#Fire emblem engage 2nd anniversary

[xander-wolk]

Happy 2 years since the release of PEAK 🩵💗✨

[toonster]

HAPPY 2ND ANNIVERSARY TO PEAK FICTION!!!

Fire Emblem Engage is such an amazing game (also I know it’s no longer the anniversary day I just didn’t have the time to do more)

[dexjarxenoengage]

Fiery Bond Symbolism.

Happy 2nd anniversary for Fire Emblem Engage! Fire Emblem Engage is one of the most overhated games I have ever seen since Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It is one of my favorite games of all time. But I’m here to discuss the symbolism of the ending song: Fiery Bond.

Just like “Emblem Engage,” the ending and opening songs for this game alludes to the Kingdom of Elyos, Alear’s allies and friends, and connections to the Emblems and their respective incantations. I have already done an analysis on “Emblem Engage” before, but now, I want do another one for this song. And naturally, spoilers are abound here.

⁃ Promises were made to you on the fields of your awakening. Unaware that this would be the start of your story. Images come back to you and flicker in your memory. You pray for strength to carry on, I heard you calling out to me.

These lyrics allude to the beginning of Alear’s story as they wake up in the land of the Divine Dragon, meet their Stewarts, Marth and Lumera. Having lost their memories as their Fell Dragon themselves, they are unaware of the fact that this would be their first day as the dragon who saves the world. This was Past Alear’s dying wish. And thanks to be able to call out Emblem Marth to be their ally, Alear’s dream to be a hero was being realized.

⁃ So even though it may be easier to run from the fighting, What you sought all along was the strength to free us all from this dark night of sorrow.

The first reference to the various Emblem Incantations we get in this theme includes Ike and Leif; their incantations are “Fight on! Emblem of radiance!” and “Free us, Emblem of genealogy!” respectively.

Tying back to those characters, Ike and Leif have gone through struggles where they could have chose to run away and give up. Ike losing his father Greil, and being forced to lead the Mercenaries in his stead. And Leif making a poor leading decision that sends Dryas to an early grave. But both find it themselves to put their foot forward against the odds… and their grief.

Alear had lost a mother they barely got to know. Alear loses Marth and the first 5 Emblems to Sombron at the end of chapter 10. And Alear’s dream was nearly crushed after learning of their true heritage and nearly died at Sombron’s hands, after which, they learn of their dream far too late.

At any point in time, Alear could’ve given up, ran away. But at the end of the day, for one way or another, Alear managed to find a reason to continue to do what is right, and eventually convinced Veyle to do the same.

So by continuing to fight against the odds, Alear and Veyle managed to free themselves from their respective shackles of fate. Alear became a true Divine Dragon, while Veyle proved that even Fell Dragons can be heroes.

⁃ You can seize your dreams, Distant though they seem. Like the wind that sweeps across the plains, you can rise up and begin again

Next Emblems that are referenced are Lyn and Roy. Fitting they share a Chorus considering that they share the same world. Lyn’s incantation is “Sweep across! Emblem of Blazing.” While Roy’s incantation is “Rise up! Emblem of Binding.”

The lyrics kind of fit with what I said before about Alear and Veyle, in that they were fighting for their aspirations and goals in life in spite of the challenges they were facing. And even tying in with their allies in Ivy and Diamant who are the inheritors of their respective Emblems.

Diamant seeks to bring peace to his country without resorting to violence, while Ivy also sought to protect her country from the aforementioned invaders of Brodia. Both of them learn from their fathers and their own mistakes, and are beginning again by being allies to the Divine Dragon.

⁃ May your wish come true! We can see this through! Just show me your brightest smile to restore the light of morning sky.

This incantation nexts alludes to Eirika and her brother; “Restore calm! Emblem of the Sacred!” Eirika and Ephiram are a sibling team, just like Alear and Veyle, as well as the Four Royals and their respective siblings. Their united efforts save Elyos from destruction.

“Restore the light of morning sky” can allude to the endgame of Engage after Sombron opens the portal to other worlds, hence destroying the “morning” sky. Alear’s final promise to Lumera is to restore the beautiful skies of Elyos so that everyone can smile together under it.

⁃ Promises you made to me as you gazed into my eyes of blue. Hoping that our paths would cross once again. On that day when all was lost, I remember what you said to me. That the past, our wounds, and all our pain would be healed by the break of dawn.

