I finally finished my first playthrough! Man, last two battles for Black Eagle were tough! especially in last battle when they put bunch of those gaint doll enemies. What give most trouble was Cyril, his crazy strong and he just dodges most of my attacks.
I finally finished my first playthrough! Man, last two battles for Black Eagle were tough! especially in last battle when they put bunch of those gaint doll enemies. What give most trouble was Cyril, his crazy strong he dodges most of my attacks.
I didn't have a problem with Blue Lions route, but Edelgard route last battle I just barely managed to finish it. Lots of turn rewinds.
I think the game rewards a play style with a few over powered characters vs levelling everyone equally. In my Blue Lions playthrough, Dimitri, Protag-kun, Anette, and Felix were far stronger than they had any right to be. The other characters were just kind of along for the ride.
This very, very true especially in Edelgard route last battle. Those few overpowered characters are the key winning that battle, those pegasus knights can one shot all your other troops. My petra was master of dodging, she could avoid most attacks coming at her.
I don't dislike him (pomp and all) but he was always disappointingly weak in battle for me. I went cavalier > paladin > holy knight with him and he had very low damage output and kinda high damage intake.
I took pains to improve him with stat enhancing items since he was really my only lance user, but those A+ lance grades almost never came in handy, except he could 1-shot any cavalry with the Spear of Assal, a souped mega horseslayer that it turns out is even more powerful when used by someone bearing the Crest of Cichol, which Ferdinand has on his right buttock. I mean...which I hear he bears somewhere on his person. But yeah, except for when he used the Spear of Assal against horseriders, he pretty much underwhelmed me in every fight. Perhaps he is better reclassed as a great knight?
Play the other routes and forget about Astral Chain!
Do not read this if you are still gonna play the other routes!
The church only acts like dicks in Edels route. Even then everything she did was meaningless and could have been done without starting a war and putting innocent people in the line of fire. In the other routes Edel is the cartoon villain/puppet btw which is why people make the meme images that are seen in this thread. BUT THEN AGAIN without her being a villain this wouldn't have been Genealogy v2.
Play the other routes and forget about Astral Chain!
Do not read this if you are still gonna play the other routes!
The church only acts like dicks in Edels route. Even then everything she did was meaningless and could have been done without starting a war and putting innocent people in the line of fire. In the other routes Edel is the cartoon villain/puppet btw which is why people make the meme images that are seen in this thread. BUT THEN AGAIN without her being a villain this wouldn't have been Genealogy v2.
I love that the more house routes you play, the more sense everything makes. From the Intro to little details the chracters mention during the campaign. And all main chars have good reasons to act like they do. I think that is always a sign of a well written story.
Of course some things feel a bit unfinished. What is with the tea sessions for example. Just looking at the characters after you chose all the right topics feels a bit underwhelming.
Haven't played the other routes and I think I won't until lunatic and the other dlc content comes out. But I still want to weigh in and say their attempt to present Edelgard as not evil isn't done very well.
Rhea and the church are basically super good until Edelgard decides to take over the world and then Rhea becomes comically evil at a moment's notice, just to justify Edelgard, it feels totally off. They should have either made the church more ambiguous and complicated from the start instead of pitting them against the unquestionably evil "those who slither in dark" necro-bros, or have Edelgard lean into being evil more. As it is, she and her merry band of charming nice super friends go around killing every other nice person who doesn't share the exact same ideals as them. It would have made more sense to make the black eagles the "Slitherin" house in three houses, and have more characters like Hubert. Not exactly like him, but just more characters who are clearly driven by their own ambition and less idealistic. It doesn't surprise me at all to hear you say Edelgard is the villain in everybody else's route, it's very hard to spin her behaviour as anything else.
It's very hard to say. My experience is fairly similar to yours, I didn't play any until the gba titles, which I loved. Nothing has ever looked quite as good as those cute little gba combat animations. But since then I've played every single release and I've liked or loved all of them but one, the only game I would really call trash is Shadow Dragon on the DS. That game fell short for me in everything from visuals to story to combat. I loved path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn and I liked Awakening a lot...it wasn't until I played Fates that I even understood why so many people hate Awakening. Fates is basically an attempt to exactly recreate Awakening, and ends up being an inferior copy of it. While I liked Awakening and the different things it did just fine, playing Fates made me realize that, yeah I don't want every Fire Emblem to become Awakening from now on, that would be terrible! Suddenly I found myself wanting a more straightforward, purer Fire Emblem, something like a Path of Radiance.
