Best continent in Fire Emblem (only story)

[NewDisplayName]

Which continent in FE is the best (story-wise) and why?

Edited April 11, 2016 by N_fan

[Gradivus.]

Akaneia =/= Valencia =/= Ylisse + Valm

Akaneia is probably my favorite, the rest I'm kinda mixed on really. I like FE6's but don't like FE7's story, and I really like FE5's plot but find FE4's only okay etc.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Gradivus.

[Anacybele]

Tellius. Best world-building, story, and characters to me by a long shot. I've never played Japan only FE games, and while I'm interested in the Jugdral ones, they haven't interested me as much as Tellius did before I played it.

[Knight Falchion]

As it was with the favorite era of FE games question, I'm torn between Jugdral and Akaneia with Tellius in second place.

edit: I'd probably vote Akaneia if it wasn't also tied to Valentia and Ylisse.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Ambling Falchion

[blah the Prussian]

Tellius, because it does such a wonderful job at making everything so damn nuanced. There are good people and bad people in every country, and no country is truly innocent. It also has my favorite FE character ever, Sanaki. I will say I would have preferred it if Elincia and Ike were joint lords, because Elincia is a much more interesting character than Ike is, but overall, if we ignore the unfortunateness that was Radiant Dawn, Tellius kicks ass. Also, Ashnard. I already went on a big rant about how kickass of an antagonist he is in the other thread, but, basically, he is the only human FE antagonist that is no one's bitch. I like that.

[Etrurian emperor]

Tellius, because it does such a wonderful job at making everything so damn nuanced. There are good people and bad people in every country, and no country is truly innocent.

Well....almost. Its certainly impressive how they made countries like Daein and Begnion seen antagonist nations while clearly filled with people who aren't evil, even if they do have evil members among them.

However the race aspect is where the nuance tend to get lost. Pretty much every conflict is sparked by the Beorcs who have a large number of nobles who just want to eat Laguz babies for breakfast. As such the Laguz who are wary of Beorcs like Lethe and early game Tibarn and Reyson are fully justified in doing so while no one ever has a legit point against the Laguz.

But I agree that Tellius is the best continent story wise. Its countries are the most developed and they actually do act like countries rather then just locations that breed certain classes. I also have a soft spot for the world building of Elibe thanks to 7 giving so much detail to Lycia, Bern and Sacea.

Jugdral is a strong contender for the plot but I don't think the continent itself is all that strong.

[EricaofRenais]

Tellius, because like the others have said it has the best world building and story (at least in PoR). Tellius has the best defined nations with reasons for fighting then any other FE I have played, though I admit I haven't played the Japan only ones. I do get a little tired of the over used plot of evil dragon wants to destroy the world and the heroes have to stop them, so it was nice playing a FE game where there were no evil dragons in the plot for a change.

[RJWalker]

I can't vote on this because the best is Archanea but Ylisse is the worst.

[blah the Prussian]

Well....almost. Its certainly impressive how they made countries like Daein and Begnion seen antagonist nations while clearly filled with people who aren't evil, even if they do have evil members among them.

However the race aspect is where the nuance tend to get lost. Pretty much every conflict is sparked by the Beorcs who have a large number of nobles who just want to eat Laguz babies for breakfast. As such the Laguz who are wary of Beorcs like Lethe and early game Tibarn and Reyson are fully justified in doing so while no one ever has a legit point against the Laguz.

But I agree that Tellius is the best continent story wise. Its countries are the most developed and they actually do act like countries rather then just locations that breed certain classes. I also have a soft spot for the world building of Elibe thanks to 7 giving so much detail to Lycia, Bern and Sacea.

Jugdral is a strong contender for the plot but I don't think the continent itself is all that strong.

The only Laguz Kingdom that really applies to is Gallia, thoug. Naesala is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, sure, but they're still the wrong things. Tibarn likes going all Somalia on everyone's asses, including on innocent people. Deghinsea, meanwhile, is fucking Switzerland. I do agree that Gallia should have been more nuanced, though. Maybe point out that they're strongest becomes King philosophy isn't that different from Ashnard's ideology?

[MCProductions]

I wish I could vote twice, as I love Archenea and Elibe equally.

As far as story is concerned, I personally adore Archenea and Elibe's simplicity compared to the other's attempts at complex story lines, which in my opinion, are typically poorly executed.

