#for day 3 of tellius week

[jadesnapart]

Just wanted to give an update, since there was some interest in pre-ordering some charms that I haven't put into production yet- I've added a pre-order/interest check product page to my store! Expect 3-4 weeks before they are able to be shipped out.

This includes: Jugdral, Magvel, Tellius, Ylisse, and Elyos designs. All characters are listed.

More info can be found in the listing, if you would like to see any of these as a charm now is your chance! :)

Thanks so much for an amazing day 1 of Emblemcon!

#emblemcon #emblemcon 2024 #fire emblem #artists on tumblr

[fefuckability]

The Tellius bracket qualifier! Starts December 29th at 3pm EST

Here's how it's going to work:

There are going to be 14 qualifying polls (ten for the men, four for the women)

Pick your most bangable favorite from each poll

Polls will run for one week (I'd prefer 3 days but alas Tumblr doesn't offer the option yet)

The top 64 male characters and the top 32 female characters will qualify for the men's and women's bracket (there's actually only 32 women total this time so no one is getting cut, the qualifier is more to decide the bracket match-ups)

Polls:

Qualifier 1 (Ike, Oscar, Boyd, Rhys, Shinon, Gatrie, Isaiya, Zaitan, Burton, Wystan, Laverton, Djur)

Qualifier 2 (Soren, Mordecai, Volke, Kieran, Brom, Zihark, Levail, Alder, Duke Seliora, Lombroso, Septimus, Pugo)

Qualifier 3 (Makalov, Muarim, Stefan, Devdan, Reyson, Janaff, Pelleas, Jarod, Ludveck, Valtome, Numida)

Qualifier 4 (Ulki, Tauroneo, Ranulf, Haar, Bastian, Geoffrey, Danomill, Mackoya, Seeker, Norris, Gashilama, Kimaarsi)

Qualifier 5 (Largo, Nasir, Tibarn, Naesala, Giffca, Oliver, Dakova, Emil, Balmer, Kamura, Kotaff, Nedata)

Qualifier 6 (Shiharam, Bryce, Ashnard, Greil, Caineghis, Dheginsea, Izuka, Zawana, Ikanau, Havetti, Maijin)

Qualifier 7 (Sephiran, Lekain, Hetzel, Nealuchi, Muston, Jorge, Kayachey, Homasa, Kasatai, Schaeffer, Tomenami, Rikard)

Qualifier 8 (Daniel, Gareth, Lotz, Zelgius, Rajaion, Renning, Gromell, Hafedd, Heddwyn, Nolan, Aran, Volug)

Qualifier 9 (Rafiel, Danved, Skrimir, Radmin, Zeffren, Yeardley, Maraj, Tashoria, Silvano, Rommit, Istvan, Veyona)

Qualifier 10 (Sothe, Edward, Leonardo, Kurthnaga, Tormod, Yuma, Callum, Kezhda, Roark, Sergei, Goran)

Qualifier 11 (Micaiah, Laura, Ilyana, Meg, Jill, Fiona, Vika, Nailah)

Qualifier 12 (Elincia, Marcia, Leanne, Nephenee, Heather, Lucia, Lethe, Astrid)

Qualifier 13 (Calil, Titania, Mist, Mia, Lyre, Sigrun, Tanith, Ena)

Qualifier 14 (Ashunera, Almedha, Aimee, Anna, Ashera, Catalena, Elena, Petrine)

I am also adding a Google Form to submit characters for an enby bracket so Limstella, Kyza, and Bramimond don't get left out. These can be characters from any game as long as there is canon basis for them being nonbinary.

Extra notes under the cut

Characters who are excluded from voting:

Anyone who obviously both looks and acts like a literal child. Some characters are borderline so discretion may be used*

Generics and palette swaps (e.g. Pain and Agony, and yes I can't believe they named them that either)

Anyone who lacks either a portrait or a unique name

Kyza (they will be included on the Nonbinary bracket)

Special Notes:

I have no idea what to do with Devdan/Danved. They say they aren't the same character, but they kind of are, but they have different names. So are they palette swaps, or are they the same character with a different name and a palette swap? I would usually just exclude them, but they're playable so that feels like it should hold more weight. And then I was like. Screw it we'll just put both on there whatever.

There are some characters who, for spoiler purposes, technically have two different names and/or portraits. For simplicity sake I just picked one portrait/name to use for them.

All characters use their Radiant Dawn appearances (where applicable). Assume the characters are Radiant Dawn age and appearance if they appear there.

*I have played the Tellius games, but I haven't seen absolutely everything. I'm doing my best here. If there's a character on here who you think should be excluded just shoot me an ask or something with your reasoning and we can DQ them if necessary. Please actually send me an ask or DM with actual reasoning, don't just leave a snarky comment with no details and expect me to know what you expect to see.

#Fire Emblem #FE9 #FE10 #FE Path of Radiance #FE Radiant Dawn #Tellius Fuckability face off #polls #tournament #take a drink for every one off boss you recognize by name alone

[etoilerrante]

munday - toa anniversary edition!

repost, don't reblog. tagging the rest of toa <3 ty neffi for the template!

Name: Red!

Pronouns: She/Her

Birthday (no year): October 13th

Where are you from? What is your time zone? I’m from the Midwest of the US, but I’m moving to New York in- less than a week! 

Roleplay experience: God... overall maybe 8 years? I’ve been playing D+D for about the same time :) 

Got any pets? Parents have 5 Adam Driver cats (which I post frequently) and two dogs. I’d like to have my own betta fish again after I’m settled in. 

Favorite time of year: Fall! I'm a halloween girl.

Some interests and things you like: D+D, Vocaloid, birdwatching

Some funfacts & trivia about you: I’ve been singing almost my entire life. I picked it up after my parents tried to get me to play piano but my hands would not cooperate. Also, I read tarot cards. 

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Pikmin, Project Diva/Sekai, Honkai Star Rail, Taiko no Tatsujin

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Flying type and Umbreon. 

How did you get into Fire Emblem? My friend was playing 3 Houses and told me he loved it. I had gotten some money for Easter and decided to use it on 3h. I didn’t really get into Fire Emblem until I pulled Reyson in FEH and instantly fell in love with his design. 

What Fire Emblem games have you played? I’ve only ever finished Engage and it’s my biggest shame. 

First Fire Emblem game: 3 Houses

Favorite Fire Emblem game: Tellius 

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 you know this already

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays?- Awakening: I have plans to S-support Stahl because he took a crit for my Robin. Fairytale romance imo- Three Houses: Claude - Engage: Kagetsu!!! Silly guy... 

Favorite Fire Emblem class: Dancer

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? Dancer again

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Golden Deer 

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? SIGURD!!!!! :DDD 

How did you find TOA? I wanted to RP Reyson, so I went looking for somewhere with openings. 

Current TOA muses: Just Phina for now. 

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? Reyson. I would like to drabble with him again, but I feel his muse is pretty dead and it makes me happy to see other people writing him with such care. 

Have you had any other TOA muses? Yeah... I’ve had an embarrassing amount of muses here. Reyson, Janaff, Plumeria, Sanaki, Midir, Kagetsu. Most of their blogs are still up and their URLs are on my about page on Phina’s blog. 

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? People in love and The Horrors. Recently I’ve really wanted to write about the horrors. 

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? It changes all the time! I find my favorite writing happens when I'm in sync with where the muse is at, for better or worse.

Favorite TOA-related memory: I'll never forget the friendship between Barely's Ophelia and my Janaff.

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔tee-oh-ay. Like the letters. But I do call everyone the Toasters. Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day that you’d like to share? 😉 I thought about writing Nephenee for a while? Weird. I also have an Embla blog lying around...

#navarre... save me... (ooc) #munday

[queenlua]

8, 18, 27, 30!

