When I decided to host the mega again a bit ago, I had no idea what to make it about (of course). So it fell between two topics: a post on the importance of sleep, or a post on just how much I love Fire Emblem: The Sacred Echoes. Well, I felt like the importance of sleep was well-known, and could always wait for the next time I host a mega. I wanted to make sure I hit the Sacred Echoes iron while it's hot, because I've almost finished my play through at this point, and it might genuinely be one of the best games I have ever played.
Sacred Echoes feels so polished, considering it's a fan-made romhack of Sacred Stones, with the goal of bringing the 3DS game, Shadows of Valentia (SoV), to the GBA. Everything about the game aesthetically is very well-done, from the portraits, to the battle sprites, and literally anything else that could be thought of about a game. This includes new character writing, which helps the game in areas where Shadows of Valentia was a little, well, off. That's what I want to go over first, and although I've made a post before, I had only played a little bit of the game. Being at the end, I've noticed more things, and grown to appreciate this game even more than I already did.
Let's start off with the relevant (and interesting) bits: Sacred Echoes actually does a really good job at representing a variety of backgrounds, while also being diverse in a way that doesn't feel like it's simply to have a token character. This game doesn't suffer from the cracker curse, for example. Although most of the characters are white, there is more than one person of color (
) . In terms of LGBTQ+ representation, it's even better. There are many gay/lesbian characters, whose sexuality actually plays a role in the plot and how they interact with others. There's also an aroace character, Lukas, who goes through a whole arc of self-discovery in his support conversations (support Python). It's good stuff, and not things I would normally expect from a Fire Emblem game. I hesitate to bring up the (possibly) only trans character in the game, Jesse. HOLD ON, NO HESITATION AT ALL! I just decided to do more research, and I wasn't just projecting. He is 100% trans, and it's in supports, and it's relevant to his plot and backstory, so it's just like the rest of them, thank goodness, I was worried he was a token. So yeah, support Clive and Jesse. Good stuff, and good luck getting to the end of the game so they can actually meet, one fights for Alm and the other for Celica...
This is Jesse
Here's some dialogue between Clive and Jesse, in the context of a will:
Clive: Only the following will be yours - your mother's wardrobe, her jewelry box, and all corresponding contents.
Jesse: Urgh. Even from halfway in the grave he's trying to tell me what to wear. So yeah, he's still the same tyrant he always was. Hasn't changed a bit.
In terms of character background, it's more diverse than one would think, and it addresses the issue of feudal class. Not all of the characters are nobles, and one of the main characters is a commoner from a random village. The plot regularly deals with the fact that nobles and commoners do not get along. However, it does not try to redeem most nobles. If they aren't proving themselves with their actions, they're probably shitty. Even if they are supposedly "one of the good ones", there's usually some underlying prejudice that comes out when you might not expect it. I love it so much, and I am extremely impressed that the plot doesn't try to redeem nobility as a whole, but rather allows the noble characters within the cast to have character development that feels less like justification and more like re-education.
Pictured is the class traitor Lukas absolutely destroying Fernand
For other details about the story, I'll link my original post. I don't want to drag this on too long, and I mention most of the improvements there. It also includes where to find the patch for the game, and how to play the game for yourself. If you enjoy SRPGs, or are new to the genre, I recommend this game. It has an easy mode for the newbies, and hard mode for those of us who hate ourselves (/s), and a normal mode for everything in-between 
The Echoes cast is amazing, and I love how they interact with each other and the world. Each character stands out, and they feel unique in their relationships with the other characters. Even characters that suffer in SoV, like Faye and the Masked Knight (has a name but it's spoilers), benefit from the Sacred Echoes writing, making them actually enjoyable characters. The villains of the game are also great. I don't want to go too deep, because I don't want to spoil too much, but they aren't just pure evil, and for that I applaud the SoV writers. Berkut is probably the highlight of the game, being the heir to the throne of the empire. I am once again asking you to play the game, because IT IS SO GREAT, and I would not have expected these good of villains to pair with Alm and Celica, as well as their armies.
