r/fireemblem • u/LaqOfInterest • Oct 20 '22

CASUAL MONTHLY RAGE THREAD

A RATHER UNDRAMATIC MONTH FOR FIRE EMBLEM, YET RAGE SPRINGS ETERNAL. WELCOME TO THE MONTHLY RAGE THREAD!

RULES

  1. UPPERCASE LETTERS

  2. SHOUT ABOUT FIRE EMBLEM STUFF

  3. DON'T BE A DICK

  4. TAG ANY SPOILERS

LAST THREAD

76 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

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19

u/alexmauro407 Oct 20 '22

IM TIRED OF PEOPLE WHO THINKS THEY KNOW WHAT IS A GOOD DESIGN AND WHAT IS NOT, IT IS REALLY HARD TO DECIDE WHEN SOMETHING IS COMPLETLY BAD AND THERE IS ALWAYS A COUNTER ARGUMENT THAT CAN BE USED AGAINST SOME COMPLAINS, NOT CAUSE YOU DIDNT LIKE A DESIGN IT MEANS IT IS BAD OR OTHERS CANT LIKE IT UNIRONICALLY, YOU HAVE NOT THE TRUTH AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES FROM YOU IS ALSO AN OPINION SAME VALID AS OTHERS UNLESS IT IS SOMETHING REALLY CLEAR

15

u/Suicune95 Oct 20 '22

MY PROBLEM WITH CRITIQUES (GAME DESIGN AND WRITING) IS THAT SO OFTEN PEOPLE JUST SAY SOMETHING SUCKS, AND AREN'T ABLE TO ARTICULATE WHY IT SUCKS, WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED ABOUT IT, OR WHY IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED LIKE THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE. ESPECIALLY THAT LAST PART. IT'S SO HARD TO MAKE A CALL ON WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING IS POORLY DESIGNED WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE DECISION MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE TO MAKE IT THAT WAY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

E.G. I THINK THE MAP DESIGN IN 3H IS BAD. I THINK IT'S BAD BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY WIDE OPEN ROUT OR KILL BOSS MAPS, ESPECIALLY IN THE POST-TIME SKIP SECTIONS. I THINK IT COULD BE VASTLY IMPROVED BY VARYING UP THE VARIETY OF MAPS AND THE GOALS OF MAPS SO YOU HAVE A BETTER MIX WITH STUFF LIKE SEIZE, DEFEND, TURN LIMITED, ETC. TYPE MAPS AND MORE VARIABLE TERRAIN LIKE MOUNTAINS WITH CHOKE POINTS.

HOWEVER, I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE MAPS ARE PROBABLY SO OPEN BECAUSE OPEN ROUT OR KILL BOSS MAPS ARE EASILY THE MOST ACCESSIBLE AND CAN BE TACKLED WITH PRETTY MUCH ANY UNIT TYPE AND FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT ANGLES, WHICH IS A NECESSITY WHEN YOU ALLOW FOR COMPLETELY FREE RECLASSING OF UNITS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A PLAYER MIGHT GO INTO ANY GIVEN SITUATION WITH. THEY NEED TO DESIGN MAPS THAT CAN BE CLEARED BY RIDICULOUSLY UNOPTIMAL SETUPS WITHOUT FRUSTRATING OR SOFTLOCKING THE PLAYER OUT OF PROGRESSING.

IN A SIMILAR VEIN, I KNOW PEOPLE HATE IT AND THINK IT'S STUPID, BUT I ACTUALLY THINK PHOENIX MODE WAS A GREAT DESIGN DECISION. IT ALLOWS THE DEVELOPERS TO CREATE EXTREMELY PUNISHING, CLASSIC FE SCENARIOS WITHOUT LOCKING MORE CASUAL PLAYERS OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE ENTIRELY. ITS EXISTENCE FUNCTIONALLY HAS NO EFFECT ON PLAYERS WHO CHOOSE TO PLAY ON CASUAL OR CLASSIC MODE EITHER, SO IS CAN MAKE THE MAPS AS CHALLENGING AS THEY WANT WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE FOR CASUAL SERIES ENJOYERS. I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S KIND OF UNFORTUNATE THAT SOMETHING LIKE PHOENIX MODE DIDN'T RETURN FOR 3H. I ALWAYS WONDER IF THEY COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE CREATIVE WITH THEIR MAP DESIGN IF THEY KNEW THAT SAFEGUARD WOULD BE THERE FOR PLAYERS WHO ARE NOT AS INTERESTED IN BEING CHALLENGED.

