I was curious how many forced actions there would be in easy mode as I had never played it before. It's a funny term that I don't think I've ever heard anyone else use to describe the archer weakness for fliers.
Missiles nowadays has a very specific meaning (that only came about within the last century at time of writing iirc) but back in the day, it was synonymous with projectile. Anything that was thrown or lobbed or shot at your enemy/target was a missile.
In Latin, missile just meant “throwing weapons.” A javelin was a missile, as was a throwing dart.
StarCraft 2 describes hydralisk spines, Terran firearm bullets/canon shells, and Protoss energy bolts all as missile attacks. And it’s a valid use of the term technically speaking.
I just learned train is pretty similar. A train is originally a long line of caravans transporting something, which is also the current definition of a train that we use today. But we only use the word for the vehicle now
I would think they'd specify salt corns in that case. Corn referred to wheat/barley etc. (i.e. eincorn) long before Maize took over as the primary reference.
However, it is wrong in a different way. After all, it's only bows that do bonus damage to fliers, not javelins and hand axes, which are also missiles.
It is a correct definition of missile before the more common tube of metal that flies through the air and explodes definition became what people think of.
While not dealing effective damage, the early game pegasus fliers (Caede archetype) tend to have low hp, low def, and weapon triangle disadvantage against axes, so might want to stay away from handaxes too
A missile is simply a propelled (even as rudimentarily as by throwing) object intended to strike a target of some kind. Ancient slingers --literally people who threw rocks in war-- used big lemon-shaped rocks that were sometimes called missiles.
Another way to look at it: the word "missile" is derived from Latin, and obviously the Romans weren't using ICBMs.
Yes, I've bid on (but not won) "bullets" slung by Balearic slingers during the Second Punic War. It's funny how words can be recycled and kept so modern that it's hard to think of them being used for things in Antiquity.
Arrows, crossbow bolts and ballista bolts being called "missiles" goes back a long way. It's an old term for "offensive projectile" and could be used interchangeably with "dart" which can also refer to arrows. The current definition of a rocket with a warhead is very modern.
When you compare it to the definition of missile that dates back almost to the Punic Wars, it's extremely modern, and only those with zero imagination fail to get the context anyway.
Suggesting that the average player of this game in 2004 (kids and some young adults) should think of an archaic definition not generally used in their lifetime rather than the modern one they'd hear commonly is a lil weird. Yes, people would piece together from context what the word isn't, but it's strange to act like it being modern is relevant when the game itself is modern aimed at an audience most familiar with the modern word.
Like I get it, it's a correct word and its usage here has nothing, but the amount of time each version was used in the bigger picture does not feel relevant to the conversation
Missile attacks also include Ballista from later on in the game. Probably just the way the localization team translated it, with some experience in game development or other strategy games.
If you get into fantasy and medieval shows/literature, then one will come across that term more often. As others have pointed out, it's how it was used in the past.
It’s a bit archaic, but yeah, technically they fit the definition.
Yeah, it's sorta like when you read an old enough document and they call wheat "corn".
That said, using "missile" or "projectile" covers their weakness to ballistae here as well. Just arrow would be over-restrictive.
FEH uses it too for the same reason. The Deflect Missile seal covers bows and daggers
Missiles nowadays has a very specific meaning (that only came about within the last century at time of writing iirc) but back in the day, it was synonymous with projectile. Anything that was thrown or lobbed or shot at your enemy/target was a missile.
In Latin, missile just meant “throwing weapons.” A javelin was a missile, as was a throwing dart.
StarCraft 2 describes hydralisk spines, Terran firearm bullets/canon shells, and Protoss energy bolts all as missile attacks. And it’s a valid use of the term technically speaking.
I just learned train is pretty similar. A train is originally a long line of caravans transporting something, which is also the current definition of a train that we use today. But we only use the word for the vehicle now
people call salt corn too, but almost entirely in regards to Corned Beef
Well corn referred to small things like peppercorns too.
Hence "a mere peppercorn"
I would think they'd specify salt corns in that case. Corn referred to wheat/barley etc. (i.e. eincorn) long before Maize took over as the primary reference.
Wheat is corn, the English language just got hipster about what corn means, like with pineapples
However, it is wrong in a different way. After all, it's only bows that do bonus damage to fliers, not javelins and hand axes, which are also missiles.
That's what I was thinking as well. Tough situation for a single sentence tutorial message. I think just saying "arrows" would still have been best
It is a correct definition of missile before the more common tube of metal that flies through the air and explodes definition became what people think of.
"Man, what are even supposed to call this thing? It burns, and it's bigger than an arrow, but it's also not a ball..."
"Bugger that, just call it a missile. It's barbaric enough anyway"
It comes from the latin for "to send" same root as mission both mission as in mission you go on and mission as in a religious mission.
