Pre-Release Fire Emblem Engage — Pre-release Discussion Thread

[EtherPenguin]

Fists beating bows and magic kind of makes sense in that it's harder to use ranged attacks when someone's right up in your face delivering a flurry of punches. I think KOTOR made it so ranged weapons took a hit% penalty if your target was right in front of you (unless I'm misremembering?), so I can understand that.

Punching beating knives seem a little weird at first if you try to compare it to real life where if someone brings out a knife during a fistfight, the guy with the knife clearly has the advantage. But in Pokemon, the fighting type is usually associated with justice and light which is why it beats dark. I've been told this is more of a thing in Japanese culture (which I guess explains Ultraman being from the land of light). So if punching is viewed as a pure form of fighting associated with just/light and knives are seen as dirty and associated with scoundrels/thieves/rogues then I can see where they're coming from.

Fists having three advantages and no weakness did make me quizzical at first. But it could still feel balanced when considering the natural advantages of ranged attacks hitting from tiles away, and I bet knives are going to debuff on hit like in Fates.

 

[Hailinel]

I'm just glad that fist weapons were so well-liked that they didn't immediately drop them after Three Houses.

 

[SirArthur]

 

[Shiny]

Honestly that’s all I really want from Fire Emblem. Interesting scenario objectives on interesting battlefields, and battle mechanics that encourage use of a whole force with strengths and weaknesses rather than having some individual units that are clearly much stronger than others. I think TH was my favourite cast so far in the way their backstories give you a lot of understanding of how broken Fodlan’s society was from two dozen different perspectives, but then I liked that about Radiant Dawn too. My ideal FE would be maps from Conquest, cast from TH, character designs from PoR/RD, and no player avatar unit, just a faction leader unit with strengths and weaknesses and a link to the troops they lead.

I don’t care either way about the social stuff and didn’t even notice the lack of them in RD. I quite like the battle and base conversations, but just don’t make me run around a base area to do pointless sidequests and fill bars or whatever to pad it all out. I want to be able to just get back into the battles as fast as possible without being left underpowered for not spending hours playing matchmaker and micromanaging stuff. Let me just restock kit from the convoy and get back to it.

It’s probably also why I liked Dark Deity so much. Interesting scenarios and class trees, a fairly basic nod to character social stuff and a few minutes tinkering with the force setup before the next chapter. The character backgrounds were simplistic and way more formulaic and less interesting than TH, but it pretty much reminded me of why I replayed the GBA games way more than I ever will TH. I still haven’t even touched a couple of the TH routes as I find everything about the monastery gameplay loop so dull after multiple playthroughs.

Man, I wish you were in charge of the next FE game. Thanks for putting Dark Deity on my radar though, I could go for a throwback FE-like.

 

[PixelKnight]

Man, I wish you were in charge of the next FE game. Thanks for putting Dark Deity on my radar though, I could go for a throwback FE-like.

Hah, I suspect there’s plenty more Fami regulars that wish I wasn’t, it’s good that it provides us a lot to discuss though!

Yeah you’re welcome, I wrote a little more on Dark Deity in the hidden gems thread if it helps

 

[Hailinel]

I was personally turned of by Dark Deity when I saw the trailer was basically "Look, FE fans! GBA battle animations!" It felt a little too much for me.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

Whoa hey hold on did someone say GBA FE animations???

 

[Hailinel]

Whoa hey hold on did someone say GBA FE animations???

I did!

And...even though I played the GBA games back in the day, I never had nostalgia for their battle animations.

 

[PixelKnight]

I was personally turned of by Dark Deity when I saw the trailer was basically "Look, FE fans! GBA battle animations!" It felt a little too much for me.

Yeah to be fair it was very pointed in that way. ‘You specific people! You remember and like this? Buy this game!’

Reminds me of how many smaller isometric SRPGs have done the same with FFT/Tactics Ogre over the years.

 

[zumaddy]

Eugh, they make Celica look less cool with every spin-off she's in. She's a low key badass in the first half of SOV and they never call back to it, ever.
In fact, I think a minor problem is that so many of the lords are nice, friendly and believe in peace that we'll have a lack of variety of different personalities. Ike, Byleth and Leif are at least a little different but they could have used someone like Hector.

