Which Support System is your Favorite?

[Anacybele]

Why are people saying that story and characters don't matter in FE? FE is driven by story and characters. It's obvious to me because of how many characters there are in each game, the fact that support conversations and paired endings have even existed, and that the stories are mostly well-written (imo. I only think Awakening and FE7 have bad stories so far). None are perfect, but it doesn't make them bad.

If you don't want supports to have real conversations or lead to different endings, don't add any at all. I would have actually been okay with RD's system if it did this, but it still threw in half-assed conversations and endings that felt like they came out of nowhere and/or don't make sense.

[secondworld]

Yeah op you should probably separate FE9 and 10 in the poll

The Path of Radiance system is my favorite

[TheAstraWolf]

If only I had played the Tellius games, those would take the top. So I have to settle with Awakening's.

[Alex95]

Yeah op you should probably separate FE9 and 10 in the poll

The Path of Radiance system is my favorite

Alright, but I thought they were activated the same way, though.

[eclipse]

Alright, but I thought they were activated the same way, though.

Nope.

PoR is "be on the same map".

RD is "be on the same map, but there's some other actions like shoving that will earn support points". Or something like that.

[NekoKnight]

For content, it will vary from game to game but I have more definite opinions on the method of acquiring them.

GBA era: Tedious and mostly nonsensical way of unlocking them. Limited supports also prevent you from completely exploring a character without several playthroughs.

Path of Radiance: A better system thant the GBA games but still flawed. If I don't want to deploy a unit for a given chapter, I might just be locked from completing the support because I run out of chapters.

Radiant Dawn: Gutted the story part of supports, which is my primary concern.

DS Era: Didn't really play them but I don't recall SD having supports.

3DS Era: Best usage in the series. Supports are easy to grind and unlimited (although I wish I wish they limited the number of available partners). Pair-up ensures that two units (provided one of them is a competent fighter) WILL be able to fight together. There is a problem with supporting healers (who's interaction with other units is too spread out to work on a single support, and they're mostly wasted as pair up buddies) and other units but it's pretty minor.

I think the optimal system would be a combination of PoR and Fates.

[RidellCrimea]

DS Era: Didn't really play them but I don't recall SD having supports.

It has supports, but no conversations.

I haven't played the 3DS games, so PoR. I also think the poll should separate PoR from RD.

Edited December 28, 2015 by RidellCrimea

[Original Alear]

Nope.PoR is "be on the same map".RD is "be on the same map, but there's some other actions like shoving that will earn support points". Or something like that.

Ya I met my girlfriend when I shoved her. I'm really romantic. Then I shoved her again and she shoved me back. All the shoving made us more fit and we both became a lot faster and tougher to shove. We're both very salt of the earth people.

I like por's the best. It allows me to feel confident that I can build supports without making me field units in certain areas of a map just to stand next to each other. Of course, the whole point of support convoy bonuses is to help the units when they fight near each other.

[Darros]

I enjoy the FE13/14 method without taking marriage and S supports into the picture. Building several supports at once is easier and more realistic given the nature of supports. I also really like being told who can support with who, a gripe that occured to me in FE6/7 and the DS games. Pair up is pretty great and really useful with supports too, and I really like the mechanics behind it. FE4 supports are also pretty cool given the nature of the game, but FE4 is kind of way different from the other games. That said, chance at guaranteed critical? I'll take that!

[Robert Stewart]

On the poll:

"Mystery of the Emblem" and "Heroes of Light and Shadow" shouldn't be grouped together, as they have different support systems. FE3's supports are fixed while FE12's is similar to FE9's. Unless you mean "New Mystery of the Emblem/Heroes of Light and Shadow" or something.

Do "SNES Titles" refer to FE4 and 5? Because they have different support systems. FE5's is the same as FE3's, while FE4 has the lover system.

WRT the question itself, I think most of the different systems have merit. I guess if i had to pick a favorite, maybe FE9's?

[Alex95]

...Should I just completely redo the poll and have every game as a separate choice?

[eclipse]

...Should I just completely redo the poll and have every game as a separate choice?

Yeah. Because there's subtle differences in support systems, and trying to save space on a max of 13 poll options is kinda silly.

[Alex95]

Alright, I updated the poll to include EVERY game individually. Everyone who has casted a vote will need to do so again. This is the first poll I put together, so I knew there were going to be some issues.

You may also need to delete your vote as well, unless Gaiden really does have the best support system in the series. XP

Edited December 30, 2015 by Power Master

[Magical Glace]

...Did FE1/2 even have a support system?

That said, the most optimal would be a merger of the GBA supports with FE9's. Make them available without locking two units together after X chapters, but let proximity do things for those of us who want the bonuses asap and don't care for turn counts. And the 5 convo limit, because it adds replayability, and S ranks are dumb.

[Shadow Mir]

...Did FE1/2 even have a support system?

That said, the most optimal would be a merger of the GBA supports with FE9's. Make them available without locking two units together after X chapters, but let proximity do things for those of us who want the bonuses asap and don't care for turn counts. And the 5 convo limit, because it adds replayability, and S ranks are dumb.

Nope.

I'd have to disagree with you on... almost everything you said.

[solrocknroll]

Nope.

I'd have to disagree with you on... almost everything you said.

Agreed. The five support limit is awful. I also would enjoy keeping S-Ranks for ending purposes.

As a whole, I like Awakening and Fates's the most. I don't care too much for the children :/

but I do like how they build. FE9's is hard to justify for stuff like Ike/Titania.

[RidellCrimea]

Lol at Gaiden being first place.

[Alex95]

Lol at Gaiden being first place.

For those of you that have voted the GBA titles (1), Tellius titles (2), or 3DS titles (3), please delete your vote then recast it, if you haven't done so already, so more accurate results can be viewed.

I'm honestly thinking of just deleting the poll altogether and just have everyone talk about their favorite support systems. I don't know why I thought doing a poll for this was a good idea in the first place. :P

[eclipse]

Or you can delete the poll and save the post. Then, you repost the poll.

Problem solved.

[Alex95]

Or you can delete the poll and save the post. Then, you repost the poll.

Problem solved.

http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=59511

K

[eclipse]

That's. . .not what I meant. Oh well, I'll lock this one, then. ;/