Use the Falchion

I see your play, and counter with Annette's singing...ABOUT CAKE (and then a genuine compliment by Felix to boot!). But Felix and Lycithea's supports are pretty funny.

The reinforcements arrived @Retrac. Fire Emblem Three Houses is COMPLETELY worth it if you haven't played it already. We have spoken.

Horizon: Zero Dawn, Spider-Man, and Persona 5 (although I'd wait and see if Persona 5 Royal is any good before making a decision) if you have a PS 4...but considering you mentioned Halo, I think you might have an Xbox. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I was solidly addicted to it for months. We also have a thread about it in the Entertainment section. If you need any more convincing, I can call for reinforcements for this decision. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Mass Effect trilogy, if you don't mind dated graphics.

Oh don't worry I totally understand. It was a little light teasing on my part. Sorry if that didn't come through clear enough. Ah okay, I understand now. Thanks!

Interesting points! I might read it some day, but I know what Rhea does during it, Edelgard's past and how she became who she is, and I know how it ends, so I feel relatively good about it for now. ...although honestly thinking about the videogame cruelty potential in that storyline still hurts... And I do understand your thinking, but remember for Rhea: What colored my view of Edelgard is finding out the truth of (almost) everything in VW, and then finding out what Edelgard believes is the truth in CF, and then realizing how she came about that information. I guess I just get a little on edge because it feels like everyone will rush to the defense of Edelgard, but very few will even try to say anything positive about Rhea (who DID do a lot of good over the thousand years). Dalinar and his visit to the Nightwatcher would like to have a word with you lol!

I remember that, but also with Organization XIII being a thing, and knowing what we know now, it feels oddly appropriate. Either way I'm curious to see what the next step is and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

ReMIND spoilers @Dunkum when you get that Switch, I also highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend Fire Emblem Three Houses. With those two games you'll get your money's worth out of the Switch.

Great theory! I have nothing really to add, but if Larkin's aren't originally from Roshar, then maybe my tinfoil theory of them being Dawnshards is still possible!

So...I cheated looked at Hapi and Constance's S support artwork and watched the S support. I waited until I got to at least a B support with Hapi before I did, but after that I couldn't help myself. And I have to say, both are real contenders for Best Girl in my books. And since it's been a minute, I think I'll update my Top Ships of the Three Houses. These are likely to change, as they always do, but I think I'm settling into the long-term ones now. Byleth x Marianne - true character growth Byleth x Hapi - Hapi's just an all-around fun character. Byleth x Shamir Byleth x Constance Bylass/"Belle" x Dimitri Claude x Petra Felix x Annette Lorenz x Leonie Seteth x Ingrid (I'm a sucker for route-exclusive pairings) Raphael x Bernadetta Sylvain x Dorothea (this one feels oddly appropriate.) Sylvain x Mercedes (it's better than his supports with Ingrid, no matter how much the game tries to force those two. And of the endings, I'd say that this is one of his best, if not the BEST ending for him. Mercedes doesn't really have a bad ending, so she's fine.) Ignatz x Mercedes (I like their paired ending, but Ignatz is a tough nut to crack) Dedue x Mercedes Dedue x Shamir Dedue x Flayn Ferdinand x Flayn Caspar x Hilda - Caspar x Shamir (I'm not sold on this one yet, but I like their ending, so...) Linhardt x Lysithea Ashe x Catherine - a nice story about forgiveness Hanneman x Manuela Undecided: Balthus. I'm not sure who I'll pair him with yet (although as a crack ship, pairing him and Anna would be HILARIOUS. Their supports would likely involve Balthus asking Anna for a loan, then him running around doing odd jobs. A B+ or A support would involve Balthus protecting Anna from some danger, and their A or A+ support would have Anna asking Balthus to stick around because he works great as a bodyguard. Their pair ending would involve Anna paying off every one of Balthus' debts, so long as he signs the pre-nup…) Yuri. I'm pretty sure I want to pair him with Dorothea, but I need to see the end of their support chain and their paired ending (if they have one) before I make a final decision. Ignatz. I believe Ignatz's best ending is his dual ending with Raphael, but that means Bernadetta doesn't achieve her best ending, so... I MIGHT ship Constance and Ferdinand. If this happens, I'll have to shuffle things around (Dimitri x Flayn, Ignatz x Marianne). But again, I'm not sure about Constance's non-player top ship yet. Other thoughts: A good aspect of the Cindered Shadows DLC is that during Part 2 of the game you can use Renown to lock in paired endings. However, this cost 10,000 RENOWN. That's an INSANE amount, and it's hard to naturally come by. Fortunately, you can also sell off items, or "offer" them to the pagan statue for Renown.

