|
 Man, it's been a long time since I tackled a Fire Emblem title, and this one is going to be a doozy. A Basic Synopsis Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the first (well, second if you count the spinoff Warriors) FE game to be released for the Nintendo Switch. This most recent incarnation of the long-running strategy RPG series was released in July of 2019, and carries with it the influences of the dozen and a half games that came before it. The multiple story paths from Fire Emblem: Fates (with three separate factions this time instead of just two), the character-specific abilities introduced by Fire Emblem: Awakening, the ability to rewind your mistakes from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and the special moves known as Combat Arts from the same game, and of course, the series tradition of permanently losing your characters if you mess up (though it keeps the casual mode from FE: New Mystery of the Emblem if that's not your thing) Of course, that's not to say that the game doesn't bring some new features along the way. The hook of the game is that you are a professor at a prestigious academy for prospective knights, and so the tedious method the series ran with before of training up your skills through combat has been supplemented by the ability to directly tutor students in the skills you'd like them to learn, which is necessary because characters now have skill requirements they have to meet for switching to new classes. Helping this is that levels now function like a traditional RPG, tied directly to the character instead of the class that they're in, which means that they can freely switch between any class that they've unlocked. Oh, and there's a school life calendar thing, but it's kinda barebones and...y'know what, we'll get to that. An anime high school? Seriously? Yeah, that's what I thought as well when it was first announced, but to its credit, FE: Three Houses takes the premise as stated and plays it completely seriously. While the support conversations get a bit into the stupid shenanigans you'd expect from this kind of setting, the overall storyline treats the folks attending this school of warfare as if they are, in fact, learning how to go to war. The storyline delves into the nature of revenge and the effect it can have on one's sanity, the question of whether it's worth destabilizing society to aim for a better future in the end, and also the matter of faith and belief and the detrimental effects of a society that blindly follows a religion that's holding them back. Honestly, Three Houses is a daunting game in terms of just how much content there is in it, but I think it works to the overall good, since it gives the writers space to muse over their themes and actually examine them in detail. This is one of my favorite stories in the series, and I can guarantee that I won't have a shortage of things to talk about with it. So I heard that there's DLC. Indeed there is. In fact, the downloadable content comes with its own contained storyline plus 5-6 bonus characters, depending on what path you're on. I'll be handling that after we go through our first path, since it introduces a number of features that significantly change the way you develop characters, and it straight-up hands you extra goodies that, while not game-breaking, do make the game significantly less challenging. Wouldn't make the first run that fun if we were just steamrolling over everything. On the topic of difficulty, since there's a bit of overlap between the three houses, I'm going to be starting with Normal, jumping up to Hard on the next go-round, and uh...well, there's a third difficulty called Maddening, and I'll be the first to confess that I am not a Fire Emblem pro by any stretch of the imagination, so I'm going to have to cheat a little on that. My apologies. Audience Participation? Yup. Well, eventually. Like my FE: Sacred Stones LP, I'm going to be putting party composition up to a vote when applicable. At first, you only have the starting members of your house, but there'll be recruitable characters to expand the roster, and as a result, some folks will have to be warming the bench sooner or later. There aren't any absolutely terrible units in this game. Well, maybe one or two, but we'll get there. Point is, almost everyone in Three Houses is a viable choice, and even if folks aren't ready for primetime, there's a way to still get them experience and bring them up to speed. What I will not be taking a vote on is what path we take. I'm going to be going through the story in a very specific order, because there are some storylines that get a significantly bigger picture than others. My general order is going to be least information -> most information, allowing us to piece together the story bit by bit as we go. Spoiler Policy Goes without saying, but just in case, plot spoilers are strictly a no-no. This game has a lot of stuff that comes out of left field, and I really don't want the surprise ruined for everyone. For the most part, I'd say use your best judgment. If we haven't seen it yet, then assume it's off-limits. Anyhow, enough preamble. Let's get to it. Table of Contents  Blue Lions (Normal, Casual)
Blastinus fucked around with this message at 15:42 on Feb 26, 2023 |
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 00:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 22:49 |
|
|
Our Student Body Professor's Guidance: Multiplies experience of user and adjacent allies by 1.2  Royal Lineage: Multiplies gained experience by 1.2  Staunch Shield: If user Waits on their turn, gain +4 Def until the next turn  Lone Wolf: Deal +5 Dmg if no Battalion is equipped or Battalion HP is 0  Lockpick: Can open doors and chests without using a key  Philander: Deal +2 Dmg and take -2 Dmg when female unit is adjacent  Live to Serve: When using white magic to heal an ally, recover the same amount of HP  Perseverance: Can use the Rally action to grant +4 Str to an adjacent ally for 1 turn  Lady Knight: Gives Gambits +3 Mt and +5 Hit Blastinus fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Nov 10, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 00:59
|
|
|
Prologue: An Inevitable Encounter A Skirmish At Dawn  So you load up the game and you're presented with two things. First this fancy-looking squiggle and...  Someone taking a nap on the world's most uncomfortable-looking chair. This is actually what you see upon clearing a playthrough. When you first boot up the game, it just looks like this.  Like seriously, put a cushion down or something. Music - The Crest of Flames  This playthrough's going to be starting completely fresh. No benefits, no frills. We're coming from the bottom and working our way back up. Not to worry though, there'll be other playthroughs where we'll be seeing these New Game Plus features, and more besides.  Normal this time. While apparently Hard is meant to be the baseline difficulty, Normal is still a good start just to get familiarized with this game's quirks. There are some major differences between difficulty modes. Enemies get better stats, there are more of them, they start getting skills they didn't have before, and eventually, even their basic behavior changes in hilarious ways. Yes, I realize that I'm hyping you up for things that we'll be seeing 20-30 ingame hours from now. Just bear with me.  Casual mode is kind of unnecessary in this game for a very simple reason, and we'll see what that is in a couple of chapters. Still, might as well show it off and then never speak of it again. Basic difference is that in Casual Mode, characters cannot be permanently killed. The only times losing a character will result in a loss is if the mission objectives specifically say that such-and-such cannot die. Means you can play the game in a more relaxed manner and not worry about the consequences of a really bad play. Though as I said, there are means to compensate for poor planning anyway.  No online play either for this one. There's a very tangible and somewhat game-breaking benefit that comes from playing online, and I can save that for another time as well. But enough about all that, let's start the game!  ...After a quick loading screen. There's a decent number of these, but the advantage of a screenshot format is that you're spared the joy of sitting through them.  We begin with a dream...  ...Of war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr7lQHa0bP8 I really love it when strategy games open like this. One of my favorite memories of playing Warcraft 3 for the first time was seeing an opening cutscene just like this and imagining that when you're controlling, like, a dozen dudes, you've actually got an entire army at your back. It's hard to get a feel for the true scale of warfare because moving all the pieces around would be a giant pain in the neck, though some games have tried, like the Total War series.  I'm not going to give you the blow-by-blow of these cutscenes, because I have embedded videos for that, but let's go over the very basic details.   In the past, two armies waged war on one another, led by two champions named Nemesis and Seiros.  The two of them fought one on one, and for a while it seemed evenly matched until Nemesis made a grave error.   Someone should have told him that this is a game where any class can use multiple weapons.   Of course, then things took...a bit of a turn.    : You took...everything that I loved! And just like that, the battle was over, on account of everyone being too stunned and confused to continue.  Not exactly how folks might have envisioned this fight ending, but a win is a win, right? The history books will be able to fudge the details a bit.  This whole scene will make a lot more sense when we have the context for it. After all, in the end...   This is all just a vision of the past. When you're watching the video, pay attention to the images that flash by. Some of them will seem oddly contemporary.   And here we are right at the beginning, standing before a familiar girl lounging upon a familiar throne.   : What could have brought you here? Gah! Don't just suddenly shift formats like that! Music - The Spirit Dais : It is most rude to interrupt a moment of repose. Very rude indeed.  Just like Awakening and Fates before it, Three Houses gives you the option of playing a male or female avatar character. Unlike those games though, you have no customization options and have to just stick with the default look.  Kind of a pity, since the female version is pretty cluttered as it stands. I'm not going to put this up to a choice, since I have a particular idea in mind for how I want to approach this.  Most would probably disagree with this statement. Not because either form has a great amount of personality, but there are some very interesting possibilities open to the female avatar that aren't offered to her male counterpart. Not to worry though. I'll be running an opposite-gender playthrough on the side so I'll be able to cover the highlights.   The avatar in this game, unlike Awakening's Robin and Fates' Corrin, has been given the very unfortunate silent protagonist treatment. It gives them a lot drier of a personality as a result and they tend to come off as flat, sarcastic, and sometimes even dismissive of those whom they talk to. Sometimes this can result in funny responses, but here...  Well, okay then, Ms. "can't take a joke".  : I'm a mortal.: I see. Then you must have a name of sorts. Go on. No votes on this one either. For now. I'm trying to lay the groundwork for how this game works, and it won't help matters if every time I have to refer to Byleth, he's called Poopypants instead. Next time, I promise.  : You must possess a day of birth as well. Beneath which moon and on what day were you born to this world? : Well, wonders never cease! It seems we share our day of birth. How strange!By sheer coincidence, this fantasy world uses the same 12-month calendar that Earth does, albeit with the months represented as "Moons" instead. And I'm not just making a silly joke here. 4/20 is, in fact, the same day that this game's plot starts on. Today promises to be very dank indeed. : Hmm. It all feels so...familiar. I think it may be time for yet another nap... Well, that's kinda ominous, but we won't have any time to chew that over for now, because...   Get used to characters just walking up to one another in these in-engine cutscenes. We've got a million of these to put together. We're not spending money on fancy custom animations. : I was dreaming about a war... : Massive armies clashing on a vast field, right? There hasn’t been a battle like that in over three centuries…More like 10 centuries in this case.  : In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed.: (nods) I'm serious, this is the entirety of Byleth's response. If you're expecting deep characterization, this is gonna suck hard. : OK, time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom. I told you before. It’s far from here, so we’ll need to leave at dawn.  Not helping Byleth's character is that the series' support system is still alive and well, and conversation choices also give support points. So if you're someone who has to optimize the way you play your game, there will, approximately half of the time, be a "right" choice and everything else is pointless or even detrimental.  : What's happened?Whatever it is, it's apparently not worth mentioning, because one quick fade to black later...  : What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour? : We’re being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support.: Bandits? Here? : It's true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp. : We’ve been separated from our companions and we’re outnumbered. They’re after our lives...not to mention our gold. Yeah, I know! We've got almost the entire Power Rangers here. All we're missing is Pink.  : I guess they followed you all the way here. We can’t abandon this village now. : (nods, ready for this engagement and eager to demonstrate his training)Or at least I assume that's the case. He could have just been daydreaming through that whole conversation.  Okay, fight time! The reason for the two titles is that the Prologue chapter, as a whole, is called An Inevitable Encounter, but this battle specifically is known as A Skirmish At Dawn. It's a little confusing, but I'll be putting both chapter names at the start of updates, so hopefully that'll help with keeping it straight.   Yeah, those definitely look like bandit-y types. Wouldn't be a Fire Emblem game if we didn't warm up by pummeling the impoverished and downtrodden.  Shouldn't be a problem. Music - Fodlan Winds (Map Theme - Rain, Battle Theme - Thunder) As per Awakening and Fates, Three Houses uses two versions of the same song, fading back and forth between them when characters get into a battle. For the desired effect, try running them in Youtube Doubler and just mute one side and unmute the other.  : Take down the enemies in front first. That should take the wind out of their sails.Jeralt's going to try talking us through some of the basic mechanics. The advice is fine, but I think I like to do things my own way.  This game, thanks to the entire battlefield taking place in 3D, lets us zoom out, reposition the camera, and do one very questionable feature, which I'll touch on later because it's distracting as heck. In addition, we've got this nice tactical view here which lets us get a picture of the overall scene. Unlike some prologues in the series which can be failed if you overextend yourself or forget to heal, this one's pretty difficult to lose in. You've got a full squad with a balance of melee and range, a strong support unit, and the enemy positioning is such that you won't get too many of them coming at you at any one time.  Before we get too far into the hacky-slashy, let's look at some spreadsheets, shall we? There's a lot to unpack here, and I mean a lot. Three Houses has most of the regular Fire Emblem amenities, but it's also slapped on a few extras. Hard to know where to even begin. I suppose I could just start by saying how it's the same as previous installments. Attack damage is still Strength/Magic + a weapon's Might value, Hit % is still mostly affected by Skill (which this game calls Dexterity), and Avoid is still based on Speed. Prt and Rsl, or Protection/Resilence, are based on Defense and Resistance and block physical/magical damage, respectively. Luck is still a stat that does a little of everything and nobody likes it, and finally there's Charm, which does a very specific thing that's not relevant at the moment.  