For decades, the Kingdom has been rotting away. From within, its foundations are hollowed out by despots concerned only with the dominance of their lineages; from beyond, the Plague-Which-Walks delivers a fate far crueler than death. From the highest lord down to the lowest labourer, we all knew the sun was setting on this long-lived dynasty.
None of that should matter to this unassuming girl who washed ashore with nothing but the clothes on her back. But I knew better. I saw her for what she could become: the spark that would finally set this rotting pyre ablaze. The only question was whether there’d be something left among the ashes.
This tale shares some characters with Cerulean Crescent, but takes place in an alternate timeline on another continent. You do not need to have played that before this.
Download Here
I promised myself that after finishing Cerulean Crescent, I’d never hack again. Well…
If you have any feedback for the project, or have discovered bugs and typos, please do let me know in this thread, or in the Discord server!
A lot of balance (such as city costs and research costs) are still in flux, so if you have time, I would definitely appreciate hearing how the demo played and whether it was a smooth experience.
On that note, I will be posting updates on the project in the Discord server. Feel free to join if you want to hang out and talk about hacks in general.
Outmaneuver, outflank and overpower.
Our foes may outnumber us several fold, but we can abuse our mobility to its fullest. Let our most skilled create the opening, punish the hapless vanguard with superior positioning, then canter away before they can retaliate!
But if all fails… send in the armoured artillery.
Give to the city, and the city will give in return.
Ruthless exploitation has left the city in ruins and desperate for a saviour. Whether it be expanding our army’s capabilities, improving our logistics network, or planting explosives, they will give their all for our cause.
Research what we need, and outfit our army with the best we have.
For a few sacks of food, the Guild’s finest will hone their craft in whatever direction you see fit, soon rivaling even the workshops of kings. Their skilled smiths will repair our equipment after every battle, so ensure our troops make good use of them.
Harness the might of the rabble.
Let word of our cause reach every shore! Let those from all walks of life know they are welcome under our banner! Forge the discontent of the people into the blade that will pierce the hearts of our foes!
Dying for the Cause is for the rabble. Our blessed champions will survive.
Even if defeated, our champions will stubbornly cling to life. Ensure their rescue, and they will return with naught but a perilous tale to tell.
Patching Instructions
I assume basically everyone reading this post knows, but can’t hurt to have it here again.
Method 1: Online Patching
- Acquire FE8 rom (US/Australia version) via Google,
- Download the .ups file from this post.
- Go to the online patching tool (click here).
- Apply the .ups file to the rom.
- Run the rom with your choice of GBA emulator.
Method 2: Patching with NUPS
- Acquire FE8 rom (US/Australia version) via Google.
- Download the .ups file from this post.
- Download NUPS from Fire Emblem Shrine :: Patchers .
- Apply the .ups file to the rom.
- Run the rom with your choice of GBA emulator.
The Part of the Post That Lets Me Ramble
This a my own response to Cerulean Crescent in many ways. I’ve learnt a lot while making it, and while I am fairly happy with it turned out, I believe I can do better if I was to start over. So, why not make a whole new thing?
As much as I enjoyed writing Ellerie, it was time to switch things up a little. Gecko quite possibly has the most different personality to Ellerie as possible, with an entirely different dynamic with her companions. In a way, I feel like I’ve gone back to quintessential “Fire Emblem” roots.
A lot of what I’m trying to do better is the pacing.
- The first is story pacing. I do tend to be a bit wordy, and while that won’t change, I hope to at least cut out some fluff, and keep most things directly necessary to the plot. A lot of CC was planned out as it was written. With a more solid plan in place, I hope to avoid a lot of the problems that plagued CC’s story structure.
- The second is mechanics pacing. CC tended to overwhelm players with six new units, each with a skill set up, unique weapons and synergies, and then at least 2 or 3 new units each chapter. In this hack, the early chapters have far less units and units join less quickly, giving more breathing room to learn the new units. This hack also has more mechanics than CC, so I am paying special attention to if they get introduced too quickly.
My main with this hack is make something that retains the devastating mobility of CC, but as a much smoother and digestible experience.
Credits
Special thanks to Ultrablade, who may as well be load-bearing for some of the mechanics of the hack.
Special thanks to Levin and Stitch for much of the incredible portrait work on display here.
Special thanks to Luminescentblade for the wonderful UI, being emotional support for me struggling with TSA, and certain upcoming stuff.
I’d also like to appreciate everyone who has helped me playtest and be the first to fall against bugs and typos.
Credits for all assets used here. (Will require some additional cleaning.)
. Needle is worth it tho. Speaking of