They need to bring in TS Dimitri. He'll keep the war crimes count high!

 

[LuckyNumber69]

Friday tweets are back

This time we get to see Chloe! She's a retainer for Celine.

I wonder if from now on we're gonna get "technical" tweets on Mondays and new characters on Fridays?

 

[Bonejack]

Eugh, they make Celica look less cool with every spin-off she's in. She's a low key badass in the first half of SOV and they never call back to it, ever.
In fact, I think a minor problem is that so many of the lords are nice, friendly and believe in peace that we'll have a lack of variety of different personalities. Ike, Byleth and Leif are at least a little different but they could have used someone like Hector.

They need to bring in TS Dimitri. He'll keep the war crimes count high!

I hope they also add his arch Nemesis:

The summer heat.

 

[Aostia82]

LE already preordered. Hype is real.

 

[Appelsider]

Chloe is being voiced by Saori Hayami!! WE WON!!! And she seems like a sweet girl!

I am really liking the choices for va's so far!

 

[Chaotic Neutral]

This is going to be my first Fire Emblem, I think. Very excited

 

[SirArthur]

Friday tweets are back

This time we get to see Chloe! She's a retainer for Celine.

I wonder if from now on we're gonna get "technical" tweets on Mondays and new characters on Fridays?

Saori's voice is unmistakable lol. Guess I'll do a replay in jp.

 

[Bonejack]

This is going to be my first Fire Emblem, I think. Very excited

Someone gift this man Three Houses with the Ashen Wolves DLC.

 

[risnuff]

Someone gift this man Three Houses with the Ashen Wolves DLC.

I just started playing Three Houses and it's my first Fire Emblem game. Really enjoying it so far, seems a great introduction to the series, and now I have both of the Warriors games on my Christmas list. (They play quite different, I know!)

Figured I'd get acquainted with Fire Emblem before Engage.

 

[SammyJ9]

I just started playing Three Houses and it's my first Fire Emblem game. Really enjoying it so far, seems a great introduction to the series, and now I have both of the Warriors games on my Christmas list. (They play quite different, I know!)

Figured I'd get acquainted with Fire Emblem before Engage.

Three Houses is the first one that really grabbed me, despite dabbling in Awakening and Fates. Something about its gameplay loop and setup just hooked me immediately, and I think it's a great first pick!

 

[PixelKnight]

So is Chloe’s outfit a skintight stretchy black material over her abdomen with a plate armor push-up bra on top? Sigh. I realise they tend to be in skimpy outfits but I much preferred the ones where the armor at least was a vague attempt to look like a simple breastplate. I do like the colour scheme though, that jade green, black and white is cool. Reminds me of one of the Radiant Dawn Pegasus riders. Or Eireka.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

Chloe's design is pretty silly

 

[Chie]

I like Chloe's design. Honestly I like Engage's more over the top designs versus 3 House's ones (I really like both though, not putting down 3 Houses)

 

[SirArthur]

Looking back at the og trailer you have multiple outfits for the characters. I wonder if they might give them Emblem outfits or nods to those you arent emblems. Lets say Chloe gets Caeda outfit

 

[SammyJ9]

Thinking about it, this game is out in 2.5 months, somehow. It's kind of in a weird spot marketing-wise, when do we think we'll get the next big general trailer? November after Pokemon is out for a bit? December with maybe a dedicated Direct?

 

[PixelKnight]

Thinking about it, this game is out in 2.5 months, somehow. It's kind of in a weird spot marketing-wise, when do we think we'll get the next big general trailer? November after Pokemon is out for a bit? December with maybe a dedicated Direct?

Yeah I reckon we’ll see a big focus on it in December

 

[DecoReturns]

Thinking about it, this game is out in 2.5 months, somehow. It's kind of in a weird spot marketing-wise, when do we think we'll get the next big general trailer? November after Pokemon is out for a bit? December with maybe a dedicated Direct?

We’ll get another trailer around November/early December and a direct around a month before release. Or three weeks before so right after New Years.

My prediction I feel.

 

[SammyJ9]

We’ll get another trailer around November/early December and a direct around a month before release. Or three weeks before so right after New Years.

My prediction I feel.

Christmas Fire Emblem Direct, let's go!