8. Least favorite lord/protagonist?

haha, this feels like a bit of a cheap answer, but: eliwood's such a nothingburger of a character. the writing in FE7 was generally weaker than the games in the series i care more deeply about, so like, the dude has a serious disadvantage there, but lyn & hector were both reliably more interesting, whereas eliwood is just. bland wonderbread

18. How do you tend to play Fire Emblem? (es. casually, doing Ironman runs, playing it like a visual novel)

i like the strategy & story aspects of the games equally, and i like them in a can't-put-it-down, can't-wait-to-see-what-happens-next, can't-wait-to-try-the-next-map kinda way. ergo, i tend to play: on hard mode (but generally not maddening, because if it's too hard that kills my forward momentum), strategy nerding pretty hard but not exhaustively so (i.e. i'm not gonna spend ages on forums trying to figure out the Objectively Correct Build; that takes away time from PLAYING THE GAME), bolting straight for the ending (e.g. ignoring skirmishes in games that have those), as fast as humanly possible. (it's dangerous for me to open an FE game if i have other important obligations going on in my life lol)

i'm also definitely influenced a bit by who else is playing around me. when Awakening came out, me + my most strategy-nerd FE friend were on an absolute tear to see who could out-hardcore the other, so i was doing EXHAUSTIVE spreadsheets for all the genetics stuff haha.

i also was doing a weekly slowplay of the Tellius games with some friends a few years ago and that was REALLY fun. we'd all played the games before and liked them, so we'd switch who was piloting the map each week and the rest of us would heckle, share opinions about characters/story/tactics/etc. good times <3

27. Any fanfics/fan content you’d recommend? (You can plug your own stuff it’s fine)

oh boy DO I EVER, here's a bunch

MAGVEL

* sleep of the just. occasionally i get to be the person to send this fic to someone who JUST finished Sacred Stones for the FIRST time, and then they send me a capslock WHAT THE FUCK message an hour later and i'm just like :DDDDDDDDDDDD

* l'arachel/rennac silliness! and yet more l'arachel/rennac silliness!

* this one's technically a crossover with Awakening but. L'ARACHEL. MY GIRL. jonphaedrus writes her so well sighs into hands

* we all love creepy ephraim/lyon, yes? yes.

TELLIUS

* i'm completely feral for myaru's naesala/sanaki stuff. here's one, here's another

* here's naesala being a messy disaster for 20k words and i love it so much

* actually the correct soren pairing is: soren/kurthnaga

* i think about the final scene in this sothe/micaiah/pelleas disaster like once a week

* this sothe & tormod friendship thing is so perfect that i've been checking it every day since i got it as a gift & thinkin GOD MORE PEOPLE NEED TO APPRECIATE HOW GOOD THIS SHIT IS

* shinon is my favorite asshole

* bastian & renning. god i can't believe more people haven't fic'd them, but, at least there is this one and it's a great time

THREE HOUSES

* the blue lions defect to the empire & everyone's miserable in the most delicious way. also there's some serious edelgard/ingrid vibes and they're immaculate

* this ashen wolves casefic is just so satisfying and cute and self-contained and fun

* this claude and flayn bodyswap fic is really goofy and fun and pitch-perfect. and if you dig it, there's more where that came from; the author excels at having so much FUN with every fic they touch

* cough there's a certain dimitri/yuri fic that's, uh, very iddy and has every trigger warning imaginable but also rules. i ain't linkin it here, but it's not hard to find, if that sounds compelling lol

and yeah i also write fic! Silent World is probably my personal fave ("Naesala being a bastard for 15k words, what's not to love"), but i've written plenty of other stuff, mostly featuring golden deer & laguz characters~

30. Since horse abuse is currently popular on Tumblr, beat up a dead horse with your take on an oversaturated topic🐴

"is edelgard literally hitler" the people ask. "is edelgard the great liberator of our time" the people ask. and yet nary a soul asks: "woah that body horror stuff with Edelgard at the end of the Blue Lions route was kinda blink-and-you'll-miss-it but also weirdly hot, can we get some bad ending stuff with that—"

#ourlightsinvain #gosh making that fic rec list was a delightful tromp down memory lane. thank you

[theia-eos]

IkeSoren Week Day 6

Author notes above cut, skip to cut for the story.

This takes place in my understanding of Tellius Canon (if you're curious about that, it can be found in my Affinities series in AO3). This is my spin on what their supports could have been in Radiant Dawn and does include their lines from the A Support conversation.

It’s part of a larger work I intend to post to AO3 one day when I’ve hammered it out some more, specifically taking this out of script format and maybe making the ending less awkward. But it's Ike Soren week, so enjoy the draft.

Oh, major/minor spoilers to explain the B support are hidden in there too.

Ike and Soren's RD Supports

C Support

[Viewable In Chapter 3-2, Stormclouds]

[Soren on far left side, facing away, Ike enters on far right side, background is inside strategy tent]

Ike: Soren, how are you holding up?

Soren: Hm?

[Soren turns to face Ike]

Soren: I’m fine.

[Ike moves to middle right]

Ike: I know there isn’t as much inventory for you to manage as there was three years ago--

Soren: Yes, the only gear the laguz brought is a war tent and the associated paraphernalia…I’m surprised they even have that much. The rest is our small group’s usual gear, which never takes much time to organize.

Ike: Right, so that must be some kind of relief, but we’re fighting a much tougher opponent now, the one we didn’t want to risk having to deal with three years ago, so we left them behind in Daein.

Soren: Yes…That’s true.

Ike: Soren, you should get some rest. I know what you’re like being a strategist, how far you push yourself to orchestrate the war front and to overcome your perceived flaws, not being formally trained in this stuff. …You haven’t gotten more than a few hours of sleep in the past few days, have you?

Soren: You know that?

Ike: It took me longer than I should have to put it together, but seeing you stretch yourself so thin pouring over maps and doing reconnaissance work again like you did three years ago made it click. I’m sorry I never really saw the toll being my strategist three years ago took on you back then.

Soren: Ike… I-- …It’s only-- …You had a lot going on then. We were all out of our depths being put in charge of an army, but I wanted to help you to the best of my ability. A little missed sleep was nothing. Even now, this job…It doesn’t matter to me how strenuous it is.

Ike: Soren…sigh…I know I’m not as smart as you are, or as observant, but if there’s any way I can help you, I want to do it. Right now, I think that involves making sure you take care of yourself so you’re in good enough condition to fight with us, so I’m ordering you to get some rest.

Soren: Thank you, Ike. You’re more observant than you let on, you know.

[Soren moves to middle left]

Soren: Since you’re ordering it, Commander, I’ll go take a nap.

Ike: Good. Heh… Don’t let the bedbugs bite.

Soren: …

B Support

[Pst. For this support, you need to understand in the Japanese script that when Ike and the Black Knight fight in Rivals Collide, BK attributes Ike's victory at Castle Nados exclusively to warp powder. My take at the line was between the English and the Japanese to the effect of "I was so weakened by warp powder you would not have been able to notice that I held back and let you win." Again. Hammering out the details.]

[Viewable in Chapter 4-1, Road to Empire]

[Ike on far left, facing away, Soren appears in middle right, facing center]

Soren: Ike? Are you all right?

[Ike faces center]

Ike: Soren. I’m--

Soren: Don’t you dare lie to me and say that you’re fine.

Ike: …

Soren: Is it the state of the world?

Ike: No, it’s not really that. …I’m concerned, of course. At the end of our path, we’ll have to fight a goddess.

Soren: I don’t even know how to strategize for such a thing, but I’ll ensure that we’re as prepared as we can be.

Ike: I know. Thank you, Soren.

Soren: …What’s been concerning you?

Ike: I- It’s something Ranulf said before we split up in Daein.

Soren: What was it?

Ike: Soren…He said Zelgius is the Black Knight.

Soren: ?! …That’s certainly…possible. I’ve only seen both of them briefly, but…yes. I agree with that conclusion.

Ike: Really??

