Sir Aran's Development Diary (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
siraranisamused) wrote2015-06-14 05:08 pm
siraranisamused) wrote2015-06-14 05:08 pm
Entry tags:
Fire Emblem Elibe - Lundgren and Family
So, taking advantage of the schedule, let's take today to discuss some more of the changes done for the FE: Elibe project. In particular, when you read Lundgren's part of the chapter, I'm sure many of you all had the same thought:
"What."
It's kind of a long story, elaborately building to a stupid punchline, but there was a thought process behind the changes.
As touched on in the discussion for why Lyn's story was moved from Caelin (which doesn't exist in FE: Elibe) to Ryerde, in four of her six endings (Solo, Florina, Kent, Rath), Lyn's decision to dissolve Caelin into Ostia and go back to the plains is a rather selfish action. Fitting for her character, to be sure, but still very irresponsible in the face of all the sacrifices made in finding her and getting her to Caelin in the first place. For me, there was a very easy answer to that: establish someone else who would take over once Lyn left. That way, she could still have her endings where she could leave for the plains of Sacae, and Ryerde wouldn't be folded into another territory. This even applies to her ending with Hector and Eliwood, and can play up the "Politically Relevant, Emotionally Satisfying" element without looking like a power grab.
From the outset of this idea, it was always going to be a first cousin of Lyn's, and it was always going to be someone young. In the initial drafts, though, it was a young boy, named Llewelyn. Later in the development of the story changes, I wondered about the possible implications that, rather than because he was trained to be a ruler all his life, rather than Lyn who had it thrust upon her, Llewelyn would've been made Marquees by pure merit that he was the prince, and she was a princess. Since I was already looking for ways to include more female characters anyway, I decided to make the change, and thus Llewelyn was replaced with Eirwen, Lundgren's granddaughter rather than grandson.
While I was working this idea, I decided I wanted to really work the angle that Wren and company are saying to Lyn, "We just need you to be in charge until she's old enough if Hausen is unable to, because otherwise we've got Lundgren, and no one wants that." To make it seem less like Lyn was abandoning her responsibility in her endings, and free her up to follow her heart without much negative repercussions. So, one night, I was plotting out some scenes in my head, when I joked in reference to a rather memorable scene from an already memorable episode of Adventure Time. And...I decided to just run with it, as far as I could.
Thus were birthed Lundgren's son and daughter-in-law: Earl and Lem(ongrab). As you can imagine, I have planned to include several more references throughout the rest of Lyn's tale, but there's only one other major reference I need to get in. I'll save that for a surprise, though.
So why play up Lundgren in this fashion? Well, I'm of two minds of the issue. In the big picture, Lundgren's a real non-entity (and, a major problem with FE7 in general is that Lyn is given top billing despite having near negligible effect on the plot, as well. This is something I'm looking to rectify, although admittedly it's slow going at this point). Playing him for laughs by making him a walking reference at least makes him more memorable as a villain, and it's pretty much the respect he deserves. But then, I've also taken care to establish just WHY it'd be so bad if he were in charge, beyond just being a douchebag (which, honestly, isn't really a factor in qualifications for leadership on that scale). So, I'm also giving him at least a bit of respect that way. So the question remains: how much do I play up the joke? Do I leave it at just "TOO YOUNG TO RULE THE KINGDOM!" or do I just go so far as to give him a sound sword (IT'S A SOUND SWOORRD!)?
Because I'll do it; that's the kind of guy I am, I will run this joke into the ground. Please, I'm begging, as an audience, stop me before I do too much harm in this, the first draft of the remake's story.
One other thing to talk about: Eirwen. What's her role in the story, beyond just being the white sheep of Lundgren's brood, and being Lyn's "get out of responsibility free" card? Well, because of Earl and Lem's role as Lundgren's henchmen, and them replacing two of the bosses in Lyn's story, Eirwen gets to be Lyn's foil. She'll also have lost her parents, being murdered for petty reasons. How she responds to that will greatly affect Lyn's behaviour in future events, including her outburst in the chapter we meet Captain Fargas, and future supports, both old and new. So, granted, this is more to help Lyn's character development, and in a new angle for the story, but it's one I'm very excited for, and I hope you enjoy it, too, when the time comes.