Then along comes Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia for the 3DS. This is nothing like the other 2 3DS games and nothing like any other Fire Emblem ever made, except I guess the Super Famicom game it is based on. It adds 3D dungeon exploration where you can fight baddies and find treasure, and visual novel style town exploration where you meet people and score loot by poking around like you are using a mouse cursor in an adventure game. Your characters can learn weapon arts by wielding weapons over a certain amount of time, there are shields and other cool additions too. The story has some dumb moments, but overall it's very enjoyable with likable heroes, and 100% of the dialogue is voiced and voiced well. The graphics are beautiful and it has even has some great cutscenes, I really had an amazing time with the game and I think it might be my favourite Fire Emblem. I really like the additions it made to the formula and I was hoping they would be more fleshed out and expanded on in the next FE game. Obviously there are people who hate Echoes and they will disagree with me, but they'll agree that it's nothing like Awakening/Fates. So if you missed it because it's just another 3DS Fire Emblem game, I'd say check it out, it's a unique Fire Emblem with great ideas.
Well Three Houses doesn't explore more deeply those new ideas from Echoes, nor does it go back and copy Awakening or do a more combat focused, purer Fire Emblem, it's another totally new take. It has a lot of stuff that's not combat, but these sim like components can be enjoyable for their character/world building qualities and they intertwine with the combat well. So... it isn't like any other Fire Emblem and it's hard to say if you will or won't like it based on past games, I guess.
Not only she is not "Female Hitler", she is arguably the game's only "hero" in the classic, tragic greek sense. Fodlán is a feudal hellscape ruled by a Church led by undying monsters *cough* Manaketes masquerading as mortals. It's like a Zombie Catholic Church with an undead Jesus at the top pretending to be a Pope. Lives are routinely destroyed by the realm's obsession with Crests, moogles peasants and merchants are merely playthings in the hands of an aristocratic class that perpetuates itself by crossbreeding wizards crest-yielders. Edelgard is the only one who's there to destroy this world and make it anew - yes, she allies briefly with the Agarthans to do it but her victory over the church giver her the power to turn around and crush those who slither in the dark. In all the other routes beyond Crimson Flower, she is the tragic hero brought low by her hubris and tenacity. She is not really the game's villain.
You get charisma points, lots of support points and by looking at specific angles after having a perfect tea time the characters tell a bit about themselves, for example why Shamir wears gloves.
I don't know if you can call Fodlan a Hellscape. It has experienced many years of mostly peace after all. As Jeralt says in the beginning, the last big battle was 300 years ago.
One can argue that Reahs indirect rule isn't that bad for the people of Fodlan, even if it means that the leader of the church is a powerful non-human.
Edelgard wants to destroy the power of the Church and Aristocracy, but she will still be Emporer of course.
Will the rule of an all powerful Dictator be better for the people of Fodlan? Depends if she will be an enlightened ruler or a tyrant i suppose.
I personally agree with Dimitri, who says in his route, that this kind of change should come from the people, not from the strong and powerful.
But yes, she is certainly not a female Hitler.
I haven't played the church route yet. Maybe it will change my opinion.
You get charisma points, lots of support points and by looking at specific angles after having a perfect tea time the characters tell a bit about themselves, for example why Shamir wears gloves.
idk about anyone else but i was side eyeing the fuck out of the church from the start of the game
everytime i entered the cathedral the music gave me the heebie jeebies the ominous church organs followed by the angelic choir was a really good reflection of their true nature
The music is fine, pretty standart church music, as a Catholic I get to hear this kind of music all the time. I am suspicious of these video game churches mostly because they are always the villain. I can't think of a single video game where an organised religion was shown as the good guys.
Not only she is not "Female Hitler", she is arguably the game's only "hero" in the classic, tragic greek sense. Fodlán is a feudal hellscape ruled by a Church led by undying monsters *cough* Manaketes masquerading as mortals. It's like a Zombie Catholic Church with an undead Jesus at the top pretending to be a Pope. Lives are routinely destroyed by the realm's obsession with Crests, moogles peasants and merchants are merely playthings in the hands of an aristocratic class that perpetuates itself by crossbreeding wizards crest-yielders. Edelgard is the only one who's there to destroy this world and make it anew - yes, she allies briefly with the Agarthans to do it but her victory over the church giver her the power to turn around and crush those who slither in the dark. In all the other routes beyond Crimson Flower, she is the tragic hero brought low by her hubris and tenacity. She is not really the game's villain.
But the church didn't make the crests. They were made by the mole people. The church itself lied to humans about Nemesis so that they wouldn't feel like their "ancestors" were dicks for killing a "god" that brought them technology which was later abused by the mole people. The peasants aren't suffering either and only the elite 1% were suffering from the crests obsessions. Edel herself suffered because of her "uncle" sorry the guy that replace him the mole person leader and his experiments. So the fact that she started a war with the church and threw the entire continent/country in turmoil over it is ridiculous. You say she is a tragic hero in the other routes when she isn't. The fact that Hanneman a professor who was researching crests found a way to remove them in ALL routes makes Edelgard's selfish and unnecessary actions seem really silly. Or the fact that every other route deals with fixing things without a mcguffin so the war she started was unnecessary. Like others have said it was just a really badly written story all around since in her route she isn't "evil" since everybody that wasn't on her side was turned into a cartoon villain. The crests themselves are one of the few reasons the outside countries haven't invaded the country either. After her route is done the entire place is weakened AND she still has to fight the mole people and their nukes without having a safe place to fight in...but they were dealt with...offscreen! And for all the shit she gave crests she makes artificial ones either way? Eh.
