jeigan is necessary for the really high difficulty setttings for earlygame, but I wouldn't know... SD bores me to much for another playthrough.

    Atleast branched promotions kept the units in logical classes that -somewhat- suited them... class swap doesn't. Now, I never said that I liked branched promotions, but I hate class swap far more, because it just upsets the balance of the game further and hurts the significance of many characters.

    Ok fine... Shadow Dragon tells one of the most cliche'd story types ever written, while speaking in a monotone the whole time.

    LMFAO... so you think the 2d FE's have more varied maps because you can stand on the support pillars for the buildings for some completely illogical reason? Compare anything the 2d FE's can give to the actual variety of the console maps. One map you're marching across a bridge while the enemies fire ballistas and catapults at you and any wrong move results in your unit falling in a pothole. Just 2 maps later, you're climbing up a 2 path mountain/slope while enemies push boulders with varying paths down at you. THAT is variety. Oh and the 3d FE's pillars work like pillars should... not like paper thin walls that your character can somehow phase through/jump on top of. Oh and 3d FE's do have thickets and villages. Nice try though. Fortresses... I'll admit those don't appear, but geez... do you really want the 3d maps to be covered in rediculously small buildings that trivialize the term "fortress"? I don't... now if they applied the same bonuses to barricades or tents... that'ld be fine.

    RD's plot was well done... except for badly handled spoilers like the Black Knight's identity... the Dawn Brigade was just half-assed... either make good use of them or don't use them at all.

    Things that made you say, "What were you thinking IS?"

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    • The music sure became more varied with such songs as 'an orchestra piece that sounds almost like it wasn't synthesized' and 'another orchestra piece that sounds almost like it wasn't synthesized'. The songs you mentioned were the only memorable ones to me, together with Eternal Bond and maybe A Grasping Truth. Mind you, I did download the OST after beating the game but I decided to remove it from my playlist after a few weeks because of said lack of variety I mentioned above.
    • 70+ characters is overkill. The balance issues prove it even more as in the end you only chose 10 for the Endgame from such a huge pool of characters. FE5 could get away with 50+ characters because there was always an equal replacement if someone fatigued out while this really wasn't the case with RD's part system.
    • I agree on the variety of objectives. However, the full potential wasn't reached just yet and I think that this doesn't outweigh RD's flaws.
    • They showed that players enjoy these features so much that FE3, the most basic FE, is still the best-selling one.
    • I feel the exact opposite as to which game was boring and which wasn't. I had to force myself to beat the game. I felt that I'm not really bringing the story forward at all most of the time and that I was playing a huge filler where everything except maybe a few Dawn Brigade chapters, 3-E and Endgame could've been cut out and it wouldn't have changed the story much if not at all. Granted the Endgame is one of if not the most amazing finales for any FE, but that is way too late for anything to pick up. Meanwhile FEDS clicked on me pretty quickly. Every chapter felt for me that I actually did something significant that brings Marth ever so close towards liberating his country and slaying Medeus.
    • I agree that the gaiden chapters could've been more varied. However I like it that the gaiden chapters there are exactly what the term implies: Side chapters that don't affect the plot in any significant way.
    • The new characters in RD didn't have much personality either while everyone else's personality got derailed. I don't see 'personality' as a strong argument either way since FE5 is well liked among the fandom and the characters there have equally as little personality.
    • I didn't find height to be handled nearly as nicely as in, say, FFT. I also felt that it was bad compensation for small variety of terrain types. Actually, that's my biggest complaint about the 3D FEs: The size proportions now becoming more realisitic meant that the maps became really bland and a lot less varied than 2D FEs.

    Also

    I disagree heavily. I am strongly convinced that Shadow Dragon is the real dog to Sacred Stones' plastic dog.

