Did I screw up my Iron man run?

[The Roger The Paladin]

Long story short, I was attempting an ironman run of Shadow Dragon when I got a migraine. I completed the chapter but forgot to save during combat preparations.
My migraines are rather severe, and affect my thought processes to the point where I'm liable to put milk away in the cupboard and the milo tin in the fridge instead of vice-versa.
I'm pretty sure I lost Ogma but my memory of my migraines are often foggy at best, absent at worst. My point is, by restarting from an earlier save I'd defeat the whole point of the challenge.
On the other hand it was partially due to circumstances out of my control. Do I redo the chapter and just deliberately get Ogma killed? Because I'm not sure I can replicate it (due to memory).
Do I abandon the run due to failure? Given that I'm over 3/4 of the way through the game. I'm so damn conflicted.

[Dragoncat]

Not an expert on challenge runs, but I'd say since it was out of your control, restart from an earlier save like it didn't happen. 

So sorry to hear about your migraines :( Maybe get medicine for them so it doesn't happen again?

[The Roger The Paladin]

1 minute ago, Dragoncat said:

Not an expert on challenge runs, but I'd say since it was out of your control, restart from an earlier save like it didn't happen. 

So sorry to hear about your migraines :( Maybe get medicine for them so it doesn't happen again?

Thanks. That was a thought. But it does feel a bit like cheating. I mean, half the point of an ironman is deaths matter. But to be honest I've never actually tried an ironman before. I started with Shadow Dragon because I felt the remake of the original was the best place to live out the kind of run that Shouzou Kaga intended, seeing as despite some changes, it's the closest I have to one of his games. I've actually got medication for the migraines. Pristiq and Epilim, not to mention the painkillers for when they fail. Alas, that happens more than I'd like. Still not as bad as hings used to be.
 

[Dragoncat]

Well look at it this way. If you have a job and you're assigned a certain task and you fail it because of a medical issue, you'd have a really shitty boss if they punish you for it. Playing FE isn't a job of course but yeah. Especially since this is your first iron man and you seem to really want to finish it. I'd never have the discipline for a run like this. First time somebody dies I'd be like, this is a normal run now. Like I could never do a nuzlocke because I love all my pokemon too much!

Good luck with the migraines, hope they keep getting not as bad they used to be. I know how it feels to have to take pills to function correctly. Type 2 diabetes and Aspergers syndrome. On one med for the former and four for the latter, but it used to be a lot more. Regardless I still feel kinda like a robot that needs batteries unlike a normal person.

[The Roger The Paladin]

4 minutes ago, Dragoncat said:

Well look at it this way. If you have a job and you're assigned a certain task and you fail it because of a medical issue, you'd have a really shitty boss if they punish you for it. Playing FE isn't a job of course but yeah. Especially since this is your first iron man and you seem to really want to finish it. I'd never have the discipline for a run like this. First time somebody dies I'd be like, this is a normal run now. Like I could never do a nuzlocke because I love all my pokemon too much!

Good luck with the migraines, hope they keep getting not as bad they used to be. I know how it feels to have to take pills to function correctly. Type 2 diabetes and Aspergers syndrome. On one med for the former and four for the latter, but it used to be a lot more. Regardless I still feel kinda like a robot that needs batteries unlike a normal person.

I'm a suspected asperger's syndrome sufferer myself (not formally diagnosed), so I know what you mean. Closest I can come on the diabetes is my dog. Insulin injections for him twice daily. Not that he seems to mind. Good luck with both of those to you as well. Even if I know from experience they're both (currently) for life. That said,  aspergers isn't the worst thing. It is known to come with an increased IQ. It's just the social issues it causes. I also know what you mean about the Iron man run. The irony is, discipline hasn't been much of an issue. Up until Ogma's death, I hadn't actually lost anyone. Which makes it feel even more like cheating to go back on my first loss. Though, that kind of makes it feel worse a tragedy too to be honest. Losing such good progress because of an error made while sick (after 16 chapters without fatalities, and one with only the one) feels like getting stabbed. I'm not even sure how I lost Ogma. Chapter 17 isn't that hard off memory.

