Jotari Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 (edited) 5 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: I know I've made the joke once or twice already, but gee, I wonder which of these are playable and which are the bossmen. Personally, I prefer Johalvier. It's tempting to assume it's just because I like bad units more, but it comes down to their recruitment convos. Both of them are shackled by the shitty stalker characterization, but Johalvier shows signs of being a decent person in his recruitment. Johan's a pervert asshole character through and through and there's basically nothing else to him. Also, Johalvier's green. Green's good. The really funny thing about Oifey is that he's not even an Oifey. He seems like an Oifey, with competent stats and growths, but that's all in a vaccuum. In the average FE4 gen 2 run, each child will be able to kill armies by themselves, and Oifey quickly becomes too mundane for keep up. He falls off harder than most Jeigans lmao Still, if you do want to use him, he keeps up decently well. Really, his problem is that the army around him is just obscene, and even in a sub run, he can't really compare to the likes of the other static units or even some subs like Hawke. Proper wording is important, Selyboy. The Aideen thing is just weird though. Other Belhalla survivors do things. Aideen does nothing. She's alive because... she's alive. I don't know why actually. Did Kaga just feel merciful for her magnificent locks or what? Get used to the stench. lmao. Well that's a random gag, but I like it. Let's not forget that this was a bug. I think. Uhh... I seem to recall people discovered this ship was a bug? Or maybe Kaga just considered it a feature. Eh, who cares. For the record, there's a way to get both. They're gotten when you seize whichever castle turns on you when you recruit one of the brothers. The others turn green, so you can't seize the castle... Unless a certain group of enemies seize it, then you can seize it back from them and get Julia both her tomes. I believe that's how it went? Your call if that's too tedious to do or not. ...Also I don't remember which Roger gave which tome lmao, though I think nosferatu's probably better. Probably. I recently spent several hours trying to get Slayde to recapture Sophira to try and get both tomes only to discover, no, you can't. Or at least if you can I was doing something wrong. The whole letting the enemy recapture the castle seems to be to give you three control of which time you can get independent of which brother you can recruit (so I spent several hours making sure I specifically didn't get Nosferatu ) 4 hours ago, BrightBow said: He is obviously never going to use that Thief Sword. Though I suppose it would it would be a fun troll move if he did. For the record, enemies can in fact steal from you. Don't let the fact that you fought a Thief Fighter in Chapter 5 lure you into a false sense of security. It just that it won't work in the arena. Anyway, the reason he has that sword is because he will drop it if the Thief Sword was not passed down to the 2nd generation. As I said, almost any item not passed down will either find it's way into the shop or will be dropped by someone. So if you see a boss with a weird item, that's probably why it's there. Not only can enemies steal from the player, but they can also steal from each other if you berserk them!...I don't think that's at all useful, but it is fun. 2 hours ago, BrightBow said: Might have something to do with Celice and Julia also replacing their parents in the game's memory. So maybe he has those points, because his dad would have had them. Just like how Celice keeps Sigurd's 2 leadership stars in an unpatched game until you load a game. That's a really good explanation, though I'm fairly sure that Julia is not Deirdre's child in mechanical sense. She doesn't get inheritance and her stats are not based on Deirdre (or the unplayable Alvis). Still she might occupy Deirdre's place in memory in some other fashion. She does take the same spot in the castle at the very least. Edited March 26 by Jotari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPGuy96 Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 35 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Not a strong case here. Lex doesn't get the Brave Axe until basically the end of chapter 1, and he's still pretty good before that. If he died with it, the game doesn't seem to acknowledge it, because Schmidt drops the very same Brave Axe before the chapter ends. I like to challenge myself to have Johan or Johalvier land the finishing blow, so they don't have to buy it. No, the only thing Johan doesn't have, that Lex does, is Paragon. That, and blue hair. I 100% forgot that you can get the Brave Axe in (the first chapter of!) Gen 2, I guess that's how much of an impression the axe bros made on me. I do think Lex isn't super special without the Brave Axe - since he can't double without it, he can't really OHKO things, so he's more like Alec and Noishe, albeit with better def and much faster leveling. I've never skipped the Brave Axe event, though, so maybe I'm underrating him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotari Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 28 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Interesting that Tirnanog is called an "isolated village", when they have their own castle. Perhaps it's just a design limitation, wherein the player's army has to start in a castle? A shame really, as this is the one time in the game where not having a castle would make sense narratively and mechanically. There's no arena and since you're just starting, no diminished items to buy or repair, the weapons you have by default should be enough to get you to the first castle. And the enemy never targets Tir Na NOg in this chapter outside the opening, so there isn't even really anything to defend. Beginning this chapter with Seliph and friends deployed already around a church tile would be more than satisfactory for gameplay and plot. 28 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Oh boy, I can't wait for Lewyn to totally be involved and relevant in all the stuff that's happening in Thracia around the year 776! Honestly....that does seem like a major dropped ball. They had something already set up and then just ignored it. Lewyn absolutely could have been Leif's confidant for the first half of Thracia. And then he ups and abandons Leif for Seliph half way through which really helps Leif's insecurities. Though I guess that would interfer a bit with August's subtle arc a little bit. Also, looking at this line again it also destroys my theory that Lewyn was hiding Julia in Orgahil. So what was he doing there? 28 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: ...I am curious: has anyone actually gotten both tomes before? I know that it's possible to get both castles to turn red, and then re-Seize them. But does that actually enable Seliph and Julia to have the same conversation twice? I assumed that, once you have the conversation, it won't happen again. Hm, might be a thing to try in my current playthrough... As said above, I have tried and failed. 28 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Enemy Thieves are super underutilized in this game. I think you only fight, like, one of them in the field. It's Radiant Dawn, all over again, for the very first time. At the very least, the Orgahill Pirate Squad should've included a couple Thieves among their ranks. I can think of at least two times. You fight one around the Fiana area in Chapter 8 (feel free to imagine it's Lifis), and in the end game one of the Dead Lords, I think Porcus, is a Thief Fighter (feel free to imagine it's Lifis again, as a zombie). Though by that point enemies stealing from you would be a laughable concern. 28 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: ...Incidentally, thinking of treacherous monsters like Emanuel Moravec and Karel Curda, I feel like there was a missed opportunity. Namely, including Isaachian collaborators. Either motivated by grievances against the old regime, or - more likely - simply the desire to prosper amidst a scene of suffering. Most of the country would be against them, of course, but it's hard to imagine that Dannan wouldn't try to recruit some local muscle. We don't fight any Isaachians, outside of Ayra herself, and... maybe Lamia's crew? She's a Swordmaster with black hair, so I'm assuming she might be Isaachian. It's hard to imagine House Dozel - one that already lost Rango and Slayder's forces, mind you - having enough manpower to not only hold all of Isaach, but also keep their own territory secure, on their own. Harold and Schmidt might be from Isaach. At least, if we're to get that remake they should receive redesigns that make them look like they're from Isaach (they do both wield axes though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interdimensional Observer Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 59 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: I feel like there was a missed opportunity. Namely, including Isaachian collaborators. Either motivated by grievances against the old regime, or - more likely - simply the desire to prosper amidst a scene of suffering. It is mentioned by Ayra that Rivough was the one that attacked Darna. Probably without evidence I'm guessing the result of Manfroy's evil manipulation, but as with Agustria, rooted in some kind of internal discontent. And then King Manaan destroyed Rivough (despite marrying his older daughter to Rivough's ruler) before Big Man' had him assassinated. Rivough just so happens to the Issach region bordering the Yied, so it's possible that Grannvale began receiving some kind of assistance from dissenters there even before Issach as a whole was conquered. ...Although we don't know if the King of Rivough's presumed discontent with the King of Greater Issach ran deep among the Rivoughans, or if it was just another Guy At The Top vs. Guy At The Top squabble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotari Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 18 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said: It is mentioned by Ayra that Rivough was the one that attacked Darna. Probably without evidence I'm guessing the result of Manfroy's evil manipulation, but as with Agustria, rooted in some kind of internal discontent. And then King Manaan destroyed Rivough (despite marrying his older daughter to Rivough's ruler) before Big Man' had him assassinated. Rivough just so happens to the Issach region bordering the Yied, so it's possible that Grannvale began receiving some kind of assistance from dissenters there even before Issach as a whole was conquered. ...Although we don't know if the King of Rivough's presumed discontent with the King of Greater Issach ran deep among the Rivoughans, or if it was just another Guy At The Top vs. Guy At The Top squabble. Galzus is said to hate Isaach and is collaborating with the Empire in Thracia 776, though he is the prince of Rivough so might just be a guy at the top situation. Though...coming to think of it, why does the empire have Galzus working as a mercenary in Thracia. Why not install him as a puppet ruler in Isaach? Are they afraid he'd grow too powerful and popular? Because given his rough personality type, the idea of him charming people and stirring up rebellion is pretty funny. Hell the idea of him just living in a castle and having servants and stuff at all seems like it'd be at odds with his whole tough guy schitck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ping Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 9 hours ago, BrightBow said: Probably not intended, since it will reset to 0 if you load a save. Might have something to do with Celice and Julia also replacing their parents in the game's memory. So maybe he has those points, because his dad would have had them. Just like how Celice keeps Sigurd's 2 leadership stars in an unpatched game until you load a game. Oh, I didn't notice (or even check for) the reset part. "Accidental incestuous affection" fits quite well with Genealogy's themes. Accidentally. 