Which FE do you you think was the most well-written?

[Dwarfishh]

As much hate as there is for FE 11, that prologue did an excellent job fixing up the storyline and has earned my number one spot. I know people don't like the complexity of FE 6's, but I found FE 6's storyline to be my second favorite. Some other honorable mentions are FE 8, 9, and 13.

I found FE6 to be a relatively simple story, especially if you don't have all the sacred weapons. The multiple routes do mean it requires at least 2 plays to do fully comprehend it, but it's not too bad. However, as FE games go, it is one of the tougher ones to get to grips with (slightly less so if you've played FE7, due to the superior localisation).

[Roy: Marquess of Pherae]

I found FE6 to be a relatively simple story, especially if you don't have all the sacred weapons. The multiple routes do mean it requires at least 2 plays to do fully comprehend it, but it's not too bad. However, as FE games go, it is one of the tougher ones to get to grips with (slightly less so if you've played FE7, due to the superior localisatioWe

Well that's pretty much what I meant. To get the whole story, it requires the sacred weapons and playing both Ilia and Sacae. Aside from the hit rates, I think the story appears bland and unappealing to most gamers at first. After playing it, I can reflect off of it and I still believe it was an enjoyable game and a well written plot.

[amadeuscho]

FE8 has a pretty poor overall story, but the characters are really good as a whole, while FE4 is the opposite.

This is what I think about both games. I really don't think highly of FE8's plotline, but I think it's characters are better than FE7's. FE7 is very basic and concise, but it gets the job done and gets you to care about the characters.

[Loki Laufeyson]

You're right.

We're giving it far too much credit.

Like WTF BK reveal.

Mmhmm. Tower of Guidance gives me a flat wat too.

This is what I think about both games. I really don't think highly of FE8's plotline, but I think it's characters are better than FE7's. FE7 is very basic and concise, but it gets the job done and gets you to care about the characters.

Arr. FE8's story is pretty bland but the characters shine quite a bit. The Joshua subplot in Eirika route is really well done for something so simplistic. Then seeing all the royal children from Magvel come together with Eirika saying "Oh...if only Lyon was here with us..." it felt pretty good and sad at the same time. The characters carry FE8. FE7 has some pretty damn good characters but its the plot that carries the game. Its trying many different storylines and putting them together. I found it to be relatively successful in that department. Its not the best writing ever but yeah. My favorite FE7 moments are Hector's realization about Uther. That really hit the feels and the way Hector handles it...Wow. I felt much more strongly about that than i did with Elbert or even Ninian.

[General Banzai]

fess has a better plot than fe7 by leaps and bounds tho

[Samias]

Like most people I think FE9 has the strongest writing. There's a strong build-up from small conflicts into larger ones that make the whole early-game bandits seem way more believable. Supports are handled well by making them based on chapters, which mean the supports can reference parts of the plot specifically because the developers know when the supports can be triggered. Not everyone in the army is completely on-board with the leader, people leave, people have conflicting feelings, and generally it covers a lot of ground in both characterization and world building.

I like FE10 up until part 3, and then 4... I thought 3-E was an intense buildup, and then you switch over to part 4 and the tension is lost as you wrap up loose ends against bland villains. FE10 loses a lot of nuance from 9 but I think part 2 of FE10 is superb as a standalone story, despite its brevity.

[Axie]

I like FE7 more than most and it's true that it touches many themes, but it does some things better than the others. For example, Nergal and the morphs are really well presented (Limstella having more development in her death quote than characters with supports and conversations) and the Bern subplot is really good, but on the other hand the Black Fang's portrayal was very weak and inconsistent.

[Jotari]

The lack of love for Fire Emblem 4 disappoints me.

[RJWalker]

Uh no, just no. As much as I love FE4's plot, the writing is terrible. It's has horrible pacing, one of the worst love stories and gen 2 is incredibly dull.

[Axie]

I wouldn't say the writing for FE4 is terrible. It's just very simplistic (not always a bad thing) and sacrificed subtlety and complexity for big, emotional moments. Sometimes it works (even though the script for Sigurd's demise in itself is really basic, it was a very memorable event anyway) and sometimes it misses (Hilda is nominally a huge bitch, but we're only informed by Tinny of the things she does and on-screen she doesn't actually DO anything, so defeating her isn't the big revenge moment it's supposed to be).

Also, like in other FE games, some characters make the most out of the few lines of dialog they do receive (for example, as a character, Dimna is way better than Lester).

[Jotari]

Hilda is nominally a huge bitch, but we're only informed by Tinny of the things she does and on-screen she doesn't actually DO anything, so defeating her isn't the big revenge moment it's supposed to be.

Doesn't Hilda spearhead the whole child hunt segment in the second last chapter?

[Axie]

She kind of does but I always interpreted that just as Hilda sending children to the Lopt Sect like everyone else is supposed to. We ARE informed by a village or something that she also kills the mothers after taking their children, but again, off-screen.

