#Source: support with Corrin

[correctfe14quotes]

Correct FE14 quote 23

Xander: I see... Well, I suppose I owe you the courtesy of explaining a thing or two. You were right about me taking out my anger at Father during my training. Sometimes being crown prince means following the king's orders no matter what. But there were times when I felt his commands crossed a line. Sometimes it didn't feel like he was trying to benefit the kingdom at all, just himself. Having to do things I didn't believe in weighed heavily on my heart. Now I'm wise enough and brave enough to stand up to Father. But back then... Those were the nights you spoke of, when I swung my blade like a wild beast.

[emblemxeno]

Localization Differences: Niles! Happy Belated Birthday, my beloved.

I wanted to get this done by his actual birthday on the 22nd, but things kept coming up, so here it is now.

Niles is one of my favorites in Fates' cast. He has a very handsome design, he's incredibly useful in gameplay due to his stats, weapon type and capture ability, and he has extremely good supports that give glimpses into his life, pull uncomfortable truths out of others, and offers a sight into the hard life that many Nohrians are forced to live.

One of the most notable things about him, though, is that to a lot of people, he's one of the two first explicitly queer characters introduced in Fire Emblem. I personally find this to be inaccurate given that lots of homoerotic relationships and queer coded characters have existed in the series, arguably stretching back as far as Thracia 776. Other popular examples are Raven/Lucius, Lyn/Florina, Heather, Kyza, Ike/Soren, etc.

Though after Awakening's massive success, the "almighty" S rank takes priority in many readings, so Niles and Rhajat having that available with a Male Corrin and Female Corrin respectively, was massive progress.

Now, do I think one of the explicitly queer characters in FE being a sadist who antagonizes people counts as good representation? No. But 1) that's not the point of this post and 2) going by that tier list I did, I see lots of other characters in Fates as queer than just Niles and Rhajat.

Anyway, I digress. The point of this (extremely long) post is to list and give my opinion on the changes to his lines (and potentially his character/personality) between a translated Japanese script and the localized English script done by Treehouse.

Here is a link to my post of translated sources!

As always, I'm only gonna list things that I find significantly different. Get cozy, this is a massive analysis! Thank you for reading!

To start off, there's two things to set the stage. The first is that Niles is one of Fates' characters that got a completely new name in localization. His Japanese name is Zero, so if I use that name at all in this post, that's why. I might flip-flop between other characters' names too, like from Corrin to Kamui, for example.

The second thing is that, overall, Niles' Japanese lines tend to be coated in innuendo and double entendres. Many times, these only really make sense if you speak Japanese, which I don't, hence why I tried to defer to translations before running things through a machine. For example, I've learned from some translators that when JP!Niles says that he'll "send his enemies to heaven/make them ascend to heaven", it's a statement in Japanese that also works as a euphemism for making someone orgasm. I'm not gonna spend too much time pointing out every instance of JP!Niles saying raunchy stuff, but will if it's particularly funny, striking or outlandish.

---

Classic Mode Retreat Quote

Japanese: Sometimes pain feels good, but I'm about to reach my limit here... I don't want to upset Lord Leon, so I'm going to retreat now...

English: This doesn't feel good anymore... I must retreat while I still can. I'll live to suffer another day...

-If you know Niles, you know his connection to Leo is extremely important to his character. Not just because he's Leo's retainer, but because Niles meeting Leo changed his life forever. So, while removing that one line doesn't sound too outrageous at first, it gets kind of silly when you think about it.

Most of the first gen men in Fates retreat instead of die in Classic mode due to avoid consistency issues if you've unlocked their child's paralogue. However, though they retreat, they still aren't deployable anymore in Classic mode, with the explanation being that they took such grave injuries that they can't fight anymore even though they survive.

Niles/Zero, in his Japanese quote, is pulling himself back from the brink of death because he doesn't want to upset Leo, even if he can't fight anymore. This is a twist on how initially, he begged Leo to kill him after being abandoned by his criminal gang, before Leo hired him as a retainer based on fascination/curiosity with how Niles was acting. All retainers in Fates are close to their masters, but some are closer than others, such as Niles.

Critical/Skill Activation

Japanese: I won't let you get away!/Let's go.../Take it all in!*/This is gonna hurt!

English: You can't hide from me!/Here's a taste.../Ohhh, yes!/Time to suffer!

-Both sets are delightfully fucked up and lewd, but I wanted to draw special attention to the one I marked with an asterisk.

Again, I don't speak Japanese, so I may be way of the mark, but the quote "Take it all in!" in Japanese is 受けてみろよ！or transliterated as "Ukete miro yo!"

Running that through machine translator reads it as "Give it a try!", but I've also watched a Japanese Fates crit quote video where it was translated as "Out of my face..."

But I think I cracked the code: it's a top/bottom joke. It's basically a "Take this!" quote in context of battle, but "Ukete miro yo!", phonetically, is also used in the Seme (top) and Uke (bottom) tropes in BL. So I think he's telling his enemy to 'take his dick', if you wanna be coarse about it.

What solidified this for me, is Nina's Japanese crit/skill quotes. In the Japanese version of Fates, the children share crit/skill quotes (or put some spin on them) with their direct parents. Nina shares "Let's go.../Take it all in!/This is gonna hurt!" but not "I won't let you get away!" because that's what Niles shares with Leo as his retainer (yeah they doubled up on crit quotes a lot in this one lol)

So Nina's fourth crit quote is unique to her, and she says 攻めるわよ！, transliterated as Semeru wa yo! (I'll attack you!) Again, it's a Seme (Semeru wa yo!) and Uke (Ukete miro yo!) euphemism joke. Cuz she's the Fujo. ...I spent a lot of time on this section lmaooo.

The other battle lines for Niles are pretty faithful or otherwise appropriate localizations.

Level Up

0-1 stats: Well... sometimes bad things happen. (JP) How unfortunate. (Eng)

2-3 stats: It's still not enough for me... (JP) I deserve better. (Eng)

4-5 stats: I feel good... (JP) My power is growing. (Eng)

6 or more stats: I can't go easy on you anymore. (JP) My gain will be another's pain. (Eng)

0-1 stats with most stats maxed: It was you who made me this way. (JP) Alas, I am at the height of my powers. (Eng)

-Overall, kind of a mix-and-match between versions, with the JP version being more suggestive and the English version being more powerhungry/sadistic. Neither is out of character.

I do lament the loss of sincerity from his maxed stats quote from Japanese to English (I could be misreading this though, I just think Niles is talking to the player)

Class Change

Japanese: What do you want me to do by dressing me like this...?

English: How quaint.

-Japanese is suggestive, English is weirdly boring? Quaint is not a word that's easily applicable to all situations when it comes to class changes, so meeeeh.

Mess Hall

-Not much to say here, but in Japanese when he eats a bad meal, he asks if there's an aphrodisiac in it, which is pretty funny.

My Castle

-Besides some suggestive flirting being removed or toned down, a couple lines were changed at the gathering spots. In the English version, at a rice paddy he says "Think rice is boring? Think again. I eat it at every meal." while in Japanese he says "Cooked rice is so beaitiful... It's like it's seducing me with its shiny white body..."

In English, at the dairy farm he says "Here, take this. It's good for your bones." while in Japanese he says "Look, milk. When I miled the cow, she mooed with joy..."

Birthday

Giving him a present: To think that my birth would be celebrated... I'm grateful. (JP) The world changed the day I was born. Thank you for acknowledging that. (English)

Saying happy birthday to Corrin: It's your birthday... You should be thankful for all the days since you were born. (JP) Birthdays always make me think of death. Oh, by the way... happy birthday! (English)

-The English ones are funny, but Niles is already funny just through his euphemism schtick. The genuine sincerity being removed makes me sad.

Conquest Chapter 8

-Niles introduction in this chapter is pretty much the same, it's actually mostly Odin who has more line differences. Though this is where the "I'll send them to heaven/make them cum" line pops up for Niles, so I thought I'd mention it.

-Like the rest of the script in Conquest, it is pretty faithful, if a little more bland. But it can't be helped sometimes, given how English and Japanese work so differently as languages. Now Birthright on the other hand...

Birthright Chapter 18 Standard Boss Quote

Japanese: What a nice face you have. I find that look of desperation irresistable. With Lord Leo's permission... I'll do something good for you...

English: Say that's a nice face you've got there. Would be a shame if someone were to slash it. Let's have some fun, shall we?

-Love when Treehouse inserts memes into things that date the game immediately, loooooove it /s "Would be a shame if something happened to it" was an old meme even by 2016, jesus.

Vs. Corrin/Kamui (Japanese)

Zero: So... You're Kamui... The traitorous brother that Lord Leon hates enough to kill...

Kamui: He wants to kill me? Leon...?

Zero: Haha, what a splendid face you're making. The pain in another's face is sublime. Twist it up more for me, I want to see you cry.

Kamui: Huh...

Zero: ...Come on now, you're here to fight me, aren't you? I want to pierce you soon, too... with this thick arrow of mine.

Kamui: !!!

Zero: Hmmm? Are you scared? ...It's okay, I'll be gentle. The pain will be gone before you know it... Once I send you to heaven...

Vs. Corrin English

Niles: So, you're the little thorn in my master's side, are you? Very well. If he wants you dead, who am I to argue?

Corrin: I still can't believe it. We lived as brothers...

Niles: Oh, yes. The suffering on your face is simply delicious. Now, let's see what happens when you have a few more holes...

Corrin: You're sick!

Niles: Oh, please. This is war. This is my job. I'm good at what I do. I'll try to make this painless so you can die in peace. Deal?

-This one is confusing more than anything. Niles sort of has the same lines/message here, but Corrin in Localized Birthright is generally so fucking insufferable that it bleeds into here as well. He talks as if Niles isn't even there, and then calls him sick, which, yes it's true Niles is fucked up, but Corrin is SUPPOSED TO BE EXCEEDINGLY SWEET AND FORGIVING. This extends to his enemies as well, he's very polite with the retainers of the opposing side. Niles isn't any worse than Zola, yet Corrin has worse words for him??? It's weird.

-The other story moments Niles has aren't signifcantly changed to where I feel the need to mention them, even Birthright. Again, it's actually Odin and Leo who are more altered, but that's neither here nor there.

Ghostly Gold

Japanese: You're so naughty. Even like this, you still want more? This place *is* pretty fascinating, but... These are also sacred ruins not to be disturbed. Were a thief like the former me to find out about this place, it'd be quite troublesome. To honor my orders and silence you... I'll make you come by my own hands.

English: Last night was a cinch for me. I always sleep with one eye open. You never know whose grabby little hands might end up in your pockets.

-Some lines in Ghostly Gold, regardless of language, either discuss the gold/treasure, the enemies, or how the army stayed up all night to catch the thieves. Niles' got changed from one to another.

The Japanese one is pretty standard when considering how Niles has moments of sincerity in the Japanese script as it is, but again, losing it in the English version for something completely different? It's not only disappointing, it's confusing. Did some of the people on the job when localizing just not have the original script? Or did they decide just to change it because they felt like it? It's truly dumbfounding to me, how this particular scenario happens in Fates so much.

Boo Camp

Japanese: Please be gentle with me...? I'm not used to things like this... What do you all expect, putting yourselves in danger in a dark place like this. At least if I were a monster like you, I'd take everyone who comes here to the cruel edge of ecstasy. (I'd make everyone who comes here cum cruelly? idk)

English: Be gentle, boys... or whatever you are. I don't know what we expected, making ourselves so vulnerable in the dark. But you'll find out like all the others that I give as good as I get.

-Omg, Vers King Niles in the English version... That's all I have to say about this, it's faithful, and a really great example of how to keep suggestive euphemism while not being a literal translation.

-The other DLC maps with character dialogue don't have too big of changes, or at least ones that give insight into Niles to mention.

Niles' Father Support with M!Kana

-A rank: Pretty much the same until the very end, where in the JP version, after promising to have a night in with Kana and Corrin, Niles says “Haha… I never thought the day would come when I would be sleeping peacefully with my whole family. I have always wanted to destroy other people's happiness, but now that I have it for myself, I want to protect it at all costs. Perhaps I'm the most selfish one…” Calling himself selfish is in reference to earlier in A rank, where Niles says parents can act selfish since they sometimes want their children to stay reliant on them so as to not feel lonely, even if they understand that they must fly the nest someday. Because this is a variant-parent conversation, the meaning is the same if Kana has a different father, though instances of unique characterization come through at times. In Niles’ case, it’s his referencing how he’s usually sadistic in dealing with others, especially those who grew up privileged. However, now that he has a family and is surrounded by love, he understands the feeling of wanting to protect happiness instead of ruining it.

