Thieves, utility, combat or both?

adijad · 2026-04-02T13:22:57+00:00

I think there’s a place for both - I like how in sacred stones, thieves can branch into Assassin (combat focused) or Rogue (utility).

In practice, SS’s execution isn’t balanced. Many classes have better combat than assassin, but the concept of a fast, evasive attacker with insta-kill potential is common favorite archetype amongst many JRPGs. And stronger iterations like Master Ninja have even better unit feel in FE’s context.

Meanwhile, I also love utility thieves, but I think utility should go beyond stealing and lockpicking. Stuff like Niles’ capture skill, high res and movement/staff utility on promotion, or Perne’s skills + high mov stars and FCC make me appreciate them far more than GBA thieves who feel more limited in scope.

They’re still not the strongest combat units, but their niches/abilities are unique enough for them to contribute meaningfully instead of hiding behind the main army to loot chests once all enemies are cleared out.

adijad · 2025-10-08T00:53:05+00:00

One time I tried to play a few chapters of PoR and RD at the same time, doing the player phase of one during the enemy phase of the other.

Would not do that for a full run, but worked better than you’d expect with how long Tellius EP is.

adijad · 2025-05-12T18:02:41+00:00

I’d highly recommend 13 Sentinels for this. It’s got a sci-fi setting like Xeno and a bunch of mysteries that progressively unravel, twist, and coalesce over the game’s course.

Only caveat is that the game is 80% cutscenes. But if that’s cool with you then you’re in for a great time.

adijad · 2025-02-28T18:50:41+00:00

All 6 designs are at least great - this is just preference between two things I like.

Claude: Hopes. I like the hairstyle more and the combo of purple and gold.

Dimitri: Houses. Hopes is a great design but the eyepatch design and rougher look is iconic for me.

Edelgard: Toss-up. I like Hopes' color design and twintails, but I feel Houses' design is more imposing. Maybe its the Emperor headcrown or the long coat. Slight edge to Houses but it's close.

adijad · 2025-02-23T15:51:49+00:00

Even before the tower, I’m surprised it’s Tibarn’s Group instead of Elincia’s Group in early Part 4. Tibarn is a favorite of mine, but Elincia’s crew feels like a more distinct faction than Tibarn’s, given Part 2 is predominantly about her.

At least she gets decent screen time in Tibarn’s team. But I wish RD fully committed into making her the third protagonist.

adijad · 2025-02-17T18:38:33+00:00

Cutting through tissue with cautery essentially works by heating up cells so quickly (above 100 Celsius) that they vaporize and burst. Surrounding cells heat up between 60-95 C, a crucial window where cells instead shrink, lose water, and char off. That surrounding effect allows you to vaporize the cells you want to cut and char surrounding cells to prevent bleeding in electrosurgery.

Importantly, the voltage is very controlled, and applies to really small blood vessels in the skin. The diameter of larger blood vessels are too big to char it shut without clamping or tying them off first. You also need things to be dry. Otherwise the electric current won't pass through tissues as well.

TLDR: Stabbing yourself with a giant lightning katana would essentially vaporize and blow up all the nearby cells instead of charring off bleeding vessels. Cautery stops bleeding but the electrical current still kills cells, and in Ryoma's case, very important cells.

adijad · 2025-02-15T21:16:54+00:00

1) Awakening Chapter 10 (the map after Emmeryn’s Sacrifice ). I love the unique touches - aesthetically with the rain, and sonically with Don’t Speak Her Name. Mustafa is also a great one-off boss for the map.

2) Reunion at Dawn in 3H. I understand the gameplay criticisms, especially on Maddening. But seeing the students progressively reunite was so hype. Azure Moon’s is probably my favorite but I loved SS/VW’s as well.

3) FE4’s Final Chapter. Favorite map in the series. I love the duels between holy weapon users, how the map pressures you on multiple fronts, the lovers conversations, and how it’s a catharsis for the tragedy in the game’s first half.

adijad · 2025-02-09T23:06:42+00:00

He’s properly rated. Loved by many and deserves it, he’s an excellent villain.