    Now let's see what the biggest flaws of Sacred Stones were and how Shadow Dragon improved on them:

    • The game is too easy even on the hardest difficulty: Newcomers still get Normal Mode that eases them into the game, but the 5 additional difficulties provide that everyone gets something that's the most suited for them. Also instead of the obtrusive tutorials in FE8 EM we get a very nice prologue that serves its purpose as one better than any other FE prologue together with title cards on the upper screen that explain the game mechanics quickly and without much hassle.
    • Branched promotions are unbalanced and the game is very unbalanced overall: FEDS one-ups FE8 by allowing most units to rotate between half the class lineup at any given time. I was actually very afraid that reclassing might become as disatrous as branched promotions in FE8 were, but I was very, very pleased that it was not the case. If you try to disagree that FEDS is the most balanced FE yet then you're lying to yourself. Sure, there are Wolf and Sedgar who can trivialize the game but compared to every ever FE where at least half the cast is capable of doing so this is a huge improvement.
    • The game is too short: RD showed me how it can also go the other way that a FE can become too long. Either way I believe 25 chapters is the right amount. While it takes less time to beat than FE8 in hours I still feel that I was able to do much more here because everything goes so smoothly and quickly. Actually, all the subtleties that give it an action game vibe is the most underappreciated part about FEDS. When I read about that first in the Iwata Asks session but now that I do I have to agree that it makes the game a blast to play. I'd even go as far as to claim that FEDS being so quick makes it more of a 'handheld' FE than the GBA ones.
    • The story has too many plot holes: While everyone complains that FEDS' story is too basic we've still got far more insight into Akaneia than we did into Magvel as well as that mostly thanks to its blandness the story actually felt 'complete'.

    Sacred Stones had personality... the characters were defined and many were actually likeable. Shadow Dragon gives you absolutely no reason to like anyone in the cast, because at no moment do any of them (except for Rodger and Xane, however briefly) show any personality at all. The story of Shadow Dragon was terribly bland and again, left nothing to like.

    As for difficulty- don't care... Sacred Stones was atleast consistently easy, whereas the step up from Normal to H1 in SD was very large, let alone the stepups for the other Hard difficulties. PoR, in my opinion, has the best difficulty settings in the series. The differences are reasonable and actually true to what the difficulty claims. Easy is easy. Normal is normal. Hard is hard, but never cruel. Then you've got Maniac Mode which is... well, I wouldnt know... haven't had the opportunity or desire to play it.

    As for the campaign length- yes, it was too short. But I'ld rather have 20 fun chapters than 25 drop-dead boring chapters, thank you very much.

    And are you kidding about balance? Shadow Dragon is as sickeningly unbalanced as any other FE, minus Shadow Dragon. You've got Sedgar, Wolf, Barst, Cain, and Able, who are staples and murder everything, and then the majority of the cast are laughably bad units like Bord, Samson, Aran, all of the archers, Est, and the list goes on.

    And class change feature was horrible... it made those generic personality-less units even more insignificant because now they don't even have the benefit or downfall of their respective classes... they are just a face to put on half the classes in the game.

    It's kind of hard to have plot holes in a game with no story.

    And did you seriously just say that the 3D FE's have more bland and less varied maps than the 2D ones? :lol:

    Things that made you say, "What were you thinking IS?"

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    Radiant Dawn: Taking all the potential a PoR sequel had to become the best FE ever and flushing it down the toilet by trying to make it 'huge', 'epic' and 'original' and failing on all 3 occassions. Character derailment. Balance issues. BK's identity reveal (i.e. the reason why most people wanted a PoR sequel in the first place!) being handed in the worst way possible. Compensating music quality for quality of the actual compositions. Too many fucking characters and the fact that 'new classes' meant for them 'let's split multi-weapon classes into the weapons they use'. Also what are you thinking fandom for still worshipping the game despite all its flaws?

    Shadow Dragon: What are you thinking fandom for not thinking that its "back to basics" approach isn't a great change of pace especially after Radiant Dawn being so bloated?