9 hours ago, BrightBow said: Considering how much their father explicitly ties into Fee and Sety's story, I do have to wonder if Levin x Fury was at one point predetermined. Running away from his family is kinda Levin's thing. No way Arden would ever do something like that, considering his low movement. Granted, the dialog here does not actually change even for the substitutes. Yeah, I agree. Fee saying that "he's been missing for years" is just barely vague enough that it can apply to any dad (hey, "since Belhalla" is still "for years"!), but the way it is phrased really implies a dad that disappeared when Fee and Ced were old enough to have known him. 9 hours ago, BrightBow said: This reads more like an FE7 gaiden chapter requirement. Well, even BlaBla's gaiden requirements don't change if you reload the game at any point. 7 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Oh, these... these are beautiful. 7 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: RIP "Nuns and warfare do NOT mix!" Oh my god Serious downgrade in Project Naga. 7 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: They were one of the cases where I gave a "C" grade - the worst possible - to the notion of leaving the mother unpaired. Ayra could marry a plank of wood, and the resulting kids would be better (in gameplay) than Creidne and Croddleban. Even a plank of wood wouldn't take their Nihil and Astra away. Hmm... Claude!Larcei has a worse Str growth than Creidne (35% vs. 40%! Dramatic!), and all she has to show for in return is significantly higher HP/Skl/Lck growths! And Astra and Nihil and the ability to inherit better swords and a better promotion and still an overall better Mag stat despite Creidne's promo bonus 12 hours ago, BrightBow said: Every unit in Binding Blade has that skill by default, including Marcus. So it's not like this is really any different here. The difference is in the proc rate. Marcus has 7% crit at base, and even the enemies in the first chapter already have 1-2 Lck, so the chance that Marcus crits an enemy that he doubles is just roughly 10%. Oifey has unmitigated 17 crit, which translates to a 31% chance of critting an enemy he doubles, so his Jeigan Tax is significantly higher than FE6!Marcus's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanty Pete's 1st Mate Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 12 hours ago, Jotari said: Beginning this chapter with Seliph and friends deployed already around a church tile would be more than satisfactory for gameplay and plot. I think it's just a matter of "where would the Return Staff send you?" and "what enemy seizure would be a Game Over confition?" The Return Staff always sends its target to the home castle. Likewise, an enemy seizing the home castle causes a game over. They might not be able to suspend those conditions, even for one map. 11 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said: It is mentioned by Ayra that Rivough was the one that attacked Darna. Probably without evidence I'm guessing the result of Manfroy's evil manipulation, but as with Agustria, rooted in some kind of internal discontent. And then King Manaan destroyed Rivough (despite marrying his older daughter to Rivough's ruler) before Big Man' had him assassinated. Rivough just so happens to the Issach region bordering the Yied, so it's possible that Grannvale began receiving some kind of assistance from dissenters there even before Issach as a whole was conquered. ...Although we don't know if the King of Rivough's presumed discontent with the King of Greater Issach ran deep among the Rivoughans, or if it was just another Guy At The Top vs. Guy At The Top squabble. Interesting. Perhaps that's why Dannan rules from Rivough, rather than the traditional capital of Isaach? Maybe the citizenry would be slightly more amenable there. Although, I wonder - why did Rivough attack Dahna? If their grievance was with Mananananana, I don't see how attacking Grannvale helps. 12 hours ago, Jotari said: Harold and Schmidt might be from Isaach. At least, if we're to get that remake they should receive redesigns that make them look like they're from Isaach (they do both wield axes though). Since Schmidt looks identical to Slayder, I'm assuming that he's Slayder's son. Or maybe nephew. As for Harold, he could be from Isaach... or Augustria... or Silesse... or Thracia... it's a pretty common mug! 11 hours ago, Jotari said: Galzus is said to hate Isaach and is collaborating with the Empire in Thracia 776, though he is the prince of Rivough so might just be a guy at the top situation. Though...coming to think of it, why does the empire have Galzus working as a mercenary in Thracia. Why not install him as a puppet ruler in Isaach? Are they afraid he'd grow too powerful and popular? Because given his rough personality type, the idea of him charming people and stirring up rebellion is pretty funny. Hell the idea of him just living in a castle and having servants and stuff at all seems like it'd be at odds with his whole tough guy schitck. New idea: replace Harold with Galzus in the remake. Surely he's not too strong to be the first boss faced by Seliph, right? On a side note, it'd be nice to see an explicitly Isaachian Myrmidon miniboss leading the first charge to Tirnanog. Maybe the Sword Twins would get a battle conversation with him. Of course, if he doesn't fight for the Empire, his family dies. 4 hours ago, ping said: Oh my god Serious downgrade in Project Naga. Along with losing "Arvis! You dastard!" Project Naga is literally unplayable. 12 hours ago, Jotari said: Also, looking at this line again it also destroys my theory that Lewyn was hiding Julia in Orgahil. So what was he doing there? Uh... beach episode? 12 hours ago, RPGuy96 said: I 100% forgot that you can get the Brave Axe in (the first chapter of!) Gen 2, I guess that's how much of an impression the axe bros made on me. I do think Lex isn't super special without the Brave Axe - since he can't double without it, he can't really OHKO things, so he's more like Alec and Noishe, albeit with better def and much faster leveling. I've never skipped the Brave Axe event, though, so maybe I'm underrating him. I missed the Brave Axe my first playthrough, and Lex was still one of my best units. The key is, Defense is actually a super important stat in this game. Even if Lex isn't hitting as often or as reliably as Alec and Finn, he's taking hits far better than they do. Pretty obvious frontliner, alongside Quan and Sigurd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotari Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 15 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: I think it's just a matter of "where would the Return Staff send you?" and "what enemy seizure would be a Game Over confition?" The Return Staff always sends its target to the home castle. Likewise, an enemy seizing the home castle causes a game over. They might not be able to suspend those conditions, even for one map. An enemy seizure is fine. Just...don't give them anything to seize for a game over. As I said, they never actually go for your castle in this chapter. And if one absolutely needs to exist in some form, then either make the aforementioned church tile count or, if it needs to be roughly castle shaped, stick it on a load of sea tiles that the enemy can never get to. The Return staff though...yeah, that might be a tad bit harder to code around, especially since it auto puts you inside a castle to ensure it's not putting a character to an already occupied space. 15 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Interesting. Perhaps that's why Dannan rules from Rivough, rather than the traditional capital of Isaach? Maybe the citizenry would be slightly more amenable there. Although, I wonder - why did Rivough attack Dahna? If their grievance was with Mananananana, I don't see how attacking Grannvale helps. On that note, I feel like Sohpara and Isaach castle should be swapped. The location of the capital seems a bit arbitrary. Sophara though, has a pretty secured reinforced position surrounded by mountains on three sides, it looks like it'd be a strong seat for a capital. Though, I guess Isaach's actual position might have a sea port (it doesn't physically in game but it's close enough to muddle things) which would be a huge benefit...if Fire Emblem as a series actually had boats that functioned in the narrative for more than a single chapter transport. 15 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Since Schmidt looks identical to Slayder, I'm assuming that he's Slayder's son. Or maybe nephew. They are both Great Knights working for Dozel, so a family connection is more than possible. 15 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: As for Harold, he could be from Isaach... or Augustria... or Silesse... or Thracia... it's a pretty common mug! New idea: replace Harold with Galzus in the remake. Surely he's not too strong to be the first boss faced by Seliph, right? On a side note, it'd be nice to see an explicitly Isaachian Myrmidon miniboss leading the first charge to Tirnanog. Maybe the Sword Twins would get a battle conversation with him. Of course, if he doesn't fight for the Empire, his family dies. Galzus is far too bad ass to be prologue fodder, though a boss for that first wave wouldn't be without merit. And since I deem Galzus too impresive, I nominate Shiva, another blackhaired sword fighter. What's funny about him is that we know where's from, a place called Savan...which doesn't seem to be anywhere on the Jugdral map and is only mentioned once by Shiva and one in his character ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interdimensional Observer Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) 2 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: Although, I wonder - why did Rivough attack Dahna? If their grievance was with Mananananana, I don't see how attacking Grannvale helps. Now that is an unexplained mystery, albeit an important one, being the spark that triggers the cascade of events that follow. I presume Darna is actually an unexplained independent city-state. Reliant somewhat on trade, and heavily on religious tourism aka "pilgrimage" to what is likely the holiest site in Jugdral that everybody or at least most people recognize (the Crusader faith being international, whereas local deities are just that). And it's that holiness plus location in the desert that guarantees Darna's independence. I don't see how intra-Issachan strife would be resolved by attacking Darna. Feels the only thing attacking Darna would do, would be to make you the enemy of every good Crusaderite on the continent, with mailbags of fiery denunciations from anyone with a gram of socio-political status pouring in for days. It seems like such an unwise move that King Rivough either had to be one aggressive lunatic -or that it was Manfroy's work. Rivough bordering the desert, it also happens to be very close to Yied. Perhaps King Rivough thought conquering Darna would give him a title superior to that of The King Of All Issach, that of something like "The Successor To All The Crusaders". Or to go more radical, perhaps Manfroy converted King Rivough to Radical Loptyrism and he decided that he would ransack the place that began the downfall Glorious Loptyr Empire. -But then you'd have thunk Manfroy would've saved him from Manaan's retribution had King Rivough been a zealous convert to the dark god, so the first explanation seems more viable to me. 2 hours ago, Jotari said: On that note, I feel like Sohpara and Isaach castle should be swapped. The location of the capital seems a bit arbitrary. Sophara though, has a pretty secured reinforced position surrounded by mountains on three sides, it looks like it'd be a strong seat for a capital. Sophara does look pretty defensible. -But then centrality and defensibility often aren't the determinants for a capital. Washington DC once was fairly central -but how often does being coastal help with defense instead of hurt it? Capitals naturally attract commerce yeah, but it's also been the norm to place them where commerce already thrives. Demographically, I would imagine that the population of Issach is unevenly distributed, with the majority living in the south. Sophara could be well-watered with lush mountain valleys and plenty of mines, if a little difficult to reach. Ganeishire doesn't look too bad, just insulated from the world beyond Issach. However the land immediately east of Tirnanog looks like a lot of wasteland, no wonder Seliph would be hiding out there after so many years. Westernmost Issach along the Silessian border is an enigma to us though, never being shown on any gameplay map. Being so far removed from the center of authority leads me to imagine its local economy is pretty disconnected from the rest of the country's, almost begging for an upstart to try making an independent country out of it + Lubeck. And I'd think it'd be Silesse sooner than Issach that would muster an army to effectively suppress such a secession. 