I know I have spent much time bitching about the latest Fire Emblem Three Houses. I just read Gamespot's review and am even more perplexed as to whether we were playing the same game or not. they rated it 9.5 Superb IIRC ... WTF? that last part is just MO
(if you're reading this to hear about the free games, jump to Free Games )
I would like at this point to take a moment to take apart Fire EMblem and find out what makes this game so great for me, and I believe for many of us. To start with I am a bit of a junior profiler. I have a hobby of studying various forms of profiling via psychology. Many are uncomfortable with the concept, we like to think we're entirely unique in this world but we are simply much more like our neighbors than we like to admit to ourselves and the world. A very intelligent woman I once knew used to say, about our disagreements; if we both agreed on everything, one of us would be unnecessary in this world.
Anyway, my point is, I believe there is a [very general] profile of the type of person that enjoys Fire Emblem. Their most obvious personality trait being an attraction to the logical train of thought, found in processes such as chess, computer programming and such. It should be no wonder that so many computer lovers are also gamers and Fire Emblem players. Back to my point.
Let us examine Fire Emblem. It is a game that takes place in the Dark Ages; Check, well, many games today do, or at least in a mythical version of the dark ages anyway. It involves battles, more to the point: swordplay. Many games do today, so that's not unique, so there are two points that do not make it stand out so far.
The storyline is engaging. IMO few storylines in video games today are engaging. Unlike the movie industry that hires professional writers to construct scripts that make sense, game companies seem to just create a mechanic that works, and throw together words that seem to fit, and move on hoping everyone will accept it, and most of us swallow this tripe without question, as there are no other options. I am not saying the earlier Fire Emblem Storys/scripts were crap, to the contrary, Nintendo has some of the better/best written in the gaming industry The scripts I speak of here are most released in the US from The first GBA Fire Emblem, what was it Bind Blade? Sword of Seals? something like that, my memory isn't so good these days..
SIDE NOTE: This throwing together of words to fit an effect is something that often separates a professional mentalist or our distant cousins the magicians from an amateur. There are those who are technically/manually proficient but not at all entertaining, due to their words and actions not matching.
Back to Fire Emblem. I explained that in hopes that the contrast would illustrate the problem with the game IMO. The final thing that the game has going for it that make it stand apart that is in fact unique is its battle mechanic. Now several other turned based tactical/strategy games also have a similar mechanic but few have what I call the holy trilogy. 1) The Weapons Triangle, 2) The Magic (With its own triangle) 3) PermaDeath. I believe if t these three had been removed from the old games years ago, we would never have played F.E. Three Houses, Echoes, Fates Etc...
The act of throwing together a mechanic with random, seemingly right words should be unacceptable to today's knowledgeable gamers. We deserve quality scripts at this stage where gaming makes more money than movies. We need to be realistic and stop upvoting crap just because it comes from someone who should have done better and usually does. Let us stop making our responses, knee jerk reactions because we expect good from them, when we get... meh. stop-think-rate.
There are several other turned based games of note on the Switch right now, some you may not even be aware of. One was due to be released on the DSI but was too late, got released on the IOs instead and then finally on the Switch entitled Mecho Wars Desert Ashes. It was designed after the Fire Emblem/ Advanced wares Mechanic, by an admission from Bernard Luc the creator. He also created a follow-up title called War Theatre. Now the graphics on these are funky, but the gameplay is definitely there. Again more Advance wars style than Fire Emblem though. Then we have Into The Breach which most of you know about as well as Wargroove, both good in their own right. Then we have Tiny Metal (the first one) followed by Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble, which takes the first one and makes it even better and cheaper at that. And let us not forget Valkyria Chronicles. That last one is a bit of a stretch but IMO still fits the category. I say we're getting our fill of TBS this time around. I still would welcome an Advance Wars 2K+
There may be more, those are only the ones I am aware of. Oh almost forgot, one more; Tactics V: Obsidian... something
Free Games ???
I realize this is long but bear with me. On another note altogether, I have the habit of being very, very careful with my finances and budget my money for games. Lately, I have taken to buying/getting games on the computer, my laptop I might have normally gotten on the switch. I would have preferred it portable, but who can argue FREE? I have received 15, yes 15 titles this year of Indies, without dropping a dime on one. 12 of them are being sold for $20. USD or more on the Switch. I was subscribed to C.A.G. on my twitter account and happened to hear about a free game from EPIC games, I noticed it was one I wanted on the switch and was on my wishlist, I figured what the hell, why not. ever since then, I downloaded it, they have been pushing me one or two free games every two or three weeks,
Now I realize steam gives away games free all the time. My laptop is not nearly up to snuff to play using steam (8th gen intel core i3, 16 GB Intel Optane Memory, 4 GB DDR4, 1 TB hard drive.) SO I have to takes what I getz. I only included this, not as clickbait but not everyone may know about these free options.
The point is, it saved me enough to get what I want when N's triple-A titles come out. I'm semi-retired and on a fixed income so I have to budget. What kills me is when I hear people bitching about how they can't make ends meet, when they're making almost twice what I do right now and they're still broke. It isn't how much you make, it's how much you save of what you have. Lesson here? Pay Yourself First.