This is easily my favorite set of lyrics in this song. This next part has Micaiah’s incantation: “Heal us! Emblem of Dawn!” And for Alear and Veyle, thanks to Alear meeting Lumera and all of their friends, Alear was able to heal from the wounds Sombron caused them. Alear themselves also helped Veyle overcome her despair in Chapter 22.

These lyrics also allude to Chapter 25, after Alear defeats Corrupted Lumera. As Lumera passes on once again, Alear and Lumera makes a promise in their respective eyes of blue that they will always be connected and that Alear will protect Elyos as Lumera’s successor. It can also be referencing Past Alear’s promise to Lumera to become a heroic dragon that she can be proud of.

⁃ So long ago, you always stood beside and put your faith in me. I was scared and alone until we forged a bond together that would last forever.

Alear was forced to fight for their abusive father, Sombron, out of fear for their lives. Veyle, on the other hand, had no true friends at her side and only had the hope of reuniting with her lost sibling, Alear, to fall back on. And all the while, Sombron and Zephia were pulling invisible strings on her to do their bidding.

Thanks to Alear meeting Lumera, they were given a second chance to be something more than just a pawn. It’s thanks to the Emblems that Alear would eventually find the courage to become the hero they wished to be. And finally, thanks to Alear’s friends and allies for standing by them even after knowing of their past, Alear found new resolve to continue living out their dream. At the same time, Alear also gave Veyle a chance to fight for her freedom and happiness.

⁃ Gather up your tears. Put aside your fears. Bare your heart, your fate's desires. Reignite the dimming fires.

We return to the Emblem incantation references, this time with Corrin (Bare your fangs! Emblem of Fates!) and Lucina (Reignite us! Emblem of Awakening). Corrin and Lucina, like Alear (and most other Fire Emblem lords) lost their respective parents and had to bare their griefs with resolve to fight for what they believe in.

Lucina helping Alear in Chapter 11 (alongside Lyn) symbolizes the Fire Emblem franchise being saved thanks to the success of her home game: Fire Emblem Awakening. Lucina is the one who gave Veyle hope in the midst of losing the first six Emblem allies to Sombron.

⁃ If you pray with passion, find your way to action; You can make your dream reality, be a shining star for all to see!

Alear and Veyle both had their dreams, but again, they needed to have the hope and courage to chase after those dreams and make them reality. Eventually they succeeded in being the heroes Elyos needed.

⁃ So many times I was defeated and I'd given up hope. Teach me to care when all I love is lost and gone up in smoke. And I can't hold back these burning tears. Who will be the light in this endless night?

We have more Emblem incantations, with a little extra: Byleth (Teach us! Emblem of the Academy!), Celica (Care for us! Emblem of Echoes!) and even Zero Emblem (Burn us! Emblem of Foundations!).

Had Alear and Veyle given up on the prospect of forging new bonds with others, they could have become just like Sombron, who gave up bonds after Zero Emblem, the Emblem of Foundations, abandoned him.

Alear had Lumera, and then the Emblems, be their guiding lights who would care for them and guide them to become the Divine Dragon. After which, Alear would eventually share the same guidance they received to Veyle.

And Veyle really needed it, because she would have just accepted death if Alear hadn’t tried to reach out to her. And Alear reached out to Veyle because they learned the truth behind her split personality and received the guidance and kindness from the Emblems and their friends. Much like how Byleth and Celica’s respective goals are to guide and care for the wellbeing of others.

⁃ Bonds of fire connect us. Love provides, protects us. Feel the warmth of precious memories. The promises you've kept to me.

The last set of lyrics in this song reference to Alear themselves, the Fire Emblem Engage, as well as the two most important Emblems in Alear’s journey in Marth and Sigurd. They also appear in the opening song; “Emblem Engage.”

Alear (“Connect us! Fire Emblem!”) is the Fire Emblem of Engage’s story, therefore, they embody the games themes and messages of promises and connections, as well as a callout to the players who love this game and the other Fire Emblem games that have been played. By connecting with others, Alear has achieved his dream of becoming a hero by becoming an Emblem.

This is all thanks to Sigurd (Provide for us! Emblem of the Holy War) who was a key player in keeping Alear from giving up after the bombshell they received in Chapter 20. Sigurd was the Emblem connected to Lumera before her passing, and his ring is the one that Veyle returned to Alear at the end of Chapter 17 in atonement for her evil self’s crimes.