2 hours ago, Jotari said: Though, I guess Isaach's actual position might have a sea port (it doesn't physically in game but it's close enough to muddle things) which would be a huge benefit...if Fire Emblem as a series actually had boats that functioned in the narrative for more than a single chapter transport. Rome had Ostia and later Portus to be its window on the waves, an inland capital having a seaport city nearby and strongly bound to it isn't unheard of. Considering how fabulously wealthy Munster District is supposed to be, why wouldn't Issach engage in maritime trade? Munster ought to have a serious food surplus and they ain't selling it down south. Think of all the bulk cargo ships filled with bushels upon bushels of fine Leonsterian wheat!🌾 Yes that's the rice emoji, but it's still grain. Since Treasure says Issach has a pastoral economy, maybe they're sending over wool and lamb chops. A kind of natural comparative advantage situation where it's better for Munster's mega fertile soils to grow export crops, whereas the less-fertile Issach finds its dirt better maintained with subsistence farming + flocks of livestock seasonally moving across the landscape. Also, as I've said before, Seliph could've sent Leif aid via boats, possibly. No need to clobber imperial forces through the desert, just sail straight south and overwhelm some imperial coastal defenses if they're still intact. -Although the ingame C7 map and the world map show a great disparity in how much sea actually separate Issach and Munster District. Not sure how the winds were blowing and if oar-powered galleys would've actually been viable if the winds were dead/blowing from the south just make Gen 2 Lewyn useful for once and have him provide for the sails🌬️. Edited March 27 by Interdimensional Observer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanty Pete's 1st Mate Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 10 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said: presume Darna is actually an unexplained independent city-state. Reliant somewhat on trade, and heavily on religious tourism aka "pilgrimage" to what is likely the holiest site in Jugdral that everybody or at least most people recognize (the Crusader faith being international, whereas local deities are just that). And it's that holiness plus location in the desert that guarantees Darna's independence. That would make sense. At first I was thinking "Grannvale has the most Crusader lineages, so of course they'd want to control Darna". But then again, almost half of the lines settled outside of Grannvale. So they let it exist as an independent religious polity. By violating that neutrality, Isaach (via Rivough) became a threat. Hence the war. ...Wait. Suppose Manfroy orchestrated the invasion of Darna. And we know Sandima was advising the King of Verdane. Did Manfroy intentionally start two wars in order to get Sigurd to flush out the girl with dark dragon blood from the forest that was protecting her? Was this intended to be some 4D chess mastery? 11 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said: Sophara does look pretty defensible. -But then centrality and defensibility often aren't the determinants for a capital. Washington DC once was fairly central -but how often does being coastal help with defense instead of hurt it? Capitals naturally attract commerce yeah, but it's also been the norm to place them where commerce already thrives. Thinking on it, being surrounded by mountains might actually be a disadvantage. If flying enemies swoop in from Silesse or Thracia, then your forces become trapped like rats. And you can only expect aid from one direction. Obviously ballistae can ameliorate this issue, but that's true if you're on an empty plain, too. Now, I could understand literally putting your capital atop the mountains, for the avoid boost it'll give your defenders. But in a valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides? You're just asking to have wyverns ruin your day. 13 hours ago, Jotari said: Galzus is far too bad ass to be prologue fodder, though a boss for that first wave wouldn't be without merit. And since I deem Galzus too impresive, I nominate Shiva, another blackhaired sword fighter. What's funny about him is that we know where's from, a place called Savan...which doesn't seem to be anywhere on the Jugdral map and is only mentioned once by Shiva and one in his character ending. Shiva would be cool to see here, as he definitely gives off an Isaachian vibe. The Killing Edge doesn't exist yet, but we can compensate by giving him the Critical skill. Instant utility for Nihil on the Sword Twins! 13 hours ago, Jotari said: An enemy seizure is fine. Just...don't give them anything to seize for a game over. As I said, they never actually go for your castle in this chapter. And if one absolutely needs to exist in some form, then either make the aforementioned church tile count or, if it needs to be roughly castle shaped, stick it on a load of sea tiles that the enemy can never get to. The Return staff though...yeah, that might be a tad bit harder to code around, especially since it auto puts you inside a castle to ensure it's not putting a character to an already occupied space. Perhaps in the remake, they could dustinguish between various sizes of Castle? Tirnanog could have a small one, as could Orgahill and Yied. Most would be medium, while national capitals - like Augusty and Belhalla - would have particularly large ones. I don't envision a real gameplay difference, outside of maybe impacting how many tiles they take up on the world map. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotari Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: That would make sense. At first I was thinking "Grannvale has the most Crusader lineages, so of course they'd want to control Darna". But then again, almost half of the lines settled outside of Grannvale. So they let it exist as an independent religious polity. By violating that neutrality, Isaach (via Rivough) became a threat. Hence the war. ...Wait. Suppose Manfroy orchestrated the invasion of Darna. And we know Sandima was advising the King of Verdane. Did Manfroy intentionally start two wars in order to get Sigurd to flush out the girl with dark dragon blood from the forest that was protecting her? Was this intended to be some 4D chess mastery? I think we're absolutely meant to deduce that Manfroy is responsible for what went down in Isaach. It's clear throughout the First Gen that everything that's happened has been carefully planned. What isn't as clear is why exactly the Lopt Sect needed a war in Isaach. Flushing out Deirdre doesn't seem necessary, after all, they practically controlled Verdane already. It probably had more to do with either getting Kurth assassinated or encouraging Agustria+Verdane to invade Grannvale while the army is away to make a big enough crisis where Deirdre showing up could actually mean something for them getting immediate political control through Alvis. Though, one must wonder if they could have achieved the same result by just...not starting any wars and pulling the whole mind wiped Deirdre Alvis romance in a time of peace. Dragons eating people's faces party mindset, I guess. Edited March 28 by Jotari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPGuy96 Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 15 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: ...Wait. Suppose Manfroy orchestrated the invasion of Darna. And we know Sandima was advising the King of Verdane. Did Manfroy intentionally start two wars in order to get Sigurd to flush out the girl with dark dragon blood from the forest that was protecting her? Was this intended to be some 4D chess mastery? When Manfroy does his "as you know" chat with Sandima in Ch1, he berates Sandima for not finding Cigyun's daughter yet. I think the idea was to throw Verdane (and Grannvale) into disarray by provoking the attack, and then search extensively for Deidre in the chaos. It's a lucky break for him that Sigurd does the work getting her out of the forest, but there was a plan to find her. (Even if the plan was just to yell at Sandima until he miraculously produced her.) Manfroy also says that Arvis is "worthless" without his half-sister. I don't think that's literally true - controlling Grannvalle the way the cult controls Verdane, Augustria, and at least part of Isaach would be helpful - but it does reiterate that the goal of this war and the Isaach war is to get Arvis and Deidre together in order to resurrect Loptyr. The full convo: Spoiler Manfroy: So, you've put an end to the king, Sandima... Do you expect that the Verdanite army will still obey your command? Sandima: Oh, Archbishop Manfroy! How long have you been here, Your Eminence? The army is of no concern at all. They need only know that the king has fallen ill. Manfroy: Hrm, I see... And what of the situation here? Does the plan progress? Sandima: My sincerest apologies, Your Excellency. That Grannvalian... Sigurd, or something, has proven to be an unexpected obstacle to the invasion. Manfroy: Hrm... And what of the search for the Loptyrian scion? Have you found Cigyun's daughter? Sandima: Er... No, not yet... Manfroy: Imbecile! After all of the pains I have gone to, to locate the boy... The son of Cigyun is still in Belhalla, but he's worthless without the female. Listen well. Cigyun was an heir of Prince Maera, brother of an emperor of the old Loptous Empire. Cigyun alone in this era inherited the sacred blood of the dark lord. That woman broke the commandment that Maera placed upon his heirs and bore two children. Do you know what this means? Sandima: Yes, Your Eminence. When the blood of the two heir intersects, the second coming of the dark lord, Loptous, will be upon us. Manfroy: Precisely, and so too shall we, descendants of the Loptyrian Empire, return to this world. You know as well as I, Sandima, how heavily our fates depend upon the resurrection of the dark lord. You know well our order's centuries of exile, hidden deep within the Aed Desert. You know well the abuses... The famines... How we were sustained only by dreaming of the day when the Empire will rise again. And at long last, that day is upon us. Sandima: Understood, Your Eminence. If I must surrender my life to ensure that the plan is realized, I will do it gladly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotari Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 7 hours ago, RPGuy96 said: When Manfroy does his "as you know" chat with Sandima in Ch1, he berates Sandima for not finding Cigyun's daughter yet. I think the idea was to throw Verdane (and Grannvale) into disarray by provoking the attack, and then search extensively for Deidre in the chaos. It's a lucky break for him that Sigurd does the work getting her out of the forest, but there was a plan to find her. (Even if the plan was just to yell at Sandima until he miraculously produced her.) Sigurd doesn't do anything to get Deirdre out of the forest. He first meets her in town around Marpha castle. She was already leaving the Spirit Forest by herself. And having a war and throwing the country into chaos doesn't actually increase your capacity to find her, especially when you have the king as your beck and call. Chaos is chaotic, all it does is increase your chances of her randomly getting killed in all the fighting, like what might have happened to her with those thugs if Sigurd didn't show up at the right time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ping Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 FE4 Chapter 6: Heirs to the Light Ganeishire -> Isaach -> Rivough Spoiler ____ First off, I already have to add three deaths to the counter: First, Oifey because he failed to dodge four 36%s in a row (ignore the part where I failed to provide him with Seliph's leadership