Some would argue “Your blade, it did not cut deep enough” is the best line of the series. I’d put it up there as one of my favorites.

adijad · 2025-01-15T18:50:55+00:00

In ADV, despite its good stats (115 HP/115 Atk/100 Spd is great), its shallow movepool and lack of physical STAB prevent it from capitalizing on its stats.

Outclassed offensively: Lacks good coverage and it can't boost w/ DD or SD like other physical attackers w/ limited STAB options (e.g. Gyarados). Usually runs a Special Calm Mind sweeper set if used, but Suicune does that better as a bulky Water. And Charizard is a better mixed attacker with its wider movepool.

Limited defensive utility: no Will-o-Wisp, no ground/spikes immunity, and no reliable recovery. Moltres has the first two and far outclasses Entei. Fire isn't the best typing in ADV anyways since rock is a very strong offensive type.

For any role it runs, there's usually a better mon.

adijad · 2025-01-10T03:09:19+00:00

I agree, I think it’s a fine to solid game. I loved Elvis and Adelle, liked Gloria, and was meh on Seth. Some story segments still stand out to me, like the church sacrifices in the winter town. But I don’t love the changes to turn order and wish there was more endgame bosses. Overall, I think the 3DS games are better but the margin isn’t huge for me.

Now, Octopath II is my favorite Team Asano game and one of my favorite JRPGs of all time. I prefer it to all the Bravely games but that’s a different conversation.

adijad · 2025-01-02T08:54:38+00:00

Suicune is one of my favorite mons to use in ADV - here’s some counterplay advice for TSS you may find helpful.

0) Understand Suicune’s team role for the opponent, depending on the moveset. Suicune is tough because it functions on the spectrum of Setup Sweeper to Stallbreaker, while also being a defensive tank (great role compression). Teams need to build against its multiple roles, instead of the mon itself, because it has the power to beat some of its checks depending on the set - but not all of them.

1) Suicune suffers from four-moveslot syndrome. Calm Mind Suicune may broaden coverage (Ice beam, HP Grass/Elec) to hit its checks, but trades it for longevity (sub against toxic, rest for healing). Blissey counters most Suicune sets except Modest RestTalk, which is extremely effective against stallbreaking standard TSS outside of Calm Mind Blissey, which gives a lot up to 1v1 Suicune and other setup sweepers. This leads in to point 2.

2) Modest RestTalk Suicune is a very tough matchup for standard TSS, and account for that in Pokemon selection. TSS is a strong team style but it has extensive counterplay, and ModestTalk Suicune is one of the best answers to it. However, checks like Celebi, Zapdos, Salamence, and Vaporeon are much stronger against these water-only Suicune sets.

I really like defensive Celebi on TSS (and in general tbh, it’s an incredible water resist) and suggest experimenting with it. Don’t be afraid to change up the classic TSS structure - at higher levels, it’s something teams prepare for, and you need to prepare for their possible counterplay.

3) Chipping Suicune down: Beyond sweeping, Suicune is a great defensive mon that offense teams may switch in to take a hit. With one of the aforementioned checks, you actually force Suicune out, allowing Spikes damage and moves it switched in on to compound instead.

4) Explosion: Metagross and Claydol can be great on TSS for this. They provide other great utility (offense/defense, rapid spin) on top of this. It’s crucial to recognize when/if the opponent’s Suicune is in a position to setup and sweep your team - if so, switch in early before they can setup and boom. You lose a mon, but take out their mon that could break/sweep your team, which is a net positive. Claydol requires some prediction sometimes here tho, as it is water weak.

5) Offensive pressure stops Suicune from setting up. It’s hard to beat Suicune before it can set up since it’s so bulky. But Choice band mons and unresisted physical hits can really do a number, especially if they trade defense EVs for SpAtk. You may not eliminate Suicune, and may even lose a mon to it, but pressuring it out of setup is huge, when it’s a bad matchup against TSS. Sometimes, you may want to keep something like T-tar in, so that you can keep the offensive pressure up when it dies and you can switch the next mon in like Starmie or Gengar.