And though Alear’s fell dragon memories were painful, it’s thanks to learning the truth and having the courage to face that Alear was able to become a stronger individual. It’s also because of those memories, that serves as one of the reasons they have found to forgive Veyle for her evil self’s crimes.

⁃ Bonds of hope unite us. Shining on to guide us. The story that you left behind will be told until the end of time.

And finally, “Shine on! Emblem of Beginnings!” Marth is the first Fire Emblem lord, and the first (and the most prominent) Emblem on Alear’s journey. Even though, Marth and the other Emblems are forced to be erased from existence to fight and defeat Sombron, Alear’s bond with them would keep them around long enough to fight one last time. But also as long as Alear keeps the bond between them strong, they will always be connected.

Sure enough, plenty of Heroes as of this typing would be reunited with Alear and their friends (Marth, Sigurd, Ike, Celica and Lyn) in Askr in Fire Emblem Heroes. And as for the Fire Emblem franchise as a whole, this game, and whatever Fire Emblem game you deem as your favorite will always be there to have their stories be told for all time. You just need to stay… “engaged.”

[zefirart]

Happy 2nd anniversary Fire Emblem Engage!

[oekaki-pancake]

I’m late but happy 2nd anniversary to Fire Emblem Engage 🥳

[oceanmoon-artblog]

Happy 2nd Anniversary to Fire Emblem Engage! 🎈🎊

[nester-the-lark]

Happy 2nd anniversary to Fire Emblem Engage, my favorite FE and one of my favorite Switch games!

[egittae]

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Dewa/Dewba

Pronouns: She/Her

Birthday (no year): October 2nd, same as Rua!

Where are you from? What is your time zone? France, CEST

How long is your roleplay experience? I always say 10+ because I sincerely have no idea anymore just A Long Time

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? My Little Pony OC roleplay with my DeviantArt friends in Join.me art streams

How were you introduced to TOA? An ex-member kept talking about it to me until one day I decided to give it a go!

Do you have any pets? Two cockatiels!

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Winter...I love winter. I love snow.

What is your IRL occupation? I'm a design + marketing master student with focus on the luxury industry! I'm also a freelance artist.

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Sports, building scale models, drawing

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Pokemon, Metal Gear, Megaman

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Flying type. I love Cutiefly.

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! (Optional bonus challenge: if you filled this out last year, try not to repeat what you said back then!) My work was personally acknowledged by Hideo Kojima, and I was an advanced-level figure skater for 6 years doing public skating shows.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? Marth and Ike in Super Smash Bros Brawl was my first exposition to FE 😔 THO what got me into FE was 3H

What Fire Emblem games have you played? :) FE Warriors: Three Hopes and FEH EZGNFXGN

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: Just 3H for all options

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Dimitri, Constance, Dedue, Idunn, Lambert

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! Ingrid, actually! She was the first character in 3H who actually caught my eye, both because I find her design very pretty and because I liked the serious knight girl + pegasus rider combo.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 Mycen. I won't elaborate.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? Three Houses Hopes: Ingrid

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Pegasus Knight!

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? After a bizarre chat with some friends I realized that my full IRL name's meaning literally translates to "cavalier messenger angel of the fortress" so I guess I'm your good ol' Pegasus Knight recruit who's a light magic user

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) What I want? Blue Lions. Realistically? Church of Seiros, considering my track record with being under religious learning institutions.

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boon: Flying, Authority Budding talent: Faith Banes: Gauntlets, Heavy Armor

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) What I want? Brodia. Realistically? I am brazilian. So I would be the brazilian equivalent of Elyos, aka Solm. Come to Solm.

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) Toe

Current TOA muses: Lambert and Sylvain!

Past TOA muses? Dimitri, Seteth, Hapi, Idunn, M!Byleth, Percy

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Dimitri! Honestly, right now nope! Not only he'd clash with the fact I'm already playing Lambert, but he's also receiving much well deserved love from another mun right now. I'm happy like this!

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) Anything that's from Fódlan, good people who have gone through hell and haven't even begun their road to recovery, lil weirdos.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Smart characters. Because I'm not smart. Also characters who are canonly very verbose and have very flowery language, I don't have the vocabulary to make it seem natural.