stars). Second, Dermott, because I foolishly assumed that he would survive two (and despite the looks, he's actually only in range of two enemies here) hits. And third, Oifey again because I forgot to swap him back to the Armorslayer, which not only tanked his avoid, but also allowed him to one-round the enemy Cavs to make room for more attacks against Oifey. TL;DR: I shouldn't play when I'm tired. Although all three deaths had some degree of stupidity on my part in their causality, Johan and Johalvier attacking from the west and the south is actually the trickiest part of this map. ____ Johan's Cav squad is the more dangerous part because of their movement (and because Larcei won't dye the survivors green by chatting with their commander), but they're fairly kite-able because they only use their full movement if they can attack somebody with. Because of that, Seliph, Oifey, and Dermott (this time only facing one opponent per enemy phase) are able to shave off a few of them before I really need to clear them up. __ Still, this was another potentially deadly situation for Oifey (and again one without Seliph of Dermott's support...), but this time, he manages to dodge one out of four enemies, securing his survival. You can see that while this was ongoing, Larcei and Ulster did fight Johalvier's group a bit, too - because they had fallen behind a bit, they weren't really in the position to fight Johan's group. ____ Meanwhile, Arthur and Fee do their own little things. Fee saves (but doesn't visit) the two villages near Sophara, while Arthur fights the boss for XP, killing him with Wind + Forseti. And before the big clash with the Axe Bros, we officially ordain our second healer: : "Julia, right? Hello there! Are you doing okay without Lewyn?" : "You're Lana... Yes, thank you. I'm fine..." : "You know, Lord Seliph's actually really been worrying about you. If there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know and I'll get right on it." : "Mm. Thank you..." : "Oh, and I've got a little something for you." : "This is... A Mend staff?" : "You can use these, right?" : "For me? Thank you, Lana. With this... I know I can help everyone." : "You're welcome, Julia. Let's give this war our all, together!" [Mend -> Julia] Lana's substitute, Muirne/Mana, must be one of the worst characters in the game. Lana at least has staff inheritance to give her a head start over Julia, but Muirne, whose stats already stink compared to Julia's, even gives Julia a better staff than she herself starts with. Well then, time for clean-up! ...actually, let's see why everybody hates Johan first. : "Oh, Larcei... How the twin hands of love and fate guide us! I've yearned for this day for many, many years, my beloved!" : "Johan?! Oh for the love of... There's a stomach flu playing with your head, isn't there?" : "Larcei... Oh Larcei! Your words are as the sweetest birdsong! Your eyes are as the most brilliant stars! Oh, without you at my side, what purpose is there in life? What joy could possibly be?" : "Stop it! How revolting! This is a battlefield! Are you out of your right mind?!" Plot twist: Johan is actually suicidal and thinks that it's romantic to be killed by his true love. Probably listens to The Smiths all day. ♪♫ And if you double-edgèd blade ♪♫ pierces through my heart... ♪♫ To die by your hand is such a heavenly way to die... ♪♫ (obligatory "Fuck Morrissey") : "I can deny my heart no longer, Larcei. Believe me when I say I've tried! Alas, love is a maddening beast at times... What else can I do but be at your side? Men, we are joining the liberation army! From this day on, we are men of honor! Fight on, in the name of justice, love, and Larcei!" : "You've gotta be kidding! Johan beat me to Larcei?! Bet he's gone and sided with her army, too, the weak-willed fool... Hmph... fine by me! Men, attack! Johan's unit is now the enemy!" Very dumb. In a kinda funny way. But very dumb. And a severe example of the difference between love and possessiveness. Roger and Sheeda's relationship is positively honest and healthy in comparison. [HP 110% | Str 40% | Mag 5% | Skl 20% | Spd 50% | Lck 10% | Def 60% | Res 5%] Skills: Vantage Weapon Level: Axes (A) Minor Neir blood For the sake of completionism, Johan's overall stats if I hadn't pressed Alt+F->R immediately. It's interesting that Johan seems to be considered a pretty bad character - if you compare him to Lex, he joins at a much higher base level, with appropriately increased stats (generally slightly lower than Lv.12 Lex except for +2 Str for Johan) and gen 2's Brave Axe is available more quickly than Lex's. Johan even has better growths than Lex across the board (except for Lck, oh no!). Not sure if this is just a general sign of power creep for Seliph's army, or if gen 2 is also less kind to axe users than gen 1 (most of the time) was. __ Well then, let's get the better brother: : "Larcei! Heh... I guess you finally realized you want to see me, am I right?" : "Look, Johalvier, I know you try to act like you're cool, tough and uncaring, but I know you're not all that bad. I mean, you've made a point of keeping your hands off the innocent all along. I guess I'd rather avoid fighting you if I can..." : "Yeah, I guess... Pushing people around never really sat right with me, y'know? Not like my brothers. And I'm getting real sick of the Loptyrian Order running the show here. All round Isaach they've been stealing kids and, so I hear, killing 'em all as sacrifices! Dad doesn't even so much as ask 'em nicely to stop! I've had it with 'em!" : "Larcei, my men and I want to join your army. Just say the word and we're yours, yeah?" : "Wha- ...Are you serious? Johalvier, this is... Thanks so much! Er, I guess I was wrong to doubt you for all these years. Sorry." : "Look, I'm no saint. Way I see it, at least now i can atone for everything I've done. Listen up, men! We're with the liberation army now! We're fightin' in the name of love and justice!" : "What manner of nonsense is this? ...Alas, for Johalvier has turned his cloak for the rebels! Oh, how his claim to Larcei pierces my heart! Men, turn your blades on love's foul traitor!" ...yeah, if we ignore Johalvier's "since my brother talked to Larcei first, I'll have to kill 'em both" in the alternate timeline (a rather large thing to ignore, granted), he seems like a decent enough guy. Funny how one brother is very much a joke character and the other one... isn't. But I suppose that Johan being a joke explains why his face reminds me of Old Mystery!Biraku. [HP 110% | Str 40% | Mag 0 | Skl 50% | Spd 10% | Lck 10% | Def 60% | Res 5%] Skills: Accost Weapon Levels: Axes (A) Minor Neir blood Largely the same growths as Johan, except that their Skl and Spd are flipped. Johalvier's are technically a bit lower (-5% Mag, and his Spd growth "should" be 20%), but that is more than made up for by his overall higher bases. Dunno how this works out for either brother in future maps. The Brave Axe is significantly lighter than regular axes (12 vs. 18 Wt), so maybe they might be able to make use of the Pursuit Band to different degrees at different points of the game? For Johalvier, it's worth noting that he'll gain the ability to use every bow except Silver after promotion. He'd definitely benefit from the Killer Bow and its high innate hit in particular - and he'd definitely be able to double stuff with it and the Pursuit Ring if you want to maximise his combat. And with that, one last reset, although this one won't show up in the Augury of Shame. I didn't even consider that Ganeishire was still in range, but one specific Axe Cav is close enough to ransack it, and that one Axe Cav is, of course, the one I left alive. See? Only the one. : "What honor, to be granted death on my blade!" : "Ahh... And so I fall, even to rebels such as these... Larcei... Oh, Larcei... Our love shall endure, even beyond the grave..." The best part about this timeline is that Johan didn't even get another glimpse of Larcei. Anyway, there's enough firepower on Seliph's little army to kill all but on of the Axe Cav squad. Note how Lana is body-blocking for Julia - the one real stat advantage she has over Julia even at this point, other than her Str, is significantly better physical bulk, and Julia would risk getting one-shot if left in the open. Like this, the cav decides to suicide on one of Johalvier's men instead. I believe their AI is to follow Seliph around? To be honest, as is the norm for green units, they're more annoying than helpful. After Isaach's and before Rivough's phase: : "Schmidt! Get out there! Take back my castles, now!" : "Yes, sir! You can depend on me." So, next group of enemies. With that, ch.6 goes back to the most boring structure Genealogy maps tend to have: Only send in the next group of enemies after the previous one has been dealt with, leaving the player with a fair bit of empty turns with no contact to enemy troups. At this point, I'm being a bit indecicive on how to split up. Obviously, Seliph and any horseback units just continue on south to meet with Helmut and his little gang, while Fee flies over the mountain to kill the last remaining Brigand. But I go back and forth a bit (literally) with Lana and other infantry units, unsure if I should just warp them to Isaach once that castle is seized. __ Speaking of Helmut, there he is - quite dangerous, able to two-shot almost all of our units (the exceptions being Oifey and Ulster, who has gotten Def procs in his first three level-ups, and Julia who obviously gets one-shot). Not very accurately, since he's generally at weapon triangle disadvantage, but he actually makes up for that with his three leadership stars. His chumps are a lot weaker, also compared to the same-level Johan, by the way. A very convenient spot to face these enemies is the one-tile choke east of Isaach castle. Oifey got a Def proc and only takes 2 dmg from the Hand Axes, so he can tank his avoid with the Javelin and still not lose HP unduly fast. Because it's out of the way for non-flyers, Fee grabs the last village she saves from a brigand: : "Ooh, aren't ya from that liberator's army? Glad ta see yer makin' a stand now! This is great news! With y'all around, we've finally got a shot at makin' them imperial cowards run outta here with their tails between their legs! [2500 gold -> Fee] It seems that I missed some unique dialoge by not sending Seliph to collect this village, but... Spoiler Old man: Ohhh! If it isn't Lord Seliph himself! We can't thank you enough for all your help! Here, allow me to give you my granddaughter's hand in marriage. We raised her as well as well can be, and she's the kindest, sweetest little thing! Oh, I remember that even as a kid she- Young woman: Grandpa, knock it off! Ugh, this is so embarrassing! ...I'm sorry, Lord Seliph. I wouldn't wish seeing that sorry display upon anyone! But, er... if you do like me, milord... Seliph: Er... Wait a moment... That isn't why I'm here... Young woman: Ahahahaha! C'mon, Lord Seliph! It's just a joke! A j-o-k-e! Look, you've gone bright red! How adorable! Seliph: Er... Old man: I'm completely serious, though. Seliph: Oh. Oh, dear... ...honestly, I'm not too sad that this isn't part of my personal canon Jugdral timeline. __ After getting the village, Fee catches up with the main army, if that's an appropriate description for five dudes: : "Hey there! You're Lord Seliph, right?" : "Indeed I am. And you, miss?" : "Call me Fee! I'm from Silesse." : "Silesse, you say? Are you a pegasus knight, then?" "No, I just painted a really good drawing of a horse on my broomstick. I'm a witch!" : "Er, not just yet. I'm kinda still in training. My mom was one, though! Actually, in that big war years ago, she helped Lord Sigurd out in his army." : "Is that so? She has my utmost gratitute, on my father's behalf. Now, what brings you here, Fee?" : "See, what happened was I was looking for my brother, who ran away ages ago. But then I heard about you, sir, and how you're taking on the Empire yourself! And I just knew I had to be here too. Can I join your army, sir? Please?" : "Certainly! Thank you. What of your brother, though?" : "It's silly, sir, but I have this feeling that we're gonna run into him somewhere down the line..." A bit disappointed that Seliph didn't even know of Erin. I know, Genealogy's scale is fucky, but you'd think that Oifey and Shanan would tell Seliph a little about the people who were fighting with Sigurd. I would've hoped for a small recognition to that effect from him. Second village (Seliph had killed the Brigand occupying that one) goes to Julia: : "Y'know the liberation army's leader, Seliph? They say he's the rightful heir to Grannvale. I bet we'd all have a much better time with him on the throne if that were true, huh! Here, take this here skill ring. Go on, do your best! We're all behind you!" [3000 gold; Skill Ring -> Julia] I had Julia visit this village not knowing about the second Skill Ring, but she seems like the best recipient anyway: Her Skl is one of her weaker stats (8 base, 20% growth) and Nosferatu has the same 70 base accuracy that (melee) axes and most bows have. 