Fire Emblem: If

[Skyblade]

How the HECK have we not have a thread covering the upcoming title Fire Emblem If yet?

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After the massive success of Awakening, it was only natural that Nintendo would make another game, and so here we go!

This time, things have been changed up. Quite a lot, in fact.

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This game is one of the most story driven in the franchise, and is centered around themes of bonds and choice.

The player character is the main Lord of this game. Wielding a Dragonstone and a Sword, the Avatar (default Japanese name: Kamui) is a powerful unit. Yet not a free one. Born a noble member of the Hoshido ruling family, a hostage exchange led to Kamui growing up amidst the royalty of the kingdom of Nohr. Exchanging children like this was actually quite a common practice amidst medieval kingdoms, and was often used as part of a dispute settlement. The victor would claim a noble child of the loser, securing a claim on the royal line, while allowing the defeated state to maintain sovereignty. Though the cause of Kamui growing up in Nohr has not yet been revealed.

The two kingdoms erupt into violent conflict once again when Nohr invades Hoshido. Kamui goes through six chapters of introduction, and is then faced with a choice. Does he side with his birth family, in Hoshido? Or does he side with those who raised him, in Nohr?

What follows is two entirely separate campaigns, each the length of the story in Awakening, exploring the different choices. In a literal battle of nature versus nurture, Kamui must act as he feels is right.


However, there is more to this choice than just the story. Hoshido's path plays out very similar to Awakening. You have a world map that you can navigate and grind on to your heart's content, as well as take on paralogues and other optional content at your own pace, when you're read. The story on the Hoshido side is a fairly traditional "help the good guys against the invading attackers". The Hoshido side is also the easiest of the campaigns.


Then we get to Nohr. On the Nohr side, things are very different. The story revolves around changing Nohr from the inside. Despite Nohr being the aggressors, Kamui is working to do what he believes is right for both countries from within the bounds of his family and friends. There is no world map, instead chapters proceed one after the other the way they do in the elder Fire Emblem games. The Nohr campaign is the hardest of the stories available.


There are two versions of the game. One comes with the Nohr campaign, the other comes with the Hoshido campaign. However, whichever version you choose will have DLC to unlock the missing campaign. NOTE: The two versions are currently only confirmed in Japan. Discussion of the Westernized release has only referred to a single game, so it is possible the West may only get one version with both campaigns on it.

Why do I specify "easiest" and "hardest"? Because there is a third, middle path. Only available as DLC (or preloaded on the Special Edition currently only confirmed for Japan), this features a third, separate route that is just as long, but lies between the two in difficulty. Little else is known about it, though it is speculated to be a path either fighting both sides or uniting them both against some other threat.


Each story path you pick up comes with three new save files, for a total of nine. You will also find yourself fighting characters on one path who would join you on the other, making certain bosses have far more emotional impact when you are taking down old friends or relatives.



The changes do NOT stop with two stories in one, however. This game has also received some significant retooling to it's mechanics.

First, something I think Pumpkin will love: There is now a Phoenix Mode! For people who struggled with Casual, this new mode will resurrect a character who dies in battle after a turn. So if you did get utterly stuck, you now have a way to enjoy the Supports and story line without the needless grind and frustration!

Weapon Durability has also been axed. The game has been built and centered around weapons that last forever. Weapons have more significant effects. For example, the Bronze Sword cannot score a critical hit, but gives you +10 to Dodge (which reduces enemy chances of landing a critical hit). The Silver Sword lowers your Dodge by 5, and inflicts a Strength and Skill penalty of -2 for the following turn after you attack with it. These are some pretty hefty changes to the old system, and will take some adapting to.

The Weapon Triangle has been revamped! Magic, Bows, and the new weapon class Hidden Weapons (which includes Shurikens and other Ninja weapons) join the standard Axe>Lance>Sword triangle, giving us:
Axes + Bows > Lances + Hidden Weapons > Swords + Magic

Enemy units can now use Pair Up! This is a pretty significant change that should certainly reduce the overpowered mechanic somewhat. Also, Dual Guards have apparently been nerfed, with a new Shield Gauge that changes either how often they can occur, or how much damage they can stop.





Though we have to wait until Q1 2016 for the game, it's releasing in Japan in just a month! Here's hoping that the game is as fantastic as it looks!


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[Pumpkin]

Sounds exciting and I like the new Phoenix mode if it makes things easier! So is this any 3DS, I can't keep track with all of the new 3DS's >.<

Are there still romances?

[Skyblade]

Sounds exciting and I like the new Phoenix mode if it makes things easier! So is this any 3DS, I can't keep track with all of the new 3DS's >.<

Are there still romances?

The game will work with any 3DS. Currently, the only game which is exclusive to the New 3DS is Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. So you're good to go.

There are still Support conversations and romances. Children have not been mentioned, though.

Phoenix Mode should make the game considerably easier. If there is a failure condition, it would either be having everyone wiped out in the same turn, or losing your leader. Anything else, and you can recover from it because your characters will come back to life.

[Pumpkin]

I am excited then :D

[Fynn]

Looks pretty cool! Getting Let Us Cling Together vibes from all the choices.

[Vyk]

I will likely buy it, likely love it, and likely not beat it, just like the last one. Fantastic games, with weird pacing issues. Same complaint I have with all Japanese strategy RPGs. Just battles and plot. Not enough down time, and almost never any opportunity to explore, with limited engagement with other characters, and a limited map to hop around on

But still a fantastic story, with fantastic characters, and really fun (if repetitive) battles, worthy of a purchase

[Agent Proto]

I'm ĺooking forward to this game.

[Pumpkin]

The character that interests me the most is on the harder path though :(

Also when is this expected? 2016? Ugh, stupid not being the future

[Skyblade]

The character that interests me the most is on the harder path though :(

Even on the hard path, you'll be all but invincible. It may take longer, but I don't think you'll have too much trouble with it.

