How do you want the Three houses dealt with?

[Zihark11]

So i wanted to talk about the possible outcomes that could potentially happen with the three houses. Will we be choosing one house to represent/ teach and only use them for the playthrough meaning we get three playthroughs like how they did with Fates? Or are we gonna be controlling all the houses at once and teaching them all?

Personally i like the first idea which leads to lots of replays, but with the characters shown so far there are only 8 students per class as pointed out by the Serenes Forest posts. Meaning we would have very small Character line ups for the game unless we can recruit people in the world. Which comes to the other issue, We are at an Academy and its treated as our base of operations between missions, how will other characters we recruit fit into this kinda environment? Would love to hear others opinion on this.

 

The 2nd idea Seems the most likely unless at some point the three houses turn on each other which is a Theory ive heard and definitely could happen cause Fire Emblem Nobility fighting? sounds about right. My other concern is there adding in so much extra skill and training content, how much time are we gonna have to spend at the academy before missions? Will we be there for the whole game? My guess is yes but obviously none of this is confirmed just speculation.

 

A 3rd idea i just thought of while typing is that you end up against all the houses as Byleth. You were previously a Merc before becoming a teacher so it wouldnt be to far fetch to see the nobility (Students) not respect you and resent you for your unique power. This could lead to the Academy becoming a temporary base for you and you find somewhere else later. Maybe you gained the trust of one of the house leaders and they follow you out of loyalty (Love?) or This where you meet up with your previous Merc buddies/father and fight against them. This idea is the most far fetched for sure but just wanted to show off some possibilities/scenarios.

 

What do you guys and girls think?

[Bhoop]

From what the recent trailer gave us, it seems like the first idea is most likely. 

Personally, when choosing a house, I would like it to be a "Hey, Byleth, Go be in charge of this group of students and make sure they don't do anything stupid" while teaching all of the three houses at once. However, the only units you have "access" (like, you could interact with the other two houses, but since they have their own house leaders, like you, you can't change their equipment, studies, etc.) are from the house you chose. The player would basically be like a dorm mother, watching over the house they choose, while teaching them what they know. 

Since the player is a now ex-merc, with the preceding reputation of their father so great, the house they chose would respect them further because of this reputation. This is why you can help them change their focus in their studies, change their class, etc. As the game goes on, and you move pass the "getting rid of the bandits" arc, something happens where the player now has full access to two or all three of the houses, and the player has to prepare them for some type of war/conflict (probably something to do with the black beasts or something even more sinister *COUGH DRAGONS COUGH COUGH*)

However, because the studies are quote-unquote over, the player cannot change the other two houses classes and focus. And then middle-final story arc, some hopefully well designed and difficult chapters, and games over.

I have another idea, but  it'll take me a while to form it into words. I'll post it later though.

[Enduin]

While there's a high probability of it occurring I'm not supper excited for all three Houses simply staying or coming together and working as one. But because we can choose which House we lead that does introduce a fair amount of complexity and difficulty if there is going to be a conflict between 1 or more of the Houses.

Personally I'd like a scenario where each house has a fixed role in the story regardless of our House choice and we would simply see the conflict from their POV, but I fear that would result in a Fates type situation where our presence alone as Byleth becomes the deciding factor in how things turn out in that side's favor and I'm not super interested in that kind of experience again where whatever side we choose "wins." I doubt many actually want to play a campaign where they are on the objectively wrong side of the conflict and lose in the end. But I don't really want to see a situation where we choose the "wrong" side but end up "winning" because we're a part of it like Conquest.

It would be great to have a really hard route where we are the losing side and most of the battles operate with that in mind, having to play increasingly defensive battles with non-rout victories, but that comes with a number of issues, like just communicating that to the player and potentially spoiling the experience ahead of time when they make their House choice.

But I'm not even sure such a thing is even possible given the apparent plot importance Byleth seems to have and their connection to Sothis and whatever her role in the story is. So it may just be fundamentally impossible for use to choose the "wrong" side given that relationship. 

[eclipse]

Pipe dream: With each house representing a major nation, the interactions you (as Byleth) fosters between your house of choice and the others have a noticeable impact on how the story pans out.  Let's pretend Byleth helps out Edelgard.  If he/she encourages her to be friendly towards Dimitri's house, the later maps will feature recruits from both red and blue, with yellow being the main antagonist.

More likely: The starting house determines the main character.  Some of the earlier maps might change a bit, but in the end, all three houses unite to fight off some ancient threat or other.

[Zihark11]

38 minutes ago, Bhoop said:

From what the recent trailer gave us, it seems like the first idea is most likely. 

