Is it just me?

[NoNameAtAll]

I'm surprised someone else said this, I had a similar idea not too long ago, though it's incredibly unlikely that they would ever make another "classic" fire emblem game at this point.

It'd be kinda dumb from a business perspective. The "classic" ones would sell like shit, just like FE9 and 10 (And to a slightly lesser extent, FE11 and 12). Mind you, that's hard to gauge after Awakening's success, but in theory, doing that would lead to the other one selling more than the other.

[Reset]

Maybe I'm just not that big of a fan of the series. I started with Radiant Dawn, but didn't get the chance to play Shadow Dragon and Awakening is my second Fire Emblem game. Although I've been getting into the GBA games most recently Sacred Stones on the Eshop I will admit that I don't have much of a history with series.

However, I think I am a big enough fan to be able to say as long as I can see elements of what I know to be Fire Emblem, as long as it remains a great SRPG with memorable characters, as long as I still care about the series, I think I'll continue to be excited for future Fire Emblem even with all of the fluff. Because to me, it is just fluff and not as bad as people make out to be.

[nocturnal YL]

I dunno; I've only seen a little of the game, but it definitely feels more like a Fire Emblem game than Awakening.

I've played every game in the series except FE1 / FE11. Sufficent to say, I like them all and they all have their own pros and cons. So yeah, it is possible to like both the old and new games. You don't have to pick sides.

I guess it's like arguing whether Melee or Brawl is better while some people simply enjoy the premise of having many different characters fighting each other.

[Mekalygie]

I think people just complain for the sake of complaining. One thing I learned about fanbases (and FE's one in particular) is that there is ALWAYS something that is not done right. A game could be considered perfect, a true gem, and someone, somewhere, would still find something to complain about because they are NEVER HAPPY

*Ahem* Anyway, you can tell that annoys me quite a lot. As a person that rarely complains about games myself (I just accept whatever I get and learn to enjoy it), I can tell you to ignore them, and that you are not alone waiting for it. I am still incredibly hyped for this upcoming title, and the unwelcomed bitching on it will not change this fact.

Now if only I could find confirmation that localization won't censor everything of this game

[goodperson707]

^ this post, eh, just this post.

A toast to you, (while once i go get some drinks anyway)

[Falling]

Do the amounts of fanservice bother me? Yeah.

It's still a Fire Emblem game, though. As long as the stuff that's been in the series since the start is in, I'm hype. It's like putting a Warhead in a cake or something-some of us like that kind of thing, but the people who don't can very well just take the Warhead out and enjoy the cake as it is.

[Jedi]

It'd be kinda dumb from a business perspective. The "classic" ones would sell like shit, just like FE9 and 10 (And to a slightly lesser extent, FE11 and 12). Mind you, that's hard to gauge after Awakening's success, but in theory, doing that would lead to the other one selling more than the other.

Well to be fair, they all sold as well as they needed to, to keep the series going other then Radiant Dawn.

Like if you look at any of the sales numbers for any FE they exceed the amount Awakening had to sell for the series to live.

[Sire]

Why can't I just lurk and observe instead of having a desire to comment on these things...

Notice: Extremely long post. Grab yourself some popcorn, maybe a drink too. This may tide you over long enough for 5 new pages to appear in the Hype Thread. themostimportantthread

A part of me honestly believes most of the hate is due to a magnifying glass on various aspects of FE:Fates, mainly the fanservice aspects. Then, the more people talk about it, the more riled up they get, and the hate cycle continues. I believe the negativity is blown out of proportion as if its the end of the world. As for me, I'm laughing on the sidelines and shaking my head as further news for Fire Emblem: Fates develops. It's all a matter of perspective and attitude...

From what I have observed, here are some points of contention for the fanbase.

1. Incest (While some players may be happy that they can marry certain characters, the idea of doing so or the option even existing is off-putting to some. Sure, Fire Emblem has its share of incest in the past, but how exactly will Fates treat incest?)

2. Skinshipping (Fire Emblem, the Dating Sim! Again, some are rolling around laughing with some of these lines while others find it to be creepy as all hell. Add point 1 here to magnify the effect.)

3. LGBT (I haven't really been following this point as I am indifferent in the matter, but it seems to be received favorably here.)

4. Costume Design (Camilla and Charlotte seem the be the main culprits here, as well as swimsuits for everyone! Add in Camilla's CG fanservice cutscene to magnify this point.)

5. Marriage and Children (Returning from Awakening, this one seems more focused on how the children are implemented into the game instead of the act of marriage itself.)

6. Returning Characters (Three children and three adults from Awakening return to Fire Emblem Fates in some fashion. From what I have seen, the reaction seems to be more on the negative side.)

7. The Spa (Oddly enough, the spa aspects seem to have been skipped over due to the other points. Maybe the cultures of Hoshido and Nohr justified the usage for spas for people?)

