blah the Prussian

Then why not promise to do an actual thing rather than make an empty gesture?

I said Birthrights story is better by virtue of being somewhat coherent.

Many people have already apologized for slavery. I'm honestly not impressed by this as it seems like a cheap attempt to curry favor with the black demographic rather than actually talking about current issues.

I only favor Nohr insofar as its gameplay is far better than that of Hoshido (I've been playing Birthright too, but Conquest's story is more snark inducing). In terms of story, Birthright is generally better as it is coherent, but in terms of gameplay there is no contest.

The issue of the goodness of religion is irrelevant because the development of religion was a historical inevitability. Back on topic.

Well, here it is. The big one. This did not dissapoint; it is possibly the worst plan I have ever heard. Before that, though, nitpicking! -Corrin says he can't sleep, but it is clearly sunny out. Of course you can't sleep, you dumbass! It's daytime! Don't tell my you've embraced the dark so much you're nocturnal! -Why on earth does water allow Azura to travel into the whatever world? Seems rather random. -There was literally no reason to bring Gunter back, other than so you didn't lose this chapter. -So why exactly would I split my guys in two? Sure, it means double exp, but it also means double damage, and I want to get through this chapter asap. -Okay, let's tear into this. Firstly, so Azura has this thing that proves Garon is possessed, and she shows it to only Corrin, instead of, you know, the Nohrian army? Also, it is pretty Diabolous ex machina that the pearl thing breaks after one use. -If demon Garon doesn't know what sitting on the throne will do, he is a dumbass. -Also, I assume, at least, that Garon will not sit on Hoshido's throne, as from a gameplay perspective that would be a cop out, making the invasion and massacre of Hoshido completely pointless. -Why can't Corrin tell his siblings? Does Azura suspect they might be informers? So sorry I could only do one chapter today, but I have an English essay. Next time: fast as the wind, the invasion has begun! Da! Da! Da! Ghost division!

Okay, I'll stop you there, because by that logic you aren't allowed to have an opinion about anything you have never experienced yourself. This proposition is stupid for obvious reasons.

Uh, Elise is an enemy combatant here. Ryoma in that chapter generally is an asshole, but I have no problem with him denying care to Elise. He's not holding her hostage, either. I still want an answer on why Ryoma wasted an entire army just trying to get Corrin back, though.

He actually said something akin to "I don't think Jews deserve to die, I just don't care." He was a sociopath, not an ideologue. Admittedly it is debatable which of those two is worse.

Of endings plox.

It was the same routine every fucking day. Wake up. Have breakfast. Look with envy at all the wealth he couldn't have. Receive his paycheck. Spend his workday caring for a spoiled brat who would never be grateful for anything in her life. I'm a veteran of the Second World War, the man thought ruefully, and this is how I am repaid? The man thus began another day of his job as the personal butler of Princess Hiedi of Prussia, granddaughter to the Kaiser. Just as he finished his breakfast, he heard the bell ring. The sleeping beauty had finally awakened. Good. He sighed, walking towards Her Majesty's bedroom. The ten year old was seemingly immune to the morning grumpiness that so affected him. "Good morning, Reiny!" she said brightly, using a pet name that she had devised for him years ago. How he hated that pet name. "Did you have a good sleep, madame?" the butler dutifully enquired of his mistress, as he began to dress her. He did not need to be dressed when he was fighting at Hannover! "Oh, it was positively wonderful!" she answered, more bubbly than ever. "I had a dream where I was flying in a giant spaceship, but then this other spaceship came, and..." The butler began to zone out. When he was, at long last done, he prepared to retire, as the Princess's lessons were to begin. It was then, however, that he remembered a fact that was rather unpleasant for him: it was Saturday. The Princess did not have lessons today. That meant... no... The butler sat at the table, too small for him by far, in some unholy abomination his charge called a 'dress'. She looked up at him, smiling. "More tea, Reiny?" Reinhard Heydrich hated his job.

I hope so. Dystopias are just so much more fun.

Actually, that gives me an idea for a humiliating thing to happen to Heydrich in my timeline.

