So I'm writing a walkthrough of this game for my mom...

[Espurrhoodie]

Any advice? Things I should include?

Also, what are Robin's growths before factoring in his/her Asset and Flaw?

And finally.... my mom has only played Heroes.

[Nym]

• Weapons durability
• Class skills (just how she can learn them)
• Use Casual mode, less harsher for first time
• Warn her to not let Chrom or her Avatar drop to 0 hp
• Pair-up is broken but vital to be succesful in this game
• You can tell her about children but I wouldn't advise making her plan ahead for a first playthough
• Get the big treasure chests!

 

43 minutes ago, Espurrhoodie said:

Also, what are Robin's growths before factoring in his/her Asset and Flaw?

 

Hp   Str   Mag  Skl  Spd  Lck  Def  Res

80% 55% 50% 50% 50% 55% 40% 30%

[Espurrhoodie]

17 minutes ago, Nym said:

• Weapons durability
• Class skills (just how she can learn them)
• Use Casual mode, less harsher for first time
• Warn her to not let Chrom or her Avatar drop to 0 hp
• Pair-up is broken but vital to be succesful in this game
• You can tell her about children but I wouldn't advise making her plan ahead for a first playthough
• Get the big treasure chests!

 

 

Hp   Str   Mag  Skl  Spd  Lck  Def  Res

80% 55% 50% 50% 50% 55% 40% 30%

Already got most of that covered!

Thanks for the growths!

[Eltosian Kadath]

Coming from Heroes, a bit of explanation about what hit, crit, and avoid are and a vague (or detailed if you think she will not be overwhelmed by it) explanation of how they are derived would help. Again due to her Heroes experience it might be good to explain the concept of reinforcement blocking, and some tricks for anticipating reinforcements. If she has experience using statistics, or has an actual sense for it, an explanation of the difference between true hit and displayed hit might be in order.

[eclipse]

An explanation for what Javelins/Hand Axes are will be insanely useful.  Heroes has a bunch of 1-2 range weapons, but they're only for countering.

[alatartheblue42]

Remind her that Magic is Everything: you are required to give yourself a Magic boon.

A brief introduction to some of the common/better classes might be nice. I'm sure the game gives some (don't remember), but that isn't necessarily enough when you're coming from Heroes, which has no actual classes, guaranteed hits, no crits, etc.

Weapon triangle might be worth mentioning, depending on how much she will follow/remember the tutorial bits.

Frequent reminders (perhaps in person) that ponies can go through forests and infantry can climb some mountains. I may or may not have had some depressingly stupid moments the first time I went back to a normal FE game after a lot of Heroes.

[Espurrhoodie]

4 hours ago, Eltosian Kadath said:

Coming from Heroes, a bit of explanation about what hit, crit, and avoid are and a vague (or detailed if you think she will not be overwhelmed by it) explanation of how they are derived would help. Again due to her Heroes experience it might be good to explain the concept of reinforcement blocking, and some tricks for anticipating reinforcements. If she has experience using statistics, or has an actual sense for it, an explanation of the difference between true hit and displayed hit might be in order.

I'm not sure about her experience with statistics (she's a security guard), I definitely will tell her how to reinforcement block to give her an easier time.

2 hours ago, eclipse said:

An explanation for what Javelins/Hand Axes are will be insanely useful.  Heroes has a bunch of 1-2 range weapons, but they're only for countering.

Oh I WILL tell her about those.

26 minutes ago, alatartheblue42 said:

Remind her that Magic is Everything: you are required to give yourself a Magic boon.

A brief introduction to some of the common/better classes might be nice. I'm sure the game gives some (don't remember), but that isn't necessarily enough when you're coming from Heroes, which has no actual classes, guaranteed hits, no crits, etc.

Weapon triangle might be worth mentioning, depending on how much she will follow/remember the tutorial bits.

Frequent reminders (perhaps in person) that ponies can go through forests and infantry can climb some mountains. I may or may not have had some depressingly stupid moments the first time I went back to a normal FE game after a lot of Heroes.

Ah, everyone's favorite, the weapon triangle!

.... What does the weapon triangle do again?

[eclipse]

1 minute ago, Espurrhoodie said:

Ah, everyone's favorite, the weapon triangle!

.... What does the weapon triangle do again?

Better hit/damage if you follow it, worse hit/damage if you don't.  In a nutshell.

[Ertrick36]

Refer to this page to help you explain things for your mother.