[Fire Emblem Fan]

Elibe, without a doubt. I love the stories of Binding Blade and Blazing Sword, and the lore and world building are excellent. The cast of Blazing Sword is seriously one of my favorites in any video game ever and just make the world so good, and BB's cast is very big but has some real gems in the cast that help build the world and story, which makes me love it even more.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Fire Emblem Fan

[Etrurian emperor]

The only Laguz Kingdom that really applies to is Gallia, thoug. Naesala is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, sure, but they're still the wrong things. Tibarn likes going all Somalia on everyone's asses, including on innocent people. Deghinsea, meanwhile, is fucking Switzerland. I do agree that Gallia should have been more nuanced, though. Maybe point out that they're strongest becomes King philosophy isn't that different from Ashnard's ideology?

In Por alone Naesala certainly would count for more nuanced Laguz king but RD shows that a large part of it is Begnion's doing. Part of it is also greed and power hunger, sure but Neasalla gets his actions explained while the Senators and a large chunk of the Daein bosses are just evil. And that's a patren I see a lot with Laguz. Whether its the Raven's dishonorly behavior or Skrimiri's arrogance its always justified or explained that they just need to learn more. Jill aside most beorcs just don't get that treatment.

I wouldn't say Tibarn is getting all Somalia on everyone, he's said to only attack the ships of Begnion because they committed genocide on his brother race. He's still only responded to beorc aggression and he stops doing it after the events of Serenes forest. I don't think its ever stated Tibarn's hawks ever attacks non combatants. Its also not stated that they don't so I guess its up to interpretation but Tibarn not even being willing to attack ships already engaged in combat makes me think he gives non combantats a pass. But that's just headcannon.

What's wrong with Switzerland? Its a lovely place :D Dhegi's policies are probably more negative then positive but he never sets out with the deliberate and unprovoked aim to cause harm like the Senators do. At their introduction the dragon Laguz are portrayed as pretty noble and Ike recalls both them and Galia as examples of better ways then that of Beorc nobles.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Etrurian emperor

[Magical Glace]

Elibe. I like how the games sorta call into question what the protagonists thought was "right" and "true" for basically their whole lives.

...Wish it was more gradual rather than a information dump in Chapter 24 of FE6 though. Would make that chapter not require a boring as hell map.

[BrightBow]

The only Laguz Kingdom that really applies to is Gallia, thoug. Naesala is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, sure, but they're still the wrong things. Tibarn likes going all Somalia on everyone's asses, including on innocent people. Deghinsea, meanwhile, is fucking Switzerland. I do agree that Gallia should have been more nuanced, though. Maybe point out that they're strongest becomes King philosophy isn't that different from Ashnard's ideology?

One of the very few things I liked about RD Part 3 is that they showed some of Gallia's weaknesses. Skrimir gets to lead because of his power but he is an utter meathead and ends up costing the alliance the war. And part of the reason that he and Tibarn were against a ceasefire and negotiations is because they would have trouble keeping their own soldiers under control should they gave them orders that they are extremely opposed to. Ranulf even states that it doesn't even occur to this folks that they can't just win this war by simply mauling through everything until they reach Sienne.

Edited April 11, 2016 by BrightBow

[Sentacotus]

For me I'd say Tellius is explored the best. Say what you want about Radiant Dawn being all over the place but as a result you get to see a little bit of everything and even see commoners active and all the races/nations are built up pretty well with personalities. Aka warrior like Laguz, pacifist Herons, expansionist/bigoted Daien, royal/moderate Crimea.

Edited April 11, 2016 by LordTaco42

[AnnetheCatDetective]

Tellius. I dig the different countries, the path through them that lets us see a bunch of different places and people, and I really like the various Laguz nations, having a wider variety of sentient races. And the pace at which we get the history of the continent and the relationships between the nations worked for me.

[blah the Prussian]

In Por alone Naesala certainly would count for more nuanced Laguz king but RD shows that a large part of it is Begnion's doing. Part of it is also greed and power hunger, sure but Neasalla gets his actions explained while the Senators and a large chunk of the Daein bosses are just evil. And that's a patren I see a lot with Laguz. Whether its the Raven's dishonorly behavior or Skrimiri's arrogance its always justified or explained that they just need to learn more. Jill aside most beorcs just don't get that treatment.

