Asset/Flaw makes absolutely no difference to Avatar performance

[Tables]

It's just a subsection of the game meant to reflect your personal stats, and Avatar performs equally well among any asset/flaw choice.

At least, that's the argument that I've seen being made twice now on GFAQs (or very similar such arguments, such as that no choice of Asset/Flaw makes things any easier than another). I dislike, and am rather weak at, internet debates, since they always end up in flame wars and people are often unwilling to back down, so while I've attacked the statement a couple of times I've eventually gotten bored of doing so.

So what do people think? Personally I think it's impossible to assert that something like +SPD/-LUK will perform just as well throughout the game as -SPD/+LUK - the former has a big advantage in ability to double and avoid getting doubled early, while the latter is less crit prone early on and has slightly stronger attacks later. The former's benefits far outweigh the latter, I feel.

The (most recent) thread at GFAQs is here, if you're interested in saying anything.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Those people are the same kind of people who don't believe in Smash Tier lists. I have nothing to say to them other than a big wall of numbers that will get blown off as irrelevant and not be read. I haven't yelled at anyone on Gfaqs for a while, though, so I'll give it a shot.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Czar_Yoshi

[Anacybele]

I have to kind of disagree. With a defense flaw, my Avatar would be getting killed a lot. Because Frederick has had to save her from killing blows several times. xP

[shadowofchaos]

Lunatic makes it so that a single stat point can mean the difference between life or death.

...Choosing a Mag Asset and a Luck flaw in Lunatic+ has been the cause of many headaches for me from enemy criticals, but I knew that going in.

[shroudening]

I'm quite convinced myself that it does make a tremendous difference. My first character had a flaw in HP and it really hurt his performance in Classic Hard mode. Granted, the rest of his stats were nice, but his HP didn't even make it into the 50's if memory serves. Assets and flaws do effect avatar's caps, and a mediocre speed cap would probably be a death wish in the harder modes. No amount of reclassing and grinding will make up for a flawed cap.

In the easier mode, I'd assume that the asset and flaw are much less noticeable, but talk about boring...

Edited January 1, 2014 by Village King

[Sunwoo]

I'm pretty sure my avatar would have better hit on streetpass teams if his flaw wasn't skill.

And my magic flaw avatar gets doubled by or doesn't double things my magic asset avatar hasn't issues with.

[shadowofchaos]

No amount of reclassing and grinding will make up for a flawed cap.

If you have capped stats and talking about post-game... your pair ups, S support Dual Attacks, and rally bots more than well enough make up for those one or two points stats.

Unless you're going super efficiency LTC or a gimmick restriction, you can run over Apotheosis anyway with whatever flaw mods you have.

Edited January 1, 2014 by shadowofchaos

[Skynstein]

Lunatic mode early game you want +Def because there are almost no mages and Def boosts your survivability.

I like +Mag a lot, though. Late game, the Avatar rapes stuff with magic.

[Loki Laufeyson]

I once had a +Mag/-Spd guy. He didnt last long cuz dat speed. oi...

So even on a mode that isnt Normal, yes it makes a difference.

[Tribute]

Well, its Gamefaqs.

Thats like saying a downs syndrome 8 year old walked up to you and tried to teach you applied physics.

What you read translates to "MU was promoted and sealed 5 times by ch 12 ezgameezlife, ergo asset/flaw doesn't matter"

[NickCookiemonster]

i disagree with that statement, you see, My avatar has MAG+ and STR-, with this asset/flaw the max stat of my MU as a grandmaster are not the default all 40 exept for luck that is 45. No the max strenght that Nick(MU) is 37 an the maximum mag stat is 43 or max strenght 47 and max mag 53 if you count limit breaker.

Now if it was just a personal stat for yourself and nothing else, well i don't know why they would put it their just to be seen one time in all the game, it would just be a waste of time for the programmer.

And for my final answer, did you know that the asset and flaw influence the max damage you can do in all the game? Yes, in fact, if you choose luck as a flaw for your avatar, sorry man, you can't do the 633 damage.

So for my part, i conclude that asset and flaw have an influence on the game.

Edited January 2, 2014 by NickCookiemonster

[Samias]

Asset/Flaw only stop making a difference once you cap. But the effect on growths is huge. If you pick def or res as a flaw, your durability is going to be complete crap. If you pick speed as a flaw, you're at risk of getting doubled by enemies in harder difficulty modes. Your choices can fluctuate your growth rates up to 10% in either direction (15% for HP), which is extremely noticeable in a game like FE. But whatever, this is the internet and there will always be people who assert things that are outright false.

[shadowofchaos]

Yes, in fact, if you choose luck as a flaw for your avatar, sorry man, you can't do the 633 damage.

So for my part, i conclude that asset and flaw have an influence on the game.

What need would you have to do more than 99 damage, the maximum HP for any enemy unit in the game?

Maxing out crit against Anna in Apotheosis is enough to one round her if you double her and get dual attacks.

Yes, it does have an influence on the game, but your example is only akin to "OH EVERYONE LOOK, I HAVE MAX DAMAGE. LOOK AT MY ACHIEVEMENT" instead of an actual application.

Edited January 2, 2014 by shadowofchaos

[NickCookiemonster]

Yea i must admit that the max damage is just for the achievement, but for the children the asset and flaw is not to be ignored. For exemple i will use Owain, usually his max mag would be 49 if he is a sage, but if you have a avatar with mag as the asset, the mag of Owain will go to 53 as a sage, 63 with limit breaker. However because the flaw of my MU was strenght, Owain strenght is penalized too.

i think this answer is more correct than the max damage.

Edited January 3, 2014 by NickCookiemonster

[shadowofchaos]

Yea i must admit that the max damage is just for the achievement, but for the children the asset and flaw is not to be ignored. For exemple i will use Owain, usually his max mag would be 49 if he is a sage, but if you have a avatar with mag as the asset, the mag of Owain will go to 53 as a sage, 63 with limit breaker. However because the flaw of my MU was strenght, Owain strenght is penalized too.

i think this answer is more correct than the max damage.

And when you're capped... like I said:

Unless you're going super efficiency LTC or a gimmick restriction, you can run over Apotheosis anyway with whatever flaw mods you have.

I mean honestly... for goodness sake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr2Cpi61w1s

Does it *REALLY* matter what asset or flaw you have for children you're capped already when a FREAKING 1ST GEN Dancer can one round Anna?

In the context of main game where it's bases and growths and not caps on Lunatic... yes it makes a difference.

In the context of the typical "ZOMG, CHILDREN HAVE TO BE THE BEST" of most people here on Serenes Forest... I literally do not see the point.

In the context of LTC where you have to choose marriages in terms of trade off of training up the children vs. the turns you'll save in the long run? Yes.

For caps? For gimmicks like maximum damage to see how far you can take the game for discussion and theorizing? Yes.

For literally just caring about caps because you can, especially when equipping Limit Breaker and those Brave Weapons from your Pair Up partner will make up the difference for those flaw/asset points just like in your example? I DO NOT SEE THE POINT.

Edited January 3, 2014 by shadowofchaos

[NickCookiemonster]

I certainly have a lot to learn from you shadow : ]

but yea i am not the guy who say you must have the best children or anything, heck i paired gregor with nowi just because you recruit them in the same chapter and paired henry with tharja just because of the class but let's go back on the main subject:

I admit that at some point of the game asset/flaw won't do anything when your capped, because all of you character will dodge almost if not all hit from the risen and DLC character, also, even if they hit you, the damage you will received won't be really high.

I try to justifie but can I really? I play on normal/casual, so I'm not the one really concerned by asset or flaw...

[Elieson]

Well, its Gamefaqs.

Thats like saying a downs syndrome 8 year old walked up to you and tried to teach you applied physics.

What you read translates to "MU was promoted and sealed 5 times by ch 12 ezgameezlife, ergo asset/flaw doesn't matter"

Gfaqs also swears that Marcus is a horribru unit

[Nicolas]

Gfaqs also swears that Marcus is a horribru unit

They also think that Dagdar is useless, but Miranda is best because MK promo. They say that Bromeros and Asvel is bad. They even think that Xavier and Dalsin are in the same tier, but Dalsin is better. I'm wonder if they even play this game.

Just another trash post. Srcroll down.

[Meteor]

pretty sure that guy is trolling based on the fact he completely ignored what the TC was asking. Either that or has never played without EXPonential Growth.

[Tribute]

And when you're capped... like I said:

I mean honestly... for goodness sake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr2Cpi61w1s

Does it *REALLY* matter what asset or flaw you have for children you're capped already when a FREAKING 1ST GEN Dancer can one round Anna?

In the context of main game where it's bases and growths and not caps on Lunatic... yes it makes a difference.

In the context of the typical "ZOMG, CHILDREN HAVE TO BE THE BEST" of most people here on Serenes Forest... I literally do not see the point.

In the context of LTC where you have to choose marriages in terms of trade off of training up the children vs. the turns you'll save in the long run? Yes.

For caps? For gimmicks like maximum damage to see how far you can take the game for discussion and theorizing? Yes.

For literally just caring about caps because you can, especially when equipping Limit Breaker and those Brave Weapons from your Pair Up partner will make up the difference for those flaw/asset points just like in your example? I DO NOT SEE THE POINT.

First gen...with capped stats, limit breaker, full tonics, barracks boost, S support, and a forged killing edge

Its really no less absurd than nitpicking over a couple stats

[shadowofchaos]

First gen...with capped stats, limit breaker, full tonics, barracks boost, S support, and a forged killing edge

Its really no less absurd than nitpicking over a couple stats

A Dancer, with a bad str cap.

Considering that's the last boss of the map, that was *kind of* necessary?

The point was that with the children when comparing to that, you're going to run over whatever you need to when you're CAPPED. Your flaw doesn't really matter at that point.

Edited January 3, 2014 by shadowofchaos

[Czar_Yoshi]

My humble opinion on the matter (when minmaxing) is that it matters if there's something you specifically want to do with it, it matters, and if you have nothing in particular you want it to do, it's just a small boost that probably won't make a difference. On my first (horribly unoptimized) clear of Apo, I was using a +Str/-Skl Avatar-M who only had an A support with his pairup, and it didn't hurt me at all because there was nothing I needed it for.