...I might at this point over the summer. Too busy now.

Glad to hear it!

Much improved. I still think a a Republic is implausible, but it isn't impossible, and it is, TBH, less implausible than some of the stuff I got up to. Also, this is much more of a nitpick, but it wouldn't be called the Wiemar Republic; the Wiemar Republic was called as such because it was declared from Wiemar, with Berlin being occupied by the Soartacists at the time.

I feel like this game's story just downloaded an IPhone game called "Have Stupid Plot Points" and it keeps on beating its high score. Holy shit. Well, let's dive in. -Why is Corrin so opposed to fighting a rebellion? Is he a Confederate apologist? I see you with your Shelby Foote autograph, Corrin! -What exactly prompted this rebellion, anyway? We're the people of a different ethnicity? Their nationality is Francophone... stop supporting Québécois Independance, Nintendo! It makes us Monarchist's angry! -Yes, rebels, you will get help in your fight to be free of Nohr, a Feudal state, from Hoshido, another... feudal... state. How does this change anything? -Hoshido's support for this rebellion is pretty pathetic. They just send Takumi Trump, some of Mikoto's retainers (I hope Hoshido has good pensions, because they're unemployed) and that's it? Hoshido: making the Chilean contribution to WWII seem decisive since 2016. -The game is being extremely subtle with its foreshadowing that Takumi Trump is turning evil. And by that I mean it's outright stating it. -So where were Hans and his soldiers this whole time? Were they sitting with their thumbs up their asses while Corrin does the dirty work? At least they get points for correcting Corrin's mistake in the form of not killing anyone. This isn't Undertale, Corrin! -So, it's great that there is now same sex marriage in Fire a Emblem. It's totally a step in the right direction. That being said, whoever thought that gay marriage was more important than ending serfdom, or instituting a parliament, was a dumbass. -What kind of an Opera House is this? I've been to Operas, and, newsflash, they don't have artificial lakes with boats as the pews! -So, really, what on earth is this city? Given Garon's expansionist nature, why hasn't he annexed it already? -Corrin and co. clearly go to the Lois Lane school of recognizing people. -I can't possibly be the first one to notice this, but, fine, Garon is having an orgasm. There, I said it. -HOW DID THE HOSHIDANS GET HERE WITHOUT WARNING? Jesus Christ, whoever was in charge of security for Garon's little opera visit/mock naval battle (trivia: filling up Colloseums with water and staging naval battles was something the Romans actually did) needs to be fired immediately. -Hey, you know what would be an interesting development? If Garon died here. Seriously, all Corrin has to do to correct all this is "accidentally" let Garon die. There. Problem solved. Meanwhile, Ryoma could have died in that one chapter instead of escaping, making Takumi Trump king of Hoshido. Takumi Trump could then order the attack on Nohr, and the war would continue, but with Hoshido being the vengeful aggressor but on the other hand he is kind of justified. You have a nice, human, morally gray conflict... I need a drink. -Hey, uh, Garon, since you're in a foreign country doesn't that mean that the King of Nestra or whatever it is would have a problem with you murdering his people? No? Okay. So obviously Corrin and co. not recognizing Azura is the big stupid thing here, but the real sad thing is the missed chance for the story to get good. Garon, for his part, is still too damn evil.

If it becomes a Fates bashing thread, it will become that in a humorous manner.

Yeah, stopping support for SA is one of Trump's few good points. Although, Yojinbo, what did poor Jordan ever do to you? I admit its not that powerful, but its still an ally.

I guess I'm numb to cliches at this point.

I like Wilhelm, a lot more than most, but even I recognize that he would not have had that kind of foresight, nor would he be all that torn up over being a symbol of imperialism. This is simply my advice: don't have Wilhelm abdicate peacefully, because it's outright impossible.

Okay fine, Maribelle was perhaps a bad example, but I was more referring to trying to give her an unneeded Freudian excuse that blew up in everyone's face.

Nope. I'm sorry, but Germany is not becoming a Republic. Wilhelm would never abdicate willingly, and the people aren't angry at him here; I'm not just saying this because I'm a Hohenzollernophile.