Soren: Alondite and Ragnell are sacred treasures of Begnion, passed down from their first empress, Altina. In addition, I heard that Ashnard was given his blessed armor from the Black Knight. Daein possessing two sets of blessed armor is unlikely. These things coming from Begnion makes more sense, as well. What I can’t figure out is how Zelgius and the Black Knight were able to essentially be in different places at the same time, one in Melior and one in Nevassa. One helping Micaiah, and the other chasing us.

[Branching conversation]

[Ike fought the Black Knight in Chapter 3-7, Rivals Collide]

Ike: …Would warp powder answer it? He mentioned something about it the last time we fought.

Soren: Yes…it’s a special magical item, again from Begnion, but that saps one’s strength considerably. If we were fighting him while he was using warp powder then…

Ike: …He’s even stronger than what we know.

Soren: It’s unlikely that he was using warp powder when Tibarn, Ranulf, and Skrimir fought against General Zelgius in Begnion. Daein had yet to fight in the war at that time, and I’ve heard that the Black Knight was gone from the time of Pelleas’s coronation to our fight with him in the river.

Ike: …So it’s just my fights against him that have been with him at his weakest.

Soren: …That’s likely. 

[Ike did not fight the Black Knight in Chapter 3-7, Rivals Collide]

Ike: Yeah…I know we had a mission, but I really wish there had been a way for me to confront him back at the river…just to see how…if he’s strong enough to challenge Tibarn and beat Skrimir so easily…how did I defeat him three years ago?

[Conversation continues]

Soren: Ike…you will want to fight him alone again, won’t you?

Ike: …Yeah. I need to. I have to know.

Soren: …Fine. As long as I can be there to witness it, I won’t interfere in the fight.

Ike: …Thanks, Soren. I know how hard it was on you last time.

Soren: …

Ike: I just… I can’t get over what he said about Skrimir. “If there is a way to avoid taking a life, that is the path I will choose.” It almost makes sense. He was ordered by Ashnard to kill Ena, and he spared her. I know he didn’t kill me many times. And yet, he, for no reason…He killed my father…and he was serious about killing me to get my father to talk…and I…I can’t make sense of it at all.

Soren: …Ike…

A Support

[Viewable in Chapter 4-F-4, Rebirth]

[Soren is in far left, facing away, background is inside tower] 

Soren: That…

[Ike appears, middle right, facing center]

Ike: Soren? Are you okay?

Soren: …Yes. I’m--

Ike: Don’t you dare lie to me and tell me that you’re fine.

Soren: I…heh…I’m sorry, Ike. 

[Soren faces center]

Soren: I’ll be fine.

Ike: I know we don't have a lot of time, but do you want to take a minute and talk about it? I think we’re all still trying to prepare for the fight against Ashera, especially since Dheginsea was such a tough opponent.

Soren: I…

[Branching conversation, Base Conversation 4-F-4, Ancient History wasn’t viewed]

Ike: Was it the dragons? I know you…don’t seem to be all right around them.

Soren: It’s not that…

Ike: No? Well, then I’m truly at a loss here.

Soren: I just need a minute, that’s all.

Ike: You’re sure?

Soren: Yes.

[Branching conversation, Base Conversation 4-F-4, Ancient History was viewed]

Ike: Was it that story about the Branded?

Soren: Not really…no…

Ike: No? Well, then I’m truly at a loss here.

Soren: It’s…well…did I hear that right, that Almedha was a dragon laguz, and lost her powers giving birth to Ashnard’s son?

Ike: Yeah……that's right.

[Conversation continues]

[Branching conversation, Base Conversation 4-F-4, Ancient History was viewed and Pelleas is dead]

Ike: And now her son is dead…is…were you looking for someone else like you?

Soren: No. Not at all. I was just…he truly left his daughter to suffer for his lies. …I…I almost admire the commitment.

Ike: You’re sure that story isn’t what’s bothering you?

Soren: …No, it’s not, really it.

[Branching conversation, Base Conversation 4-F-4, Ancient History was viewed Pelleas is alive]

Ike: Er…So Pelleas…is…

Soren: Not. He's…not…

Ike: Your sense for these things is that sharp, huh?

Soren: He's not one of us. Micaiah must know that as well as I.

Ike: I guess so…was what was bothering you really about Pelleas?

Soren: Sort of. I…it's funny. He's a Spirit Charmer that was mistaken for a Branded and he became a king for it. I'm a Branded that has to be mistaken for a Spirit Charmer to receive anything remotely resembling kindness from others. Even if others don’t know what we really are, it seems fate never forgets, even if it was all based on lies.

Ike: I don't think that it's funny at all.

Soren: There’s a certain…irony to our situations that's somewhat humorous…that's all.

Ike: …Soren, you know there are plenty of people who are kind to you and know what you are, right? Beyond just me or others like you.

Soren: I know, Ike. I know.

[Conversation continues]

Soren: But Ike…when we go fight Ashera, please don’t die. I don’t care what happens to me. But you, you are our guiding light.

Ike: I promise won’t die here, and I always keep my promises. But Soren, there’s too much riding on your survival, here and after. Stay close to me. I won't let you die as long as you're by my side.

Soren: I vow to remain by your side as long as I draw the breath of life.

Ike: Always so serious.

[Branching Conversation, all requirements for Base Conversation 4-F-5 Soren and the Soren Epilogue scene have been met thus far]

[Ike reappears middle left, facing away]

Soren: Mphf! Ike, someone could see.

Ike: We're going to kill a goddess. I don't care.

#ikesorenweek2023 #fire emblem fan fiction #fire emblem #fire emblem path of radiance #fire emblem radiant dawn #fe9 #fe10 #fe9/10 #ike fire emblem #soren fire emblem #ikesoren #tellius #I just think that if you've completed all 12 labors of Radiant Dawn that you deserve to see them kiss #that's all

[thousand-winters]

Alright pal, give me the new year writing deets! 🐌🦖✨🦷💥

Hi!!!

🐌 What is one of your smallest writing goals?

Mmmm, I haven't really set a lot of goals long term, frankly, because that's the recipe to get overwhelmed and end up not doing it, but I do want to finish 3 fics this month! Each one in a different week, which should be doable enough, I would count that one!

🦖 Are there any fandoms you wrote for in the past that you'd like to return to?

My past fandoms and I are scorched Earth.

Well. At least the one that made me start writing in English. I don't think I miss the ones I used to write in Spanish for either tho. I suppose Fire Emblem? I never really posted anything, but I do have some very old snippets for Tellius fics lying around haha. Maybe one day I will come back and finish them.

✨What's one area of your writing that you think needs the least amount of improvement?

Ironically, I think I have gotten fairly good at dialogues, which is kind of funny because I used to think that was my weak spot. Now it feels easier, to write conversations between characters and such, I have a lot of fun with that, so I would pick that.

🦷 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're dreading to write (but is necessary to your plot)? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

There's a scene in one of my multi-chapter wips in which Hunter sneaks out of where he is due to reasons. Very dramatic reasons. It's a long time before that comes into play, but I haven't fully worked through the details of how exactly would he manage that given the circumstances and what he has at his disposition to accomplish that, so right now I'm not too enthusiastic about that, haha.

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

I have this wip I haven't started posting at all, but I have been talking about it for... a while, at this point I have no idea if it was last year or straight up 2022, oh, dear...

Anyway, it's the concept where Hunter comes out of the ground with round human ears, so Belos' attitude toward him changes based on that. I have the prologue written and a handful of scenes peppered here and there, but I'm excited to finish all the fics I have pending so I can dedicate my energy to that one fully,

Thanks for asking, friend. Hope you have been doing well! 💖 From this ask game!

