Topic: Fire Emblem: Three Houses

How big are the differences of choosing a different house? Is it the same maps but just with a different story?

This game is really, REALLY good. And I'm not typically a strategy fan (only really enjoyed FF Tactics back in the day and FE Awakening).

The characters are so unique and engaging. The monastery is fun to explore on certain days. The lecture system is a fun little twist on the typical training/leveling process in RPGs. The options to cook food, dine with the students, sing in the choir, etc. make the game feel alive and almost like old-school Harvest Moon/life sims.

But most of all, I love the battle system. Maybe not as much as FF Tactics, but more than FE Awakening, actually. I like the battalion stuff, and I like that your characters actually stay separate on the battlefield but can still gain bonuses from standing near other characters (especially if they have friendship or whatever). In FE Awakening I would start every battle by pairing up the characters and then just steamrolling out into the battlefield, and that got kinda boring, so I'm glad that's not back here. I'm also glad that weapons triangle thing is gone.

Just a really high-quality game that I've already sunk a lot of hours into, and it had me hooked from the start. The calendar system is so addicting! It has that "just one more week" feel to it.

@DarthNocturnal
Probably just the "never Nintendo" people who are still bummed the Switch was a success.

Because people are insecure and easily influenced?

I have tried three times now to say the real reasons I believe are behind the bombing, but every time I delete it because I do NOT want to go down that path again. So let's just leave it at "people are insecure and easily influenced".

I've had one argument on NLife with someone who thought the game sucks because it's not running at 60 FPS. Like seriously, bro, you came for a turn-based tactical RPG Titan without equals in its field, and the one thing you've got is that it isn't 60 FPS?

The game is amazing, by the way. Almost definitely my GOTY.

@JasmineDragon
Lol, wow - people are so hung up on fps because the internet tells them that's the cool thing to do. Honestly, that is so sad. I didn't even know/care what this was running at lol

I usually stop playing Fire Emblem games once the battles get too long but now they are kind of long from the beginning but there's so much other stuff in-between that I don't mind. And I feel like I actually need the levels and supports because they are good for stuff other than battling. Although in the end, the profits go back to combat. It's a great gameplay loop.

As I've said before, I'm playing on Hard. I just had the first close call moment. I started a battle and I remembered on the first turn that I forgot to look how my battalions were doing. I briefly thought about resetting since I just started the battle and hadn't even initiated combat yet but I thought it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal and decided to continue. Well, about 4 turns later, Lorenz's battalion hit 0 and I lost their defense (among other) benefits. I continued my turn and at some point I noticed that there were two guys targeting Lorenz. Both could hit him twice and the damage would end up being 32 while his max hit points were 31. My only options were to kill one of the enemies with a 3% critical hit or get lucky and evade at ~75%. Crit didn't work and I forgot that the skill I used with Raphael also made him move to the other side of the enemy. He was suddenly in range of 4 enemies. The two enemies decided to stick to their plan and hit Lorenz. In the end, Lorenz showed his dancing skills and avoided one of the attacks. The rest of the battle went quite smoothly and I was able to acquire a fancy sword.

I could have, and maybe would have, used the time rewind if he were to be killed but didn't have to resort to it this time. I'll avoid that as long as I can. Anyway, my point here was to say that I've recently really gotten into the new battle mechanics (battalions and combat arts) and the battles feel tense right from the get-go. I heard people thought this game was easy but I personally find it rather challenging. I feel like I'm already making way more decisions per battle than I ever did in games like Awakening and Sacred Stones.

BotW got review bombed hard as well when the 98 metacritic score became widely known and salty trolls lashed out in the only way they knew how. All this means is that the game is good enough to have attracted the ire of anti-Nintendo trolls again.

@Dezzy I can't say for sure yet, but everything I've read leads me to believe that, while the overarching story itself is the same between all campaigns, things can be pretty radically different due to the different perspectives of the characters you follow.

There's likely multiple factors, even something as simple as the current physical version stock issues would be enough to cause some people to review it very low.

@rallydefault Same here. And I'll be the first to admit that this is not a super pretty game. But it's not hideous, either, and if you bought a Fire Emblem game for pretty graphics and high frame rate you're doing gaming wrong.