[Dragoncat]

A lot of people I've met online have aspergers and yeah, it's not terrible, but I'm REALLLLLLLY socially awkward. Poor dog! Before my black lab of 13 years had to be put down she was on pain pills and joint meds. She had arthritis really bad but she never acted like she was in pain, not even when she collapsed in the yard and my dad had to carry her back to her room by the garage. The next morning the decision was made to send her across the Rainbow Bridge. Her back hip joint was messed up so bad and she was so old that surgery would just cause more pain for her and she'd suffer all winter (it was October). God bless her soul.

Yeah then I'd just act like it didn't happen. And hope it doesn't happen again. I'd just make a suspend/save when you feel another one happening from now on and not go back until it's over.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Dragoncat

[The Roger The Paladin]

1 minute ago, Dragoncat said:

A lot of people I've met online have aspergers and yeah, it's not terrible, but I'm REALLLLLLLY socially awkward. Poor dog! Before my black lab of 13 years had to be put down she was on pain pills and joint meds. She had arthritis really bad but she never acted like she was in pain, not even when she collapsed in the yard and my dad had to carry her back to her room by the garage. The next morning the decision was made to send her across the Rainbow Bridge. Her back hip joint was messed up so bad and she was so old that surgery would just cause more pain for her. God bless her soul.

Yeah then I'd just act like it didn't happen. And hope it doesn't happen again. I'd just make a suspend/save when you feel another one happening from now on and not go back until it's over.

I've got a history of avoiding suspending play. I've had an aversion to them because of something that happened with a Majora's Mask save when I was a child, even though it turned out to be the cartridge. But of course, I guess I'm going to have to get over that habit. I'm sorry to hear about your dog. My own boys are a pair of labs themselves. The diabetic one doesn't really seem to notice or care. He actually gets excited about his injections. Possibly because he always gets them right before a walk. He loves his walks. With my own social awkwardness, I don't really mind. I've got a best friend, who I've been relentlessly bombarding with talk about Fire Emblem recently even though he hasn't played one. So I figured these forums (I've used the site before to read about growth rates and check weapon might before) would be a good way to get it out of my system. But for the most part I'm more comfortable around animals than humans. This topic just about has turned into a regular conversation at this point. Not really my plan. But thanks. You made me feel better, and I think it more or less resolves the issue. I'll pick up the game again when I've got time, and see how far I can get without another error, migraine induced or otherwise.

[Dragoncat]

No problem!

[Interdimensional Observer]

4 hours ago, Dragoncat said:

Type 2 diabetes and Aspergers syndrome. On one med for the former and four for the latter, but it used to be a lot more.

Wait, you're saying you take pills for Asperger's? Strange. Never have had to do that. Not that I would want to. The idea of medication to alter behavior that isn't all that bad like a little social dysfunction doesn't sit well with me.

Partly because one of the most pivotal books in my mental development was Brave New World which I read in the summer before high school started b/c I had to for one class. My innocent mind was forever changed by the dystopian nightmare fueled by sex and a magical feel-good drug called Soma. 

In retrospect, I spin it as my "biting of the apple"- as in good old Biblical Genesis, I was innocent until I ate the forbidden fruit (except I was told to in this case), and then endured a torrent of terror as a result. However, getting past the horrible initiation reaction, the gaining of true Knowledge and Wisdom and Good and Evil, well thats very nice to have and I wouldn't want to abandon that.

 

On the topic of dogs, I have three, one of which is small and 14 of a breed on average living to be 13, and a medium mixed rescue currently 11. There was a mortal fright last year with the small one, but they're very good now, and so is the medium, even though she suffers from seizure fits of 5-9 for a day or two about every three weeks. Still, as old as they are, I'm prepared for the worst- I know they don't have many years left. The third is small and fortunately only 5.

[Dragoncat]

13 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Wait, you're saying you take pills for Asperger's? Strange. Never have had to do that. Not that I would want to. The idea of medication to alter behavior that isn't all that bad like a little social dysfunction doesn't sit well with me.

Partly because one of the most pivotal books in my mental development was Brave New World which I read in the summer before high school started b/c I had to for one class. My innocent mind was forever changed by the dystopian nightmare fueled by sex and a magical feel-good drug called Soma. 

In retrospect, I spin it as my "biting of the apple"- as in good old Biblical Genesis, I was innocent until I ate the forbidden fruit (except I was told to in this case), and then endured a torrent of terror as a result. However, getting past the horrible initiation reaction, the gaining of true Knowledge and Wisdom and Good and Evil, well thats very nice to have and I wouldn't want to abandon that.

