What do you think of Map Shops/Arenas?

[Darros]

The last time we've seen a proper armory/shop on a chapter map was FE12, but if you don't count remakes the last time we've seen it in the series is actually FE8. Shops, armories, and arenas were pretty standard map elements right up until the Gamecube (Other than FE2 and FE4 but those games are quite a bit different than the other ones). Do you miss these elements? I'd like to see them back sometime soon because I rather enjoyed them. Secret shops especially. The replacement for shopping hasn't been awful, but there's been no equivalent for secret shops.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

I don't want to see map shops again. Fire Emblem tends to take its setting and story seriously enough that map shops are a huge leap in logic. When war is at your door step, you close shop and pray to the gods the winning side doesn't rob your store during or after. Furthermore, if you sell to one side, and that side loses, your head is going on a pike. Especially if you're selling to a foreign force, that's treason in medieval times. It's just nonsensical for shops to be open during these chapters. Keep the shopping at base. Secret shops get my benefit of the doubt because Anna is exactly the type of person crazy and cunning enough to put up a shop in these scenarios to turn a profit from the heroes (who always win).

Arenas I'm not so sure about. I love FE4 arenas although I'm not sure how I feel about the lack of permadeath. Furthermore, keeping the arena at base where you could feasibly save abuse would be grimy in a new game. But GBA arenas let you go on indefinitely and break the game with all those level ups and money. In the case of FE6, the first arena serves as a nice reward for beating such a difficult chapter, but FE7 and 8 are already some of the easiest in this series without arena abuse, Shadow Dragon too. FE12, I don't really know about. Seems like Shadow Dragons', but you pay money to use it at base, and earn no money for victory, so you can't go on very long without diverting a lot of your resources. And Fates arenas award you no EXP or cash so there's no point.

If I had to make an arena for a new game, I'd put them outside the base on a few maps throughout the game, but follows FE4 rules where you can choose a weapon to use and expect fixed opponents to fight that aren't randomized and don't scale. And a limit on how much your units can fight, maybe create a finite pool of 20 opponents that all your units must share. Since every defeated opponent would at least be too tired to fight again after losing - or they're dead. Still not sure on permadeath, it depends on whether there's Casual Mode, Mila's Turnwhell, or map saves.

[Jedi]

I like them to an extent because it allows for some interesting planning on future runs. 

Arena might be awkward with some of the more recently added additions though, so I'd rather that work more like FE4 or FE12.

[Thinks Their Own Way]

I vastly prefer having a shopping base over shopping during a chapter; it makes zero sense and in FE 8 you can go back and shop afterwards. I like the GBA arenas, especially for training pre-promotes (I use Isadora, Innes and Seth a lot); but I feel that in a game with off chapter grinding they feel redundant.

[TheRJKid]

Shops can be a lot of fun because you have think about what weapons you might need. The problem is normally that you're given plenty of gold so you don't need to make a choice. Another thing is that I don't like how you obtain items in awakening and fates. In awakening you have to slowly cover the map to find what you want. Where as in fates you can only buy the basic weapons making the weapons feel unvaried but no weapon durability will do that.

Arenas can be a good way to newcomers to grind without your units getting be coming op... if they closed after so many turns. Fragile units struggle to benefit from arenas and strong characters just become stronger, they need to changed if they return.

While I have no problems with secret shops existing I feel like with the access to the internet people will just look up their locations and they'd lose their point of existence.

I'd rather see then return because they can easily be ignored and as long as you can buy basic weapons whenever you wouldn't even need them.

Edited May 27, 2017 by TheRJKid

[Shadow Mir]

Imo, map shopping doesn't make a lick of sense for reasons already mentioned. Arenas, I'm not sure about either. I wouldn't mind secret shops, though.

1 hour ago, TheRJKid said:

Shops can be a lot of fun because you have think about what weapons you might need. The problem is normally that you're given plenty of gold so you don't need to make a choice. Another thing is that I don't like how you obtain items in awakening and fates. In awakening you have to slowly cover the map to find what you want. Where as in fates you can only buy the basic weapons making the weapons feel unvaried but no weapon durability will do that.

I don't know what you mean about Fates - it does let you buy other weapons, but weapons other than bronze and iron (and eventually steel and silver) are limited in supply.

[X-Naut]

I can think of one good reason for map shops: regional or shop specialties. Giving map shops a one-copy bargain or slightly better weaponry than the base shop would make them a more worthwhile detour.

Arenas have less merit and if they return it might be a good idea to have the manager get sick of you winning and ban you after a certain number of matches.

[TheRJKid]

25 minutes ago, Levant Mir Celestia said:

I don't know what you mean about Fates - it does let you buy other weapons, but weapons other than bronze and iron (and eventually steel and silver) are limited in supply.

You're completely right, don't know know why I forgot about them. Might have lumped them together with the random items you get for talking to people.

[Interdimensional Observer]

Preparations shopping is more logical and convenient. Plus it frees me from having to dedicate a unit or two to doing the shopping on a given battlefield. And, I don't have to worry about running low on weapons- I can buy more before every fight instead of trying to figure out if my supplies will last me until the next set of shops. My last EHM playthrough had me precariously low on Iron Swords and Lances at times, and I pretty much burned through my supplies of Hand Axes and Javelins just before Eclipse in Time (which is loaded with Archers). 

Arenas are a gamble, and like massive babying, it's up to the player whether they want to abuse them or not. I see nothing wrong with them. And the Drill Grounds of FE12 I've heard of sound like they'd be worth bringing back.

Secret Shops are only a secret if you go in blind, and I wonder how many people do nowadays. That said, I don't mind them either and would be okay with their return.

The regional specialties/limited quantity bargain shops that @X-Naut brought up sound like a nice idea. I mean we could technically handle this via a Bargains section like in FE10, but having them on the map too would be fine. It could also add just a hint of world-building.

[Tolvir]

I would like to see shops return, maybe not exactly map shops, but especially if Echoes Villages return later in the series, adding varying shops to them would be nice. I also like the idea of secret shops, but put those in areas that make sense, but need something to get to or a special item to gain access to it. For example a weapon shop might have an item you can find later, maybe its a special coin, and if presented to the shop keep it "opens" up to the ability to buy special equipment from him you normally cant.

I also dont mind arenas, but I think they should be done a tad bit differently. Speaking we are going to the Switch now, I would love to see FE take the route of going a little more "open world" if you will. So refining Arenas to a special side thing you can complete by taking a team of 5 and fighting other teams in the arena for special rewards and gold would be nice. I think it should be made a little more interactive experience overall though, no more just throwing someone in the arena and watching them fight. Let us actually play through that fight.