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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Usually their species is "weird & kinda scary"
Or just Looking a lot...
I mean, I still think even just being able to be present in that space is a big accomplishment worthy of praise imo. I would be So Nervous and would probably died as soon as there was more than a second of awkward silence, esp around strangers, maybe even disassociated. Or masked a lot and really drained myself. Its like, being present is the hardest part, or something. Maybe my words aren't really making sense here
Oof yeah I too am very sensitive to people looking at me. No matter how much rationalisations I do "oh they probably think you look cute" "people like to look at interesting people" I still find it uncomfortable...
Yeah I guess... I should just make a habit of saying "Hey I like your glasses" to people, since I am apparently a magnet for cute glasses, smh. Would be a pretty good bit tbh. Uh it's probably all masking for me at least, when in person with strangers like that...
If I could know why reliably it would be less bad, but fuck there are so many possible explanations. I have no fucking idea what they were thinking and it still kinda fucks me up...
This is a good plan, actually. I always get weird about complimenting people on their appearance or whatever, but glasses is a Very Good compliment that IMO doesn't risk being misinterpreted.
I think this is exactly the feeling. When I have to run all the possibilities in my head, its overwhelming. Like I'm trying to play multiple games of chess (I dont play chess) at the same time. And of course I'll be beating myself up later for not saying things I should have said etc.
So, uh, me too, lol. I can only guess as to why people react the ways they do to me, and all of this social simulation software is a lot slower for me than NTs, so I try to keep the number of people low and the interactions spaced out, generally.
I hope so, lol. I worry people would take it as flirting, but it would not be, I am but a simple glasses appreciator
but it is a lot less loaded than saying like, "nice gay hair nerd" which would be very saucy lmao
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 :')