In the English version, the line is instead “Heh. Never thought I'd be spending a night in with a family of my very own. So this must be happiness, huh? Maybe it's something worth protecting after all. Looks like Kana's not the only one who's changing…” The general gist *is* there, but the different wording can make it seem like Niles doesn’t know what happiness is, which would be kind of odd for his character; to be a sadist who delights taking happiness away from others, you have to know what it means. Niles knows what it means, and is resentful because he never got it before. I’m also very nitpicky, though, so I could be overcomplicating things.

Niles’ Father Support with Shigure

C Rank: JP version, Niles says that Shigure’s talents for art can captivate people regardless of gender, another example of a unique line variant depending on the father (for example Hinata relates Shigure’s interest in art to his interest in swords, Saizo tells Shigure that he shouldn’t focus on art during a war despite appreciating is talent, etc.)

For Niles it’s interesting here, since it’s in reference to how Niles is also attracted to multiple genders.

In the English version, Niles instead says “I think your work might turn a few heads.” The same message, but it lost a bit of spice.

There’s nothing else really important to mention, but in the JP version during the A rank, when Shigure’s running late and out of breath to the art exhibit, Niles asks if he’s out of breath because he got laid, which is really fucking funny.

Niles with Subaki

-In the JP script, there's more of an amicable attempt at building friendship from Niles. During B rank, he says "it'd be great if two warped people like us could get along." referring to how Subaki's perfectionist mindset is obsessive and destructive. The English version has him say "The mighty Mr. Perfect reveals a crack in the facade! Strangely, that just makes me hate you less." which is more impersonal.

During A rank, while Subaki is venting about how tired it is keeping up appearances, Niles offers different things between languages. In the Japanese version, he offers a massage (he's good at massages, also revealed in his father support with M!Kana) to take Subaki's mind off things, and Subaki accepts and is genuinely grateful towards Niles.

In the English version... he asks Subaki to 'give him some of his burden' by taking his worries and placing them in his hands. Not in a suggestive way, he's being for real in how Subaki should do this weird mime act of putting his worries in Niles' hands. And replacing the line of Subaki thanking Niles, he instead asks Niles what he plans to do with his worries, to which Niles says "Don't worry about that. I'll put them to good use. Heh heh..."

This was just confounding? Like, okay, I get it, Niles is perverted, so by association offering a massage is lewd itself. But if you're gonna change it, write something with the same energy, not this mime act that ends on a very awkward and clunky note. The JP version reads as if they're finally friends or amiable, the English version is still distant sounding.

Niles/Zero with Mozu/Mozume

-For context, Mozu has been visiting her run down village looking for a special jewel, and Niles has been following her. They discuss her losing her family. During B rank, in the Japanese version, these lines are said:

Mozume: Have you ever lost someone and felt sad? Don't you know what it's like to lose something?

Zero: Oh, I don't know. I just wanted to see your face twisted in pain.

Mozume: What... what did you say!?

Zero: I love seeing the pain on other people's faces. It makes me want to torment them more and make them cry... The reason I became interested in you is because I knew about your village's past.

Mozume: You're a terrible person...

Zero: But... it's been very boring. You're already suffering and griveing enough without me having to do anything.... So I've lost interest in doing anything to you. Don't worry.

Mozume: What a selfish person...

In the English version, this is said instead:

Mozu: Haven't you ever been upset when someone passed? Don't you know that knot in your gut when you lose someone?

Niles: ...That's neither here nor there. I prefer not to dwell on those things. Better to live for the pleasures of the now. I could give you a demonstration, if it would take your mind off things.

Mozu: Th-this is hardly the time!

Niles: If you want to wallow in pain and misery in the ruins of your home, suit yourself. But my offer still stands if you'd rather have some fun instead.

Mozu: You... you're horrible...

Niles: And you're boring, which is worse. It wouldn't take much for me to make you feel better. Believe me, I know lots of ways. But I can see you'd rather be miserable, so carry on without me.

Mozu: Wh-what a self-centered jerk...

-So, the English version has Niles offer to hook up with Mozu in the ruins of her home. Furthermore, Niles in the English version keeps pressing the issue in "making her feel better" and fucks off when she rightfully rejects his advances. But in the JP version, there's something else here.

Niles' code is poking at people who haven't suffered *or* people who pry into others feelings for no good reason. Saying outlandish stuff is a defense mechanism for him, he does that to actively push people away. This is discussed in his Japanese support with Azura, which I'll get to later.

Niles took an interest in Mozu's situation because he knows something fucked up happened to her (Niles is actually quite compassionate to others who have suffered greatly once he finds out about it), but when Mozu asked him about if he ever felt loss, she *unknowingly set off his defense mechanisms* and he responsed like an asshole. A rank concludes with Niles having recovered the jewel that Mozu was looking for, which is what he was intending to do ever since Mozu first told him about it during C rank. Mozu isn't at fault whatsoever, it's just Niles couldn't help responding cruelly.

BUT, this only really works in the JP version, because instead of offering to hook up with Mozu to make her feel better, he instead says that "I don't know [if I ever felt the pain of loss], but I do like seeing other people's faces in pain" which flows better as a conversation. Couple that with how Niles says he won't bother her because she's suffering enough, it displays that Mozu isn't the type of person he would target, it just came out because of Niles' trauma response. This doesn't work in the English version because Niles implies that Mozu is actively making herself sad, which is not only incorrect, it dulls Mozu's situation and screws up Niles' secretly compassionate side. Just... :///

Niles/Zero with Arthur/Harold

So there's stuff concerning the entire chain, but I'll focus on B rank and A rank for now.

In the Japanese B rank, there's this exchange:

Zero: If you don't trust me, then maybe I'll go bust into that mansion for real.

Harold: In that case, I'd have to deliver judgment onto you. I've received a request to stop these robbers.

Zero: Hmph. Whatever, just try not to make it too easy for them.

Harold: ...That's suspicious.

Zero: What is?

Harold: People like you who try to unnerve others often have something to hide. They keep their distance from others so nobody can discover their secrets.

Zero: You think that nonsense passes for actual theory?

Harold: I did come up with that one on the spot, so...

Zero: Right, I thought so.

Harold: I don't care what sort of life you lead, but there's something you're hiding, speak now.

In the English B rank, it's changed to this:

Niles: You've given me an idea. Perhaps, I will join up with this band of merry thieves...

Arthur: Oh, come on! You can't be serious!

Niles: Maybe I am! What are you going to do about it?

Arthur: This is suspicious...

Niles: Wait. You're actually ACTUALLY serious.

Arthur: Well, joking about a crime is a well-known defense technique. Because, if you joke about it, surely you wouldn't actually DO it, right? Oh ho! Thought you could outthink Arthur, did you, evildoer?

Niles: Your logic is breathtakingly stupid.

Arthur: Is it? Darn. I did just kind of make that up.

Niles: Yep. It was obvious.

Arthur: Well, you can make fun of me all you want. But if you're hiding something, you better tell me now.

-The English version kind of has Arthur go "Dumb Cop" mode by doing a pretty vapid investigative trick, but in the Japanese version, he doesn't exclusively reference the crime. His theory is that Zero talks outlandishly to others in order to keep distance from them... which is EXACTLY correct, that's what he does and why he does it. Zero rebuffs him and tells him it's stupid because of that very same idea, that he doesn't want Harold prying into his business. Harold only connects this to the crime at the moment because he believes that "well people who talk like that to others must be hiding something, therefore he must be hiding something regarding this band of thieves he used to work with." The end point is wrong, but the reasoning is correct, even if Harold admits he made it up on the spot. (But that's also supposed to tie into how he's the grounded/emotionally in-touch Axe Fighter for Fates, he was written intentionally to be very good at reading people)

This was kind of scrubbed from the English version, with how Niles eggs him on by dancing around the subject of the thieves and how he might work with them, and Arthur/Harold only centering his reasoning around *criminal activity* instead of the thought process/psychology of Niles/Zero himself. This dumbs Arthur down while making Niles more childish.

Now for rank A. For context, Arthur subdued the thieves but saw Niles sneak into the jailhouse and assumed again that he was working with them. However, he then saw how Niles was lecturing the group and trying to get them to reform, and Niles explains by going into his past. Afterwards, in the Japanese version, there's this exchange:

Harold: I never imagined you had such a past... Thank you for telling me. I see you had nothing to hide today.

Zero: What's that supposed to mean?

Harold: You didn't use your usual, unpleasant manner of speech while you were talking. That's proof that you weren't hiding anything.

Zero: ...The hell are you talking about? Is that another one of your stupid, spur-of-the-moment theories?

Harold: And if it is? Just because it's spur-of-the-moment doesn't mean it's wrong. I felt moved knowing that even you can speak candidly. Alright, now let's go tell everyone what we just discussed. If we do that, they'll all understand that even you can speak properly in the right situation.

Zero: No way. Now get outta here unless you want me to plunge a thick arrow-shaft into you.

Harold: ...Whoa there. I see you're still hiding something after all. But you're cute, so I'll let it slide.

Zero: Huh? Cute?

Harold: What you're trying to hide is your own embarrassment. Feeling embarrassed from hearing my praise, you switched back to your unpleasant way of speaking. But it's no use hiding from me now, I know everything.

Zero: Why you...

Harold: Let's get along from now on. If there's anything you need to talk about, don't hesitate to ask me. As someone who understands you now, I'll listen to my heart's content.

Zero: Tch...

The English version replaces that with this:

Arthur: Thank you for sharing that, Niles. I should have relied on Lord Leo's judgment and trusted you from the start. Now then! I'm off to tell everyone about what a great guy you are!

Niles: Um, that's reall now necessary.

Arthur: Of course it is! It's not fair that you have a bad reputation. People need to know the truth about you! Justice must prevail! I will shout it from the rooftops. "Niles is A-OK in my book"! Ha ha! This is going to be great!

Niles: Can we go back to being enemies?

--Not only is the exchange a lot shorter in English, it's less intimate/emotionally charged. It dials up the humor by writing Arthur to be a bit of a dingbat and Niles being dragged along against his wishes.

Arthur/Harold in the Japanese script, is written to be very good at interpersonal communication and sympathy, hence why he fights for justice and moral causes (saving Azura from being punished, helping any and all citizens instead of just being completely dedicated to Elise like Effie is, taking on dangerous jobs despite his bad luck, etc.). He's an incredibly splendid guy who has a knack for reading people.

And the Japanese A rank proves that he was right in thinking Zero was keeping a part of himself hidden, because Harold noticed that he wasn't talking outlandishly anymore when revealing his past, therefore, he was being genuine and speaking from the heart. Further proving that, is that when Harold genuinely praises him, Zero shrinks into himself and goes on defense again, trying to push him away by threatening to "fuck him with an arrow." Harold clocks this IMMEDIATELY as him trying to hide his embarrassment over being praised, before calling him cute and letting him know that if Zero has anything to vent about, that he'll always be willing to listen, to which the latter again gets embarrassed by.

This massive layer of intimacy and vulnerability between them-especially from Arthur-being removed is devastating! Getting to see Niles be vulnerable and sincere is a very rare treat, and the fact that Arthur is able to pull that side out of him (when the only other people really able to do that are Leo and his spouse) showcases how close Arthur and Niles can be, even if the latter doesn't admit it. The JP version of this conversation is one of the major reasons why Arthur has potential to be read as queer himself, not just because he calls Niles cute, but also because he's able to do something for Niles that's reserved for his closer relationships.

Having this all be replaced/cut out makes me sad, especially since it dumbs down Arthur and dulls Niles' personality. Hell, this also kind of extends to the C rank, where in the Japanese version it's implied that they knew/heard of each other before their current jobs since they were both from the slums, but had never spoken until now due to contrasting personalities and ideals. The English version scrubs that implication away, only having Arthur say "Your reputation precedes you" and Niles say "I don't like smug goody-goodies", as if they only became aware of each other when they got employed and immediately got bad vibes from the other. No! Niles was a known outlaw and Arthur was a known town hero! Of course they heard of each other, and just didn't know how to speak with one another in the palace until the current day!