Pictured is the Masked Knight being a gay little guy. The other guy (Saber) is threatening his life...
Everything about the game design is also amazing. It's GBA Fire Emblem, so the animations are peak and the pixel art is stellar. The maps are improved from the original SoV maps, and they are definetly much better, and much less repetitive. Classes in the game are fun in how they work, each character being able to promote 2-3 times. Mages also work really uniquely and well in this game, with spells costing HP to cast. They learn spells as they level up, rather than by purchasing tomes, which makes for (in my opinion), better gameplay. Sacred Echoes also adds the GBA weapon and magic triangles!
All in all, Sacred Echoes is a great game, and even if you never ending up playing it, you now know of its existence. It stands out as a great romhack, as well as a great Fire Emblem game, AND it has the gay. Can it really get better than that?
If you want my original (and more in-depth) analysis, check out my original post. It's mostly about what Sacred Echoes improves upon the original Shadows of Valentia.
Hope you enjoyed my little nerd-out session, and have a good week everyone! 
DOWNLOAD SACRED ECHOES: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/o9v75blehaid1re2i8qou/ALhV8LN1A59jdFIP6HYRH3c?rlkey=d7fl1m8qh9gl7ztmnim33euu1&e=1&dl=0
PATCH TO AN EXISTING SACRED STONES ROM: https://www.marcrobledo.com/RomPatcher.js/
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I had a lot more thoughts about this after the last point, actually... they all kinda collided and I was making lunch, but to summarize some of them (disclaimer: I have no idea if any of this is true, and I don't think this is helpful information to your situation, so I guess the word "yapping" applies?):
the thing
I have a hypothesis that loads of people project their own emotions onto others in the absence of concrete information. If someone was romantically (I do finally think I'm getting close to a working definition for that word) interested in me, and I complimented them in some way, would they interpret that as flirting? When we don't know someone very well, do we assume that people are just like us and are feeling the way we do? ugh maybe this doesn't make sense
People seem also to interpret things based on their emotional state. On a bad day, I can read bad things into people's comments much easier and worry. If I'm at all anxious, it tints my perception of others in a big way. Suddenly, innocent or appreciative looks become stares and feel threatening...
Classic, yep, I know this feeling. It's like I'm pacing in my own head for days after, back and forth, trying to figure it all out, while just not having enough information to do so. I talk about it a lot with Partner, luckily I can do that because I have him, if I can't get it out of me because I have no one to talk to (I talk to my dad a lot too about some things. before Partner) it just doesn't get solved and I end up starting to feel unsafe or "stuck" entirely. Processing is important...
Okay lesgo :3
the Thing!
I think that's actually a decent hypothesis? Like, I think about anxiety brain and how an unsure autistic mind (me, you) just assumes that a social interaction is going HORRIBLY with a lack of information. They might interpret it as flirting in that case... I dunno, I wonder, this isn't nothing probably. Emotional state definitely plays into social interpretation though, mood...
Yea............... a mood, I work better with my wife on everything social.
spoiler
Oh, uh, thank you! I was a bit unsure about posting it since I didn't want to worry you etc.
Yeah, it's like ... any time I doubt my autism, I just need to remember how I have no idea if people like me or not most of the time lol and that I fill in the blanks with either random or information that reflects my own emotional state.
totally, we are lucky to have people to let us ruminate. I ask Partner for his opinion sometimes, and he'll give it - and then I'll talk or think for a while, then ask for his opinion, and he'll give it (the same one, again), and then I'll talk or think for a while... lol but eventually it helps, just takes a while for things to "sink in" for me.
I used to like being sleep-deprived because it kept my brain a bit quieter in this regard actually, but it caused other problems.
spoiler
I ain't worried :3
Yeah ✨ shouts to lacking social perception...