Honestly, I think there are three main kinds of complainers in play here.

First, you have a small but extremely vocal group of people who actually, no really, came up with Fire Emblem from the earlier titles and are saddened by the post-Awakening direction where a significant part of the game is about developing relationships and getting involved with the characters.

That's a legit grievance. But those guys need to remember that Fire Emblem was on its last legs before Awakening. The old model was not a success, it had a tiny and unprofitable fanbase that ended with sales in the five-figure range. Nintendo actually put the series on Death Row before Awakening released. Awakening saved it from extinction and turned it into one of the biggest franchises in Nintendo's stable. Only an idiot would turn their back on that kind of success.

Then you have the PC Master Race and PS4/XBOne fanbros who think it's their duty to make fun of everything that's Nintendo-exclusive. (I'm not saying all Twins fans are these guys, mind you, just a small and toxic subset of them).

And then you have the bros who have it in for every single game that features women with power, minorities, or any kind of LGBT content including men who are not super-masculine. These are the guys who start foaming at the mouth about SJWs ruining gaming whenever you engage with them.

So they automatically despise this game because, guess what, we've got truckloads of powerful women, effeminate men and same-sex relationships all flaunting themselves and their perverted lifestyles like it was totally okay to be queer, and we can't have that, now can we?

So yeah, I'm not too surprised about the review bombing.

No time to worry about that now, though, I've got to get back to the monastery and see where Edelgard and my femme Byleth are at in their relationship, and whether Linhardt will eventually come out as nonbinary. Oh yeah, and I guess there's a battle coming up.

(Darn it, I went down that path after all...)

If you actually read the reviews, it’s been all people saying it’s a garbage dating sim blah blah blah (which is incredibly ironic and just factually untrue, and if they had bothered to actually play the game they’d find this is closer to Path of Radiance than Awakening. This IS the game they’ve been wanting. It’s the game everybody’s been wanting, which is why the split in the Fanbase has pretty much healed with the release of this game. Both sides are happy with it.

And then people complaining it ripped off “Persona and Trails of Cold Steel” and they’re gonna go buy something “original”. Diehard Sony fanboys who are upset with how good the game is.

@Ralizah
Question. When you change classes, do the skills that get the double blue arrows for fast growth change?

@JasmineDragon I don't think the "anti-SJW" crowd is too worked up about this game, to be honest. I usually take notice when they have it in for a game (like they did for the re-release of Baldur's Gate because of the inclusion of a trans character or something), but I've heard pretty much nothing negative about it on their usual haunts. They mainly get annoyed when older stuff is changed or when games get super political with their gender politics, and FE... really isn't political about it.

Ditto with VA-11 Hall-A, a game literally filled with queer women.

I'm sure it's the same crowd that gets butthurt anytime a decent exclusive doesn't come to the PS4.

And probably some diehards who want the series to be pure tactical gameplay and nothing else.

Those are the same groups that had issues with BotW: hardcore fanboys of the older games and non-Nintendo fans.

@JaxonH Didn't they dial back the dating to only the main character and one other person? I don't think you can play matchmaker in this like you could with the other nu-Emblem titles. Or maybe that's only true pre-time skip.

No idea about the skills. I'll check it out next time a unit graduates to a higher class.

@Ralizah
Ya. No dating at all except for Byleth and one other, and only toward the end of the game. It’s incredibly ignorant, what these people say.

Reason I ask, is I thought I noticed the skills are excel at change after changing class. And if that’s the case... that changes everything.

One one hand, if I go Male, my protag can wed Eldelgard or Dorothea. On the other, I can play as the Female and have everything be very different. (I know there are same-sex relationships, but still)

Which is easier and more fun? Help me!!

@Andrew_R_2000 I've heard some talk about a character who jumps from one house to another as soon as you can recruit other people if playing as female. As long as you don't choose the house he's already in, of course. I don't know if there are any other meaningful differences.

Ok I'm forgetting - on the calendar, what do the percentages mean next to the options? Like Explore is 91%, Seminar is 6%, Battle is 3%.

If I choose Explore, can I still do the others?