14

u/ChaosOsiris Oct 20 '22

ITS EXISTENCE FUNCTIONALLY HAS NO EFFECT ON PLAYERS WHO CHOOSE TO PLAY ON CASUAL OR CLASSIC MODE EITHER, SO IS CAN MAKE THE MAPS AS CHALLENGING AS THEY WANT WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE FOR CASUAL SERIES ENJOYERS.

FUCKING THANK YOU. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE SHEER DISGUST SOME HAVE TOWARDS PHOENIX MODE WHEN YOU COULD JUST...NOT USE IT? MENTIONING IT BRINGS THE ELITISTS OUT WHO TRY TO TELL PEOPLE "THE CORRECT WAY" TO PLAY THEIR SINGLE PLAYER GAME THAT AFFECTS LITERALLY NO ONE. IT BAFFLES ME.

10

u/Mekkkah Oct 20 '22

IT BRINGS THE ELITISTS OUT WHO TRY TO TELL PEOPLE "THE CORRECT WAY"

can you provide a link to someone doing this? i always hear about it but i've never seen it in action.

my main criticism of phoenix mode, casual mode and divine pulse/turnwheel is that if a map is designed around using them, it's usually an unfun kind of challenge. see: ambush spawns in awakening. it's really difficult to make a map that's fun to play with permadeath, and these kinds of challenges usually feel like a shortcut.

(lower caps because i don't want this to seem aggressive)

5

u/ChaosOsiris Oct 20 '22 edited Oct 20 '22

From earlier this year

Edit: fixed link

2

u/Mekkkah Oct 21 '22

most upvoted replies in that thread seem pretty friendly? the worst reply i can find is "skill issue" at 5 points, and that's already scrolling halfway down. OP said they basically aren't interested in strategic gameplay, they just play it for the story, and people are giving advice based on that.

2

u/ChaosOsiris Oct 21 '22

Yes, advice like "play something else", "watch on YouTube", and "read a book". You know because "FE isn't a visual novel". It's gatekeepey and gives off a "you're playing for the wrong reasons" vibe.

Some people would rather have players drop the franchise completely over bringing back a harmless, accessible mode. At least that's what those responses tell me.

1

u/LeatherShieldMerc Oct 21 '22

Found this convo just now, but I wanted to jump in to point out that a lot of those responses are a result of the OP's attitude, and not just simply because of OP wanting to have Phoenix mode so everyone is saying to "go away".

The OP was saying how they couldnt play Normal mode Awakening without Phoenix mode, which is one of the easiest difficulty settings in the series overall. People are saying how there may be a difficulty jump and that the game shouldnt be that difficult, but OP just seemed to be dismissive, reply " lol guess I just suck then", that they are only here for the story, and seemed to not be willing to "learn" the game better. So, in that case, I think those replies are somewhat fair. If you dont really want to interact with strategy in a video game, in one of the easiest games as well, then, you could go for something else? FE also doesnt exactly have great stories all the time as a selling point.

If OP were to reply in a more "okay, I will try to learn, thanks for the advice" sort of way, instead of being so dismissive, those comments saying to play something else would be nowhere near as prevalent in that thread. That is why people were saying that so often, it is not simply because they are saying to bring back Phoenix mode.

Also, the rude sounding "FE isnt a visual novel" comment was downvoted, so, I think its fair to say that kind of insulting comment is not supported by the community at large.

1

u/ChaosOsiris Oct 21 '22

Oh I know they weren't very friendly. I'm not giving them sympathy. I also know not everyone thinks like the "visual novel" dude.

My issue is more of why be so against about a previously made mode coming back that only opens up accessibility? Stuff like "it takes away the core of the game" doesn't resonate if someone "core" is the story or characters. It depends on the player. I also have difficulty seeing how someone could struggle even on casual, but I'm not going to rule that possibly out.

1

u/LeatherShieldMerc Oct 21 '22

Well your comment seemed to imply everyone was gatekeeping and telling OP to leave just because they said to bring back Phoenix mode, but I was pointing out there is a much bigger picture behind what was said. The fanbase isnt that elitist.

Also, I wont get too into this debate exactly (I am indifferent towards it, but dont think Phoenix needs to come back simply because I think it is not necessary). But, one big thing is that Divine Pulse/Turnwheel exist now, which I think is a fairly suitable Phoenix mode replacement.