Bethany Plays: November 2022

Saturday 26 November 2022

Sacred Stones Act 2: Divergence

Unlike Act 1, which definitely ends at Chapter 8 with Renvall, the question of where Act 2 ends differs from person to person, although it always falls somewhere within the range of Chapter 14-16. I have chosen to end it with Scorched Sands for two reasons: The divergence in the story of Eirika and Ephraim ends with their reunion, and the way the characters talk up the drama of Chapter 15 feels different to the way they talk up laying siege to Jehanna Hall, Grado Keep or Renais Castle. Plus, Caellach and Valter tag-teaming is a more impressive boss than Carlyle, Vigarde, or Renais's steward.

Eirika's story is the one the player is incentivised to see first, and I feel that shows in the way the plot is paced. There's the drama of Carcino's antagonism, followed by the reveal of who L'Arachel is and what the Sacred Stones are in sequential chapters. And then the story returns to the Grado side, with Valter using cunning in the way he defeats Glen and sending Cormag our way, alongside Caellach's cutthroat approach to Hamill Canyon and seizing Jehanna Hall with the help of a traitor. The story culminating with a dramatic match with Caellach and Valter follows on contiguously, and Ephraim shows up in a timely manner to pick up the most interesting thread of the story in the aftermath: What's Lyon's deal, and why was he here in Jehanna?

Ephraim's story, as the one the player will usually see after finishing Eirika's story, suffers in some respects from the fact that the game is expecting the player to already have some crucial information. It makes a big deal out of how Ephraim confronted Duessel and Selena, but the glue holding the story together is bound far less tightly, with a number of confrontations more interested in matching the length of Eirika's story than feeling like they all belong in Ephraim's. Chapter 9's sole contribution was introducing Gheb (which probably knocks this game a few points), while Chapter 12 has Caellach show up out of nowhere to set a trap that someone who's supposed to be in Grado probably could've done instead. The Dark Stone is set up early, with the prisoner in 9 and Duessel in 10, but it's not until 14 where it's paid off, in a scene matching Eirika's confrontation with Lyon, but far darker. Chapter 14, as well, makes far more sense if you know what Lyon's deal is (which you will by the end of Eirika route, but we haven't done so yet), and I'm not sure if the game skimming over explaining itself is trying to make Ephraim route have a standalone mystery or just assuming you already know the deal. In addition, the dramatic moment with Cormag and Valter loses a lot of steam because all the setup was over in Eirika route- here, they're just two powerful generals, and why they're even attacking Eirika in a tag-team is skimmed in the setup. The game knows what it wants to do with the route split, and things it's less interested in just fall to the wayside.

While the route split tries its best to have minimal impact on the mechanical side- although Ephraim route loses Tethys for three chapters, switches up Gerik and Cormag's viability and kneecaps poor Tana- the game does get to play a neat trick narratively. Joshua and Cormag have life-changing upheavals in their life during the course of Act 2, and the game does something cool in that it only tells one route's version about the details. Eirika route Joshua and Cormag are forced to grapple with the deaths of Ismaire and Glen respectively, while their Ephraim route counterparts are allowed to be more mellow. The drawback, since the Support system is so relatively primitive, is that the payoff can only exist in the boss conversations with Caellach and Valter. Had this game been given the level of care Three Houses received, at least one of Joshua and Cormag's chains, if not multiple, would either have alternate dialogue based on route or outright locking Supports behind seeing their dramatic reveals. Sacred Stones puts the mechanics of Supports first, so Joshua and Cormag must remain route-agnostic (and thus biased to the mellow Ephraim route versions, since Eirika route can fake those better than vice versa). An excellent idea hamstrung by the weaknesses of the system.

This leg of the game is where things get into full swing- you start recruiting a host of characters to make the lineup feel your own, as opposed to the very small squad you got in Act 1, the game's story stops being so cookie-cutter and starts opening all the cans of worms that make the game so lovable, you get L'Arachel, and you get to start engaging in the game's branched promotion system that would eventually become the full class diversity encouraged by FE11 and beyond. If you didn't like the game in Act 1, I feel Act 2 works as redemption. Assuming you're willing to make it this far. Although the game is no longer going to have wildly different maps, the route split will continue into Act 3, where we get to start chipping away at the enigma that is Prince Lyon.