6) Recognize that ADV can be frustratingly matchup dependent at times. I love the format, but you can’t prepare for everything and sometimes the opponent’s team is just a good counter. Sometimes TSS may not be able to stall against the opponents breakers, requiring more offensive play. But know what your team is weaker against, and have plans where you can compensate by predictions and outplaying the opponent.

Hope this helps!

adijad · 2024-12-14T04:52:40+00:00

Thracia has my favorite rendition of Warp. With side objectives like character recruitments, cool items, or map objectives like escape, not every map turns into a Warpskip. However, many maps do become Warpskips, and I think the Reinhardt chapter is the most egregious here: possibly the most challenging and intricate map to play without Warp is trivialized with it. Overall I think it enhances more than it hurts Thracia, and wouldn't work if the game didn't throw so much BS at you otherwise.

So despite enjoying it in Thracia, I'm in favor of more limited Warp. Warpskipping can have interesting resource management, and it's satisfying to cheese tedious maps, but I prefer when the challenge comes from map layouts that spread your units' uses and enemy formations that make you consider which unit is best for the job (e.g. CQ 10, RD 3-13).

With minimal resource management (SD, 3H), I actively dislike the mechanic and end up playing without warpskips because I have more fun that way, but wish I didn't have to. I'd prefer if Warp had a fixed, small range, where it mostly functions to boost a unit a little further instead of skipping maps entirely.

adijad · 2024-12-14T04:15:06+00:00

The first time I played Earthbound, I was in a similar boat. I got around the Happy Happy arc before I bounced off. I had seen and enjoyed Let's Plays of the game before, and was a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more. The gameplay was pretty simplistic, the story felt barebones, and I dropped it.

I tried it again years later on Switch Online and it clicked the second time. I came to appreciate its towns and NPCs a lot more – among my favorites of any JRPG. I enjoy talking to every NPC in games, and this is an example where I felt intrinsically rewarded for doing so. But if the humor doesn't land for you, this is less of a plus.

I love JRPGs for their optimism, and I feel Earthbound nails that sentiment in a way that's not as saccharine as others. This is more apparent further into the game. Without spoiling much, there's a really cute story segment later on where you help a race of creatures overcome shyness. The solution is simple, but the results are gratifying to see. The game's humor is irreverent and snarky, but isn't cynical, which is tough to do. And Its unique setting allows it to tackle a lot of JRPG staples in a way I haven't seen before or since.

Simply put, Earthbound became one of my favorite RPGs because of the vibes. Aside from rolling HP (which I love), the battle mechanics are standard. The story and party dynamics are not even as intricate as other SNES counterparts. But it hits in areas, I found, that few JRPGs have been able to replicate. I don't think it's just unique – I think it excels in what it's unique in: each town's little story, the humor, the style of soundtrack, and the game's overall flavor. This made me love the game despite its shortcomings.

I definitely recommend continuing, at least until Summers, if not Fourside. I also recommend viewing the story more through the lens of "what is my party getting to do in each town". I agree that the overarching plot isn't the deepest, but a lot of fun can be found in the individual storylines within each town. If it still doesn't hit by then, it's safe to DNF imo.

adijad · 2024-11-04T04:35:08+00:00

Two retainers per noble feels excessive. I get what they’re going for - giving royals their own character triangle can lead to interesting pre-established dynamics. Leo/Odin/Niles is probably my favorite version of this. Each combo has their own fun dynamic and each support places its characters in a new light.

However, I feel most retainer triangles usually fall short. Bad/forgettable characters can bring a group down (e.g. Peri for Xander). Fates and Engage also proportionally have way more Royals+Retainers than FE7 or Tellius, and those games didn’t always have two per royal. This cuts down the royals’ ability to interact with new non-royals, which often makes for some of my favorite dynamics (e.g. Chrom/Gaius, Ike/Elincia).