Besides, I'd be honestly surprised if there was no way to recruit the characters from both sides in one play through. I mean, a lot of past games in the series have let you recruit villains before, through end game bonus objectives. Those characters needed MORE added to them than these characters would. If we can recruit Aversa, Gangrel, Walhart, and Yenfay, I don't see why we couldn't recruit characters from the other story at some point.


Also when is this expected? 2016? Ugh, stupid not being the future

/agree

[Agent Proto]

We'll find out more information about the game over the summer after it releases in Japan this year. Though, I think it's dumb that this game isn't seeing a worldwide release rather than a (long) delayed release for the West. Ugh.

[Skyblade]

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Another excellent discussion, that also points out new details from the recent Famitsu article.

Aqua, the dancer character, is apparently a Nohr noble raised by the Hoshido, much as Kamui is a Hoshido noble raised by the Nohr. Definitely seems like a traditional hostage exchange situation to me.

They also point out that with weapons putting stat detriments on you when they're used, it might no longer be powerful to send out a single powerful unit to let 300 enemies break themselves upon him. If you get a stat penalty with each attack, you might wind up vulnerable before too long.

Some really interesting news in there.

[Skyblade]

For anyone who managed to pick up the Fire Emblem amiibos, it is now confirmed that they work with If, and will bring in their corresponding units. And apparently, they will have both voices and dialogue!
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We also have confirmation of one of the most popular features from Pokémon XY coming to Fire Emblem If.

That's right, it's Fire Emblem-amie!

https://33.media.tumblr.com/f2e3dbaf6cd04c7741d6291adf25f71e/tumblr_np7q8qOnOH1qbadm4o1_250.gif
https://31.media.tumblr.com/e815354d0274cab264668400fa46d167/tumblr_np7q8qOnOH1qbadm4o2_250.gif

Not yet confirmed whether it affects dodge and crit chance yet, or allows units to survive lethal attacks with 1HP.

[Fynn]

That's right, it's Fire Emblem-amie!

https://33.media.tumblr.com/f2e3dbaf6cd04c7741d6291adf25f71e/tumblr_np7q8qOnOH1qbadm4o1_250.gif
https://31.media.tumblr.com/e815354d0274cab264668400fa46d167/tumblr_np7q8qOnOH1qbadm4o2_250.gif

Not yet confirmed whether it affects dodge and crit chance yet, or allows units to survive lethal attacks with 1HP.
Okay, this is just plain weird.


Your units aren't your pets, for God's sake! :stare:

[Agent Proto]

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Also a Japan exclusive Nintendo Direct with more information on FE if besides the amiibo support and the "Fire Emblem-amie"

This should be an initiative for me to collect the rest of the FE amiibo. I only have Lucina so far.

[Skyblade]

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Also a Japan exclusive Nintendo Direct with more information on FE if besides the amiibo support and the "Fire Emblem-amie"

This should be an initiative for me to collect the rest of the FE amiibo. I only have Lucina so far.

I hadn't had time to post it all this morning. I was planning on doing a full info dump for it later in the day.

But I really wanted to see a few reactions to those images first. :D

[Agent Proto]

What's stopping you from posting a full dump of info from you? Go right ahead when you find time!

I'm rather surprised to see Fire Emblem adopting the Amie aspect from Pokemon X and Y. I do like the idea, and I will get to see the characters up close. :D

[Skyblade]

What's stopping you from posting a full dump of info from you? Go right ahead when you find time!

I'm rather surprised to see Fire Emblem adopting the Amie aspect from Pokemon X and Y. I do like the idea, and I will get to see the characters up close. :D

Well, nothing is stopping me now, and I thank you for preventing me from having to double post. :)

So, we have received a LOT of new information about this game. Some of it huge, other bits minor. But all interesting, and I'll try to get through as much as I can before I start forgetting stuff.

Let's open with the new trailer from the Direct.
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One of the biggest new features highlighted in this Direct is the "My Castle" feature, shown a bit more explicitly in the trailer specifically for it that Proto linked earlier.

My Castle serves as the Base hub for your army. From here you can visit shops, a battle arena, and various other features, such as a quarry to gain resources (though what they are used for is unknown). However, unlike the standard Base Menu from previous games, this one is explored in a top down view that lets you enter buildings and walk around more like a traditional RPG. It's not QUITE as awesome as the town exploration from Shining Force, but it's a definite improvement over the purely menu based systems we received before.

What's more, My Castle, being the Player's Castle, is customizable. You choose what facilities to place, where to place them, and which ones to upgrade. The buildings and their upgrades cost a special resource, the source of which is not specifically known. Upgrading shops gives you access to better items, and at cheaper prices. These facilities will be run by various members of your team.

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It seems that Pokémon-Amie is not the only outside influence that Intelligent Systems is drawing on for this game. Though comparisons have also been made to the management systems of Suikoden II.

Among the facilities confirmed for My Castle are a bathhouse, various shops, various resource gathering locales, and the StreetPass plaza.

Those of you who remember the StreetPass functionality from Awakening will find it has changed up quite a lot. You still have similar options when responding to the other teams. However, visiting the team shops no longer opens up a simple menu, but instead lets you visit their castle, and view their own facilities. So you can see how your fellow players have laid out their castles, and if your friend improved their weapon shop a lot, while you focused on the Bathhouse, you can visit their shop to buy good weapons.

The battle option has also significantly changed. Challenging a StreetPass team now makes your Castle the battlefield. And in addition to simply taking out the enemy, you will need to defend your buildings, as enemy units will attack them directly, and can destroy them, though it is not known whether this damage is permanent.

