What is the problem with casual mode in the projecta?

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Today, I intend to raise a friendly discussion regarding a significant question I have. I am relatively new to the community (although I have had my FE Universe account for some time, I only started interacting recently), and since GBA games hold a special place in my heart with their own unique charm, I dived into romhacks. This was, by the way, a very well-made decision, as there are several wonderful projects that I consider superior to the original games. However, I would like to know why most projects do not include a casual mode. I understand that it is often viewed as a design choice, as well as the immense popularity of “ironman runs” (which, by the way, I really enjoy watching content creators do).

I always play the main series games on hard and casual mode, as I consider it a fair difficulty for players like me who are not particularly skilled at strategy games and who also dislike losing their units. It provides greater freedom and convenience when playing the maps. Yet, there are some excellent romhacks that do not offer the option of a casual mode to prevent permanent unit death, which, for me, is a significant barrier to finishing the gameplay of the project.

Therefore, I would like to know if there is any issue with implementing a casual mode when constructing a project or if it is the general consensus in the community to use the “classic” mode as the standard, or if the community, in general, has any concerns about including a casual mode in the projects.

I reiterate that this discussion is in no way a criticism of the romhackers nor is it intended to incite or suggest any changes; I simply wish to understand the reasons (if any) behind this choice.

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There could be several reasons. Preference is a big reason for many since often times a project will be made to suit the personal tastes of the dev as opposed to a specific audience. ROM hacks aren’t funded like a lot of indie projects so there isn’t necessarily an incentive to appeal to anyone outside of the person making the project.

Ease of implementation could be another. I can’t speak for all applications used to make these projects, but it’s possible that casual mode isn’t a default option for some, so it may be extra work to add.

Balance could be another reason especially if a ROM hack has a massive cast to mitigate any losses from a campaign. Plus difficulty options may not be an option to begin with since you’d have to balance each of them. Some people might find it easier to stick to developing one difficulty since proper balancing isn’t necessarily as simple as changing stats on enemies. It could also involve unit placement, reinforcement consideration, skills and weapons, etc.

I’m sure there’s a lot of other reasons out there as well but that’s just a few I could think of.

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Ok, thanks for the insight.

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A relatively simple answer: It’s not included by default in the GBA games or even default FEB Skillsys, you have to search for the patch yourself.

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