Fire Emblem 'Casual mode'

[Dogstile]

Again with an "oh no, my niche game has become more accessible" issue. The last one didn't even make it out of japan, if I recall. Hopefully this'll help them pick up sales elsewhere so I can actually play the bloody games again.

 

[longboardfan]

But back to this Casual mode, it kind of bugs me. I'll never play it because it goes against everything I know about Fire Emblem, so it doesn't affect me. Should I be mad that it is there? Well, I think people who pick it are doing it because they don't want that much of a challenge in the game. Maybe they just want to play the story and get through the combat easily. This additional mode doesn't affect my experience of the game. Halo has an easy and normal difficulty which I never touch, and they don't bug me.

So is there anything wrong with this Casual mode? Since it doesn't affect me in any way, no, there is nothing wrong with it. Do I like it? No, I think it takes away from the experience of Fire Emblem, but it is impossible for me to say what other people enjoy about Fire Emblem.

TL;DR: This extremely easy mode bothers me, but since I don't have to use it and can play the game the way I want to, its not a bad thing. I can understand why people might want to use it, but its not for me.

Discussion value:
This kind of ties into the "easy mode" for Dark Souls or other games that have "easier than normal" difficulties discussion. It doesn't affect you in any way, you can play the game your way, and other people can play the game their way. If you feel that it takes away from the core experience of the game, then that is just being narrow minded. There is no way that you can say, "this is the way that the game is meant to be played". What you actually mean is, "this is the way I enjoy the game, and I think it is the best way to enjoy this game to the fullest. Any other way is inferior to my way of playing" which is extremely narrow minded. You are welcome to your opinions, but expecting other people to follow them is just silly. Yes, I know how ironic it is for me to say that.

Meh, I don't really count this as casual mode because its a game mechanics unlock. See unlike Dark Souls where save points are a double edged sword and everything respawns, this merely unlocks the save and doesn't let people perma-die. There's nothing that prevents you from losing a battle and having to start the battle over again. Just like you'd have to in order to keep someone from dying in classic mode. Nothing fundamentally changes though. The classic mode is still there, and those of us that have never played a Fire Emblem game can play a run through in a mode where features that we're use to in other games are present (saving between battles, and fallen units aren't perma-dead).

What you're missing about Dark Souls isn't that it was going to be easier, they were going to simplify the story and game play to do the whole "appeal to a wider audience" crap. A toggle switch to set difficulty to easy/normal/hard or to allow game states and non-permadeath aren't core mechanics shifts nor do they simplify or alter the game in any significant way. In other words, you can turn it all off. But simplifying gameplay and story, etc to allow less 1337 players to dominate Dark Souls 2 is kinda bs. That's the difference.

 

[ecoho]

If you play Casual Mode in Fire Emblem, you are not playing Fire Emblem.
If you play Easy Mode in Dark Souls, you are not playing Dark Souls.
If you play Kids Mode in Viewtiful Joe, you are not playing Viewtiful Joe.

If all that matters to you is the difficaulty your not worth talking to

OT: i gotta say im in favor of this cause its getting my nephew to actually play the games.

Thank you. Where did I say, that difficulty is all that matters?

im sorry but your post read like this to me:

"if you cant play the game at the same level as me your not really playing it"

and if you go back and read your post youll notice it comes off like that.

I didn't mean it like that. I don't care how anybody plays their games. If you think, you'll have more fun with casual mode, go ahead, hf. All I'm saying is, that's not Fire Emblem. Like diet coke is not real coke. The tension is part of the design.
Also, if you are so interested in video games that you are discussing it on the escapist forums, you are probably "experienced" enough to enjoy Fire Emblem's normal mode. They didn't include casual mode for you. It's just there to widen the audience, to get people playing that normaly don't play video games.

ok i think i understand your point, i may not agree mind you,but i do understand it. That said your comments could be taken the wrong way and while im old enough to know what you mean kids just picking up the series with this game like my nephew would take it as a challenge to their ability and play the game on normal and end up hateing it(untill i reached 15 i hated the game for the perma death)

 

[Random Argument Man]

For fuck's sake guys, it's an option. You're not obligated to choose it. It's there for those who want it.

Just let it go.

 

[LordLundar]

So...you're bitching about a mode that:
A) Isn't required.

B) Hasn't hurt the the rest of the game's design

C) Will probably bring in MORE people, which means the next game is MORE likely to come out for NTSC-U?

I...um...huh.

Has to keep his ego in check by proclaiming that people not playing it the way he does isn't worth talking to.

And I will put this out right now. People who complain about optional difficulty settings in a single player game aren't concerned about how they play it, they're concerned with how other people play it differently. To them that is not only wrong, but a grievous sin to them. My response to this attitude is "grow up, shut up and move on."

