Tanya X. ShortOvjeren akaunt

(I actually don't think the FE:3H writing was... that great. It was Fine. And most of the characters aren't actually that layered. BUT because they're beautiful and you get to see them consistently in different circumstances, mostly-functional writing gets the job done.)

Anyway, if I were tasked with making a lovable ensemble, those are the elements I would keep in mind in my game design. Add relatable day-to-day activities, pressure, socializing, and change over time. Wait is this meta and applies to brand management on twitter? oh no

There are clear archetypes at play but by varying one element, a new layer is exposed. 2 prettyboys can seem identical... until a crisis shows 1 reaches for a book while the other rushes into battle. Or one prefers salads. Or one flirts better. Or one becomes bitter. etc.

Without all of these 4 gameplay aspects in FE:3H, even with such excellent visual design, the ensemble would feel much flatter and less distinctive.

Seeing which traits 'stick around' and which they 'grow out of', feels like their 'true self' is revealed. If their growth is somewhat attributable to you (dear teacher/mentor/Chosen One), well all the more flattering.

4 possibly most powerfully, seeing someone change and grow over time is a huge part of becoming attached to them emotionally, even if it's relatively random (like in Darkest Dungeon) or a storyline or even a big sudden setpiece (like in Fire Emblem).

"Interaction" observation applies both to seeing them interact with others (whether in extended rank-up scenes or at meals) or with your own dialogue choices (such as responding to your prompts during an otherwise rather spare tea time).

3 Watching someone interact socially lets you see more shades of nuance in a personality -- who someone likes/respects (and why or why not) can quietly imply whole hosts of information about their history and motivations, without long exposition.

2 Reacting to crisis is handled primarily by each individual character storyline of overcoming some personal challenge or other. This lets you see how they handle stress. (The plot also sort of does this, but the central house character dominates the stage.)

Through these, you can triangulate quickly a rather layered archetype through their baseline behaviour, what kinds of food they like, and how they approach challenges. (a "lost items" system was seemingly stapled here to further encourage laps & test knowledge but oh well)

In FE:3H, day-to-day is a three-pronged attack. You see them frequently in: - the regular "check in with everyone" laps you tend to do around campus - classes where you see them study, do chores, etc. - the meal system (have dinner with 2 people & learn their food preferences)

1 Day-to-day observation makes someone relatable and shows their baseline traits, because you can see the pattern of how this character 'tends' to act and react.

There's a few elements of to 'getting to know' someone (real or fictional). You should see the person: 1 frequently/day-to-day 2 react to crisis 3 socially interact 4 change/grow over time Probably unsurprisingly, FE:3H does all of these, some more elegantly than others.

I've seen people give love to how the Fire Emblem: Three Houses characters are all so distinctive (and therefore endearing).. but not discuss how this was achieved in design! Here's some thoughts based on my play experience, as a game designer without inside knowledge.

after dragons evolved to breathe fire, their guts' microbiome weakened to no longer withstand the bacteria in raw meat, making them surprisingly the predator most likely to die of food poisoning

good feel: pondering a game concept/setting on the backburner best feel: seeing a fave creator use that concept before you do, knowing they'll do it more justice than you could have (way too excited for @inkleStudios' fallen Camelot game, literally no matter what it is haha)