How about a story whose lords are an established couple?

[IEatLasers]

The canon romances tend to be the best. 

Marth and Caeda

Alm and Celica

Chrom and Olivia

Sigurd and Dierde

 

[TheGreatNothing]

On 9/27/2017 at 0:49 AM, IEatLasers said:

 

Chrom and Olivia

Chrom and Sumia are canon not them.

[IEatLasers]

1 hour ago, ThatOneWeakArcher said:

Chrom and Sumia are canon not them.

That’s not even true. 

[Lord_Grima]

 

1 hour ago, IEatLasers said:

That’s not even true. 

FE: Awakening title/ Intro Cutscene.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zbNdQhDfAg

Around 1:25 - 1:31, Sumia is clearly shown.

Support Growths: Chrom x Sumia has Chrom's quickest support growth.

https://serenesforest.net/awakening/characters/supports/support-growth/

And: "Finally, in the case of equal support points (and, again, if neither of the special cases apply), the priority goes: Sumia --> Sully --> Maribelle --> Avatar --> Olivia."

Just a little food for thought :)

________________________________________

Getting Back on topic, I think a pre-determined couple, or something like Alm and Celica would be a great idea. It can be something unique and you can get a lot of story elements from that, cause in Awakening/ Fates, S-Ranks have no story relevance (besides kids). So, having a story element based of this relationship could be really interesting(similar to Alm and Celica's fight but more drawn out, or causes different changes in the army based on how you answer a question as that character).

 

[IEatLasers]

To be fair 

 

Inigo is the only child with a brand except Lucina 

Olivia and Chrom’s supports actually expand on both character and help both overcome obstacles 

Inigos father supports only make sense for Chrom 

if all girls are tied in supports, Olivia takes priority. Olivia and Sumia are tied for fewest points needed to marry Chrom but Olivia takes priority in case of a tie. 

[eclipse]

On 9/20/2017 at 2:39 PM, ElectiveToast said:

Normally, I would be okay with this type of idea, but Waifu Emblem has proven to sell better than Fire Emblem. Observe SoV's lesser sales.  

Or maybe it's other factors, like gameplay.  I think SoV is decent, but the maps/sprites look dated. . .never mind the layout of some of those story maps.

---

Ephraim and Eirika are. . .*shot repeatedly*

Whether this works or not really depends on the writing.  Alm/Celica worked because it was one of their driving motivations.  Sigurd/Deidre didn't, because there was very little progression from "hey you're good-looking" to Seliph.  I think it would be cool if the main character was already in a committed relationship, as long as the writing does it justice.

[Sias]

I'm honestly not sure whether I would like potential canon relationships for the lords. Like, Marth/Caeda was pretty fine, but Sigurd/Deidre feels horribly rushed and Alm/Celica could also use more interaction and less BECAUSE OF DESTINY. Also an actual support would have been nice for the latter two.
Everything could be very well done ofc and enhance the story/flesh the protagonists out some more, but I really don't trust IS with the issue. It's also quite likely that they will go back to some form of Avatar and marriage sim again, which might torpede the probabilities of a canon pairing happen.

10 hours ago, IEatLasers said:

To be fair 

 

Inigo is the only child with a brand except Lucina 

Olivia and Chrom’s supports actually expand on both character and help both overcome obstacles 

Inigos father supports only make sense for Chrom

Also, regarding Chrom/Sumia vs Chrom/Olivia: Imo there are no real canon couples in Awakening as in the end every pairing is up to the player, but that doesn't mean that Sumia isn't nevertheless heavily hinted at?

I dunno, but all the things you write regarding supports are just your personal opinion and therefore no objective facts about anything. There's also the issue with the Chrom/Olivia supports never even being readable in the main game as they get totally skipped.

While it may be true that Inigo is the only child besides Lucina whose brand gets explicitly mentioned, this doesn't mean that none of her other potential siblings have it. And even if that were the case, it still wouldn't be an issue because we explicitly know that not every royal child inherits one (see Lissa).