#ask games

[qiamigui]

so day 3 of tellius week ( i don’t remember the prompt =)) mist and rolf

#mist fire emblem #rolf fire emblem #fe9 #fe10 #tellius #fire emblem #fe #feh

[beidoubeloved]

[the weight of a single piece of paper, the weight on my shoulders]

#micaiah #fire emblem #fe10 #fire emblem radiant dawn #micaiah fire emblem #for day 3 of tellius week #theme: fear #i wanted 2 drawn naesala instead but this micaiah design..... real good stuff

[kiussart]

Couple pics I did for the Tellius Week 2020

Day 1 – Cooking

Day 3 – Forgiveness

#fire emblem #tellius #tellius week 2020 #jill #lethe #oscar #mist #FE9 #FE10

[softlytired]

Tellius Week 2020 🌟 (@/TelliusWeek on twitter) Day 3: Forgiveness, Fear, Force 

#sephiran #lehran #sanaki #Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn #fe10 #fire emblem #tellius #fanart #tellius week 2020

[chuckling-chemist]

Brylis' Fanfiction Appreciation Week Recs

Please heed the tags!! Some of these esp are high key Dead Dove territory. Was going to do it day by day but that requires me to remember to update it day-by-day

Day 1: OTP / Angst / Slice of Life

Manchester Lost - Aziraphale/Crowley Good Omens fic (OTP)

talk (like real people do) - Kingdom Hearts (Angst)

Girl Talk - Persona 5 (Slice of Life)

Day 2: Gen / Domestic / Pre-Canon

home is where the team is - Naruto (Gen)

At Dawn - Fire Emblem Tellius (Domestic)

Day 3: Crossover / Fluff / Missing Scene

The Wedding Crashers - Twilight/Supernatural (Crossover)

Blossoming - Kingdom Hearts (Fluff)

Seven Year Storm - Fire Emblem 3 Houses (Missing Scene)

Day 4: AU / Hurt/Comfort / Holidays

Love, Theft, And Other Criminal Acts - Persona 5 (Actual Thief AU) and i'm horribly behind on aaaaaaaaaa

I Swear This Time I Mean It - Fire Emblem 3 Houses (Hurt/Comfort)

Half Baked - Persona 5 (Holidays)

Day 5: Under Appreciated / Post-Canon / Death

Entanglement - His Dark Materials (Under Appreciated)

i'll give you my best sides, tell you all my lies - Persona 5 (Post Canon)

The Personal Investigation Notes of Neophyte Redglare Case #228 - Homestuck (Death)

Day 6: Prompted / Found Family / Travel

Passenger - Persona 5/Room No. 9 (Prompted)

Majority Rule - Naruto (Found Family)

Day 7: Free Day

A few items I couldn't think where to put them or I already had one for

Punching in a Dream - Persona 5

Those Lacking Spines - Kingdom Hearts

Alphabet Soup - Pokemon Black/White

A Place You Could Walk Across (With Five Steps Now) - Black Sails

As A Thief Loves a Gallery/ As a Crow Loves a Murder - Persona 5

#personal #fanfiction appreciation week #there's others from when i was much younger i'd LOVE to rec #but cannot find them for the life of me #so here's to you: #Bad End Dark Is Rising fic where Bran chooses the Dark #Ineffable Husbands fic where they live 1000 lives and keep refinding each other #the legend of zelda modern AU where the triforce is still a thing and ganon is zelda's abusive father #the crossover where an amnesiac Link wakes up in Crimea #just about every Critical Role fic I read (which wasn't that long ago but still pre-my account and they're long since buried at this point #uhhhhh The Sacred and the Profane + A Diamond Sky Above The Titanic #which are both excellent but i could not get through Angst #also while i follow a few of these people i have 0 ideas if it's appropriate to @ them sooooooooooooo

[harusha]

Is 3 Houses "New Player" friendly? I kinda wanna pick it up, but only played Awakening (and that was a few months ago, so not much history with the franchise). Also, how does it compare with Awakening in terms of level up/reclass/skills/etc?

It’s very new player friendly imo! There’s no Phoenix mode or anything, but you have features like the Retreat option (which lets you retain experience and restart the battle with all of your equipment durability set back to before you began) and Casual is back.

I do think there’s a lot of features, and that can be overwhelming, but you’ll pick them up quickly.

Honestly, I prefer Awakening in terms of skills and classes. Three Houses’s system is just tedious on a first playthrough, and the chosen master classes are super wonky. Some feel like a straight up upgrade (ex. War Master) and others are sidegrades (ex. Mortal Savant which is also kinda slow but that doesn’t matter if you have someone like Felix or Hubert who are already fairly fast). Also there’s no grounded mounted class for beginner class so riding is a pain to level up early on.

There’s also less skills (or at least what it feels like) than Awakening which I don’t really care for since I don’t get to customize the units as much. And the Dark Mage/Dark Bishop class is locked behind a certain limited enemy which is annoying. Plus, there’s no flying mage in this game which sucks (I like Dark Fliers and Malig Knights so).

And imo, the maps (at least for Blue Lions) are kinda forgettable and bad for the most part. There’s no gimmicks like Conquest, and Fog of War isn’t utilized enough. And there’s a lot of reused maps. I know they take place at the same location, but imo, the timeskip should have made some changes to the terrain instead of the same map but with more enemies spawning.

Reclassing is also a pain with certification exams because it is a random chance that’s decided as the day begins (so no save scrumming unless you go back to before the week began). You can raise it to 100% ofc, but you waste time if you don’t try every week when the option opens. For a first playthrough, you don’t have the benefits of new game+ to make it easier to get to the classes you want.

There’s also the garden where you can farm stat boosters, and cook to temporarily raise stats if you end up getting bad level ups.

And mounted units are super good with Canto and Dismount, and the size of the maps. The only thing they’re missing is Rescue (carrying units not the spell) and Hunter’s Volley (they restricted it this game). Not to mention the higher level armored battlelions and the Stride command (give all alies within range extra movement).

It’s still a good game ofc, and the lords are overpowered (not a Roy situation where he promotes super late and has kinda average growths across the board). Like... you can most likely solo maps w/ Dimitri by plopping him into a hoard of non magical enemies in Normal. The only maps I had problems with was 12 and 22 (b/c the first one had surprise spawns of certain characters, and I was collecting encounter quotes) and the latter b/c a deluge of enemies pop up.

Storywise, I think it’s fantastic (I have problems ofc w/ it, I wouldn’t call it above Geneology or the Tellius duo, but it’s up there). For me (as someone who started with Blue Lions and still needs to go through the other 3 routes), Dimitri is honestly one of the best lords in the series character-wise. His story is very much “classic Fire Emblem” but it shines in the interactions between the characters, especially Byleth and Dimitri, and on his personality post-skip. It’s honestly one of those routes where I’d recommend F!Byleth over her counterpart to take the Dimitri S-support since it ties in so nicely. I’m still saltly about M!Byleth not having the option to tbh.

That’s another of Three Houses’s strengths, the interactions between your chosen House. It feels very much like a group of friends.

As a side note, if you choose Edelgard as your first route, explore at least once every month and make sure to talk to her.

Overall, good game and a contender for GOTY, but also some obnoxious problems like the barren calendar system, split route (a lot of content and replayability but also threads are often left loose or left to epilogue), questionable reclass/skill system, etc.

Absolutely worth $60+,if you decide on the expansion pass which will eventually come with more classes and story, and a return to form after Fates’s kinda lackluster story (though I wouldn’t say it does better than Fates in some aspects like self-contained and satisfactory routes or gameplay at least for Blue Lions). Self-contained as in threads aren’t left too jarringly loose.

#conquest has some of the best map design in the series imo #Dimtri can kill in one shot but his res is bad #honestly give him vantage for the magical enemies and youre set #i do have problems w/ the story presentation at times and ive talked about it #but you asked about gameplay so im here on that #primarily

[for-grado]

Affinity Horoscopes

This was a joint effort between me, @valflame​, and @torhamar​!  Feel free to reblog this, tag your muse, whatever!

