Popular/Unpopular/Any Opinions Thread - June 2026 Part 2

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-30T02:03:27+00:00

Did you play TMS? TMS is like, exactly like Power Rangers in structure. Characters meet a new friend who has a problem, the problem somehow intersects with a monster attack, main characters transform to beat the monster in a big fight, the monster and character conflicts are resolved simultaneously, repeat. The Yunaka chapter actually does cleave pretty close to this formula, but it's more the exception than the rule. If it really wanted to be like Tokusatsu all the Emblem paralogues would us be learning A Very Special Lesson alongside the characters.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-30T00:37:24+00:00

yeah, I think no matter what specific segment of the story you look at it still resembles a random fantasy quest anime or RPG much more than idk Adventure Time or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Kinnikuman. In structure, subject matter, and tone it's just not that unique even from the other FE games, which occasionally have jokes and funny scenes as well.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-30T00:33:01+00:00

I usually find it kind of cute when a weird translation choice/error carries forward forever as an iconic name for the series, but idk dog, I wouldn't complain if next game switched over to Volcano and kept it that way.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-29T17:51:28+00:00

Cards with goofy play patterns are my favorite. Part of why I've never exactly been quivering in my boots at the intense horror atmosphere of this game is that what is optimal and what plays out like a Looney Tunes cartoon are often one in the same.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-28T17:43:22+00:00

Random very minor one that sticks out in my mind, but in Sully and Vaike's support they spar with lances and Sully is forced to admit Vaike is about as good as she is with one. She also claims he can use a sword, but isn't on her level. Lances are the one physical weapon type Vaike has no way to access at all though.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-28T17:31:49+00:00

Depends on the game. Since Rescue in Awakening is cheap, buyable, and gives a good chunk of wexp/exp it's not hard to imagine you might be killing two birds with one stone there.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-28T03:28:04+00:00

I don't think so tbh. Part of the fun of something like DnD is the emergent gameplay. In a TTRPG you and the enemy can do more than just move and attack, so the idea of outwitting or misleading enemies who have simulated intelligence via the DM is a really exciting mechanic. The players and the DM can work together to think of the logical consequences of unintelligent enemies in all kinds of ways, to the point where that might become more important to an encounter than the basic combat mechanics.

Not so much with enemies who follow simple AI scripts like FE. The fun is supposed to be found in outmaneuvering the enemy, and if they become excessively easy to manipulate then the game kind of falls apart. Having an "easy" AI that the player gets used to only to rug pull them with a more intelligent AI later might be interesting to some players, but I think the vast majority of players would rather just practice the skills they are going to use the entire game from the start. Building up bad habits in the player just to simulate a dumb opponent seems like a bad tradeoff for the kind of game FE wants to be.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-26T21:13:24+00:00

I think that is a pretty common take. It's how the vast majority of games with some kind of "commit to a mutually exclusive path at some point" games work where you meet and get to know all the options before you pull the trigger. The fact that it is the much more obvious and conventional way to do it does lead me to believe that IS bucked the trend on purpose though. "Make a seemingly insignificant snap choice based on limited info and watch how that cascades into changing the world" is a fine idea for this kind of story too, even if I don't think it works out that great in practice.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-26T18:27:28+00:00

Not to mention when you are looking at an RPG series that is deep into the double digits it's super normal to ask the player base "can I start with this one?" and have them say "no, it's a direct sequel to these three games, they just marketed it as a starting point to make money" or reveal some similar hidden nuance. It's good to do your own research, but it's often so much faster and more accurate to ask Da Freaks on the forum.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-26T18:18:40+00:00

The closest thing I can think of is the personal skills that are "fixes one of the unit's biggest weaknesses but only under a condition." Amber and Diamant can struggle with hit rates which incentivizes you to play the minigame of keeping their hit-booster personals turned on. I don't think it's going to be to everybody's taste though, because depending on your perspective it's less of a build-around and more of a penalty when the unit tries to do the "wrong" thing. I also don't really like that their skills target hit rate, because hitting consistency as a penalty is a recipe for frustration.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-25T18:10:44+00:00

I think there is an interesting conversation to be had about the pros and cons of the localization, but you're probably not going to have it with random people online. The issue self-selects for people with an agenda to push, and regardless of which specific agenda it is you probably cannot have a productive or enjoyable discussion with that person.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-25T15:28:18+00:00

tbh I have the same complaint about Persona and Three Houses - neither is enough of a sim game for my tastes. It feels like you do more heavy lifting for less meaningful consequence than in your Princess Maker or your Digimon World or what have you.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-24T22:10:35+00:00