However, it is worth noting that it is very, VERY rare for player characters to attack buildings in the Fire Emblem series. Previously, enemy units could do it to shut down a village before you claimed the reward from visiting it, and that was the extent of it. Could this new gameplay mechanic translate to the campaign? Could we see full on SIEGE BATTLES, both offensive and defensive, among the new map types?!


The effect of the bathhouse is unknown, but is likely tied to Support levels, as is the new "Pokémon-Amie" like function. This is, after all, the series that gave us this:
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One additional feature of note is that there is a place in the Castle where you can get cute like Pokémon-like allies to aid you in battle. You level them up by feeding them weapons and items. Comparisons have been drawn to monster allies from Lufia II, though exact details remain unknown.

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There are also a lot of miscellaneous weapon details known. First, weapons like Javelins and Hand-Axes, that can hit in both Direct and Indirect combat, can no longer double attack. So the almighty Tomahawks and Spears are not the only weapon to use. Another more unique trait is a weapon that doubles in power when you're being attacked, but also lowers your Avoid by 20 so that you are far more likely to be hit by an attacking enemy before you hit them. A full page built from the Direct info can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jbavV22V0Jpbix0zqAri8lp5LDJpBO02X8fjSmjTUGE/edit#gid=0

The amiibo functionality is also a part of the castle. But, unlike Code Name S.T.E.A.M., you can't just summon your amiibo allies, you must first best them in battle for them to join you. And, as the trailer showed one absolutely wrecking Kamui, they may not be too easy to acquire.


There's also lots of new character data, but it's hectic to go through. So I'll just leave this up here for now.

[Pumpkin]

Ohh the Castle thing looks excellent, kind of Dark Cloudish, and I'm super pumped for that :omgomg:

The umm amie thing is a bit... a bit odd

[Agent Proto]

It's not an exact copy of Pokemon-Amie, yet at least from what we know. Imagine if you could feed your characters treats.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/a921ee83f1de7a979546e2c45782d795/tumblr_np8x1smso41s4k7juo1_540.png

[Skyblade]

It's not an exact copy of Pokemon-Amie, yet at least from what we know. Imagine if you could feed your characters treats.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/a921ee83f1de7a979546e2c45782d795/tumblr_np8x1smso41s4k7juo1_540.png

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We haven't seen all the features of it yet. I'm guessing we also won't see characters bouncing yarn balls off their heads. But the comparisons are still there to be made.

[Fynn]

Why am I so disturbed by the feeding pictures...?

[Skyblade]

Why am I so disturbed by the feeding pictures...?

I'm pretty sure you answered that question here:


Your units aren't your pets, for God's sake! :stare:

[Fynn]

Am I the only one not excited for this feature? :(

[Pumpkin]

I'm not really

[Fynn]

Now that I think about it, it might be cute if it's reserved for romances...


...

But then again, it reminds me of this:

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01530/Man-marries-videog_1530405c.jpg

And like the entirety of tumblr is screaming with joy about this and I'm like :stare:

[Skyblade]

Am I the only one not excited for this feature? :(

So don't use it. Heck, we don't even know what it really entails, we're just making wild assumptions at this point. Because it's fun, and it leads to all the awkward reactions. I'm guessing it is only for characters you romance, but who knows?

But there's still plenty more to get excited about! I mean, the Castle building looks fantastic. I love that sort of planning and management simulator, but they are rarely enough to base a game off of. But using one to boost my abilities in Fire Emblem? That'll be grand. I'm super curious to learn what the quarry gets you, or what sort of customization you have in how you upgrade shops.

The new weapon system sounds fantastic. It'll get away from the hoarder's syndrome that has plagued the series. "Oh, I shouldn't use this Brave Sword now, because I'll need it for the boss later". Then by the end of the game you have a full arsenal of super weapons and you mow it down easily.

The infinite durability system seems to be adding a bunch of situational usage to the weapons. "Ok, I don't want this character getting hit this turn, so I'll have him equip this weapon that boosts dodge, even though its really weak", or "I need to mow down this enemy before it attacks, so I'll use my powerful Silver weapon, even though it means I'll be weaker next turn, it'll be worth it to get rid of this guy". There's a ton of tactical options it opens up.

I'm also really psyched for the possibility of siege battles. Getting to actually tear down buildings will be awesome, and I hope that becomes a mechanic in the main game, not just StreetPass battles.

[Fynn]

Hey, I'm not hating and I'm not saying I won't use it. It's just a pretty bizarre idea, 's all I'm say in' :exdee:

But yeah, the game does look pretty interesting.

Wonder if they can fix some of my pet peeves. Think the portraits will match up with class changes? What are the chances of gay relationships? Is support making a comeback at all?

[Skyblade]

Hey, I'm not hating and I'm not saying I won't use it. It's just a pretty bizarre idea, 's all I'm say in' :exdee:

But yeah, the game does look pretty interesting.

Wonder if they can fix some of my pet peeves. Think the portraits will match up with class changes? What are the chances of gay relationships? Is support making a comeback at all?

Support is definitely making a comeback, it's been part of the series since long before Fire Emblem even came to the West, with its first incarnation stretching back to the third game in the series. It'll be there, don't worry about that. You can even see the hearts indicating building Support in the battle scenes.


You reminded me of a couple of things I forgot to mention:

First, each character has more limited class options. In Awakening, each character could choose from three base classes. In If, they can only choose between two. This means that each character is a little more focused, and there are also less options for them overall, so the possibility of changing portraits would be easier to implement.

The trailer also shows that we have far more in depth character customization for Kamui than we had for Robin in Awakening, and one of the buildings in My Castle is a place where you can customize Kamui further at a cost of items (which seem to include some of the resources that you get at the quarry, among other items). The video also shows placing a Jester's hat on one of your other units, so this is likely available for everyone. But we don't know if it changes portraits yet.