We really like the idea of affinity as being like an arbitrary horoscope, similar to the zodiacs or blood type personalities.  Considering in the game, personality traits match up to the certain affinity characters have, here's a list of what those of that affinity are like, alongside with some cultural differences.  Suuuper long post, so here’s what you’ll find under the cut:

Determining Affinity

Quick horoscope for each

Other Notes

Quick guide for our days

Personal headcanons

How it's determined

Different continents use different forms of horoscopes.  Magvel and Elibe use the following without Water, Earth, or Heaven types, while Tellius does not have Ice or Anima types.  Jugdral hold key differences in that they recognize the same types as Elibe, with the addition of Heaven, and switching when Fire and Thunder are recognized.  Most of the continent refuses to recognize Dark affinities (due to Loptyr) and substitute Water in its place.  The Loptyr cult and Spirit Forest inhabitants recognize Dark and do not recognize Light, replacing Light's day with the Earth affinity.  Archanea, Valentia, and Ylisse are probably derived from Jugdral's recognition.

Affinities are chosen for a child based on which day of the week they were born on.  Since there's not any specific reason to assume any Fire Emblem continent recognizes the same calendar as we typically do, I'll be referring to the days merely by order, but if you want to apply it to real life, I left a guide at the end of this post.  The distinction between Heaven affinity is different, and is based on circumstances regarding the baby's birth.

Anima

Anima types are born on the 6th day of the week.  They are honest truth-seekers and are commonly gentle in their mannerisms.  Those with the Anima affinity are kind to strangers, open-hearted, and forgiving.  Anima types make loyal knights and brilliant scholars. Notable Anima types: Eliwood, Cecilia, Lute, Seth Good Matches: Ice, Wind Avoid: Dark

Earth

Earth types are born on the 6th day of the week (1st in Loptyrian Jugdral).  They can be seen as honest to the point of bluntness, and steadfast to the point of stubbornness.  Though they are kind and open-hearted like Anima types, they can at first impression be closed off and seem harsh or unkind.  Above all, they are known for their loyalty and are said to be able to get along with anyone.  Earth types are reliable and make good knights. Notable Earth types: Ike, Oscar Good Matches: Dark, Earth Avoid: Heaven

Dark

The 5th day belongs to the Dark affinity.  Those born under Dark are very perceptive. They're considered to see the world differently, able to pick out when some one is lying, or predict when bad things will happen. Seemingly pessimistic, Dark types are realists and often intelligent. They're talented at planning and management positions. Notable Dark types: Sophia, Karla, Knoll, Soren, Micaiah Good Matches: Earth, Wind Avoid: Anima, Heaven

Fire

The Fire affinity claims the 7th day (3rd day in Jugdral).  Fire individuals are usually very driven, causing them to sometimes make rash decisions.  They tend to be optimists, and don't usually stay in a bad mood for long. Even though they're self-motivated people, often times they will have something that will “puts out” their flame, discouraging them. In those cases, they can be back on their feet in no time.  Fire affinities make good leaders. Notable Fire types: Roy, Fir, Dorcas, Nino, Ephraim, Mia Good Matches: Wind, Water, Ice, Heaven Avoid: Anima

Ice

Ice types are born on the 2nd day.  Ice types are notoriously intelligent, though often reserved or withdrawn.  They are the best at keeping secrets, both when some one asks them to and on accident, when it comes to hiding their own feelings.  They're often considered cold when some one first meets them, but make good friends.  Ice affinities do best pursuing whatever they're passionate about. Notable Ice types: Klein, Legault, Ninian, Innes, Lyon Good Matches: Anima, Fire, Light Avoid: Thunder

Water

Water holds the 2nd day (5th in Common Jugdral).  Water types are quiet extroverts.  Though they enjoy the company of others, they always let others speak first and make great listeners.  They excel at keeping themselves calm in stressful situations and are good at handling others' emotions.  It's easy for Water affinities to make friends. They make good healers. Notable Water types: Mist, Pelleas, Kurthnaga Good Matches: Fire, Light, Thunder Avoid: None

Light

People born on the 1st day are born under Light.  Light affinities have a natural charisma to them.  They tend to be idealistic, and usually act in accordance to their beliefs to the bitter end.  Because of their charisma, they are good at convincing others to understand their opinions, too. They care deeply for the people who are important to them.  People born under Light are best working in groups. Notable Light types: Lilina, Florina, Lucius, Eirika, L'Arachel, Titania Good Matches: Ice, Water, Wind Avoid: Dark

Thunder

Thunder types are born on the 3rd day (7th in Jugdral).  Thunder types are infamously stubborn.  Once they set their mind on something, little can stop them from seeing it through.  People of Thunder don't do things in halves: they put their all into something, or they put nothing at all.  They have a tendency to be difficult to read.  Thunder types like to be in charge, but they do their best work when working for some one else. Notable Thunder types: Hector, Serra, Amelia, Jill, Shinon Good Matches: Wind, Water Avoid: Other Thunder types

Wind

Those born on the 4th day are born under Wind.  Wind is associated with change, and those people born under it are very adaptable and flexible.  Because of this, they can seem laid back and a little carefree, but in reality are very dependable when it comes to completing a task.  Often times, they will be the first to offer a smile in a difficult situation. Wind affinities make excellent diplomats, and even thieves and spies. Notable Wind types: Lyn, Matthew, Joshua, Tana, Nephenee, Sothe Good Matches: Anima, Dark, Fire, Light, Thunder, Heaven Avoid: Ice

Heaven

Babies who do not cry after being born are considered born under the Heaven affinity.  This makes Heaven the rarest affinity.  Heaven-born individuals are highly independent.  It is very difficult to convince a Heaven affinity to change their mind.  They do not change easily, but have strong instincts that usually guide them to do what's right anyway.  Heaven affinities will always stand out in a crowd, and slip into leadership positions naturally. Notable Heaven types: Elincia, Greil, Tibarn Good Matches: Wind, Fire Avoid: Thunder

Other Notes:

Superstition reigns that any Light/Dark union will fail, or the children to a Light/Dark couple will end up tormented or even evil.  Light/Dark friendships do not carry this superstition.

Heaven was given to children who do not cry as a small blessing to children who are stillborn or die very shortly after birth.  It's given to them in the hopes that the higher powers will look on them fondly, and in a culture with a belief in the afterlife, that the child will experience a happy, fulfilling one.

In the case of twins, it's considered bad luck to have siblings of matching affinities.  The superstition is that the siblings will argue and fight for which one is the better child, so to remedy this, the second-born twin is given the affinity for the following day of the birth.  I.e: twins that are born on the 5th day of the week; the first born will be considered born under Dark and the second born will be considered born under Anima/Earth.  This continues for triplets, etc.

Depending on the family, younger siblings may be considered affinities separate from the day they were born under, in order to prevent them from sharing the same affinity as their older siblings.

In some cases, such as orphans, where the person may not know which day they were born on, it is discouraged that an individual pick an affinity for themselves.  If it's important to them or their caretaker, their caretaker will often suggest one based on the individual's personality.  People like this are considered more in tune to their affinity's traits than people born under that day.

Archanea, Valentia, and Ylisse/Valm recognize a slew of different affinities.  Some areas refuse to recognize Dark and choose water instead, some areas recognize every last affinity, but have certain circumstances for certain affinities like Earth or Water.  Some places have begun to associate star signs with affinities.

For Convenience, here is how the days and affinities line up with our week:

Jugdral (Most):

Sunday – Light

Monday – Ice

Tuesday – Fire

Wednesday – Wind

Thursday – Water

Friday – Anima

Saturday – Thunder

Jugdral (Loptyr Cult/Maerist):

Sunday – Earth

Monday – Ice

Tuesday – Fire

Wednesday – Wind

Thursday – Dark

Friday – Anima

Saturday – Thunder

Elibe/Magvel:

Sunday – Light

Monday – Ice

Tuesday – Thunder

Wednesday – Wind

Thursday – Dark

Friday – Anima

Saturday – Fire

Tellius:

Sunday – Light

Monday – Water

Tuesday – Thunder

Wednesday – Wind

Thursday – Dark

Friday – Earth

Saturday – Fire

Personal headcanons

Dark/Earth makes the best romantic couples.