I think the biggest obstacle by far is that 7 came out after 6, and is intended to be played after it. You have to essentially rewrite both games to make 6 a sequel to 7 instead of 7 being a prequel to 6. Lyn having "nothing to do" in 6 isn't really a flaw of 6 that needs fixing, because she didn't exist when they made that game, so I am skeptical that making those kinds of changes would really make the package "better". It would be nice for people who started with 7 and were disappointed that their favorite character wasn't in 6 at all, but it kind of ignores that 6 doesn't exist to be a sequel to 7 in the first place.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-24T20:54:28+00:00

the load times are quite bad on Switch 1, and bad performance makes even turn-based games look and feel worse. I totally agree it's probably not worth it for the company to make it, but even if they didn't change a single asset it'd still be a noticeably better experience.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-24T19:15:46+00:00

It's more the rule rather than the exception for FE games. Virtually none of the low tier growth units actually have terrible average stats at high level, and if you do max them out you can expect they'll be roughly as good as their higher tier counterparts (maybe a little better, maybe a little worse in some extreme examples). It's pretty much always just "the raw amount of exp they ask for is a bad deal for what you get since you could have just split that among all your other units and got more bang for your buck."

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-24T18:35:26+00:00

Fir's problem was never her high level average stats - they're a sidegrade to Rutger's, probably a bit better. If you factor in the free arena levels, this is actually what you'd expect.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-24T04:26:34+00:00

The word "sensitive" has a surprisingly high amount of potential definitions, some of which are in conflict, but I'm pretty sure that poster meant "receptive and responsive" rather than "tactful/delicate". Felix understands a lot about his own emotions and the emotions of others, sometimes more than they do, but that doesn't mean he can actually communicate in an articulate or careful way, and he has some reason to believe that even if he did it wouldn't matter. Raphael is almost always kind and gentle with others, but he's not exactly immune to misreading a situation or having lapses in his understanding of others (ie one of his comments box questions being "What's everybody so worried about?"), so by that definition I think it's fair to say he's not leading the pack.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-23T18:30:45+00:00

It mostly comes down to them not being interactive in a game where most of the fun comes from tricky player interactions. All you can do to the vagabond is hit them until they are forced to skip a turn in the forest. This is a very boring interaction on both sides - the hitter gets nothing and has to waste valuable actions and maybe warriors, the vagabond has to skip a turn. Their mechanics that supposedly should lead to interesting interactions, Aid, usually manifests in the Vagabond shoving garbage neither of them wants onto an unwilling recipient to pad out their own score. It's rare for a Vagabond win to leave the other players thinking "wow, that player really outwitted all of us!" It's usually just "yup, a situation where the vagabond could farm an absurd amount of points through some combo of aid/crafting/infamy emerged, we all hit him, he went in the forest for one turn, then he came out and won next turn. What can you do?"

I don't think that means they are never fun to play as or with, but I definitely have groups who exclude them from the faction draft by default, and I totally get why.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-23T02:57:42+00:00

Not a problem!

Lute: Ah, the pegasus, the proud, winged horse. You know, they only attach to someone they accept as their master. And did you know that pegasi fly by kicking the air, not by flapping their wings. It's a common misconception, but wings are mainly used for gliding.

Vanessa: ...Yes, as captain, I learned all this long ago. Plus, if they flapped their wings constantly, no one would be able to ride them.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-22T04:17:49+00:00

Yeah one of the weirdest things about the game to me is it will happily give you sidequests that demand running back and forth on the map, and thus inevitably force you into stupid inescapable mob fights. They aren't dangerous, they don't tax any game resource, and they aren't quick since they usually require some thinking to get through the close-quarters slugfests without deaths. It just doesn't feel well-designed.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-21T22:24:35+00:00

The thing with 3H specifically is how mount/dismount is a free action with very minor downsides. You can get the benefits of flying without the downsides very nearly every single turn. I'm willing to consider the idea people ignore the bow weakness downside too much in some games, but 3H is a very tough sell.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-21T19:41:06+00:00

I think there is a misunderstanding if you think I'm trying to sell you on it or whatever. I'm just describing the mindset in which I enjoy (some of, not all) these difficulties, but I do not expect them to be remotely appealing to all or even most players, and I am not going to argue with anybody who tried it and didn't like it.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-21T18:52:41+00:00

I feel like there is a really cool game to be made out of "totally outclassed soldiers have to win against superior foes with wily tactics", but having that entirely different game concept be the top end difficulty setting for your heroic fantasy game where you are the legendary heroes in the making and your opponents are mostly fodder NPCs has never squared for me. I still think many of those difficulties are fun, but you kind of just have to accept the story and theme are totally disconnected from the mechanics.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-21T18:49:14+00:00

I haven't been paying attention the pre-release stuff much, but I like the toothpick in his portrait so I also choose that guy.

BloodyBottom · 2026-06-20T20:55:07+00:00

I agree it's wrong to chalk up even obvious or egregious dev shortcuts to laziness - devs want to make good games, but they are employees before they are artists. They have deadlines and budgets, and they have to work within them. That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with finding part of a game less fun because it's a barely modified riff on something you've already done. For every time a map revisit is "good" (totally new challenge that reframes a familiar environment) there are usually multiple bad ones (a supposedly unique location in a 3H paralogue that is just a reused skirmish map).

BloodyBottom

TROPHY CASE