The church also doesn't rule the country. They are the reason the humans have stopped fighting by forming treaties. They offer people from different factions education and even though it is a "catholic" school they don't force students to partake in worship. All they ask is that they don't kill other students or be on the side that turns them into monsters. :cough:
Fodlan isn't a hellscape. It is rather peaceful outside of the mole people making other factions of the "church" who carry out atrocities or killing kings/replacing people. Hell EVERY single problem can be traced back to either human greed or the mole people manipulating people into starting wars.
But the church didn't make the crests. They were made by the mole people. The church itself lied to humans about Nemesis so that they wouldn't feel like their "ancestors" were dicks for killing a "god" that brought them technology which was later abused by the mole people. The peasants aren't suffering either and only the elite 1% were suffering from the crests obsessions. Edel herself suffered because of her "uncle" sorry the guy that replace him the mole person leader and his experiments. So the fact that she started a war with the church and threw the entire continent/country in turmoil over it is ridiculous. You say she is a tragic hero in the other routes when she isn't. The fact that Hanneman a professor who was researching crests found a way to remove them in ALL routes makes Edelgard's selfish and unnecessary actions seem really silly. Or the fact that every other route deals with fixing things without a mcguffin so the war she started was unnecessary. Like others have said it was just a really badly written story all around since in her route she isn't "evil" since everybody that wasn't on her side was turned into a cartoon villain. The crests themselves are one of the few reasons the outside countries haven't invaded the country either. After her route is done the entire place is weakened AND she still has to fight the mole people and their nukes without having a safe place to fight in...but they were dealt with...offscreen! And for all the shit she gave crests she makes artificial ones either way? Eh.
The church also doesn't rule the country. They are the reason the humans have stopped fighting by forming treaties. They offer people from different factions education and even though it is a "catholic" school they don't force students to partake in worship. All they ask is that they don't kill other students or be on the side that turns them into monsters. :cough:
Fodlan isn't a hellscape. It is rather peaceful outside of the mole people making other factions of the "church" who carry out atrocities or killing kings/replacing people. Hell EVERY single problem can be traced back to either human greed or the mole people manipulating people into starting wars.
Regardless of who created the Crests, the Church benefited from perpetuating and validating the system, as is made abundantly clear throughout the game. As for Fodlán being peaceful, the Monastery is choke full of people whose lives were ruined, parents killed, etc. etc. because of the system. And you haven't addressed the fact that the entire hierarchy of the Church is based on a lie.
Edelgard is the only route where it is made clear both the Agarthans and the Church are vanquished, the hereditary monarchy is abolished and so is the nobility.
Not only she is not "Female Hitler", she is arguably the game's only "hero" in the classic, tragic greek sense. Fodlán is a feudal hellscape ruled by a Church led by undying monsters *cough* Manaketes masquerading as mortals. It's like a Zombie Catholic Church with an undead Jesus at the top pretending to be a Pope. Lives are routinely destroyed by the realm's obsession with Crests, moogles peasants and merchants are merely playthings in the hands of an aristocratic class that perpetuates itself by crossbreeding wizards crest-yielders. Edelgard is the only one who's there to destroy this world and make it anew - yes, she allies briefly with the Agarthans to do it but her victory over the church giver her the power to turn around and crush those who slither in the dark. In all the other routes beyond Crimson Flower, she is the tragic hero brought low by her hubris and tenacity. She is not really the game's villain.
I disagree.
Yes the church is ruled by non-humans that do not die from old age. But... so what? We aren't given any reason to believe this is a bad thing. The church isn't really doing anything bad. They aren't starting wars, they aren't killing people, etc. Everything is peaceful and fine. Edelgard wants to destroy it basically because she just doesn't like it, and that's it. The crests have value because they actually bestow power. Whether the church is around or not, this wouldn't really matter unless the crests disappeared.
Furthermore, in the church route, where you are fighting for the church, you actually fight and defeat those who slither in the dark. Edelgard isn't really necessary to defeating them. Hell in her route you don't even fight them, it just is something that happens off screen. In all the other routes, when you kill Edelgard and win, the epilogue suggests everything is fine and dandy. Further suggesting that her actions weren't really necessary.
If they wanted to make Edelgard not a villain, then they didn't really do a good job about it.
I disagree.
