Teleporting as a plot device?

[Ottservia]

4 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

Furthermore, in every scenario except two, it only gets used to explain stuff that could've happened through different means: 

Okay so I know we’ve had this discussion before and I know you’re kind of tired of it so I’ll keep this brief but I generally don’t like it when people make statements like this. I mean your use of it here makes sense and I agree to an extent but generally speaking I hate this kind of argument. Cause the thing about it is there really is no “right” way to tell a story really and I just don’t like it when people say that a story should be told a certain way cause y’know there are so many ways to tell a story and convey ideas and to say that there is a definitive “right” and “wrong” in regards to that would be dismissive of that notion which I don’t agree with.

to say something “should’ve been a different way” is dangerously similar to being dismissive of the fact that stories can be different because the implication is built into the statement which is why I don’t like it.

To reiterate, I’m not saying your use of the phrase here is incorrect because it’s not and you’re using it well just be careful in how you use it. 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Ottservia

[Interdimensional Observer]

A list of teleportation game-by-game that I know:

1. Gharnef irrational pre-battle taunting, Gotoh moving Marth around.
2. Witches in gameplay, Jedah doing some battle taunting + more in SoV.
3. War of the Heroes- more Gotoh moving Marth, and an instance of Gharnef fleeing.
4. Conversations between cultists and their non-cult pawns, plenty of kidnappings via hit-and-warps, a few battle taunts ending with Warp, and even rescuing baddies via warps. Offscreen, a warp to save a good life.
5. Warp and Rewarp staffs are heavily used by enemies in gameplay. But in narrative, warping I don't recall had any real role.
6. Was warp actually used at all in narrative here?
7. Black Fang loves warp, warp to kidnap, warp to deploy troops, warping to taunt the heroes without fighting them.
8. A little warp from Riev to spectate battles, mostly warp by Lyon to chat and flee from Ephraim and Eirika.
9. Warp for fleeing, warp for spectating, warp for kidnapping. Restrained by a lore statement that Warp Powder saps vitality.
10. Warp for taunting the heroes, warp for "helping" the heroes, warp for deploying enemy troops.

13. Warp to taunt the heroes, warp to counter the heroes, warp to attack the heroes.

14. Not familiar with its use of warp in narrative.

16. Same as 14.

TRS- Evil cultists use warp to rescue their kind, to kidnap, to attack with Witches.

 

I'd say Nergal's warp-taunting and Manfroy's Julia kidnap are the worst instances of warping in FE narrative.

 

2 hours ago, TWrex said:

XBC2 was notorious for this shit as well.

I get your point, but there at least I see every battle ending indecisively being due to the initial surprise of some new ally trick, or the enemy pulling out another card of theirs' that makes them stronger than last time. To list the instances SPOILERS:

Spoiler

• Torna Tomb vs. Torna- Not so much "won" as a harrowing escape possible by the surprise of Rex and Pyra working together, and Nia's betrayal.
• Uraya vs. Torna- Won only because Vandham, and Mythra's return. Torna was much stronger here.
• Mor Ardain vs. Torna- The surprise of Haze. The Torna escape is less justifiable however.
• Temperantia vs. Torna- Jin is fragile. I forget how the escape went.
• Tantal vs. Torna- Lost because Absolute Zero, and it only ends with everyone alive, because Pyra/Mythra offered herself.
• Morytha vs Torna- A trick by Nia with Malos holding back.
• Morytha 2 vs. Torna- Rex goes full power. Ends because the cliff collapses, a little deus ex machina excuse.
• World Tree vs. Torna- The final clashes where people actually die.

Not saying it was all well-written, it certainly did have a real "anime" vibe to it all, albeit the battle choreography was very good. But they did offer some excuse for each and every fight ending without either side dead.

Edited October 25, 2019 by Interdimensional Observer

[NinjaMonkey]

5 hours ago, Icelerate said:

They also can't counter attack after warping because in RD, if you have a staff equipped, you can't use magic in retaliation.

You can still counter-attack with the staff though.

Edited October 25, 2019 by NinjaMonkey

[Corrobin]

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainTeleportation

It's a common trope in lots of media. It's not a Fire Emblem specific problem/foible.

[vanguard333]

7 hours ago, Ottservia said:

Okay so I know we’ve had this discussion before and I know you’re kind of tired of it so I’ll keep this brief but I generally don’t like it when people make statements like this. I mean your use of it here makes sense and I agree to an extent but generally speaking I hate this kind of argument. Cause the thing about it is there really is no “right” way to tell a story really and I just don’t like it when people say that a story should be told a certain way cause y’know there are so many ways to tell a story and convey ideas and to say that there is a definitive “right” and “wrong” in regards to that would be dismissive of that notion which I don’t agree with.

to say something “should’ve been a different way” is dangerously similar to being dismissive of the fact that stories can be different because the implication is built into the statement which is why I don’t like it.

To reiterate, I’m not saying your use of the phrase here is incorrect because it’s not and you’re using it well just be careful in how you use it. 

Okay. Thanks. As I'm guessing you understand, I simply meant in terms of practical means available to the character; not in terms of storytelling. 

 

2 hours ago, Corrobin said:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainTeleportation

It's a common trope in lots of media. It's not a Fire Emblem specific problem/foible.

Yeah; I figured it was a common enough trope. Odds are, if there's a recurring thing in a series, it's probably a common trope. 

One hilarious non-FE example I remember is in Skyward Sword where, after beating Ghirahim for the second time, he basically taunts: "I should've gotten you last time, I could get you this time, but I'll get you next time! (I'm paraphrasing)" before teleporting away. And yeas; Link just stands there the whole time.

[Thane]

It needs clear restrictions or criteria if it should be used at all. As many have pointed out, there are many hilarious examples where villains teleport in the series seemingly just to gloat and not defeat the heroes, but there are also weird examples where it ISN'T used. If a villain is finding themselves in a bind, why not just teleport away? It's like Ephidel in Blazing Blade who has been shown to be able to teleport with ease, but now that his life depends on it he can't do it? 

I suppose it would make the story a bit more boring if teleportation was used to the full extent of its potential. "The villain teleported into your tent while you slept and slit your throat and won the war".

[Flere210]

Teleportation is not even that strong whitout some form of divination(i am reffering to divination in the d&d sense of heightened perception. Goku ability to sense the ki of speciphic people anywhere in the universe would count as divination, and a very high tier one)

You can't ambush you enemy if you don't know where they are. Also good luck at teleporting in another country whitout gettin stuck in a wall. Once you apply the logical weaknesses, teleportation can be managed.