Ughhh, it's SUCH a good support, yet the English version's changes and alterations just do it no justice whatsoever.

Niles with Azura

-In B rank, Niles explains why he thinks him and Azura are similar, delving into his past and personality in the process. In the JP version he says:

"There are two types of people I like to direct my colorful words to. The first are people who don't seem to know anything about hardship. [...] I was abandoned by my parents when I was a child, and was living in the slums soon after. Maybe that's why, when I see people who've never experienced hardship, I want to see their faces twitch. [...] I followed a hopeless path until Lord Leo took me in. [...] Moving on, perhaps due to my upbringing, I also don't like people who invade other people's hearts with bad intentions. I use my words to put people at a distance from me. [...] However, you aren't anything like either group. You had a turbulent upbringing and you try to keep your distance from others. So I thought to myself that you and I were alike."

In the English version, he says:

"You and I have both experienced real suffering unlike most of the idiots we know. [...] As a child, I was abandoned by my parents and had to fend for myself in the slums. Before Lord Leo accepted me as his retainer, I was literally living in the gutter... [...] It's left me with a low tolerance for people who lack compassion. I cannot stand shallow people! I try to avoid them at all costs. [...] I can tell that you are different from the others, milady. In fact, I get the impression that your childhood was no picnic either. You keep your distance by being aloof, while I actively drive people away. The more people I offend, the fewer I have to put up with. See? We're quite the same."

--Again, the general gist is there in the English version, but it's missing good details while muddying up others. The JP version reads like Zero pushing people away as a defense mechanism, and his envy towards others living privileged lives warping into resentment and antagonism. The English version weirdly makes things more vague, having Niles say he hates "shallow people who lack compassion" which can apply to anyone! A layer to Niles' character is the resentment towards the privileged, hence why his backstory involves breaking into the royal castle and he's not afraid of being scathing towards Corrin, Camilla (royalty), Felicia (royal maid), and Setsuna (noblewoman). It's why his support with Azura is a bit of an oddball, that was intentional. Niles can deduce that Azura is carrying heavy stuff with her like he is, since you have to be a little fucked up to end up distant and detached like Azura is. Her being royalty doesn't matter, because the vibe he gets from her overrules that. But for that overrule to make sense, you have to keep Niles' antagonism towards the privileged, and Treehouse gets fairly iffy with that.

Also in the JP version Niles says he and Azura are like hedgehogs, and the English version changed it to porcupines. As a huge Sonic fan, I'm obligated to be upset by this.

Niles with Elise

--Okay, this one is kind of difficult to talk about, because given Elise's age (at the very least 15, I believe, but possibly older), Niles can come off as a creep.

In Japanese C rank, Elise says she's still too young/too immature to go to the strategy meetings, thinking she'd just be a nuisance to everybody. Niles disagrees and says she "has a great body" which yeah, isn't great sounding. I think the intent was she "has a mature body" which also isn't great sounding, but the point was that Elise is, going by age, is mature enough. Further on, he asks if it'd be better if she stopped thinking of herself as too young, and join in the meetings for the benefit of Nohr.

In the English version, the comments on Elise's body are scrubbed out, but it also ups the childish factor on Elise a LOT for some reason. Instead of seeing herself as a child and lamenting her not understanding the discussions at the war council, she complains that everyone else treats her like a kid instead, hence why she doesn't go to the meetings. That holds very different implications no matter the language, since recognizing your own immaturity is ironically a very mature thing to do, and Elise is characterized as having extremely keen sensibilities. Complaining that others keep treating you like a kid, on the other hand, is extremely immature (hence the constant trope usage by characters like Ricken, Hayato, Lysithea, etc.)

In the Japanese B rank, after being told she didn't need to go to the meeting because it still might be too hard to understand, Elise is very upset. She says:

"You know, Zero... I went to the meeting. And then they told me that I didn't need to go again. It was still too difficult for me to understand [...] Yes. even though everyone was at the meeting... in the end I was the only one left out... [...] No, it's okay. It wasn't unnecessary advice. The problem is me. I act like too much of a child... how do I become an adult..."

Once again, a lot of the emphasis is put on how Elise sees herself as childish, not necessarily others. Zero gives her advice again, saying that her heart might be the problem. He says:

"You say that you want to become an adult, but in your heart you just want to be a child, don't you? The heart shows what you truly are. Heading to meetings with a spoiled heart, of course you'd be seen as unnecessary. Unless you do something about your heart, you won't be needed no matter how old you get."

He then says it's wonderful to see her cry, which again, yes it's fucked up but Zero is fucked up.

In the English version, it removes the line about him liking to see her cry, but also changes the exchange again. Elise now says:

"I w-went to the war meeting like you said, but they told me I didn't need to be there! They said i-i-it was too complicated for me! J-j-jerks! [...] Yeah! Everyone else was there, and I'm th-the only one they said should leave! It's so dumb! Dumb dumb dumb! They're all just a bunch of dumbheads! Why won't they take me seriously?! I even showed up and everything! I'm and adult, right? They should treat me like ooooonnee! *sob* [...] No, you were right. I need to study more. I'm no better than a child. My siblings are so mature... Why can't I be like them?"

Again, I don't speak Japanese, so maybe Elise is crashing out just as hard in the JP script and I just don't know it, but holy fuck, they really ramped up her outburtst here! It's not too far from Peri level, which is unfitting for Elise. While childish in some aspects, she's keen and introspective in others, always desiring to improve. The English version did this part of her personality no favors.

And keep in mind, it was also Treehouse that was responsible for Leo's infamous line where he says "Elise, when do you intend to behave like the adult that you technically are?" That line and its implications were not the same in the JP version, where he instead complains that Elise still acts like such a brat. So, what's the deal here, Treehouse? Is Elise an adult or not?

Anyway, Niles' reply to Elise is kind of the same, but instead of saying "heart" he says "attitude" which gets the same meaning across, and because Elise references her siblings in the English version, he does as well.

-Now, for A rank, there's not as much changed here, but in the Japanese version, Zero is clearly disappointed that his advice inadvertently cost him a chance to see Elise cry/suffer again, given that Elise used the advice on changing her heart and it worked. The English version... only half scrubbed this away, for some reason? They changed a line to have Niles say "I'm proud of you, Elise. That's wonderful. Though... perhaps also something of a shame." It's awkward because Niles isn't written to be that disappointed anymore, you can't have both!

-S rank is a bit of a trip. So, in both versions, Elise says that she wants to marry someone like Niles in the future, because she wants a husband like him that'll tell her things directly and not shy away from harsh truths. But then the versions diverge.

In the Japanese version, it's Niles who brings out a ring and proposes, saying something along the lines of "I had a boyish/immature mindset, where I teased you so much and wanted to see you cry because I was in love with you" and "From now on, you'll face harsh realities. But you don't have to hold back tears. Please cry as much as you want around me. I'll help stop them for you. [...] I'll do my best to be even more wonderful for you, and help you grow into a fine adult."

In the English version, however, it's Elise who brings out a ring and proposes. In response, Niles says "Well I supposed I must accept. [...] I never expected it. But I have grown to love you. You have an innocence about you that I have rarely seen in my life. I lost hope, once, because I bore witness to the worst evils the world has to offer. But you have rekindled that hope in my heart. I could not live without you. [...] And I vow I will do everything in my power to help you in all your endeavors. Though I supposed we'll start with making you a responsible, regal princess, eh?"

-Again, I don't know what the intent is here by Treehouse. You make Elise more childish, outbursts and all, but then have her be the one to propose? And then have Niles comment on her innocence? What? Is she a child or not? Is it appropriate for her to marry or not? Now I could be misreading things, since the "innocence" bit could be translated from Niles saying he had an "innocent schoolboy love" for Elise, or it could've been Treehouse's mistake. Still, that doesn't change the fact that Treehouse had Elise be the one to propose, which is contradictory within this support chain, said support chain being contradictory to what was established earlier in the game. Make up your minds!

Niles with Leo

-A rank sets the scene a bit differently between versions. In the English version, Niles is contemplating the future. This leads him to say he’s confident about his future rather than worried, because he found a purpose in serving as Leo’s retainer. JP version, on the other hand, has Niles thinking about how he is in the present. This leads him to consider his past and come to terms with how lucky he believes himself to be at the moment, and wishing to convey his gratitude to Leo for his part in his life. The same case in B rank happens here as well, where the JP version has Niles express gratitude over finally having a place to stay (which I think is very intimate and vulnerable, because I read it as a "place of belonging"), while the English version has him say his life now has a purpose. That could carry the same weight, but on an interpersonal level, idk, it doesn't feel as deep.

Niles with Camilla

This support is pretty juicy, but key things from Japanese to English get lost. When Zero asks why Camilla relentlessly showers Kamui with love, this exchange happens in the Japanese version:

Camilla: My love for Kamui? I don't quite understand it either. I do think dearly of him, but I don't have a reason for it. Howver, Kamui did have a bad childhood... perhaps that's why I treat him kindly.

Zero: Would it be fair to say that Lady Camilla's love is... selfless (unconditional)?

Camilla: I wonder.

Zero: I see... Heh. Heheheheheheheh...

Camilla: ...What is it?

Zero: I do not agree with that.

Camilla: then, what do you really think?

Zero: Am I allowed to say it?

Camilla: Of course.

Zero: The reason is simple. Because you're a pitiful human being.

Camilla: ! What do you mean by pitiful?

Zero: I'll save it for next time, I'll tell you a story that'll blow your mind.

In the English version, Camilla instead says this first:

"What do you mean? I love Corrin! He's such a sweetie! Plus, he had a terrible childhood. I think he deserves a little kindness now!"

Because of this change to Camilla not really fully knowing the reason why she dotes on Corrin, Niles subsequently doesn't ask her if her love is selfless/unconditional. Instead this exchange happens:

Niles: As I suspected! Your so-called love is nothing more than pity. You're probably one of those people who brings home lost puppy dogs too.

Camilla: Of course I would! Who would leave a cute, little puppy out in the cold?

Niles: Heh heh...

Camilla: *gasp* You would, wouldn't you?! Niles, you're terrible!

Niles: There's a reason you fixate on helping poor pathetic creatures!

Camilla: Is that so? And what's that?

Niles: You live a pathetic existence. You're trying to make yourself feel better!

--In Japanese, the clear cause of her own obsessive devotion to Corrin is unknown even to her, and Corrin's bad childhood is just the best reason she can put forward. In English, she says that's the definitive reason, with no hesitation or deliberation. So not only is there this weird gag inserted in the English version where Niles would leave puppies to suffer, Camilla's own problems are dulled.

Now for B rank, the context here is that, before explaining why he called her pitiful, Niles asks Camilla a hypothetical question on why humans love animals. This is how it plays out in Japanese:

Zero: They (people) want to be loved. But that reality doesn't exist for them. That's why they turn to animals to fill the hole in their heartst. That's exactly what your relationship with Lord Kamui is like. You pitied your own existence and thought that you never received enough love. And so you sougt to devote your love to someone more pitiful than yourself... in other words, Lord Kamui. For your own, disgusting form of comfort.

Camilla: ...If that's the case, so what? What's the point of you saying this.

In English, this exchange is written like this instead:

Niles: It's because people want to be loved. They want companionship-a person to come home to, and if they can't get it... They'll settle for a furry creature who'll greet them and slobber on their shoes. This is the same relationship you have with that lost, little puppy-Lord Corrin. You're miserable, so you shower him with affection, and that puppy slobbers back!

Camilla: Are you calling Corrin a dog? That's disgusting!

--The difference in Camilla's response is important. In Japanese, she doesn't deny that this is the kind of relationship she's cultivated with Corrin. In English, she pivots to offense at Corrin being called a dog. Niles' words about her kind of love is disgusting are also dulled a bit, and the indirect antagonism towards Corrin is also ramped up.

The lack of denial on Camilla's part in JP is important to understand how fucked up she is as well. It connects back to C rank where she wonders if her love is actually selfless/unconditional, and the truth is, it's not. She goes of the deep end in Birthright becasue of her warped love towards Corrin, blending love and cruelty together, because that's how she was raised as well. She's mature enough to reflect on it a bit, but nowhere near close to getting it under control. Removing this tidbit removes the juicy implications that Camilla's character brings.