Yes the church is ruled by non-humans that do not die from old age. But... so what? We aren't given any reason to believe this is a bad thing. The church isn't really doing anything bad. They aren't starting wars, they aren't killing people, etc. Everything is peaceful and fine. Edelgard wants to destroy it basically because she just doesn't like it, and that's it. The crests have value because they actually bestow power. Whether the church is around or not, this wouldn't really matter unless the crests disappeared.
Furthermore, in the church route, where you are fighting for the church, you actually fight and defeat those who slither in the dark. Edelgard isn't really necessary to defeating them. Hell in her route you don't even fight them, it just is something that happens off screen. In all the other routes, when you kill Edelgard and win, the epilogue suggests everything is fine and dandy. Further suggesting that her actions weren't really necessary.
If they wanted to make Edelgard not a villain, then they didn't really do a good job about it.
I specifically mentioned the organs for a reason, which in this manner is typically used by composers as an audible cue for for the old mustache twirling villain. Note that it starts with heavy keys in a minor scale (ominous) before shifting to a lighter major scale with the ethereal choir.
I specifically mentioned the organs for a reason, which in this manner is typically used by composers as an audible cue for for the old mustache twirling villain. Note that it starts with heavy keys in a minor scale (ominous) before shifting to a lighter major scale with the ethereal choir.
Regardless of who created the Crests, the Church benefited from perpetuating and validating the system, as is made abundantly clear throughout the game. As for Fodlán being peaceful, the Monastery is choke full of people whose lives were ruined, parents killed, etc. etc. because of the system. And you haven't addressed the fact that the entire hierarchy of the Church is based on a lie.
Edelgard is the only route where it is made clear both the Agarthans and the Church are vanquished, the hereditary monarchy is abolished and so is the nobility.
But it isn't. The traders were as powerful ($$$ wise) as the houses because of their influence and once Edel dies who is to say humanity won't just go back to being a dictatorship? Or people with more power abusing it/buying mercenaries brides ect ect. History repeats itself/
What? The angels in SMT wipe out people entirely or erase humanity. Rhea doesn't demand people worship the church. They have outsiders and she has taken in people from other countries as well that don't do any church shit. Like Catherine or Shamir. She only goes after the people that are literal extremists such as the branch churches that were made by the mole people.
What? The angels in SMT wipe out people entirely or erase humanity. Rhea doesn't demand people to worship the church. They have outsiders and she has taken in people from other countries as well. Wut.
On my first playthrough with Black Eagle Route, that’s how I felt about Rhea. There is was just something off about her, piss her off and she would wipe entire humanity. My reason why I sided with Edelgard in the first place.
On my first playthrough with Black Eagle Route, that’s how I felt about Rhea. There is was just something off about her, piss her off and she would wipe entire humanity. My reason why I sided with Edelgard in the first place.
She's only this way on Edel's route. The first people she decides to kill are literal extremists/graverobbers that tried to get more crests from dead dragons.
She's only this way on Edel's route. The first people she decides to kill are literal extremists/graverobbers that tried to get more crests from dead dragons.
On my first playthrough with Black Eagle Route, that’s how I felt about Rhea. There is was just something off about her, piss her off and she would wipe entire humanity. My reason why I sided with Edelgard in the first place.
On my first playthrough with Black Eagle Route, that’s how I felt about Rhea. There is was just something off about her, piss her off and she would wipe entire humanity. My reason why I sided with Edelgard in the first place.
You don't even have to piss Edelgard off to get wiped out, you just have to dare to not share her Utopian vision of a crestless meritocracy, bang dead.
People with different ideas and beliefs are always gonna exist. It's not what Edelgard dreamed of creating that makes her bad, it's what she was willing to do to achieve it. To Dimitri and Mercedes and Leonie and Annette, et al.
150hrs in the last 3 weeks. Kind of shot myself in the foot by replaying Edelgard's route but no regrets actually.
I'm gonna switch off Hard next time I play because I don't care to play another battle/paralogue that I've played through before. Also the gameplay is kinda eh tbqh and I've already had my jizz moment where Edelgard critted Rhea on the last hit of a turn that would have fucked me up.
My Byleth is pretty overlevelled atm so I'm gonna just run with that and have a core group of people that are also overlevelled to hasten things up. I've basically got A support with every one except Church people which I guess I'll do on a Church run (dreading the Cyril conversations). GD will be easier because I have half of Hilda's support (with other units) already.
At this stage it's kind of annoying that battles are the only way to level up characters, which stresses the fuck out of the micro manager in me. It'd be nice if you can send units on recon missions or something to gain experience.
Also I had something really weird happened with me last run where Bernadetta just shut herself in her room and I couldn't talk, gift, take on missions i.e she died except I don't remember letting her die. I kind of just accepted that I must have but I was wondering if it was a bug or something that happens exclusively with her?
Like did I recruit too many people that her social anxiety became so crippling that I couldn't take her on missions????