[Del Murder]

Interesting that each scenario is it's own game, but doesn't that require the consumer to know about that choice before making the purchase? I don't know if that model would work as well in the US. Hopefully we get this game (because it sounds really cool) and it includes all the scenarios!

[Skyblade]

Interesting that each scenario is it's own game, but doesn't that require the consumer to know about that choice before making the purchase? I don't know if that model would work as well in the US. Hopefully we get this game (because it sounds really cool) and it includes all the scenarios!

Oddly enough, the same Direct which, in Japan, revealed that there were two versions, only referred to a single copy in the US. As such, there has been speculation that the US may not have the two version mechanic, though the third path is still assumed as DLC only.

[Del Murder]

Either way I'd probably still get it. Awakening kicked ass and it is cool that they are evolving the series rather than just making a few tweaks to the same formula.

[Vyk]

From what I've dabbled in with the series previously, I believe they were generally "more of the same" up until the DS game that went unreleased in America which first introduced the character creation and stuff. I know there were some minor tweaks here and there throughout the series, but nothing as drastic as what they're doing these days. Character creation, choices in the story, completely separate stories, voice acting, casual mode, tag-team support mode stuff. It's all great and I'm glad they're starting to take risks, and be a lot more creative. I think how cookie-cutter it used to be was part of what turned me off back in the GBA days

[Skyblade]

From what I've dabbled in with the series previously, I believe they were generally "more of the same" up until the DS game that went unreleased in America which first introduced the character creation and stuff. I know there were some minor tweaks here and there throughout the series, but nothing as drastic as what they're doing these days. Character creation, choices in the story, completely separate stories, voice acting, casual mode, tag-team support mode stuff. It's all great and I'm glad they're starting to take risks, and be a lot more creative. I think how cookie-cutter it used to be was part of what turned me off back in the GBA days

This is quite true. It's actually part of why I'm upset at the backlash If has been receiving from the most hardcore Fire Emblem fans.

The developers have said in several interviews that they felt stifled by the confines that the series had laid on them. They had wanted to branch out and try new things for a while, but couldn't. Heck, that's the entire reason Revelation of the Illusion #FE exists. When they received their ultimatum with Awakening, they decided to actually make some huge changes (like Pair Up, revamped supports, revamped skills, etcetera). Sure, they didn't all work, but it was such a breath of fresh air for the series that it really breathed new life into it.

With Awakening's success, they're going even further with If. They're introducing town building and resource management on a scale never seen before. They're introducing new ways to interact with characters, and with other players. They're adding more depth to the story and more personality to both sides of the conflict. They're trying ways to change weapon usage to be more intuitive and have better flow overall. All of these changes probably won't work out either. But they'll give the series more room to grow and evolve going forward.

This isn't the developers selling out to reach a more mainstream audience, this is the developers spreading their wings and trying ideas they've had, but could never put in before. And, at its heart, the game is still Fire Emblem. It still has that spark that makes the games special.

[Agent Proto]

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Also a Japan exclusive Nintendo Direct with more information on FE if besides the amiibo support and the "Fire Emblem-amie"

This should be an initiative for me to collect the rest of the FE amiibo. I only have Lucina so far.

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A translated version for your viewing pleasure. :)

[Vyk]

The developers have said in several interviews that they felt stifled by the confines that the series had laid on them. They had wanted to branch out and try new things for a while, but couldn't. Heck, that's the entire reason Revelation of the Illusion #FE exists. When they received their ultimatum with Awakening, they decided to actually make some huge changes (like Pair Up, revamped supports, revamped skills, etcetera). Sure, they didn't all work, but it was such a breath of fresh air for the series that it really breathed new life into it.

With Awakening's success, they're going even further with If. They're introducing town building and resource management on a scale never seen before. They're introducing new ways to interact with characters, and with other players. They're adding more depth to the story and more personality to both sides of the conflict. They're trying ways to change weapon usage to be more intuitive and have better flow overall. All of these changes probably won't work out either. But they'll give the series more room to grow and evolve going forward.

This isn't the developers selling out to reach a more mainstream audience, this is the developers spreading their wings and trying ideas they've had, but could never put in before. And, at its heart, the game is still Fire Emblem. It still has that spark that makes the games special.
I hadn't heard they changed the name of SMT vs FE. But that's fine. Same game. Still interested. Still going to buy it. But I also hadn't heard of this "ultimatum" the developer was given. What's the story behind that? Sounds interesting

[Skyblade]

The developers have said in several interviews that they felt stifled by the confines that the series had laid on them. They had wanted to branch out and try new things for a while, but couldn't. Heck, that's the entire reason Revelation of the Illusion #FE exists. When they received their ultimatum with Awakening, they decided to actually make some huge changes (like Pair Up, revamped supports, revamped skills, etcetera). Sure, they didn't all work, but it was such a breath of fresh air for the series that it really breathed new life into it.

With Awakening's success, they're going even further with If. They're introducing town building and resource management on a scale never seen before. They're introducing new ways to interact with characters, and with other players. They're adding more depth to the story and more personality to both sides of the conflict. They're trying ways to change weapon usage to be more intuitive and have better flow overall. All of these changes probably won't work out either. But they'll give the series more room to grow and evolve going forward.

This isn't the developers selling out to reach a more mainstream audience, this is the developers spreading their wings and trying ideas they've had, but could never put in before. And, at its heart, the game is still Fire Emblem. It still has that spark that makes the games special.
I hadn't heard they changed the name of SMT vs FE. But that's fine. Same game. Still interested. Still going to buy it. But I also hadn't heard of this "ultimatum" the developer was given. What's the story behind that? Sounds interesting

I'd love to tell the story, because it is a story that is EVERYTHING that I love about Nintendo.

When Intelligent Systems got ready to make the next Fire Emblem game, they were given an ultimatum by Nintendo. The series had been flagging in sales, and it had not been doing as well as it needed to. Nintendo gave it a sales goal to reach. If the new game didn't sell at least 250,000 copies, the series was going to be ended.