Petra talks exactly like me lol. I'm learning english just right now and feel like she explains my situation very well. She says something to Byleth by the lines of: "I just want to let you know that i can read and write well but got some troubles speaking". Anyway this character is really growing on me.

@rallydefault I believe they appear after you connect online and show what other people chose to do. You only get to choose one.

@Late
Oooooo interesting, interesting

So, here’s my planned class route for Black Eagles

Byleth
Mercenary: Sword C
Learn Vantage: When foe initiates combat, unit still attacks first if HP is < 50%
Swordmaster: Sword A
Astra: An attack that strikes 5 times at 30% Mt. Exclusive to the Swordmaster class
Mortal Savant: Sword A, Reason B+
Warding Blow: If unit initiates combat, grants Res+6 during combat
Notes: Axe C/Bow C will allow for Hero/Assassin instead of Swordmaster

Edelgard
Armored Knight: Axe C, Heavy Armor D
Armored Blow: If unit initiates combat, grants Def+6 during combat
Fortress Knight: Axe B, Heavy Armor B
Pavise: Chance to reduce sword/lance/axe/brawl dmg by half. Trigger %= Dex
Great Knight: Axe B+, Heavy Armor A, Riding B+
Defiant Def: Grants Def+8 when HP is < 25%
Notes: High Dex, Lance, Authority also useful

Hubert
Dark Mage: Reason C (requires Dark Seal)
Poison Strike: If unit initiates and lands hit, foe loses up to 20% of max HP
Dark Bishop: Reason A (requires Dark Seal)
Lifetaker: Unit recovers HP equal to 50% of damage dealt after defeating a foe
Dark Knight: Lance C, Reason B+, Riding A
Seal Resistance: If unit damages foe during combat, foe suffers Res-6 for 1 turn
Notes: Mage —> Warlock is an alternative to Dark Bishop —> Dark Knight

Ferdinand
Cavalier: Lance C, Riding D
Desperation: If initiating combat with HP < 50% follow-up occurs before counter
Wyvern Rider: Axe B, Flying C
Seal Defense: If unit damages during combat, enemy suffers Def-6 for 1 turn
Wyvern Lord: Lance C, Axe A, Flying A
Defiant Crit: Grants Crit+50 when HP is < 25%

Linhardt
Priest: Faith C
Miracle: Chance to survive lethal damage with 1HP, if HP is > 1. Trigger %= Lck
Bishop: Faith A
Renewal: Unit recovers up to 20% of max HP at the start of each turn
Holy Knight: Lance C, Faith B+, Riding A
Defiant Res: Grants Res+8 when HP is < 25%

Caspar
Brawler: Brawl C
Unarmed Combat: Allows unit to fight without a weapon
Grappler: Brawl A
Tomebreaker: Grants Hit/Avo+20 when brawling against magic users.
Fierce Iron Fist: An attack that strikes 3 times
War Master: Axe A, Brawl A
Quick Riposte: If attacked when HP is > 50% unit gets guaranteed follow-up
War Master’s Strike: An attack with high Hit that is effective against all enemies

Bernadetta
Archer: Bow C
Hit +20: Increases Hit by 20
Sniper: Bow A
Hunter’s Volley: An attack that strikes twice. Exclusive to the Sniper class
Bow Knight: Lance C, Bow A, Riding A
Defiant Speed: Grants Spd+8 when HP is < 25%

Dorothea
Mage: Reason C
Fiendish Blow: If unit initiates combat, grants Mag+6 during combat
Warlock: Reason A
Bowbreaker: Grants Hit/Avo +20 when using magic against bow users
Gremory: Reason A, Faith A
Defiant Mag: Grants Mag+8 when HP is < 25%

Petra
Pegasus Knight: Lance C, Flying D
Darting Blow: If unit initiates combat, grants AS+6 (Attack Speed) during combat
Triangle Attack: Available when 3 allied fliers, including you, are adjacent to enemy
Swordmaster: Sword A
Astra: An attack that strikes 5 times at 30% Mt. Exclusive to the Swordmaster class
Falcon Knight: Sword C, Lance A, Flying A
Defiant Avo: Grants Avo+30 when HP is < 25%

9 units in the 9 unique master classes.