I kind of wish the MU didn't exist...

[Skynstein]

I love Awakening but the existence of the MU, from a story perspective, really bugs me.

I know it's supposed to be "you" in the game, but somehow I can't overlook the fact the MU obviously isn't me, so I try to think of it as a standalone character, and when I created my MUs I took this into account. So I would create an MU with a name I devised and think of it as just another character with his own backstory.

But then I started seeing people online who sort of put themselves in MU's shoes, even going as far as marrying their favorite opposite gender characters, which is something I didn't consider when playing for the first time. For example, my favorite girl is Cordelia, but I didn't want her to marry MU in my current file because I thought there were male characters who were better for her, like Lon'qu and Stahl, and my choice fell on Stahl since he's among my favorite males and they work very well together (also their supports are cute). But in the end, I did feel somewhat bad about not marrying her (especially after seeing her supports with MU), and I wanted to make MU marry another girl I liked, such as Miriel or Cherche.

Anyway, even though the MU is supposed to be a self-insert, truth is they have a character of some sort and I think the writers didn't succeed in making him/her as generic as possible so you could really fantasize about being in MU's shoes, or they could've included different writings based on personalities... I don't know. Whenever you're given the option of creating a character like this, I can't help but not feel like I am the character. In Pokémon, for example, I tend to use canon names, because there's no way I'd see myself as the protagonist (and in Pokémon he's silent which means the immersion is bigger).

I welcome the gameplay value of MU, though. Fully customizable units FTW.

[Anacybele]

Well, I consider my Avatar to be a part of myself and an OC. I did have her marry my favorite male (Frederick ), but if I play a male Avatar, I wouldn't marry him to my favorite girl either (Cordelia) for the reasons you stated (except my preferred hubbies for Cordelia are Stahl and Frederick). I'd marry him to Sumia despite that I don't like her. But I don't see the male Avatar as much as myself as I do my female because of the gender. But I'd still imagine him to be somewhat like me, just as a guy. And going back to my female Avatar, I also have a bunch of other reasons for marrying her to Frederick besides my favoritism for him.

But all in all, both would be a combination of myself and an original character.

And I agree, fully customizable units ftw! I hope Avatar returns in the next game, though with some improvements. Like more customization for the hair and eyes (including color) and a little more of a generic personality. I also would like to choose her starting class like in New Mystery of the Emblem.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Anacybele

[PM ME MARIANNE ART]

He's too powerful. He deserves to burn. Lunatic isn't even a challenge because you can solo it with them.

[Anacybele]

Oh yeah, that too. It's too possible for Avatar to end up godly. I don't think mine is broken because her defenses are rubbish though. lol

[Rainbow Skittles]

avatar/MU is very broken

id kinda like it if they made it just average next game, maybe giving you low growths no matter what

[Rehab]

I'm not sure I understand whether or how being customizable itself is intrinsically tied to being imbalanced.

Yeah, though, the avatar is a "self-insert" in name only. They have an entire personality that, for the most part, can't be influenced by the player. I think for the term to really be accurate, as it moreso is in Pokemon, they'd either have to make the story and/or the PC's involvement in it so linear and simple that all of it happens to the player, without them influencing it outside of gameplay, alongside making the PC silent, or they'd have to actually give the player some input into what the PC says and does. Preferably somewhere in between "a lot" and "at every step of the way."

[Meteor]

I'm not sure I understand whether or how being customizable itself is intrinsically tied to being imbalanced.

It's not. Veteran is.

[Junkhead]

That's a nice write-up. I agree completely, and I'm sure a few others have/will as well. The lack of a more vast physical customization doesn't help, either...(not that I complain about it, I understand what you say)

Edited October 15, 2013 by café

[Aquakat]

I like the concept, but think that they can do better. It's still an improvement from FE12's, in my opinion.

[Sunwoo]

I'd have been happier if MU was a fixed character like every other character in the game. Like ... instead of an avatar, we should have got Robin who had a predetermined gender and growths and limited reclass options and supports like everyone else. The rest of his/her background could have been mostly the same, I wouldn't have cared. Just take out the customizable part that makes him/her more of a self-insert.

[WyvernSurfer]

I like that s/he has a fixed personality. It's just that I really wish the Avatar was more fleshed out of a character with actual depth. It felt like the devs were stuck in the middle of a fixed, story character and a blank slate. Basically "One size fits all".

But going the self-insert route, it would be pretty sweet if they had pulled a Commander Shepard where you select one line of dialogue and the next few lines of dialogue follow its tone. Well, there's me and my impractical ideas again...

[Jedi]

I like the concept, but think that they can do better. It's still an improvement from FE12's, in my opinion.

I honestly think FE12 trumps it, because you could pick your starting class and the origins of your character.

[Zerker]

I love Awakening but the existence of the MU, from a story perspective, really bugs me.

I know it's supposed to be "you" in the game, but somehow I can't overlook the fact the MU obviously isn't me, so I try to think of it as a standalone character, and when I created my MUs I took this into account. So I would create an MU with a name I devised and think of it as just another character with his own backstory.