PS and I have far more bills than most people I know.
Hope you Njoyed have a great Day/Night
SyFyTY
(if you're reading this to hear about the free games, jump to Free Games )
I would like at this point to take a moment to take apart Fire EMblem and find out what makes this game so great for me, and I believe for many of us. To start with I am a bit of a junior profiler. I have a hobby of studying various forms of profiling via psychology. Many are uncomfortable with the concept, we like to think we're entirely unique in this world but we are simply much more like our neighbors than we like to admit to ourselves and the world. A very intelligent woman I once knew used to say, about our disagreements; if we both agreed on everything, one of us would be unnecessary in this world.
Anyway, my point is, I believe there is a [very general] profile of the type of person that enjoys Fire Emblem. Their most obvious personality trait being an attraction to the logical train of thought, found in processes such as chess, computer programming and such. It should be no wonder that so many computer lovers are also gamers and Fire Emblem players. Back to my point.
Let us examine Fire Emblem. It is a game that takes place in the Dark Ages; Check, well, many games today do, or at least in a mythical version of the dark ages anyway. It involves battles, more to the point: swordplay. Many games do today, so that's not unique, so there are two points that do not make it stand out so far.
The storyline is engaging. IMO few storylines in video games today are engaging. Unlike the movie industry that hires professional writers to construct scripts that make sense, game companies seem to just create a mechanic that works, and throw together words that seem to fit, and move on hoping everyone will accept it, and most of us swallow this tripe without question, as there are no other options. I am not saying the earlier Fire Emblem Storys/scripts were crap, to the contrary, Nintendo has some of the better/best written in the gaming industry The scripts I speak of here are most released in the US from The first GBA Fire Emblem, what was it Bind Blade? Sword of Seals? something like that, my memory isn't so good these days..
SIDE NOTE: This throwing together of words to fit an effect is something that often separates a professional mentalist or our distant cousins the magicians from an amateur. There are those who are technically/manually proficient but not at all entertaining, due to their words and actions not matching.
Back to Fire Emblem. I explained that in hopes that the contrast would illustrate the problem with the game IMO. The final thing that the game has going for it that make it stand apart that is in fact unique is its battle mechanic. Now several other turned based tactical/strategy games also have a similar mechanic but few have what I call the holy trilogy. 1) The Weapons Triangle, 2) The Magic (With its own triangle) 3) PermaDeath. I believe if t these three had been removed from the old games years ago, we would never have played F.E. Three Houses, Echoes, Fates Etc...
The act of throwing together a mechanic with random, seemingly right words should be unacceptable to today's knowledgeable gamers. We deserve quality scripts at this stage where gaming makes more money than movies. We need to be realistic and stop upvoting crap just because it comes from someone who should have done better and usually does. Let us stop making our responses, knee jerk reactions because we expect good from them, when we get... meh. stop-think-rate.
There are several other turned based games of note on the Switch right now, some you may not even be aware of. One was due to be released on the DSI but was too late, got released on the IOs instead and then finally on the Switch entitled Mecho Wars Desert Ashes. It was designed after the Fire Emblem/ Advanced wares Mechanic, by an admission from Bernard Luc the creator. He also created a follow-up title called War Theatre. Now the graphics on these are funky, but the gameplay is definitely there. Again more Advance wars style than Fire Emblem though. Then we have Into The Breach which most of you know about as well as Wargroove, both good in their own right. Then we have Tiny Metal (the first one) followed by Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble, which takes the first one and makes it even better and cheaper at that. And let us not forget Valkyria Chronicles. That last one is a bit of a stretch but IMO still fits the category. I say we're getting our fill of TBS this time around. I still would welcome an Advance Wars 2K+
There may be more, those are only the ones I am aware of. Oh almost forgot, one more; Tactics V: Obsidian... something
Free Games ???
I realize this is long but bear with me. On another note altogether, I have the habit of being very, very careful with my finances and budget my money for games. Lately, I have taken to buying/getting games on the computer, my laptop I might have normally gotten on the switch. I would have preferred it portable, but who can argue FREE? I have received 15, yes 15 titles this year of Indies, without dropping a dime on one. 12 of them are being sold for $20. USD or more on the Switch. I was subscribed to C.A.G. on my twitter account and happened to hear about a free game from EPIC games, I noticed it was one I wanted on the switch and was on my wishlist, I figured what the hell, why not. ever since then, I downloaded it, they have been pushing me one or two free games every two or three weeks,
Now I realize steam gives away games free all the time. My laptop is not nearly up to snuff to play using steam (8th gen intel core i3, 16 GB Intel Optane Memory, 4 GB DDR4, 1 TB hard drive.) SO I have to takes what I getz. I only included this, not as clickbait but not everyone may know about these free options.
The point is, it saved me enough to get what I want when N's triple-A titles come out. I'm semi-retired and on a fixed income so I have to budget. What kills me is when I hear people bitching about how they can't make ends meet, when they're making almost twice what I do right now and they're still broke. It isn't how much you make, it's how much you save of what you have. Lesson here? Pay Yourself First.
PS and I have far more bills than most people I know.
Hope you Njoyed have a great Day/Night
SyFyTY