Elhokar fits perfectly within theme of Redemption as per OB in my opinion. Some people, like Elhokar, try to redeem themselves but their past actions catch up to them. Others, like Moash and Amaram (and Szeth to a more than usually acknowledged degree), feel they are too far gone and look for something or someone else to blame and take away their guilt. The rare few like Dalinar who reach that edge and still have the chance to change are lucky, and Dalinar's actions at the very end of the book is to help those lucky few that are blessed with the opportunity to redeem themselves recognize said blessing (and to help those in Moash and Amaram's situation realize that so long as you are breathing, you can change). Hope without a full picture is nice, but it's not always fulfilling. Elhokar's death is needed for that whole picture. Anyways, I have nothing else to add to the actual conversation. Carry on!

Killers on Winds Tethered - A history chronicling the history of Jezrien's honorblade, from the Final Desolation until Szeth-son-son-Vallano. It's like the history of the Kings Guard from Game of Thrones/ASOIAF. At the end, Szeth will add the latest history, ending with the latest holder in some poetic fashion.

I've heard people recommend that, but I honestly doubt it'll happen that way. It might work in-world for wiggle room, but a lot of casual fans who look at the titles and notice the trend might not pick up on that quirk in written Alethi text. I think Brandon's aware of that fact, and instead of trying to justify a title that breaks the pattern for all but the hardest of hardcore fans, he'll just sidestep the issue entirely.

You're not alone in that sentiment, which is why I think he - in this ideal "update" - would get a special promotion. And Flayn too, because if Seteth gets one, she definitely does! @The Awakened Salad Thanks! For those wondering and afraid of spoilers, the Silver Routes: CF would be Edelgard & Dimitri. AM would be Dimitri & Claude. VW would be Claude and Edelgard.

That's why I want a Silver Route of sorts, where on each path - except for SS - you can recruit another lord to your cause and they could receive up to an A support. It allows each character to still grow, and the changes seen in each with and without the effects of the Professor by their side. Or they could just have alternate A supports, with the C and B supports remaining the same. Or they wouldn't be able to unlock any supports past B on a route that wasn't intentionally for them. With the exception of Claude: SS doesn't get a lord or two for two reasons. First, I like the idea of it being a challenge. A Fire Emblem game without a classical lord, but still a protagonist. Secondly, and most importantly, I simply have no idea how to give this route two lords that don't make the lords appearing in later routes redundant. THAT BEING SAID, I heard that Seteth takes a larger role in this route, so maybe he and Flayn could obtain a special class to cover for it? ...then again, if they're receiving special classes and this is all DLC, why wouldn't one just make it so that Seteth and Flayn receive those classes in ALL other routes...? That's probably the path I'll take (pun fully intended). Thanks for the advice!

Killers on Winds Tethered - the story of the Jezrien's honorblade through history. Others have come up with better titles, and this one was just spit-balled, but I kinda like it.

You better not make me wait 5 years to get to an A support! Also, agreed about the difference of opinion and Three Houses. As a quick question for those who've played more than one path (sorry all you one-path people!), which path do y'all think is the best first path? I've heard some pros and cons about Blue Lions, since, while it's the most character driven story it doesn't answer any questions. I haven't heard much in support of Black Eagles, but it feels like that's the house most people choose first (my own friend group was split, with two doing BE, two doing BL, and two doing GD. A friend not in that group also did GD first, but I think by the end of the game he'll really enjoy BE-CF). And then there's Golden Deer, which is far more optimistic than it probably should be, and answers nearly all of the questions posed. I ask because I have a friend I'm really trying to get to play this game, but I have a feeling she'll pick one path and never play the rest. So I want to know the best path so that she can be excited to play a new path afterwards.

Agreed! And through GD, I never trusted Rhea that much, but she was slightly better than Edelgard. Characters like Shamir (a nonbeliever and a foreigner), Cyril (a prisoner of war/orphan of war and a foreigner), Catherine (an outlaw of sorts), and the survivors of Remire Village all helped Rhea's case. Once I learned Edelgard's background and goals, I found them to be similar enough to what Rhea's goals were to see them as the same. Edelgard wants power over Fodlan to change a system that is corrupt and has intimately hurt her and countless others. Both are defined by their trauma and had a single-minded focus on their goal. They are both extremists and willing to make unsavory deals to achieve their goals, that if their respective goal is achieved, everything will be worth it. Both viewed Byleth as a means to an end - a pawn in a larger chess game. Rhea knew this from the beginning, and for Edelgard things kicked into place after the Sword of the Creator incident. This changes for both of them over time (although for Rhea you don't really see the guilt unless you S support her; but in the case of AM she does step down, feeling not worthy of the role of Archbishop). And both Rhea and Edelgard (...and the entire cast, if we're being honest) really, really, REALLY need some therapy. Preferably by Seteth. The man knows how to listen and help the students. So again, yeah I tend to side with Rhea more often than not, but I'll be the first to say she wasn't the best individual. If it's any consolation, I seem to be in the minority about liking Rhea over Edelgard! ...or liking Rhea in general... Bonus: Top 10 people at Garrag Mach who need therapy: 1. Rhea (homegirl needs centuries of therapy) 1. Edelgard (homegirl needs decades of therapy...) 1. Dimitri (homeboy ALSO needs decades of therapy) 4. Bernadetta (Bernie needs a safe space to talk to someone in person, in a non-threatening manner, outside of her own room, CONSISTENTLY) 5. Marianne (the poor girl really needs therapy, but by Part 2 she can overcome most of her issues) 5. Gilbert 7. Dedue 8. Lysithea (Lysithea's lifespan, age, and natural talent make her prone to outbursts for seemingly no reason. She needs someone to vent to). 9. Claude (he's lower on the list not because he's not as damaged as the others (his parents may be living, but he's lived a life full of racism and assassination attempts) but because he's become pretty well adjusted in spite of the damage). 10. Annette (just enough therapy to allow her to live her life without worrying/wondering about her father)