Yes, yes, yes! Take that and fuck you, Ryoma! We now return to your regularly scheduled satire. -So what exactly is the international status of the Island of the Rainbow Sage? Is it its own individual thing? Because if it was part of Hoshido they wouldn't have needed to invade it, but if it was a part of Nohr there is no way the Nohrians wouldn't garrison such an important strategic point. For that matter, why didn't the Nohrians garrison it anyway? The Hoshidans faced little resistance. -This chapter is great, I must say. It's gimmic works really well, and I like the mini boss aspect it has. -The dramatic tension between Corrin and Hinoka, IMO, is wasted when it's pretty much diffused this early. -I can't believe I'm saying this, but Superman and Batman making up because their mothers are both named Martha just got replaced as the stupidest plot point ever. No, Corrin KNOCKING OUT every single one of Hinoka's soldiers, letting all of them live to fight another day, is now the stupidest. Jesus Christ, I can understand not killing POWs, but you're a soldier! Act like one! After a certain point in this war, Hoshidans will have to be killed. You might as well do it now. -Well, that plot point got dethroned real fast. WHY THE FUCK IS KAZE JOINING NOHR? Fight for your country, asshole! You owe no loyalty to Corrin or Nohr whatsoever! And what, is Corrin just HOPING Garon will never be like "hey son, why is that ninja Leo killed that one time in your army"? Don't you need a certain amount of intelligence to be a ninja? -Basically, Chapter 11 is the best summary of Fates I can give so far: stupid plot, glorious gameplay. -Okay, Garon's insanely one dimensional evilness is really starting to piss me off. It's one thing to be a dick generally, but inviting a Hoshidan army (at least that's what I assume he did, I could be wrong) into Nohr just to kill Corrin? Christ! Adolf Hitler is a more sympathetic villain than you are! -For Ryoma's part, he launched an entire expedition just to bring his brother back. I am starting to see a pattern here: basically, the Hoshidan royals are terrible strategists. -To add to that, given that the end of the chapter implies someone tipped off Ryoma as to where Corrin was going, and that someone is probably Garon, my question is this: why didn't Ryoma suspect a trap? For that matter, why didn't Garon kill two birds with one stone and block off Ryoma's escape route? It would have been a win-win for him! -Ryoma: wanted dead or alive. Guilty of multiple counts of kill stealing, and first degree player time wasting by getting a crit on Camilla, forcing blah the Orussian to restart the chapter! Fuck! -Yes, Corrin, it is actually possible for Elise to have seen Gunter in her dream. You know why? Because DREAMS AREN'T REFLECTIONS OF REALITY. -One thing I do quite like about the writing is that this game actually makes single note characters work. In Awakening, people like Maribelle and Donnel were developed, which sucked as they didn't have any character to develop. Here, though, characters with a single personality trait are treated, for the most part, as comedy, and it works. Yes, Arthur isn't nuanced, but he got a chuckle out of me and his voice actor is clearly having a ball. Camilla may be a bit unconditional in her devotion to Corrin, but, again, it's funny. This, I feel, is what they should have done in Awakening, and I do think that, ironically, the least developed characters are the strongest story wise. So, kids, what have we learned? Corrin continues to be a strategic moron, Garon literally went Mwa ha ha, Hinoka is the missing link between Ireland and Japan(seriously, what hair alleles did Sumeragi and Mikoto have to get one pink haired kid, one black haired kid, one gray haired kid, and one red haired kid?), Ryoma is FE's Woodrow Wilson, and the writing can be funny if it wants to be. Now if only it wanted it more. Until next time!

Erdogan at least is glad to have ISIS kill the Kurds for him. If Turkey actually wanted ISIS gone there would be crescents flying over Raqqah right about now. As for Iran, as Yojinbo mentioned, they see this conflict as important for their standing in the Islamic world, and Russia is the same way with Armenia, especially as Muslims have a long history of doing horrible shit to Armenians, and Armenia was the first ever Christian nation. Throw in the Orthodox Church being a big pillar for Putin's support, as well as fallout from the Panama scandal, and you have a conflict he can't back down from.