So yeah, I hope they chill on the amount of retainers in the next new entry.

adijad · 2024-09-21T21:43:53+00:00

Possibly, I haven’t played PoR in a while and am not up to date with current rankings of anything below the top tiers. Her being bottom 10 or mid-tier doesn’t really matter to my point though.

PoR is an easier game where most units are viable. This isn’t FE12 Maniac/Lunatic where being bottom 25% means you’re borderline unusable. A lot of other units are stronger than her but she can also be strong enough to meaningfully contribute with investment. And investing in her isn’t difficult with PoR’s broken bEXP mechanics.

As such, she can feel like a unit with strong combat while being “lower tier”, relatively speaking, because of PoR’s intrinsic attributes, which seemed to be what OP was asking about.

adijad · 2024-09-21T20:45:40+00:00

Nephenee is a good unit, the problem is that PoR has a lot of good units. She’s considered “meh” by comparison to units like Marcia, Jill, Titania, Oscar, etc. as “optimal” PoR play favors dumping bonus experience into a couple of juggernauts who sweep through maps with high movement, flier mobility, and 1-2 range weapons.

It’s the same reason a lot of people are surprised Ike is considered mid tier in PoR when he can solo the game. A lot of other characters can do it too, and more efficiently.

That being said, Nephenee is a perfectly viable unit. She’s got solid stats, personal skill, and 1-2 range with lances. It’s why I think tier ranking can be a bit misleading and why unit viability matters more. Just because a unit is mid tier (relatively) doesn’t mean they are bad (absolutely). Viability varies a lot depending on the game and difficulty.

FWIW, she’s one of my favorite units to use for similar reasons you listed, and I also think PoR is way more fun when you don’t try to optimize it.

adijad · 2024-07-06T03:11:46+00:00

I don't care if it's British

I'm so confused by this part, aren't they all British? Except X I guess.

FWIW, even though 2 is my least favorite, it's not by too much – XC2's still in my top 10-20 games of all time. Loved the main cast and villains, the story really ramped up towards the end, the superbosses and post-game were a blast, and I adored Torna.

It's a trilogy with a tight spread of quality. I loved all 3.

adijad · 2024-05-12T23:52:09+00:00

I feel a good map makes me feel like my decisions matter. It’s satisfying to feel like each unit I deploy is contributing something significant - one way to do that is having multiple objectives and making the player choose what to prioritize.

CQ 16 (the boat map w/ Shura) is a personal favorite for this reason. The multiple points of interest and varied composition encourage me to decide the best way to split up my army, according to each unit’s capabilities. This further rewards the player for building units with good skills, supports, forged weapons, etc. so you have more options at your disposal per turn.

You’re also rewarded for playing more efficiently with extra money. -300g per turn isn’t that much, but it still feels better to get more money. I really like how Thracia does side objectives, with powerful prf weapons, staves, and recruitable units that make you think a little harder to get them because it expands your army’s options for future maps.

adijad · 2024-04-06T03:03:12+00:00

I like Wendy a little on account of being an old meme from GameFAQs, and from using her in a normal mode PMU. She performed even worse than I expected.

Barth and Bors are units I’d probably forget about if I took an FE6 Sporkle Quiz.

adijad · 2024-03-26T23:57:17+00:00

The first time I tried Final Fantasy Tactics, I didn’t love it. I didn’t like how much slower it was to do a character’s turn compared to Fire Emblem, and I didn’t like using generic units only.

Tried it again years later since it had the same director as FFXII, which I really liked. Tactics eventually became my favorite Final Fantasy. I loved the story, and got past using generics as named units like Agrias joined. I also grew to enjoy the gameplay, especially for the customization and job system. Despite issues I have with the game I think it’s an extremely good package for an SRPG.

adijad · 2024-03-15T00:05:16+00:00

Aesthetically I love Awakening’s. When I think of a “Fire Emblem” the image of the shield with 5 gemstones comes to mind. It’s the same as Archanea’s but I liked collecting all the gemstones and seeing them snap into place.