Truth be told, sales are dropping. The sales manager of Nintendo, Mr. Hatano, told us that this could be the last Fire Emblem. Due to this progressive descend on sales, they told us that if the sales of this episode stayed below 250,000 copies, we’d stop working on the saga. I remember when I came back from the meeting and told the team ‘My God, what are we gonna do?! The end has come!’. Our reaction was clear: if this was going to be the last Fire Emblem, we had to put everything we always wanted to include.

They made it everything that they wanted Fire Emblem to be. They worked their best to bring in as many solid mechanics, changes, and updates as they could to the systems. And Nintendo did NOT give up on Fire Emblem either. They pushed the game. They cross promoted it with Shin Megami Tensei IV, they backed it with Nintendo Direct presentations, web adverts, highlighting it in the E-Shop, everything they could.

And the result is a game that completely reinvigorated a dying franchise. It sold more than enough, just in Japan, to meet the mark. Around the world it has hit something like 2 million copies, last I checked. It added so many new mechanics that the series has room to breath, and grow, and it keeps the games coming, for all the fans, and all the new players who haven't gotten to experience this lovely series.


Also, my Lucina amiibo arrived today, so I have all four of the Fire Emblem amiibo so far. Yay!

[Skyblade]

https://kantopia.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/feifwebsitesystemtranslatej1.jpg

New translation of the official website, for those interested. It mentions some new minor stuff, such as Hoshido and Nohr having different classes available. Hoshido's soldiers are a little more traditionally Japanese, while Nohr's are more in keeping with the unit design of the previous games of the series.

[Agent Proto]

https://41.media.tumblr.com/c6a45304cd5dad1deafc3ff244a118b4/tumblr_npbsztJW5s1r9s07oo4_400.jpg

If you enjoyed Hubba Tester on Awakening, you'll be happy to know that it is returning. :D

[Vyk]

This really makes me want to play Awakening and finally accomplishing beating it and getting it out of the way. But I just don't know if I can handle the grind. I may have to resort to watching YouTube playthroughs or something. Which is extremely sad..

[Mirage]

https://kantopia.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/feifwebsitesystemtranslatej1.jpg

New translation of the official website, for those interested. It mentions some new minor stuff, such as Hoshido and Nohr having different classes available. Hoshido's soldiers are a little more traditionally Japanese, while Nohr's are more in keeping with the unit design of the previous games of the series.

Too bad lucina is SMURFING IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND. Unless of course they're gonna make a new batch.

And yes of course i ignore ebay price gougers. Smurf them too.

[Skyblade]

https://kantopia.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/feifwebsitesystemtranslatej1.jpg

New translation of the official website, for those interested. It mentions some new minor stuff, such as Hoshido and Nohr having different classes available. Hoshido's soldiers are a little more traditionally Japanese, while Nohr's are more in keeping with the unit design of the previous games of the series.

Too bad lucina is SMURFING IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND. Unless of course they're gonna make a new batch.

And yes of course i ignore ebay price gougers. Smurf them too.

I was able to get Robin by waiting at GameStop 3.5 hours early on 5/27, and picked up the extra stock they were shipped (only one Robin, and no Lucina). I managed to get Lucina that same day during the Amazon half hour sale.

I hope they do get their distribution problems sorted out, though. Because they are crippling the entire amiibo system, even as more and more games are having fun and unique uses for them.

Although I will say that Robin and Lucina have been seen on EBay for more reasonable prices than most of the exclusives. $30 apiece is nothing compared to the $70 apiece that I've seen Greninja or Meta Knight going for.

[Agent Proto]

The prices on Amazon are pretty reasonable when it comes to Amiibo. I found a Little Mac Amiibo for under $30. :D

Anyway, back to Fire Emblem. I'm really disappointed to know that this game won't see a Western release this year. :( Severely disappointed about this!

[Mirage]

plus 20 bucks for shipping to norway
i hate the whole amiibo deal because obviously they are profitable enough to make, but nintendo, as usual, drops the ball and lets third parties earn the money they could have gotten

[Skyblade]

http://www.reddit.com/r/amiibo/comments/38ccav/playasiacom_june_amiibo_preorders_jpn/

PlayAsia will have Japanese Marth, Ike, Lucario, Meta Knight, Lucina, Robin, Ness, Charizard, and Toon Link available for preorder for $19.99 plus shipping ($7.90) starting June 4th, 3:00 AM GMT/UTC. That's June 3rd, 11:00 PM EST or 8:00 PM PST.

If you guys want the Fire Emblem amiibo for a relatively decent price, that's not too bad at $27.89 (about double), considering how much they'd be normally.

Edit: Two hours to go until these preorders become available.

[Vyk]

As a casual Nintendo connoisseur and not at all a legitimate fan by any stretch of the imagination, I am not paying double the retail value on a novelty. So I'll just continue to scowl at them for their incompetence

It's a $12.99 toy. Maybe 3 dollars shipping. So anything over like $20 total is ridiculous to me. I'll never have a use for them anyway. I just want to put them on a shelf

I love how they're perfectly fine to let scalpers make massive profits out of their actual physical products, but they completely screw youtubers over 15 seconds of freely distributed press release footage in a ten minute video and take a claim on the whole video to monetize it

YouTubers should be selling amiibos

Speaking of which, I had planned to mostly buy Nintendo products used in the future because of their shady business practices. I may have to make an exception with FE:If because I support the developers, even though I practically hate the publisher anymore

[Randy]

When Intelligent Systems got ready to make the next Fire Emblem game, they were given an ultimatum by Nintendo. The series had been flagging in sales, and it had not been doing as well as it needed to. Nintendo gave it a sales goal to reach. If the new game didn't sell at least 250,000 copies, the series was going to be ended.