Niles/Zero then goes on to explain his background to Camilla, how he likes to give hell to people who he believes have never known hardship. This leads us into A rank. In Japanese, Camilla says this:

"You said I never knew hardship and must have been happy because I'm royalty. I summoned you here to tell you that you're wrong. [...] Did you know? Marx (Xander) is the only one among Nohrian royalty was mothered by the queen. Leon, Elise and I are children of concubines. All of us had different mothers. [...] Concubines are in fragile positions. In order to raise their status, even just a bit, they would quarrel and insult each other during their free time. And that's not all. Their spats affected their children as well. All sorts of conflicts arised using the children as an excuse. [...] Your claim that I'm pitiful is not entirely wrong. I exist only to bind my mother to Father. Mother may have loved me, but perhaps that itself was just love towards Father.

In English, however, she says this:

"I know what you thought! She's royalty! She must be happy! Her life is perfect! You're wrong! I wasn't born in the slums, but my childhood wasn't all roses either. [...] O. Didn't you know? Xander is the only one of my siblings born to the queen. The rest of us-Leo, Elise, and I-we're all children of King Garon's mistresses. Different mistresses, I might add. He loved to pit our mothers against each other. [...] Our mothers were the lowest of the low, trying to claw their way to a better status. Naturally, they used us as bait in all of their conflicts. [...] You said I was pathetic, and you were right! My mother loved me, but only as a pawn. Do I dote on Corrin? Yes, I do! I remember what it feels like to be alone!

---There are several things to note here.

1) The English version says Garon loved to pit the concubines against each other, while the Japanese version says the concubines did it on their volition. The English change doesn't make sense, of course, because the whole reason why Garon went off the deep end was because of the stress borne as result of the concubines feuding. He wasn't cruel when they were alive, he became disillusioned and went mad after the fact, including after Azura's mother came and went.

2) Camilla in the Japanese version presents a more detached scenario, including how she felt towards her mother. The experience no doubt fucked her up, but she truly is reflective on whether her mother loved her, or if that was just an extension of her love for Garon. This contrasts with Leo, who explicitly says he never loved his mom, and Elise who (in the Japanese version at least) says she loved her mom, but her mom didn't love her back. In the English version, Camilla is more sure that her mother didn't love her for real, and calls her and the other concubines the lowest of the low. It's quite different, and I don't know if I dislike the approach compared to the detached one in Japanese.

3) Camilla brings up Corrin in English, saying she dotes on him because she knows what it's like to not be loved. JP version, she doesn't bring him up, and instead further contemplates if her mother actually cared for her.

I know this is about Niles, but what the partner says in a conversation with him can change his response. Case in point, this is the exchange that follows Camilla's background in the Japanese version:

Zero: That's enough, Lady Camilla. I was mistaken. You are not pitiful, you are a woman who's stood strong and never resigned yourself... someone far too dazzling for me.

Camilla: Zero...

In English, this is what the exchange is instead:

Niles: I'm so sorry. I was wrong about you! You disguise your pain well. I didn't realize.

Camilla: I didn't tell you all this so you could apologize. I want you to think twice before you judge someon else unfairly!

---The English version made Niles more impersonal (and kind of a wimp) in his apology, and Camilla more reactive in response. In Japanese, the words he uses are more... genuine? I'd like to say? And Camilla is genuinely stunned that he'd retract his words like that. Again, Niles' can be very compassionate and sincere, he's just a hard nut to crack. And Camilla, well... her violent tendencies was meant to be more of a "tranquil fury" kind of anger, the kind that unnerves and terrifies you, rather than is abrupt and shocking, but the English version sort of altered that as well.

Oh, and in the JP version, as recompense Niles offers to apologize in the nude and be dragged around, but in the English version he asks her to beat him instead. Not to important, because Camilla refuses either way, but in English she does say "Seriously, Niles. I'll pass. If you want to be flogged, you'll have to do it yourself." Which is really fucking funny so kudos to Treehouse, you got a laught out of me.

--S Rank has less important changes, but in Japanese Camilla does get very forward and flirtatious with him, saying that "even though you're not a thief anymore, you've stolen my heart" and is more open to his sexual advances at the end of the conversation. In the English version, though, she gets a bit more scandalized, which is :/

Niles with Corrin

-In C rank, there's a bit of a change. In Japanese Zero says that trust is born from violent clashes but that maybe there was a difference in how him and Kamui were raised. Still, he says it's nice of Kamui to say he trusts him. Kamui's interest is piqued he wants to talk to Zero more, to which the latter says that he has weird hobbies but to do whatever he liked.

In English, Niles instead says "trust is borne ouf of a violent confrontation or traumatic experience. I supposed you must have had some kind of blessed childhood, free from worry." Corrin rebukes this and Niles apologizes. When Corrin tries to probe, Niles says "Oh ho! You offer nothing and expect juicy gossip in return. Sorry, child, but you'll have to do better than that."

--Not only is Niles more antagonistic towards Corrin in English, he also just assumes that Corrin's childhood was good, which he doesn't do in Japanese. He's actually quite objective and calm in Japanese. The change remains odd, because then the B rank flips Niles to be nicer all of a sudden.

Anyway, in B, there's details that are different. In Japanese, Niles says this, when asked to relay his background to Corrin.

Zero: I'm fine with it. It's not really a big deal, anyway. Ever since I've been a child, I've done anything I had to to get by. Stealing, begging, assaulting people, killing them... It would be pretty difficult to think of an evil deed I haven't done. [...] What? Surprised, ar you? I haven't even gotten to the best part! Anything I had that was of any value, I'd sell. Everything you could think of. The most intense one was that one time... who would've thought such a great man would-

But in English, he says this:

Niles: Very well. But you should know up front that it's not all lollipops and puppy dogs. Since I was a chold, I've had to do a lot of unsavory things just to survive. Steal, beg, kill-just another Tuesday for li'l Niles, sadly. [...] Surprised? I haven't even gotten to the good stuff.

--Basically, the Japanese version implies a lot more, including prostitution. The English version cuts it off. After that, it kind of continues the same way, though Niles in the JP version does more openly admit he was exaggerating a bit.

A rank doesn't have anything major regarding Niles, but the "low-friction tactical grappling and strategy" that he mentions in the English version? In Japanese is instead referred to as "sumo wrestling, famous sport in Hoshido." I'm a sucker for a developed world, so someone besides Rinkah talking about sumo was a neat surprise.

The S rank for Female Corrin was pretty faithfully adapted, but was also notoriously used for the Male Corrin as well. Here are the lines that were in the Japanese S support, exclusively for Male Corrin and Niles.

After asking Corrin to marry him, this exchange happens:

Kamui: B-but... I'm a man, you know.

Zero: I'm aware of that. We're both men, and our social positions differ greatly, but I'm saying this with both of those things in mind. I... love you, Lord Kamui. No matter what anyone says. I couldn't keep myself from conveying these feelings any longer.

Kamui: You're serious...

Zero: Yeah. It's the first time I've felt like this. This is different from my loyalyt to Lord Leo- I've been feeling something warm in my body all this time. It's strange... normally, I like watching others be troubled, but when you look sad, I feel a pain in my chest. I want to protect you with my own two hands, keep you precious to me, and spoil you rotten. And... if possible, I wish to make you happier than anybody else.

Kamui: ...Zero...

Zero: Lord Kamui... would you be willing to marry me?

Kamui: ...

Zero: ...I guess that's a no. I'm sure you'd preferred it to have com from a woman, but hearing this from a man must be...

Kamui: … even if you won’t tell me about your past…

Zero: Huh?

Kamui: If it’s about the future, then we should be able to talk about it, right? From bygone days to the future – why don’t we talk about it together? If yes, then… I accept your proposal.

Zero: Is it really all right? Are you certain? You… won’t regret this?

Kamui: I won’t regret it. If I told you I wasn’t surprised, I’d be lying, but… what you said earlier made me so happy. I want to accept your feelings. I want us to be happy together. … from now on and forever, I always want to be with you.

Zero: … Thank you. … I wasn’t wrong about you after all.

Kamui: Haha. It’s an honor to measure up to your expectations.

--You're free to draw your own conclusions on this. I feel that gay relationships are inherently different in our society compared to straight ones, so writing them should be different. Given that, I prefer the original JP lines over the English version making the S rank the same between genders. It feels more real, and the extra lovey-dovey stuff from Niles to M!Corrin exclusively is just, ughhh, chef's kiss.

Endings

The only major different one is the gay one with Niles and M!Corrin in Conquest. In Japanese it's this:

"Kamui, after helping the reconstruction of both Nohr and Hoshido countries, traveled the world. By his side was the constant presence of Zero. It is said that the two of them left stories in every land. In their later years, they opened a small orphanage for children who were not blessed and lived their lives quietly."

In English, it's this:

"After helping restore Hoshido and Nohr, Corrin and Niles traveled the world together. The two were celebrated for their humanitarian work, inspiring songs, folktales, and poems worldwide."

---The English endings in general are a lot shorter, since you're able to convey a lot more information with Japanese letters/characters in the same amount of space compared to the English alphabet. Still, if I had to pick, I wish they brought over the orphanage tidbit instead, it's so fucking sweet.

Private Quarters Lines (These are the big changes that I have issues with)

Japanese (Friendship)

"You're an unguarded person, huh... If I became "interested" and did you right here... What would you do?"

"You're still using your hands purely... Shall I teach that body of yours something good?"

"Not bad. Next time I'll be the one servicing you."

"To have been noticed by a royal like you... wasn't so bad I guess. As thanks, I'll teach you about a lot of various things... Painful things... And pleasurable things, okay?"

English (Friendship)

"You seem nervous. Was this meant to be a date?"

"It's so revealing to see your room like this. I feel like I know you better than ever."

"I know, I know, it's my turn to invite you over. There's just... things... I don't want you to see. Yet."

"To think... an urchin like me... best friends with a royal like you. Life is so strange sometimes..."

Japanese (Lovers)

"For all that I had to endure... you better prepare yourself tonight. Even if you cry or scream... I won't stop."

"Close your eyes. Don't worry... Right now, I won't go any farther than a touch."

"I love you. My heart, which had been broken a long time ago... You picked it up and fixed it."

"Even now, I see this dream... A painful and agonizing dream... From when I was a child. But... If I were to wake up and see you beside me... I'll be okay. Please stay by my side. And when I sleep... Please hold my hand and never let go."

English (Lovers)

"I've waited so long for this. I'm never going to let you go!"

"Close those beautiful eyes for a second. ...Well?"

"I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone. It's a weakness, I suppose..."

"You've taught me to embrace love... and showed me that it can just as exquisite as pain. Let's share plenty of both."

---Yes, Niles in Japanese is more sexually charged, whether you're friends or lovers. But he's also SO MUCH MORE VULNERABLE, what the hell! He talks about how the world has broken his heart and how he has nightmares, and wants Corrin to stay by his side at night, just holding his hand!!! He's being sensitive and sincere and so ooey-gooey, ughhhh! In comparison, I feel the English version turned him into a personified ;) face, which has its own charm, but thinking about what it replaced? Yeah, it's no contest for me, I think the Japanese lines are better. Similarly...

Confession

Japanese: "So warm... Is this love? I can feel you deep inside me. When did I... become like this... and fall in love with you."

English: "Do you have any idea what you're getting into? I sure hope not."

---The confession is also a lot sweeter and heartfelt in Japanese, while impersonal and trying to be funny in English. I dearly love Niles when he's open and sincere, and it's a shame that many just haven't seen it.

-------

That's all I had to comment on! Thank you for reading, this was really fucking long lmaoooo.

[felassan]

Podcast: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin - Episode 98 - 'Corinne Busche & John Epler, game directors, Dragon Age: The Veilguard'

Summary:

"Corrine and John are the director and creative director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Corinne Busche majored in digital animation at the University of Utah. In 2006 she joined the studio now known as EA Saltlake, working through the ranks to become a Design Director for The Sims series. John Epler studied English language and literature at the University of Alberta. After graduating, he was selling televisions when he applied to be a tester at Bioware. At the studio he began working as a writer and director of cinematics. Now, the pair have come together to lead development on the latest entry to the beloved Dragon Age RPG series, which launched at the end of October."

