Should I feel ashamed for playing on Normal/Classic?

[ApathyBeam]

Everybody acts like normal is so ridiculously braindead easy, but I find it to be the right amount of challenge for the way I play in Awakening (leveling characters very evenly, and only using characters I like), and I plan on doing the same for Fates. It's frustrating because Awakening is one of my favorite games of all time but I get crap from the community (not Serenes, I haven't been here long enough lol) for liking the easier mode for my playthroughs. And I'm not new to the series either, I've been playing since FE7, but Awakening's hard mode (and god forbid lunatic) is too rough for me personally. Anybody else most comfortable playing in normal mode?

[solrocknroll]

Nah. Awakening's difficulty is poorly balanced. Hard Mode actually ends up making me ditch everyone but like five units because of the stat inflation and forged weapons even on Hard and not Lunatic. I really can't fathom it but ah well.

the only time you get judged is for playing SS on easy

[nyainou]

I do Normal/Casual every run because I'm not here for gameplay or challenge, I'm here for the story and characters. Its great that you've found the right amount of challenge for yourself and you honestly shouldn't take any shit. We're all different people and we all do different things and that's fine. If you're having fun, then who cares what others think?

[Zerosabers]

Short answer, no.

The reason people usually say normal is so easy is because they completely understand the mechanics of the game and things like pair up and low manning allow you to completely destroy the game from the start on anything below lunatic. However, if you don't take full advantage of the system the game can still be challenging on hard and normal.

[Thor Odinson]

Play what you want and ignore the haters

[Loki Laufeyson]

Play what you want and ignore the haters

More or less. Normal/Classic is a good difficulty for a more relaxed playstyle, but one that still has consequences if you dont pay attention to your guys. Normal/Casual is really easy, but theres still no shame in it. Seriously, it really doesnt matter how you play, as long as you are having fun. If people are giving you static for it, to hell with them.

[Refa]

You shouldn't feel ashamed for whatever you choose to do in the single player experience of Fire Emblem Awakening.

EDIT That being said, I personally don't enjoy playing Normal Mode. Still doesn't invalidate the above statement.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Refa

[Augestein]

I played Lunatic and stuff and beat it. But it doesn't feel like something I can go back and play time and time again by virtue of how the game works like the other games. I play Normal/Casual to complete the support log. Something about filling up the supports makes me feel less stressed. I really can't explain it at all.

I absolutely would hate to play Lunatic or + while trying to complete the support log. And also, I'm not a fan of Awakening's difficulty because it's like:

Chapter Prologue Normal: Sissy bronze weapons.

Chapter Prologue Hard: Sorta dangerous steel weapons.

Chapter Prologue Lunatic: Silver weapons that can kill you. And I absolutely loathe how the first boss has like 1% critical on you for no reason. And yes, it did hit me and OHKO which makes me hate Lunatic because even though you can mitigate the luck by playing well, there's not much you can do outside of "Ooop that 95% hit missed! Taste forged Silver Blade + 3."

There's a point where the enemy stats aren't just competent, but just silly. I feel like Lunatic and hard after chapter 11 go overboard with that. Personally I'm not a fan of many of the hard modes in the series because of how they are done TBH even if I have beaten like all of them.

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

only if you want to get better, otherwise feel free to do what you want.

tho if you do wanna try to improve, i'd recommend playing FE7 or FE8 first, or even FE9, those are pretty easy on normal mode, as someone mentioned, awakening has bad difficulty scaling.

[Jedi]

Never feel ashamed, multiple difficulties are there for a reason.

[Florete]

If it is what you enjoy most. That's what different modes are there for.

My problem with the modes when I want to just play a casual run is that hard mode is too easy but lunatic is too hard. I really wish hard had been a bit harder.

At least you're playing Classic and not Casual. <- That's a joke, even I will be playing Casual for my first runs of Fates.

[Radiant head]

I almost always play Hard/Casual, which might be even more scoffed at, so yeah. And honestly it's pretty pathetic for anyone to "feel superior" or whatever over something as inconsequential as a video game difficulty.

[Czar_Yoshi]

I find it to be the right amount of challenge for the way I play in Awakening (leveling characters very evenly, and only using characters I like)

Well, that's how Normal is meant to be played. If you try using only "good" units, or reaching for certain skills early on, or spamming Seals or playing with half a team, it falls down. If you use it as a difficulty where you can use whoever you want, however you want, and have them be good with a little effort, then it works nicely. "The community" can go jump in a lake.

And I absolutely loathe how the first boss has like 1% critical on you for no reason.

Since he doesn't move, you can completely mitigate it by fighting him at range with Robin with Fred supporting and Chrom and Lissa adjacent, for a Lv.3 adjacency bonus (+10 Dge). It's probably there just to mess with players who don't know how the adjacency bonus works (or don't properly use it).