 

[Rooster]

I'll be honest, and this may be an unpopular opinion. So far, all the new characters seem to have kind of forgettable designs. It's not that they're drab, they're not, they're just... very predictably anime to the point of not standing out among that large field.

To me they just look like they could come from Modern Anime Fantasy RPG™. Other than Alear, though that's just due to the joycon hair.

 

[LuckyNumber69]

Thinking about it, this game is out in 2.5 months, somehow. It's kind of in a weird spot marketing-wise, when do we think we'll get the next big general trailer? November after Pokemon is out for a bit? December with maybe a dedicated Direct?

I think it's pretty likely we at least get a Direct for this game around mid December, given the fact that we're probably not getting another general before the game comes out.

As for potential new trailers prior to that? November seems like a good time for a standalone trailer. If we get a November trailer, I'm thinking it'll be sometime around the second week of November? Realistically, the JP FE Twitter is running out of characters to reveal that were featured prominently in the reveal trailer, the third week of November is Pokemon week, the week after is Thanksgiving week, and even later than Thanksgiving feels like it'd be cutting it a bit too close to release to wait until then for the next substantial info drop, so I'm thinking the second week of November (Nov. 9th maybe?) is a good spot for a new trailer, followed by an Engage Direct a month after that.

 

[VegiHam]

I'll be honest, and this may be an unpopular opinion. So far, all the new characters seem to have kind of forgettable designs. It's not that they're drab, they're not, they're just... very predictably anime to the point of not standing out among that large field.

To me they just look like they could come from Modern Anime Fantasy RPG™. Other than Alear, though that's just due to the joycon hair.

I agree. The emphasis is on returning characters I have no nostalgia for, and the actually new characters and world don't seem to have any hook to them.

Kinda disappointing after three houses tbh

 

[Aostia82]

I agree. The emphasis is on returning characters I have no nostalgia for, and the actually new characters and world don't seem to have any hook to them.

Kinda disappointing after three houses tbh

The hook of new characters and world is to actually be vibrant and colorfull as hell
Apart from the female MC I love everytjing they showed so far

A relief after the gray&brown TH honestly

 

[Kartina]

Maybe we'll get some

I think it's pretty likely we at least get a Direct for this game around mid December, given the fact that we're probably not getting another general before the game comes out.

As for potential new trailers prior to that? November seems like a good time for a standalone trailer. If we get a November trailer, I'm thinking it'll be sometime around the second week of November? Realistically, the JP FE Twitter is running out of characters to reveal that were featured prominently in the reveal trailer, the third week of November is Pokemon week, the week after is Thanksgiving week, and even later than Thanksgiving feels like it'd be cutting it a bit too close to release to wait until then for the next substantial info drop, so I'm thinking the second week of November (Nov. 9th maybe?) is a good spot for a new trailer, followed by an Engage Direct a month after that.

You know what we need? An fe engage treehouse
I really want to see a full map and how everything works.

 

[VegiHam]

The hook of new characters and world is to actually be vibrant and colorfull as hell
Apart from the female MC I love everytjing they showed so far

A relief after the gray&brown TH honestly

Story matters more to me than presentation; especially when the effect of the 'improvements' is to generify the look

I appreciate that's subjective though

 

[BassForever]

It's a new Fire Emblem, as long as they keep that great tactics rpg gameplay I'm always gonna be there day 1.

 

[Aostia82]

Story matters more to me than presentation; especially when the effect of the 'improvements' is to generify the look

I appreciate that's subjective though

I don't have enough elements to judge Engage story
But I also think that only 1 ruote was actually good story-wise in TH

this having 1 ruote is already good in my eyes lol

 

[VegiHam]

I don't have enough elements to judge Engage story
But I also think that only 1 ruote was actually good story-wise in TH

this having 1 ruote is already good in my eyes lol

I think we can all agree we need to see more of this game!

The aspects the marketing has focused on so far don't do much for me, but I'm prepared to see other parts that might. Only having to play it once is definitely better for me

 

[PixelKnight]

I don't have enough elements to judge Engage story
But I also think that only 1 ruote was actually good story-wise in TH

this having 1 ruote is already good in my eyes lol

I think there’s definitely an advantage in terms of story with only one route, in that it’s focused. I like the advantage multiple routes offers too with replays and being able to look at a story from multiple angles too, but am looking forward to this.

