Fire Emblem

[iKotomi]

I'm starting a fun-filled FE10 run now that I have access to a wii, and figured I might as well make an FE thread since there are a couple of people here that play the games. Already I've been stymied by the game because I thought I was getting FE9 transfer bonuses, but didn't realize you needed capped stats AND level 20. So I had 10 characters with like 4 or 5 capped stats each, but only one char at 20 (other than Ike, lol). Good thing Nephenee was my favorite of the bunch anyways.

I only really started playing about 2 years ago, but got hooked after playing FE7 on the gba. Only really played the gba games though since I like to actually be able to follow the plot. My Japanese is only really good enough to read the menus, and pixelated kanji is out of the question, lol. Anyways, feel free to post your adventures, opinions, random ramblings on one of the most hardcore niche series out there.

 

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The GBA FE games were pretty fun. I couldn't stand Path of Radiance for a variety of reasons: horrible, clunky art, a bunch of dumb subsystems, weak characters, boring story (even for a video game), and generally way too easy (especially with how you could max stats without even trying).

I enjoyed the games, but I don't really get the strategy part. It's mostly just rolling in with 4 or 5 overpowered characters who destroy everything in one or two hits regardless of weapon priorities. Probably my biggest complaint is level design that asks you to bring 8-10 characters into a fight, but really only lets you use maybe 6 of them, and the slower classes hardly ever saw any action, since it was so easy to just run in with a Knight most of the time and destroy everything at a choke point. You really have to go out of your way to get a full party evenly levelled.

Also, the weapons. The way they break is kind of dumb, and it makes me have flashbacks to oldschool JRPG mana systems, so I almost never use the special weapons and by the last couple of levels I have more of the really powerful weapons than I could ever use.

I'm also not digging the art style for the DS game, but I heard it's alright, so I may give it a shot someday.

 

[iKotomi]

The special weapons are kind of gimmicky. Most of the times where you might want to use a horse killer, or something of the sort, a silver weapon would also do the trick (usually better since you're more likely to be able to double attack). They're really just there because its obligatory.

As for strategy, usually the normal modes are easy enough to barrel through with 4 or 5 characters, but on the hard and maniac modes, you're characters usually aren't strong enough until the late mid-game/endgame to hold their own. The US localization of PoR got really shafted since they decided not to include maniac mode and replaced it with an easy mode. Since most characters can survive at most three rounds, usually less, unit placement and weapon choice becomes extremely important. You're still somewhat overpowered at the end of the game, but on the hard modes, it's just fun compensation for the utter hell you go through being under-leveled and outnumbered for so long.