They should try randomly saying that to their employees more often. Kick them into producing stuff as excellent as Awakening.

[Skyblade]

Marth is now available on Amazon UK for MSRP:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N8PC142/?tag=nowinet-21

Also, new translated details on My Castle over on Serenes Forest:
http://serenesforest.net/fire-emblem-if/castle-analysis-part-1/

It includes details on the accessories, the dining facilities, and other noteworthy additions.

The greatest gif on the internet:
http://orig14.deviantart.net/cd24/f/2015/155/1/6/untitled_3_by_amazingartistyellow-d8w23pe.gif

[Skyblade]

45cSvpxNYeA

New Japanese trailer. No translation as yet (though a translation for it is already being worked on), but gosh is it pretty. And it shows off so many new characters!




Also, it highlights some of the Pair Up changes.

Unlike Awakening, units that are Paired Up can no longer perform Dual Strikes. Instead, only units who are adjacent to each other can Dual Strike.

Meanwhile, only units that are Paired Up can Dual Guard, while adjacent units cannot.

So Pair Up has become almost purely defensive.




EDIT: A bit of personal deductive work. When the classes section of the trailer starts, it highlights "60", followed by quite a bit of Japanese text. Given where they put it, I think they're saying that there's 60 playable classes. Which, since we know Nohr and Hoshido have their own unique classes, makes sense, but it is a lot.

[Vyk]

Looks a lot more intense now that they're releasing lots more info and scenes with other characters and story pieces

What I don't get is this whole choice thing. Up until recently I thought there was going to be a point in the game where you choose what side you wanted to end up joining. They even depict a scene where you're on the battlefield and both sides have people looking at you expectantly wanting you to choose them. This obviously doesn't play out this way since it depends on which version of the game you get, not what side you end up choosing to join. That makes me kinda sad, but I guess I just misunderstood their intention

As interesting as it may be, I don't think I'd get the dark side storyline since I don't think I'll be buying the game twice. But who knows

Though with the interviews insinuating we're only getting one version, I wouldn't be surprised if we get the eventual combined version that sometimes comes out when they split Pokemon games like that, which would make sense, considering we're getting the game a year after Japan

And also, the character models actually have feet now! lol

[Skyblade]

Looks a lot more intense now that they're releasing lots more info and scenes with other characters and story pieces

What I don't get is this whole choice thing. Up until recently I thought there was going to be a point in the game where you choose what side you wanted to end up joining. They even depict a scene where you're on the battlefield and both sides have people looking at you expectantly wanting you to choose them. This obviously doesn't play out this way since it depends on which version of the game you get, not what side you end up choosing to join. That makes me kinda sad, but I guess I just misunderstood their intention

As interesting as it may be, I don't think I'd get the dark side storyline since I don't think I'll be buying the game twice. But who knows

Though with the interviews insinuating we're only getting one version, I wouldn't be surprised if we get the eventual combined version that sometimes comes out when they split Pokemon games like that, which would make sense, considering we're getting the game a year after Japan

And also, the character models actually have feet now! lol

There is a LOT of speculation on the dual modes.

One thing I will say: You won't have to buy the game twice. The second path (and the third path, the details of which are as yet unknown) is available via DLC, and will be substantially less expensive than the core game. Using the typical Yen to Dollar conversions that happen with game sales, the game itself would be $39.99, and the DLC for the additional path would be $19.99.

Once the DLC is there, the moment in Chapter 6 where you make the choice is actually a choice.

The developers talked a lot about choice being a major design theme in the game. It was what sparked the entire duality of the conflict. It does seem very odd to partition it off based on which game you buy. They did also mention that splitting it let them put more content in for less cost, though I don't remember all the details about that.


However, NONE of these details have been announced in ANY of the localized presentations on the game. There has not even been a mention of multiple game copies. Leading to speculation that we may simply get a single copy when it's localized, with both paths on it.

It honestly might simply be considered a better marketing strategy to split them in Japan, especially if it keeps the initial price down but encourages people to buy the DLC.

But will the West see the game for $39.99 then? Or $59.99?

[Skyblade]

So we get out first English trailer, and the reveal of the English title:
Fire Emblem Fates

Still no mention of multiple versions.

[Del Murder]

:D

[Skyblade]

vHqQk2zi3Pc

They do reference "two versions" in the Treehouse stream. But they don't mention paying for them. They also repeatedly refer to the "moment of making the choice", and how players should "make the decision yourself". Are the two versions included, just with different names for the routes? Or are they paid for? I still have no idea.

Honestly, at this point I think Nintendo isn't sure whether to make it one or two games in the west.

EDIT: Apparently it is confirmed as two versions, with the other path available as DLC. Dangit.

[Vyk]

It doesn't surprise me, and I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time dwelling on it, since I likely wouldn't be playing the game twice anyway, regardless. But one thing I don't get is why everyone (including Nintendo themselves) keeps dwelling on this moment of decision within the game. It doesn't seem possible to have that, with the two cartridge / two stories set-up. Your choice is in the game store, not on the battlefield in the middle of the game lol But whatever. Unless I hear or see something super compelling, I likely wouldn't have chosen the dark side anyway. Its also possible it can be the first game my girlfriend and I buy on the system separately if we have enough cash to spare. Its just weird. But at least its more visceral than a couple of Pokemon types where you basically still get exactly the same story. At least there's a tangible reason to own both copies of this one

[Skyblade]

It doesn't surprise me, and I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time dwelling on it, since I likely wouldn't be playing the game twice anyway, regardless. But one thing I don't get is why everyone (including Nintendo themselves) keeps dwelling on this moment of decision within the game. It doesn't seem possible to have that, with the two cartridge / two stories set-up. Your choice is in the game store, not on the battlefield in the middle of the game lol But whatever. Unless I hear or see something super compelling, I likely wouldn't have chosen the dark side anyway. Its also possible it can be the first game my girlfriend and I buy on the system separately if we have enough cash to spare. Its just weird. But at least its more visceral than a couple of Pokemon types where you basically still get exactly the same story. At least there's a tangible reason to own both copies of this one

Don't buy two copies. Buy one copy, then buy the second path as DLC. This makes the choice an actual choice, as both versions are on the same game file at that point. It's also how you choose the unique third path, which we have almost no details on.