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) I have no idea honestly....whatever brings joy at the moment.

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? Lambert in his full kingly glory (softsmile), Sylvain showcasing his true, raw self to someone.

Favorite TOA-related memories? Byleth losing HP while fighting a fish with Arden's Frederick in order to impress fishermen, breaking his hand on a table, and then getting kicked in the nuts. All in the same event.

Present or past tense? I don't really keep track of this at all actually oops- past I suppose?

Normal size text, small text, no preference? I default to normal size.

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Mila. And every time I open 3Hopes I get Annette flashbangs. But mostly Mila.

[hresvelged]

TOA Anniversary Munday

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is. Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Credits to Neffi for making this!

Name: Tiff

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): December 2nd

Where are you from? What is your time zone? USA; Eastern Standard Time

How long is your roleplay experience? 12-ish years give or take some hiatuses I took and whatnot.

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I am pretty sure it was due to some friends I had in high school at the time lol. Ironically they wrote on Tumblr haha. I wrote short stuff on DeviantArt before that as one-shot things but we don't perceive that.

How were you introduced to TOA? I saw a promo post for it on Twitter. I was in a multi-fandom rp group writing 3H there at the time but I was intrigued at the idea of getting to interact with more Fire Emblem characters and having a new setting for my 3H muse.

Do you have any pets? No, but I used to have birds when I was younger.

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Fall because the weather starts to cool down lol. I also like the autumn cozy things.

What is your IRL occupation? Database Analyst.

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Reading, listening to music, dance, cosplay, makeup.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Persona, rhythm games (right now just Project Sekai but I used to be very big into Love Live), and I've enjoyed mystery series like Danganronpa and RainCode.

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: I am saddened to say I know very little about Pokemon asFGHL but I am hoping to change this soon.

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! (Optional bonus challenge: if you filled this last year, try not to repeat what you said back then!) Hmm. I am left handed, I am one of the fastest typists at my job, and I have had a few ita bags over the years for various characters- Eli Love Live, Kanan Love Live, Makoto Persona 5, and I've started an Edelgard one lol.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? Three Houses was all over my Twitter feed when it came out and so I checked it out! The gameplay looked neat and the story seemed cool. And now I am here!

What Fire Emblem games have you played? I have played or watched playthroughs of Jugdral, the Archanea games, Awakening, Fates, Valentia, 3 Houses, and Engage.

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: First: Three Houses. Favorite: Three Houses.

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Probably Edelgard, Celine, Dorothea, Flayn, and Ivy.

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! Edelgard lol! I went in 3H blind and I chose BEagles first because I liked her character and I was not disappointed.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 Hmm not really, but I think Alfred and Diamant are cool lol.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: Chrom, still Chrom

Fates: I can't remember orz.

Three Houses: Edelgard, still Edelgard or maybe Hubert

Engage: Alfred, Alfred again or Diamant

Favorite Fire Emblem class? I've grown fond of the Armored classes over the years but I also like Gremory.

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I'd probably be a healer lol and average stats.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) Black Eagles.

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons: Reason, Faith. Banes: Axe, Heavy Armor. Budding talent: Authority

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) Firene is very pretty and I am slightly bias haha.

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) To-Ah

Current TOA muses: Edelgard, Celine

Past TOA muses? Flayn, Annette, Dorothea, Elice, Yunaka. I think that's all.

If you have past muses, are there any you miss in particular? I enjoy them as characters but I don't want to write any of them right now. I prefer seeing them in other people's hands hehe.

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? My first muse was Flayn and I don't see myself writing her again. I wrote a lot of stuff for her both here and the previous MFRP group I was in and I feel satisfied with that.

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) My muse type is still the same I think lol! I gravitate a lot towards stoic women- Something about these ladies having a lot of responsibility on their shoulders and, for some of them, a colder exterior but a kind heart.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Male muses never stick for me in general. Aside from that, I'm not really sure, but I guess maybe characters who's designs are neat but I don't have their lore as well-grasped.

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) I enjoy a mix of things! I like fluff as much as I like angst stuff- It depends on the muses and context. I like steering my muses towards certain arcs and I like them developing friendships as well as finding themselves in difficult scenarios.