I for one kinda like it- it's an example of difficulty that can be mitigated through using the right strategy, but without is only a minor (or major, but rare) annoyance and not an impassable blockade. Only this specific example though, there are plenty of times where you really do have no choice but to face 70 listed and hope it hits, and those really are dumb.

[Tryhard]

Yes, you should feel bad. Feel my hatred through the internet.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Yeah, you should feel ashamed for even touching this game.

Normal + classic is alright.

At least the late spotpass chapters can be pretty tough on normal already, if you don't grind.

I lost units in the Priam chapter on normal.

[TheSilentChloey]

I play normal/casual because I am not that skilled at playing Fire Emblem. I think you should stick to what is challenging enough for you and leave out all the hate comments in the bag of "Do not open under any circumstance". Those sort of comments are worthless.

[Skynstein]

Normal/Classic is not the easiest difficulty in the game, so it's not "shameful". :P

The easiest difficulty in the games can have merit even to seasoned players. In Serious Sam (a PC shooter), for example, it's called "Tourist". You're invincible (you take damage but heal faster than you get hurt) and you have double the amount of ammo available to you. Its point however is not to beat the game but to let you know the levels, secrets, etc. without being bothered by dying. It's an exploration sort of difficulty, hence "Tourist".

Plenty of players actually use cheats in their first playthrough so they know enemy and item placement.

You should do what you have fun with. Normal/Classic is probably the most balanced difficulty in the game, if you think about it!

(to the people saying Awakening is "imbalanced": the second difficulty is called "Hard" for a reason, there's nothing imbalanced about a "Hard" difficulty that's, well, hard)

Edited December 25, 2015 by Cerberus87

[solrocknroll]

Normal/Classic is not the easiest difficulty in the game, so it's not "shameful". :PThe easiest difficulty in the games can have merit even to seasoned players. In Serious Sam (a PC shooter), for example, it's called "Tourist". You're invincible (you take damage but heal faster than you get hurt) and you have double the amount of ammo available to you. Its point however is not to beat the game but to let you know the levels, secrets, etc. without being bothered by dying. It's an exploration sort of difficulty, hence "Tourist".Plenty of players actually use cheats in their first playthrough so they know enemy and item placement.You should do what you have fun with. Normal/Classic is probably the most balanced difficulty in the game, if you think about it!(to the people saying Awakening is "imbalanced": the second difficulty is called "Hard" for a reason, there's nothing imbalanced about a "Hard" difficulty that's, well, hard)

Except not. It may be called Hard, but that doesn't give it an excuse for sloppy stat scaling. Take Radiant Dawn for instance. The middle difficulty was Hard in Japanese, so it fits this example. I know there's English Hard/Japanese Maniac, but here we're doing Japanese for a point. Radiant Dawn's Hard is very doable, but takes good amounts of strategy, especially in Part 1. You cannot low man the game and expect to win. How about Eliwood Hard Mode? It doesn't even reach Awakening's level of difficulty.

For Awakening, Low manning is pretty much encouraged. If you play normally, it's likely that the too quickly promoted enemies combined with their massive caps, you'll likely fall behind. The game's Hard Mode is also the middle difficulty. I expect this from Lunatic. I expect to be able to use 15 or so units, which is around where the unit limit is for every chapter. I especially feel like forged weapons should have waited for Lunatic, and even then, it feels wrong seeing enemies with forges considering how PoR through New Mystery had them exclusive to you.

[Shin]

Nah, there's no shame in it. Play what you like, you can try the other ones if you feel brave later. The real shame comes from playing Lunatic Casual, I know who you are.

[ChickenWings]

Better than playing Normal Casual, like I did.

[Radiant head]

(to the people saying Awakening is "imbalanced": the second difficulty is called "Hard" for a reason, there's nothing imbalanced about a "Hard" difficulty that's, well, hard)

I'm fairly sure people thought Hard Mode was not very hard after experiencing it, not because they don't know what hard means.

Ideally there would have been something in between Hard and Lunatic.

[eclipse]

I dunno, are you looking for approval from people over the Internet based on how you play a single-player game?

The vast majority of the world isn't affected by how you play Awakening, so do what you want.

[shadowofchaos]

Yes, you should feel bad. Feel my hatred through the internet.

Just in case the OP doesn't know, he's a nice guy. He's just being sarcastic if that wasn't obvious enough.

[Frenzify]

You could play on Normal/Casual and it still shouldn't bother you, if that's what you want. It's not gonna affect anyone. Nobody who isn't an elitist, loudmouth asshole should care. Games are meant to be fun. Play the game in whichever way is fun for you.

[Kyea]

The games are made to be enjoyed. Play whatever way you like best. I also have more fun with easier modes, even though I can handle, and can beat the harder modes in the games I've played.