Note that Byleth is not actually a specialized sword-wielding class. Instead, he's the starting class: a Commoner. As I mentioned in passing during that opening cutscene, Three Houses is unique in the series in that classes don't lock you into using specific weapons. Characters can wield any type of weapon in the game, and as the description says, this class can even use magic, once we learn some. We'll go into the process of acquiring magic later. One last thing before we move on is a brief description of the Skill Levels at the lower right. Byleth is specialized in Swords, but also has skill in Brawling (fist weapons) and Leadership, represented by the flag icon (which provides certain command skills and also boosts the same thing that Charm does). The other icons are Lances, Axes, Bows, Reason (or Black Magic) and Faith (or White Magic).  The Noble class is more or less the same as the Commoner class. Classes improve stat growths in different ways, and Noble is slightly better than Commoner, but negligably so. They're just a starting class under a different name, except you get a 5% growth rate in Charm. Anyhow, Dimitri, as we can see, specializes in the use of Lances, with Swords and Leadership on the side. He's very physically-inclined with high HP and has the best defense of the three Lords, but is weak in both using and resisting magic. He's also our Lord character for this playthrough, so we'll need to familiarize ourselves with him. Now I chose Dimitri because, as explained in the OP, I'm trying to go for story paths that get the least amount of information first, and suffice it now to say that Dimitri couldn't learn less information if his head was packed with cement.  Edelgard is an Axe-themed character who's surprisingly quick and adept with magic, which would come in handy if she actually knew any at the moment. She's also proficient in Swords and Leadership, which is equally true of our last party member. She'll be our second path protagonist, which leaves the third time around for...  Claude is an archery-focused character who's more accurate than Dimitri or Edelgard and just as quick as the latter, but isn't particularly exceptional anywhere else other than Luck, which I mentioned is kind of a dump stat in most games. You might think that making one of your Lords an archer would put him at a disadvantage, but archers get a lot of useful tools in this game to keep them relevant. In fact, for various reasons, he'll end up being the most versatile Lord of the three.  Finally, the boss is...pfft, hahaha! Oh boy, this poor dude. He's got a mean right hook, but that's basically all he's got going for him. Just about anyone in our squad can take him one on one, and with the five us together? It's not even a contest.   Let's get this started, shall we? When explaining mechanics, I'll be mostly assuming that you have a basic understanding of how gameplay works in tactical RPG's, so I don't have to explain the bare essentials like "the blue squares are a character's movement and the red squares show where they can hit" because we'll be here all day.  Three Houses, carrying on the tradition started with Fire Emblem Awakening, swaps near-instanteously from the tactical to combat view and back again whenever you make an attack. You can even hear the music fade seamlessly between the tactical map and combat versions, another feature that started in that same game.  Now the knowledgeable among you might ask, if I'm going to be choosing Dimitri's house, why am I bothering to use the other two characters? That's a very good question, and the short answer is that I like to try to do things "efficiently". If characters aren't doing anything, that means I'm doing it wrong. Or at least it feels that way. Those of you who know how the series works might also be savvy enough to realize that something's a bit amiss. In the past, characters gained levels for their class, capping at level 20, at which point they could change class and start from level 1 again. Here though, characters gain both personal experience and class points, making it more like a traditional JRPG. We'll see a bit more of how that works when the game opens up a bit.  That's the game warning us that, yes, durability is a thing in this game, but unlike previous games where the weapon would just vanish, you'll instead be attacking with a broken weapon that has horrible stats. I'll see if I can break a weapon or two to show off the difference.  Those of you familiar with past games might find these hit rates a bit weird, but it's because the game's done away with the innate rock-paper-scissors aspect that swords, lances, and axes used to have. This was called the Weapon Triangle, but the game's discarded that in favor of a different approach, which we'll get into when we look at Abilities.  Nice thing about Three Houses' animations is that they use a blur effect on the swings. Makes it easier to show how characters are attacking just using screenshots. That being said, there will be a highlight reel of this chapter at the end of the update if you want to see the animations in motion.   Note the little speech bubbles by these characters. Byleth has a special conversation with each of them using the Talk command.  : You say you’re a mercenary, so show me what you can do.: Thank you. We are in your debt. It wouldn’t do for us to fall in a place like this. Please, lend us your strength. Let’s work together to drive out these thieves!: It’s because of you guys that I’m not dead right now. Thanks for that! I didn’t expect to run into mercenaries like you in some remote village. The gods of fortune must be smiling on me!Each conversation gets us a little bit of support points, but mostly they're just there to give you a better idea of these Lords.  Enemy phase. Nothing happens.  Ally phase. Also nada. That's because Jeralt has another lesson for us.   Defensive terrain. Very helpful to keep this in mind. Forest tiles cost extra movement to move into them, but they provide 30% evasion and +1 physical defense to anyone hiding in them.  Thanks for the tip.  Unique to this game is that if you highlight enemies, you can see a forecast of who they're likely to target, and with what attack. Not to say that it's entirely accurate though, since circumstances can change the AI's mind.  For instance, while the first bandit and Edelgard had this very productive exchange...  My moving up the rest of the team made the AI decide that it wants to try its luck with Byleth and Dimitri instead.  Their funeral, I say. Though both Byleth and Dimitri take negligible damage.  Another turn, another nugget of advice.  Combat Arts are special weapon techniques that cost additional durability, but add effects like extra damage, a better hit rate, and so on. Kind of a waste since these guys are already injured, but the game's asking us to, so might's well.  Flashy!   Slashy!  Tempest Lance is basically the same as Wrath Strike. Just extra damage and chance to hit. That being said, 21 HP would have killed this guy even at full health, so giving lances a little extra kick is definitely worth it. Just...be careful when doing Weapon Arts with Dimitri. We'll see why in another update.  Ooh, so close.  By the way, you remember how I said that archers get a lot of cool toys? Well, here's the first. +1 Damage, +30% Hit, and most importantly, +1 Range! And the funny thing is, we can go even farther than that.   ...Ouch.  That's the second bandit group down. This prompts Kostas to finally act.   Looks like they're on the move. But that's not the real bad news.  No, it's that Jeralt is ALSO going after them, and he will absolutely steal our experience. Not much we can do that about that though, other than to do as much damage as possible before he gets here.  Make us proud, Dimitri!   Good luck with that. Music - Wrath Strike (Rain/Thunder) Hope you like this theme, because the first time you engage with the boss of a level, you're strapped in until they go down. Oh, and Kostas has two other quotes for fighting Byleth or Jeralt. (vs. Byleth)  : Hey, you with the blank stare! Outta my way!