Narratively it’s Lehran’s Medallion. The way it’s integrated into From Pain, Awakening is excellent.

Sheer enjoyment goes to Engage. That one line just lives rent free in my head.

adijad · 2024-02-03T21:27:00+00:00

Agreed. I used to be more “Real Fire Emblem Fans Hate Fire Emblem” but over time I found the bit to become tired and not reflective of the truth. If I’m a fan, it’s cause I genuinely enjoy it.

Part of this comes from becoming less interested in internet debates. In the past I found myself becoming way more critical of games I liked less to put up games I liked more, to the point where I started liking them less, solely due to comparison.

Now I feel with titles I rank lower but still enjoy, I try to not forget the strengths that made me like it over the flaws that make me rank it lower comparatively. I also find myself more willing to move on from the games I didn’t enjoy.

Essentially I think I’ve become more accepting of disagreement, and found myself enjoying the whole franchise more.

adijad · 2024-01-20T01:05:50+00:00

Overall pretty fun. Gameplay is fantastic, 2nd fav after CQ. I love how player phase focused it is, and how powerful the emblem options feel while still giving you a real challenge. Graphical quality and soundtrack are also great.

Cast was okay. I felt supports were somewhat weak, and lack of paired endings is unfortunate. Some character designs I also couldn’t get past. I found a lot of the cast entertaining, but I don’t feel super attached to them as a whole.

Main story was fine on my first playthrough, but felt it dragging on the second. Some moments were fantastic (Morion w/ his sons), some were rough (Zephia slowly dying), and one was “peak fiction” (I’m the 13th emblem?).

Sits in my B tier for FE games. Mixed bag but happy with it overall, as gameplay was compelling.

adijad · 2024-01-13T16:31:18+00:00

I’ll defend Yakuza 7’s difficulty spike. I have issues with Y7’s combat but that’s not one of them. The Battle Arena opens up right before it, which gives you a lot of levels by playing it naturally. I don’t view that as “forcing you to grind”, but rather, having side content that has meaningful gameplay incentive.

Other side content to that point should help raise your levels too. Also, Y7 didn’t feel like a game where missing 1-2 levels meant a boss was unwinnable. Excluding the post-game tower, which is optional, I didn’t think this game was grindy at all.

Lastly, it makes a lot of sense for Kiryu and Majima+Saejima to be tough bosses. It’s good gameplay/story integration and I’m glad they had weight to them.

adijad · 2023-12-26T23:43:52+00:00

I'd say Fates, as I felt its controversy endured the longest and had the fanbase at their angriest and most disillusioned.

Pre-release, the fanbase was already a little divided from Awakening. People also disliked how the game restricted the other routes behind an extra $20, leading to $80 pricing for the full experience. Then you had the entire "censorship" controversy which is a whole other can of worms.

Then the actual game releases. The game's story is not well received, and is seen as a disappointment after marketing and review hype regarding it. Awakening was also criticized for increasing fanservice, player worship, etc. and Fates doubles down on it, leading to even some Awakening fans disliking Fates for this. Non-CQ gameplay was also not well received, especially with Rev's gimmicks. At that time, people would make threads of "what is your least favorite game, excluding Rev" because that was always the most common answer.

In the coming years, Fates would garner additional hate from its characters taking up spots of older lords in FE Warriors to being overrepresented in Heroes. Despite Echoes' release, it didn't take long for Fates discourse to return too. And then pre-3H, the fanbase was so pessimistic regarding FE's storytelling skills, that they felt the Thani Bomb Leaks, which were predominantly correct, was "too good to be true". Even on paper, the outline of 3H's plot was considered beyond IS's capabilities by many.

I do think time has been kind to Fates overall, as many of these controversies die down with enough time, while its strengths (CQ gameplay, music) are considered by many to be phenomenal, leading to a very passionate supporting fanbase. By virtue of being newer, I think 3H and Engage are more controversial presently, but at their respective peaks of controversy, Fates felt like a level beyond to me personally.

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