You'll pay $60 (game and DLC) instead of $80 (cost of buying a $40 game twice), and get to actually make the choice as a choice.

They apparently split it to keep the cost to consumers lower, as otherwise the amount of resources put into the full copy would require a $60+ game, which is huge for a handheld.

[Pumpkin]

I can't buy DLC my 2DS won't accept my payment info :<

[Skyblade]

I can't buy DLC my 2DS won't accept my payment info :<

Buy a Nintendo E-Shop Gift Card, and use that for it.

[Fynn]

Am I the only person who likes the black kingdom more so far?

[Skyblade]

Am I the only person who likes the black kingdom more so far?

No. They're by far the most popular among fans. The combination of good people trying to exist under and oppressive jerk and still be the best they can, plus them being the people you knew and grew up with, means that people are loving the idea of staying with them.

Plus, more traditional take on the gameplay, and higher difficulty.

Although, as some fans realized later:
"If I side with Nohr, I might have to kill Mama Hoshido."
64937
"I MIGHT HAVE TO KILL MY MOTHER. WTF, GAME!"

[Jinx]

Yeah, if I play this game, I totally sticking with the family I was raised with. I know things are a bit different in Japanese culture, but blood ain't shit. Your family is the people who are the for your no matter what.

[Pumpkin]

I want bof

I'll get both eventually



one day

[Fynn]

Yeah, I'll probably do both too, but if I have to pick a version, I'll pick the Nohr one and download the Hoshidi campaign.

[Mirage]

Yeah, if I play this game, I totally sticking with the family I was raised with. I know things are a bit different in Japanese culture, but blood ain't shit. Your family is the people who are the for your no matter what.

If you have a decent family, sure :p

Anyway I don't see how they can call it an actual choice unless both paths are in the core game, and the DLC is just an unlock for whichever side you *didn't* pick.

[Jinx]

What I meant was, your family has nothing to do with the people you were born to or share DNA with. So close friends who stand by you through thick and thin are more family to you than someone who shares your DNA but is never there.

[Formalhaut]

What I meant was, your family has nothing to do with the people you were born to or share DNA with. So close friends who stand by you through thick and thin are more family to you than someone who shares your DNA but is never there.

I'm with you on that one. Assuming the family you were raised with were nice people, I'd definitely stick with that side. Although, there's a third option in this game; I imagine that would be the way to bring them together, I would think.

[Mirage]

What I meant was, your family has nothing to do with the people you were born to or share DNA with. So close friends who stand by you through thick and thin are more family to you than someone who shares your DNA but is never there.

oh now i get it

[Del Murder]

Basically you play the role of Theon Greyjoy. We are all Theons in this game.

[Vyk]

Pretty much the vibe that I got, and I can see feeling more tied to the people you were actually raised with, but even Theon really just wanted to go home in the end. He (and your character) was given up as collateral to end/postpone a war. Seems like that war is going to happen anyway. Despite any bitterness one would understandably feel, I'd think the main character would like to return home. But then again, I don't know any of the characters. If they were all legit treating him like a brother and respected member of the family, I can totally understand just going with that bitterness and wanting to stay. It's an interesting story mechanic, and I love them for being original and non-traditional about this

[Del Murder]

Well, based on what eventually happened to Theon, I'd probably stick with my adopted family.

[Skyblade]

Well, child units are confirmed as returning in Fates.

Also, there are some familiar faces showing back up with new names, and some new classes:
http://i.imgur.com/668pZ7L.png

[Agent Proto]

Just a word of caution. Fire Emblem if hasn't officially been out but is being leaked since some places broke the street date in Japan, so this is relevant.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CIOOOmvUAAAzVy_.png

I don't know if there will be spoilers in this thread, but be careful out there if you come into contact with any unwanted spoilers.

[Skyblade]

Iwata Asks (http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/fire-emblem-fates/0/0)

This is a VERY good article. Seriously, read it, it's worth it.

Some mechanics notes:

My Castle is not just StreetPass, it's fully online. So we can all visit each other's Castles (and apparently eventually recruit special units from each other).

When units marry, they also share classes with each other. So, good luck on min/maxing and picking who to pair up, because that just got a lot more complicated.

[Pumpkin]

Luckily for me, I don't care about min/maxing!

So wait, what does that mean about the castles being fully online? Because I don't really do online for video games

[Skyblade]

Luckily for me, I don't care about min/maxing!

So wait, what does that mean about the castles being fully online? Because I don't really do online for video games

Each person makes their own Castle. They can visit the Castles of other people to use their shops, talk to their characters, etcetera.

In Awakening, these sorts of inter-player communications were StreetPass only. Now, they're fully online. So, while your own Castle is YOUR OWN, on your system, if I have your Friend Code, I can visit it. And you can visit MY Castle.

Also, specifically for you, Pumpkin:

Yamagami
The first thing I want to say is that I want you all to think very carefully about which story you want to take before you proceed. Of course I guarantee that either will be fun, but I want people to look into the information that's out there and ponder which one they want to play first. I want people to realize that the decisions start even before you buy the game.

Now, if you look at the information out there on the Internet, people have written that the Nohr storyline is harder, but don't worry. I started out allying with the Nohr family, and I was able to play through to the end like usual.



Iwata
You've never been very good at playing simulation games, Yamagami-san.