(vs. Jeralt) : What the?! Aren't you Jeralt the Blade Breaker? What's a renowned mercenary like you doing here?: I'm the one who should be complaining. I'm caught up in the mess you started!Fun fact actually. Kostas and Jeralt are programmed so that they can't defeat each other. They'll always just leave the other with 1 HP. One of those things you have to be trying to do on purpose, I'd wager.  Giving Kostas a healthy whack brought Dimitri over the experience threshold, which means it's time for the first level of the LP. Fingers crossed.  Not bad. These were all stats where he had a 50%+ chance of success, so the only real surprise is that he missed his 60% strength growth. Suppose I should mention straight-up that stat caps in this game are a LOT higher than you'd expect from the series. I'll touch on that more when I show his full bio in chapter...I'm gonna say probably 2 or 3, but suffice it to say that 12 strength is just the tip of the iceberg.  Since the other two bandits casually amble into stabbing range, Jeralt unfortunately gets to take a go at them. Fortunately, he's slow enough that he can't double and kill them, just maim them slightly.  For the curious, here are his stats, demonstrating that it is actually impossible for him to be a Paladin. Don't worry about it.   Linked Attacks. You might have noticed that another character's portrait was in the corner of the battle forecast screen in previous screenshots. As Jeralt explained, if an enemy is within the attack range of one or more allies, then your stats will increase while theirs will go down. Since you'll see in the highlights video that allies will gain support points if you attack an enemy they're threatening OR you're standing next to them, clumping up is rarely a bad strategy.   That being said, I'm an idiot who's trying to "optimize," so Dimitri instead goes for Kostas's cohort, while Claude uh...softens the boss up a bit. All the arrows go for the balls. How did I never notice this before?   And Edelgard brings it home for another level.  Not regretting my choice of path. But regardless, that brings this chapter to a close, except...   Even his backup cheering squad can tell that's cheating.   I'm pretty sure that Edelgard could take this guy, but, well...  Yeah, we wouldn't be the hero in a JRPG if we didn't do something pointlessly reckless.  Fortunately, time is on our side.   : What are you accomplishing with that little stunt?! It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool! : After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, you're not going to protect it very well, are you? Course not. You know, when she's not sitting down, it's really evident how long that mane of hers is. Almost down to her feet. Just a random observation.  : but I'm also known as "The Beginning"Sothis is voiced by Cassandra Lee Morris, who you might also know as the voice of Morgana in Persona 5 (plus subsequent re-releases and sequels), Edea Lee in Bravely Default and Bravely Second, and Aoi Asahina in Danganronpa, among many others. She's also done a number of roles in animated films and anime, including shows like K-On! and a surprising amount of Barbie stuff. She's got quite the varied portfolio.  Music - The Spirit Dais : Yes, that is it. My name is Sothis. And I am also called...The Beginning. But who once called me that? The response to this is entirely the same. That happens far too frequently, and even if you get a unique snatch of dialogue, it just ends the same way. Once again, it makes me question why they couldn't just give Byleth a predetermined voice.  : And just like that, it came to me. How odd. : Phooey! That “child” just saved your life! And what does that make you?: I'm less than a child?: Correct! You understand. You threw yourself before an axe to save just one young girl.Not our brightest decision, no. : Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened.: Thank you.: There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all.Seems like you didn't have much choice, if you ask me. Like you said, if Byleth bites it, so do you. : Though it is only momentary, time has stopped. However did I manage that... : When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end. Crap! Cutscene damage! That's like five times regular gameplay damage! : How rude of you to drag me into this! Now what to do... : That is ridiculous!Maybe, but it's also how her power works in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, so I guess in that alternate timeline, she worked the kinks out. : Oh, but perhaps... Of course! I must turn back the hands of time!How is that LESS ridiculous?  "The goddess always lives in heaven and Fodlan" Someone needs to work on her handwriting. : I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what’s to come, which means you can protect yourself this time.Yup, we're Final Destination-ing the heck out of this thing. : Now, go... Yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek... So, back we go. Except this time...   Yeah, see, we probably could have done that BEFORE we had time powers. : Hey–over here! Well, doesn't matter that they were late to the party, because that bandit is totally dead. Yup, never gonna see him again.  Tamper with metaphysical powers beyond our comprehension? Yup, just been one of those days.  Oh hey, who are these guys?   : Hey, the thieves are running away! Go after them! : Ugh... Why him?Who him? And what him, for that matter?   Questions for next time, I suppose. For now, let's welcome our new MVP! The game tracks damage and kills and highlights whoever performed the best in that battle. This has gameplay ramifications, and I'm going to sound like a broken record, but we'll learn what those are later. Jeez, this game has so much to talk about and we've only gotten started. Extra Prologue Battle Highlights. Pardon the slow pace of the recording. I was taking it easy for the sake of screenshots. You might also notice that Kostas dropped an Iron Axe, but since Edelgard nabbed it and we're not going to be using her for this playthrough...yeah, I hope she enjoys it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKtMPCTK5kU Blastinus fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Sep 12, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 01:02
|
|
|
This would make, I think, the fourth or fifth FE16 thread on LP now? I'm wondering what's drawing so many people to LP this game. Plus we might also have a couple people vascillating on an FEW2 LP, too. We'll probably have at least ten active threads halfway through the game by the time Fedule's started beta-reading for his FE16 writeup.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 01:22
|
|
|
Delphisage posted:This would make, I think, the fourth or fifth FE16 thread on LP now? I'm wondering what's drawing so many people to LP this game. Plus we might also have a couple people vascillating on an FEW2 LP, too. Well, for my part, it's because LPing Fire Emblem games is really a lot of fun. The games are entertaining, the characters are colorful and likeable, and the randomness of the level-ups gives a lot of material to write about. Plus I've got this Elgato recording device that I hadn't done anything with and I figured that if I'm going to LP a Switch game, I might as well play something that I've got a bit of experience with. I'd also considered Octopath Traveler or Live-a-Live, actually. If no one's done the latter by the time I'm done with this, I'll probably jump on that as well.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 01:30
|
|
|
Delphisage posted:This would make, I think, the fourth or fifth FE16 thread on LP now? I'm wondering what's drawing so many people to LP this game. Anime high school, Harry Potter houses, and more waifus and husbandos than you can shake a silver sword at.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 01:33
|
|
|
Delphisage posted:This would make, I think, the fourth or fifth FE16 thread on LP now? I'm wondering what's drawing so many people to LP this game. Plus we might also have a couple people vascillating on an FEW2 LP, too. The fifth. The real question is who will have the sixteenth!