Tell her to use Frederick sparingly.  I think coming from Heroes over to Awakening, she might not know about Jeigans and their usage.

Inform her that stat growths aren't fixed to attain a certain amount like in Heroes, that it's almost completely random which stats will get to what levels.  And also tell her that she can use Heart Seals at level 10 or higher to reset their level, and that it'd be ideal to only use Heart Seals on promoted units when they're level 10 (even better if they're 15) if you only want them to reclass to another promoted class.

Oh yeah, and talk a little about the classes and how weapons work in this game.  Basically that it isn't a "red-blue-green-grey" system like in Heroes, but the physical weapons kind of have the same kind of relation to one another while bows, tomes, staves, and beast/dragon weapons are all their own thing.

And then explaining that there are typically no guaranteed hits - that there's a chance that an attack will miss depending on the attacking unit's skill, weapon, and the enemy's speed.  Also that there's a chance of a unit landing a critical hit that does three times normal damage, and that the crit rate can be greatly increased either through forging weapons or with a killing edge or similar weapon.  And that hit is affected by the weapon triangle more than damage is.  Specifically, damage dealt will be as a difference of +/-1 depending on advantage/disadvantage (and weapon level), and that hit will be affected in increments of 5 depending on weapon rank (someone with D will get +5 hit in advantage, while someone with an A will get +15 hit and +1 damage against opponents, and the disadvantage will be dependent on the opponent's weapon rank).  This page will explain all you need to know about calculations.

Lastly, I'd personally recommend marrying Chrom to someone ASAP (as in, before beating Chapter 11).  Everyone else can wait, but Chrom will wind up with a bum deal if he doesn't marry before a certain point.  Or he should fight the whole Chapter 11 paired up with Olivia.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Ertrick36

[bottlegnomes]

10 minutes ago, Espurrhoodie said:

Ah, everyone's favorite, the weapon triangle!

.... What does the weapon triangle do again?

I wanna say it's +1 damage and +10 hit, but there've been so many variations on it throughout the series I can't be sure if that's right for Awakening. Given that she's coming from Heroes, I'd probably let her know it's generally a lot less meaningful in main series games.

Maybe a quick rundown of the difference between magic and strength, though that should equate fairly evenly given heroes has def and res.

Oh, a heads up about weapon durability and management and giving characters multiple weapons to accommodate multiple enemy types per map would probably be super helpful too.

Edited December 28, 2018 by bottlegnomes

[Espurrhoodie]

24 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

Refer to this page to help you explain things for your mother.

Tell her to use Frederick sparingly.  I think coming from Heroes over to Awakening, she might not know about Jeigans and their usage.

That linked me back here.

Also, isn't Frederick technically an Oifey?

Sorry if I accidentally sound standoffish.

[AnonymousSpeed]

Considering you can beat the game on any difficulty basically just using Frederick and the Avatar, I'd recommend using Frederick.

Make sure she knows about the shipping.

[Espurrhoodie]

20 minutes ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

Considering you can beat the game on any difficulty basically just using Frederick and the Avatar, I'd recommend using Frederick.

Make sure she knows about the shipping.

Of course I shall let my mother know about the most weeb thing in this game!

JK she knows I'm a weeb and she doesn't mind.

[Ertrick36]

46 minutes ago, Espurrhoodie said:

That linked me back here.

Also, isn't Frederick technically an Oifey?

Fixed that, sorry.  That's what happens when I stay up passed 4 AM.  I'm basically linking to the SF info page on Awakening.

That's kind of a fan-created idea, and I'd argue that's still a Jeigan anyway because I'd define a Jeigan as a prepromote that joins you at start/near the start.  When I say "use Frederick sparingly", I mean "don't rely too much on Frederick unless you literally hate every single character in the game except for him".  I don't mean that Frederick is a sort of beginner's trap, I more mean that he could detract from one's usage of other units.

[Espurrhoodie]

3 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

Fixed that, sorry.  That's what happens when I stay up passed 4 AM.  I'm basically linking to the SF info page on Awakening.

That's kind of a fan-created idea, and I'd argue that's still a Jeigan anyway because I'd define a Jeigan as a prepromote that joins you at start/near the start.  When I say "use Frederick sparingly", I mean "don't rely too much on Frederick unless you literally hate every single character in the game except for him".  I don't mean that Frederick is a sort of beginner's trap, I more mean that he could detract from one's usage of other units.

It's alright, It's 10:48 rn where I live and I need to sleep but I'm not, so I can relate.