🦀🦀🦀 When punching through the choke, I forgot about one thing: Schmidt is one of those retreating bosses, so because I killed most of his mooks first, he's going to return to Rivough and grab another group. I don't plan on grinding XP that way, but eh, might as well let it happen here. The "boss" kill for Isaach goes to Fee... ...and Seliph seizes on the next turn. : "Ohh! Lord Seliph, sir! Glad to see you're okay!" : "Is everyone unharmed, sir?" : "Indeed, and ecstatic to see you to boot! Thanks to you, Lord Seliph, we know that at long last, Isaach shall have its freedom!" : "Thank you, sir, but the effort isn't mine alone. I could never have come so far without the support of the common man. You've all supported me from the beginning. I likely wouldn't be here if not for you!" : "Fate is a funny thing, isn't it, sir? Just twenty years ago, our late king had the utmost trust in your grandfather's wisdom. Then your father came to protect Prince Shanan, and now the prince has guided you to adulthood. Perhaps fate has bound Isaach and Chalphy as one..." : "Mm. Isaach is the only home I've ever known, and Prince Shanan is like a brother to me. I pray our friendship lasts the rest of our lives." : "Lord Seliph, you are the rightful heir to House Belhalla and the throne of Grannvale. Not a soul alive in Isaach, nor in the rest of the world, can doubt this. We beg of you! Raise the banner of justice high, march on Belhalla and reclaim your true throne!" To be honest, Seliph's messianic characterisation is pretty strong here. Everybody loves him (at least thus far, no Isaachian seems to resent him for being Grannvale royalty), he is the face of the revolution (shouldn't that be Shanan?), and... Well, I was going to complain that Seliph isn't the child of Deirdre's that has major Naga blood, but Julia's heritage has only been revealed to the player thus far. Inheritance laws in Belhalla haven't wholly been spelled out, but as far as my impression goes, a hypothetical son of Julia (not Julia herself, because Deirdre wasn't made queen, either, so lack of penis seems to disqualify) should have priority over Seliph, or at least over Seliph's own offspring. We'll see how that develops, though. Once Seliph moves off of the castle, Lana warps over Ulster and then Arthur. She herself grabs the two villages near Sophara and will eventually warp Fee back to Ganeishire to grab that last remaining village. In hindsight, Dermott could've just taken that reward when he relieved it, but it doesn't make a huge difference to me. : "Prince Shanan is our beacon of hope for Isaach's future. Once he returns with his divine blade, Balmung, in hand... Well, those imperial sods won't stand a chance at all! Every last one of them will be run right out of our great land!" [3000 gold -> Lana] Ahh, there's the focus on Shanan that I was expecting. : "Every last citizen of Isaach believes in and trusts Lord Seliph! We owe his family dearly for how his father, long ago, rescued and helped raise our Prince Shanan!" [4500 gold -> Lana] ...actually, yeah, that would explain why Seliph seems so universally beloved in Isaach. My bad. While waiting for Schmidt to return with his second group, two more convos, with Seliph backtracking a bit to allow Julia to catch up: : "Are you faring alright so far, Julia?" : "Mm. Thank you, Lord Seliph..." : "Actually, I have something for you. I found this in Isaach Castle." : "What is...?" : "It's a light tome called Nosferatu. You can wield these, yes?" : "Yes... I'm able to use light magic." : "Excellent! Hopefully you'll now have an easier time protecting yourself in combat." : "Thank you, Lord Seliph. Thank you so much..." The Nosferatu tome is still quite heavy (12 Wt, same as Fire spells) and inaccurate, but it hits pretty hard (14 Mt, same as the El- spells) and is still 8 points lighter than Aura, the alternative tome that Julia could get. We'll see to what degree this will help her - although as I'm typing this, I've already seen that the next map is rather heavy on dark magic users, which Julia probably matches up quite good against. : "Lord Seliph, right? Nice to meet you." : "Who are you?" : "The name's Arthur. I came here from Silesse." : "Wait, so you ar that Arthur fellow? I've heard of how you have been aiding us so far. Thank you so much!" "For example, you brutally murdered Johalvier's first lieutenant, who would've come to our side literally 10 seconds after you killed him! Great job!" : "Eh, it was no big deal." : "You are capable of wielding magic, yes? That's truly impressive. I'm almost envious!" : "My mother was a talented war-mage... But I've still got a lot to learn myself." : "We all do, do we not? So long as we all fight together, though, perhaps we still truly can change our world. After all, that's what brought us here today." : "Yeah, you're right... My power's at your disposal, sir. I'll give my all to aid the cause. I'm glad we could finally meet, Lord Seliph." Another convo that feels kinda chapter-one-ish, mostly because of the "Magic is impressive, but now Minsc leads. Swords for everyone!" part. __ Thank you very much, green units. You're not being a nuisance whatsoever. Well, OK, that part was ...maybe useful? Because of the variance added by the green units, I have to admit that I just threw everybody forward, into defensive terrain when possible, and hoped for the best. But I think the only two-shottable character in Schmidt's range was Larcei, who, standing in a forest should hardly have had any chance of death here. So screw you, green unit, your death accomplished nothing. : "Hold, rebel scum! King Dannan has decred that you shall go no further!" Continuing with the "eh, give it the ol' college try" theme, an injured Lester chips down Schmidt considerably... : "King Dannan... my lord... Forgive me!" ...and Dermott gets the kill, avoiding any risk of death thanks to his own brave weapon. Yeahh, I wasn't exactly doing careful planning here. If I ever do a ranked run, I'll have to be a lot more precise than this But because the AI is not very smart (seriously, why is everybody attacking Oifey?), the worst part of the result is losing out on some XP for the growth units. Fee and Arthur clean up the remaining enemies that Oifey didn't counter-kill... ...and Seliph moves to grab the nearby village because I thought that was the one with the unique dialogue. I blame the wiki, which I had consulted after getting the surprise Skill Ring with Julia. (inb4 the ordering is fixed soon and I will look like a fool) : "I've been hearing a lot about how the Empire's been hunting kids in all those other countries... Thanks to you lot, Isaach's free from the Empire at last, but the rest of the world's still in a really dark place... All across Jugdral, they're all waiting for Lord Seliph to rise up and defeat the Empire! Please, I'm begging you... You've gotta make it to Grannvale soon!" [5000 gold -> Seliph] Dannan, while strong, also offers risk-free chip XP for ranged characters, so Lester takes a few pot-shots. : "Pitiful rebel fools... Don't you dare underestimate the glory of the Grannvale empire!" Gosh, thank you again, green units! That's what I get for moving Lester towards Julia so that she can get some healing XP. ...sigh. I mean, Arthur can still attack from the right, but still Very insistent on standing in the way, these green units. __ Some more chip XP for Larcei and Lester... ...and there we go. : "Urgh... Lord Arvis... my liege..." And finally, before seizing, the last remaining village: : "King Dannan's got three sons. The oldest, Brian, lives at the old family home in Grannvale. The younger two serve him here in Isaach. Johan controls Isaach castle, while Johalvier controls Sophara Castle. They're both kind of an odd sort, and they've both got this obsession with someone in your army called Larcei. Always squabbling, they are... I dunno, though. Neither of them are all that bad, really. Heck, I bet they'd want to join forces with you!" [3500 gold -> Fee] Honestly, the rationale behind those two being mutually exclusive isn't much better than the Arran/Samson situation in Akaneia... But there we go. First chapter of the second generation done! Overall, I found it... OK. Not great, not terrible. The semi-sandwich with Johan and Johalvier's troops was nicely done, but otherwise, the map really wasn't too interesting. Arthur and Fee appearing pretty far away from Seliph could have been an exception, but their starting situation honestly was a lesser version of Lex and Azel joining - at least those two had to deal with one or two aggressive enemies. All Arthur and Fee had to face were the stationary, 1-range locked boss and two Brigands. Now, I wouldn't call ch.6 as easy or simple as the prologue - the Johan/Johalvier pincer alone is more tricky than anything I remember the prologue throwing at me - but its general structiure is a bit too close to what the prologue does, for a map that comes halfway through the game instead of at its very beginning. : "Yeah... I only just got back now. Look, Seliph. Are you aware that right now, this world's at a critical turning point?" : Hm? No... I'm afraid not." : "It's been fifteen years since Arvis conquered all of Jugdral and united it as the Grannvale Empire. Honestly, for a while at first it wasn't all that bad." "Other than the part where most of my friends, and myself, were burned to cinders. That was, in multiple ways, Not Cool." : "In the empire's dawn, Emperor Arvis sought to bind his nation using only the strictures of law. Sure, it was strict and constraining, but we still got a few years of peace out of it." "Except for the aforementioned friends. Their peace was permanent." : "But obviously, he changed his mind. A few years back, as if by magic, the Empire turned into that oppressive force we all know and love today. Even worse... the ancient heretics of the Loptyrian Order have arisen from the shadows once more and raised influence across the land. Their murderous rituals have returned with them, and all across Jugdral they abduct children to sacrifice in droves to resurrect their fell god. All attempts to resist the Empire are crushed and met with brutal executions or enslavement. It couldn't be plainer that they seek to return Jugdral to the days of brutal control by that ancien abominatin, the Loptyr Empire." : "This cannot be happening! I've heard all the rumors saying the same, but... Never did I think they could be more than rumors..." : "By the look of it, Isaach hasn't had it quite as bad as most. Dannan's two sons, at least, refused to follow through on the child hunts." : "..." : "Of course, there's always been people trying to rebel against the Empire left, right and center, but they were all scattered and disorganized. Before you, none have ever posed a proper threat to the Empire. They were all swiftly crushed before they could as much as blink. Jugdral desperately needs a savior. It needs a man to unite behind in the name of liberty. And I'm pretty sure that man is you, Seliph. You're the only one who stands a chance." : "Hold on a moment! Are you sure of this? A savior would require power I sorely lack..." : "Chalk it up to duty, Seliph. You're the eldest child of Empress Deirdre... That makes you the elder brother to the crown prince Julius. You're the one true heir to Saint Heim. Your destiny is to unite the power of the Crusaders of this era and free the world from this evil grip." : "But..." : "Trust me, you really do have what it takes. Your true power and potential sleeps within you: that is, the sacred blood of the Crusader Baldur. Once you get your holy blade, Tyrfing, not even the heavens