[source, two]

Notes/quotes from the episode, under a cut in case of spoilers:

John Epler: thematically, "DA:TV is ultimately a meditation on regret, more than anything else, not just as an amorphous theme, but how the way we deal with regrets shapes our lives. [Solas'] entire arc is motivated by the regret of what he had to do millennia ago". So many of the companions' and characters' lives are driven by regrets (wallowing, or letting it take over their lives, or facing them and taking a step forwards). "Every character has some different perspective on regret". This theme shows up in Solas, companions, side characters, faction stories and side villain stories

Corinne Busche: "When approaching this game, what was right for this game, it was about being really aware of what it means to be BioWare, first and foremost. The focus on characters. Getting back to our singleplayer roots. Really exploring this world, the deep lore that's been built up around this franchise. And, to be completely honest with you, what worked from those past games that caused our players to fall in love with BioWare titles in the first place."

John Epler: "A lot of the focus just came down to being part of a studio that has a very specific and very real strength in character-building, story-telling, and being on projects that maybe didn't center that strength as well as they could have. I personally love Mass Effect: Andromeda but we had open-world - that was a big thing in the industry at the time - and that starts to dilute your focus. We had Anthem, live service dilutes your focus. So for us, it was really, understanding, what it is that A) people come to this studio to do, people work here for a reason, they wanna make big stories that you can play and which allow you to be a hero of your own creation, but also a focus on characters, a focus on that experience of living in a different world. And for DA:TV, we really wanted to make sure that we got back to those things that made the studio what it was, that contributed to what I would call the 'golden age of BioWare', when, you know, there was hit after hit being turned out. DA:TV was a very conscious return to that with the focus on characters, storytelling, and being just this really bombastic singleplayer RPG that allowed you to play through the story as yourself if you want to, or an idealized version of yourself, or someone who's really different to you. That's the joy of a custom protagonist."

Corinne Busche: "I felt very supported through this, by both BioWare and EA. It's intimidating to buck trends in an era where it feels like almost every game must be an open world, to say, you know what, that works for those titles. For us, the way in which we tell the best stories and be true to our roots - a more handcrafted, intimate experience is appropriate. And just to have that support from within, around getting back to those elements we do best, was fantastic."

John Epler: [around 5 years into development, around the time when Corinne Busche joined the team] "The challenge of the game at that time was it was a bunch of different games that were kind of being spearheaded by different people. There wasn't really a cohesive vision or direction at the time. I was narrative director so I had my storytelling corner and I'm like, okay, we need to focus on character, we need to focus on story, but everywhere else there were so many competing ideas and competing priorities that we had, I mean, conservatively, I'd say three different games going on. So Corinne joined the project, and reached out to me on Slack, said hey, you know, I'm joining, I'd like to talk. And I remember coming out of that meeting with this profound sense of relief, like okay, finally. Because, as narrative director, there's only so much you can do to shape the course of a project, and here comes Corinne, very sharp, very clearly understands what we're doing, and is asking all the right questions. It was just this moment of, okay, good, there's an ally here, there's someone here that knows what they're doing, that can pull some of these visions together into something more cohesive. I'll say, working with Corinne from day one has just been an absolute pleasure, because Corinne gets games, Corinne understands how games work, understands how they come together. I think it's something that we take for granted, but not everyone in the games industry necessarily knows that."

Was Corinne Busche nervous when she got the call to join the project, a project that was 5 years deep? Corinne Busche: "You know, I was, but I was also tremendously honored. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I love a good challenge. And it's kind of, to be honest, become an aspect of what I do, to join teams and help empower them and get where you need to be. I will say, Dragon Age, we talk about how we don't always get to work on or design the games we play. While it was intimidating, Dragon Age is one of my all-time favorite series. I was one of those people that waited in line outside GameStop until I could get my DA:O copy. I remember walking home with it in hand. So it was surreal, it was surreal. I was aware of some of the explorations, some of the difficulties, what was working, what was not. When I joined we had collectively made as a studio the decision that this needs to go back to a singleplayer game. And I will say, when I picked up the controller, pulled down the build and played for the first time, it was still that multiplayer concept. Yeah, I had that moment where I went, whoa, well, okay, you're in it deep now lady. But what a privilege, and to look back on what makes a BioWare game so special, and to see the talent within the team, it felt very achievable, it did."

What was the main thing that Corinne Busche perceived where the team may have lost their way a lil bit and needed a hand back on track? Corinne Busche: "Well, here's my perspective. I wouldn't even say the team had lost their way, to be honest. There were a number of concepts that had been explored, and there are merits to that. There's a lot of good learnings that come from exploration and indeed failure. In some ways you learn more from that than you do from success. This was a situation where we had an outline of a story, and speaking of my first interactions with John, I had much the same feeling of, okay, this is somebody that knows what this game needs to be, what it can be, that can realize its potential. It was very assuring. It really was looking at, what did we have, what can we keep? And a big part of that was that initial story outline, it was the tech stack that we had, some of the ideas behind the game, about it being more intimate, being true to the deep RPG strategy, the pause and play gameplay, but also an awareness that this is, as with all Dragon Age games, a reinvention, and that intimacy, that immersion, stepping into Rook's shoes was going to be a very important part of this journey for us. So that is to say, we really dissected everything. We took this back down to its studs, whether it's gameplay, progression, mission game flow, I can't think of any rock we didn't turn over. In fact, John, correct me if I'm wrong, but my recollection is, I think there was only one mission that more or less survived in a recognizable form in the game, that being the Siege of Weisshaupt."

^ John Epler: "Yeah, you are correct. That is only mission that I would say looks like it did back when Corinne was joining the project."

[character limit text break!]

Were they given a deadline that the game had to be out by that was looming over? Corinne Busche: "There's always a deadline, and it's important that there is because that creates a sense of drive, prioritization, velocity, you learn what the team can do together. What I will say is that we had tremendous support from within BioWare and EA when we said, look, we've discovered the beating heart of this game, what makes it work, and we're not ready yet. We're not at quality, we think we can do more, we can push it further, we're very transparent with that, because it was important to us that this is a game that is worthy of BioWare and worthy of the title of being a Dragon Age game. So when we go back to that, well, I'm really happy to say that, it wasn't always the most fun conversation, but I'm really happy to say there was a lot of support, commitment and interest in making sure we did get the time we needed."

John Epler and Corinne Busche asked to do this interview together as opposed to only one of them (as DA:TV was a team effort of many people)

[source, two] <- listen to podcast here!

[lululeighsworld]

Today (November 17, 2024) marks a decade since Rokurō Naya passed away. He's the voice of many characters across several different media, and was also an actor. The role I best know him for is as the voice of Gunter, from Fire Emblem Fates (2015) and Heroes (2017).

I'd like to tell a little story.

My love for Gunter's character needs no background or explanation; just look at my online presence since February 2016, when Fates released in North America. In the weeks I spent waiting for my English copy of Conquest to arrive in the mail, I spent hours scouring the web trying to learn everything about Gunter that I could. Naturally, this also led me to the actors behind his voice.

I still remember how sad I was in the moment when I learned his Japanese voice actor had passed away. Sadder still, that he had passed away before the game's original release in June 2015.

If websites noting his credited roles are to be believed, his role as Gunter was likely the last he voiced before his passing in 2014. When Fire Emblem Heroes released in 2017, they would go on to reuse his voice lines from Fates for the mobile game. There is much online speculation that this is why Gunter has yet to receive an alt in FEH. To show respect to Rokurō Naya, they have not recasted Gunter's voice for a decade now (at least, to our knowledge).

But this is not what I want to be the focal point of my story. There are more sincere things I wish to share at this time.

Whether you believe in fate, or chance, or that the universe works in mystery ways, I always found it quite poetic—if not also heart-breaking—that things turned out this way. In the Revelation path, following Gunter's defeat as the traitor to Corrin's army, as well as the mad dragon behind the entire game's sequence of events, you as the player get to read the end cards for all the characters in your army. You learn what they're doing after the war, how they're assisting in revitalization efforts, etc. Notably, however, Gunter does not take part in this.

(Side note: Gunter's unpaired Conquest ending and Revelation ending are the same, given that you can't support him with anyone in Rev.)

Gunter's end card for Rev tells you he disappears soon after the war ends, never to be seen again. You also learn that it's debated if he died soon afterwards, or spent the rest of his days in contemplation.

It's quite sad to me, I've realized over the years, that similarly to Gunter, Rokurō Naya would not live on to see the success of Fates as a game. Gunter's end card is bittersweet. To never get to see the outcome of the story you play such a essential role in; I often wonder if Gunter's end card was wrote like this intentionally, or if this is another coincidence.

Neither would he get to see the amount of joy Gunter's character brings to fans, which he played such a role in bringing to life. And let me tell you, he does an absolutely amazing job. There's this charm and comfort his voice gives to the character when you listen to his voice lines. It always makes me feel like I am listening to a fun-loving elder who I could trust with all my secrets. And I think that's so brilliant given the entirety of Gunter's character: in-game, he's a dependable source of wisdom while, simultaneously, he's crafting the most heart-breaking betrayal. He's one hell of a complex character to unravel, and they did such a superb job casting his original voice.

I think it's the little things like this (both those which come about by chance or with intention) that keep me so invested in FE14. It never fails to remind me that no matter the extent, one's efforts will always be of value to someone else out there in the world.

Enjoy your peaceful rest, Rokurō Naya.

[mayonakako]

don't touch that dial ! you're watching . . .

#mayonakako: independent, selective, sporadic activity rp blog for a headcanon based female protagonist of atlus's persona 4 / golden ! answers to madoka yoshinaga. ♡ not spoiler free, may contain ( tagged ) triggering & mature content! reboot of #investigationshoujo, guided by peppermint.

personal blogs, do not interact! you will be blocked on sight.

a study in... all loving heroine. a broken ace. big sister instinct. desperately craving affection. parental abandonment. plucky girl. overcoming the awful truth. blossoming into one's true self. picking up the pieces.

01. dossier. 02. verses. 03. headcanons. 04. study. 05. archived blog. 06. tv graphic. 07. icon source. 08. psd.

mobile rules!

i will not interact with muns under 18 or personal blogs. if your rp blog is a sideblog please give me a heads up, and include the url in asks!

mutuals only. i’ve had some rough experiences in the rpc over the years, so i might be a bit more selective about who i follow. it’s nothing personal! on that note, if anon gets abused it is being turned off and staying off.

duplicate friendly! i don’t practice exclusives, but i do practice mains.

i will not interact with people who use generative ai on their blogs in any way, shape, or form. 

i will not interact with the undertale/deltarune, genshin impact, kingdom hearts, homestuck ( *close friends excepted ), or final fantasy rpcs.

friends from the fire emblem rpc, please tag your byleth/student, robin/second gen, corrin/royals, and corrin/second gen. it’s gross. please at minimum tag dimileth, i will unfollow instantly if i see it.

ooc bigotry is not acceptable. if your character is a jerk, you’re free to write them as such. but i won’t tolerate it ooc.

don’t godmod.

while i’m not fussy about how people format their posts, i do ask that if you are using coloured text, you avoid making it overly bright and saturated in threads with me. i don’t know why it hurts my eyes so much on the dash, but it does.

while i’m totally fine with writing darker themes & content, i will not be touching smut. madoka is a minor. i also will not be writing the accomplice route. 

please reblog memes from the source if you do not plan on sending anything in.

feel free to ask me about the status of a thread/ask/what have you, but do not pester. i work a full time job that is incredibly draining, so my activity may be sporadic.

i do believe drama should be handled in private, but also support calling out bad behaviour when private discussions aren’t working. alerting the community to toxic, harmful, or predatory behaviour is not bullying.

[moltz23]

Three Houses Trivia (& Analysis): How the writers roadblocked a Revelation-like route with impunity.

It’s no secret by now that Three Houses has no Golden Ending/Route where everyone lives and/or the big conflict is solved without the involved factions taking huge casualties, much to the chagrin of fans. IS & KT were even asked about it in a developer interview back in 2020, mainly because a previous entry in the series did feature one: Fire Emblem Fates:

In all four routes the player can go through, each story ends with Fódlan at peace, yet somehow there’s still this air of sadness. In Fire Emblem Fates, Revelation served as the all-encompassing “route” that wrapped up the games’ story. Was there any reason you didn’t make something like Revelation again?

Kusakihara: If we had created a route for Three Houses like Revelation was to Fates, that route would have definitely ended up being perceived as the “correct” route. In Three Houses, each route is its own history, and we wanted players to be able to decide that for themselves. In this game, the leaders of the three houses have their own unwavering beliefs and worldviews that are unique to themselves. We wanted to model the story and its themes after a dilemma that was grounded in reality, so from the beginning there were never any plans to make something like Revelation.