Quote

if all girls are tied in supports, Olivia takes priority. Olivia and Sumia are tied for fewest points needed to marry Chrom but Olivia takes priority in case of a tie. 

Also this is just factually wrong, please take a look at https://serenesforest.net/awakening/characters/supports/support-basics/#Forced

We could look at the other side of the spectrum however and see what the game tells us about Chrom/Sumia: We have them appearing as a couple in the opening cinematic, getting quite a bunch of extra scenes together during the storyline, having a cutscene at the start of chapter 3 which is basically named "lovebirds" in Japanese, mirroring the whole Marth/Caeda/Catria scenario when we include Cordelia, being both the only people with strangely limited marriage pools...

What is also interesting is the following: If you inspect the ingame files that play during Chrom's auto-marriage, you'll discover that the different versions are all named after the respective wife (scene name_Maribelle, scene name_Sully, scene name_Olivia, scene name_Robin) - with the exception of Sumia's. Her file is literally just called "scene name" without an appendix... as it's the default version of that event. A similar thing also happens to the mother-daughter scene during chapter 13, I believe.

Sure, it's nevertheless by no means canon, but certainly as close to canon as Awakening will ever get.

[ElectiveToast]

3 hours ago, eclipse said:

Or maybe it's other factors, like gameplay.  I think SoV is decent, but the maps/sprites look dated. . .never mind the layout of some of those story maps.

---

Ephraim and Eirika are. . .*shot repeatedly*

Whether this works or not really depends on the writing.  Alm/Celica worked because it was one of their driving motivations.  Sigurd/Deidre didn't, because there was very little progression from "hey you're good-looking" to Seliph.  I think it would be cool if the main character was already in a committed relationship, as long as the writing does it justice.

SoV is fairly traditional for a Fire Emblem game minus the wild twist of the turnwheel, but couldn't stand up to Fates and Awakening. What works for Nintendo is what sells. 

Edited September 29, 2017 by ElectiveToast

[eclipse]

2 minutes ago, ElectiveToast said:

SoV is fairly traditional for a Fire Emblem game minus the wild twist of the turnwheel, but couldn't stand up to Fates and Awakening. What works for Nintendo is what sells. 

Between the dungeons, lack of weapon triangle, subquests, the magic system, and a very different promotion system, I'd say that it was a far cry from traditional.  SoV wasn't meant to be The Next Big Thing (if numbers are to be believed), but I think it functioned well enough.  Even if I do have my issues with the game, I'm thankful that it was made and released.

[IEatLasers]

1 hour ago, Sias said:

I'm honestly not sure whether I would like potential canon relationships for the lords. Like, Marth/Caeda was pretty fine, but Sigurd/Deidre feels horribly rushed and Alm/Celica could also use more interaction and less BECAUSE OF DESTINY. Also an actual support would have been nice for the latter two.
Everything could be very well done ofc and enhance the story/flesh the protagonists out some more, but I really don't trust IS with the issue. It's also quite likely that they will go back to some form of Avatar and marriage sim again, which might torpede the probabilities of a canon pairing happen.

Also, regarding Chrom/Sumia vs Chrom/Olivia: Imo there are no real canon couples in Awakening as in the end every pairing is up to the player, but that doesn't mean that Sumia isn't nevertheless heavily hinted at?

I dunno, but all the things you write regarding supports are just your personal opinion and therefore no objective facts about anything. There's also the issue with the Chrom/Olivia supports never even being readable in the main game as they get totally skipped.

While it may be true that Inigo is the only child besides Lucina whose brand gets explicitly mentioned, this doesn't mean that none of her other potential siblings have it. And even if that were the case, it still wouldn't be an issue because we explicitly know that not every royal child inherits one (see Lissa).