 

[Sidney Munoz]

I am for once glad they decided to add a casual mode into the game, I am usually a fan of challenging games but as an engineer right now, I barely have time to invest hours upon hours on my games like I could do before, so this casual mode makes things easier for me being that this will be my first fire emblem game and don't' want to have to restart a level after being in combat for 30 minutes. At some point I will replay the game in classic mode, but being a newcomer to the series, the permadeath thing was always intimidating to me. Those who want to play on classic have the option to do so, so be happy about it and don't make us the newcomers feel bad about playing casual if it's our first time, instead be happy we are interested in trying out the series and the fact that many more people can now be exposed to it.

 

[TJC]

I usualy play games through several types of dificulty, starting with normal and eventualy beating hard mode, sutch is the case with No More Heroes, Devil May Cry 3 : Special Edition, and i have no problem with this game having an easy difficulty mode. I remember losing so many characters in fire emblem 7, that made the game a bit of a pain for me sometimes.

The only problem i have with Fire Emblem: Awakening, is that they don't use those awesome sprite animations, that were in the GBA games.

soo cool...

Lyn <3333
Wait... why didn't you include her Mani Katti critical as Blade Lord, which honestly is the coolest shit EVARRRRR

nnnnnnnngh... so awesome... seriously, the fucking ugly sprites from the DS games were the main reason I skipped Shadow Dragon (also, they suck)

OT: You know, I understand your hate of difficulty modes. Really, that extra click which prolongs the start of the game really is freaking annoying. Oh wait, no, I don't understand at all. Stop being an elitist prick and let people enjoy their easy mode. No one's forcing you to play it.

Unless of course the developed designed it that you'd have to play through casual mode to unlock permadeath mode, then I'd totally agree with you that easy mode is stupid idea but that's rather the issue with the dev team being a herd of pillocks than the game featuring an easy mode.


On a related side note: FUCK YOU NINTENDO. Why do I have to wait until April for that awesome game?

 

[aguspal]

Dark souls thread V.2


Since I loved that thread, this one is awesome as well.


Not going to bother to explain my opinion about this issue because I have already done so in some of the other 99999999999999999 threads of "Easy/casual difficulty RUINS GAMES". And I may need to do it again sometime in the future... just no.

 

[Atmos Duality]

If you play Casual Mode in Fire Emblem, you are not playing Fire Emblem.
If you play Easy Mode in Dark Souls, you are not playing Dark Souls.
If you play Kids Mode in Viewtiful Joe, you are not playing Viewtiful Joe.

If all that matters to you is the difficaulty your not worth talking to

OT: i gotta say im in favor of this cause its getting my nephew to actually play the games.

Thank you. Where did I say, that difficulty is all that matters?

Are you blind?
Difficulty is literally the only criteria in all three of your statements.

 

[Rack]

Sold. I'm a big fan of Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, Shining Force and Advance Wars. But two things always put me off Fire Emblem, permadeath and random levelling.

Permadeath bothers me because you simultaneously can never put a unit at risk, nor ever do anything to stop it. To even minimise it you have to send twice as many troops as are necessary to kill each enemy in a single turn. Even then you run the risk of getting a couple of misses in a row and getting one of your troops one shotted. And then what? Restart the level and play the first half an hour all over? Or let the character die and run the risk the game has been locked in an unwinnable state?

I don't find that satisfying, engaging or interesting. The game is way too long form to just accept a death spiral and the version I played didn't even have a bad ending for if you lost.

So I'm picking this up and playing Lunatic Casual. The only problem I can see you having is if they collect metrics and find this is the most popular mode. At that point I can see normal mode getting sidelined.

 

[bigredlyms]

Imagine if there was an enemy in minecraft that would delete a structure you spent hours on building.

....um aren't you forgetting something?

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss BOOM

 

[bigredlyms]

to actually reply to this thread... I've had FE awakening for about a week now and ive put in about 45 hours. Im playing on hard difficulty on classic mode. This is simply because fire emblem is my favorite series and its the way i get the most enjoyment out of it. OF COURSE i restart a map if my level 10 mage dies because of an oversight on my part not realizing that its a FALCOKNIGHT with a JAVELIN that is 10 spaces away, not a peg knight with a bronze lance. I want my characters alive, and i want to feel good about learning from my mistakes and conquering the map with no casualties.

But i LOVE the inclusion of casual mode.

I repeat. I LOVE IT. any optional modes that let new people get into the franchise and let the US get more FE games is fine by me. Rekka no Ken WAS my all time favorite videogame and now its this one. Im actually a little sad that people are angry about an optional mode that will only further increase players and get more games to the US. My brother won't play a FE game and ive been begging him for 8 years now. I dont get it. Maybe casual mode is a tool i can use to convince him to play it.