Personally, when choosing a house, I would like it to be a "Hey, Byleth, Go be in charge of this group of students and make sure they don't do anything stupid" while teaching all of the three houses at once. However, the only units you have "access" (like, you could interact with the other two houses, but since they have their own house leaders, like you, you can't change their equipment, studies, etc.) are from the house you chose. The player would basically be like a dorm mother, watching over the house they choose, while teaching them what they know. 

Since the player is a now ex-merc, with the preceding reputation of their father so great, the house they chose would respect them further because of this reputation. This is why you can help them change their focus in their studies, change their class, etc. As the game goes on, and you move pass the "getting rid of the bandits" arc, something happens where the player now has full access to two or all three of the houses, and the player has to prepare them for some type of war/conflict (probably something to do with the black beasts or something even more sinister *COUGH DRAGONS COUGH COUGH*)

However, because the studies are quote-unquote over, the player cannot change the other two houses classes and focus. And then middle-final story arc, some hopefully well designed and difficult chapters, and games over.

I have another idea, but  it'll take me a while to form it into words. I'll post it later though.

I never really thought about gaining houses to fight under you one by one. start with one house and slowly gain the rest as the stroy progresses. I am also ok with this idea but i still would prefer choose and house and your that house only. looking forward to your other idea.

23 minutes ago, Enduin said:

While there's a high probability of it occurring I'm not supper excited for all three Houses simply staying or coming together and working as one. But because we can choose which House we lead that does introduce a fair amount of complexity and difficulty if there is going to be a conflict between 1 or more of the Houses.

Personally I'd like a scenario where each house has a fixed role in the story regardless of our House choice and we would simply see the conflict from their POV, but I fear that would result in a Fates type situation where our presence alone as Byleth becomes the deciding factor in how things turn out in that side's favor and I'm not super interested in that kind of experience again where whatever side we choose "wins." I doubt many actually want to play a campaign where they are on the objectively wrong side of the conflict and lose in the end. But I don't really want to see a situation where we choose the "wrong" side but end up "winning" because we're a part of it like Conquest.

It would be great to have a really hard route where we are the losing side and most of the battles operate with that in mind, having to play increasingly defensive battles with non-rout victories, but that comes with a number of issues, like just communicating that to the player and potentially spoiling the experience ahead of time when they make their House choice.

But I'm not even sure such a thing is even possible given the apparent plot importance Byleth seems to have and their connection to Sothis and whatever her role in the story is. So it may just be fundamentally impossible for use to choose the "wrong" side given that relationship. 

Yeah these all sound like great ideas. i like the idea of the harder route as well.

9 minutes ago, eclipse said:

Pipe dream: With each house representing a major nation, the interactions you (as Byleth) fosters between your house of choice and the others have a noticeable impact on how the story pans out.  Let's pretend Byleth helps out Edelgard.  If he/she encourages her to be friendly towards Dimitri's house, the later maps will feature recruits from both red and blue, with yellow being the main antagonist.

More likely: The starting house determines the main character.  Some of the earlier maps might change a bit, but in the end, all three houses unite to fight off some ancient threat or other.

yeah sadly this sounds like this easiest way that has been done before which makes it the most probable.

[Onestep]

I'd honestly prefer to NOT get a handful of units from other houses, even for endgame. It would make the game more fun to replay.

[HappyHawlucha.]

I really hope that all we get unit wise from the Academy are Byleth, the captain of the chosen house, the 7 students of each house, and the other two teachers(the woman teacher appears to be playable from the E3 trailer). After the academy arc is over I can totally see us getting both other house captains, and more units outside of the academy to make it up to a regular total number of units for an FE game.

[Kiran_]

I echo some other people's sentiments that realistically you'll choose your house and those will be the 8 units you are able to directly customize and then after the BIG BAD is revealed you'll gain the already promoted (or at least already set into classes) characters from the other houses to form one giant army. And the biggest difference between the houses might just be a stronger focus on the 8 units you originally customized/the beginning maps.

 

My hope is is that you'll choose your house and those will be the 8 units you're able to directly customize. BUT, because of the whole, "Crest" thing, that maybe the later game maps are actually vastly different because you'll have to recover the specific 8 crests of YOUR house. That way each play through you'd get a whole new set of 8 maps and crests and goals. I think that would be super fun. And then even better, you never get ALL the other units from other houses. Maybe you get like 5 from Dimitri and only 4 from Claude if you choose Edelgard. Or if you choose Dimitri you get 6 units from Edelgard and only 3 from Claude. I like the idea of a few units being withheld  as well.

[PrincessAlyson]

It would be nice to have split routes, but I'd personally be fine with a linear story where everyone is eventually recruited as well. Either way, I'm getting this game.