I wouldn't say Tibarn is getting all Somalia on everyone, he's said to only attack the ships of Begnion because they committed genocide on his brother race. He's still only responded to beorc aggression and he stops doing it after the events of Serenes forest. I don't think its ever stated Tibarn's hawks ever attacks non combatants. Its also not stated that they don't so I guess its up to interpretation but Tibarn not even being willing to attack ships already engaged in combat makes me think he gives non combantats a pass. But that's just headcannon.

What's wrong with Switzerland? Its a lovely place :D Dhegi's policies are probably more negative then positive but he never sets out with the deliberate and unprovoked aim to cause harm like the Senators do. At their introduction the dragon Laguz are portrayed as pretty noble and Ike recalls both them and Galia as examples of better ways then that of Beorc nobles.

...which would have been a good thing to deconstruct, given that survival of the fittest is horrible. Showing Caineghis to be a Fascistic brute would have helped too. I also seriously doubt that not a single of the Begnion ships was innocent. But yeah, I do agree overall that the whole Beorc vs Laguz thing could have and should have been handled better.

[Zosha]

I would've said why I like Tellius the most, but everyone else already said why. Hahaha.

[NekoKnight]

I like Elibe and Tellius a lot but I have to give my vote to Telllius for the fantastic world building. I didn't know how much I appreciated it until future titles lost it.

[Sunwoo]

Of the games that I've played (7-11, 13-14), I have to give it to Tellius. The lore of that world is done really well, and even if there were a couple of major hiccups in story elements I still have to give it credit for being ambitious AND working out (well, for me at least). PoR at the very least was written well enough. RD had some issues, but there were other parts that were done very well (part 2 in particular).

[majora_787]

This is hard. It definitely isn't Elibe with all of its gaping plotholes and horrible development, or Magvel with its relative complete lack of development. And at the same time while I would consider Archanea it definitely isn't Ylisse or Valentia either... considering one just kind of exists to continue off Archanea with arguable effectiveness, and Valentia just kind of... exists? While Fates had an amount of development in a single game, I guess then Tellius, since I prefer its world building a fair amount to Jugdral's.

I guess if I had to rank it, it'd be...

Tellius > Archanea > Jugdral > Hoshido/Nohr >>> Magvel > Ylisse >>>>>>>>>>> Valentia > Elibe

Edited April 12, 2016 by majora_787

[Anacybele]

I can't vote on this because the best is Archanea but Ylisse is the worst.

This guy has a point, Archanea and Ylisse should be separated. And nothing in this series so far can be as bad as the latter...

[blah the Prussian]

This guy has a point, Archanea and Ylisse should be separated. And nothing in this series so far can be as bad as the latter...

Fates Conquest is as bad as the latter. At least Awakening is coherent and the characters generally aren't stupid and make the correct choices.

[Moblin Major General]

Fates Conquest is as bad as the latter. At least Awakening is coherent and the characters generally aren't stupid and make the correct choices.

Not to mention Chrom wouldn't pull a waltzing into Belhalla like Sigurd. He might be naive, but stupid he ain't. I chose Jugdral because it shows the source reference the best, even more so than Tellius, in that it shows obvious flaws in Eugenics.

[BrightBow]

Fates Conquest is as bad as the latter. At least Awakening is coherent and the characters generally aren't stupid and make the correct choices.

One day, I really need to make a full list of all the stupid in Awakening but let's just say Awakening's main character is a guy who literally tried to defeat "Fate" by doing the very thing that he knows didn't work in a previous timeline. Chrom has even seen firsthand how Vallidar can control Robin. Yet Chrom's reaction towards Robin pleading that she shouldn't come with him is to invoke the sunk-cost fallacy.

While we are on that scene, some mention should also go to Lucina who decides to resort to murder because that is apparently preferable to simply keeping Robin away from Chrom.

Not to mention Chrom wouldn't pull a waltzing into Belhalla like Sigurd. He might be naive, but stupid he ain't. I chose Jugdral because it shows the source reference the best, even more so than Tellius, in that it shows obvious flaws in Eugenics.

Then what else would you call "invading a foreign nation whose army has far superior numbers to ours?"

Sigurd's invasion of Grandbell probably faced far better odds seeing how he already had allies in Lenster and Edda. But more importantly the only absolute enemies he faced from what he could know at the time were the Freedge and the Dozel. And Sigurd kicked the Dozel of the board early on.

Edited April 12, 2016 by BrightBow