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? I'd like to write more AU's! The 3H timeskip AU and Fell Xenologue AU's are two off the top of my head. Otherwise, I hope to explore more of Edelgard opening up about herself and Celine developing more knowledge on surrounding lands.

Favorite TOA-related memories? I enjoyed Fantom Loews and KKE a lot as two lore events that come to mind! I also really have liked every Ethereal Ball interaction my muses have had. The more casual setting allows them to meet both old and new muses.

Present or past tense? I switch around but I've written more in past tense overall.

Normal size text, small text, no preference? I default to small text and bolded dialogue but I change it around sometimes and don't have a preference for other people when writing with me!

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Not really hahaha. I wouldn't mind trying another Engage character sometime but as to who, I don't know yet lol.

[arkus-rhapsode]

Rambling about my anxieties about a potential FE4 Remake

So recently an interview with the developers of FE Engage had come out and it shed some interesting facts about the development like how it was meant for the 30th anniversary, it was being made at the same time as 3H and that the game was delayed for greater polish.

Now that might not seem at all extraordinary after all, if you were like me, the OG leaker for Engage basically said that all. But here’s the thing, not only is this behind the scenes look legitimizing more of the leaker’s insights, but that means there is an even higher potential of their claim that an FE4 remake is more believable. 

Now its no secret that FE Genealogy of the Holy War is one of the most anticipated Fire Emblems to receive a remake treatment like Echoes and why wouldn’t it be? After all, its still the most popular FE in Japan and is considered to be Kaga’s magnum opus and the best of the Famicom era FE. It was also never brought over to the West legally so this’ll be FE fans chances to see it in its full glory. Hell, Im excited as all hell to see FE4 remade on modern consoles, but then I sorta stopped and began to think about it for a bit. Namely, could an FE4 remake ever live up to the hype?

Now look, any old FE getting remade should happen. Especially those never officially translated. It gives others in the fandom the chance to experience the game with modern convince and not be scared off by emulation. But just for a moment I thought what a remade FE4 would even look like. 

Now Im sure anyone who played Echoes knows it is possibly one of the best produced FE’s ever. Its in game art was amazing, the sprites actually resembled people more than Awakening or Fates, fully voice acted, it was amazing. It was amazing by the standards of a 3DS. Its no secret FE has gone through a transitional period from the 3DS to the Switch. The flat 2D sprites are now 3D models and convos that took place on map painting backgrounds with character art laid onto of it, is now 3D models speaking in an open space. I think what every FE fan genuinely wants is for Fire Emblem to look the best it can on the console its on. Now Engage clearly has shown FE can look better than it ever has on switch, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. This is a console that’s 1st and 2nd parties can achieve visuals like breath of the wild, Kirby Lost World, and Xenoblade. So I don’t think its impossible to make pretty games on a switch. But FE and Insys really haven’t gone all the way to where is feels quite like its a next gen FE visually. And not to put all the blame on InSys, but I understand that even fans are split. Some will never be happy if we don’t get back to the old pixel art style and found it more visually appealing while others want to put the capabilities of FE on a home console. Any creative director is not gonna manage to appeal to both these sides and that’s honestly going to suck. 

Now, this isn’t just about graphics but lets also talk about mechanics. Its no doubt that FE4 has some legendary map design, as well as the precursor to the support system we have now. But it was a clearly unbalanced FE, cavalry has always been OP but this is the game where literally cavalry is the best. The map design is also pretty different. I know GBA era fans probably are used to the concept of an FE plot unfolding on a battlefield as opposed to more chapter long encounter then story cutscene as more modern FE, but if people forget, the maps in FE4 were huge with multiple narrative events occurring in a single map. So how do translate that? Do you get rid of the huge maps and make FE4 more like modern FE and break into smaller maps with cutscene driven stories? Engage has shown a willingness to use more cinematics than ever before, would that help moments like Sigurd’s father dying or the feeling of Quan arriving only to be ambushed? Personally, I don’t think so as moments like that make FE4 so remembered. The immersive moments of in real time plot elements playing out. Once again we arrive at some where I can’t really see how you’d do this without disappointing one end of the spectrum.

