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[FutureZombie]

Fire Emblem: Awakening is the first game I've played in the series, and when confronted with the choice of classic or casual, I decided on classic as it seemed like the way these games were "meant" to be played. Well now I'm 14 hours into the game, and I feel like I might have missed a lot of content. Currently, I only have 8 characters, and that's only because I finally chose not to save after a battle where I lost 3 people! I must have had over 10 characters die, which has made it really difficult to build relationships. Additionally, I noticed that the paralogues went from #4 to #16, and I'm thinking maybe the game skipped the side quests in between because the necessary characters were dead.

I've found it difficult to keep characters alive because they can do great for a number of battles, and then all of the sudden get one shotted. And I've lost nearly all my mages because the magic has to be used from two tiles away, which is way too close to the battle, imo. Half of the characters I've lost died in the battle where they first appeared, too.

On the other hand, I have two characters (Panne and Chrom) who are basically unstoppable at this point, and I feel like Panne could probably defeat any battle single-handedly.

So am I missing a lot of content? Is it possible I will come to a point where so many characters have died that I cannot beat the game?

 

[Makoto Yuki]

No, it gets easier since you can grind.

So am I missing a lot of content? Is it possible I will come to a point where so many characters have died that I cannot beat the game?

As long as you don't lose Chrom or Avatar you can beat the game with just those two paired up if properly trained/equipped.

 

[MissDeviling]

Most people reset on Classic when a character dies, treating the death like a kind of Game Over screen.

 

[Greddleok]

Jesus, 10 characters dead?! I usually reset if anyone dies, unless I dislike them...

Classic is the way to go in my opinion. Half of the fun of FE is the stress of trying to keep members alive and resetting if anyone dies.

 

[Deadpool_X]

Fire Emblem is about the story you create. Not everyone's story will be the same, because not everyone will make the same choices. I play Fire Emblem on "hardcore mode", meaning, if I'm careless enough to lose a character, they're gone forever. It gives the game a true sense of urgency. If you just reset the second someone dies, there's no real consequence to death, other than maybe the time lost.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Yeah as others have said I'm pretty sure character death on Classic is treated by most people as a wipe. (including myself) if you don't want to bother with that then casual would probably have been the better choice.

 

[toythatkills]

Jesus, 10 characters dead?! I usually reset if anyone dies, unless I dislike them...

Classic is the way to go in my opinion. Half of the fun of FE is the stress of trying to keep members alive and resetting if anyone dies.

If you're gonna reset whenever someone dies, you may as well be playing on Casual.

 

[Lord_Byron28]

I'll say since it's the first time to the series, casual is probably better. Also yes if certain characters die then that will fail to trigger later missions which will mean there will be less content. Granted those missions are more like side quests.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

If you're gonna reset whenever someone dies, you may as well be playing on Casual.

Not really... You're punished quite heavily for resetting - you have to redo battles completely and some of the longer ones can take up to an hour.

 

[inner-G]

This is why they'll never make another FE without casual mode.

They may leave an option for 'classic' mode in the next couple entries though.

 

[Jawmuncher]

I played on casual and had a great time.

 

[FutureZombie]

Yeah as others have said I'm pretty sure character death on Classic is treated by most people as a wipe. (including myself) if you don't want to bother with that then casual would probably have been the better choice.

I don't understand what the difference between playing that way and playing on casual would be.

 

[Linkyn]

If you're gonna reset whenever someone dies, you may as well be playing on Casual.

The point is that you're being penalised for losing any unit by having to restart the chapter. Just getting through the game is not too difficult. Most of the challenge (and fun) arises from doing 'perfect' runs where you don't allow units to die, villages to be destroyed, items to be pilfered, etc.

I don't understand what the difference between playing that way and playing on casual would be.

On casual, if a non-essential unit dies, you just lose them for the remainder of that mission, but get to use them again in the next chapter. You don't have to reset to your last save to get another shot at not losing anyone. The difference is that on classic, regardless of whether you choose to reset or not, you tend to play much more carefully because you know that a wrong move could either cost you a character for the remainder of the game or force you to restart the mission.

 

[Greddleok]

If you're gonna reset whenever someone dies, you may as well be playing on Casual.

Why? That takes away all the challenge...The aim is to not let someone die. Play better. Learn from your mistakes.

