Before, when I made a bit of a impression post about the game explaining my thoughts back then, now I return (Still have not finished the game yet) but come back to talk about more stuff I found a bit... let's go with pet peeves again. This one may be criticized, but yeah I expected it to be. This time is to discuss how the story reflects how the game is played. Now obviously the developers are the one who make this work like it does, but my post is just about questioning these decisions. So basically I'm gonna explains some instances of how the gameplay is affected because.... story. Remember if you don't like spoilers, then turn back now. If you do read this, thanks for putting up with my thoughts, I know is sometimes outrageous. 
This is a thing used in many forms of storytelling. The idea is basically give the viewer a glimpse of what is gonna happen or yet to come, it is out of context and place, usually meaning it will happen, but not yet. You don't know when and you won't know until you get there. In the beginning of the game, you get just that. It gets me everytime, I just don't see the point of it. Maybe somewhere in the middle of the game, but not right at the start, that is just a tease to me.
You start the game by playing in some dark castle with all the important characters, you get a small idea of how the game will play, could serve as the tutorial of the game but since the game decides to interrupt your gameplay to explain a new gimmick of some kind as you progress and encounter more of them, it has no point. It's just a tease to see Marth, Chrom, Lucina, Xander and Niles all there doing something and then slap you back to reality. Resident Evil 6 did the same thing, new game starts with you playing as Leon and Helena through a tutorial to show you how the game will play like. (I think it was more of a E3 Demo) It is foreshadowing but like I said it was a tutorial, so it had a reason even if they could just did like Fire Emblem and explained stuff as it comes during the game (Which they do). It lasted longer and didn't feel like a tease, it felt like a training simulation. Still I just prefer they don't do it at the beginning of the game, it just feels unnecessary in most games to do it so early.
This may be hard to explain without upsetting someone but still. There is a part in the game where you split up the characters for some reason. The game works in a very obvious and early noticeable way. In the beginning, you start off as the twins, prince & princess of Aytolis. Few chapters in, you start meeting characters from Fire Emblem Awakening. So then you realize you are gonna start playing the story of that game first. After you defeat that game's main villain, you get all of the characters you had gathered from that game. This is when I start to get the thing they was going for here, until I get to the next part...
Once again, because of the story, the characters I gathered decide it is best to split up to go across a ongoing war that they don't want to get caught in. So you are forced to not play with your total unit count cause of this, boys split up from girls, and continue for three stages. Why i hate splitting up in general in RPG games is that sometimes I don't use one character enough to level up and prepare them for it. It happens in other RPG games too like Breath of Fire 2 which is my least favorite of the 4. In that game, you can only have 4 characters in the party, each one has unique field skills that is required for them to progress the game. So when you suddenly need to use them and haven't been for long time, they are severely underpowered and stuck in some place you wouldn't know what to do, how would you know that first time playing?
While the splitting up is not a problem or big deal in this case, it comes with a silly and very simple way of implementing it. They decide to split up, when they do, each group is attacked and forced to do battle anyway. Rowan's group runs into some people from Hoshido who behaves friendly, then the other Hoshido people accused his group of trying to take them prisoner and starting a fight. This happens at least three times before it's finally settled and after, they join him. What about the other group? The same exact thing, Lianna runs into Nohr group, have friendly talk, other Nohr accuse them of kidnapping, start a fight and after the climax, it's concluded. Then both teams meet and see the huge confusing look of the twin's separated teams with Hoshido and Nohr. Obviously this is based on the Fire Emblem Fates game where you have two seperate games, or in this case, clans to pair up with. All I'm saying is there must have been a better way for this plot rather than
This is the one I wanted to start with so consider this my number one reason for starting this post in the first place and top one of the three. If you been reading up to now, you noticed how the story has progressed. First you start with just the twins, then you get Fire Emblem Awakening Characters, then Fire Emblem Fates Characters, what comes next? Well in my opinion, probably the thing that should have came first, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon characters! That's right, Marth (The one I expected to see first before the awakening or fates characters) shows up last. I have just one question. Why?
He is Marth! The first protagonist of the game's series since the Famicom days, and if that isn't enough, the enhanced remake for Nintendo DS, Shadow Dragon again came before both 3DS games. (yes I looked all this up despite not playing any of them) Why wouldn't you get to have him join you first!? I knew he would be there, I mean he is on the front of the box of the game but why wouldn't he be first. I can't even think of a reason besides the story said so. It just confuses me. I just want the story writers to tell me that one thing! It's like playing Mega Man X7 buy the game thinking "Wow, can't wait to play with Mega man X to see what he can do in this game." Only to not play with him until half way through the game knowing everyone expects him to be playable from the start like the first six games! (I know no one cares too much for the game cause it has reputation of being awful) But the point still stands, why didn't they make the "Poster boy" of the series the first one you get to use?
I honestly have nothing more original to say, I can go on about why this happens to be like this, keep questioning why and maybe never get answers. Yeah, I know is like trying to say bad things about something so pointless. But the main reason why I made this was to bring up how some games can ruin a player's experience cause of the story plot. The developers are the one who made it, they must have purpose, but not trying to say they directly done something bad or wrong if the story makes sense and it is good. I understand that the game is how it is, It's more about immersion experience. Being able to play a game and say you fully enjoyed everything is a good feeling. There is somethings that players can nitpick at that only they would understand but others may not. Next time I write about this game I promise I'll have beaten the story.
