Should Third Tier Promotions Return?

[Shadow Stalker X]

I'm all for having third tiers returning, but I honestly don't see it happening. The overall length of the game would have to be long enough to justify having characters promote to a third tier. I'm thinking at least 30 main story chapters. And considering the fact there is the possibility of route splits, they would be making even more work for themselves creating an extensive campaign for multiple routes. Considering that route splits can potentially create far more overall chapters, I could easily see something like that taking up over 50 unique chapters easily, which I'm not sure IS has the time to make.

[Sentacotus]

Yeah the biggest determinate would be length RD is by far the longest game in the series (part of why I love it). I think a way they could balance it would be once you promote to the second tier it locks out all the other tracks as to not abuse second seals and forces you to think of what skills you want from the base classes before you promote. It would also promote specialization and promoting to what you need in your army.

[thetiger39]

Third tiers should return if the game has at least 45 chapters.

[NinjaMonkey]

I want them back, but I doubt that they will be in this game.

[NeonZ]

Besides, if it's going by Awakening class caps and such which is likely, what would a third tier really bring to the table? There would have to be a lot of cool skills for third tiers to sell me on it.

I think one of the things that third tiers could add is exactly to avoid the inflation of 2nd tier stat caps. It's kind of odd how the "2nd tier" is effectively meaningless in Awakening since the stat differences for it can be so vast, due to leaving room for grinding.

Aside from that, they also could separate the third tiers from the standard class branches, since branching 2nd classes would be basically impractical. So, say, each character could have 3 third tier classes, doesn't matter what are their 1st or 2nd tier classes (although, of course, the developers wouldn't be crazy and there'd be some correlation, like Cavaliers/Paladins/Great Knight starting units generally having Gold or Silver Knight as one of their third tier classes. They also could implement a system where third tier classes have skills tied to the classes, while others could be moved around, like the skills in Awakening. So, they could keep the grinding aspect, but also make the characters and classes more differentiated from each other.

[BlueLore]

I don't really think 3rd tiers are really that valuable,I mean yes they were kinda awesome in RD,but they were far too powerful.

Overall I am not much against them,I just don't see the use in giving us a third tier,I'd prefer it if we simply got more second tier classes to choose from.

[The Magus]

Give us third-tiers, but treat it as effectively another second-tier in that it extends the game and it becomes the default for a section of the game for both players and enemies. The ideal for me would be a system with no reclassing (or else, only reclassing between seperate trees from your initial class, but without level reset so you can't use it to infinite-level, and three tiers - all with branching promotions - plus trainees in the FE8 style. The customization would be amazing despite the lack of reclassing, and yet characters would still remain in their initial class chain, rather than just being randomly changed around. For maximum potential, have like one skill per class and the rest are unique personal skills or gained through scrolls, as in PoR and RD.

[Klokinator]

Give us third-tiers, but treat it as effectively another second-tier in that it extends the game and it becomes the default for a section of the game for both players and enemies. The ideal for me would be a system with no reclassing (or else, only reclassing between seperate trees from your initial class, but without level reset so you can't use it to infinite-level, and three tiers - all with branching promotions - plus trainees in the FE8 style. The customization would be amazing despite the lack of reclassing, and yet characters would still remain in their initial class chain, rather than just being randomly changed around. For maximum potential, have like one skill per class and the rest are unique personal skills or gained through scrolls, as in PoR and RD.

Oh look someone described what I am using for FE8CM.

By the way, everyone here making assumptions about game length correlating to level and tier gain is using flawed logic. All you really need to do to make third tiers usable is make enemy levels scale with the player moderately, and make enemies givelots of EXP for faster leveling. I consider it a flaw if the average chapter only gives 1-3 levels per unit in a third-tier game. 2-5 should be the average, depending on archetype.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Klokinator

[Loki Laufeyson]

Nah.

If they keep reclassing in, theres no need for third tiers.

[mercilesscharizard]

Nah.

If they keep reclassing in, theres no need for third tiers.

There was also the fact that the final classes in Awakening were stronger stat-wise than third tier RD units not to mention Limit Breaker.