While Pigeon, Koko, and I were compiling these, we were also throwing out headcanons for characters that aren't from games with an affinity system.  For instance, according to this (and other things) I headcanon Henry as being an Earth affinity (and love joking about him being born on Friday the thirteenth).  Another cool headcanon we had is that Arvis is a Light affinity and Deirdre is a Dark affinity, though no one outside of the spirit forest would say she wasn't Water, and Deirdre would say Arvis is Earth (gentle reminder Loptyr was an earth dragon).

Please have fun with this post! That is literally the only reason I made it!

#♾ ⇴ ◸ all my studies point to this ◿ ⛬ ( headcanon ) #i was up till 5 am last night working on this appreciate me

[notajinn]

Ranking Video Games Played in 2018 But Less Detailed Because of Procrastination

Starting this in the evening on the 31st, so let' see if I even get this done in time. Normally I start more ahead of time, and provide seperate detailed post for each game in my list. Initially I wasn't planning on making a list at all this year since I played very few 2018 releases. But then I realized not only that I played more than I thought, but that the non-2018 games I played for the first time this year deserve some love as well.

I conveniently played ten games this year, so here is the ranking of my top ten games:

10. Marvel Puzzle Quest (Mobile)

This game is garbage, and I play it every day. It's a Match-3 puzzle game, which I somehow never played until this year. And it's on mobile and with a Marvel flair to give it an edge, plus a Gacha mechanic for longevity and scum.

Pros

The actual puzzle gameplay is fine. I have no other Match-3 to compare it to besides Puzzles and Dragons, which I tried out around the same time solely due to Persona 5 characters being in it. And I enjoyed Marvel more. You can only move each gem one space rather than across a line or column, or straight up anywhere like in Puzzles and Dragons. But there is no time limit, which I really appreciate.

I like a lot of Marvel characters, so I don't mind them as the rewards. Each one also has different Abilities which make a bigger difference in the gameplay than I initially expected. I unfortunately do not have Ms Marvel, Gwenpool, or Silk yet, but I do have Spider-Man.

Speaking of, the free characters they give you are pretty decent. Within the first few missions, you will come out with Spider-Man, Iron Man, Storm, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor. You can also get Juggernaut and Venom with only slightly more effort.

The game has thus far been very generous with the gacha resource, but I can't comment on the actual pull rates (which may be where they really make their money).

Cons

You may get a lot of chances to pull, but you have a limited barrack you can recruit characters into. And the resource to increase slots is VERY slow. Which means you could potentially pull a great character, but either wait a few weeks to earn enough coins to buy a new barrack spot, remove one of your existing characters, or give them money. And if you wait more than a few weeks, your un-recruited character will be automatically "sold" for resources. I've lost one or two characters to this already. At this point the smart thing seems to be to never pull unless you have open slots, since your recruitment resource does not expire (that I'm aware of).

The difficulty is all over the place. Even the so-called "Prologue" has unusual difficulty spikes in terms of enemy levels.

The leveling system is also garbage in general. You need duplicates of characters to level up, but higher rank characters start at higher levels. Which means even though I pulled and merged like 6 Iron Man, the single 3-star Dr Octopus is significantly stronger with no effort.

Final Thoughts

This game is garbage, and I will continue to play it.

9. Fire Emblem Heroes (Mobile)

Not long ago, Fire Emblem Heroes was one of my favourite games. But the game fell so far in 2018, perhaps outlining the heightened speed of a gacha game's life-cycle.

Pros

They started adding alts of characters that were not from Awakening or Fates. It's not exactly good that we're getting so many alts, but at least they're not all Camilla or Xander.

The new Aether Raids mode is legitimately good. It allows you to create your own mini-maps with different structures and traps, and play against other players. You win a new resource called Heroic Grails, which you can use to summon otherwise limited-time free characters like those from Grand Hero Battles, or the Tempest Trials. I should specify this lets you select characters, not go into a random gacha system. You want more of Joshua? No problem, just select him from the list and hand of the Grails, and you've got him. A lot of characters I like fall into this category, so I especially appreciate it. The actual mode of fighting in user-created maps is also fun.

Book 2 of the story had some good moments early on, and I liked some of the new characters. Said new characters were also added into the summon pool, and not as limited-time units either.

A lot of older characters got new weapon refinements to help them keep up with the cast slightly. Some of these are only okay, but some have been amazing. Still waiting for my man Matthew to get one.

Also this one is kind of cheating since it didn't happen yet, but we are confirmed to finally be getting Laguz (the beast units from the Tellius games) in 2019, which I am very excited for.

Cons

After a decent start, Book 2's story fell into disarray. A comically bland villain was the worst offender, feeling like an OC a child came up with that kept getting sudden new powers for no reason.

Said main villain is also the focal point of the powercreep in the game this year. The absurdity of how good 2018 units are compared to before is frustrating, and I say that as someone who doesn't particularly care about ranking. A lot of these new units and skill sets are just plain not fun to fight against.

Outside of Aether Raids, the game felt pretty stale in terms of having things to do, and I simply found myself far less interested.

Final Thoughts

Laguz will keep my interest for at least some of 2019, but I see myself playing this far less next year. And with a new real Fire Emblem game coming out, I may leave this game entirely.

8. Final Fantasy Record Keeper (Mobile)

This is an unusual one because I didn't play this game much this year. For a few months, I didn't even bother logging in. And 90% of the time I do log in, I just grab the daily rewards and leave. So how did this beat Marvel Puzzle Quest and Fire Emblem Heroes?

Pros

This game is absurdly generous with resources. Keeping in mind this is a gacha game way past it's prime, and being cannibalized by its own parent company through other newer Final Fantasy mobile games, Record Keeper has been trying very hard to keep people playing. Even as someone who barely plays, I am flush with good resources. Enough so that, if I get interested enough, I could probably catch up to the meta-game.

The game has also continued its policy of "characters are free, the gacha is for equipment" that I love. I have no trouble getting characters I want (new ones I liked added this year include Marche from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Sora and Riku of Kingdom Hearts).

The gacha itself is also generous, with multiple event banners that guarantee at least one 5-star for every 11-pull. I wish other gacha games were this generous.

It also keeps the great aesthetic and soundtrack that got me into the game.

Cons

I've played it so much over the years that it's not super fun, but I appreciate it's there for me and doesn't feel like scum.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for doing a gacha game well, Square-Enix.

7. Mighty Switch Force (3DS)

Though I got this years ago in a Humble Bundle, it wasn't until one bored weekend this summer that I actually tried it out Wayforward's other first-party game. The Mighty Switch Force DLC trailer for Shantae: Half Genie Hero also helped.

This is an interesting little arcade action/puzzle hybrid that's a little unusual. It puts you into different areas where you have to use the main gimmick of moving things into and out of the foreground along with other puzzle mechanics to find and arrest some escaped criminals.

Pros

The main mechanic of moving objects forward and backward is pretty fun, and while it's been occasionally seen in other games it's worked more effectively here than I've ever seen. I also appreciate that most levels will add a new mechanic you have to learn.

The levels are short and easy to digest on the 3DS.

It's got the classic Wayforward cartoon aesthetic.

Cons

This is mostly personal preference, but I don't play puzzle games a lot; they don't hold my interest too long. So this was a one weekend game. I didn't beat it, but I got my fill in those two days.

The lack of story really drives home the "arcade" aspect of the game, which is frustrating because I like the often silly pacing of the Shantae series. I'm also someone who invests in characters heavily, so having very little to go off but designs really hurt my long-term interest here.