I think the greatest fear from the negativity is that these fanservice aspects will become the norm for the Fire Emblem series. While I personally don't mind most of the fanservice for Fates, if these features start recurring then I'll have a reason to start worrying about the future for the Fire Emblem franchise. Sure, the core features of Fire Emblem may still be amazing and the same as it always was, but the addition of so much fanservice off to the side can lead to a bitter aftertaste...

I also think the greatest fear from those who happen to enjoy these features is censorship. I find some of the skinship dialogues to be hilarious, seeing two lovers interact is somewhat amusing. Besides, real couples share similarities in such "suggestive speech". Incest is a likely candidate for some "localisation liberties", but I believe the core idea will still remain despite such changes.

Regarding incest, as far as I'm concerned, if the characters are written correctly and it fits, then go for it. Same with the LGBT stuff, if it written well and fits well, then all ends well. In my opinion, if players are inclined toward incest or LGBT, then go nuts. It is none of my business what other people want to do or ship, if it makes them happy, then go forth and be happy! No doubt there will be people uncomfortable with these aspects, but its one thing to complain about a feature, its another to try and argue about "one's superior line of thinking."

Fire Emblem Amie, or Skinship, is another hotly debated feature. One can describe it as an evolution of the "Avatar Support System", considering that the player character can obtain "Confession CGs" upon obtaining "S" Rank with a character. While I find "private time with everyone!" a tad bit odd, I see the "S" Rank variants as somewhat natural considering the circumstances. There are different ways to raise morale, such as inspirational speeches and the like, but from my standpoint, Skinskipping is something I'll have to actually experience before putting a final verdict on it. At least remember, this feature is completely optional and can be ignored.

Off-topic, but during a short period where I tried Tera Online, I tried to create an Elin character (the oversexualized little people) once for kicks. I don't remember if I even managed to finish character creation, or if I did, I lasted less than 5 minutes on the game world.

Onward to Costume Design, yes, there are costumes that scream fan service material. Sure, everyone can wear swim suits. I am of the mindset of if the "revealing" costume fits the character, than sure, it is justified. Charlotte is insane in my book, and Camilla does suffer from being a "oversexualized big sister". As for swim suits, I've played enough games where swimsuits or variants are available that I really don't care about their inclusion. Almost any MMO has "naked" characters, and Xenoblade Chronicles had swimsuits included within the game.

As an aside, I could live without the blatant camera work on Camilla's CG cutscene. There are ways to show off sexuality besides zoomed in cameras and crazy outfits. In my opinion, the James Bond films seems to pull this off well. Let the body and scene speak for itself, the eyes can be its own judge without the camera's assistance.

Love and marriage, love and marriage.... Go together like a horse and carriage...

While I'm a fan of the ye olde "paired endings" of traditional Fire Emblem games, it seems like marriage and children are emerging to become mainstays in the series. Marriage, I can handle, it seems to be a quicker "paired ending" that happens before the ending itself, go figure. However, the children aspect has to be one of the more hotly debated topics. Sure, they might add some more characters to the game (why not make other characters instead of child characters), but the main issue here is not necessarily their inclusion, but how they are included in the game. Time travel, Outrealm shenanigans, time skips, so on and so forth, what will be the manner of justification? Then, there is the topic of marrying child characters... Again, I'm of the mindset of, "if it makes you happy, go for it." However, I would like to see the children mechanic retired for a while, maybe returning again later in the series when it makes sense in the story. (I remember reading something about the earlier Fire Emblem games pulling child characters well with a First Generation and the Second Generation, maybe they can use that for inspiration for a game down the line. In addition, maybe pull off a Fire Emblem 6 and 7, where the parents are playable in one game and the kids in another.)

Now, for the Awakening veterans. I love the fact the child characters are returning, and had theories of my own before the real answer was provided. However, the when the adult characters return, the hype levels did degrade a bit, but it was somewhat to be expected. The hate here seems to stem from "lazy design choices" or perhaps a hatred for Awakening in general, or perhaps even their inclusion screwing up a bit with headcanon.

As I already stated, I love the returning children characters. I want to know their lore, why are they here, what is happening back home, did their personalities change, so on and forth. I want to see their character development and possibly their little subplot that have going on. Not!Indy, I want to know what you did with my daughter Morgan! This is probably a love it or hate it type of feature, but the fear here may be returning characters to future installments of Fire Emblem that have no real business being there. I didn't mind Priam in Awakening, so long as they can tie everything together, I'll be content with returning veterans.

And, not to forget the adult characters, I could care less about them. While each no doubt have their own quirks and personality, I found them to be somewhat bland in the grand scheme of things (One obsesses over candy, the other obsesses over her lord, and the last obsesses over you). Sure, the children characters follow their own tropes as well, but I find them to be more interesting than their "fan favorite adult counterparts".