And then we have the support system. I feel pretty confident in saying that an FE4 remake will use the modernized FE support system. But as we’ve seen in Echoes, just because it may use the same system, doesn’t mean it’ll be like Awakening, Fates, or 3H level deep. Echoes support system was incredibly limited despite coming off of the more robust Fates. And As I’m sure you all recall, scaling back social sim elements are never really met with positivity like FE Engage walking back things from 3H. Im sure they’ll still let you pick who you end up with Seliph, after all he isn’t locked into an ending like Sigurd or Alm, but I am unsure if we’ll get the modernized support system we are so accused to getting retrofitted into an older game. 

Oh my god are they even going to do turn wheel?

Okay okay moving away from the gameplay portion, the last thing that worries the fact any remake of FE4 has to live up to a near monolithic reputation. FE4 is an FE that never made it the states and the only way to experience it forever was through emulation and a fan translation. This lack of availability that seemed to only be accessed by die hard FE fans willing to play the Famicom era games while also being told to other western fans that this is Japan’s favorite FE coupled with things that more modern fans would recognize like FE4 serving as the inspiration for a lot of 3H has essentially mythologized FE4 as “The Greatest Fire Emblem Game”. Now this is my personal opinion but FE4 isn’t my favorite FE, nor is it one I consider the best written, but it is certainly an operatic entry that goes beyond what FE had ever done up to the point with moments that deserve to be apart of FE history. And do you see what I’m getting at here? Any remake of FE4 has sky high expectations to clear. It was a meme forever that FF7 Remake was taking forever, but we all know that if it was nothing less than beyond perfect, then FF7R would never live up to the hype. FE4 is very likely going to be in that situation and Im not 100% sure InSys can deliver if that’s the case. 

Now look, maybe this is all just pointless lizard brain fear. I would love nothing more than to see and FE4 that flawlessly captured the spirt of the original while looking great, playing great, and living up to the bar of social simulation. I think that’s all any fan genuinely wants out of any FE game. But it just fills me with dread knowing the near herculean task the FE development team may be tasked with, and that even more fans who have never experienced FE4 are going to now have to see how “The Best FE” holds up to modern standards. 

The potential of this remake ever happening is still not set in hard stone as of the writing. So there really is no point worrying about something before it even has a chance to materialize. But I do believe that any FE4 remake will now be facing a lot of up hill battles and while I’m not using that to protect poor game design (If the game plays or looks like ass I will call it out) I do hope that people think about what an FE4 remake really does mean. 

[theofficersacademy]

April is here! And so is spring, officially!

Housekeeping

Current Month in TOA: Red Wolf Moon

Our mission board this season is for the Golden Deer! Take a look at the new tasks here [link].

The 4th DLC wave for Fire Emblem Engage is set to be released on April 4th and with it, new characters will be available in TOA! Similar to the Ashen Wolf expansion in 2020, there will be a 2-week cooldown between the DLC release and when TOA will begin accepting DLC characters. New characters introduced in the Fell Xenologue can be applied for beginning 00:00 EST on April 19th. Pre-existing characters will not be affected, and muns of these characters can use information from the DLC to inform their own characterization as soon as the DLC becomes available. Story spoilers must continue to be tagged with #engage spoilers and how TOA will handle alternative versions of characters (e.g. Madeline or DLC Alfred) will be determined at a later date.

A new channel has been created in the server to be used for Picrews! Picrews are a fun way to show off your muses, but they do tend to be posted in large groups that clutter up the #gen-media channel. This new channel will be used ONLY for Picrews and other dollmakers.

We also have a new feedback poll for the month of April! Most of these questions are specific to this year’s Battle of the Eagle and Lion.

Rule Reminders

Your character’s name and affiliation must be CLEARLY visible in your blog description, per TOA’s rules. We’ve received some complaints about this recently and will be approaching individuals who do not comply.

TOA is a group designed to welcome every game in the series, and we are so proud of our community for doing that. However, occasionally competitiveness between continents arise in ways that are more hostile than fun, and it spills out into OOC interactions. Comments about not being interested in a specific FE run against the spirit of the group and should be kept to yourself. Jokes about “[continent] superiority” should always be assumed to be jokes, but if someone requests toning down making such jokes, then the request should be honored and the topic moved on without additional argument. There should not be an us vs them mentality between continents, and if you find yourself only interacting with muns who write within your muse’s continent, then it may be useful for you to re-assess your relationship with the FE series and TOA’s community.

In order to make it easier for individuals to find open starters, we’d like everyone to tag their plotting/starter calls with #toa plotting. Please only use #toa open for open starters that have already been written.