Final Thoughts

This is a fun little puzzle game I recommend to try out considering it's often on sale and under $10. It's far from the best game, but you'll probably have fun with it.

6. Bayonetta (PS3)

For better or for worse, my first introduction to Bayonetta was when she was added as a DLC character to Super Smash Brothers 4. Suffice to say I was bummed a character I had no interest in won the people's choice, and that definitely negatively tainted the series for me for a while. But after getting itnerested in character-action games by playing Nier Automata and Platinum's Legend of Korra, I ended up picking up Bayonetta on sale on the PS3.

Pros

Oh my god, the combat is so strong. I knew this from Platinum's other games, but it has a different feel. Korra was ultimately a budget game, and Nier Automata was an RPG first, but Bayonetta was a character-action game through and through. The combat is not easy to learn, but when you figure out and see the radical moves you're pulling off, there's a certain unmatched joy to the gameplay.

The plot is campy and silly in the vein of Devil May Cry, and has a good handful of characters I like (particularly Jeanne and Luca). It ramps up to hilarious scales.

The music is so good, and I wish more of it made it into Super Smash Brothers.

I love that you have a space to practice combos without any repercussions by turning off the timer in the loading screen transitions. This helped me so much early on to get a hang of which combos I could both pull off effectively, find a use for, and actually enjoy.

Checkpoints are fairly generous, and so long as you don't care about your score you can continue to try again with no repercussions until you win.

Cons

There are certain sections of the game where you are pulled into on-rails vehicles. These sections are not fun, and last FAR too long. To make matters worse, the best boss fight in the game is in the second half of a level where the first half is one of these terrible vehicle sections. Which means I'll never fight that boss again since I don't want to go through that initial part.

Through a combination of the initial negative reaction and the fact there are more interesting characters around her, I didn't end up attached to Bayonetta herself, which is disappointing considering how much I like Dante and the Nier Automata cast.

The first few levels are also far harder than the rest of the game. This happens because you're learning a new combat system, have less moves purchased, and most importantly do not have the Bat Within ability that increases your dodge invincibility. This move probably saved me so much, and you can get it pretty early, but not until you get past some hard parts. In particular, the first major boss has you contend with the above issues and, for no particular reason, is the only major boss without any checkpoints. This boss almost made me give up on the game, and heavily slowed down my progress and general enjoyment.

Probably the biggest issue is that this is a PS3 era game, which means you can expect tons of QTEs that cause instant death if you fail them. These even happen during bosses. It's such a product of its time.

Final Thoughts

If you can struggle through those initial hard (but not un-fun) levels and that first frustrating boss, you have a great game ahead of you. With some truly awful vehicle sections thrown in, but mostly great. At the very least, grab the soundtrack.

5. Dragalia Lost (Mobile)

Oh you thought the mobile games were all at the bottom? Then you forgot about Nintendo's newest IP, Dragalia Lost. Which would be fair, because this game is available officially in very few countries, and it's kind of crazy.

With the success of other mobile games, Nintendo decided to try out a new IP in a mobile game with the help of the experienced developers CyGames. What we got was a mobile MMO with a heavy anime aesthetic and a lot of love.

Pros

The character designs vary, as they do in any mobile, but one major strength of Dragalia Lost (and the reason I started the game) is the large percentage of dark-skinned characters. It may seem silly, but as a South Asian it's so rare to see dark-skinned characters in this aesthetic. You'll get your token characters here and there, but Dragalia Lost alone probably has more than I've seen in a few other series combined. I'm pretty sure they have more than Fire Emblem Heroes, or at least an equal amount.

The developers have been very generous with resources, and so far have given you a free 10-pull whenever there's a new event.

We've also already had a lot of improvements due to developer feedback, which is a great sign for the game's future.

The strangest thing perhaps is...the gameplay is really fun for a mobile game. It's a top-down action RPG with heavy MMO elements in terms of leveling and co-op play. While your party setup means a lot, your skill in-game means even more if you're skilled at dodging, effectively moving around the map, and knowing when to throw out which ability. As you have such a heavy level of interaction with the characters, you also feel more attached to them, which is great for longevity in a gacha game. Each weapon type plays very differently, and with different elements and abilities you get a lot of variety. You also have different dragons you can transform into as essential limit breaks.

I really love how seamlessly co-op is integrated. You can play any mission with or without co-op, and it takes very little effort to group up with people.

Cons

It's still a gacha game, so a certain level of garbage is expected. The rates of pulling a 5-star seem far worse than Fire Emblem Heroes and Final Fantasy Record Keeper. To make matters worse, you can potentially pull a 5-Star Wyrmprint (a type of equipment) instead of a character or dragon, thus resetting your pity rate.

In co-op, if a host quits the entire battle is considered a fail. Which makes logical sense, but it's frustrating when the host quits while you're winning.

Bows are also significantly worse than the other weapon types, but my favourite character is an archer. This presents a problem.

It’s only available in a small number of countries, with still not announced plans for others.

Final Thoughts

It's the best mobile game I've played this year, but it's still a mobile game. Unless you're looking for a mobile game, I recommend just appreciating the art from afar. If you ARE looking for a mobile game, however, I highly recommend this. And if you care about Nintendo, maybe keep an eye on this; I could see this IP eventually coming out of mobile.

4. Deltarune (PC)

It's tough to write these all at once. Okay, Deltarune. The surprise game from Undertale's creator. I still don't want to get into too much detail in case you haven't played this free and relatively short game, but it's been a while. There will be sort of spoilers below, so if you want to go in blind, skip down to number 3.

Pros

From the graphical style to the writing to the soundtrack, it's got the same great charm of Undertale in a smaller package.

The battle system is more involved and honestly a lot more fun. You're also not forced to go Pacifist to get the good ending, so you can actually enjoy it like a normal RPG. Even if you do go Pacifist like I did, the inclusion of different abilities gives you a lot more to do than just dodge enemy attacks.

The progression of Susie and Lancer as characters is fun to watch unfold, and the game does a great job making you invested in these characters within such a short time frame.

The final section of the game, without mentioning any spoilers, is also a nice little reward.

Cons

Simply because of playing Undertale, you may assume you have to play Pacifist and thus miss the main combat. This is untrue, but hard to know since you also want to go in blind on your first run. This is entirely a self-made issue, but it is nonetheless a common issue I can see.

..I don't really have any other negatives offhand except that it's short?

Final Thoughts

If you played Undertale, play this. If you didn't play Undertale, probably play that first and you'll enjoy this more. But you'd probably enjoy this regardless. And hell, it's free and under 5 hours, and runs on probably any modern PC.

3. Dragonball FigherZ (PS4)

There have been so many Dragonball Z games, but the quality never hit this level. Remember when we considered the Budokai games to be amazing because of the competition? Now we have a DBZ fighter that's not only the best of the series, but also a legitimately great fighting game when compared to the other big fighting series. No weird 3D mechanics, no attempt to heavily integrate fighting. This is just a solid 2D fighter with some unique elements and a DBZ flavouring.

Pros

Made by Arcsys, the gameplay is unsurprisingly amazing. It's fluid, has a lot of ease-of-use for beginner players, and a lot of more complex mechanics to make high-end gameplay fun to watch. I was able to teach some friends in a short amount of time how to play this decently, which is very important with a multiplayer game.

And despite most of the characters fighting extremely similarly in DBZ, each character feels unique here. They're all just throwing punches, kicks, and energy blasts, but they all have their own distinct feel. Even the various orange-gi-black-hair characters all stand out with different silhouettes and colour tinting.

The new OC that Arcsys seems obligated to add may be strange as an Android/Buu hybrid, but adding a new female character to such a male dominated series is much appreciated.

The online lobby is easy to find the types of fights you're looking for, and provides a good deal of variety.