But then I started seeing people online who sort of put themselves in MU's shoes, even going as far as marrying their favorite opposite gender characters, which is something I didn't consider when playing for the first time. For example, my favorite girl is Cordelia, but I didn't want her to marry MU in my current file because I thought there were male characters who were better for her, like Lon'qu and Stahl, and my choice fell on Stahl since he's among my favorite males and they work very well together (also their supports are cute). But in the end, I did feel somewhat bad about not marrying her (especially after seeing her supports with MU), and I wanted to make MU marry another girl I liked, such as Miriel or Cherche.

Anyway, even though the MU is supposed to be a self-insert, truth is they have a character of some sort and I think the writers didn't succeed in making him/her as generic as possible so you could really fantasize about being in MU's shoes, or they could've included different writings based on personalities... I don't know. Whenever you're given the option of creating a character like this, I can't help but not feel like I am the character. In Pokémon, for example, I tend to use canon names, because there's no way I'd see myself as the protagonist (and in Pokémon he's silent which means the immersion is bigger).

I welcome the gameplay value of MU, though. Fully customizable units FTW.

Nothing's perfect

suck it up

[RJWalker]

The Avatar is the biggest mess in the pile of shit that is FE13's 'plot'.

[Light-Heart]

I wouldn't mind as creating a game avatar can be fun, but the lack of options when designing the character just stinks. You only get a short few hairstyles, body-types and facial appearance or " eyes " is extremely lacking. You can't even choose skin color or even choose whether or not to have glasses or a beard.

Not only that but the Chrom fangirls would be less extreme and Sumia wouldn't be getting so much hate for almost " stealing " Their Chrom Senpai.

But I actually do want another Avatar as mad as it sounds, just because of the chance of improvements. And a option to choose different personalities would be neat. Just make her/ him a less of a Mary- Sue/ Gary- Stu and less important to the plot.

And make Henry the lead instead.

Edited October 15, 2013 by glenncoco

[Sånıc Bÿm]

For example, my favorite girl is Cordelia, but I didn't want her to marry MU in my current file because I thought there were male characters who were better for her, like Lon'qu and Stahl, and my choice fell on Stahl since he's among my favorite males and they work very well together (also their supports are cute).

Aww, that's so sweet... Now that is what I call true love! <3

Anyway, I personally like the MU mechanic and wish it had been first implemented much, much earlier in the series (like at least as early as FE4). I think other games and game series have done a far better job with the whole self-insert thing than Fire Emblem. The Elder Scrolls is an obvious example (though I'm sure there's at least one person in the world that would disagree with me), but even in games where the only thing you can customize at the beginning is the main character's name, such as Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time, the main characters make far better self-inserts than FE13's Avatar, such as GL: WoT's Crevanille. In GL: WoT, whenever it is Crevanille's turn to talk, you are always given a list of dialogue lines to choose from, and the people that you're talking with will give a different response depending on the dialogue line that you choose.

[RJWalker]

I'd have a Tactician like Mark. Mark is the only real tactician because he/she doesn't fight on the front lines. A tactician doesn't take part in the battle itself. Their job is to observe from the back and command the troops.

[Junkhead]

The Avatar is such a Mary Sue.

[Skynstein]

Aww, that's so sweet... Now that is what I call true love! <3

Well wouldn't you prefer to marry the girl to a badass character? MU wishes he was as badass as Lon'qu, lol. Or as adorable as Stahl. <3 In the specific case of Cordelia, you need to be better than Chrom at something. Lon'qu is more badass and Stahl is more sympathetic. Ironically enough these are her best pairings from an optimization perspective.

But yes, I agree with everyone who says the Avatar is a Mary Sue, and in the worst definition of the term. He's very powerful, he's crucial to the plot, he's instantly likeable, the mastermind behind the success of Chrom's league, and on top of that he can marry the girl you want to marry! That's overkill, lol. Still, with regards to pairings, I wanted the avatar to either remain celibate or marry someone unimportant to the plot and who can't support anyone else, like Anna. Then I can freely marry the other characters without worries.

Of course, with regards to optimization, it's best to marry the Avatar to someone involved in the plot, but I don't care much about that.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Malebolganone

[Sylphid]

I like the idea of making myself into a Fire Emblem game, but I dislike avatar.

It almost always does the exact opposite of what I would do... Most of the time avatar is a jerk when I would be nice, or nice when I would say something sarcastic.

Also, my self insert wouldn't have Veteran maybe if it was called newbie

At least thanks to not being able to liken Avatar to myself, I could do something like RobinxMaribelle, which became my OTP

IS needs to learn to do self inserts right >__>

[PM ME MARIANNE ART]

Maybe a personality option? Probably not going to happen.

[Loki Laufeyson]

The Avatar is such a Mary Sue.

He/she really is. I think this was intentional because Avatar is supposed to be a self insert character and wish fulfillment. You get to make a guy and go into the story and marry the cast member of your choice. All while you save the world from the big bad. At least it felt like i was playing an intentional Sue.

I would be fine with this except for that one chapter. You know the one. The one where Avatar charbroils an entire fleet of people and gets praised for it. That just sucked. So these days, i just skip the plot more or less.

From a gameplay standpoint, i find Avatar to be loads of fun. I like marrying characters and creating super babies and murdering everything. I like picking what my guy looks like. What i do wish is that the international releases kept the Silent Protagonist Option.