Yokota: I actually really love the big all-encompassing finales, but Kusakihara-san was so passionate about not including it we decided not to go with it. I also felt like we might just end up doing the same thing we did in Fates… I was pretty worried about it, so from the beginning I had decided I’d just go along with Kusakihara-san’s decision.

From a writing standpoint, I haven’t seen much talk about the specific decisions made for this purpose, which is why I wanna tackle the topic here.

To make things more interesting though, the focus will lie in how the Silver Snow route (the first story written for 3H) handles the conflict. After all, if there were truly no plans to make a definitive story branch, then we should be seeing some cues of it on this path alone.

Oh, and I know this is a given, but there will be spoilers for Three Houses (and almost none for Revelation).

With the introduction out of the way, let’s set the relevant context:

Fire Emblem Fates, and Revelation

Fates' artwork was something else man...

Fire Emblem Fates was released back in 2015 in Japan, and 2016 internationally for the 3DS. One aspect marketing made sure everyone would know about was its branching story. And while before Three Houses, Fire Emblem was no stranger to the idea (given games like Binding Blade and Sacred Stones had branching paths which converge later), no game beforehand had previously based its entire narrative on this idea.

Fates was advertised with two main routes which, unless you had the Special Edition, Korean, or Digital version of the game, were sold in separate cartridges: Birthright, in which Corrin supports the Japanese-inspired Hoshido opposing Nohr’s invasion; and Conquest, where instead Corrin’s loyalty falls to the Western-themed Nohr seeking to invade Hoshido. A third path, Revelation, was also announced ahead of time, but not much was said about it beyond being a third option where Corrin sides with no one, and players would need to pay for it sometime after Birthright & Conquest’s launch unless they got the Special Edition (good luck getting it through legal means nowadays, given the E-Shop’s dead and all).

Either way, regardless of the story chosen/bought, the plot’s main goal always lies in finding a way to end the war between the 2 main factions. Of the three stories, Revelation is the only one where by the end, the solution reached allows both sides to come out relatively unscathed, while also directly dealing with the main source driving the war. This is why in the developer interview quoted, the devs talk about Revelation being perceived as the correct path.

In contrast, Three Houses has no such solution, nor were the developers - by their admission - interested in making it happen. As a matter of fact, I dare say that if one analyzes all the key pieces and the nature of their involvement with the game’s conflict, we can find instead three roadblocks complicating the possibility of a Revelation-like route ever happening.

These, for those wondering, are the following:

1. Edelgard: Agency, and Rise to Power

She who commands her crimson destiny.

Silver Snow’s starting point from a story perspective is the conflict between Byleth and Edelgard (according to the game’s director), with the latter going from a big ally and deuteragonist during the first half of the story, to a major antagonist. Edelgard’s character, and her circumstances in which she assumes this role, is the story’s first identifiable roadblock.

As a quick backstory recap: In Imperial Year 1174, Thales (post body-snatching Lord Arundel) leaves the Kingdom along with Edelgard, and establishes a public partnership with the Adrestian Prime Minister Ludwig von Aegir under his Arundel disguise. With the assistance of House Vestra, Ludwig – in secret – had Edelgard and her siblings captured, and allowed his Agarthan partners to experiment on the Hresvelg children for the sake of, in Edelgard’s own words, “create a peerless emperor to rule Fodlan”, all while the actual Emperor was unable to do anything due to previously losing a power struggle vs Ludwig and the Adrestian nobility 3 years prior.

With only these events at hand, it’s clear Edelgard was intended in-universe to be a puppet emperor/super soldier hybrid meant to have the Empire wage war and conquer Fódlan. In any other instance, this context gives the narrative an easy way out for defusing the war; first by rescuing Edelgard, and then by spending the rest of the story dealing with Ludwig + Thales & their allies. That way, Edelgard is able to rise to power at the end and bring official closure to the conflict.

It’s right here however, where Edelgard’s own agency in the story shows the cracks with the idea, as the Black Eagles Route’s first half establishes:

Edelgard has her own bone to pick with the Church - one of the enemies she would inevitably face during the Empire’s conquest - and the social system it helped cultivate in Fodlan under Rhea’s leadership. Also-

Edelgard has been in talks with some of Ludwig’s own allies behind his back to ensure she reaches the Imperial throne on her own terms (which leads to her surprise coup from Ch. 11). And it’s all but stated this is possible because-

Edelgard has no qualms with waging war as long it’s a means to an end (see point 1), to the point she even assumes a secret persona - the Flame Emperor - to stage attacks against the Church before her coronation.

At many points in Part 1 of Black Eagles, Edelgard is even seen testing the waters with Byleth, confiding a bit on her ideology and plans for the future to see if they would be willing to stand by her side once the time comes, before finally relenting and continuing her plans as previously established before Byleth came into the picture.

These facts flip our understanding of the conflict and the key players driving it on its head. And this is considering only how Edelgard factors into everything, because with our other two parties involved, it gets even more complicated:

2. TWSITD: Scheming Outside Their Comfort Zone

Credit to sageofanys for their interpretation of Cleobulus btw.

In the context of Fire Emblem, “those who slither in the dark” stand out like a sore thumb due to how alien they are. For the sake of this post however, I will only focus mainly on how the group’s used in the narrative they were originally created for, as it showcases our second roadblock.

The group assumes the role of the puppeteers behind the scenes, having already infiltrated the antagonistic faction of the story (the Empire) and using them to achieve their goals, while also playing a noticeable role in the backstory of some key players of the conflict. And given the archetype they follow, it appears there’s a clear cut way to stop them: just deal with them directly - while avoiding their puppets as much as possible - and bingo. Problem solved.

…Which would be a viable solution, if it wasn’t for Three Houses complicating the slitherers’ job, forcing them to work outside their comfort zone:

Remember when I mentioned Edelgard did some deals behind Duke Aegir’s back? Well, the Agarthans were part of those deals too due to utilitarian (manpower, assets and tech) and practical reasons (Edelgard is not in a position to get rid of them normally), foreshadowed and implied midway through Part 1. This results in-

Having the puppeteers lose much of their agency in the story once Edelgard assumes the Imperial throne. As mentioned earlier, the “puppet” in question gets control of the Empire once she assumes the antagonist role, and has her own reasons to wage war and conquer. This begs the question: How much control do the slitherers even have in the story once the war starts? Their uncertain input is even compromised further because-

Their success is entirely dependent on Edelgard winning. The slitherers have no trump-card nor a “revive this ancient evil” button freely available which could potentially make the need of a war pointless, meaning that once Edelgard and her Empire is taken care of, they have no choice but go into hiding to scheme again in the future, which is what happens in the story. Lastly-

They are acting on borrowed time. In spite of all their bravado, smugness, hi-tech toys, and hubris (heck, partly because of it), Edelgard, thanks to their established alliance with TWISTD and her own spies (ie. Hubert.) eventually gains the info needed to get rid of the group once their assistance is no longer needed, proven through Hubert leaking Shambhala’s location to Byleth after him & Edelgard are hit with a sudden case of death. Meaning that by the end, any potential win the slitherers gain is bound to become a pyrrhic victory.

So to wrap up this part, TWSITD’s purpose in Silver Snow’ main plot can be summed up as the following:

Remove Jeralt from the story, which leads to Byleth fusing with Sothis while also (unintentionally?) foiling Rhea’s plan for them in the process, which would otherwise never happen without their involvement.

Give Edelgard the means to remove Rhea from the story between Chapter 13 and 19.

Wound Rhea lethally near the end of the story, unwillingly setting her up as the Final Boss.

And speaking of which-

3. Rhea: Snow in the Crimson Gardens

Not so immaculate as she wants you to think.

All I have covered so far comes from the antagonist-side of things. But because Three Houses' story is not done throwing wrenches at our understanding of how the war happens, it seems natural it would add one last, final roadblock within the main supporting roster of characters. And who else to give it than Rhea: Archbishop of the Church of Seiros; leader of Fódlan’s main religion; and Byleth’s boss for all of Part 1.

Within the narrative, Rhea’s role in the plot is very straightforward:

In the Academy Arc, she gives Byleth missions in the story for them & their class to do, while also delivering exposition whenever necessary.

Then in the War Arc of Silver Snow, she has to be rescued from the Empire, delivers one final piece of exposition the story teased late into Part 1 (what is Byleth and what’s up with their mom), and then becomes the Final Boss though circumstances beyond her control.

None of this is really a problem for writing a definitive 3H route. The crux at hand however, comes when we learn about Rhea’s character, painting a different looking picture:

She’s quite secretive, being her reasons for hiring Byleth as a teacher the best example of it in the story, as her vague justification for it puzzles Seteth (her right hand man), Jeralt, and even Edelgard.

As the story goes on, it’s also clear Rhea’s preparing and testing Byleth for something, later revealed to be their status as Sothis’ new vessel - with having them sitting on Sothis’ Throne the intended final step - which, not only doesn’t pan out as planned, it’s also something she kept everyone in the dark about on purpose up until it was too late.

Her answer against insurrections and direct threats against her authority is execution.

She is willing to cover-up truths if it means safeguarding the reputation of Crests and Nobility.

The last two points in particular stand out a lot considering that in Black Eagles’ story, these facets of Rhea’s character are often highlighted right next to Edelgard’s in adjacent events, further showcasing their differences.

Take Chapter 3, for example:

“Even if our enemies are the gods themselves... we must never lose sight of our goal. [...] Really, I'm just like Lonato. I, too, will be the sort of ruler who's willing to risk the lives of my citizens in service of a higher cause. It's not possible to change the world without sacrifice. Dying for the greater good is not a death in vain.” - Edelgard in A Harsh Reality

“I heard some of the students were...hesitant about fighting militia. However, we must punish any sinner who may inflict harm upon believers, even if those sinners are civilians. I pray the students learned a valuable lesson about the fate that awaits all who are foolish enough to point their blades towards the heavens.” - Rhea in Report: Garland Moon

And Chapter 5:

“I have already heard Gilbert's report about what happened. See to it that you keep what transpired at the tower to yourself. People would lose faith in the nobles should rumors spread of one using a Relic and transforming into a monster. All regions of Fódlan would fall into chaos. We must avoid that at all costs.” - Rhea in The Lance of Ruin 

“People believe Crests are blessings from the goddess, that they're necessary to maintain order in Fódlan. But the people are wrong. Crests are to blame for this brutal, irrational world we live in. Their power is granted only to a select few, whom we elevate and allow to rule the world. Have you ever wondered if the only way to create a truly free world is to dispense with the goddess and the Crests?” - Edelgard in Crests: The Good and the Bad

The more the plot progresses, the more it becomes clear that both Edelgard and Rhea are not on the same wavelength, are up to their own devices, and that neither is willing to show their cards before their plans have reached completion. This ultimately causes tension, telegraphing to the player that both sides will eventually crash against each other, but without making certain when and how it will happen (one can guess Edelgard will throw the first stone, but…?).

Thus, with these 3 roadblocks set in stone, the seeds of Fodlan’s main conflict are allowed to blossom unopposed, setting the blazes of war loose.

… And all this is just as far as it goes in Silver Snow. Due to my self-imposed restriction, I deliberately didn’t cover stuff like:

Edelgard’s beef with the Nabateans and their involvement in Fódlan (which Silver Snow hints at but never elaborates upon).

The circumstances in which Dimitri’s rage and madness is unleashed towards Edelgard and the Empire.

The complicated relationship between the Alliance and the Empire.

What’s up with the TWSITD’s “Javelins of Light”.

What’s up with Nemesis coming back only in Verdant Wind.

And all the stuff that Warriors: Three Hopes shows, elaborates upon and makes clear with little room for ambiguity (like the fact Duke Aegir and Thales have history together), plus how the war happens in its timeline.

As a conclusion of sorts, I wanna say that: while I appreciate and see the potential of an hypothetical Revelation-like route in Three Houses, to me, it’s abundantly clear that’s simply not the kind of story IS and KT ever intended to write. Considering the sort of roadblocks at play, a major rewrite is required to even start entertaining such an idea, which would need to drastically shake the foundation of its story, lore, and characters as it currently is, to the point it’s worth raising the question if it would be far more practical to just start from scratch and create a whole new universe altogether…

[nintendrojects]

Pinned post, read me!