"What."
It's kind of a long story, elaborately building to a stupid punchline, but there was a thought process behind the changes.
As touched on in the discussion for why Lyn's story was moved from Caelin (which doesn't exist in FE: Elibe) to Ryerde, in four of her six endings (Solo, Florina, Kent, Rath), Lyn's decision to dissolve Caelin into Ostia and go back to the plains is a rather selfish action. Fitting for her character, to be sure, but still very irresponsible in the face of all the sacrifices made in finding her and getting her to Caelin in the first place. For me, there was a very easy answer to that: establish someone else who would take over once Lyn left. That way, she could still have her endings where she could leave for the plains of Sacae, and Ryerde wouldn't be folded into another territory. This even applies to her ending with Hector and Eliwood, and can play up the "Politically Relevant, Emotionally Satisfying" element without looking like a power grab.
From the outset of this idea, it was always going to be a first cousin of Lyn's, and it was always going to be someone young. In the initial drafts, though, it was a young boy, named Llewelyn. Later in the development of the story changes, I wondered about the possible implications that, rather than because he was trained to be a ruler all his life, rather than Lyn who had it thrust upon her, Llewelyn would've been made Marquees by pure merit that he was the prince, and she was a princess. Since I was already looking for ways to include more female characters anyway, I decided to make the change, and thus Llewelyn was replaced with Eirwen, Lundgren's granddaughter rather than grandson.
While I was working this idea, I decided I wanted to really work the angle that Wren and company are saying to Lyn, "We just need you to be in charge until she's old enough if Hausen is unable to, because otherwise we've got Lundgren, and no one wants that." To make it seem less like Lyn was abandoning her responsibility in her endings, and free her up to follow her heart without much negative repercussions. So, one night, I was plotting out some scenes in my head, when I joked in reference to a rather memorable scene from an already memorable episode of Adventure Time. And...I decided to just run with it, as far as I could.
Thus were birthed Lundgren's son and daughter-in-law: Earl and Lem(ongrab). As you can imagine, I have planned to include several more references throughout the rest of Lyn's tale, but there's only one other major reference I need to get in. I'll save that for a surprise, though.
So why play up Lundgren in this fashion? Well, I'm of two minds of the issue. In the big picture, Lundgren's a real non-entity (and, a major problem with FE7 in general is that Lyn is given top billing despite having near negligible effect on the plot, as well. This is something I'm looking to rectify, although admittedly it's slow going at this point). Playing him for laughs by making him a walking reference at least makes him more memorable as a villain, and it's pretty much the respect he deserves. But then, I've also taken care to establish just WHY it'd be so bad if he were in charge, beyond just being a douchebag (which, honestly, isn't really a factor in qualifications for leadership on that scale). So, I'm also giving him at least a bit of respect that way. So the question remains: how much do I play up the joke? Do I leave it at just "TOO YOUNG TO RULE THE KINGDOM!" or do I just go so far as to give him a sound sword (IT'S A SOUND SWOORRD!)?
Because I'll do it; that's the kind of guy I am, I will run this joke into the ground. Please, I'm begging, as an audience, stop me before I do too much harm in this, the first draft of the remake's story.
One other thing to talk about: Eirwen. What's her role in the story, beyond just being the white sheep of Lundgren's brood, and being Lyn's "get out of responsibility free" card? Well, because of Earl and Lem's role as Lundgren's henchmen, and them replacing two of the bosses in Lyn's story, Eirwen gets to be Lyn's foil. She'll also have lost her parents, being murdered for petty reasons. How she responds to that will greatly affect Lyn's behaviour in future events, including her outburst in the chapter we meet Captain Fargas, and future supports, both old and new. So, granted, this is more to help Lyn's character development, and in a new angle for the story, but it's one I'm very excited for, and I hope you enjoy it, too, when the time comes.