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 01:55
|
|
|
Delphisage posted:This would make, I think, the fourth or fifth FE16 thread on LP now? I'm wondering what's drawing so many people to LP this game. Plus we might also have a couple people vascillating on an FEW2 LP, too. That the story plus the characters and their arcs are worth talking about is one reason I think. Most Fire Emblem stories are pretty straightforward. You can talk about how dumb it is to give the Sacred Stones to the obviously possessed/evil prince, but it's not a topic worth a deeper discussion. And while Fire Emblem had done route splits before, only Conquest/Awakening/Revelations have made them as distinctive as in Three Houses, and let's just say that those three game routes were a huge mess. Three Houses is also messy at times, but there's a reason why the Three Houses thread is basically as active as the general Fire Emblem thread.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 02:48
|
|
|
Just have to say that Claude is my favorite of the Three Lords, and I despise Edelgard.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 04:12
|
|
|
good luck getting through all the routes and also dealing with the audience that this game attracts, sincerely
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 12:36
|
|
|
Delphisage posted:This would make, I think, the fourth or fifth FE16 thread on LP now? I'm wondering what's drawing so many people to LP this game. Plus we might also have a couple people vascillating on an FEW2 LP, too. Torrannor posted:That the story plus the characters and their arcs are worth talking about is one reason I think. Most Fire Emblem stories are pretty straightforward. You can talk about how dumb it is to give the Sacred Stones to the obviously possessed/evil prince, but it's not a topic worth a deeper discussion. And while Fire Emblem had done route splits before, only Conquest/Awakening/Revelations have made them as distinctive as in Three Houses, and let's just say that those three game routes were a huge mess. It's a whole lot of this, combined with the fact that The Discourse™ is equally fascinating to talk about and explore, but exhausting and no one should ever have to deal with it, let alone moderate it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 13:30
|
|
|
Artix posted:It's a whole lot of this, combined with the fact that The Discourse™ is equally fascinating to talk about and explore, but exhausting and no one should ever have to deal with it, let alone moderate it. Look, just LP it on Maddening and nobody will understand what you're doing for half of it, so you don't get any discourse. Easy.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 13:34
|
|
|
I think there's also a lot of the same narrative DNA that makes Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri so enduringly popular (and heated) with nerds: the game presents a murky and ambiguous moral conflict and asks you to choose who, and whose vision, you think is in the right.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 13:39
|
|
|
In all seriousness the thing that sold me on Three Houses was the release of Maddening as a difficulty. Before that I would have rated it as like a 7, maybe 8 out of 10, coming nowhere close to how I view Awakening. But Maddening is basically the perfect SRPG difficulty setting for me. Divine pulse allows the difficulty to be downright unfair but the tax for failure isn't a full reset but 1/5th of a reset instead. You can also use a portion of a reset as an offensive tool as well, resetting if you want to go for a risky play to gain an advantage. And the difficulty genuinely will push you into these choices, where even if you've played well, you have to sit down and think, "How do I get out of this?" and really consider all the options you have on the table. All of that leads to a Fire Emblem difficulty that's just really unlike what we've seen before, where instead of desperately turtling your units and completely minimising all risk, you have the option to just go hard and gamble everything if that's your style. And then outside of the tactical layer, so on the strategic layer, you can go for almost anything on anyone as a build. Whilst there is a legitimate criticism that this freedom makes the optimal relatively homogeneous, it also makes the viable incredibly diverse. There are videos of mages running around as swordmasters, physical only units dumping down magic that explodes people, it's all great. And that kind of creativity at a strategic level is something I really love. If I hadn't discovered astrathality crit swordmaster as a build, I don't know how attached I would have become to the game.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 14:04
|
|
|
On an unrelated and honestly bizarre note, I've always been annoyed witth how MU has to bodyblock Edelgard and die to establish the Divine Pulse in this prologue. Plays into a bunch of peeves I've got about white knighting and player worship, since it's got that narou-kei "sacrifice yourself to be sent to fantasy land" execution that I though would've stopped showing up in anime after Konosuba's mockery of the trope.
Delphisage fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Sep 12, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 14:33
|
|
|
The thing is, while Byleth throwing himself in harm's way does seem like a stupid gesture, it's also a means of establishing that the character, despite seeming to be a blank slate, does have a significant character flaw of charging in without thinking. I think it's okay for a character to not always make the right decision in the heat of the moment, especially when Sothis calls him out for it in the very same scene. So while in the moment, it's just an excuse to demonstrate Sothis's ability to reverse time, it's also foreshadowing for bad decisions Byleth will make in the future. Blastinus fucked around with this message at 15:05 on Sep 12, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 15:01
|
|
|
more fire emblem! more! 
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 17:26
|
|
|
theshim posted:more fire emblem! Truly, it is an FE LP year
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 17:26
|
|
|
Yeah I was a lot more lukewarm on Three Houses as a FE game before Maddening as Hard is just too much of a joke. Maddening can be a little annoying but it lets you actually engage with the game's mechanics in a fun way and not just curbstomp everything.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 18:46
|
|
|
RevolverDivider posted:Yeah I was a lot more lukewarm on Three Houses as a FE game before Maddening as Hard is just too much of a joke. Maddening can be a little annoying but it lets you actually engage with the game's mechanics in a fun way and not just curbstomp everything. Issat right? I haven't actually tried Maddening myself but I'd heard that it was a really rough time. I'm going to need to give it a look-see and if it's manageable, then I'll just make the entire third playthrough a Maddening run.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 19:30
|
|
|
Blastinus posted:Issat right? I haven't actually tried Maddening myself but I'd heard that it was a really rough time. I'm going to need to give it a look-see and if it's manageable, then I'll just make the entire third playthrough a Maddening run. The people who are saying this are Fire Emblem experts who S rank Lunatic mode in the older games. This is not a normal level of ability.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2022 23:56
|
|
|
ChaosStar0 posted:The people who are saying this are Fire Emblem experts who S rank Lunatic mode in the older games. This is not a normal level of ability. That's just absolutely not true at all. Conquest lunatic made me swear off playing Fire Emblem for four years. Maddening is far, far easier than the lunatic modes in Fates. And even if it weren't, the addition of Divine pulse gives you a really big buffer before you have to eat a reset.