Foreshadowing
This is a thing used in many forms of storytelling. The idea is basically give the viewer a glimpse of what is gonna happen or yet to come, it is out of context and place, usually meaning it will happen, but not yet. You don't know when and you won't know until you get there. In the beginning of the game, you get just that. It gets me everytime, I just don't see the point of it. Maybe somewhere in the middle of the game, but not right at the start, that is just a tease to me.
You start the game by playing in some dark castle with all the important characters, you get a small idea of how the game will play, could serve as the tutorial of the game but since the game decides to interrupt your gameplay to explain a new gimmick of some kind as you progress and encounter more of them, it has no point. It's just a tease to see Marth, Chrom, Lucina, Xander and Niles all there doing something and then slap you back to reality. Resident Evil 6 did the same thing, new game starts with you playing as Leon and Helena through a tutorial to show you how the game will play like. (I think it was more of a E3 Demo) It is foreshadowing but like I said it was a tutorial, so it had a reason even if they could just did like Fire Emblem and explained stuff as it comes during the game (Which they do). It lasted longer and didn't feel like a tease, it felt like a training simulation. Still I just prefer they don't do it at the beginning of the game, it just feels unnecessary in most games to do it so early.
Characters splitting up
This may be hard to explain without upsetting someone but still. There is a part in the game where you split up the characters for some reason. The game works in a very obvious and early noticeable way. In the beginning, you start off as the twins, prince & princess of Aytolis. Few chapters in, you start meeting characters from Fire Emblem Awakening. So then you realize you are gonna start playing the story of that game first. After you defeat that game's main villain, you get all of the characters you had gathered from that game. This is when I start to get the thing they was going for here, until I get to the next part...
Once again, because of the story, the characters I gathered decide it is best to split up to go across a ongoing war that they don't want to get caught in. So you are forced to not play with your total unit count cause of this, boys split up from girls, and continue for three stages. Why i hate splitting up in general in RPG games is that sometimes I don't use one character enough to level up and prepare them for it. It happens in other RPG games too like Breath of Fire 2 which is my least favorite of the 4. In that game, you can only have 4 characters in the party, each one has unique field skills that is required for them to progress the game. So when you suddenly need to use them and haven't been for long time, they are severely underpowered and stuck in some place you wouldn't know what to do, how would you know that first time playing?
While the splitting up is not a problem or big deal in this case, it comes with a silly and very simple way of implementing it. They decide to split up, when they do, each group is attacked and forced to do battle anyway. Rowan's group runs into some people from Hoshido who behaves friendly, then the other Hoshido people accused his group of trying to take them prisoner and starting a fight. This happens at least three times before it's finally settled and after, they join him. What about the other group? The same exact thing, Lianna runs into Nohr group, have friendly talk, other Nohr accuse them of kidnapping, start a fight and after the climax, it's concluded. Then both teams meet and see the huge confusing look of the twin's separated teams with Hoshido and Nohr. Obviously this is based on the Fire Emblem Fates game where you have two seperate games, or in this case, clans to pair up with. All I'm saying is there must have been a better way for this plot rather than
- Splitting up the team
- Using the same story in both team's encounters
- Using the "attack first, ask questions later" tactic for the story (Obviously assuming they was trying to take members prisoner without knowing the truth first)
Character Roster Order
This is the one I wanted to start with so consider this my number one reason for starting this post in the first place and top one of the three. If you been reading up to now, you noticed how the story has progressed. First you start with just the twins, then you get Fire Emblem Awakening Characters, then Fire Emblem Fates Characters, what comes next? Well in my opinion, probably the thing that should have came first, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon characters! That's right, Marth (The one I expected to see first before the awakening or fates characters) shows up last. I have just one question. Why?
He is Marth! The first protagonist of the game's series since the Famicom days, and if that isn't enough, the enhanced remake for Nintendo DS, Shadow Dragon again came before both 3DS games. (yes I looked all this up despite not playing any of them) Why wouldn't you get to have him join you first!? I knew he would be there, I mean he is on the front of the box of the game but why wouldn't he be first. I can't even think of a reason besides the story said so. It just confuses me. I just want the story writers to tell me that one thing! It's like playing Mega Man X7 buy the game thinking "Wow, can't wait to play with Mega man X to see what he can do in this game." Only to not play with him until half way through the game knowing everyone expects him to be playable from the start like the first six games! (I know no one cares too much for the game cause it has reputation of being awful) But the point still stands, why didn't they make the "Poster boy" of the series the first one you get to use?
Conclusion
I honestly have nothing more original to say, I can go on about why this happens to be like this, keep questioning why and maybe never get answers. Yeah, I know is like trying to say bad things about something so pointless. But the main reason why I made this was to bring up how some games can ruin a player's experience cause of the story plot. The developers are the one who made it, they must have purpose, but not trying to say they directly done something bad or wrong if the story makes sense and it is good. I understand that the game is how it is, It's more about immersion experience. Being able to play a game and say you fully enjoyed everything is a good feeling. There is somethings that players can nitpick at that only they would understand but others may not. Next time I write about this game I promise I'll have beaten the story.