    I disagree heavily. The music quality increased dramatically by being more varied yet still containing some of the classic pieces that I loved about the series in the first place. Pieces like Sorrowful Prince Pelleas, Wheeling Corby, and the different Dawn Brigade battle themes really brought some life to the game. There were not too many characters... they just weren't balanced well. The game actually managed to make defensive missions really fun (some of my favorite chapters, in fact), something that PoR did not do. Now do I worship the game... no... it is one of my 3 favorite FE's, alongside PoR and FE4, but it certainly doesn't take 1st place in my book.

    As for Shadow Dragon...it's "back to basics" was not a great change of pace. Past FE's had already shown that players enjoy features such as Rescue, Support Conversations, and the like. Shadow Dragon may have been a remake, but it was still boring beyond all belief. Every... single... chapter was a capture the base mission without exception. They didn't even try to throw in a fog of war to liven it up. As for the Gaiden Chapters, there was absolutely no excuse for those to be like every other mission. That new comment was an opportunity to vary the gameplay, which would actually give a little incentive to "earn" those Gaiden Chapters. I do believe I'ld rather play Radiant Dawn and its "bloatedness," because it actually had varied chapters, units with more personality than a rock, and exciting new features like heights to add to the experience of the game. Shadow Dragon could have been great, but it had to settle at mediocre (possibly even worse than Sacred Stones)- remake does not mean you cannot bring the game up to the current standards of the series.

    Best Paladin in the Series

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    Somehow I don't think you are using her as much as everyone else is. What level do you think she's even at when you get to chapter 18? Something tells me it's not nearly where everyone else has her. Maybe there's a reason you think she's crap at that point and we don't? Oh, and boss kills give her far more than 1 or 2 levels. Also, the whole point of Titania is that she lets you complete the earlier chapters faster. I'd like to see you get in under the bexp turn limits early on with her unequipped (and without relying on luck).

    Who cares about the bexp turn limits? I'ld much rather have my units actually leveling up in battle early on so that they can actually pull their own weight in the early game. Now that's why you lot think Titania is so mandatory for the early game... you're rely'ing on her too much. How do you even function on levels before you can actually spend your earned Bexp and can't just rely on Titania to beast everything on the map (first defense mission anyone?) The end result of not using Titania as much and letting others get the battle experience is a higher level for your non-Titania characters, and thus better efficiency after they promote.... which would be the majority of the game.

    Best Paladin in the Series

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted · Edited by Saint Nightroad

    So, on HM you have promoted units by chapter 10? Just imagine if you gave some of those boss kills to Titania how good she'd be at this point.

    What would happen if I gave the boss kills to Titania? She'ld be like 1-2 levels higher (maybe) and still mediocre in stats at that point, while I'ld have lower leveled other units... no thank you.

    I'ld describe Titania as such-

    Crucial till and on the second defense mission (chapter... 7?) For all missions but that defense mission, it is perfectly acceptable and probably a good idea to unequip her.

    After that misssion, she's just an average unit... she'll still contribute a lot, but your other units will really start to shine and pass her up. Basically... mediocre to above average.

    Crap after Ike promotes... to me, that level marks the point after which Titania is just deadweight, plain and simple... that's almost half the game.... yeah, she's the BEST unit in the game.... definitely.

    Now she isn't bringing your team down statistically, but relying on her is absolutely horrible from an experience standpoint.

    Best Paladin in the Series

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted · Edited by Saint Nightroad

    Titania is by far the best in fe9. The beginning in which she is irreplaceable lasts a pretty long time. It's not like your other units get better than her by chapter 10 or anything.

    Mine do.... I have atleast one unit that surpasses her by then in every playthrough. It's not hard... at all... in fact, it wouldn't surprise me to have 2 or 3 promoted units by then (usually Oscar and Boyd).