will be able to stand in your way!" : "But I-" : "Sorry, Seliph, but that's how the gods will it. You're Sigurd's son: the son of a man who fate led to a brutal end. The fulfillment of his dying wishes and his final quest falls to you. You can't afford to go doubting yourself now. You understand, Seliph?" : "Y-yes... Yes I do. If this is fate and the will of the gods, then so be it. I will do my duty." : "There actually isn't a single absolute fate, nor is there just one person it all hinges upon. As obtuse as that sounds, trust me, one day it'll make sense." Trusting Lewyn?! Pff. As if. : "Sigurd left behind so much to help you on your quest. Most importantly, the many friendships he forged in his life... Me, for instance. Brave youths from all over are already lining up to join your cause, all guided by Sigurd's kindness." : "Mm. My father won the love and trust of so many people, from all walks of life. I can only pray that in time I'll prove my worthiness to his legacy." : "You'll be fine. Anyway, to business. Our immediate goal now is to reach Leonster. The son of Quan, your father's closest friend, raised his own rebellion only to suffer severe losses. He's in pretty urgent need of backup. I know you've had no time to rest, but we need to get going as soon as possible. For now, at least, we can leave Isaach in the care of its citizens. Odds are we'll run into Prince Shanan on our way." : "Understood!" Lewyn: "By the way, I'm calling the shots now." Seliph: "ok" Honestly, this introduction very much foreshadows a return to a Standard Fire Emblem Plot (heroic chosen hero rescues the world from evil dragon-y empire, friendships ensue). If this holds true, I'm worried that Seliph will be much less interesting a character than his lovable seize-hungry doofus of a father, but of course, I will try to keep an open mind. As previously, I'm again a bit disappointed that Shanan is already being shoved into the role of a minor character. It's not a surprise that his importance won't survive his recruitment, perma-death and all, but I feel that he should be presented with at least the same sense of importance as Seliph, especially since the game is starting in his country. The Team: Lv. HP Str Mag Skl Spd Lck Def Res Funds XP W/L Seliph 7.40 39 12 2 12 12 15 10 3 9356 +640 15/0 Ulster 6.38 37 14 1 17 14 6 12 0 14534 +538 4/0 Larcei 5.02 37 11 0 17 15 13 9 0 14534 +402 4/0 Johalvier 12.60 42 16 0 7 16 5 14 1 8000 +60 2/0 Oifey 17.92 42 16 9 18 17 8 18 8 8000 +292 18/2 Dermott 6.70 35 15 0 10 8 11 11 1 3252 +370 10/1 Fee 5.15 30 11 2 10 16 5 8 12 15402 +315 7/0 Lester 5.96 33 11 1 9 11 10 10 0 6683 +496 8/0 Arthur 6.28 36 0 14 14 15 13 3 6 9393 +428 4/0 Lana 6.00 34 3 10 10 12 11 4 7 14183 +500 0/0 Julia 3.20 26 0 13 8 13 6 3 15 8000 +220 0/0 The only romantic feelings thus far are Larcei and Johalvier dwelling on each other's mind. Well... It seems that Julia and Seliph's attraction cannot be overcome by reloading the game after all. But at least time is pushing them apart already. Stat-wise, it's notable that Ulster has been outpacing his twin sister. Larcei's higher Skl/Spd is easily outweighed by Ulster's +3 lead in both Str and Def. Very happy to see +2 Str in Fee's first three level-ups, and +3 Mag in Arthur's first four. Fee in particular appreciates every time that 25% procs. By the way, I don't really care about any gen 2 pairing, so if anybody wants a ship to set sail, feel free to make a suggestion (or more). For this map, Lana and Ulster kept adjacent for a bit (but evidently not enough to invoke any feelings), following the logic that Ulster will have a lot of money thanks to his innate Paragon. But that's about it, as far as concious decisions go. Johalvier and Larcei just start with 200 love points, so that's why they're already exchanging looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Rubenio Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 (edited) 1 hour ago, ping said: TL;DR: I shouldn't play when I'm tired. A lesson that's cost me a few ironman deaths to learn. 1 hour ago, ping said: It's interesting that Johan seems to be considered a pretty bad character - if you compare him to Lex, he joins at a much higher base level, with appropriately increased stats (generally slightly lower than Lv.12 Lex except for +2 Str for Johan) and gen 2's Brave Axe is available more quickly than Lex's. Johan even has better growths than Lex across the board (except for Lck, oh no!). Not sure if this is just a general sign of power creep for Seliph's army, or if gen 2 is also less kind to axe users than gen 1 (most of the time) was. I think it's just he doesn't get dibs on the awesome axe. It's basically the only thing that makes Lex any good. 1 hour ago, ping said: ...yeah, if we ignore Johalvier's "since my brother talked to Larcei first, I'll have to kill 'em both" in the alternate timeline (a rather large thing to ignore, granted), he seems like a decent enough guy. Funny how one brother is very much a joke character and the other one... isn't. But I suppose that Johan being a joke explains why his face reminds me of Old Mystery!Biraku. I feel like they just had to sort of force it for the sake of the Arran/Samson, because Johan's response to Johalvier's recruitment is totally inline with his characterization while the opposite is wildly out-of-character. I mean, Johalvier's recruitment barely spends a couple lines on the crush, while Johan might as well not have a character outside of it. 1 hour ago, ping said: Very slick way to avoid having to program two different cutscenes based on which brother betrays. 1 hour ago, ping said: Speaking of Helmut, there he is No he's not, he's in Berwick Saga I know who you reference here, Kaga just did it again in BWS. Musta really loved that guy. Or... maybe not, considering his minor boss naming schemes also include nazi higher-ups. 1 hour ago, ping said: It seems that I missed some unique dialoge by not sending Seliph to collect this village, but... Hide contents Old man: Ohhh! If it isn't Lord Seliph himself! We can't thank you enough for all your help! Here, allow me to give you my granddaughter's hand in marriage. We raised her as well as well can be, and she's the kindest, sweetest little thing! Oh, I remember that even as a kid she- Young woman: Grandpa, knock it off! Ugh, this is so embarrassing! ...I'm sorry, Lord Seliph. I wouldn't wish seeing that sorry display upon anyone! But, er... if you do like me, milord... Seliph: Er... Wait a moment... That isn't why I'm here... Young woman: Ahahahaha! C'mon, Lord Seliph! It's just a joke! A j-o-k-e! Look, you've gone bright red! How adorable! Seliph: Er... Old man: I'm completely serious, though. Seliph: Oh. Oh, dear... ...honestly, I'm not too sad that this isn't part of my personal canon Jugdral timeline. Eh, as far as "haha please marry my young relative" jokes go, this one's okay. The old guy's retort is a nice punchline. 1 hour ago, ping said: After getting the village, Fee catches up with the main army, if that's an appropriate description for five dudes: : "Hey there! You're Lord Seliph, right?" Oh look, there she is. Erin again. 1 hour ago, ping said: To be honest, Seliph's messianic characterisation is pretty strong here. You are starting to see why gen 2 is not as good as gen 1. More on that later. 1 hour ago, ping said: : "Every last citizen of Isaach believes in and trusts Lord Seliph! We owe his family dearly for how his father, long ago, rescued and helped raise our Prince Shanan!" [4500 gold -> Lana] ...actually, yeah, that would explain why Seliph seems so universally beloved in Isaach. My bad. Though, yeah, you'd expect Shannan would go around telling people "hey, please don't hate on this kid, his dad was one of the good ones." 1 hour ago, ping said: Honestly, the rationale behind those two being mutually exclusive isn't much better than the Arran/Samson situation in Akaneia... I'd call it worse, honestly. The whole "rivalry of the towns" thing is kinda weird, but at least it doesn't affect the characters - they just never meet Marth and keep on living their own life (until Samson canonically gets recruited by Sheema). In this case, it harms the characters themselves - Johan has to be made into an irredeemable psychopath, and Johalvier has to act entirely out of character to expedite the thing. 1 hour ago, ping said: : "By the look of it, Isaach hasn't had it quite as bad as most. Dannan's two sons, at least, refused to follow through on the child hunts." You'd think they'd let Johan also chime in with the the "hey I'm actually an okay guy", but Kaga figured being a creep made him so much more relatable. 1 hour ago, ping said: As previously, I'm again a bit disappointed that Shanan is already being shoved into the role of a minor character. It's not a surprise that his importance won't survive his recruitment, perma-death and all, but I feel that he should be presented with at least the same sense of importance as Seliph, especially since the game is starting in his country. The curse of permadeath hit him and Oifey really hard. 1 hour ago, ping said: By the way, I don't really care about any gen 2 pairing, so if anybody wants a ship to set sail, feel free to make a suggestion (or more). For this map, Lana and Ulster kept adjacent for a bit (but evidently not enough to invoke any feelings), following the logic that Ulster will have a lot of money thanks to his innate Paragon. But that's about it, as far as concious decisions go. Johalvier and Larcei just start with 200 love points, so that's why they're already exchanging looks. Frankly, I'm the same way, so uh... Eh. Edited March 29 by Saint Rubenio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightBow Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 (edited) 1 hour ago, ping said: It's interesting that Johan seems to be considered a pretty bad character - if you compare him to Lex, he joins at a much higher base level, with appropriately increased stats (generally slightly lower than Lv.12 Lex except for +2 Str for Johan) and gen 2's Brave Axe is available more quickly than Lex's. Johan even has better growths than Lex across the board (except for Lck, oh no!). Not sure if this is just a general sign of power creep for Seliph's army, or if gen 2 is also less kind to axe users than gen 1 (most of the time) was. Well, you've just seen Oifey die in 3 hits. There is also Elite. 1 hour ago, ping said: Honestly, the rationale behind those two being mutually exclusive isn't much better than the Arran/Samson situation in Akaneia... No need to take a little comic relief fratricide so seriously. ...seriously, what were they thinking? Also worth noting that since you did Lex/Ayra, this means that the brothers are Lakche's cousins. 1 hour ago, ping said: : "You are capable of wielding magic, yes? That's truly impressive. I'm almost envious!" : "My mother was a talented war-mage... But I've still got a lot to learn myself." Unlike his father, who was just some rando. 1 hour ago, ping said: Lewyn: "By the way, I'm calling the shots now." Seliph: "ok" August learned from the best. 1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said: I feel like they just had to sort of force it for the sake of the Arran/Samson, because Johan's response to Johalvier's recruitment is totally inline with his characterization while the opposite is wildly out-of-character. I mean, Johalvier's recruitment barely spends a couple lines on the crush, while Johan might as well not have a character outside of it. Same if you make them fight Dannan here. Johalvier makes no mention of Lakche and lets his distaste for his dad's governing known, while Julian does... well, his thing. 1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said: Very slick way to avoid having to program two different cutscenes based on which brother betrays. Probably not the best phrasing the translation could have picked. I mean, you can just kill both. Edited March 29 by BrightBow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ping Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said: I think it's just he doesn't get dibs on the awesome axe. It's basically the only thing that makes Lex any good. Johan/Johalvier have the same level of dibs on the Brave Axe that Lex has, don't they? Your simp bro can even get it earlier (near the end of the first map vs. near the end of the second). Although as @BrightBow says, Lex's innate Paragon is a big deal. Johan/Johalvier's high base level makes up for it for a while, but I expect that people will catch up with him during ch.7. I just did the initial arenaing (basically with everybody in the home castle who I don't expect to get 40k during this chapter) and Johalvier is already only three levels ahead of Arthur (@Paragon Band) and the Sword Twins, even though I managed to brute force Johalvier through the entire gauntlet, too. Meanwhile, Lex quickly became my highest-level unit other than the staff-abusing Ethlyn. 