Also this is just factually wrong, please take a look at https://serenesforest.net/awakening/characters/supports/support-basics/#Forced

We could look at the other side of the spectrum however and see what the game tells us about Chrom/Sumia: We have them appearing as a couple in the opening cinematic, getting quite a bunch of extra scenes together during the storyline, having a cutscene at the start of chapter 3 which is basically named "lovebirds" in Japanese, mirroring the whole Marth/Caeda/Catria scenario when we include Cordelia, being both the only people with strangely limited marriage pools...

What is also interesting is the following: If you inspect the ingame files that play during Chrom's auto-marriage, you'll discover that the different versions are all named after the respective wife (scene name_Maribelle, scene name_Sully, scene name_Olivia, scene name_Robin) - with the exception of Sumia's. Her file is literally just called "scene name" without an appendix... as it's the default version of that event. A similar thing also happens to the mother-daughter scene during chapter 13, I believe.

Sure, it's nevertheless by no means canon, but certainly as close to canon as Awakening will ever get.

What you’re overlooking is that the scene actually states Chrom, at some point early on as Exalt (well he didn’t take the title) was rushed to take a bride (but he knew who she’d be) 

there’s one girl who is introduced by his friends (and that is the only girl who he actually becomes smitten with before S support, and she helps him become a leader in supports, which is what a king would need/look for) 

and she is the only one he can’t be engaged to  

 

also that’s really sketchy what you posted because I got them all to that level, and had Sumia battle by Chrom dozens and dozens of times without unlocking C support, and had Olivia and Chrom together for like 10 battles but he still married Olivia. Try it for yourself  I think the number is 14, dancing counts as 2 though  Sumia can be in 100 battles but if Olivia dances 7 times, he marries her  

 

and sumia being the placeholder doesn’t really mean anything; just that you see her first  

 

and the fact that they chose to make Inigo have the brand and have nobody else mention it is significant  even if you headcanon the others do, they changed Inigos dialogue to reference it  

 

as for supports, I’m not just talking objectively, I’m meaning that Inigo and Chrom’s father son supports actually make more sense than anyone else’s  

being compared to Lucina and Inigo becoming “invincible” by acting like nothing phases him

Yet in Lucina sibling supports They refer to Chrom as invincible  (not that he is) 

point is, Inigo modified and took on Chrom’s heroic mantle after he died so the other kids didn’t freak out, yet his dad still gets mad that he isn’t like Lucina  

 

why would a random guy compare Inigo to Lucina? Why would Inigo be the one they look at to be invincible after Chrom? 

Why does Inigo look so much like Chrom? 

Someone at IS definitely cares about Chrom and Olivia ship...lol

 

[eclipse]

Why is the topic of Awakening canon pairings in a what-if topic about a lord who's already spoken for?

[IEatLasers]

10 minutes ago, eclipse said:

Why is the topic of Awakening canon pairings in a what-if topic about a lord who's already spoken for?

I made a little joke and it just became a mini-discussion~ 

[eclipse]

Just now, IEatLasers said:

I made a little joke and it just became a mini-discussion~ 

Feel free to make a topic in the Awakening subforum if you feel that strongly about it~!

[Book Bro]

I would really rather not have a story where the romance is so stereotypical and where it overshadows everything else. I like Marth and Caeda because their love blooms as a result of what they face in the story. I like Sigurd and Deirdre because their story is a tragic romance that's just one of many consequences of the political scheming around them. I like Alm and Celica because their story is about the way two very different people can find common ground, and their romance is a reflection of this. But I don't like the idea of a story being built around dating, break up, eventual teary reunion, etc. That just sounds cheesy to me. I would enjoy a more political plot that featured arranged marriages and backstabbing, for example. Where the lords have to learn to trust each other despite people trying to manipulate them. Where romance is a device to further the plot instead of the main focus of the plot. 

[Tenzen12]

I find all these tragic and/or starcrossed lovers stuff to cheese, but I would really like ass kicking couple like Pent with Louse, Lyn with Hector or what could Clive with Mathilda be. They don't even have to start as couple but this kind of vibes would be great for main lords.