[Rehab]

I actually like almost all of fe4, and it captures my imagination more than any of the other games do, to the point that I actually get enjoyment out of filling in the blanks for the weak parts,* but there's just a lot less material to chew on, relatively speaking. It's my favorite, but I can't say I think it's "the best/most well written."

I actually think subtlety can be read from it, but that's partially because a lot of things only get scant or optional mention, so the player has to do some thinking or even inventing to get meaning out of some details that aren't directly central to the plot.


*For example: I think of Deirdre (what's the confirmed translation now? fuck whatever) as having the more important/interesting part in the romance than Sigurd; until meeting Sigurd, she's lived most of her life in almost ritualized isolation, though obviously yearns for something more. She's treated well by the locals, but she must be intimately aware of how having Lopt blood sets her apart- anybody whose Lopt blood wasn't passed down from the traitor-hero whatshisname sibling of Loputousu-whatshisname (so, anybody else) would be burned. IIRC it's implied that the nearby village doesn't exactly broadcast her ancestry widely, so I wonder whether she'd be safe if she lived anywhere else/if word got out.
And even though the villagers are chill to her, they (mostly, barring rude dude McBanditface who creeped at her) are just as wary of/adherent towards the "DO NOT TOUCH/REMOVE FROM FOREST/ESPECIALLY NOT SEX, YOU'LL BRING BACK THE ANTICHRIST" rule as she's brought up to be, so when Sigurd comes along, even aside from being the charming, dashing, egalitarian bloke he is, he probably represents something more to her- a way out of superstitious bumfuck nowhere, sad as that is.

Just going by the dialogue, Deirdre's love for him is played as pretty straight, more-or-less rote "I Seriously Love Lord Sigurd Because We're In Love" stuff, of course, and the further significance/subtext that might be gleaned from my interpretation isn't all positive, but I think their romance can at least be viewed as a little more interesting than "THAT RANDOM CHAP/LADY'S RATHER STRIKING, WE SHOULD MARRY"

(it's not that I think of this as much more than personal interpretation, so I'm not about to argue "NO SIGURDxDEIRDRE IS THE BEST ROMANCE IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY SHUT UP NERDS A++," just that it's one instance of.. more than one in fe4 where I enjoy reading into it) (and where I think reading into it is possible)

Edited November 11, 2013 by Rehab

[Axie]

I actually think subtlety can be read from it, but that's partially because a lot of things only get scant or optional mention, so the player has to do some thinking or even inventing to get meaning out of some details that aren't directly central to the plot.

Oh, I agree with this. Like I said, for example, I like that Julius is such a victim of the circumstances, as he was planned to not have his own life and just become a vessel for a dark god before his birth, or before his parents even knew the existence of each other. It's a very empty existence to have and we are informed by Julia that he was a really nice boy before he was possessed, too. I feel bad for him.

However, that's not really the game being subtle, it's just me reading more into it. The game itself never acknowledges Julius's situation; even his death quotes belong to Loptous and not the true Julius. FE4 could have really been less simplistic in parts of the storyline such as this one.

[Rehab]

I seem to remember it being mentioned (in a village conversation somewhere? by Julia? I forget) that Julius was basically a nice kid until Manfloy took him aside and showed him the Loputousu, yeah.

"Nuanced," in the "more than one layer of detail" sense, might be more the description I'm looking for than "subtle," in the "difficult to understand/not obvious" sense. It might depend on the specific detail

Edited November 11, 2013 by Rehab

[BrightBow]

I seem to remember it being mentioned (in a village conversation somewhere? by Julia? I forget) that Julius was basically a nice kid until Manfloy took him aside and showed him the Loputousu, yeah.

"Nuanced," in the "more than one layer of detail" sense, might be more the description I'm looking for than "subtle," in the "difficult to understand/not obvious" sense. It might depend on the specific detail

You mean this one?:

Yuria:

Just who are you?

Everything changed the day Archbishop Manfroy brought that eerie black book in.

That day also marks the last I saw of my dear brother...

All that remained in his place was this powerful, yet demonic child.

You... whoever you are... have deprived me of my mother and my brother, as well!

Who are you!?

Why must you put me through this agony!?

Yurius:

I am the inheritor of the power of the Loputo Clan. This world is my domain.

And Yuria, you inherit the power of my mortal enemy... Narga. Therefore, you must die.

He does sound like Loputoso for the most part. Though, he still refers to Julia as his sister and to Alvis as his father even when alone with Manfroy.

Edited November 11, 2013 by BrightBow

[BluBlaDe]

FE4 is the best written IMO and I've played most of the series.

FE4 had really awesome character developement for an old school rpg. Trabant, Alvis, Levin and even Eltshan were very well made.