1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said: No he's not, he's in Berwick Saga I know who you reference here, Kaga just did it again in BWS. Musta really loved that guy. Or... maybe not, considering his minor boss naming schemes also include nazi higher-ups. I'm not sure if Kaga is specifically referring to Helmut Schmidt, to be honest. I was just joking with the name and portrait. Both the first name and last name are fairly common in Germany - for example, H.S.'s successor was yet another Helmut (Kohl), and Schmidt is literally the German "Smith". So while my first association with the name Schmidt is the Bundeskanzler, it's quite possible that Kaga just went down a list of German surnames. Far likelier than with "Himmler" and "Rommel", anyway. Fun fact: The German wikipedia disambiguation page for "Helmut Schmidt" lists 19 people of that name, although some have double names and some aren't important enough to actually have a wikipedia page. 1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said: Oh look, there she is. Erin again. She got a haircut. Big difference! And she's more of a Farina (well, minus the greed) than a Fiora like Erin. Look at that, Ruben. Two character archetypes for that class! Two! 1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said: I'd call it worse, honestly. The whole "rivalry of the towns" thing is kinda weird, but at least it doesn't affect the characters - they just never meet Marth and keep on living their own life (until Samson canonically gets recruited by Sheema). In this case, it harms the characters themselves - Johan has to be made into an irredeemable psychopath, and Johalvier has to act entirely out of character to expedite the thing. I wrote that with the assumption that something is better than nothing, but you're probably right that the justification for Roger-Roger is actively harmful to... well, mostly to Johalvier. Johan is just a joke character to begin with, so if he had been a completely psychopatic joke character - whatever. Not like he's going to be an actual part of the story from here on out. But Johalvier is an actual character that gets dragged down by his reactin upon Johan being recruited. 54 minutes ago, BrightBow said: No need to take a little comic relief fratricide so seriously. ...seriously, what were they thinking? Hey, if chapter 5 has taught us anything, it's that kinslaying is a daily occurance in Jugdral. We're just continuing the trend! And shame on me for not trying to kill Dannan or Johan with Johalvier, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightBow Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 2 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: I know who you reference here, Kaga just did it again in BWS. Musta really loved that guy. Or... maybe not, considering his minor boss naming schemes also include nazi higher-ups. Only Reese could fight Jagdstaffel 11 and the Ringwraiths at the same time and survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Rubenio Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 1 hour ago, BrightBow said: Same if you make them fight Dannan here. Johalvier makes no mention of Lakche and lets his distaste for his dad's governing known, while Julian does... well, his thing. It's like Kaga decided to balance the choice by making the obviously worse unit be the obviously better character. ...I mean, it's not a terrible concept. Kinda dig it. 1 hour ago, BrightBow said: Probably not the best phrasing the translation could have picked. I mean, you can just kill both. Er... Oh, I got it! He was talking about Brian. He sent a letter eons ago requesting his help and Brian just wouldn't come. In truth, the letter was lost when the messenger went to take a dump on the river. The raging waters made away with his bag, and thus Brian only got the message much later, when his entire family had already been killed. Alas, what a tragedy, the life of Brian... 40 minutes ago, ping said: I'm not sure if Kaga is specifically referring to Helmut Schmidt, to be honest. I was just joking with the name and portrait. Both the first name and last name are fairly common in Germany - for example, H.S.'s successor was yet another Helmut (Kohl), and Schmidt is literally the German "Smith". So while my first association with the name Schmidt is the Bundeskanzler, it's quite possible that Kaga just went down a list of German surnames. Far likelier than with "Himmler" and "Rommel", anyway. Fun fact: The German wikipedia disambiguation page for "Helmut Schmidt" lists 19 people of that name, although some have double names and some aren't important enough to actually have a wikipedia page. Yeah, that might be more likely. 40 minutes ago, ping said: She got a haircut. Big difference! And she's more of a Farina (well, minus the greed) than a Fiora like Erin. Look at that, Ruben. Two character archetypes for that class! Two! God, I hate them. I fucking hate them. Syrene deserved to be a wyvern knight... 41 minutes ago, ping said: I wrote that with the assumption that something is better than nothing, but you're probably right that the justification for Roger-Roger is actively harmful to... well, mostly to Johalvier. Johan is just a joke character to begin with, so if he had been a completely psychopatic joke character - whatever. Not like he's going to be an actual part of the story from here on out. But Johalvier is an actual character that gets dragged down by his reactin upon Johan being recruited. Yeah, exactly. If they were going down this road, maybe they should've come up with a better reason for Johalvier to stick with his dad. Say... Rather than ravenously vying for the same girl that wants nothing to do with either, the brothers just despise each other on a general basis (which would be very easy to believe after reading the first three words out of Johan's mouth). Then when Johan joins the rebellion, Johalvier is disgusted that they'd take him in and decides to stick with Dannan and keep working against the child hunts from the inside. Or something like that. It's rather flimsy but it's not as idiotic as it is. ...It's worth noting that Johan and Johalvier have a convo with Larcei's substitute specifically in this chapter. They have to stand next to each other for 10 turns (inspiration for GBAFE's support system?). I only saw Johalvier's version, of course. You aren't missing much. He's basically just acting like a moron following her around, she tells him to fuck off and gains 2 strength from the whole experience. I guess only she gets it because it's supposed to kinda sorta not really compensate for her being the inferior sub? 1 minute ago, BrightBow said: Only Reese could fight Jagdstaffel 11 and the Ringwraiths at the same time and survive. He does have Ward, Derrick and Sylvis on his side. Sylvis could've beaten the entire nazi army by herself, I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interdimensional Observer Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 (edited) 4 hours ago, ping said: And finally, before seizing, the last remaining village: : "King Dannan's got three sons. The oldest, Brian, lives at the old family home in Grannvale. The younger two serve him here in Isaach. Johan controls Isaach castle, while Johalvier controls Sophara Castle. They're both kind of an odd sort, and they've both got this obsession with someone in your army called Larcei. Always squabbling, they are... I dunno, though. Neither of them are all that bad, really. Heck, I bet they'd want to join forces with you!" Quick question- how do the Axe Bros even know Larcei???? She's a rebel, the enemy, who has spent her life alongside the Big Rebel (Shannan) and the Little Big Rebel (Seliph). When, where, and how did they get to know each other? ...Although this wouldn't necessarily apply to Creidne, since she wouldn't be a lesser royal of Issach. Creidne could've possibly joined the rebel army only a year ago or so at best, and could've met the Iu/Jo Bros normally before that without any risk of being taken captive. 4 hours ago, ping said: A bit disappointed that Seliph didn't even know of Erin. I mean, the conversation ought to be exactly the same had you gotten Hermina. These conversations have to be a double-serving of generic to account for that. Edited March 29 by Interdimensional Observer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightBow Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 2 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: It's like Kaga decided to balance the choice by making the obviously worse unit be the obviously better character. ...I mean, it's not a terrible concept. Kinda dig it. Not to mention, if you talk to Johan's soldiers while they are yellow, they tell you that for all his simping, he treats his own underlings terrible. Just a real charmer, that guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanty Pete's 1st Mate Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 4 hours ago, ping said: By the way, I don't really care about any gen 2 pairing, so if anybody wants a ship to set sail, feel free to make a suggestion (or more) Seliph x Isaachian Village Maiden, Seliph x Isaachian Village Maiden! Actual suggestion: Scatman x Patty. Since Scathach... er, Ulster... has Paragon, he'll never need to buy the Paragon Band. And with Astra, he can basically always clear the Arena, given enough tries. This means he'll have a money problem - getting too much of it, that is! Let that extra gold spill over onto your wife, dude. And by passing it to Patty, she can either use it for her own purposes, or give it to anyone needy. They don't have any conversations, which is a shame, but I think they make perfect gameplay sense together. 4 hours ago, ping said: Although all three deaths had some degree of stupidity on my part in their causality, Johan and Johalvier attacking from the west and the south is actually the trickiest part of this map. Yep, it's actually neat, somewhat challenging design. If the brothers weren't so easily persuadable, they might have killed the nascent Liberation army, then and there. 4 hours ago, ping said: Lana's substitute, Muirne/Mana, must be one of the worst characters in the game. Lana at least has staff inheritance to give her a head start over Julia, but Muirne, whose stats already stink compared to Julia's, even gives Julia a better staff than she herself starts with. No lies detected. Marnie is "Healer out of 10", while Lana is "Healer out of 10 but with much better Staves". Mana does have a secret event with Seliph in chapter 8, one so obscure that even the Wiki doesn't mention it. But it only gives her Luck +5 (and instant (?) marriage with Seliph), so it's not a substantial advantage over Lana. 4 hours ago, ping said: I believe their AI is to follow Seliph around? To be honest, as is the norm for green units, they're more annoying than helpful. Their real utility is getting themselves injured, so that your healers have more opportunities to gain EXP. 4 hours ago, ping said: ...yeah, if we ignore Johalvier's "since my brother talked to Larcei first, I'll have to kill 'em both" in the alternate timeline (a rather large thing to ignore, granted), he seems like a decent enough guy. Funny how one brother is very much a joke character and the other one... isn't. I see them as the idealist and the realist. The optimist and the cynic. Johalvier comes across as moreso down-to-earth, which makes sense for a grounded unit. The horseback Johan has his head in the clouds of infatuation. 