That's what I enjoy about it. It's a pretty common thing for long time FE players anyway. The devs for Fates even made an in-house t-shirt about it.

 

[-Horizon-]

I played on casual and had a great time.

Jaw you casual, I just lost all respect for you

Spoiler

jk

 

[Qurupeke]

RESET. Don't let them die. lol

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I don't understand what the difference between playing that way and playing on casual would be.

-

Not really... You're punished quite heavily for resetting - you have to redo battles completely and some of the longer ones can take up to an hour.

The point is that you're being penalised for losing any unit by having to restart the chapter. Just getting through the game is not too difficult. Most of the challenge (and fun) arises from doing 'perfect' runs where you don't allow units to die, villages to be destroyed, items to be pilfered, etc.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

I don't understand what the difference between playing that way and playing on casual would be.

Casual mode allows for you to sacrifice units or play with characters in dangerous positions you wouldn't put them in if there was permadeath. Playing on Classic means that, assuming your fail state is "someone dies", you'll have to play around that and use more careful and thoughtful positioning and strategy.

It's a lot different when you can say "I'll throw Stahl at the enemy and they'll kill him but he'll take aggro and kill a lot of them" when he will or won't come back. Similarly, using a healer or dancer is a lot different if you can let them die or just have them return on the next chapter.

 

[Slime Scholar]

Not really... You're punished quite heavily for resetting - you have to redo battles completely and some of the longer ones can take up to an hour.

Exactly. Casual allows you to continue without penalty if a unit dies. Playing on Classic and resetting forces you to play more cleanly making fewer mistakes, or go back.

Resetting is something a lot of people do, including people on the development team. Some FE games even come with a soft-reset feature when you press a few buttons together.

 

[flohen95]

If you're gonna reset whenever someone dies, you may as well be playing on Casual.

Having to go through a battle without anyone being defeated =/= not having to care at all.

That's what I like about Fire Emblem (especially post FE12 with all the additional difficulty options) - you can decide how to play it. Either an "extreme/realistic" run, where deaths are actually permanent (no resets), a hard run where you have to beat every individual level without a character being killed before being able to move on (albeit this, of course, being self imposed) or just playing the game, getting characters revived after every battle (which is good if you just want to see their individual stories play out through the endings or through support conversations).

 

[cj_iwakura]

Nope. It'll make you stronger. See your foes driven before you, hear the lamentations of their dragonswomen.

You'd better go back for the ones you've lost, though. The endgame does not mess around. You'll need those bodies.

 

[Principate]

First time through I'd reccommend not resetting, while it's not neccesarily the cheat some make it out to be (it requires you to learn how to make perfect runs and learn the maps fairly well something you don't have to do if you let characters die on casual or classic)

The best and most intense aspects of Fire Emblem is that permanent feeling of loss if you don't restart. it sticks with you more, and you have greater moments of joy when your units do survive

I remember Anna the queen that she is is dodging 12 , 70% hits in a row to ensure noone died in the final battle. watching her do that was pretty intense and it's simply something you can't replicate if you simply restart after units die.

You obvious however need to do it if you ever plan on playing lunatic mode

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Exactly. Casual allows you to continue without penalty if a unit dies. Playing on Classic and resetting forces you to play more cleanly making fewer mistakes, or go back.

Resetting is something a lot of people do, including people on the development team. Some FE games even come with a soft-reset feature when you press a few buttons together.

Cool, didn't know that about the soft reset thing

 

[FutureZombie]

I'm on chapter 18 I think, and 14 hours into the game. I've only had one pair of characters get married (other than Chrom) and they both died. Is getting married and having kids a big part of the game? I feel like it may never happen for me...

 

[Principate]

I'm on chapter 18 I think, and 14 hours into the game. I've only had one pair of characters get married (other than Chrom) and they both died. Is getting married and having kids a big part of the game? I feel like it may never happen for me...

It unlocks

Spoiler

kids units

and special side chapters, those units are the best in the game but require extra effort in leveling by the point you reach them

 

[DrunkShogun]

Weirdly enough everyone who plays on Classic is more or less playing on casual because they just reset the mission if someone does. I'm guilty for this as well. So the the gimmick of classic isn't actually present. Seems your one of the rare folks who is sticking to the actual classic style so it's on you if you stay but most would expect you to restart.