 

On the topic of dogs, I have three, one of which is small and 14 of a breed on average living to be 13, and a medium mixed rescue currently 11. There was a mortal fright last year with the small one, but they're very good now, and so is the medium, even though she suffers from seizure fits of 5-9 for a day or two about every three weeks. Still, as old as they are, I'm prepared for the worst- I know they don't have many years left. The third is small and fortunately only 5.

From early in life I've been on them. I was misdiagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar first and I had problems in school and stuff. I totally get what you're saying though and now that I'm an adult, I'm working with the doctor to wean me off, I used to take a lot more than I take now.

Some people need things like antidepressants though, depression is a serious issue and if you can save a life (because people with depression commit suicide) with medication that's a good thing. Mental health medication is more than just altering behavior.

[Interdimensional Observer]

6 hours ago, Dragoncat said:

Some people need things like antidepressants though, depression is a serious issue and if you can save a life (because people with depression commit suicide) with medication that's a good thing. Mental health medication is more than just altering behavior.

Yeah I don't disagree with this, I'm not an anti-medicine anti-vaccines person whatsoever. Asperger's is just not something you should really need it for, since even if it isn't much of strain, it is still a medication your body has to process. More serious issues like bipolar (shame about the childhood misdiagnosis), and something like depression if non-medical treatments fail to suffice, one should indeed seek medicinal help for.

[The Roger The Paladin]

Seeing as I've finished my Iron Man, resuming as if it hadn't went awry, I thought I'd update with a final summary of the run.
Most of the game went without issue. I accidentally wasted a use of a silver lance while using Jagen to bait an enemy for Cain and Caeda early on.
Said incident cost some experience. I almost forgot the devil axe and wasted a few turns going back for it. Don't know why, I never used the damn thing anyway, out of fear of the results.
There was an incident in the chapter 12 where I didn't bring a thief so I had to waste time using door keys and Marth. That said, more time wasting than anything.
I learned from this for the most part. Up until that incident that caused this, the next chapters flowed smoothly.
After resuming the game, I found I'd not saved after chapter 16 either and had to replay that as well. However, despite checking my battle preparations and finding my formation sub-optimal (likely because of the migraine I had when I prepared it, I missed the fact that I'd given Wolf a door key instead of a master key for my planned party split. This resulted in my having Arran run one around to them in the fort where Xane starts, and my infantry units being delayed in meeting with Marth, Caeda, Cain and Abel. As a result I didn't kill all the enemies in one turn, and Xane picked a bad time to catch up with Marth. I suffered the first loss of my run, all for the want of a key. I avenged myself on the enemies and redoubled myself to winning with no deaths, determined that the Aum staff be used on the changeling I had failed so miserably.
In doing this, I realized in my previous playthroughs, it had only been dumb luck that had prevented Chapter 23 from claiming a fatality. So I invested in enough pure water for my whole party to carry three uses.
After this, the game flowed smoothly. I used Beck to one shot a dangerously placed ballista at the start of chapter 20.  I worked out plans that both kept my units alive and evaded. I used the starsphere while had it as a way to level Tiki while using her divine stone. Which resulted in a close call in chapter 21 when I accidentally let her too close to a dragonpike using wyvern rider. Thankfully, she'd gained enough levels to survive by then. Chapters 22 was without incident, and the pure water made Chapter 23 far less challenging. I don't know why I never used it before. Guess starting out with the GBA games it felt like a waste of time when you had better resistance growths, and I never considered it meant something once. Chapter 24, I said "Screw it. I'm bringing Xane back this chapter." So I brought Elice. It wasn't hard to keep her out of enemy range. When the battlefield was clear of foes and Marth was within range of seizing the castle, I had her return Xane. Who I then had converse with Tiki as if he'd been alive the whole time. I proceeded to the endgame. Long story short, I got Marth to Medeus, and after the buildup, unleashed a critical hit. Ending the final boss battle before he had a chance to retaliate. The game was over. Everyone was alive, albeit thanks to Aum. All in all, the run forced me to rethink my approach to chapter 23, which I played riskier than I should have because I was using reset as a crutch. It also made me appreciate how my preferred plan of attack for chapter 16 relies on that master key. Also, playing reset I never had a reason to use Aum. Hard to appreciate it's value without a dead unit. Anyway novel's over. Thus ends book one.