[pt: Pinned post, read me!]

Introduction -

Welcome! We are the South Town Angels system, and we have a fair share of Nintendo introjects who would like their own space to interact with other Nintendo introjects.

About the Blog -

All asks can be sent by anyone who is an introject of a Nintendo source (Mario, Fire Emblem, TLoZ, FZero, Star Fox, Metroid, etc.), all we ask is that you do not send an ask unless you fit the criteria or are sending this on behalf of another alter. If you have a Super Smash Bros. non Nintendo source, you may post here so long as your source is specifically the Smash version.

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Our Tag system is no longer in use, as it's difficult for us to remember, there won't be any special tags beyond anons.

Admins -

Mod A / 💫 - Corrin introject with multiple other sources, but she's probably gonna be the one answering everything more hahaha >:D (send her asks and prepare to explode on impact /silly)

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DNI -

Endogenics and their supporters (you will not be welcomed here. Ever.), radqueers and "transx/ID", believe people can be doubles if someone is in a completely different system*, fetishizers, TERFs, all of those horrendous basic criteria things.

*This is used LOOSELY to weed out IRL terms, we don't like saying "doubles" but with introjects in the same system, but it's to prevent, again, IRL term usage.

Sister Blogs -

@obscure-factives - An obscure factive introject blog.

@problematic-alter-culture-is - A "problematic" alter culture blog.

+ 2 more. Stay tuned.

Afterthoughts -

We hope to find this to be a loving space, take care and enjoy the rest of your time here. ♡

Theme cycles, if you were curious: 1.0: Purple + Camilla. 2.0: Blue and Samus.

Banner -

plutism

[eway]

Smash Bros. Corrin's Supports

vs. King K. Rool

Female Corrin Version

Corrin: Who's the Croc?

Leo: That is King K. Rool. King of the kremlings.

Camilla: From what I heard, they repeatedly steal the Kongs food source, the banana horde, simply to starve them.

Elise: They don't even LIKE bananas!

Xander: Someone who would deliberately cause a famine by stealing food. How despicable.

Corrin: Nohr has had plenty of famine because of nature. This is… vile! Doing that on purpose for no reason! Tell me how to beat him.

Leo: King K. Rool is a heavy weight, so he can tank many hits.

Camilla: He is shockingly fast, but many of his moves are slow. But powerful.

Elise: Sometimes he throws his crown like a boomerang and if he doesn't catch it, you can grab it and keep him from using the move until the crown is gone! And you can counter most of his strongest attacks!

Xander: Attack from behind to avoid his belly armor.

Leo: Down throw and Down Tilt can bury you. But you can counter the tilts. His grab range is pretty good.

Camilla: If you break his Belly Armor, you'll knock him out! He'll be dizzy! You only need to deal 36.02% to break it!

Elise: His recovery is good but since he's so big he's easy to spike!

Leo: His air game is bad! Get him in the air.

Xander: If he gets a final Smash, don't stand in front of him. Thats where it activates.

Corrin: What exactly is the final smash?

Camilla: He puts you on a replica of Kong Island and blows it up. Its based on a failed plan of his.

Elise: Why does he hate Donkey Kong so much!?

Leo: Who knows what goes on in the mind of the criminally insane.

Xander: He's committed many crimes. Deliberate Starvation, torture, piracy, attempted genocide when trying blow up an entire island of kongs, and more.

Corrin: Thanks guys! I'll teach this Croc a lesson he won't ever forget! This being is a despicable one!

Camilla: Well outside of this tournament he hasn't been seen in years.

Leo: Perhaps the Kongs taught him a lesson he won't ever forget.

Corrin:... Ok but I'm still beating him.

[runicmagitek]

12 and/or 17, any fandom?

Hell yeah time for violence! 🔪 Thanks a bunch for playing along!

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

I played Fire Emblem Fates (Conquest) for the first time last year and am still in shock at how unpopular Silas is. He's such a sweet guy who wants to do the right thing, even if it gets his ass in trouble. Like most of his supports are him eating his own foot after trying to be helpful bc he's too blunt. But even then, he almost always learns from his mistakes and follows up with an apology and does better. And in a world (especially with Nohr) where everything is shit and it's a matter of survival of the fittest? I love seeing Silas shine through and not give in to what is considered the norm in his country. Plus he's so supportive of Corrin!! He's just a sweetie and I love him 😭 PLUS HE HAS A HORSE HOW CAN YOU DISLIKE A GUY WHO LIKES ANIMALS

17. there should be more of this type of art/fic

In general, I do feel that most fandom spaces are oversaturated in fluff. I do enjoy fluff! But the purity culture around anything the explores Not Fluff is really exhausting, especially if the source material has a lot of opportunities to dive deep in angst, horror, and other darker things. I do not fault anyone at all for knowing their own limits and wanting to create/read/look at stuff that's predominantly fluffy (you know what you like and you should bask in that!), but I've gotten multiple comments on fics over the years along the lines of "no! They've suffered enough! They should be happy!" which... sure, but also this is my fic I'm writing and sharing. If you don't enjoy it, that's fine! But the compulsion to enforce your likes and beliefs onto others instead of closing a brower tab or scrolling by or even blocking someone is really baffling to me. Everyone likes different things. It's not going to always reflect what YOU like. Also don't be a dick to people???

[leastdatablebracket]

ENG!Soleil's attraction to men isn't JUST informed - she can end up in a relationship with Forrest, a GNC man (who is VERY clear about identifying as a straight guy despite his femme presentation being considered disgraceful and unmasculine) and says to him in their S support that she does like cute guys, just less often than cute girls. Which is like... yes that's still being "told" but it's being "told" in the context of "she is informing the man she is romantically interested in and about to get in a relationship with that she's bi."

I still think the way she's written is broadly awful and how messily they had to try and handle it in localization didn't help (though they were doing what they could with source material that straight up treats her like she's straight and going through a phase), but at least in English she IS demonstrably attracted to guys other than the MC, she just leans toward women and has a more specific type in men.

You realize that none of this erases the unfortunate implications of her Corrin support, which is the topic being debated, right?

[correctfe14quotes]

Correct FE14 Quote 11

Asugi: I know, I know. I WAS thinking "Bubbles," but something about it just didn't sit right. I've been having trouble coming up with good nicknames these days...

[emblemxeno]

Hello! I'm playing with the idea of a corrin video essay, and I know fates has a not great translation. Do you know if there's any substantial differences between corrin and kamui? You're like the biggest corrin fan I know of and I've seen you discuss Japanese fates so I figured you'd know more than anyone haha.

As a whole, I don't know differences when it comes to specific details. Combing through supports, there are some line differences and info changes. For example, in their support with Sakura, Corrin actually goes more into asking about the origins of healing in Hoshido and questioning the history behind it as possibly being exaggerated.

The biggest differences to me are the added snark and almost uncharacteristic vitriol not only towards his enemies, but family members as well, and this is most apparent in Birthright. The link here goes more specifically into what I mean.

Thanks for the ask!

[fe-sibling-duo-tournament]

Fire Emblem Sibling Duo Tournament: Round 1 - Match 2

Propaganda for both duos under cut:

Veyle & Nel:

SHE IS SO HAPPY TO FIND A NEW SISTER BUT NEL IS TOO SCARED TO HAVE ANOTHER SIBLING SHE COULD LOSE BUT THEN SHE BEGINS TO OPEN UP AND FINALLY HEAL AND WHEN SHE CALLS VEYLE HER SISTER THE LITTLE GIRL IS SO HAPPY AND STARRY-EYED AHHH MY HEART (Source: their support convo)

Leo & Corrin:

They are so precious I love them

Corrin wants to be a good older sibling to Leo, so much, but circumstances never allowed them. Their naivety and inexperience means they can’t help him, but their life trapped in the northern fortress means they can’t give him gifts either- They try to make up for this (as seen in the nohrian festival of bonds)

All those times he killed in Corrin’s steed (or pretended to kill, in the case of Kaze and Rinkah)

But in truth, there isn’t anything Leo needs from them. Just their love is enough. (Also in nohrian festival of bonds)

But there’s more to it. Corrin is a reason in why Leo tends to left neglected, due to inexperience and naivety, the others dote on them. Leo doesn’t get help, because he’s strong right? But he yearns for it so.

Yet he loves Corrin all the same. He holds no resentment, he cherishes them. And so does Corrin.

Also things not in the game but just as great!!

the Manga (really sweet Leo and Corrin interactions, IE When Leo finds out Corrin isn’t his bio sister, so he thinks to himself to stop referring to her as such, but the moment he sees her he calls her big sister. Because despite circumstances, they will always be siblings.) Also the drama CD where Leo tries to sneak Corrin of the northern fortress because she wishes to go to the meadow and shooting stars. He creates an elaborate scheme to allow her so.

Sorry for the ramble but I love the Fates siblings especially Leo

[endlesssummerslaycation]

Slaycation’s Conquestcation Episode 1: A quick recap on the first 3 chapters!

Hello!!! This will be my first installment in my Conquest playthrough blog, AKA I have the worst takes on this game of all time! I’ve already beaten the first 3 chapters on the game (post-route split), and we're onto Chapter 10! Now, you’re probably asking me “why aren’t you gonna go get Mozu? She’s really good!” And I know she is! But, with the amount of units I have right now, I just don’t think it’s in the cards for ge to go and train her up as well. So, I would rather use the paralogue as a place to grind my supports, specifically Camilla/Niles, Camilla/Beruka, and Selena/Beruka (or Camilla). This trio has a lot of ambitions for this run, so I have to act fast if I want to get all of their supports out of the way.

But, let’s talk about the units I already have!

Starting off with Estella, AKA my Corrin, she is currently at Level 12, bordering on Level 13! Equipped with her is her base kit, AKA the Dragonstone and the Yato. My goal is to get her as close to Level 20 as possible before we get to Chapter 15, because that’s where I plan to Heart Seal/Master Seal her into a Malig Knight! But for now, she’s just kind of here to facilitate kills and stay alive. Once Chapter 14 rolls around, we can start building her up.

Next up we have Jakob! He is currently at Level 9, and is my only source of healing for a very long time! Basically, until I either promote Niles to Adventurer or unlock Forrest, I have no Elise to heal my units, so we’re stuck with Jakob. I don’t want to Heart Seal him into a Strategist, since I plan on benching him anyway in favor of Forrest when I get him (character preference, I like Jakob enough, but Forrest is too cute to not have on the team and I only need 1 or 2 staff bots). Not much else to report. I’m trying to get him and Nyx to an S support, if I can manage to do that in time. Nyx just joins at a good time, give Dwyer the black hair, and it gives us a free paralogue for the time being.

Next is my vanilla-ass Wyvern Elise! I promise these builds are gonna get maybe a little more interesting as time rolls by. Elise is actually doing pretty good so far! She’s at D rank in axes already, of which she’s only had 2 chapters to grind those up. I’ve been trying to get her dual strikes with Estella and Odin as much as I can, because Elise and Odin don’t have a fast support, unlike Effie and Arthur. I forgot to mention that that’s another pairing I am doing. Again, like Estella, she’s just getting levels for kills right now and trying to make it to Bolt Axe rank. Nothing special.

Now we have Silas! For the first time in my life, I managed to get him to a D rank in lances before Chapter 10! I can finally give him a Javelin!!! The one thing that is incredibly stressful about Silas is that in order for him to be the best version of himself, you need to have your Corrin teetering on the edge of a Game Over at all times to activate Vow of Friendship. That’s really difficult for me and my personal playstyle, but it was helpful in the last chapter because my Corrin was over leveled. So I took the liberties to letting Silas beat shit up with the Bronze Lance until he reached a D rank! Once I unlock Mozu’s paralogue, I do plan on at least trying to get her married to Silas. I know Mozu can be an AMAZING mother in a lot of situations (for instance, a Mozu!Nina can provide Archer skills that Niles can pass down, as well as Life and Death. overall, L&D is a really good damage stack to have, if you use it wisely). But I just like the hair color that it gives Sophie, since I don’t really like any other colors on her. Probably a very stupid decision to make from a gameplay perspective to NOT utilize Sophie for these reasons, but maybe someday I’ll try to make it work regardless.