Cons

The DLC lineup is awful. Two versions of Goku, two versions of Vegeta. Really? Do we really need that? Then we got Goku's dad Bardock, who visually looks like another Goku. And then we got Fused Zamasu, who is basically an alternate version of base game charater Goku Black. The only characters unique in both design and gameplay are Broly (who I generally hate), Android 17 (who's great), and Cooler (who's not quite as cool as his brother). There's so many good choices for DLC, but short of a second season, this is what we got stuck with. And honestly, good DLC characters can make or break my interest in a fighting game long-term. This was what broke it.

Final Thoughts

It's a great fighting game, and hands-down the best Dragonball Z game. But there's only one fighting game series that is able to hold my interest long-term.

2. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (Switch)

It's still wild this was announced and came out in the same year. After being used to a long pre-release for Super Smash Brothers games, Ultimate really bucked the trend. It's also not like the other games in other ways as well, opting to include as much old content as possible instead of taking the usual "add a lot but cut a lot" approach.

Pros

One of my long-time top wished characters finally made it in: K. Rool! And he's so well-animated and sporting so many references! They really put a lot of love into him.

I'm vicariously excited for all the Ridley fans who finally got their big space dragon into Smash. They were always steadfast beside us K. Rool fans, and really deserve this win.

No one has to worry about their main being cut, because everyone is here. For those few people that legitimately liked Pichu, that must be a great feeling.

The core gameplay also received a nice boost in speed so it's not overly-fast like Melee, but still a lot more fluid than the other games. Bringing back moving air dodges, and clamping down on over-dodging have helped make the gameplay feel much smoother.

After the disappointingly poor single-player of Smash 4, I love all the single-player modes here. Classic has been redesigned to give each character a tuned and unique experience. We have a big single-player mode in the World of Light, and the smaller but more long-term Spirit Board.

Spirits in general are just a great way of reusing Stickers from previous games in a way that makes everybody excited. Seriously, they are just your typical gacha JPGS, but throwing effects and levels onto them really makes them feel more involved than trophier or stickers in past games.

My main, Zelda, got significantly buffed. This is really specific to me, but it makes a big difference.

Mii Fighters also feel far more viable this time around.

The range of music and stages in the game is just amazing.

Cons

For a game that promotes itself as having everything, it's bizarre and frustrating that the Stage Builder was completely removed. I really enjoyed playing around in there, and being able to use tracks I like from stages I don't like.

We also lost modes like Target Smash and the Home Run Contest for almost no reason. Short of these being added in future updates, I find this odd.

I could make a lot of complaints about character choice, but I'll keep it short and mention that I'm one of the few people not happy about the Piranha Plant, and I would really have had almost any non-3DS FE character instead of Chrom.

World of Light is also really long, and unlike the Subspace Emissary lacks cinema scenes. The opening scene everyone has seen is great, and then...that's it so far. I am expecting one more at the end (I'm maybe halfway through), and maybe one in the middle, but it's not going to live up to the SSE.

I also can't believe the huge backwards step taken in the online mode. Rather than having a separate Casual and Competitive mode like every other fighter (including the last Smash Brothers), there is only one queue, and you can easily get thrown into the opposite type of style you want. I actually cancelled my plans to buy the online service after I heard how bad this system is.

Final Thoughts

It's a Super Smash Brothers game, so I will enjoy it for a long time. The Spirits add a lot of longevity, but unless the online is heavily fixed I can see myself dropping out of this game within the next year.

1. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)

This game had such bad timing. Released alongside the similar but more anticipated Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on a competitor system, and the different but same-system Persona 5, I think a lot of people completely missed this game. Or as many as can miss a big AAA game. If this came out just a few months earlier or later, I'm sure I'd see a lot more talk about it. But as things stand, it seemed to disappear from everyone's minds very quickly.

If you're one of the ones that forgot, Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world action-adventure about a post-apocalyptic world where humans are left to deal with the increasingly dangerous machine robots built by pre-apocalypse humans, and is just as much about dealing with different tribes and cultures that emerge in this new world.

Pros

Alloy is one of my favourite new main characters in a long time. Not just in video games, but in general. While having some of that player-character "choose their personality" feelings here and there, she is mostly a defined and often interesting character with distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Voice acting from Alloy as well as the entire cast is superb, and really sells the world.

The gameplay is heavily archery focused with a lot of traps and different ammunition to help you bring down the machines that heavily outmatch you in a straight fight. The game is built to allow you to play with stealth or as an action game depending on how you select your skills. It's also got a good level of difficulty where you will definitely die a few times, but never get overly frustrated.

The story hits on many different points, and most of it has something interesting to offer. Don't expect story quality on the level of something like Nier Automata, but for a new IP it's pretty impressive.

One thing I love about fast travel is that, early on, you have to use consumable items to do so. This means you're initially encouraged to manually explore, and in doing so will learn a lot more about what the game can offer. Once you get a little further, you can unlock the ability to fast-travel with ease so you can backtrack and do quests without an issue. It's a good way to try to balance having people skip over environments.

Also it's a big AAA game with NO MICROTRANSACTIONS AT ALL!

Cons

The subtitles are pretty small based on my TV size and the distance I sit at. If you sit closer to your TV, it's probably fine.

For a game with such good quality everywhere else, the soundtrack is honestly pretty average outside of the main theme.

The open world is nowhere near as fun to explore as in Breath of the Wild, and holds far less secrets.

Final Thoughts

This feels strange to say for a AAA game made by first-party Sony, but please don't sleep on this game. It's really good, and it's been insanely cheap for the latter part of this year.

That's it. That's all the games. This took a lot more time than I expected, and I don't feel like proofreading since now it's already almost midnight.  2018 may not have had that many good new releases, but I found fun with video games.

Looking forward to playing Fire Emblem Three Houses and Kingdom Hearts III next year, and talking about them next December. Hopefully not on the 31st again.

#top games of 2018 #even though half came out in different years #holy crap this took forever

[stefanthedesertdad]

Stefan Week - Everything You Need to Know

Welcome to Stefan Week, a week dedicated to creating and celebrating works centered around Stefan from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

Date

Stefan Week runs from July 29th to August 4th, 2018. I’ll be reblogging Stefan pictures until July 28th.

Rules & Guidelines

1. All pieces must contain Stefan. Other characters are allowed but Stefan should be a main part of the piece.

2. No nudity or sexual content. Blood and gore is allowed but please tag properly (such as “tw blood”).

3. All pieces should be new. If you would like to showcase an old piece, please do so before July 29th, 2018 either by mention this blog or send @tellius-collections a message. These will be tagged as “pre-stefanweek”. 

4. To get your piece included on the blog, either tag your work as “stefanweek” or mention @stefanweek. I will reblog everything that I am aware of. 

5. All mediums are allowed - go crazy and have fun. 

Prompts

Each day will have multiple prompts but you only have to choose one that inspires you the most. 

Day One: Home / Sand / Desert

Day Two: Honour / Battle / Skill

Day Three: Cursed / Blood / Heritage

Day Four: Belonging / Love / Friendship

Day Five: Mentor / Protector / Partner

Day Six: Dreams / Regrets / Reality 

Day Seven: Free Day - make anything you want!

#fe stefan #stefan #fe9 #fe10 #tellius

[fridgekirby]

For @nepheather-week day 3, stars! Really late because I caught a cold, oops. Let’s pretend it’s just as hard to see the stars from cities in Tellius as it is here. Heather likes listening to Nephenee’s voice when she’s explaining something she’s excited about, it’s relaxing.

#fire emblem #fe10 #nephenee #heather #nepheatherweek #nephenee x heather #my art #(the light pollution is from fire mages practicing late into the night) #(aka Calill teaching Tormod) #I realized we never see Nephenee without her helmet so I figured she probably has helmet hair #supposed to be a style experiment but I got tired very quickly #what do you think.. flat colors in a lineless scribbly way.. #have to get ready for pen.