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2022 00:00
|
|
|
ChaosStar0 posted:The people who are saying this are Fire Emblem experts who S rank Lunatic mode in the older games. "S-ranking Lunatic" isn't actually a thing that's been in an FE game... Edited this post to remove hostility and emphasize nerdiness. Delphisage fucked around with this message at 02:26 on Sep 13, 2022 |
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2022 01:06
|
|
|
Right, let's stop this before it gets out of hand. I've already mentioned that I'm going to try out Maddening and see whether it's too difficult for me, personally, the guy doing the LP. We can leave the personal attacks out of this discussion entirely. I'll let you folks know what I think and what my plans will be. In the meantime, chill.
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2022 02:18
|
|
|
I would, but you chose the eagles and all the decent frost mages are in the deer 
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2022 02:27
|
|
|
Hmm...well, I probably wouldn't be able to do it with a fresh save file, but I think that doing Maddening with NG+ bonuses and DLC would be doable for a guy my skill level. I'll adjust the OP to confirm that I'll be running the third path on that difficulty. Plus I'll get started with recording the next chapter. Look out for that on Wednesday or Thursday. Gotta say though, the next chapter's battle is kinda rude on Maddening. Not looking forward to playing that again.
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2022 04:49
|
|
|
Chapter 1: Three Houses The Archbishop So before we begin, I wanted to mention that Byleth and Dimitri are going to look a bit different, stat-wise, than when we left off at the last chapter. I had to restart the playthrough because DLC was being an rear end and I had to reinstall the entire dang game. But on the other hand, that meant that I went with that original plan of just feeding everything to Byleth and Dimitri. So here, have some levels.    I'm going to miss that speed on Dimitri, but at least they're both committed to doing excessive amounts of damage. To recap, last time, we saved a trio of color-coordinated teenagers with attitude from some bandits and went through a superhero origin story. Then some guy called Alois showed up.  Judging by Jeralt's reaction, still not long enough. Music - A Gentle Breeze : Don’t you recognize me? It’s Alois! Your old right-hand man! Well, that’s how I always thought of myself anyway. It must have been 20 years ago that you went missing without a trace. I always knew you were still alive!: You haven’t changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever. And drop that “captain” nonsense. I’m not your captain anymore. These days I’m just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do. Good-bye, old friend.: Right... Good-bye, Captain.Roll credits. Kinda short game, but--  Dangit. : Garreg Mach Monastery... I suppose this was inevitable.: And how about you, kid? Are you the captain's child? Well, this routine didn't get a laugh out of the girl in our head, but no sense in wasting good material. : I'm a bandit. So keep that in mind with Alois. Our jokes are terrible, but as it so happens, he's a fan of terrible jokes. : I'd love for you to see the monastery too. You will join me, won't you?: (nods with interest mingled with curiosity) : What's troubling you, Captain? You aren't about to run off again, are you?: Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros.  Don't look at me, buddy. You've got a voice in your head and you're going to live with it. : Ah. It seems your presence is required. Get going!And indeed, one quick fade later...  : You’re clearly an experienced mercenary. And your father...that would be Jeralt, the Blade Breaker? Former captain of the Knights of Seiros. Oft praised as the strongest knight to ever live. Have I missed anything?: I didn't know he was a captain.: How curious. I'd wager the explanation for that is fascinating indeed.The game doesn't actually delve too much into Byleth's childhood, and he seems oddly clueless about most things that everyone in Fodlan should be aware of. At the same time though, he also demonstrates intelligence and learnedness in matters of spellcasting and commanding troops, so he must have had some kind of education. In the end, it boils down to Byleth being a viewpoint character for the player, so every fundamental fact about the world has to be explained, no matter how little sense that would make.  : Oh, I should mention that the three of us are students of the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. We were doing some training exercises when those bandits attacked. I definitely got the worst of it.: That would be because you ran off.: Too true! I was the first to make a strategic retreat. Everything would have worked out if these two hadn’t followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous. : His intentions were as clear as day. You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words.: Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on.: Oh, joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses. I wonder how being completely predictable affects one’s ability to wield power. Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I’d say your little exchange smacks of naiveté.: Me? Naïve? Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?This seems like just a lighthearted exchange, but it's actually highlighting each of these three characters' major flaws that will end up tripping them up in the future. See if you can spot how this all plays out. : In any case, forgive our digression. I must speak with you, if you can spare a moment. The way you held your ground against the bandits’ leader was captivating! You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn.: Your skill is precisely why I must ask you to consider lending your services to the Empire. I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire’s– : The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals such as yourself. Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me.: Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met. Tactless, really. I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favors. But it seems there’s no time for niceties in this world. So, capable stranger, let’s get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?  Bit of a hefty decision to lay on someone out of the blue. If you were ACTUALLY unsure of which character you wanted to start with, this would probably seem like a way-too-sudden question to ask.  : Understood. Faerghus is a noble and distinguished kingdom that has always valued chivalry.Fortunately, this one's just for support points. Options are still open. But let me tell you, when I first played this game, I was very concerned that I'd locked myself in already. : All right, that's enough with the small talk. It's time to head back to the monastery.: Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time.Considering that we're all heading in the same direction, no doubt that time won't be long in coming.  This is an interesting moment. Byleth, it seems, while not much for talking, is nonetheless evaluating people pretty closely. (Edelgard)  : (But I feel as though she is always evaluating me...)(Dimitri)  : (But I sense darkness lurking beneath...)(Claude)  : (But that smile doesn’t reach his eyes...)Three seemingly easygoing students, each hiding something beyond their outward demeanor. I sense shenanigans ahead. : Yes, I thought the same. I am so sleepy once again... I may be sleeping...but I...Yeah yeah, you're seeing everything. I know the gist. But that does transition us to our next title screen.  