So to summarize my point... I'm a diehard FE fan that will never play with casual mode because it takes away the heartwrenching decision of either starting over ch. 28 of Hector Hard Mode because Nino died, or losing one of the best units ever obtained. However, i love the includion of this OPTIONAL mode because it can only serve to get more FE to the US.

 

[piinyouri]

I'm sure people have said it already but, you don't have to use it.

When I played Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day I would save before every battle and if someone died (turned to a crystal/chest, in which they were gone forever as well) I just reloaded, so it didnt force me to make tough life or death decisions or whatever it was supposed to do.

I'd do the same with FE if I played it.

 

[RomanceIsDead]

you know..there is nothing WRONG about there being a casual mode...but the fact that the developers put it into the game is a little bit bizarre imo. It almost seems game-breaking to the point where you have to ask what kind of gaming audience wants to play fire emblem like this. It's not like no fail mode in guitar hero or no death mode in GTA IV. I don't see any way you can draw entertainment from a strategy game when no strategy exists beyond SEND ALL UNITS IN WITHOUT USING ANY BRAINPOWER. Because basically that is what the game turns into.

 

[Zeckt]

I'm sure people have said it already but, you don't have to use it.

When I played Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day I would save before every battle and if someone died (turned to a crystal/chest, in which they were gone forever as well) I just reloaded, so it didnt force me to make tough life or death decisions or whatever it was supposed to do.

I'd do the same with FE if I played it.

The difference with fire emblem is that when the hp goes to zero they are dead dead dead. Nothing like FFT where you have 5 rounds to revive them or simply beat the map before those turns run out.

 

[piinyouri]

I'm sure people have said it already but, you don't have to use it.

When I played Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day I would save before every battle and if someone died (turned to a crystal/chest, in which they were gone forever as well) I just reloaded, so it didnt force me to make tough life or death decisions or whatever it was supposed to do.

I'd do the same with FE if I played it.

The difference with fire emblem is that when the hp goes to zero they are dead dead dead. Nothing like FFT where you have 5 rounds to revive them or simply beat the map before those turns run out.

Then I would reload if I lost anyone in a battle.

 

[Gatx]

Personally, I play with it on, I thought it would alleviate the pressure and take some of the frustration out, but in truth it didn't change anything for me. The relationships are a big thing for me and I spend entire battles grinding them out, but guess what, if a character dies, none of the points they gained with anyone in the entire battle is saved (though EXP is) so in the end I'm still devastated enough to rage quit and reload the last save anyway.

I'm sure people have said it already but, you don't have to use it.

When I played Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day I would save before every battle and if someone died (turned to a crystal/chest, in which they were gone forever as well) I just reloaded, so it didnt force me to make tough life or death decisions or whatever it was supposed to do.

I'd do the same with FE if I played it.

The difference with fire emblem is that when the hp goes to zero they are dead dead dead. Nothing like FFT where you have 5 rounds to revive them or simply beat the map before those turns run out.

That's the thing I find weird about this whole Fire Emblem permadeath thing - yeah it's there and makes the game harder, but no one actually really plays with it truly on, that is to say, live with it's consequences. I'm sure the answer you'd get if you ask most FE players what they do when a character dies, they reload the save. There isn't any XCOM style "ironman mode" to make sure that permadeath's effects are really felt anyway. So in a sense there's no real "permadeath" per se, what it really is is just a condition (imposed on the meta level) that you lose the battle if anyone dies, making you restart (similar to the rules for the main character of each game).

 

[Jirachi]

If a game has a feature you feel breaks the game,don't use it.
Hell super mario bros is made a lot easier with the infinte lives trick,but the fact is unless the game literally forces you do it,you don't have to.

 

[Jirachi]

Wow, this thread is back.

Okay, I have been playing Fire Emblem: Awakening for 23 hours now, I absolutely love the game, I am playing on casual and you know what? In my next playthrough, I will play on casual again, classic mode sounds too off putting. I played a bit of Shadow Dragon and I hated the permadeath aspect (and the fugly sprites) I love the story and character interactions.

Also, I just realized, isn't restarting after losing a unit completely destroying the concept of permadeath? Aren't you supposed to deal with the consequence of the units death? Might as well add a mode that restarts the battle when 1 unit dies.

Without casual mode, I never would have bought this game, so Nintendo adding casual mode has made me buy it, I am sure I am not the only one. I hope to see it in the next Fire Emblem game. Because those who want permadeath have nothing to lose by having casual mode as an option. Besides, I didn't see anyone complain about Persona 4 Golden adding a Very Easy mode, which lets you keep playing even if you die.

Honestly casual mode is a god send if you want to level up a weak character like lissa which in turn gives you more options.
Before I would always use the same types units in every battle because anyone else would die before i could level them up enough to hold there own.

Etrian odessy IV has a casual mode and New super mario brothers 2 has something very similar to it with the assist block(which actually has a draw back,it's harder to collect coins while using white racoon mario)