Friday 25 November 2022

SS Chapter 15 Supports

Today's Supports:

Natasha/Knoll C
Duessel/Knoll C
Lute/Knoll C
Tethys/Rennac C
Cormag/Tana B
Marisa/Tana B
Innes/Tana B
Ephraim/L'Arachel B
Joshua/L'Arachel B
Artur/Cormag B
Gerik/Tethys B
Gerik/Marisa B
Innes/Gerik B
Ross/Amelia B
Ross/Ewan B
Natasha/Cormag B
Garcia/Dozla B
L'Arachel/Rennac B
Gerik/Saleh B
Artur/Joshua A
Gilliam/Moulder A

SS Chapter 15 Ephraim: Ambition in the Sands

When Ephraim prepares for Chapter 15, he's allowed to wander the map first. He also has two routes to explore, if one gets blocked by monsters.

Meet Knoll, Ephraim route's second exclusive character. At this point in the story, all that title gives him is two extra turns in the next map and the opportunity for him to visit the Tower of Valni before it. Knoll really is more of one of the game's post route-split characters. For what he is, however, he is a Shaman with somewhat shaky Skill and Speed stats brought down by his abysmal Luck stat. Luck is a stat you really don't care about on most units, until you see a man who has none of it- it affects your Accuracy slightly, your Avoid considerably, and is the sole source of your Dodge. Add that to Knoll's bad Defence, and he'd be instant bench fodder if he didn't have access to Nosferatu.

Knoll himself isn't a terrible unit when raised, however: Even if you don't want to work around his weaknesses, he has an ace up his sleeve that makes him a key part of any army that chooses to use him. I will be using him on the Ephraim mode file.

On Ephraim route, this means more, since now her backup is Innes and Saleh. Innes, of course, sent Gerik and Tethys to help us, because he thought they'd be more useful there or something. This is why no one likes you, Innes.

Only Caellach gets mentioned here. He is the one with the actual plan here, Valter's just tagging along for the opportunity to bag a cute girl. Really, it's not like we lose anything not getting him as a dedicated chapter boss.

Also burning because Caellach set the castle on fire. In case it wasn't already hot enough.

Cavalry to the rescue, this time they're good!

Same chapter as last time, same map, and even all the buried treasure is identical.

SS Chapter 15 Eirika: Creepers in the Sands

We jump right into the chapter with Eirika. We haven't been given much opportunity to run around, what with being smoked out of the palace and all.

Speaking of which, Joshua in the opening skit. Don't get used to him in crowd shots. Part of this may be the developers realising Joshua's unpromoted sprite does not belong in shots like this, especially once Eirika promotes. L'Arachel gets away with it because of her pony.

I'm also not entirely sure how good it looks if Joshua is an Assassin, I've always sent him Swordmaster.

We start by checking in on our Lord.

She's not doing great.

Good suggestion, but where? We have a palace on fire, sand everywhere, and some of the strongest parts of Grado's army bearing down on us.

Eirika says as much, but in a voice that does not inspire confidence.

SS Chapter 14 Supports

Today's Supports:

Innes/L'Arachel C
L'Arachel/Rennac C
Dozla/Rennac C
Seth/Cormag C
Colm/Rennac C
Tethys/Marisa B
Joshua/Natasha B
Joshua/Marisa B
Artur/Tethys B
Eirika/Forde B
Ephraim/Forde B
Joshua/Gerik B
Moulder/Vanessa B
Vanessa/Forde B
Colm/Marisa B
Saleh/Ewan B
Ross/Garcia A
Ross/Lute A
Gilliam/Garcia A

SS Chapter 14 Ephraim Part 2: A Vow Aknolled

When last we left our intrepid heroes, L'Arachel plunged into danger so recklessly, that this is not as much help as Cormag wishes it were.

And L'Arachel finally heals.

I don't think she had a Vulnerary. Let this be a lesson to always pack your lunchbox.

This side is also having fun.

I should've had Artur stay here instead of healing Tana. I don't know why I didn't. Maybe I didn't want Artur hogging the EXP.

Although clearly Ephraim wasn't quite there. I thought he rammed the level cap sooner.

That's this mess cleaned up.

So long, Body Ring!

Also, Garcia has been sitting here on one HP thanks to L'Arachel's shenanigans.

These two are also running from the mages. I have a lot of problems here.

SS Chapter 14 Ephraim Part 1: Losing Your Mind

Ephraim's big final climax will be in Grado Keep. This is the more usual castle design, I think it's used for every capital other than Jehanna. And Carcino, of course.

Like Eirika, there's an ambush. Unlike Eirika, Taizel has all the shops we could ever need.

We start with Cormag getting his Whip.

The choice between Wyvern Lord and Wyvern Knight is basically the same as the choice between Falco and Wyvern, when it comes down to it: Do you want Swords or Pierce? Cormag's higher Con means that element of the decision isn't included, so really, the real question is "do you want Cormag to take after Glen or Valter"?