Is it OK to abuse the RNG using save states in Drafts/LTC runs?

[Nobody]

So save states make fire emblem games way easier, and when playing on emulators I have to restrain myself in order to not use them. Are they allowed on drafts/LTC runs? Because they would make them much easier.

BTW, I'm talking mainly (but not only) of using the save states to get better level ups.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Nobody

[ZemZem]

I use save states in case a risky strategy goes wrong.

[Nicolas]

Yes, I guess.

[Nobody]

I use save states in case a risky strategy goes wrong.

But do you use it if you get a crappy level up?

[Jedi]

It depends on if the Drafter/LTC'er feels its "legit" so its more of a, "Do you think its ok to use them" although for things like the desert items are more obvious.

[General Horace]

its pretty obvious people rng abuse in ltc runs

you don't really need to in drafts though. the only times i really savestate then are if its like a boss or something that I can miss and force a total chapter restart (like Aion in 19x)

[Quintessence]

Sure, when a strat is going wrong, I can go back and load them to see the different ways AI react to "x" action and makes it easier to clear the chapter (RD's battle saves are the same, they're pretty useful in this matter) rather than reset the whole chapter and redo everything over and over again. This is annoying because you may get rng screwed and spend hours doing silly things.

Regarding lv ups, yeah I think it's ok up to not getting perfect lv ups every time. But if a char needs "y" stat to clear a specific strat, and doesn't get it via a lv up, then yeah, reset/load for better results.

[ZemZem]

But do you use it if you get a crappy level up?

Not really.

[eclipse]

If I use a save state, it means that I really need something to work. I don't really care for save state level up abuse - part of the reason why I like drafting is because it forces me to improvise with a limited tool kit. If my tools wind up coming out differently, I'll find a way to make it work.

[King Marth]

Oh god, I'm a huge abuser of save states, especially in drafts :/

As others have mentioned, they are very convenient, as you won't have to restart a chapter just because you made a mistake or something didn't turn out right. I for one am not very patient when it comes to LTC and will often "wing it" and see if I get satisfactory results.

When it comes to level ups...I'm not gonna lie, if it is a very important unit, like a flier or a cavalier, I would reload a save state if they get a bad level up. But that's usually only for the main turn-saving unit of the run. Its probably not right, but I don't want to risk having a screwed unit cost me turns later on in the game due to bad levels.

[BBM]

I do it for desert items and to rig crits with Killers, as well as for some bosses if they have high evade (Aion and Carlyle come to mind). I think rigging levels in a draft run is kind of lame but meh.

[Nobody]

When it comes to level ups...I'm not gonna lie, if it is a very important unit, like a flier or a cavalier, I would reload a save state if they get a bad level up. But that's usually only for the main turn-saving unit of the run. Its probably not right, but I don't want to risk having a screwed unit cost me turns later on in the game due to bad levels.

I'm a bit like that. I reset like crazy to give Lowen SPD. However, If it's a unit that is good enough at base, like HM Miledy, I don't do it at all.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Nobody

[Chiki]

No, it's not. People who abuse save states probably aren't very good players if they can't find one consistent strategy for the entire chapter. Covering up your mistakes--such as getting your units killed--with save states probably means that you aren't a very good player.

Now I can understand people trying to save state for a boss crit to cut a turn and other stuff like that. That's not really cheating but rather saving time.

I don't use save states, not even in any of my LTC runs.

[MJThom_2009]

Its not like someone is judging you

[Junkhead]

It's not banned, I think. In my opinion, it's bad sportsmanship, and it basically forces all the other drafters involved to do so as well in order to be able to even compete.

It can't be "wrong" to do so in an LTC run if the very creator of the topic puts the rules.

Edited September 8, 2013 by bearclaw95

[commonguard]

I feel it`s acceptable for dry runs. But submitted attempts should be with as little abuse as possible.

[eclipse]

I feel it`s acceptable for dry runs. But submitted attempts should be with as little abuse as possible.

. . .I think I'll try this next time, when I'm on a game that I can use save states (save at the unit select screen, so I don't have to deal with the pre-chapter dialogue). The rules don't say anything about playing the same chapter a couple of times first to get a feel for it!

[General Horace]

It's not banned, I think. In my opinion, it's bad sportsmanship, and it basically forces all the other drafters involved to do so as well in order to be able to even compete.

It can't be "wrong" to do so in an LTC run if the very creator of the topic puts the rules.

this this this

i remember when fe8 drafts were like ~130 turns then it suddenly dropped to like ~105ish pretty quickly, you do as much as you can get away with in drafts

[Irysa]

I'm not the most efficient player, but to be honest I find that if you're a stat whore (like me) you can usually get away with rigging some stats early on in the game due to short chapters and stuff, regardless of savestate. In that case I really don't think it matters, its basically just making it easier for what I would be restarting for anyway <_<

Getting the crucial early procs is far more important than stuff later on when you have enough units and options to make it work. You can also just make sure you end maps close to a level up, so you can reset for level ups at the start of the next map (something else I tend to do a lot) which basically makes savestate rigging/arrow waving/turn order changes just a time saver. Otherwise I just let it roll. If the game has facilities like Battle save or Map save then I definitely use those though.

Savestating for strategy problems I don't do unless the chapter is just really fucking tedious and long (hi radiant dawn...), because I frankly just lose focus and find it a lot less interesting when theres giant splurges of units dying everywhere as opposed to micromanagement, and thus am more liable to make poor decisions (that end up resulting in having to redo more boring tedious shit ugh).

Edited September 8, 2013 by Irysa

[PKL]

It depends. When I played an FE6 draft, I savestated before every boss and just rigged it to save me time, frustration, my soul and my sanity. In any other game, i never use savestates, ever. I'm not a fan of them. What I tend to do though, is sometimes I play chapters in a way that makes a character end close to getting a level so that when I start the next chapter I can rig a level. And I also like using map saves in the DS games to rig a few ocasionally (I'm sure no one considers this wrong because: we all have access to map saves, using them costs a unit's move so if you get some of them in LTC you deserve it).

EDIT: Oh I also don't find shame in rigging a level in short maps.

Edited September 8, 2013 by PKL

[King Marth]

If you can play FE6 with any ltc goal in mind without savestates, I commend you.

[Jedi]

If you can play FE6 with any ltc goal in mind without savestates, I commend you.

I haven't tried a "true" ltc run of FE6 yet, just mostly drafts. [i'm not all that much of a LTC'er] I'll get back to you when I do try it :P

[Dying Blaze]

I only use it for Lunatic+.

[MacLovin]

don't knock it until you've tried it.

If it can be done in short maps, then yes.

If it's something like trying to proc res on BArth, then no.

If it's something like "make sure Rutger has the maximum amount of str/spd he can proc for fe6 HM bonuses", then yes.

[Baldrick]

I do it, but only because all the cool kids RNG abuse. If there was a feasible way to make it impossible to save state abuse, I'd implement it.