 

[Makoto Yuki]

They should make a Casual Mode that doesn't' just magically revive your dead characters after battle. Give it some consequence like paying Gold to revive them.

 

[Makoto Yuki]

Weirdly enough everyone who plays on Classic is more or less playing on casual because they just reset the mission if someone does. I'm guilty for this as well. So the the gimmick of classic isn't actually present. Seems your one of the rare folks who is sticking to the actual classic style so it's on you if you stay but most would expect you to restart.

No, because on casual you can just still play through the battle and have everyone alive at the end regardless. In Classic if they die they are gone for good, if you reset you have the start the battle over.

 

[toythatkills]

Having to go through a battle without anyone being defeated =/= not having to care at all.

That's what I like about Fire Emblem (especially post FE12 with all the additional difficulty options) - you can decide how to play it. Either an "extreme/realistic" run, where deaths are actually permanent (no resets), a hard run where you have to beat every individual level without a character being killed before being able to move on (albeit this, of course, being self imposed) or just playing the game, getting characters revived after every battle (which is good if you just want to see their individual stories play out through the endings or through support conversations).

Ways I see it, resetting is basically "cheating." I know it's a legit way to play (and I've played FE games this way myself) but with Casual mode, I no longer see the point. If you want to keep everyone alive, play casual. If you want to keep everyone dead, play classic. The weird middle-ground between the two just seems like a waste of time now. Especially when you consider the frustration caused when you lose a unit to some freak quirk of the RNG that could be erased entirely on casual.

I imagine this is more just a sign that I'm getting old, tbh.

 

[Hero]

Some backwards logic in this thread. Classic is not the same thing as casual.

 

[Lindsay]

I'm on chapter 18 I think, and 14 hours into the game. I've only had one pair of characters get married (other than Chrom) and they both died. Is getting married and having kids a big part of the game? I feel like it may never happen for me...

Sounds like your first playthrough was alot like mine! Awakening was also my first FE an I played on Classic an by the very end I had like 6 people left alive if even. No marriages outside of the mandatory Chrom one either! You can totally beat the story without grinding or marrying or anything if that's all you're looking for. I dunno if there even is a post-game but if there is then I guess ya would be missing out on some stuff. Its still only like a 16-17 hour long game so ya could save the worrying over optional stuff for the next playthrough?

Weirdly enough everyone who plays on Classic is more or less playing on casual because they just reset the mission if someone does.

I never reset either time I played the game! If someone dies (or gets benched because women aren't allowed ta die), too bad for me!

 

[MikeDip]

Classic is the only way to play. That other mode is stupid and should not be there.

Also, reset after a character dies mate, you are doing it wrong.

 

[Memory]

The big question is are you having fun playing that way?

From my expierence there are several types of FE players:

• Min-Maxers who use all the exploits and tactics possible to create super units to either beat the game with ease or try the hardest battles.
  
• Story players who just want to experience the story and have a light to medium challenge.
  
• Purists who want to play the game how the classic games were played challenge wise but will reset when characters are lost.
  
• Crazy people who play the game like you are playing it .

Seriously though if your having fun just see it through and then maybe start a casual play through as the opposite gender next time around.

It depends on where the bulk of your fun is coming from though, the challenge of the battles or just playing the battles and using the characters themselves.

 

[Zareka]

Yeah, like others have said most people treat a single death as reset button combo time. That's how I played too and had a wonderful time with my first FE game.

That said I did let a couple people die. Getting to the very end of a chapter you've been retrying for hours only to have some punk get crit drains the capacity to care somewhat.

Edit: for the record I hated the idea of resetting whenever a character died at first because it ruins the whole create your own story thing right? But FE really isn't that kind of game so if you're worrying about that at all don't. Reset away.

 

[Verelios]

No, in the mid game my MC and Chrome alone soloed entire maps. Hell, adding Lon'qu was just being petty.

Though I did lose Vaike on his first mission, but eh.

 

[SporeCrawler]

playing classic was not a mistake. letting people die was a mistake

 

[Firebrand]

I don't understand what the difference between playing that way and playing on casual would be.

Instant "game over" vs being able to continue on no matter how many units die, that's quite a huge difference.

