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To linear, or not to linear?


Corrobin
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Do you think this game will be more like the older FE games in it's linearity, or more like the Gaiden -> Sacred Stones -> Awakening -> Fates -> Echoes line in an explorable world?

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5 minutes ago, Corrobin said:

Do you think this game will be more like the older FE games in it's linearity, or more like the Gaiden -> Sacred Stones -> Awakening -> Fates -> Echoes line in an explorable world?

Judging by sales, explorable world. 

Edited by ElectiveToast
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It'll be less linear. Modern Fire Emblem games have all been non linear and sold well for that matter, so it is only natural that the game won't be straightforward. As for having a world map... I'd say it probably will, though that's a different question.

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So far, FE has not explored a nonlinear plot, which is something we'd expect if FE was to be truly nonlinear. A world map without plot deviations amounts to free shopping and grinding, and little more. By "little more", I mean Paralogues, all of which as I critiqued before amount to meaningless chapters largely built around recruiting extra characters, contributing little to the actual game world.

Unless FE tries a nonlinear plot, which has its ups and downs and difficulties, but also creative potentials, I don't really care too much about whether a world map exists or not. I've played plenty of FEs without one- I can do without one again.

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1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

So far, FE has not explored a nonlinear plot, which is something we'd expect if FE was to be truly nonlinear. A world map without plot deviations amounts to free shopping and grinding, and little more. By "little more", I mean Paralogues, all of which as I critiqued before amount to meaningless chapters largely built around recruiting extra characters, contributing little to the actual game world.

Unless FE tries a nonlinear plot, which has its ups and downs and difficulties, but also creative potentials, I don't really care too much about whether a world map exists or not. I've played plenty of FEs without one- I can do without one again.

Honestly, the idea of a non-linear plot is starting to sound pretty good, but considering the potential in 'choose the side of the war you support', I... have trust issues.

Worst part is, it's not really easy for me to make a narrative version, because that's linear by default.

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I hope it's linear. Fire Emblem benefits a lot from linearity. It's way easier for Intelligent Systems to balance the game when they know around what level the player's characters will be, and it provides a more tight experience.

Edited by Nobody
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Tbh, I don't think an open world would fit with this series. A quasi-open world may fit though. We haven't had an open world yet. Yes, some of the more recent games had an open map, but you still get the same story and process each time, with the only deviations being when you do the side stuff. A more true open world allows you to complete story elements in any order/method. Meanwhile, let's take SoV for example, you still followed the same path. Exploration was more limited than a game that is open world.

I don't think open world would fit the series format, nor would it make much sense in a narrative theme, unless you received benefits or consequences for your actions. I think a good way to make FE seem more open is 

  • have paths to choose from, a la FE6, where meeting certain conditions altered which path you took. Maybe if you got to choose your path, it may be more replayable. I think from a narrative standpoint, having the main character come from a mercenary-esque country or city state and gets employed by the country of your choosing may be refreshing.
  • more individual choices. Give the player more responsibility to do things both outside of battle and in-battle. For instance, the Shura vs. Boots scenario, but more of that. An in-battle choice can be inspired by FE12- if you kill all of the clerics in one chapter, that could bar you from recruiting a character, because they won't side with an army that kills the people that can't fight back, or the character appeared as a generic enemy in battle, but afterwards is revealed to be a fully realized character when they thank you for sparing you and join you.
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I think Fire Emblem would benefit more from having a few more choices on a smaller scale. I would like for them to incorporate choices that heavily affect the plot, but they might want to take a break from that for obvious reasons.

Like I've said in other threads, simple things like deciding whether or not to take a more perilous road with greater rewards or a safer route - things that I believe have been done before in the series - would help both immersion and replayability. There are many, many things on a similar small scale that can be done that wouldn't force the game to become like Fates, and I think they should explore that.

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So there are two problems that FE has here.

On one hand, if its linear, players have to think very carefully if they don't want to force themselves to use DLC for grinding(Conquest kinda does it.) since resources are limited.

On the other hand, having non linearity means grinding options which removes any tactical limitations that FE is known for in the first place....

At this point, experimentation of how players should be careful at what they need to do as well as what they can do after the end needs to happen more often.

 

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