A missile is basically any projectile. Arrow, sling bullets, gun bullets etc. So missile weapons as opposed to melee weapons.
I thought it came from the norse myth of the mistletoe
Yeah, a missile is just a projectile. Like if you throw a rock it's a missile.
The funny thing is, that would incorrectly imply fliers are weak to javelins and hand axes as well
While not dealing effective damage, the early game pegasus fliers (Caede archetype) tend to have low hp, low def, and weapon triangle disadvantage against axes, so might want to stay away from handaxes too
A missile is simply a propelled (even as rudimentarily as by throwing) object intended to strike a target of some kind. Ancient slingers --literally people who threw rocks in war-- used big lemon-shaped rocks that were sometimes called missiles.
Another way to look at it: the word "missile" is derived from Latin, and obviously the Romans weren't using ICBMs.
But think of how much fun history would be if we all retroactively applied modern meanings of words to their linguistic roots!
Sling ammuntion is also sometimes called a bullet. Always amusing to the modern eye to see that term in ancient texts.
Yes, I've bid on (but not won) "bullets" slung by Balearic slingers during the Second Punic War. It's funny how words can be recycled and kept so modern that it's hard to think of them being used for things in Antiquity.
In catalan we call marble balls "balas" or Bullets since they were used in slings and slingshots
"Missile" is the term used to refer to all projectiles in some older RPGs such as D&D. (It would include, e.g., ballistae).
Magic Missle
Infinite Ice Tomahawk +2.
I wanna say FFTA did this too
Doing a playthrough of FFTA now and yet, it does
Runescape as well with the Protect from Missiles prayer.
It is basically all projectile weapons such as arrows, ballistas, catapults etc… uses the term missile as that uses less space.
It’s old timey wording of any form of ranged projectile being a missile attack. Arrows, javelins, etc.
Arrows, crossbow bolts and ballista bolts being called "missiles" goes back a long way. It's an old term for "offensive projectile" and could be used interchangeably with "dart" which can also refer to arrows. The current definition of a rocket with a warhead is very modern.
Okay yes but more modern than this game's 2004 release?
When you compare it to the definition of missile that dates back almost to the Punic Wars, it's extremely modern, and only those with zero imagination fail to get the context anyway.
Suggesting that the average player of this game in 2004 (kids and some young adults) should think of an archaic definition not generally used in their lifetime rather than the modern one they'd hear commonly is a lil weird. Yes, people would piece together from context what the word isn't, but it's strange to act like it being modern is relevant when the game itself is modern aimed at an audience most familiar with the modern word.
Like I get it, it's a correct word and its usage here has nothing, but the amount of time each version was used in the bigger picture does not feel relevant to the conversation
This isn't as weird to me due to playing osrs, there's a protection prayer called protect from missiles.
Missile attacks also include Ballista from later on in the game. Probably just the way the localization team translated it, with some experience in game development or other strategy games.
I think it's phrased that way to imply it doesn't apply to just bows.
INTSYS, this is not advance wars
It says missile, so that they don't have to mention bows and ballistae individually
I see it a lot, but that is because I have played D&D all my life. A missile is everything between arrow and magic missile.
Because ballistae are also included and fliers are weak to those too.
In the game "Legend of Grimrock", the skill that governs projectile weapons is called "Missile Weapons" and affects bows and crossbows.
A missile is any physical projectile.
"Missiles" as you think of it comes from people shortening the term "guided missiles".
If you get into fantasy and medieval shows/literature, then one will come across that term more often. As others have pointed out, it's how it was used in the past.
If had to guess it was worded that way to cover ballistas which might not intuit as "Bows" strictly speaking.
It’s an archaic term for projectile
Hate it when my Pegasus Knight gets nailed by some SAMs, they usually dont survive the hit
Any projectile in flight can be considered a missile
Whats wrong with missile? Its a very universal term.
Imagine if archers fired the explosive kinds of missiles.
It makes sense to me: Missile attacks==ranged attacks made with a projectile like an arrow or ballista bolt.
Then again, I'm old enough to remember when ranged attacks in DnD used your "Missile Attack Adjustment".
A fellow THAC0 enjoyer I see.
So does FEH. Deflect Missile Sacred Seal is a thing!
They are missiles
Missile just means projectile in this context! Same thing you’ll find in RPG Maker software and such.
That's a very standard historical term for them. Most often you'll hear things like thrown Javelin type weapons referred to by that term.
Ayyo has FE8 always been this... destaturated??
I'm using the GBA color shader that comes with mgba. It tones down the colors to be more accurate to the original screen
Missile is also used to call projectiles in general, especially in history
I find it really funny that there are like 50+ comments saying the exact same thing
Ballistae..??
something something protect from missiles runescape pressure
Any overlap with advance wars?
Probably a dev though they were working on advance wars but was drunk.
Because in pegasus' pov, they hit like missiles.
thats funny