With multiple routes, regardless of how it can leave you feeling like you’ve missed a chunk of the story (TH) or like it’s just barely hanging together in order to make two sides viable (Fates), for me the worst part of the way TH handled it was having the route split in the middle, but having to lock in the faction choice at the start. So you couldn’t establish a mid-game save and use that to explore all the routes that differed, you had to replay the same first half each time.

 

[Hailinel]

I'll be honest, and this may be an unpopular opinion. So far, all the new characters seem to have kind of forgettable designs. It's not that they're drab, they're not, they're just... very predictably anime to the point of not standing out among that large field.

To me they just look like they could come from Modern Anime Fantasy RPG™. Other than Alear, though that's just due to the joycon hair.

What does "predictably anime" even mean? "Anime" as a pejorative descriptor by itself is a terrible use of the word because art styles within anime vary so much.

 

[Thunder84]

I'll be honest, and this may be an unpopular opinion. So far, all the new characters seem to have kind of forgettable designs. It's not that they're drab, they're not, they're just... very predictably anime to the point of not standing out among that large field.

To me they just look like they could come from Modern Anime Fantasy RPG™. Other than Alear, though that's just due to the joycon hair.

With you there. I’ll probably pick this up day 1, but my interest in this game is pretty much exclusively for the gameplay, which looks great. Nothing about the characters or story has me remotely interested up to this point.

 

[Gengar]

I'm at the point where I'll get any new FE game day 1, but I am hoping it has at least a decent story. Since I've only played Awakening, Conquest, Echoes, and Three Houses, I don't even know who half of the summon characters are. I'm sure the gameplay will be solid, though.

 

[SammyJ9]

I'm at the point where I'll get any new FE game day 1, but I am hoping it has at least a decent story. Since I've only played Awakening, Conquest, Echoes, and Three Houses, I don't even know who half of the summon characters are. I'm sure the gameplay will be solid, though.

That's my hope too, I'm in a similar boat. I just hope they don't do TOO much with the past characters or expect you to have a ton of knowledge about them. As long as the story stands on its own and most of that part is more easter eggs, I'll be happy

 

[Xorhan]

 

[SammyJ9]

A new trailer will have to come out before too terribly long, if for no other reason than they're running out of things they can break out and highlight from the first trailer, lol

 

[Tentacle-tropes]

What does "predictably anime" even mean? "Anime" as a pejorative descriptor by itself is a terrible use of the word because art styles within anime vary so much.

They answered what “predictably anime” is here

“Modern Anime Fantasy RPG™“

Though that still leaves a pretty wide gap as to what exactly that means. I just take it to mean mean shorthand for things I don’t like that changed from how I used to like them.

 

[DecoReturns]

Heeeeyyyyy.

Looks like Genealogy of the Holy War might be the title lol

 

[Kartina]

The GOAT, I hope we'll see him next year with a remake
Also we're so close to a new engage trailer I can feel it. We can't even wait for the next direct since the game will come out before the february direct.

 

[HockeyBird]

I remember people talking about how thought Nintendo would never use Holy War in the title of any FE4 remake because that would be "controversial" but it seems like Nintendo is perfectly fine with using it.

 

[Aostia82]

Love Sigurd

 

[MisterSpo]

I remember people talking about how thought Nintendo would never use Holy War in the title of any FE4 remake because that would be "controversial" but it seems like Nintendo is perfectly fine with using it.

I thought it would be FE Echoes: the Holy War, but it's not really clear if they're sticking to the suggestion (around the time Shadows of Valentia released) that Echoes could be used as a sub-series name for remakes.

Maybe they'll do what they did with Link's Awakening and pretend it's not a remake.

 

[HockeyBird]

I thought it would be FE Echoes: the Holy War, but it's not really clear if they're sticking to the suggestion (around the time Shadows of Valentia released) that Echoes could be used as a sub-series name for remakes.

Maybe they'll do what they did with Link's Awakening and pretend it's not a remake.

I think the plan was for the remakes to become the Echoes sub-series but the Echoes name may now be too closely associated with the FE 2 remake to go forward with that idea. I never heard anybody refer to the 2 remake as Shadows of Valentia. Everyone just calls it Fire Emblem Echoes.