Never thought about this specifically but yes, fr fr. I love taking processing time.
Being sleep deprived is def not a good cure for overactive brain :')
:3
Yeah, I'm feeling a bit painfully self-aware about this today after just being in a meeting full of people talking about "social initiatives" that we may/may not do for the company. I look inward and underneath the duct tape there's just a void there, lol. Uh, actually I kinda wonder if that's the case for some other things, too...
:)
ya, i had a busy morning but i'm feeling it now that i'm taking a break, afternoon tea was not enough lol
:3
Oh sheesh, Social Initiatives does not sound fun?
How so, not sure I follow? And do you mean like, projecting your stuff due to lack of concrete information in other matters?
Okay is tea supposed to have brain effects?
yeah it's like mentoring with people who do jobs Nothing Like Your Job and shit, big yikes to me lol, i just code here, and holiday parties. last year was kind of a disaster for me even if I did like seeing people ... it's a whole thing esp. since i don't want to get covid again and i do not want to fly to America which would be a possibility, and even if it was local last time the vegan option was just lol sold out when we got to the place so uh i had vegetables (they were cooked in butter too and I was too nervous to speak up blegh)
I mean that I used to think that I had the ability to read people, but now that I'm thinking further about it, it's a cobbled together list of rules and ideas that no one taught me, and it's intentionally trying to make up for the piece that is missing underneath it: the piece that understands social norms etc. I don't have it, so it just kinda feels like a missing part, you know? Projecting my stuff is like the best I got in its place
I mean, Partner swears by chamomile tea helping him sleep etc. but in this case I was drinking black tea, which has caffeine. Normally it helps, it was marginal today, lol
Oh jesus it sounds like The Actual Worst. I never attended company functions or parties or whatever when I was employed. Not a chance. Goddamn though, fly to the US... I mean fuck that, but damn...
yeaaah not a chance lol, i'm kinda terrified of america tbh
Yeah, I guess that does make sense. Maybe I'm expecting some kind of global thing when it's really about understanding a person, hmmm!!!!
Haha, I mean normally I'd agree, but most of my social cue shit is at work ... so if those conversations go poorly, it could be kinda bad
Are you one of those people for whom caffeine has no effect? I know a few people like that, for sure.
I'm one of those people
I was thinking about you actually when I wrote that, in part :)
I see ^^
Understandably...
That's what I find most productive I think. Neurotypicals might all implicitly agree to this made-up set of social norms, but that does not mean they're universal. Easy case study: ask a room what they think the connotation of a head-nod as a greeting is!
Sometimes it can make me overstimulated but I often drink it before bed, or even to chill out, lol.
damn, that is a really good point ... I have heard that being a therapist for autistic people can sometimes be very easy since all you need to do is explain things to them and they figure it out. Not sure where I read that, but I can definitely relate to it.
Waow I wish I could, but I haven't tried in a while. I think I'm probably caffeine-as-it's-supposed-to-work tbh, I usually have coffee in the morning and I feel like it helps a bit, I do get headaches if I don't though :/
Huh, really... We are smart, I mean we know stuff good when it's not NT bullshit
Uh oh, the coffee addiction :/ being able to get perked up is probably good though?
I told Cool Therapist this today and she laughed and agreed lol, I think that's been her perception of me the entire ... uh 3 months? I've been seeing her.
I know, I kinda like the taste, and the routine, and yeah while I can never really be 100% sure it's actually responsible for waking me up I feel like it helps.
Love your therapist, think she's right tbh.
It's like a stim for me too lol, I want hot drink :>
:3 me too
Hot drinks uh oh shoot I have the dumb Wendy's training video stuck in my head https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZXeFPpPJeI
please help i now have severe brainrot
we watch twitch vods to fall asleep most nights since the guy we watch is usually pretty chill, but a clip from this video is a frequent occurrence and so now it's just always in my head...
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy: