Lunatic as a first FE run ever

[Samarkhan]

I just wanted to transmit a bit of the utter shock I went through this past week. I've never played a FE game before this one, but I absolutely loved FF Tactics and some other T-RPGs. Having worn out my FFT copy through and through, I finally moved on and bought the 3DS XL Fire emblem bundle (so happy with my glorious 3DS).

In the French version, "lunatic" has been translated with the word "expert", so less ominous than "lunatic". I'm used to avoiding wasting my time with lesser difficulties runs. In my newcomer's conceit, I went on and even chose the "classic" mode.

Obviously I got whacked very hard time and time again until I learned Frederick's value as a one-man army and figured out my characters would be better off in pairs. Chapter 3 was the chapter I gave up and had to look up a walkthrough online. Somehow I got to the point where I could grind just a bit (but I'm not much of a grinder) with the Golden Gaffe.

The issue is my stubborn girlish pride that won't let me give up and restart in a lesser difficulty. I won't admit I was wrong, and I won't let any of my characters die.

And here I am, reading like a TON of stuff on optimal builds and marital advice. I'm up to 4 hours of reading for maybe one hour of play. I even switched my 3DS language to english so I would understand faster what boards like this one are referring to. I don't say I hate it, just that this is a bit of a shock that a Nintendo game would be so hardcore (yup, I was prejudiced).

What can I say ? I might even be enjoying it. Strangely I don't resent the fact of having to soft-reset 20 times a chapter. But when I read the words "Lunatic +", pure dread makes my body run with sweat.

"Thumbs up" if you have inside of you the makings of a LUNATIC person like me.

[shadowofchaos]

Welcome to the world of masochists. You are definitely a tier above me.

Kind of discouraging when you have my luck and this happens to you the first time you try Lunatic.

Oh did I mention I had deja vu with Lunatic+?

Edited May 12, 2013 by shadowofchaos

[Aircalipoor]

I recommend playing every difficulty, starting with the lowest. That way you can say that you beat them all and you will learn with every playthrough something new and more about the game. Gathering information is one side of the coin, playing in practice the other.

[Vashiane]

I just wanted to transmit a bit of the utter shock I went through this past week. I've never played a FE game before this one, but I absolutely loved FF Tactics and some other T-RPGs. Having worn out my FFT copy through and through, I finally moved on and bought the 3DS XL Fire emblem bundle (so happy with my glorious 3DS).

In the French version, "lunatic" has been translated with the word "expert", so less ominous than "lunatic". I'm used to avoiding wasting my time with lesser difficulties runs. In my newcomer's conceit, I went on and even chose the "classic" mode.

Obviously I got whacked very hard time and time again until I learned Frederick's value as a one-man army and figured out my characters would be better off in pairs. Chapter 3 was the chapter I gave up and had to look up a walkthrough online. Somehow I got to the point where I could grind just a bit (but I'm not much of a grinder) with the Golden Gaffe.

The issue is my stubborn girlish pride that won't let me give up and restart in a lesser difficulty. I won't admit I was wrong, and I won't let any of my characters die.

And here I am, reading like a TON of stuff on optimal builds and marital advice. I'm up to 4 hours of reading for maybe one hour of play. I even switched my 3DS language to english so I would understand faster what boards like this one are referring to. I don't say I hate it, just that this is a bit of a shock that a Nintendo game would be so hardcore (yup, I was prejudiced).

What can I say ? I might even be enjoying it. Strangely I don't resent the fact of having to soft-reset 20 times a chapter. But when I read the words "Lunatic +", pure dread makes my body run with sweat.

"Thumbs up" if you have inside of you the makings of a LUNATIC person like me.

You are so many tiers above me I don't even exist. I'm like one of those mages on Chapter 1. OHKO'd by your sheer awesomeness.

And Nintendo can be very hardcore when it wants to be. The NES games were masochist central, but they certainly have their moments when they show they haven't softened a bit.

But I do have a slightly unrelated question for you: play any Atlus games?

[Othin]

There is no shame in backing up a bit and going through Hard first. I won't try to tell you what to do, but overall, you're likely to enjoy that outcome a lot more.

[Tao]

Wow... I could never start on Lunatic, even as someone who's not entirely new to the FE franchise. But for you to do it... much kudos. I definitely don't have the makings of a lunatic [FE] player.

You could still always at least try Hard mode to enjoy the story and then go onto Lunatic?

But I do agree with the part of not letting anyone die, and going straight to Classic. Classic has always been...an FE classic for me.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Cordelia

[Samarkhan]

But I do have a slightly unrelated question for you: play any Atlus games?

Yes I have, mostly Persona 3 and Persona 4 Golden but I don't enjoy them as much as I should. I don't know why but something creeps me out in the support relationships, how they play out. And the tactical aspect is not nearly as interesting.

There is no shame in backing up a bit and going through Hard first. I won't try to tell you what to do, but overall, you're likely to enjoy that outcome a lot more.

I don't know how to explain the feeling I get when I play easier difficulties while knowing I could aim higher. It is as if I'm disappointed with myself, but it's also the feeling of not playing the "real thing" that bothers me. I hate it. I just have to go and try to make of my first run as perfect a run as it is possible within the confines of reasonable information.

For example, I generally avoid detailed walkthroughs, but I'm careful to read their "missable items and events" sections. That is how I knew not to pair up Chrom with any female until I was sure of his future bride. I won't follow blindly any so-called optimal build but will take time to figure out their author's reasoning. I might end up follow one of them but not until I myself calculated every possible outcome. I truly enjoy myself planning abstractly everything.

Maybe it is not how you enjoy your game, and I respect that, but that is just how I am. I am this horrible person who will challenge a chess master and take 2 hours between every move to conceal my lack of practice.

[cyron]

I would say try a playthrough on hard mode, and then try lunatic, also skip the reading till after beating hardmode then do a run on hardmode that is carefully planed based on your reading and optmised for lunatic beat hard, and then tweak the team and start lunatic

also zelda 2 was very masochitic my first run of zelda 1 i did blind, i still have pages of noted and maps made on giant sheets of graph paper, i managed 100% completion it took an entire summer and was really fun

[Shadow Mir]

Oh, wow... Your first FE game, and you're ALREADY shooting that high? I dunno whether to say you're being brave or masochistic.

[Hawk King]

If youre doing 4 hours of reading walkthroughs youre not exactly doing it on your own.

There is a reason it's called lunatic, and translated as "expert". It's not meant for newcomers to the series.

I understand that you want the "full challenge" but there is a fine line between hardcore gamer and Don Quixote.

You can read all you want but nothing is more beneficial than personal experience. Like many others, I recommend playing Hard mode before playing Lunatic.

[Loki Laufeyson]

You've got bigger stones that I, my dear. I wont play above Hard mode and this is hardly my first FE.

[Samarkhan]

I didn't expect that I would make such a fuss !

You all look so horrified, but I just finished chapter 10 after 3 or 4 resets, which is reasonable. I have grinded just a little bit the Golden Gaffe (maybe played it 10 times or so) and it really eased the thing a lot.

Maybe it is that I don't know what will befall me in the chapters to come ? But I have finished planning my pairings (no, Frederick, you won't get a wife, you should come out of the closet already ! *sigh*), I have just master sealed Chrom to Great Lord, I cannot wait to have Lucinda in my team, all this looks quite shiny, doesn't it ?

The funny thing is, after all I had read during the first chapters, I didn't see that

"Marth" was Lucinda

and was quite surprised when it was revealed.

[Othin]

Okay, if you're grinding, you should be fine, and it sounds like you are.

[Tao]

I'm curious what your pairings are...

Edited May 13, 2013 by Cordelia

[Linkmstr]

I'm surprised. You have my respects.

[Raine]

I, likewise, agree with what's said above. You should play through hard mode first to get a handle on the builds and strategy involved. I finished Lunatic without a casualty-- but that was only through sheer luck in some places and lots of restarts. Oh, and grinding. Lots and lots of grinding. If you attempt Lunatic or Lunatic +, I suggest getting the DLC.

P.S. 'Lunatic +' is the developer's code name for 'how many ways we can cheat to kill you' it is a mode only for the most hardened of gamers-- not even I have attempted it yet.

[Linkmstr]

I, likewise, agree with what's said above. You should play through hard mode first to get a handle on the builds and strategy involved. I finished Lunatic without a casualty-- but that was only through sheer luck in some places and lots of restarts. Oh, and grinding. Lots and lots of grinding. If you attempt Lunatic or Lunatic +, I suggest getting the DLC.

P.S. 'Lunatic +' is the developer's code name for 'how many ways we can cheat to kill you' it is a mode only for the most hardened of gamers-- not even I have attempted it yet.

Or it could also be interpreted as "The Computer is a Cheating Bastard." :3

[Tables]

I hate to say but... while starting on the most insane difficult available is admirable, if you're looking at guides and the like to get through chapters P-3, then grinding afterwards, you're totally killing any challenge in the game. Right now you've probably pushed the difficulty down to... below Hard, if you've done Golden Gaffe that many times. And the fact you've looked at guides means you'll know mechanics a bit better than the average gamer, and the like.

The worst part is though, once you've learnt a strategy from a guide, you can't unlearn it. Now you'll never be able to play this on Lunatic without help. Well, the early chapters at least. There's still Lunatic+ though...

[Talvisota]

I played on Hard/Classic for my first play through.

I like to just take it slow on my first run, enjoying the characters and story and then delve deeper into the mechanics and difficulty on later

play throughts. I found Hard/Classic to be a solid challenge so if things get really frustrating on Lunatic it's a great substitute.

I've just finished my own Lunatic play through recently and I can't deny it's quite the thrill ride.

But like most people have said I enjoyed it precisely because it was my 2nd play through rather then my 1st.

On my first play through I got an idea of who my fave characters were/ who worked well together/ what the good skills were etc.

If you want to cut to the chase and just use the Internet to tell you all of those things then I guess it's up to you.

Still Fire Emblem is great for doing things your own way and trying something new so good luck with which ever difficulty you choose :)

Lunatic+ is another matter, as you'll probably tell from reading threads about it it's pretty controvertial with regards to whether it's

just a difficult, challenging mode for experts or completely broken.

Edited May 13, 2013 by Talvisota

[47948201]

Kind of discouraging when you have my luck and this happens to you the first time you try Lunatic.

Lunatic? This happened to me on my first run on Hard. Not from the boss, but from a normal enemy. And not on Frederick, but on a Luck Asset Avatar. Wonderful times, those were.

But @TC, the American version sounds more suited--"lunatic" seems much more suiting than "expert". Still, whatever floats your boat is exactly what you should go for; if grinding and researching how to possibly deal with this personal undertaking for 4x as much as you play rather than going for the experience route is appealing to you, no one's going to stop you.

As for me, Hard/Classic is more than enough ^-^;

[Florete]

Right now you've probably pushed the difficulty down to... below Hard, if you've done Golden Gaffe that many times.

Just the Golden Gaffe won't do that, even with as many times as it's been played.

Just wait until Ch 17. Then you'll wish you hadn't aimed so high. You're probably feeling the game getting easier right now. It won't stay that way.

[Tables]

Just the Golden Gaffe won't do that, even with as many times as it's been played.

Just wait until Ch 17. Then you'll wish you hadn't aimed so high. You're probably feeling the game getting easier right now. It won't stay that way.

Golden Gaffe gives pretty similar EXP to EXPonential Growth, as well as essentially infinite money. 10 times through it is easily about 5-7 levels per character for about 10 characters.

[Othin]

Golden Gaffe's Exp and cash gains depend entirely on what you can actually kill.

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

The money from 1 - 2 Gaffle enemies alone is pretty huge

[Samarkhan]

I just used Golden Gaffe to lvl up Chrom and FeMU to some usefulness and not rely too much and Frederick. I had seen videos where people managed to feed some kills to them in those early stages, but I could not do it. I did not bring the rest of my team and it took me about an hour and a half to do it. As I said, I'm not much of a grinder.

I agree that reading a lot online is really what brings down the difficulty of the game to a less frightening level. But it's not as if I followed move by move video walkthroughs, I just see them when I'm stuck, try to understand the general strategy and reset a LOT to get my chapter's routine right. It's all about the routine. If I see my opening moves are not perfect because of bad luck or obvious blunders, I just reset. I even manage to get all the shiny tiles, every chest or escaped thief (but the one on paralogue 4), and sometimes I even take the luxury of resetting a chapter I've succeded when level ups are really bad (i.e. < 3 stats).

But it is true that, for now, thanks to my few GG runs, the money isn't at all a worry and I tend to use forged weapons open-handedly.

Up to chapter 14 today !