[Zalo]

I'd really like them again, I just worry that they'd be quite hard to balance out in the game. They worked nicely in Radiant Dawn because of the length of the game, but If the do implement a tier 3 system, they'll need to do it very carefully, and make sure that the game's style lends itself to actually having the third tier. Having it just because its cool is a recipe for disaster.

[Knight]

If there are no third-tier classes, the game should be long enough to justify the ridiculous stat caps. (actually, either way, the game should be long enough to reach the caps)

[Klokinator]

...worked nicely in Radiant Dawn because of the length of the game

the game should be long enough to justify the ridiculous stat caps.

By the way, everyone here making assumptions about game length correlating to level and tier gain is using flawed logic. All you really need to do to make third tiers usable is make enemy levels scale with the player moderately, and make enemies givelots of EXP for faster leveling. I consider it a flaw if the average chapter only gives 1-3 levels per unit in a third-tier game. 2-5 should be the average, depending on archetype.

#Thisiswhywecan'thavenicethings

[Sentacotus]

Guys third tier lords...my god...

[Flamy]

Guys third tier lords...my god...

Let's um... not think about that.

Reclassing, get the hell out of here for Third Tiers!

[Alastor15243]

I said nay because the second seal system with increased caps already works great as is and eliminates the need for a third tier. I especially love how the second seal system eliminates the infuriating problem of permanently RNG-screwed units.

[Knight]

#Thisiswhywecan'thavenicethings

Must of skipped over that post, that sounds like a reasonable solution.

[Luchi]

No, ( probably because I don't really care for RD as a whole ) and if FE14 is using Awakening's engine, there is a high possibility of reclassing being made possible as well.

Not related to the new game, but I was always baffled why Sothe got a new portrait when he promotes into the same class as Heather. Story-reasons aside. :\ Not to mention it was one of the worse-looking outfits, right there at the bottom of the heap with Meg and Mia's 3rd tiers.

[BrightBow]

Third Tier Promotions fulfil no purpose whatsoever. Allthough, it would be nice if IS would finally get rid of that absurdely low level cap instead.

[X-Naut]

Unless they can add something beyond further stat inflation that the two-tier system lacks I don't see a point.

[Strawman]

Yes because they look cool.

I think it could work with reclassing if you couldn't reclass between 3rd tier, but could reclass back to first or second. Or, don't allow third tier characters to use change seals at all. So you can grind to max stats in 2nd tier, but only get your 20 levels in 3rd tier and also limit it to one third tier skill. Or limit reclassing to stay within class branches(less tier 1 options). We've been spoiled recently with it being so easy to get characters to max most/all/the important stats. Locking off reclass usage at some point doesn't seem too harsh.

But as much as I can dream, I would think chances would be low they would return.

[RandomSwordmaster]

Speaking of level caps, my vanilla FE8 Tethys has reached level 40.....and STILL isn't done leveling. That 100 avoid tho.... Anyway, I vote yay for 3rd tier, because you can never have enough overpoweredness. Just make the enemies scale as well.

[grandjackal]

Third tiers could be interesting, long as they put actual effort into giving them a point. FE10 was absurdly lazy about how it implemented third tiers, and only really served to make characters who already had problems have it even worse.

It'd be interesting to see third tiers with better execution, but I doubt they'll do it. One thing that would be neat is to have bosses be these third tier classes, sort of like how FE4 and 5 had Barons.

[Original Alear]

Pair up is actually even more broken than T3, so combining the two will be not pretty to watch.

Even without that, it was still a little broken IMO, I liked that but it was not handled well and the promotion T2 to T3 was not as game changing as T1 to T2, that was just T2 on steroïds.

Not only pair up and t3 and fe13 caps and limit breaker, we should bring back FE4 level S/* rank weapons. That's right I'm talking about +10 to +30 stat point bonuses and 30 base might weapons that you can repair by paying gold and have 50 uses to start with.

You know you want it.

[Loki Laufeyson]

ngl, part of the reason i had so much fun with Awakening is because of how you can break the game clean in half.