White Clouds encompasses the entirety of Act 1, also known as the Academy Phase, and every chapter takes place over the course of a month, or Moon. The Great Tree Moon is the 4th month of the year, and as I said, we're starting from the 20th, so this will be a shorter one than most. But first, a narration crawl. Cutscene - Great Tree Moon  I really love the way these Moon cutscenes play out, highlighting the shifting seasons and the change in mindset among the people of Fodlan as the year goes by in a pseudo-medieval art style.  You should watch the video for the full effect, but I'll include the final picture and narration here for completeness. Great Tree Moon posted:The icy winds of the Oghma Mountains have begun to scatter, and the verdant fields once again spring to life across Fódlan, heralding the start of a new year. As they celebrate the dawning year, the people pray that they may realize their full potential, just as a tiny sprout hopes to one day grow into a great tree.  In addition, since we're getting started, the game's treating us to the traditional world map introduction, showing all the major players and landmarks that will become important as the plot progresses.  The Empire. Big expansive mass. One detail that I find amusing here. You know how Jeralt's all like "But I don't want to go back to the Monastery!" So you'd think he'd try to steer clear of the place. Well, bear in mind that we were in a place called Remire Village. Where is Remire, you ask?  Jeralt's kind of a dumbass, is what I'm saying.  One detail to note here is that the Tailtean Plains, which we saw in that opening cutscene, are here in what is now known as the Kingdom of Faerghus. Some political divisions have occurred since we saw that moment a thousand years ago. Narration That's Scrolling Too Dang Fast posted:To the east, a league of nobles that heeds no king nor emperor rules what is called the Leicester Alliance.  A significantly tinier nation, and fragmented to boot. You can tell which one is the underdog of the three.  And in the center, a nation all to its own, our destination: Garreg Mach Monastery.  This is three back-to-back cutscenes, if anyone's keeping count. Unfortunately, the soldier with the funny mustache won't be making future appearances.  : I’d be happy to show you around.: It really is Fódlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad.: Like it or not, we’ll be there soon enough.As you can tell, Byleth is very excited about this fact.   : Garreg Mach Monastery.Seems more like a fortress if you ask me. The church must be rolling in cash.  And indeed, from the fly-through we're given, this place looks pointlessly ostentatious as heck. I'd hate to be the person whose job it is to light all those candles every day.  We're also introduced to the two teachers who work here, characterized by being Knockoff Merlin and uh...   Yeah, I dunno. It's not an incorrect way to describe her character, but I still feel like it's doing her a disservice.  Bye, mustache guy. You were a treat.   Spoken in the same tone as someone spotting a xenomorph on the motion tracker.    : Did the flow of time bring you here?I should note, while she's staring at Byleth, Rhea doesn't blink or even adjust her gaze. It does a really good job of making her seem unnerving, even while her face seems serene.  : Her?: You saw her in the courtyard earlier, didn't you? The archbishop...Lady Rhea.: The archbishop?Metal Gear?! : As you know, the majority of folks in Fódlan are devout followers of the teachings of Seiros. The leader of that ridiculously large religious organization is the archbishop, Lady Rhea.I'm glad we know that. That would be embarrassing to be clueless about, seeing as it's only the most fundamental aspect of Fodlan life. But enough about that. Do you want to see the world's most awkward way to make an entrance?  : Right. Hello.Music - Guardian of Starlight Due to, I assume, not wanting to bother with a lengthy walk-in, all characters will introduce themselves by walking around Byleth in a wide arc until they're facing him straight-on. I want you to try that with your friends the next time you see them. See if they say anything. Anyway, Seteth here is voiced by Mark Whitten, who's done voice work in a number of games and anime shows. Some highlights include doing the voice of Alex in Street Fighter 5, Lyon in Fire Emblem Heroes, and Peppy Hare in the animated video short for Star Fox Zero which I just learned exists. He was also Leslie in the Final Fantasy 7 remake, which unfortunately means I have to hate him forever.  : Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke.: So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. That is your child, is it not?: Yes...born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my child...but I’m afraid we lost her to illness.Rhea's voiced by Cherami Leigh, who also voiced Gaige in Borderlands 2, Mae in Fire Emblem Echoes, and Makoto Niijima in Persona 5. Another longrunner, she's been doing anime and video game voice work since 2007, but made her start in a TV role on Walker: Texas Ranger, of all shows. When describing Rhea, she characterized her as someone who just "is", and indeed, Rhea hardly ever raises her voice, which will make several things she says down the line seem more than a little disturbing.  : My name is... (bows): A fine name indeed.I like to imagine that he just trailed off into silence and now Rhea thinks his name is literally "..." : From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy.: Hmph.: Jeralt. You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?: You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don’t you. I won’t say no, but...The game doesn't spell out what would have happened if he'd said no, but given later events, I imagine it wouldn't have been pretty. : Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you. I must step away for now, but I expect they will desire a word with you soon. Please listen carefully to what they have to say. Until tomorrow... Farewell.Fade to...the exact same room. Music - A Gentle Breeze  : I’m sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I’ll be stuck here for a while…and I’m afraid your services are requested as well.: (I must...work here?) As a mercenary? : You heard those brats earlier talking about the Officers Academy, right? Well, the academy just happens to be short a professor. And apparently that damned Alois went and recommended you to Lady Rhea.I can understand Alois's reasoning. Anyone who'd make a joke like Byleth did HAS to be a college professor. Suddenly...  : Er, no. I’m not the one you’re looking for. (turns to Byleth) You can handle things from here. Good luck. : I don’t know what she’s thinking, making you a professor like this. She may be up to something. Stay on your guard.  : Competence and age are not necessarily correlated, as you well know. : I wonder if you bear a Crest of your own. When next you have a moment to spare, I insist that you pay me a visit so we can delve into the subject further.Get used to Hanneman talking about Crests and how much he likes them. He's honestly kind of a flat character, but at least his significant gimmick has a relation to the overarching plotline and lets him stay relevant to the story. His colleague here...she struggles a bit with that.  : You're a physician? : I look too pretty for that line of work, do I? But yes, when I’m not teaching, I can be found in the infirmary. If you’re ever lonely, please do come and pay me a visit. I would love to–: Spare our colleague the needless chatter, Manuela.Yeah, there's no way to dance around this. If you've ever played Persona 4, then there's a teacher who should come immediately to mind, and Manuela plays that part to the hilt. The best I can say about this game is that at least there's more to her than this particular character trait.  : I expect you haven’t yet been briefed on the nature of each, have you?: Do you really not know? Fine, I’ll do you a favor and explain. The Officers Academy is comprised of three houses of students, each of which is closely affiliated with its region of origin. : Their house leader this year is Edelgard, the Imperial princess, who is in line to be the next emperor.  : Their house leader this year is Prince Dimitri. He is to be the next king of Faerghus. : Their house leader is Claude, grandson to Duke Riegan, the leader of the Alliance.: To think that the next emperor, king and sovereign duke are all here. It certainly is a promising year for the academy.: I’ll say. I just hope none of those little treasures cause any trouble.Yeah, it'd be a shame if a Fire Emblem game were to happen on our watch. : Hm, quite. For now, I suggest taking a stroll around the academy to get your bearings. And when you’ve a moment, please stop by my research laboratory.: The old man has a point. Oh, and keep in mind that I’ve only notified the house leaders that you’re our new professor. It’s more fun that way. I suggest you try spending time with the students. Some odd ducks in that bunch, but they’re good kids. I’m sure Lady Rhea will have more information for you tomorrow, but that should get you going. Good luck. You’ll need it.And meeting the students is sure to be a lot of fun, but this update's running overlong as it is, so we'll just close with one last scene:  Music - Guardian of Starlight : I have made my decision, Seteth. I know worrying comes naturally to you, but there is truly no need. That “stranger” is Jeralt’s flesh and blood, after all. : I can’t say that’s all too comforting. How trustworthy is this Jeralt character? Is he not the man who went missing after the great fire 21 years ago? I would remind you that Flayn is now here with us as well. I beg of you...please consider whether this is an unnecessary risk.I do appreciate the game pointing out the many reasons why this doesn't make a lick of sense. Most works of fiction would just roll with the 20-something professor angle and act like it's entirely normal, but this game is making a plot point of the fact that this whole scenario is contrived; suspiciously so. : Seteth. They have my trust. Let that be enough for you as well. More importantly, I have received a report from Shamir. I am increasingly concerned about a matter regarding our suspicious individual. We cannot ignore those who harbor ill will towards the church, especially if they are frequenting Garreg Mach.: Yes, that matter is of great importance as well. I shall continue my investigation. A bit of foreshadowing there, not only for the fact that Rhea isn't entirely trustworthy, but that there's also another figure in play, and they're here at the monastery. Keep that in mind next time as we get to know more about the students and staff who call Garreg Mach home, and we make the all-important decision of which house we plan to lead. It's the Blue Lions. I've only said it half a dozen times.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2022 21:45
|
|
|
Blastinus posted:I do appreciate the game pointing out the many reasons why this doesn't make a lick of sense. Most works of fiction would just roll with the 20-something professor angle and act like it's entirely normal, but this game is making a plot point of the fact that this whole scenario is contrived; suspiciously so. This scene also establishes that Seteth is probably the sanest and most level-headed person in the entirety of Garreg Mach.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2022 22:15
|
|
|
Blastinus posted:It's the Blue Lions. I've only said it half a dozen times. Please do not pivot to Black Eagles.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2022 22:34
|
|
|
Delphisage posted:Please do not pivot to Black Eagles. Honestly, if I was capable of playing a long game like that, then I would be really impressed with myself. No, I'm being 100% honest here. It's Blue Lions all the way. I'm serious.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2022 23:49
|
|
|
Well, until you accidentally 'A' mash into eagles anyway.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 00:19
|
|
|
One thing that's really lost in a screenshot LP of this is how incredibly good most of the voice acting in this game is. There are a couple that fall flat and a few merely adequate, but for the most part the voicework is absolutely top-notch.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 00:41
|
|
|
manuelas win
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 03:49
|
|
|
Manuela's great. You can tell by the fact she immediately went to flirt with Jeralt first instead of Byleth. Also I'm surprised you're not fond of Seteth. He seems like he would absolutely be your sort of character.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 04:25
|
|
|
Mysticblade posted:Manuela's great. You can tell by the fact she immediately went to flirt with Jeralt first instead of Byleth. Oh, I absolutely love Seteth. He's a serious, practical character who also has a hilarious dynamic with another character who we haven't seen yet. The lighthearted jab I was making there was actually at Mark Whitten's role from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which I wasn't too fond of. Not because of Whitten's performance but because I felt like that character wasn't particularly well-written. And yeah, I like Manuela too, despite the vibes that she gives off at first. She becomes a lot more relatable once you get to know her and she gets a number of funny moments in her supports. There honestly isn't a character in this game who I feel is really annoying or I don't like. Some are blander than others, some do questionable things, but overall they're a fun bunch.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 04:39
|
|
|
Eyyyyy it’s a LP of my favorite strategy game! Let’s roll! I absolutely cannot wait for you to get to the side lore that makes me screech and go into unhinged rambles about! Seteth is the only goddamned person in the Monastery with any common sense, except one of the DLC characters. I adore him. I’m assuming there are policies against spoilers and no Edelgard discourse in this thread, but am I allowed to start poking at nonsense bits and historical inaccuracies? I have strong opinions about the size of Fodlan and how fast travel across it happens.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 07:40
|
|
|
Seteth is cool and good. An actually very competent and reasonable adult character in a cast full of teenagers? I love to see those!
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 08:19
|
|
|
theshim posted:One thing that's really lost in a screenshot LP of this is how incredibly good most of the voice acting in this game is. There are a couple that fall flat and a few merely adequate, but for the most part the voicework is absolutely top-notch. yeah i can only really think of one character whose voice work is actively not good, even if there's a few where i think they're not as good as they could be on a side note, world's funniest youtuber ProZD voices a character in Three Hopes, and while he does a great job it doesn't fit the character he's voicing at all, to the point of distraction.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 13:02
|
|
|
I like how many places on the map are just Jugdral references. Give us the loving remake.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2022 16:42
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 22:49 |
|
|
All I recall about Seteth is that Danaru dunked on him a lot, I think because of the guy's beard.
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2022 10:34
|
|