If you have come this far, congratulations! Settle down in the spa for some nice rest and relaxation with your fellow members of Serenes Forest, where we can discuss the hype thread (and the secret cult that burns people), favorite pairings, or listening to suggestive lines where one is laughing maniacally, is off in fantasy land, or is already out the door with a ticket far, far away. Essentially, I see the spa as a simple bonding experience where everyone happens to be in swimsuits. I'll accept it for what it is and move on, others can dwell on the aspect as much as they like.

At the end of the day, I'm going to enjoy Fire Emblem: Fates for all that it is worth. Will there be moments where I will cringe, say when watching Camilla's CG cutscene, sure. Will there be moments where I cry manly tears for the death of a comrade (that I can't push the reset button to save), yes. Will I enjoy unraveling the story, seeing how each path compares to one another in an attempt to see the grand tapestry that Fire Emblem Fates is, damn yes I will.

Fire Emblem Fates is a video game. Video games are meant to be played for fun and to get one's mind off the real world, not have pointless arguments about who is the best waifu, top tier character, and dare I say, moral values. Just take notes of valid criticisms, tune out the excess hatred, and just have a good time.

[BlueL]

Everything past SA2 is up for debate pretty much in the fandom.

Also lol @Colors hate considering how good most people consider it.

That's weird, Heroes was at worst a solid spiritual successor to the SA games. Plus that opening theme rocked.

Oh yes. Some of the classic fans were disgruntled with Classic Sonic not 100% feeling like classic sonic and Sky Sanctuary not being yellow enough.

Also I loved Unleashed personally lol, usually people at least like the day stages.

SMH.

Same here. And honestly, as wacky as the werewolve stages were, if the combat had been better it wouldn't have been that bad. Very awkward for Sonic, but not bad.

I just read Elise's S-support skinship lines.

Let's just say I'm very, VERY glad it's all optional content, and that I'm going to stay far away from my own room in "My Castle".

I'd sooner have Avatar stay in the jail cell than that fornication area called "my room"....

One of her earlier lines, they tend to get worse as you do it for a longer time apparently:

I'll soon have a nice body, too!

For anyone curious, the following are much worse:

Hya! That p-place is

O-onii chan, stop

This is a strange feeling. The place you're touching feels nice

Eww Elise...you're supposed to be my precious little sister. Don't turn Fire Emblem into Imuoto Paradise!

[Tribute]

As far as I can tell most of the bitching is about things that are pluses for me.

I mean, I would have been upset if I couldn't incest or Camilla

Edited June 25, 2015 by Tribute

[Tamanoir]

You know, I've realised that the reaction towards the LGBT relationship have been pretty positive on this site.

The main complain have been that they could have gone more. (We want the real thing after all.)

Our fanbase is far from perfect (tough also far from the worse), but I think this is a good point in our favor.

That's weird, Heroes was at worst a solid spiritual successor to the SA games. Plus that opening theme rocked.

SMH.

Same here. And honestly, as wacky as the werewolve stages were, if the combat had been better it wouldn't have been that bad. Very awkward for Sonic, but not bad.

I'd sooner have Avatar stay in the jail cell than that fornication area called "my room"....

For anyone curious, the following are much worse:

Hya! That p-place is

O-onii chan, stop

This is a strange feeling. The place you're touching feels nice

Eww Elise...you're supposed to be my precious little sister. Don't turn Fire Emblem into Imuoto Paradise!

Wow, they really went straight Hentai here...

That's equally disturbing and disgusting (disgurbing, distusting ?)

[Shengar]

http://cappnrob.tumblr.com/post/120639414767/why-is-the-old-school-fire-emblem-fandom-so-bad

MageKnight404 re-posted this on his tumblr.

The Fire Emblem fandom is much like any other fandom; of course there's a few vocal complainers, but most of the veterans are calm and polite to newcomers.

We don't hate newcomers; notice how our complaints are focused on the games, and the average, civil fan hasn't breathed a negative word about newcomers.

From mine (and others') personal experience, there are people out there who seem to take personal offense at criticism of Awakening, and immediately act mean-spirited back towards us. They seem to not realize that we have legit criticisms of Awakening. The fanservice, the removal and dumbing down of multiple mechanics, the cliche story, the generally imbalance, and the elephant in the room now, the 2nd generation.

Indeed many criticism from the old fans on Awakening is reasonable and justified. You don't actually need to play previous games in the series to know that the game have bland map design, lack of variety in mission objective, the game being rushed after the first half, and absolutely awful story. But many older fans criticism seems to get into pretty disingenuous territory pretty fast especially regarding the characters and the art style. The worst thing is saying that the game somehow targeting the ever illusory "otaku"/"anime" audience and used "dating sim" to address Awakening pairing feature in a non-ironic manner. That have been used over and over by some vocal veteran fans, and undoubtedly irked newer fans who never considered themselves as part of the accused audience as liking anime doesn't mean you're into creepy, stupid pervy stuffs. Being accused of what you're not doing can get things personal real quick. Just because the game become more ridden with fanservice, don't scapegoat it to other group that barely have any part in this.