Other

April Mun Birthdays: Lilly (4th), Kanoesa (14th), Emily (18th), Linkd (21st), Ree (23rd), Ivy (24th), Ven (26th)

April Muse Birthdays: Tharja (2nd), Maria (5th), Linus (6th), Diamant (6th), Hector (7th), Sakura (9th), Est (11th), Ishtar (11th), Hubert (17th), Grima (19th), Sigurd (19th), Lucina (20th), Tina (20th), Cecilia (26th)

First-year mun anniversaries this month: Heckles (11th)

Second-year mun anniversaries this month: Leon (25th)

First-year muse anniversaries this month: F!Corrin (4th), Artur (11th), Hector (17th)

Second-year muse anniversaries this month: Yuri (19th)

Muses who have been in the group for a solid year will also be granted an Academy Brooch to put in their inventory. It doesn’t do anything. It just lets others know your character has been around the block. These characters are also granted a new opportunity to change houses if they wish to do so.

- The House Leaders

[mybigcoinca]

US Marines World War One Service Medal

The big coin news of the moment is the recent release of a silver dollar coin and several medals commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One – once called ‘The Great War’. Each medal honors the activities of one service in that war, and some depict critical events in the war history of the service. With that in mind, let’s expand on some of these medals, and talk about the images, and the creation of the designs. One of the most significant and interesting battles in depicted on the medal for the U.S. Marines, so let’s look in more detail at that one. We may return to medals commemorating other services at a later time.

The commemorative medal for the U.S. Marines depicts the Battle of Belleau Wood. After President Woodrow Wilson asked the American Congress for a war to end all wars (that would) make the world safe for democracy, Congress declare war on Germany on April 6, 1917. It took some time for troops to be recruited, and to arrive in Europe, and for the Marines it was June of 1918 before they engaged in a significant battle. That chance came in what is called the Spring Offensive. German battle-hardened troops, back from the Russian Front following Russia’s withdrawal from the war, were coming close to breaking through the allies’ line protecting the city of Amiens and the French capital itself, Paris. The German advance was so rapid that their supply-lines became over-extended, and they were forced to dig in. They constructed heavily-fortified positions, and one of these was at a place then called Belleau Wood. The 2nd and 3rd Divisions of the US Army were ordered to clear the position, and half of the 2nd Division was the 4th Marine Brigade.

The way to the woods was across open fields, strafed by German machine guns, and it was so dangerous that French officers advised the Marines to withdraw. US Marine Captain Lloyd Williams replied to them, “Retreat? Hell, we just got here.” After suffering many casualties, the Marines were able to reach the woods, where the trees offered some protection form the machine guns. A combination of accurate sniper fire and fierce hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets, and the immense courage of these fresh troops, saw the Germans defeated on June 26. They called the Marines “Teufel Hunden”, or, “Devil Dogs”. Over 1,800 allied troops were killed, but the victory damaged German morale, and boosted that of all the allies. By November 11 the war was over.

As for the medal itself, the design is by Chris Costello, a graphic designer and part of the Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program. He has designed many coins and medals for the Mint. His design for the obverse shows two Marines after the battle. While one stands guard, the other kneels, head bowed, in respect for his fallen comrades.  The inscription reads, WOODS NOW U.S. MARINE CORPS ENTIRELY, which was the message sent to headquarters immediately after taking the German position. Michael Gaudioso sculpted the obverse. The reverse was designed and sculpted by Joseph Menna, a sculptor-engraver employed by the Mint. It shows the WWI version of the Marines ‘Eagle, Globe, and Anchor’ emblem. The words OVER THERE! are part of the inscriptions on the reverse, and this is the title of a popular song from 1917 written by George M. Cohan. The medal is 90% silver and 10% copper, with a proof finish. It is 1.5 inches in diameter, and weighs 26.73 grams.

from Buy Gold & Silver Online | Official Golden Eagle Coins Blog http://ift.tt/2EmI38D via IFTTT

[theofficersacademy]

2023 is here at last! The mod team wishes you health and fortune in the year to come.

Housekeeping

Current Month in TOA: Verdant Rain Moon

Our first lore event of 2023 begins this month! Keras Kai Elephas will begin at noon EST on January 2nd and run until the beginning of February. Please wait until the event begins for the team announcements and more information.