SPOILERS

Which game kills off almost every single one of your characters and forces you to play with other characters ? Only for this the scenario is better than every other FE. The music fits extremely well with every single chapter and the deaths are all tragic and they are numerous too. The feeling you have when you play as the children of the characters that were killed in gen 1 is incredible. Their parents got owned but they sure will have their revenge. Seriously what a freaking plot twist, the 16 bit era of rpg really was the best.

Alvis especially is really well made. The dude was power angry and killed most of the powerful lords to become the emperor but he HAD good intentions. Before Loptous was resurrected Alvis was a good ruler. Alvis also gave your guys the Tylfing back... Think about it. Alvis killed your father but he saved the Tyrfing and gave it back to you only he never told you that. Alvis wanted to be killed and wanted Celice and co to liberate the world but he would not go down without a fight.

Think about it, Alvis could not just go '' sup I killed your father let me join you''.

[Emnay]

I could just be biased and say FE 8 was the best but FE 9 easily takes the cake. Maybe some more explanation on the Black Knight but otherwise all pretty good.

[Loki Laufeyson]

Like most people I think FE9 has the strongest writing. There's a strong build-up from small conflicts into larger ones that make the whole early-game bandits seem way more believable. Supports are handled well by making them based on chapters, which mean the supports can reference parts of the plot specifically because the developers know when the supports can be triggered. Not everyone in the army is completely on-board with the leader, people leave, people have conflicting feelings, and generally it covers a lot of ground in both characterization and world building.

I like FE10 up until part 3, and then 4... I thought 3-E was an intense buildup, and then you switch over to part 4 and the tension is lost as you wrap up loose ends against bland villains. FE10 loses a lot of nuance from 9 but I think part 2 of FE10 is superb as a standalone story, despite its brevity.

Agreed. Part 2 of RD is damn solid. While it doesnt connect very well with the rest of the game's plot, the fact it expands on Elincia's role as queen is awesome.

I like FE7 more than most and it's true that it touches many themes, but it does some things better than the others. For example, Nergal and the morphs are really well presented (Limstella having more development in her death quote than characters with supports and conversations) and the Bern subplot is really good, but on the other hand the Black Fang's portrayal was very weak and inconsistent.

I also agree that the Black Fang is all over the place. The Nergal parts were solid and the key morphs were cool. I kinda like that we dont fight Ephidel. I found his death oddly fitting.

[amadeuscho]

I don't know how everyone else feels, but I would keep in mind that FE4 and FE5 are SNES games, and should be viewed with that context of story design. (And also FE1 through 3 of course). It's what I do for other series, such as Final Fantasy or the Legend of Zelda. I think OoT's story blows a LTTP's out of the water, but for its time, LTTP really broke the mold. It's a bit challenging, since I played most of the other SNES games as a kid so I have that frame of reference, while with FE I mostly have approached the SNES and NES stories as an adult.

[-Cynthia-]

Agreed. Part 2 of RD is damn solid. While it doesnt connect very well with the rest of the game's plot, the fact it expands on Elincia's role as queen is awesome.

Well while Part 2 doesn't connect to the rest of the game directly much (except for 3-9 and 3-10), it fits in well thematically as part of the game's overarching theme of "the burden of rulership". We see this with Pelleas, Micaiah, and Naesala in the later parts of the game.

[Jotari]

I don't know how everyone else feels, but I would keep in mind that FE4 and FE5 are SNES games, and should be viewed with that context of story design. (And also FE1 through 3 of course). It's what I do for other series, such as Final Fantasy or the Legend of Zelda. I think OoT's story blows a LTTP's out of the water, but for its time, LTTP really broke the mold. It's a bit challenging, since I played most of the other SNES games as a kid so I have that frame of reference, while with FE I mostly have approached the SNES and NES stories as an adult.

Fe4 and Fe5 might have been SNES games but (certainly with Fe5) they were N64 Era games (seriously Fe5 was released in 1999!). Still though I thing Fe4 did a masterful job of telling an enthralling story hasty romances aside.

[amadeuscho]

Fe4 and Fe5 might have been SNES games but (certainly with Fe5) they were N64 Era games (seriously Fe5 was released in 1999!). Still though I thing Fe4 did a masterful job of telling an enthralling story hasty romances aside.

I forgot about that, but it also has to do with the limited option of storytelling that the SNES had. In a way that limited their writing I believe.

[Baldrick]

Theoretically, if the SNES games were remade for the GameCube (or Wii I guess, but the consensus is PoR has the best story) what features would be used to improve the story?

[Celice]

I forgot about that, but it also has to do with the limited option of storytelling that the SNES had. In a way that limited their writing I believe.

The SNES was more limited than the N64, but that does not mean the SNES was unable to convey narrative as well as the N64 could have. There are practical differences, but as far as telling a story, if we regress into hardware limitations as being narrative limitations, roguelikes and text adventures of yore ought to be pretty laughable, yet many deliver their own charm.

If you'd like a bare-bones example, just check out Radical Dreamers on the Super Famicom.