*sigh*, Moving on to Arthur… the early chapters of the game always bug me, for the sole reason that I have to deploy Arthur. I don't like Arthur. Why is he here? You know? Why? He’s a horrible unit on his own, he has the worst hit rates I’ve ever seen, a horrendous personal skill, and he’s just annoying. But, he does make a very cute backpack for Effie when need be. I am trying to get him to dual strike as much as he can, though. Since he has the possibility to get an A support with Niles, it may be beneficial to have him build that support as well as the Effie support. Niles really has the worst friendship options I have ever seen. Leo and Odin don’t even give him anything, and Fighter is something that he just doesn’t need…

Effie!!! The MVP of my first Conquest run! She’s now at Level 10, so she has Natural Cover, and she has a C rank in her lances, so she can use Javelins (but she’s always been able to do that). Not much else to say about her, she’s just being Effie honestly!

Odin is also kind of just existing. I need him to stay in Sorcerer because of Nosferatu access at the moment, but I don’t want to feed him too many kills because, like most of my early army, he’s just gonna get benched. But I’m trying to have him and Elise fight as much as possible so that we can get Ophelia faster! My GOAL is for them to have an S support before Chapter 12? We’ll see if that works?? They currently have a C support, which should go up to B after this chapter. Basically then, we get Invasion 1 and Mozu, who will get them to an A rank, and then Chapter 11 they can go again. If we WANT to do Percy’s paralogue then, maybe we do that… just because it’s easier the quicker you do it. But you’ll get more exp if you do it later… You know what? I just want them to get an S rank before Leo joins. Good deal? Then we can fully focus on Odin pairing with Leo for 5 or so levels.

Niles is doing really good so far! I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get the contents of the Chapter 9 chest open because he wasn’t at Level 10 yet, but apparently Locktouch is a Level 1 skill, and Movement +1 is the Lvl 10 skill. He’s gonna be real bus for the next few chapters, since he’ll be mostly trying to get dual strikes with Camilla. I don’t want the to “pair up” necessarily, because then Camilla just becomes a killsteal and Niles becomes underleveled. Not fun! Also, next up is Chapter 10, so he’s gonna be killing a LOT of pegasus knights for my team…

Azura’s our next unit! As you can maybe tell by her sprite, I had a mod installed that gives her her Nohrian uniform! I also have YiannisG’s texture compilation mod installed, so units like Elise get custom textures on their typically “basic” uniforms! She’s literally just my Dancer. I tried sing spamming her to Level 21 and making her a Kinshi Knight with my second Heart Seal one time. It’s actually not as horrendous as people might say! But it’s definitely annoying that she can’t sing! They were too scared to let her sing on a pegasus I guess… Oh well! She’s here and she’s gonna sing for everybody for the whole game!

Finally, we have Nyx! … yeah, not much else to say there. She exists for sure! I actually genuinely like Nyx as a character. I think there are some really huge flaws with her writing, but I think it’s a good subversion of the lolicon trope, and it’s one of the only “I might look like a kid but I’m actually 4000” characters I’m not utterly disturbed by (Nowi I’m looking at you). I also specifically really love her supports with Leo, but I never end up doing it because I love my Malig Knight Leo build way too much. 

In terms of fun items we have, I have obtained a Bottle from MyCastle, 2 Moonlight tomes (1 was from Estella’s birthday, the other from a random Elise drop), a Stick,  2 Raider Axes, an Arthur’s Axe, Stale Bread, Ember, and Azura’s Salve. I haven’t used to Goddess Icon or the Talisman yet, and our 2nd Heart Seal is being held of until the Mozu paralogue. 

Finally, a look at supports! We have Estella at B support with Elise (this has been accelerated with Private Quarters visits), Jakob has a C support with Nyx, Elise is at C with Odin, Arthur and Effie are somehow at A, they had a support boosting conversation in MyCastle, so by Mozu’s apralogue I can basically just bench them, apparently him and Niles don’t even have a C support yet, so that’s cute. And that’s all the important ones! Thank you so much for reading this, and stay tuned for the Chapter 10 episode! It’ll probably get crazy!

Okay, but also though? Can we talk about how absolutely stinking cute Elise is with her little custom Wyvern uniform now?

She even has a custom pink wyvern to go with it 😭

[evangelynnnn]

MDA20009 Tumblr Blog: Part 2

Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikToks and Instagram?

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have altered how we consume and create content by focusing on short, virtually driven posts to cater fast-paced, bite-sized interactions that have engaged millions. However, despite this change towards short and highly shareable content, blogging remains relevant in today’s era, thanks to its unique value of depth, long-form engagement and a consistent presence that continues to attract a loyal following.

The biggest benefit of blogging is its ability to deliver an in-depth information, context and storytelling by letting creators to explore topics in greater depth than platforms such as TikTok or Instagram (Corrine, 2021). It supports extended formats in which writers can share research and deliver step-by-step tutorials or provide educational content, making it ideal for readers who seek a more thorough understanding. This is especially useful for topics that need in-depth discussion or instruction, which something that short-form content on visual platforms often lacks. Another key benefit of blogging is its way of having content that revolves around a topic that is always useful to readers regardless of news cycle or period of time, which is often known as Evergreen content (Mehojah, 2022). Unlike TikTok or Instagram, which have a short lifespan in the fast-moving feed, whereas blog post can remain relevant for years with the thanks to search engines. Take product reviews for example; these reviews may appear in search engines results years after they were published, since it can provide insights and opinions on the product as long as it is still available. Furthermore, blogging can be connected with trustworthiness as well as authority (Arnold, 2016). According to Chai and Kim (2010), blogs are a popular medium for sharing expertise and knowledge as it tend to be perceived as a reputable source of information, with the ability to showcase professionalism along with authority on specific topics.

However, you cannot deny the fact that user’s behaviour has significantly changed with the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. One of the main causes behind this change is shorter attention spans. With their quick, bite-sized content, these platform train users to look for instant satisfaction, making it difficult to focus on tasks that requires prolonged attention (Caloia, 2022). This constant need for instant stimulation makes it harder for individuals to engage with long-form content. Even though blogging gives a more in-depth information about something, users nowadays prefer social media over blogging due to their growing desire for visual engagement. Visual content such as images, videos and interactive media grabs user’s attention quicker and more efficiently than text-based content especially those long-form content (What Is Visual Engagement?, 2024). This is because visual engagement is more memorable and emotionally impactful, which encourages users to return to these platforms more frequently than traditional blogs.

Good news! There is a way bloggers can adapt to this age where social media exist by creating hybrid content creation. Recently many bloggers now have made their post more engaging and interesting by combining long-form writing with multimedia elements like images, infographics and videos. For example, a food blogger can include a step-by-step photo or embed their TikTok video alongside a detailed recipe to create a more interactive experience. This combines traditional blogging with visual content which makes bloggers to remain relevant in this age of social media. Cross-promotion between platforms can also help bloggers to thrive. They can utilise TikTok and Instagram as tools to draw their viewers to their blogs. By using both platforms strategically, bloggers are able to capture attention on TikTok and Instagram while also offering a more detailed content in their blogs.

In conclusion, while TikTok and Instagram has without a doubt changed the current state of content creation, blogging still remain relevant for viewers who seeks depth, evergreen content and expertise. These platforms serve totally different purpose, TikTok and Instagram prosper at offering quick, engaging content that captivates users in this moment, while blogs allow exploration and detailed discussion. As content creators continue to adapt to the evolving digital landscape, The coexistence of both blogging and short-form content will be the key to a long-term success. Blogging isn’t going anywhere, instead it is simply evolving to fit the demands of a fast-paced world. References

Corinne. (2021, April 3). Is blogging dead? The rise of Instagram and TikTok. Skinnedcartree. https://skinnedcartree.com/2021/04/is-blogging-dead-the-rise-of-instagram-and-tiktok.html

Mehojah, K. (2022, October 31). Evergreen Content. Parse.ly. https://www.parse.ly/glossary/evergreencontent/#:~:text=Evergreen%20content%20is%20content%20that

Arnold, G. (2016, March 17). Establish Authority: How Your Blog Activity Gives You Credibility. Business Marketing Engine. https://businessmarketingengine.com/establish-authority-how-your-blog-activity-gives-you-credibility/

Chai, S., & Kim, M. (2010). What makes bloggers share knowledge? An investigation on the role of trust. International Journal of Information Management, 30(5), 408–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2010.02.005

Caloia, D. (2022, September 2). Social media is shortening our attention spans. The Queen’s Journal. https://www.queensjournal.ca/social-media-is-shortening-our-attention-spans/

What is Visual Engagement?. (2024, January 31). Storyly. https://www.storyly.io/glossary/visual-engagement

[eriisaam]

Yeah! Yeah. The thing I liked a lot about Corrin's two extended families is both are very much traumatized (not just the Nohrians) but in very different directions: Everyone's the same in having critical (bordering dangerous) harmful flaws (be it those around them or toward themselves), just the source, the focus, and how it became so pronounced and in what way was very different and intricate, and the more you explore their supports in particular (in times not coincidentally they tend to be less pressed in battle and much more personal and vulnerable) the more layers you peel away at the core under their heavily-layered masks from their traumas.

The Nohrians came from survival-based trauma, and that's a huge component to why they had such extreme and violent reactions, some more pronounced than others (comparing Camilla's vicious streaks to Elise's more coddled attitude for example). The Hoshidans, by comparison, are not only reeling from personal, critical losses (first with Ikona, then rapidfire with Corrin and Sumeragi, and even if they gained Azura, she comes packaged with a boatload of trauma imported from her time in Nohr and Valla), but had to pick up the pieces while very young and do so alongside Mikoto and Azura while doing so. The Nohrians end up on both far extreme ends between vicious and extreme survival instinct, and the Hoshidans had to grow up way too suddenly and very early on.

This leads to a lot of messy scenarios like Xander having felt the need to actively distant his care and relation to his siblings despite being incredibly dotting, near-fatherly (and moreso than Garon especially at present), and being far more observant than he lets on (to the point when Camilla shared notes with him in their support, Camilla was taken aback how much Xander kept tabs on despite his 'distance', and he requests she keeps up the act of maintaining that act). It's how you get siblings like Ryoma being incredibly devoted to the bushido code for perhaps similar levels of fear-of-being-vulnerable-at-the-wrong-time and distancing from a burden he felt he's trying to shoulder the brunt of while Hinoka is the second pillar and trying to keep Takumi and Sakura mostly out of the weight of the load.

But then even the younger siblings still suffered anyways, despite the efforts of the older siblings, which leads to both Leo and Takumi have massive inferiority complexes of not measuring up as well compared to their older siblings (and Takumi outright doubting his place altogether when he mistook Ryoma's and Hinoka's insistence of taking charge - not because they wanted to try to spare them from the messes of either rules in a tumultuous time between both countries - but because they think he's flat out weak and incompetent to matter much and help), and the younger sisters in Elise and Sakura also have similar insecurities but show the extreme opposite ends of the other's ordeal as well (Elise being so coddled that despite being the same age as Effie, she refuses to abandon the cutesy, little princess attitude and personality which the other siblings over-coddled her on, despite ridicule of her immaturity otherwise, or Sakura, in supports like with Kaze, having lost something as 'immature' as a toy doll, and being REALLY anxious to the point of a breakdown between being sad and panicked by losing this really sentimental toy, and whether or not it's worth risking being mocked and told off for caring so much for something she's too old to fuss over like a doll).

And even if you don't end up liking all of the siblings and only certain ones, it's like... All of them do build up one another, in terrible (narrative) ways that expand on their issues and what makes them all tick. So even if you like Ryoma or hate him, for instance, I feel like reducing him to some holier-than-thou asshole who treats "the others" who aren't Corrin and Hinoka with fuck-if-I-care disregard that makes Gustav's attitude to Sharena look kindly feels like such a disservice to even characters like Takumi and Sakura. There's so much more to the collective unit than it seems, even in a tragic lens.

Like also about that Ryoma "Hinoka and the others (Takumi/Sakura)" moment like. Like esp given the circumstances you might not think to list everyone by name but like . There's. A word you can use. "Everyone". Why are you singling Hinoka out??? Or am I just reading into that as well (esp out of context like, the reason I didn't rb those isn't a huge one it's just been so long since I've done a full Fates run that I didn't have the context on hand/in my memory, so. Felt maybe it could have been an unfair reading?? Idk idk the most impactful thing Ryoma has done to me is going "I'm gonna kill you. Badly. Right Now." [Ryoma will wait 25 turns])