Gameplay modes: Difference between revisions

Across the {{FES}}, there are a number of alternate modes of gameplay.  While the most common are difficulty modes, allowing an adjustible challenge for players, other games feature their own types of modes varying the general flow of gameplay or the story, to either the benefit or detriment of the player.

The first game to feature different formal modes of difficulty was {{FE4}}. Since then, almost every game has featured at least two different difficulty modes, chosen by the player at the beginning of a new game. Between games, there is considerable variation in the difficulty of seemingly the same levels.

 

Each difficulty level can change many aspects of gameplay, such as enemy stats, enemy equipment and skills, the number of enemies present, reinforcement timing, artificial intelligence, and much more. The notes here cover only the universal differences between difficulties in each game; chapter-by-chapter differences such as the number of enemies, their equipment, etc. can be found on each respective chapter page.

 

 

In {{title|Thracia 776}}, '''Paragon Mode''' (Japanese: {{hover|エリートモード|Erītomōdo}} ''Elite Mode'') is a secret gameplay mode, unlocked by inputting a button combination at the "New Game" menu.  In this mode, every playable character has the [[Paragon]] skill applied to them, doubling their [[experience]] gain; characters who already have Paragon in normal gameplay or are currently wielding the [[Paragon Sword]] have the effect doubled, gaining quadruple the experience.

{{FE2}} has an identical mode which comprises its [[Gameplay modes#Difficulty modes|EASY mode]].

==Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn's tales==

{{FE7}} is divided into three "tales", each focused around one of the three [[Lord|main characters]]. [[Lyn]]'s tale ([[A Girl from the Plains|Prologue]] to [[The Distant Plains|Chapter 10]]) and [[Eliwood]]'s tale ([[Taking Leave|Chapter 11E]] to [[Light (part 2)|Final]]) comprise the initial "main story"; on an initial playthrough, the player plays through both of them back-to-back. Upon completion of the game for the first time, the player gains the option to choose either game mode upon starting a new game, as well as the option to choose Hector's tale ([[Another Journey|Chapter 11H]] to [[Light (part 2)|Final]]). Hector's tale is a retelling of Eliwood's tale from the perspective of [[Hector]]; it differs in that it features six unique chapters ([[Another Journey]], [[Talons Alight]], [[A Glimpse in Time]], [[Crazed Beast]], [[The Berserker]] and [[The Value of Life]]), two unique recruitable characters ([[Farina]] and [[Karla]]), a number of potential ending variations based on gameplay performance, minor rewrites introducing new subplots and sequences, and a generally higher difficulty.

Additionally, all three tales have a matching Hard Mode, with "Hector Hard Mode" being the most difficult mode ''Fire Emblem'' has to offer; "Lyn Hard Mode" and "Eliwood Hard Mode" are unlocked upon completing the game once, while "Hector Hard Mode" is unlocked by completing "Hector Normal Mode" once.

{{Main|Growth rate}}

{{Main|Growth point}}

:<small>These gameplay modes appear only in {{title|Path of Radiance}}.</small>

One of the most well-known caveats of the ''Fire Emblem'' series is its use of [[Death|permanent character deaths]]. In {{title|New Mystery of the Emblem}}, '''Casual Mode''' was introduced, an effort to soften the blow for players new to the series by disabling permanent death for the course of a playthrough. Instead, characters who are defeated in battle merely retreat, and return in the next chapter as if nothing ever happened. '''Classic Mode''' is the other option, enabling the standard permanent-death setup of the series. Both of these options are separate from the difficulty modes and are chosen separately, allowing the player to, for example, enable Casual Mode on a Reverse Lunatic playthrough. The Classic/Casual Mode options returned in {{title|Awakening}}, working the same way; Casual Mode is renamed '''Newcomer Mode''' in the European English release of the game.

In ''New Mystery of the Emblem'', ''Awakening'', and ''Echoes: Shadows of Valentia'', the defeat of the lord characters still gives a game over, while in ''Fates'' the avatar retreats like other units.

In some {{FES}} games there are segments of gameplay where the player has direct control of the main character and are not under the restrictions of the grid or [[movement]] values. {{title|Gaiden}} and {{title|Echoes: Shadows of Valentia}} have these in [[village]]s and [[dungeon]]s and {{title|Fates}} has this when [[Corrin]] is managing [[My Castle]]. This gameplay mode will also be present in {{FE16}}. During these segments the player controls the main character and are able to interact with other characters and other things depending on the game.