Go for it! Since it's a package deal you can also recruit Emile for Crimson Flower if you'd like. I'm not the biggest fan of Edelgard (I like Rhea much more, but I openly admit that the two are really the different sides of the same coin IMO), and I dislike having to fight other classmates. I like collecting and caring for my students and peers in-game, so the thought of having to fight more than two of them outside of Grondor Field really makes my heart hurt. Also the videogame cruelty potential seems to be the highest in CF, so no thanks (Marianne vs Hilda, Felix vs Rodrigue and then Dimitri, having the option to kill Claude..yeah...no thanks). I want my happy endings Storm it! Besides, Claude's my guy and Dimitri's path is far more character driven and is the one with the most potential units, so I like those two. With Silver Snow, I have no lord, so as much as I'd like to play it, my incentives are far lower. I know Edelgard's story and her reasons for doing what she does. I sympathize with her, but doing Golden Deer first also colored my view of the world of Fodlan, and how Edelgard is acting without knowing the larger picture (justifiably of course, but still). I would love to use her as a unit, but I don't want to side with her in the conflict, nor do I want to invest in her if I don't plan on using her often (which is also what makes Cindered Shadows so great - I now know a little of how Edie functions as a unit and she's a TANK). Also, her methods seem to make little sense to me, but I can't judge her on them since I'll probably never play her route. @The Awakened Salad this IS the thread for FE3H, so even if it's not about DLC we love to hear you gush about the game!

I've found a better niche for her outside of the side story so far than during it. Constance has been the MVP of the new units for me so far, but Hapi isn't far behind. @Wyndlerunner has the right of things about the overall satisfaction and story. It's engaging, if a little simple at times. But the gameplay is top-notch for Three Houses. The supports so far have been pretty good as well. There are still so many I need to see, but the one's I've watched have all been enjoyable. Just a note, the side-story and the actual recruitment dialogue are different. So it makes the side story feel like it's an alternate dimension...or like how popular anime like Bleach, Naruto, and My Hero Academia have movies that take place sometime in the story, but will never be mentioned. And if characters cross over it'll be completely different. It feels like that.

Overall the DLC story is pretty fun! The objectives vary in the maps, and there are some pretty interesting (if not a little annoying) reinforcement placements. Of the new characters, during the story I used Constance (she's a riot) and Hapi (potentially my new Best Girl, tying with Marianne and Shamir) the most. Yuri was more of a healer than anything else. Balthus, while good, was used sparingly because Hilda, Dimitri, and Edelgard were all the heavy-hitters I needed. MVPs were Dimitri because he was a beast and Ashe (his crits were CLUTCH). The lore added in the DLC is nice, but the best part about the DLC is finding out about Byleth's mom. You learn a bit more about her than the regular game gives (as far as I know...I haven't played SS yet and probably will never play CF) and it's really refreshing. I haven't used the DLC characters outside of the side-story yet, so I can't say how well they'll fit in or what their supports are just yet. (I know you weren't asking me, but I thought I'd pitch in anyways).

THE DLC IS OFFICIALLY OUT!!

And hopefully soon you'll love your abyss/basement children too!

I think it's a symptom of people wanting more, but they want more of their favorite characters doing important things. Shallan in WoK doesn't fit that just yet, as most people see anything "important" in that book happening on the Shattered Plains. That's also what makes WoR so laser-focused and one of the reasons its so well loved. Everyone is in the "important" place doing important things. When people go back and reread, they can...relax, for a better word, and enjoy the ride. Shallan becomes more interesting because of all the background clues to her past and the lore her side of the story gives.

https://twitter.com/BrandSanderson/status/1225935684382248960

In this week's chapter of Tor's reread of Oathbringer, both reviewers made comments about how they either are beginning or have started the Stormlight 4 beta read. I don't know if that means Brandon's progress bars haven't been updated in a bit, or if he's still working on the end of Draft 2. Either way, progress! https://www.tor.com/2020/02/06/oathbringer-reread-chapter-one-hundred-fourteen/