    As for fe10, Titania > Nolan and Shinon. First off, Shinon doesn't even have a respectable enemy phase for like 80% of his existence. That already makes him lucky to be high tier. Nolan isn't all that great in part 1. Sure, he's the best in 1-1, second best (probably) until Volug appears. But that doesn't last very long and then he's above average but hardly impressive throughout part 1. Part 3 comes and he's arguably second best next to Volug. Part 4 he's just there. Certainly not better than all the GMs that are at or near promotion while he's at 20/12 or something coming out of the DB's part 3. Now way is he better than Titania.

    Wrong... Nolan is better than Titania by a longshot. While Titania has to compete with an entire team of great units and has poor caps, Nolan is a mandatory unit for the DB if you actually want to live... you need every tank you can get for them, and since Nolan has beastly stats before long, there is no reason to not use him. It's not how impressive he is in the early game... it's how important he is... Titania doesn't have that.

    However, in fe10, Mia is arguably better than Titania. Ike, Haar, Volug are certainly better than Titania. Reyson is arguably better.

    I'm assuming that Inui wasn't talking about Titania in fe10 when saying she's one of the two best Paladins in the series.

    Mia better than Titania? Doesn't Mia require more baby'ing than Titania by a lot? In Easy, yeah... Mia's better, but that's easy mode... Reyson isn't arguably better... Reyson IS better... I don't see Titania fufilling any great support role like he does all the while actually being very good at it and having a very high dodge rate due to high speed and luck while transformed. Also, despite a mediocre enemy phase, Shinon is still better due to having shockingly high tanking ability. He's just Ike but with better stats, an earlier promotion, and locked to bows.

    Replies in bold.

    Pairings!

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    ~Zihark x Lethe~

    Why didn't it happen? It had a lot more backing than Zihark x Illyana and Illyana is just... not marriage material...

    Illyana: I'm pregnant

    Zihark: ....Crap... now she's eating for two....

    ~Bastian x Lucia~

    Poor, poor Bastian... my favorite all time FE character just can't win that shallow woman.

    Best Paladin in the Series

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    Seth and Titania are the only ones that are the best units in their respective games. Which one is better? I don't know, and it doesn't matter much. Both are top of top tier.

    Titania the best unit in FE 9/10? Not seeing it.

    In FE9 she's only irreplaceable in the beginning and is mediocre at best later on. It's even debateable whether or not she's the best palidan... seeing as how Oscar and Kieran provide great competition for the class.

    In FE10 she's good but certainly not the best.... that's reserved for godmode characters like Haar and Shinon, if not the essential and incredibly powerful Nolan.

    Best Paladin in the Series

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted · Edited by Saint Nightroad

    Oscar (FE9)

    Great affinity, great availability, great endgame, solid early game, weapon triangle potential... all in all, just a great unit.

    (And a winning personality to top it off... that dude smiles during everything, including killing people. What a wonderfully sadistic knight he is.)

    Main Lord Customization

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    Umm... who said you were customizing your character's story and personality? That would simply be too much to expect.

    Your character is just a new name, gender, face, and class that fills in for the main. It doesn't change much at all.... except maybe now they'ld have to refer to your character as the opposite gender of the main character if you made it that way, or whatever story or dialogue relevant changes you made. Nothing awkward about it.

    Main Lord Customization

    in General Fire Emblem

    Posted

    I've always thought things like this would be great. What about a custom class w/ customizable animations? You choose weapons, armor, attack style, etc.

    Well, I could definitely see animation customization coming into play in the lord customizer... perhaps just have all class animations + a few unique ones for the customizer (Hell, I'ld be satisfied with just the class animations).

    Weapons was already mentioned...and I'm pretty sure attack style was as well what with stat and possibly skill customization.

    What anime/manga are you following right now?

    in Entertainment

    Posted

    Oh yeah, Amelia, I love Pandora Hearts. Just finished the 14th episode and the brilliance of the series just becomes more apparent as it goes along. The many references to Alice and Wonderland seem to get more clever as they go along, even if some of them made me facepalm for not seeing them coming. But the thing I love the most about the series is it's highly emotional soundtrack.

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