4 hours ago, ping said: : "Y'know the liberation army's leader, Seliph? They say he's the rightful heir to Grannvale. I bet we'd all have a much better time with him on the throne if that were true, huh! Here, take this here skill ring. Go on, do your best! We're all behind you!" A couple problems here: 1. Wait, isn't Shannan the leader of the Liberation Army? The purpose of the Liberation Army, at this point in time, is to liberate Isaach from Grannvalean control. In that context, the rightful heir to the throne - Shannan - makes the most sense as its figurehead. On top of that, he's older than Seliph, and has indirect experience with war. He also has access to the strongest sword in the world... well, starting next chapter. 2. So... how do people know about Seliph? I was under the impression that Oifey and company were trying to keep a low profile, to avoid inciting the wrath of House Dozel. And if word got out further, he'd be at risk from the Lopt Cult. As for Seliph himself, the only people who have met him are those in the Liberation Army - and, at this point, perhaps the residents of Tirnanog. But again, introducing yourself as "the prince of House Chalphy, heir of Naga blood" is certainly one way to put a target on your back. 3. Who actually is the rightful heir to Grannvale? Seliph does have a claim, as the firstborn child of Deirdre, who was herself the daughter of the previous Crown Prince. But Julia also has a claim, as the only inheritor of Major Naga blood, and the only person in the world who can read the Book of Naga. And so does Julius - he's the son of the union between Arvis and Deirdre, whom Azmur envisioned would succeed him. Truthfully, I think any one of the three have a claim. 4 hours ago, ping said: : "Prince Shanan is our beacon of hope for Isaach's future. Once he returns with his divine blade, Balmung, in hand... Well, those imperial sods won't stand a chance at all! Every last one of them will be run right out of our great land!" *takes drink* Again, how are these random villager NPCs so knowledgeable? Shannan is supposed to be on a secret mission to the Yeet Shrine, to acquire the Balmung. The only people who know about it are his closest allies... oh, and this village bloke. How does he even know that Shannan has left the country? I mean, Harold knew, but... hm, maybe word just travels fast in this country. 4 hours ago, ping said: Schmidt is one of those retreating bosses, so because I killed most of his mooks first, he's going to return to Rivough and grab another group. I don't plan on grinding XP that way, but eh, might as well let it happen here. Schmidt turns around so fast, you'd think the Liberation Army was led by Erich Honecker! ...In light of my criminally bad sense of humor, I am turning myself over to the Stasi. For real, though, I hate this dude. Most retreating bosses, you're able to corner or block. Schmidt, though, just outranges all your units, save for Oifey. My last playthrough, I had to fight like four whole Hand Axe squads. 5 hours ago, ping said: : "Every last citizen of Isaach believes in and trusts Lord Seliph! We owe his family dearly for how his father, long ago, rescued and helped raise our Prince Shanan!" "Every last one of them", you say? *takes drink* 4 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: I think it's just he doesn't get dibs on the awesome axe. It's basically the only thing that makes Lex any good. I mean, Johanlvier still kinda has dibs on the Brave Axe. He's the only one who can use it, until like chapter 9. Thinking on it now, maybe Johan isn't actually "Lex, but worse", but rather "Lex, but no better, in a world where he can't hope to keep up". 5 hours ago, ping said: Trusting Lewyn?! Pff. As if. That's the spirit. 4 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: The curse of permadeath hit him and Oifey really hard. > Story relevance > Existing as a unit > Not causing a game over upon dying "Pick two of three." 3 hours ago, BrightBow said: No need to take a little comic relief fratricide so seriously. ...seriously, what were they thinking? Also worth noting that since you did Lex/Ayra, this means that the brothers are Lakche's cousins. Larcei has three notable suitors, and they're all her cousins. Oof. ...At least these cousins weren't the ones changing her diapers, though. 4 hours ago, BrightBow said: Probably not the best phrasing the translation could have picked. I mean, you can just kill both. He could've just mentioned that his "incompetent sons failed at this most basic of tasks!" He doesn't need to immediately know that one of them may have turned against him. Like, seriously, how do people just... know things instantly, when they happened half a country away. 3 hours ago, ping said: Fun fact: The German wikipedia disambiguation page for "Helmut Schmidt" lists 19 people of that name, although some have double names and some aren't important enough to actually have a wikipedia page. That's surprisingly a lot, until I remembered that "Schmidt" is just "Smith". And "Helmut" is... I dunno, "Harry"? "Herman"? Neither of those are super-common names in America nowadays though, so go figure. 2 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: Then when Johan joins the rebellion, Johalvier is disgusted that they'd take him in and decides to stick with Dannan and keep working against the child hunts from the inside. Or something like that. It's rather flimsy but it's not as idiotic as it is. Ooh, that would work pretty well. Perhaps we could've gotten a scene of them arguing beforehand - or maybe Johan waxing poetic, with Johalvier just saying "...I hate you." - to really sell the antipathy between them. 1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said: Quick question- how do the Axe Bros even know Larcei???? She's a rebel, the enemy, who has spent her life alongside the Big Rebel (Shannan) and the Little Big Rebel (Seliph). When, where, and how did they get to know each other? Perhaps they've fought one another beforehand? Either the Dozel Bros broke up a Liberation Army picnic, or maybe the Liberation Army freed some prisoners, and had to fight back the Bros? It's plausible that we'd get the "instantly lovestruck by my sworn enemy" trope. That said, the game never makes any such incident explicit, so it's all headcanon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interdimensional Observer Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 7 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: ...At least these cousins weren't the ones changing her diapers, though. That's why Edain survived, to non-awkwardly care for Larcei & Lana. The boys -Seliph, Ulster, Lester, Diarmuid- were usually under the direct fostering of Oifey and Shannan. Two now-grown men, who have known each other since 757, and are the only two who understand what each other has gone through in the past two decades. Thus, it should be of no surprise that during that time, particularly as they've engaged in some nontraditional parenting, they've developed certain affections for one another. Although they've rarely shown explicit tenderness to each other, they've been much too busy with more important matters, and Ulster was a such a crybaby that they rarely got to sleep alone for almost a decade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightBow Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 49 minutes ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: > Story relevance > Existing as a unit > Not causing a game over upon dying "Pick two of three." Well, there is Levin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotari Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 (edited) 8 hours ago, ping said: Seliph secret village Convo Let's just acknowledge "Lord marries generic village maiden", Kaga did it first. Actually, this is kind of a running trend with Marisha's granny and Marth in the last game. 8 hours ago, ping said: But because the AI is not very smart (seriously, why is everybody attacking Oifey?), the worst part of the result is losing out on some XP for the growth units. You call the AI not very smart, but haven't they managed to kill Oifey like three times already? What does that make you? 7 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: I'd call it worse, honestly. The whole "rivalry of the towns" thing is kinda weird, but at least it doesn't affect the characters - they just never meet Marth and keep on living their own life (until Samson canonically gets recruited by Sheema). In this case, it harms the characters themselves - Johan has to be made into an irredeemable psychopath, and Johalvier has to act entirely out of character to expedite the thing. At least we get a line from Lewyn saying neither of the brothers cooperated with the child hunt orders and spared Isaach from the brunt of that horror. 4 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: Alas, what a tragedy, the life of Brian... I love you. 4 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said: ...It's worth noting that Johan and Johalvier have a convo with Larcei's substitute specifically in this chapter. They have to stand next to each other for 10 turns (inspiration for GBAFE's support system?). I only saw Johalvier's version, of course. You aren't missing much. He's basically just acting like a moron following her around, she tells him to fuck off and gains 2 strength from the whole experience. I guess only she gets it because it's supposed to kinda sorta not really compensate for her being the inferior sub? I'm just going to pop this thread of ideas down here, I like my Creidne one in particular. Because the existence of Creidne and the brothers acting the same way reflects even worse on their characters. 3 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said: Quick question- how do the Axe Bros even know Larcei???? She's a rebel, the enemy, who has spent her life alongside the Big Rebel (Shannan) and the Little Big Rebel (Seliph). When, where, and how did they get to know each other? We can only presume there were some kind of Dad's Army a tics going on where the rebels and axe brothers kepts on crossing paths and getting into increasingly absurd and hilarious situations. Or...in this specific timeline...Larcei was invited to the family reunion... because cousin. 2 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: 3. Who actually is the rightful heir to Grannvale? Seliph does have a claim, as the firstborn child of Deirdre, who was herself the daughter of the previous Crown Prince. But Julia also has a claim, as the only inheritor of Major Naga blood, and the only person in the world who can read the Book of Naga. And so does Julius - he's the son of the union between Arvis and Deirdre, whom Azmur envisioned would succeed him. Truthfully, I think any one of the three have a claim. The one who deserves the throne is the one rightfully elected to the head of a parliamentary system determined by single transferable vote. Monarchy is dumb. 2 hours ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said: But it only gives her Luck +5 (and instant (?) marriage with Seliph), so it's not a substantial advantage over Lana. Not like she needs the instant marriage. Seliph has never once failed to marry the early game staff bot without my blessing in all of my Gen II playthroughs. The combination of early joining, sword girl being practically hitched with axe bro leads to staffbot just having too big an advantage with Seliph, who I'm always moving somewhere with no care for romance. One of my loose ideas for Muirne was to distinguish her from Lana was to cut the middle ground and just give her an automatic marriage to Seliph. 2 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said: That's why Edain survived, to non-awkwardly care for Larcei & Lana. The boys -Seliph, Ulster, Lester, Diarmuid- were usually under the direct fostering of Oifey and Shannan. Two now-grown men, who have known each other since 757, and are the only two who understand what each other has gone through in the past two decades. Thus, it should be of no surprise that during that time, particularly as they've engaged in some nontraditional parenting, they've developed certain affections for one another. Although they've rarely shown explicit tenderness to each other, they've been much too busy with more important matters, and Ulster was a such a crybaby that they rarely got to sleep alone for almost a decade. Do Oifey and Shannan even have a conversation together? Edited March 30 by Jotari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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