I'd be more positive to losing characters as part of the game if it wasn't so easy to get 1-shit by sudden reinforcements, and weren't so heavily punished by making significant amount of content inaccessable.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Most people reset on Classic when a character dies, treating the death like a kind of Game Over screen.

Yeah I did this and it worked well because it kept the tension high because I wouldn't want to reset and lose the last 20 minutes of progress. If I played on casual I would have just played the game without a care in the world and it would have been less intense.

 

[flohen95]

Ways I see it, resetting is basically "cheating." I know it's a legit way to play (and I've played FE games this way myself) but with Casual mode, I no longer see the point. If you want to keep everyone alive, play casual. If you want to keep everyone dead, play classic. The weird middle-ground between the two just seems like a waste of time now. Especially when you consider the frustration caused when you lose a unit to some freak quirk of the RNG that could be erased entirely on casual.

I imagine this is more just a sign that I'm getting old, tbh.

Nah, I get you. In fact, I usually play games on the lowest difficulty (at least initally) to save me some hassle, and the reason that I play Fire Emblem the way I do is pretty much out of habit. Though I don't think I would love the series as much as I do had I started with Awakening and on casual difficulty. But that's just a feeling.

The nice thing is, no one has to reset since, well, Casual Mode exists. It's an option to personalize the difficulty of the game, similar to how some people make their Pokémon experience harder by implementing a self-inforced permadeath. I like it when games offer these options, be it as an official difficulty option or through other means.

 

[FutureZombie]

The big question is are you having fun playing that way?

Yes. I'm really enjoying the game. The combat is not as deep as I was hoping, but there's something really satisfying about the gameplay.

 

[MikeDip]

Yes. I'm really enjoying the game. The combat is not as deep as I was hoping, but there's something really satisfying about the gameplay.

Use more strategy so you don't kill your people though :\

 

[redcrayon]

Most people reset on Classic when a character dies, treating the death like a kind of Game Over screen.

I don't, I'm quite happy to carry on if characters die, I only reset if the mission is totally FUBAR and half the team is dead. I like bearing the consequences of failure, it feels more like commanding an army than immediately resetting if something doesn't go my way.

 

[FutureZombie]

Use more strategy so you don't kill your people though :\

Damn mages are worthless. They have no defense, but they need to be within two tiles to use their attacks.

 

[MikeDip]

Damn mages are worthless. They have no defense, but they need to be within two tiles to use their attacks.

No, mages are the best. Just keep them out of harms way

 

[kagamin]

All this resetting talk is reminding me on when I played FE7 a while back, one of my characters died on like chapter 25 or something, but the boss got a lucky crit on Hector so I kinda didn't have to restart of my own will, it just happened.

In more recent news, I've been getting plenty of game overs rather than random unit deaths in Fire Emblem Fates Conquest on Lunatic Classic, I really have to be careful with my units or I would be super screwed late game with a limited amount of characters.

Yes. I'm really enjoying the game. The combat is not as deep as I was hoping, but there's something really satisfying about the gameplay.

Awakening isn't really the strongest point in the series strategy-wise, you can brute force a lot of stuff after the initial few chapters where you're locked in linearly. Also Awakening lacks variety in mission objectives compared to some of its predecessors, iirc there are only two victory conditions for maps during the game: "rout the enemy" or "defeat the commander".

 

[Flame Lord]

Sounds like the mistake you made was not resetting when a characters dies.

 

[FutureZombie]

Sounds like the mistake you made was not resetting when a characters dies.

I wanted to feel like all my choices mattered. And they did. And I obviously made a lot of bad decisions.

 

[Caim]

When I first played Awakening I ended up always resetting whenever someone died, but I plan on doing another one and if someone dies I'll just accept it.

As much I hate whenever that happens in all FE games I'd like to see who I'm left with by the end of the game.

 

[PuppetSlave]

I wanted to feel like all my choices mattered. And they did. And I obviously made a lot of bad decisions.

Nah, I bet you been learning a lot while making those decisions.
I love the feeling when your left with the characters that been through the grinder and came out alive. After beating the game it makes replaying that much more rewarding when you can avoid getting so many deaths. So rewarding feeling

 

[Scipio]

Casual mode makes Awakening even more simple. If you want to start anew, just reset the game if you lost someone you'd like to keep.

But resetting everytime you lose somebody can take the enjoyment out of the game pretty quickly. Only do it if you're fucked.