We will open up inventory selection when the event begins on January 2nd. As a reminder, event inventories can be changed until January 5th. That said, we ask that you be patient with the mod team as we sort through them and the monthly claims. We guarantee that everything will be set before the event begins in full, even if it takes us a couple of days to get to your requests.

Signups for the event will reopen on January 5th and close again on January 12th, so that will be your last chance to sign up if you haven’t already!

Thank you to everyone who filled out our feedback form last month and weighed in on our ideas about the 4th muse slot. Due to the responses we received, we have decided that we will not add a 4th muse slot. TOA will remain with an allocation of 3 muses per mun.

The Discord banner contest will accept entries until January 17th! Please refer to the server announcement in the #officialannouncements channel for more information.

A new installation to the Fire Emblem series is just around the corner! Fire Emblem Engage is slated to release on January 20th, and with a whole new cast of characters, the Officers Academy will be having its largest cast expansion since its creation. While we will eventually accept characters from the land of Elyos, these characters will not be available until midnight on March 1st, 2022. TOA operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so we will be processing reservations and applications in the order that they arrive in our inbox.

Please don’t forget to leave feedback on our [feedback poll] for this month! If you have feedback during the course of the event, feel free to leave it whenever it crosses your mind, but we will have specific questions about it on February’s form.

Other

January Mun Birthdays: Beth (3rd), Key (6th), Darcy (9th), Maddie (12th), Neffi (17th)

January Muse Birthdays: Eir (1st), Ingrid (4th), Rhea (11th), Say’ri (11th), Marth (21st)

First-year mun anniversaries this month: Alina (21st)

Second-year mun anniversaries this month: Dewa (8th), Reddo (11th), Rua (15th)

First-year muse anniversaries this month: Chrom (1st)

Second-year muse anniversaries this month: Dimitri (8th), Maria (11th), F!Byleth (15th)

Muses who have been in the group for a solid year will also be granted an Academy Brooch to put in their inventory. It doesn’t do anything. It just lets others know your character has been around the block. These characters are also granted a new opportunity to change houses if they wish to do so.

- The House Leaders

[theofficersacademy]

We’re officially one month into 2023! And our first event of the year is nearing its end.

Housekeeping

Current Month in TOA: Horsebow Moon

Our mission board this month is for the Blue Lions house! Please refer to this post [link] for a list of tasks this month.

The Discord banner contest has been extended and will be accepting entries until February 17th! Please refer to the server announcement in the #officialannouncements channel for more information.

We hope everyone’s been enjoying the latest installment in the series, Fire Emblem Engage! Released on January 20th with a whole new cast of characters, the Officers Academy will be having its largest cast expansion since its creation in 2019. While we will eventually accept characters from the land of Elyos, these characters will not be available until midnight on March 1st, 2022. TOA operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so we will be processing reservations and applications in the order that they arrive in our inbox. To ensure that your message gets to us without issue, please avoid using semi-colons and colons in your reservations. Additionally, prior activity will apply for current members, so please be sure that you’ve been active enough with your existing muses before applying for an Engage muse.

Our first lore event of 2023 is set to conclude at 11:59PM EST on February 2nd! Information regarding how to claim your grand prizes will be posted then - in the meantime, don’t forget to leave feedback on our [feedback form] about your thoughts on the event (or otherwise)!

In order to make it easier for individuals to find open starters, we’d like everyone to tag their plotting/starter calls with #toa plotting. Please only use #toa open for open starters that have already been written.

Other

February Mun Birthdays: Oro (3rd), Serena (3rd), Arianna (15th), Kiki (28th)

February Muse Birthdays: Veronica (2nd), Hilda (3rd), Leif (3rd), Python (5th), Kent (13th), Alm (19th), Felix (20th), Nino (21st), Nyna (22nd), Celica (23rd), Tiki (28th), Ninian (29th)

First-year mun anniversaries this month: Envy (10th)

Third-year mun anniversaries this month: Ren (20th)

Second-year muse anniversaries this month: Soren (2nd), Julius (18th)

Muses who have been in the group for a solid year will also be granted an Academy Brooch to put in their inventory. It doesn’t do anything. It just lets others know your character has been around the block. These characters are also granted a new opportunity to change houses if they wish to do so.

- The House Leaders