Yamagami
That's right. And with my personality, I can't take a long time to think about how to move my unit. So I usually make careless moves and get everyone killed right away. But I was still able to make it to the end of this game. So don't worry about that. Just play the one you want to play.

So a first timer who was bad at tactics games could still enjoy, and beat, Nohr's path.

[Pumpkin]

Okay so I can still make a castle even if I don't go online? This is good

Also I am still having a dilemma

First story fits more with my video game moral code
Second story has more characters I'm interested in




This is the worst video game dilemma since having to decide whether saying "Effort is what matters" or "You are talented" is the nicer option

[Formalhaut]

So apparently same-sex relationships are possible (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/fire-emblem-fates-same-sex-relationship_n_7654372.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay%20Voices) in this game! How progressive!

[Fynn]

It's a small step, though. You only get one character for the avatar - a man in the Nohr scenario and a woman in the Hoshido one - and supposedly the other characters may get gay options, but that's nothing certain. Still, a small step is still a step and I'm happy they're implementing this, easying their audience into this.

Although I think I read somewhere on TVTropes that Roy is canonically implied to be gay? Idk.

[Mirage]

So apparently same-sex relationships are possible (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/fire-emblem-fates-same-sex-relationship_n_7654372.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay%20Voices) in this game! How progressive!

How are they gonna explain inherited traits though? Magic? Or maybe they both just trained their child from birth. I guess that works.

[Fynn]

So apparently same-sex relationships are possible (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/fire-emblem-fates-same-sex-relationship_n_7654372.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay%20Voices) in this game! How progressive!

How are they gonna explain inherited traits though? Magic? Or maybe they both just trained their child from birth. I guess that works.

MPreg? :3:

[Mirage]

well we've never been shown naked men in the fire emblem series. For all we know, they might have vaginas under there as well as penises.

It is very earthocentric to assume every fantasy world has the same physiology as our own.

[Fynn]

Pardon my shortsightedness, then.

What about the girls, then? Immaculate conception?

[Jinx]

It's a small step, though. You only get one character for the avatar - a man in the Nohr scenario and a woman in the Hoshido one - and supposedly the other characters may get gay options, but that's nothing certain. Still, a small step is still a step and I'm happy they're implementing this, easying their audience into this.

Although I think I read somewhere on TVTropes that Roy is canonically implied to be gay? Idk.

Wait, the gender of your avatar depends on which story line you choose? That's shitty.

[Fynn]

It's a small step, though. You only get one character for the avatar - a man in the Nohr scenario and a woman in the Hoshido one - and supposedly the other characters may get gay options, but that's nothing certain. Still, a small step is still a step and I'm happy they're implementing this, easying their audience into this.

Although I think I read somewhere on TVTropes that Roy is canonically implied to be gay? Idk.

Wait, the gender of your avatar depends on which story line you choose? That's troutty.

No, no. The gender of the gay option. If you're playing a guy, there's only one guy you can romance in the Nohr route and no male romances in the Hoshido route, and the opposite is true if you're playing a girl.

[Formalhaut]

We have to remember this IS Japan. They are surprisingly backwards when it comes to homosexuality. You only have to remember that game Tomodachi Life which didn't have any option for same-sex relationships.

[Fynn]

It's actually much less a case of Japan being homophobic, but rather Nintendo being family-friendly and wanting to avoid any kind of controversy. So yes, this is a nice step in the right direction, albeit a small one.

[Randy]

We have to remember this IS Japan. They are surprisingly backwards when it comes to homosexuality. You only have to remember that game Tomodachi Life which didn't have any option for same-sex relationships.

Are they really backward?

From what I've been told the Japanese attitude is just quite weird. I'm told that they've never really persecuted gays but that they don't believe it's an actual immutable characteristic and is more just a kind of wacky behaviour or something like that?

[Fynn]

Japan used to be super chill about homosexuality, even encouraging such acts, but later the West told them it's bad. Same thing with nudism, which is apparently why panties are such a huge fetish in Japan.

:erm: ...Anyway, Fire Emblem!

[Formalhaut]

Right, so I've never actually played the Fire Emblem series before. At which point in the series should I start playing? Is it all one connected world (doesn't look like it) or more sort of separate stories so it is not crucial to have played the others? Also, what is the general premise behind the games?

[Fynn]

I only played Awakening on the 3DS and it's pretty dang good. While the story is very meh, the characters are very memorable and you can build relationships between them, which is super neat. Other than that it's a strategy RPG - a quite challenging one - with a very robust system that you can really sink your teeth into.

[Agent Proto]

Formy, start with Fire Emblem Awakening since it's basically the best game for beginners to play, and make sure you go with Casual when you start, since you do get to keep most of your units, even after they "die" in a chapter. In previous games, when a unit dies, it's permanent, so you may end up having to soft reset and start a chapter over to prevent them from happening. I usually end up losing a few units when I played one of the older games, either because I couldn't protect them, or I just didn't want to bother resetting a chapter.

[Agent Proto]

Hello. There's already a Kamui Customizer App online that you can play around with. It's pretty neat actually! Here's a link to a mirror site: http://luminescentblade.github.io/KamuiCustomizer/

And if you want to see the two Kamuis I made, here you go!

https://40.media.tumblr.com/672cb78a7a719f616d180ceb31647f25/tumblr_inline_nqkulsKGH41rbamst_540.pnghttps://41.media.tumblr.com/d171c2b952f3d8ffbc77576b72648487/tumblr_inline_nqkum5Vb6K1rbamst_540.png

Knock yourselves out!

[Formalhaut]

Thanks for the advice Proto. Well, I have a 3DS, so this'll be handy. I'll purchase Awakening at some point. After Awakening, is it worth moving straight on to Fates or tackling the rest of the series? I'm still uncertain if their connected at a plot level.