Fair point, I was going to mention for her to not use Frederick, but she's coming over on Sunday, so I can walk her through Awakening in person.

Which is good because I just started the Premonition chapter.

[Ertrick36]

2 minutes ago, Espurrhoodie said:

Fair point, I was going to mention for her to not use Frederick, but she's coming over on Sunday, so I can walk her through Awakening in person.

Well, and that isn't to say she shouldn't use him at all.  If she's having trouble, she absolutely ought to use him.  Or if she winds up liking him, she most certainly should feel free to use him to her heart's content, just as she should for any other character.

[Hawkwing]

• Try out the demo first, if only to experiment with the controls and see all the tutorial messages. The game itself gives them out a little too sparingly.
• Normal is really the normal difficulty, hard is hard, and lunatic lives up to its name.
• Don't worry about playing on casual. It's a good mode for getting used to the games mechanics without being permanently punished in the meantime.
• Unlike other games in the series, every character is viable, so don't be afraid to use someone.
  • With that said, RNG still plays a factor. A unit that was the MVP in one playthrough may turn out medicore in another, so don't be afraid to experiment.
  • Also, don't overuse Fredrick. He can be helpful in a sticky situation, but he gains experience slowly, and said experience could have been given to other characters.
• Chrom is forced into every level, so use him.
• Damage = Strength/Magic + Weapon Might - Enemy Defense. I wish the game told you this because it took me longer than it should have to figure this out on my own.
• Don't worry if you don't understand pair-up right off the bat, but do try to learn how to use it.
• Don't worry about reclassing too much on the first playthrough. It makes more sense once you understand how the game works.
  • With that said, do tell her that Panne (tell her it's the bunny shapeshifter if you want a laugh) tends to fall behind as the game goes on, but that she isn't as reliant on the class bonuses as Manaketes are, so reclassing her is a good idea when she starts faltering.
  • Also, Donnel requires a second seal.
  • And Gaius's promotions are both extremely beneficial to him.
• A thief, a dark mage, and a Taguel are the only three characters that you can recruit that start off as enemies. Every other recruitable character either joins automatically or is neutrally aligned. Also tell her that Chrom recruits everyone.
• L+R+START makes the game go pack to the start screen.
• Hold L before a battle to skip it. This speeds things up when fighting a lot of enemies at once.
• If a character reaches level ten, but is still on par with the enemy, don't feel the need to promote them right away. Sometimes, it's best to keep leveling them up in their starting class.
  • With that said, healers and mages benefit the most from early promotions.
• The game has a few difficulty spikes, so don't be surprised if the game suddenly becomes harder than it was previously.
• Characters have more depth to them than their introductions would first imply.
• Most of all, have fun!

[DarthR0xas]

Here's the best advice for her:

Step 1: Boot up the 3Ds and start Awakening

Step 2: Either throw that 3Ds from the tallest place around while it is open so it will be destroyed, shoot it with a gun, incinerate it, or all three since it has been tainted.

Step 3: Pull out the Wii and have her play Radiant Dawn.

Best walkthrough I've ever made

[Espurrhoodie]

10 hours ago, Ertrick36 said:

Well, and that isn't to say she shouldn't use him at all.  If she's having trouble, she absolutely ought to use him.  Or if she winds up liking him, she most certainly should feel free to use him to her heart's content, just as she should for any other character.

Yep, that's what I do!

10 hours ago, Hawkwing said:

• Try out the demo first, if only to experiment with the controls and see all the tutorial messages. The game itself gives them out a little too sparingly.
• Normal is really the normal difficulty, hard is hard, and lunatic lives up to its name.
• Don't worry about playing on casual. It's a good mode for getting used to the games mechanics without being permanently punished in the meantime.
• Unlike other games in the series, every character is viable, so don't be afraid to use someone.
  • With that said, RNG still plays a factor. A unit that was the MVP in one playthrough may turn out medicore in another, so don't be afraid to experiment.
  • Also, don't overuse Fredrick. He can be helpful in a sticky situation, but he gains experience slowly, and said experience could have been given to other characters.
• Chrom is forced into every level, so use him.
• Damage = Strength/Magic + Weapon Might - Enemy Defense. I wish the game told you this because it took me longer than it should have to figure this out on my own.
• Don't worry if you don't understand pair-up right off the bat, but do try to learn how to use it.
• Don't worry about reclassing too much on the first playthrough. It makes more sense once you understand how the game works.
  • With that said, do tell her that Panne (tell her it's the bunny shapeshifter if you want a laugh) tends to fall behind as the game goes on, but that she isn't as reliant on the class bonuses as Manaketes are, so reclassing her is a good idea when she starts faltering.
  • Also, Donnel requires a second seal.
  • And Gaius's promotions are both extremely beneficial to him.
• A thief, a dark mage, and a Taguel are the only three characters that you can recruit that start off as enemies. Every other recruitable character either joins automatically or is neutrally aligned. Also tell her that Chrom recruits everyone.
• L+R+START makes the game go pack to the start screen.
• Hold L before a battle to skip it. This speeds things up when fighting a lot of enemies at once.
• If a character reaches level ten, but is still on par with the enemy, don't feel the need to promote them right away. Sometimes, it's best to keep leveling them up in their starting class.
  • With that said, healers and mages benefit the most from early promotions.
• The game has a few difficulty spikes, so don't be surprised if the game suddenly becomes harder than it was previously.
• Characters have more depth to them than their introductions would first imply.
• Most of all, have fun!