[sirmola]

I like the idea of an established relationship. You can get all kinds of interesting character development from characters struggeling to get through a rocky patch in their relationship.

 

Even if you stick to new relationships, there are all kinds of ways to do it that you don't see that often. For example, I just read "shards of honor", wherein the romantic couple are in their 30s/40s and both had a very bad romantic experience before, were turned off to the general concept, and warm to each other slowly over the course of the book (there is also the little fact that their countries are enemies). This plays entirely differently then if the main characters are in their teens/20s and actively  looking for (or at least ready for) a relationship, like in most romances.

Edited October 1, 2017 by sirmola

[Azz]

I wouldn't mind a lord with an established relationship, I mean Marth/Caeda are my OTP. But as for a story based on it, no thanks. Romance plots between characters shoudl be saved for supports/side things that don't affect the main story. IMO, love story plots don't tend to work unless that is the main plot and a love story main plot just doesn't work for a FE game.

[wissenschaft]

Didn't we already have a lord couple in another game? Erika and Ephraim? :P (Edit: Clearly I wasn't the only one thinking this. Late joke is late)

I think waifu emblem might be too popular in japan but there will probably still be a very obvious couple like Corrin + Azura.

Honestly they can just go back to how the GBA games handled couples. The lords have a few romance options that they would marry if you maxed their support. It was a side thing that didn't effect the story but it seemed to work well.

If a lord couple is to be the focus of the game then its already been done in Echoes. The whole story was built around it. Doing that again so soon would feel like a rehash.

Edited October 14, 2017 by wissenschaft

[vanguard333]

9 hours ago, wissenschaft said:

If a lord couple is to be the focus of the game then its already been done in Echoes. The whole story was built around it. Doing that again so soon would feel like a rehash.

I suppose, but I don't think Alm and Celica really count, as they weren't really a couple yet throughout the story. They obviously cared deeply about each other, but they hadn't seen each other since they were little kids. Them getting together at the end was inevitable, but they weren't already together if that makes sense. So a game with a lord couple that's already a couple would be quite different from Echoes, where the two obviously cared about each other, but couldn't say it because of geography and ideological differences.

[NinjaMonkey]

No, keep all this romance crap for epilogues and S supports (and the latter being determined by the player, not forced upon us by the devs).

[SavageVolug]

I really like the idea, it would be an interesting focus for one thing. Also I enjoy it when Fire Emblem has pre established couples like with Pent and Louise in FE7 and in Echoes with Clive and Mathilda technically those last two were probably more specifically engaged vs married but they talked and acted like they were married. I think it would have been cool if if Fates Charlotte and Benny had been that pre established couple.

[Tenzen12]

On 14/10/2017 at 5:44 AM, wissenschaft said:

If a lord couple is to be the focus of the game then its already been done in Echoes. The whole story was built around it. Doing that again so soon would feel like a rehash.

So are you saying FE shouldn't learn from it's mistakes? Sure Echoes whole story was build around relationship of two lords, but we still don't have any game where it would be done right. Sooner would definitely be better in this case.

[Jedi]

They won't do a focused established couple, thats not a money maker right now, what makes money is having an avatar and being able to establish your own "canon" relationship with your waifu or husbando. 

Harem stuff is becoming more prevalent  in alot of JRPGs where the player is given choice on potential relationships with characters via an avatar or its MC, even the Trails/Kiseki games are falling into this trend.

[mega5657]

It probably won't happen, but I like the idea of an established couple as well. I could see their relationship being a relatively minor part of the overall plot or it ending up being twisted and painful as circumstances arise and come between. 

[Stroud]

I liked Zeke and Tatiana as a couple, so I'm in for this. 
In this case I also want them to know to fully trust each other and not too much into dilly dally romance at least not too much.

But alas, we life in a time in which indecisive harem protagonists are truly common (Ok in FE we can at least decide).  
This is also something I disliked about Awakening/Fate: The Avatar was loved by everyone and his charm recruited everyone.

 

Edited November 5, 2017 by Stroud