I thought Cynthia was also a character you had to recruit from the enemy's side.

The have fun tip is a verynimportant one.

I just woke up so I don't have much of a will to type.

7 hours ago, DarthR0xas said:

Here's the best advice for her:

Step 1: Boot up the 3Ds and start Awakening

Step 2: Either throw that 3Ds from the tallest place around while it is open so it will be destroyed, shoot it with a gun, incinerate it, or all three since it has been tainted.

Step 3: Pull out the Wii and have her play Radiant Dawn.

Best walkthrough I've ever made

I don't have RD, or PoR, or a Wii.

I know, I'm lame.

[Shadow Mir]

18 hours ago, bottlegnomes said:

I wanna say it's +1 damage and +10 hit, but there've been so many variations on it throughout the series I can't be sure if that's right for Awakening. Given that she's coming from Heroes, I'd probably let her know it's generally a lot less meaningful in main series games.

Actually, the weapon triangle boosts in this game aren't static. Rather, they're based on the rank of the advantaged unit. WTA also negates the weapon rank bonus for the disadvantaged side.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Shadow Mir

[bottlegnomes]

2 hours ago, Shadow Mir said:

Actually, the weapon triangle boosts in this game aren't static. Rather, they're based on the rank of the advantaged unit. WTA also negates the weapon rank bonus for the disadvantaged side.

Huh, I thought that was just the DS games that did that.

[Hawkwing]

8 hours ago, Espurrhoodie said:

I thought Cynthia was also a character you had to recruit from the enemy's side.

• Add a Pegasus knight to that list.
• Chrom and Sumia have limited support options. The former gets married automatically at a certain point of the game, but it's possible for every possible partner of the latter to already be paired up.
• Every character has someone they build support points very quickly with, someone they support fast but not as fast with, and everyone else gains them at the same speed.

[ChickenWings]

17 hours ago, DarthR0xas said:

Here's the best advice for her:

Step 1: Boot up the 3Ds and start Awakening

Step 2: Either throw that 3Ds from the tallest place around while it is open so it will be destroyed, shoot it with a gun, incinerate it, or all three since it has been tainted.

Step 3: Pull out the Wii and have her play Radiant Dawn.

Best walkthrough I've ever made

Why would anyone destroy an expensive 3DS and game?

[Shadow Mir]

19 hours ago, Hawkwing said:

• • And Gaius's promotions are both extremely beneficial to him.

I would sooner say that he's outclassed by most every other sword unit you have at that point, of which there are a lot.

[Hawkwing]

1 minute ago, Shadow Mir said:

I would sooner say that he's outclassed by most every other sword unit you have at that point, of which there are a lot.

Myrmidon literally has no downsides to him, and making him a fighter gives him a much needed strength boost, and allows him to promote into a hero, preventing his sword rank from going to waste and making him an overall balanced unit.

With that said, he does require some dedication and care to use (I won't say babying because he's a bit of a class cannon early on. Gaius doesn't need powerful weapons or someone else to weaken the enemy first in order for him to kill someone, but he does risk considerable injury if he fails to dodge), but once he gets up to speed, he's pretty worthwhile.

And before you complain about that, I will say that first and foremost, Awakening is a game that is pretty forgiving for letting the player do what they want, and makes sure that everyone is viable. It's the players (and RNG's) choice on whether or not they want to use a unit.

I would also say that Gaius works well either as a replacement or working alongside said sword units in an ironman run, but that's neither here nor there on this topic.